Matthew Sykes

APrf Matthew Sykes

Dean International and Engagement, Science

School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

Matt completed a Bachelor of Science honours degree in chemistry at Flinders University and subsequently completed a PhD at the same institution working in the field of molecular property prediction with Dr. Errol McCoy. After completing his PhD Matt worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Sheffield in the UK and at Astra Zeneca pharmaceuticals in Alderley Edge, Cheshire with Professor Barry Pickup and Dr Andrew Grant. This work centred around developing computational tools to expedite the drug development process, in particular looking at areas related to solvation of small molecules and proteins.
Prior to moving to UniSA, Matt was working as a Research Fellow in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Flinders University with Professor John Miners, looking at computer-based methods for screening, identification and analysis of molecules of importance to human hepatic drug metabolism.
Matt has won a number of awards for his teaching including: Division of Health Sciences Teaching Award (2009) Nominee, Student Nominated Excellent Educator Award (2010) University Supported Teacher Award (2011) UniSA Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for "For sustained excellence in the teaching of chemistry to large first year student cohorts from a diverse range of programs and backgrounds" (2015)

Cytochrome P450 structure-metabolism relationships,Molecular property prediction,Drug-membrane interactions

Year Citation
2024 Janetzki, J., Sykes, M., Ward, M., & Pratt, N. (2024). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease adverse event signals associated with potential inhibitors of glutathione peroxidase 1: a sequence symmetry analysis. Drug Safety, 47(1), 59-70.
DOI Scopus1
2023 Janetzki, J. L., Pratt, N. L., Ward, M. B., & Sykes, M. J. (2023). Application of an integrative drug safety model for detection of adverse drug events associated with inhibition of glutathione peroxidase 1 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pharmaceutical Research, 40(6), 1553-1568.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC3
2023 Fanta, B. S., Mekonnen, L., Basnet, S. K. C., Teo, T., Lenjisa, J., Khair, N. Z., . . . Wang, S. (2023). 2-Anilino-4-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidine-derived CDK2 inhibitors as anticancer agents: Design, synthesis & evaluation. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 80(117158), 117158.
DOI Scopus15 WoS15 Europe PMC10
2023 Pisoni, L. A., Semple, S. J., Liu, S., Sykes, M. J., & Venter, H. (2023). Combined structure- and ligand-based approach for the identification of inhibitors of AcrAB-TolC in Escherichia coli. ACS Infectious Diseases, 9(12), 2504-2522.
DOI Scopus6 Europe PMC4
2023 Fanta, B. S., Lenjisa, J., Teo, T., Kou, L., Mekonnen, L., Yang, Y., . . . Wang, S. (2023). Discovery of N,4-Di(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine-Derived CDK2 Inhibitors as Potential Anticancer Agents: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation. Molecules, 28(7), 2951.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC4
2022 Alshabrawy, A. K., Cui, Y., Sylvester, C., Yang, D., Petito, E. S., Barratt, K. R., . . . Anderson, P. H. (2022). Therapeutic Potential of a Novel Vitamin D3 Oxime Analogue, VD1-6, with CYP24A1 Enzyme Inhibitory Activity and Negligible Vitamin D Receptor Binding. Biomolecules, 12(7), 1-14.
DOI Scopus7 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2022 Chai, W. C., Whittall, J. J., Polyak, S. W., Foo, K., Li, X., Dutschke, C. J., . . . Venter, H. (2022). Cinnamaldehyde derivatives act as antimicrobial agents against Acinetobacter baumannii through the inhibition of cell division. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13(967949), 18 pages.
DOI Scopus20 WoS20 Europe PMC16
2022 Yu, M., Yang, Y., Sykes, M., & Wang, S. (2022). Small-molecule inhibitors of tankyrases as prospective therapeutics for cancer. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 65(7), 5244-5273.
DOI Scopus28 Europe PMC27
2022 Teo, T., Kasirzadeh, S., Albrecht, H., Sykes, M. J., Yang, Y., & Wang, S. (2022). An overview of CDK3 in cancer: clinical significance and pharmacological implications. Pharmacological Research, 180, 16 pages.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC11
2021 Janetzki, J. L., Sykes, M. J., & Ward, M. B. (2021). Proton pump inhibitors may contribute to progression or development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-a sequence symmetry analysis approach. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 46(6), 1687-1694.
