Winners of the Chris McGuigan Drug Discovery Awards
In the 2025 Chris McGuigan Symposium, three awards will be presented to researchers who have excelled in the field of drug discovery.
The event took place on 18 September 2025.
The McGuigan Outstanding PhD Thesis Award
Recognising the best thesis in drug delivery-related research by a Cardiff University doctoral graduate.
The 2025 winner of this highly competitive prize was won by Dr Tabitha Cunliffe.
After completing undergraduate degree at the University of Reading, Dr. Tabitha Cunliffe moved back to Wales to commence a PhD project, funded by Tenovus Cancer Care, exploring novel bacteriophage-based strategies for the development of oncolytic viruses. Now, Dr. Cunliffe is a postdoctoral researcher at Cardiff University, specialising in metastatic prostate cancer research.
The McGuigan Rising Star Award
Given to an early career researcher who has made a significant, original and internationally recognised impact.
Dr Ashleigh Shannon of Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), Marseille, won this prestigious award.
Dr. Ashleigh Shannon obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Queensland (Australia) in 2017, where she investigated the structure and activity of the dengue virus NS3 protease. Following this, she worked in research and development at the biotechnology company Vaxxas, contributing to their innovative, needle-free vaccine delivery platform, the Nanopatch.
In 2018, Dr. Shannon was awarded an Australian Endeavour Research Fellowship to join the team of Dr. Bruno Canard at the AFMB laboratory, Aix-Marseille Université (France). Her postdoctoral work was principally centered on the structure and function of the coronavirus replication-transcription complex, with a particular focus on antiviral targeting. This research resulted in a series of high-impact publications and patents, including elucidating the mechanisms of action of various nucleoside analogues and how specific chemical modifications can tailor their activity to address the unique challenges of treating coronavirus infections.
In 2023, Dr. Shannon was appointed as a permanent researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), and in 2024 she was awarded an ERC Starting Grant. Her group is focused on the molecular evolution and regulation of viral replication across the Nidovirales order, with a focus on how key enzymes—particularly the viral RNA polymerase and its NiRAN domain—have adapted structurally and functionally to manage the distinct replication demands of small- and large-genome nidoviruses. This work aims to uncover fundamental principles of viral genome regulation and inform novel antiviral strategies.
The McGuigan Award for Distinguished Work in Drug Discovery
Recognises a senior researcher who has a distinguished international reputation and a proven track record of leadership in initiating or progressing new scientific principles, or translating drug discovery towards the development of human medicines.
The award was given to Professor Stephan Urban of Heidelberg University for his outstanding career.
Professor Urban is head of the Translational Virology unit at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology at Heidelberg University Hospital. Between 2008 and 2012 he was Project coordinator of the BMBF-network "Innovative Therapies” and is now coordinating the Hepatitis D project within the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) TTU Hepatitis.
He completed a Diploma in Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen in 1991 and was awarded a Ph.D. in 1995 under Prof. Dr. P.H. Hofschneider Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried. He undertook Postdoctoral research at the Centre for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), Heidelberg University with Prof. Dr. H. Schaller. Following his PostDoc he became an independent group leader position, funded by the Chica & Heinz Schaller Foundation, received an assistant Professorship at the biological faculty in 2008. Since 2014 he leads the first DZIF full professorship in Translational Virology.
Professor Urban’s research interests comprise Molecular mechanisms of Hepatitis B- and Hepatitis D Virus/host interactions with a focus on the early and late events of viral infection; Identification of hepadnaviral receptors and structural analyses of virus receptor interactions; Development of novel cell culture systems for HBV and HDV; Development of hepatotropic drugs for the therapy of liver diseases; Innate Immune response on HBV and HDV viruses. He and his group developed bulevirtide (BLV)/ Hepcludex, the first approved therapy for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis D. Professor Urban has published in numerous peer reviewed journals on Hepatitis B and D.
He is the recipient of the Pettenkofer Price of the Pettenkofer Foundation. He was awarded with the first DZIF Research Award (2014), the Distinguished Award in Hepatitis B Research (in 2021), the Wolfgang-Gerok-Preis (in 2022), the Baruch S. Blumberg Preis and a honorary doctorate from the University of Basel (in 2023).
The Chris McGuigan Drug Discovery Awards and Symposium are made possible through a generous donation by Dr Geoff Henson.