Samuel Gavronski

I am originally from Estonia and currently work on my DPhil in Clinical Medicine, focused on peptide-based antiviral therapies. I graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania, where I was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa academic honour society. During my time at Penn and after graduation, I gained invaluable research experience through internships at Stanford University and Harvard Medical School.

In 2023, I moved to the UK to pursue an MPhil at the University of Cambridge, where I studied the modulation of the c-GAS-STING pathway by the human cytomegalovirus. This work provided a strong foundation for my current research, which centres on developing peptide-based antiviral therapies targeting the influenza virus. My goal is to design cyclic peptide inhibitors that offer enhanced stability, specificity, and resistance to viral mutations, addressing the limitations of current neuraminidase inhibitors like oseltamivir and zanamivir, which are challenged by drug resistance.

To advance this research, I use cutting-edge techniques in peptide synthesis, including solid-phase peptide synthesis, to create high-quality peptide libraries for drug discovery. I also apply high-throughput screening combined with affinity selection mass spectrometry to identify potent peptide inhibitors. Through computational design and interaction mapping, I predict and optimize peptide-target interactions to streamline the development of effective antiviral compounds.

I am currently affiliated with the Townsend Lab at the Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine and the Brennan Group at the Centre for Medicines Discovery. I am co-supervised by Professor Paul Brennan, Dr. Annette von Delft, Dr. Pramila Rijal, Dr. Jon Elkins, and Professor Alain Townsend.