DOI Scopus9 WoS6 Europe PMC6
2021 De Vries, C., Gadzhanova, S., Sykes, M. J., Ward, M., & Roughead, E. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis considering the risk for congenital heart defects of antidepressant classes and individual antidepressants. Drug Safety, 44(3), 291-312.
DOI Scopus42 WoS34 Europe PMC23
2020 Gu, X., Pisoni, L. A., Wang, Y., Song, D., Sykes, M. J., Qin, Y., . . . Ma, S. (2020). Design and synthesis of novel 4-substituted quinazoline-2-carboxamide derivatives targeting AcrB to reverse the bacterial multidrug resistance. Bioorganic Chemistry, 105(104394), 1-16.
DOI Scopus9 WoS10 Europe PMC6
2020 Wang, Y., Alenazy, R., Gu, X., Polyak, S. W., Zhang, P., Sykes, M. J., . . . Ma, S. (2020). Design and structural optimization of novel 2H-benzo[h]chromene derivatives that target AcrB and reverse bacterial multidrug resistance. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 213(113049), 1-20.
DOI Scopus28 WoS27 Europe PMC19
2019 Khair, N. Z., Lenjisa, J. L., Tadesse, S., Kumarasiri, M., Basnet, S. K. C., Mekonnen, L. B., . . . Wang, S. (2019). Discovery of CDK5 inhibitors through structure-guided approach. ACS, 10(5), 786-791.
DOI Scopus23 WoS21 Europe PMC18
2019 Pehere, A. D., Nguyen, S., Garlick, S. K., Wilson, D. W., Hudson, I., Sykes, M. J., . . . Abell, A. D. (2019). Tripeptide analogues of MG132 as protease inhibitors. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 27(2), 436-441.
DOI Scopus9 WoS7 Europe PMC6
2018 Petito, E. S., Foster, D. J. R., Ward, M. B., & Sykes, M. J. (2018). Molecular modeling approaches for the prediction of selected pharmacokinetic properties. Current topics in medicinal chemistry, 18(26), 2230-2238.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2017 Kumarasiri, M., Teo, T., Yu, M., Philip, S., Basnet, S. K. C., Albrecht, H., . . . Wang, S. (2017). In search of novel CDK8 inhibitors by virtual screening. Journal of chemical information and modeling, 57(3), 413-416.
DOI Scopus15 WoS16 Europe PMC10
2017 Bendikov, M. Y., Miners, J. O., Simpson, B. S., Elliot, D. J., Semple, S. J., Claudie, D. J., . . . Sykes, M. J. (2017). In vitro metabolism of the anti-inflammatory clerodane diterpenoid polyandric acid A and its hydrolysis product by human liver microsomes and recombinant cytochrome P450 and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes. Xenobiotica, 47(6), 461-469.
DOI
2016 Sharma, S., Martin, S., Sykes, M. J., Dave, A., Hewitt, A. W., Burdon, K. P., . . . Craig, J. E. (2016). Biological effect of LOXL1 coding variants associated with pseudoexfoliation syndrome. Experimental eye research, 146, 212-223.
DOI Scopus25 WoS22 Europe PMC19
2015 Le, B. T., Kumarasiri, M., Adams, J. R. J., Yu, M., Milne, R. W., Sykes, M. J., & Wang, S. (2015). Targeting Pim kinases for cancer treatment : opportunities and challenges. Future medicinal chemistry, 7(1), 35-53.
DOI Europe PMC33
2015 Ndi, C. P., Sykes, M. J., Claudie, D. J., McKinnon, R. A., Semple, S. J., & Simpson, B. S. (2015). Antiproliferative aporphine alkaloids from Litsea glutinosa and ethnopharmacological relevance to Kuuku I'yu traditional medicine. Australian journal of chemistry, 69(2), 145-151.
DOI
2015 Teo, T., Yu, M., Yang, Y., Gillam, T., Lam, F., Sykes, M. J., & Wang, S. (2015). Pharmacologic co-inhibition of Mnks and mTORC1 synergistically suppresses proliferation and perturbs cell cycle progression in blast crisis-chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Cancer Letters, 357(2), 612-623.
DOI Scopus43 WoS39 Europe PMC36
2015 Teo, T., Lam, F., Yu, M., Yang, Y., Basnet, S., Albrecht, H., . . . Wang, S. (2015). Pharmacologic inhibition of MNKs in acute myeloid leukemia. Molecular Pharmacology, 88(2), 380-389.
DOI Scopus31 WoS28 Europe PMC23
2015 Teo, T., Yang, Y., Yu, M., Basnet, S., Gillam, T., Hou, J., . . . Wang, S. (2015). An integrated approach for discovery of highly potent and selective Mnk inhibitors: Screening, synthesis and SAR analysis. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 103, 539-550.
DOI Scopus31 WoS27 Europe PMC17
2014 Diab, S., Teo, T. H. S., Kumarasiri, M., Li, P., Yu, M., Lam, F., . . . Wang, S. (2014). Discovery of 5-(2-(phenylamino)pyrimidin-4-yl)thiazol-2(3H)-one derivatives as potent Mnk2 inhibitors : synthesis, SAR analysis and biological evaluation. ChemMedChem, 9(5), 962-972.
DOI Scopus80 WoS76 Europe PMC58
