Our People

Vyacheslav Filichev

My curiosity about science and how life works has shaped both my research and academic journey. I’m a bioorganic chemist with international recognition, especially for my work on the structure and function of DNA and RNA. My interest in creating new molecules began during my undergraduate studies at St. Petersburg Technological Institute in Russia, where I was inspired by Professor Vladimir Ostrovskii, a passionate mentor with deep roots in the scientific tradition that traces back to Dmitri Mendeleev, the father of the periodic table of the elements. I continued my scientific training in some of the world’s leading research labs in Russia and Denmark, which eventually brought me to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2006. Here, I established the country’s first laboratory dedicated to nucleic acid chemistry. My team focuses on developing new treatments for viruses and cancer, as well as innovative biosensors.
I have authored over 70 research articles and several patents, reflecting strong commercial potential and collaboration across academia and industry. My group collaborates extensively across disciplines and develops novel chemical entities that expand fundamental knowledge and support new intellectual property. These efforts have helped form the interdisciplinary Nucleic Acid Chemical Biology Group at Massey University, which fosters strong national and international partnerships with academia, industry, and venture science communities. I am a passionate lecturer, and I teach chemistry at all levels at Massey University, largely focussing on transfer of synthetic skills and knowledge to the young generation.