Olivier Barbeau
About Olivier Barbeau
Olivier Barbeau is a Senior Drug Designer at Exscientia in Oxford, UK, where he has worked since 2019. With over 15 years of experience in drug discovery, he has held various roles in academia and industry, including positions at Evotec and the Institute of Cancer Research.
Work at Exscientia
Olivier Barbeau has been employed at Exscientia as a Senior Drug Designer since 2019. In this role, he focuses on utilizing Artificial Intelligence to streamline the drug discovery process, specifically aiming to identify small molecule clinical candidates from a pool of fewer than 500 molecules. His work contributes to the company's mission of advancing drug design through innovative technology.
Previous Experience in Drug Discovery
Prior to his current position, Barbeau held several roles in the field of drug discovery. He worked at Evotec as a Senior Scientist from 2015 to 2018 and served as a Medicinal Chemistry Team Leader at Evotec from 2018 to 2019. His experience also includes a position as Chemistry Team Leader at The University of Edinburgh from 2014 to 2015 and a six-year tenure as a Medicinal Chemist at the Institute of Cancer Research from 2007 to 2013.
Educational Background
Olivier Barbeau studied at Versailles University in France, where he earned a Master's degree in Organic Chemistry from 1997 to 2002. He also completed a PhD studentship in medicinal chemistry at Newcastle University from 2002 to 2005, during which he contributed to the development of DNA damage response inhibitors in collaboration with KuDOS.
Research and Development Contributions
Throughout his career, Barbeau has accumulated over 15 years of experience in drug discovery across various sectors, including biotechnology, contract research organizations (CROs), research institutes, and academia. His work has notably focused on anticancer therapeutics during his time at the Institute of Cancer Research, where he dedicated six years to this area of research.
Postdoctoral and Early Career Experience
After completing his PhD, Barbeau undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at CNRS - Université de Cergy-Pontoise in France from 2005 to 2006. He also gained early career experience through a Master's project at Université de Versailles in 2002 and a PhD studentship at Newcastle University, further solidifying his foundation in medicinal chemistry.