Rate My Professor Patrick Gunning

Professor Patrick Gunning serves as Professor of Molecular Therapeutics in the School of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Glasgow. He obtained his BSc (Hons) in Chemistry in 2001 and PhD in Chemistry in 2005 from the University of Glasgow. Following his doctoral studies, he undertook postdoctoral research as a Research Associate at Yale University from 2005 to 2007. Subsequently, he joined the University of Toronto Mississauga, Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, starting as Assistant Professor in 2007, promoted to Associate Professor in 2012, and Full Professor in 2016. During his tenure there, he held the Canada Research Chair in Medicinal Chemistry (Tier II) from 2013 onwards.

Gunning's research specializations encompass small molecule therapeutics, targeted protein degradation, covalent drug discovery, non-cysteine targeted covalent therapeutics, GPCR-targeted therapeutics, and peptidomimetics. He is recognized as the founder of six biotechnology companies and a contract research organization, with a strong emphasis on commercialization and entrepreneurship. Current grants include Medical Research Council funding for the Casan Therapeutics project on the development of selective and covalent HDAC inhibitors (2026-2027) and for lysine-targeting kinase inhibitors for lung carcinomas (2025-2026). His scholarly impact is evidenced by over 7,000 citations on Google Scholar. Key publications feature 'Orally bioavailable small-molecule inhibitor of transcription factor Stat3 regresses human breast and lung cancer xenografts' (Zhang et al., 2012, 404 citations), 'Advances in covalent kinase inhibitors' (Abdeldayem et al., 2020, 341 citations), 'Implications of STAT3 and STAT5 signaling on gene regulation and chromatin remodeling in hematopoietic cancer' (Wingelhofer et al., 2018, 289 citations), 'An oxazole-based small-molecule Stat3 inhibitor modulates Stat3 stability and processing and induces antitumor cell effects' (Siddiquee et al., 2007, 240 citations), and 'A novel small-molecule disrupts Stat3 SH2 domain–phosphotyrosine interactions and Stat3-dependent tumor processes' (Zhang et al., 2010, 235 citations). Gunning was honored as University of Glasgow Young Alumnus of the Year in 2010.