We design and make innovative small molecules to image, understand and treat diseases, combining medicinal chemistry, molecular imaging and supramolecular approaches to create next-generation chemical tools and therapeutics.
The Danon Group develops new small molecules to tackle fundamental challenges in drug discovery and neuroscience. Our research integrates medicinal chemistry, molecular imaging and supramolecular design to create compounds that not only interact with biological targets, but actively control how biology is studied and manipulated. We combine molecular design with in-house pharmacology and advanced cellular models to rapidly evaluate and optimise bioactivity.
We are particularly interested in diseases of the brain, where there remains a critical need for better diagnostic tools and more effective treatments. Our work is supported by an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellowship and combines synthetic chemistry with interdisciplinary collaboration across pharmacology, molecular biology, nuclear imaging and medicine.
Our research is organised around three core themes:
We develop positron emission tomography (PET) tracers to visualise disease processes in the living brain. Our work focuses on targets such as neuroinflammation and protein aggregation, enabling earlier diagnosis and improved understanding of disorders including neurodegeneration.
By designing radiolabelled molecules with optimised properties, we aim to advance imaging tools toward clinical application. To support this, we integrate in vitro bioassays to evaluate target engagement and pharmacological profiles, ensuring our tracers are robustly validated prior to in vivo studies.
PET tracers for imaging brain disorders: Development of next-generation PET radiotracers for imaging neuroinflammation. This work focuses on improving selectivity, sensitivity and clinical applicability, including tracers that overcome genetic variability in human populations.
We design and synthesise bioactive small molecules targeting central nervous system disorders, including anxiety and neurodegenerative disease. Using modern medicinal chemistry strategies—such as late-stage functionalisation and scaffold optimisation—we create compounds with enhanced potency, selectivity and drug-like properties.
A key aspect of our approach is the integration of in-house pharmacology and screening platforms. We develop and apply binding assays, functional assays and emerging cellular models—including induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived systems—to evaluate compound activity in biologically relevant contexts. This enables a tight design–make–test cycle, accelerating the discovery of molecules with genuine translational potential.
Small molecules for CNS disorders: Design and synthesis of compounds to probe and treat neurological conditions, including anxiety and neurodegenerative disease. This project applies medicinal chemistry approaches to optimise molecular properties and uncover new therapeutic opportunities.
A distinctive direction of the group is the use of mechanically interlocked molecules, such as rotaxanes, to create new forms of bioactivity. Unlike conventional compounds, these systems contain a mechanical bond that introduces motion, confinement and dynamic function into molecular design.
We exploit these features to program when and how molecules become active, for example by controlling cellular uptake, protecting functional groups, or enabling stimulus-triggered activation. This approach moves beyond traditional medicinal chemistry by exploring how molecular topology and dynamics can influence biological outcomes, opening new directions for drug design and chemical biology.
Interlocked molecules as programmable biochemical probes: Exploration of rotaxanes and related interlocked systems as next-generation bioactive scaffolds. By incorporating drug-like molecules into these architectures, we aim to create systems with controllable activity, stability and release, introducing new design principles for chemical biology and medicine.
We are always interested in passionate researchers who want to work at the interface of chemistry, biology and medicine.
Honours and postgraduate projects are available in synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and pharmacology.
Students in the group develop strong practical and analytical skills, with opportunities to contribute to publications, collaborate with other interdisciplinary researchers, and present their results at symposia and conferences.
We welcome applications from outstanding students interested in CNS drug discovery, PET imaging or supramolecular chemical biology. Scholarships are available through the University of Sydney and external funding schemes.
We encourage expressions of interest from candidates seeking to apply for independent fellowships aligned with the group’s research areas.
We actively collaborate across disciplines and welcome new partnerships with academic and industry researchers in drug discovery, imaging and chemical biology.
Mailing address
School of Chemistry
Faculty of Science
The University of Sydney
Camperdown NSW 2006
Australia
