Our People

Benjamin Dickson

Chemistry fascinates me because it forms a bridge between what we can see and touch, and things that are so tiny they’re difficult to imagine. The idea that we can manipulate the makeup, size and shape of chemical structures so that they interact precisely with other structures and drive outcomes that we can witness on a macro scale feels like it should be fiction.

I am an academic chemist at the University of Waikato, teaching organic chemistry across all year levels, and medicinal chemistry to postgraduate chemistry and pharmacy students. I strive to share my fascination with students, to build a working knowledge of our chemical world.

My research interests centre around organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Coming from a background of nearly 10 years working at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre I have continued interest in developing new cancer therapies, especially those that are tumour selective. In addition, my group is pursuing development of novel antibiotics to combat the antimicrobial resistance crisis, and exploring synthesis of natural products to better understand their chemical properties and pharmacological activity.