Laura Filipe

• CDT Doctoral Researcher Supervisor: Paul Denny
• Email: laura.n.filipe@durham.ac.uk
• Project Title: Deconvoluting the mode of action of a suite of novel antileishmanials

Institution: Durham University

Project Summary: The tropical disease leishmaniasis is caused by the insect-borne protozoa Leishmania. Drugs for treating this disease in humans have serious deleterious effects. In addition, the incidence of the cases is increasing, and the occurrence of drug-resistant parasites is rising, while the number of effective drugs is declining. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new and safer drugs to treat human leishmaniasis. GSK has identified many new and promising antileishmanial compounds (Pena et al, 2015). My project aims to determine the mode of action of high-priority antileishmanials that have been triaged by our collaborators at GSK Tres Cantos. The ultimate aim of the project is to facilitate the development of new antileishmanial drugs in the future.