2013 Laurie, K., Dave, A., Straga, T., Souzeau, E., Chataway, T., Sykes, M., . . . Burdon, K. (2013). Identification of a novel oligomerization disrupting mutation in CRYAA associated with congenital cataract in a South Australian family. Human Mutation, 34(3), 435-438.
DOI Scopus29 WoS27 Europe PMC25
2013 Pehere, A., Pietsch, M., Gutschow, M., Neilsen, P., Pedersen, D., Nguyen, S., . . . Abell, A. (2013). Synthesis and extended activity of triazole-containing macrocyclic protease inhibitors. Chemistry-A European Journal, 19(24), 7975-7981.
DOI Scopus28 WoS26 Europe PMC9
2013 Hou, J., Teo, T., Sykes, M. J., & Wang, S. (2013). Insights into the importance of DFD-motif and insertion I1 in stabilizing the DFD-out conformation of Mnk2 kinase. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 4(8), 736-741.
DOI Scopus12 WoS11 Europe PMC8
2012 Callegari, S., Gregory, P., Sykes, M., Bellon, J., Andrews, S., McKinnon, R., & de Barros Lopes, M. (2012). Polymorphisms in the mitochondrial ribosome recycling factor EF-G2mt/MEF2 compromise cell respiratory function and increase atorvastatin toxicity. PLoS Genetics, 8(6), 1-12.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC5
2010 Nussio, M., Voelcker, N., Lowe, R., Flavel, B., Gibson, C., Sykes, M. J., . . . Shapter, J. (2010). Nanoscale structure of lipid domain boundaries. Soft matter, 6(10), 2193-2199.
DOI Scopus11 WoS10
2010 Nussio, M., Voelcker, N., Miners, J., Lewis, B., Sykes, M. J., & Shapter, J. (2010). AFM study of the interaction of cytochrome P450 2C9 with phospholipid bilayers. Chemistry and physics of lipids, 163(2), 182-189.
DOI WoS14
2009 Nussio, M. R., Sykes, M. J., Miners, J. O., & Shapter, J. G. (2009). Kinetics Membrane Disruption Due to Drug Interactions of Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride. LANGMUIR, 25(2), 1086-1090.
DOI WoS16
2008 Nussio, M., Voelcker, N., Sykes, M. J., McInnes, S. J. P., Gibson, C., Lowe, R., . . . Shapter, J. (2008). Lateral heterogeneities in supported bilayers from pure and mixed phosphatidylethanolamine demonstrating hydrogen bonding capacity.. Biointerphases, 3(4), 96-104.
DOI Scopus13 WoS12 Europe PMC11
2007 Grant, J., Pickup, B., Sykes, M. J., Kitchen, C., & Nicholls, A. (2007). The Gaussian Generalized Born model : application to small molecules.. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 9(35), 4913.
DOI
2007 Nussio, M., Sykes, M. J., Miners, J., & Shapter, J. (2007). Characterisation of the binding of cationic amphiphilic drugs to phospholipid bilayers using surface plasmon resonance.. ChemMedChem, 2(3), 366-373.
DOI
2007 Nussio, M., Liddell, M., Sykes, M. J., Miners, J., & Shapter, J. (2007). Dynamics of phospholipid membrane growth and drugmembrane interactions probed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Journal of Scanning Probe Microscopy, 2(1), 41-45.
DOI
2007 Knights, K., Sykes, M. J., & Miners, J. (2007). Amino acid conjugation: contribution to the metabolism and toxicity of xenobiotic carboxylic acids. Expert Opinion On Drug Metabolism & Toxicology, 3(2), 159-168.
DOI
2007 Grant, J., Pickup, B., Sykes, M. J., Kitchen, C., & Nicholls, A. (2007). A simple formula for dielectric polaristion energies : the sheffield Solvation Model.. Chemical Physics Letters, 441(1-3), 163-166.
DOI
2003 McCoy, E., & Sykes, M. J. (2003). Quantum-mechanical QSAR/QSPR descriptors from momentum-space wave functions. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, 43(2), 545-553.
DOI

Courses I teach

  • CHEM 1006 Chemistry 100 (2025)
  • PHAR 1005 Pharmaceutical Industry (2025)
  • PHAR 3014 Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Industry Experience (2025)
  • CHEM 1006 Chemistry 100 (2024)
  • PHAR 1005 Pharmaceutical Industry (2024)
  • PHAR 3014 Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Industry Experience (2024)
  • PHAR 4026 Pharmacy Practice Elective (2024)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Senait Tesfaw
2022 External Supervisor Diagnosis and therapeutics of intrinsically disordered protein misfolding disorders Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Zohaib Raza
2022 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mohammed Assen Seid
2022 External Supervisor Diagnosis and therapeutics of intrinsically disordered protein misfolding disorders Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Zohaib Raza
2018 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Emilio Petito
2016 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Courtney Elise De Vries
2011 Principal Supervisor Molecular modeling of calpain inhibitors Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Steven Nguyen
  • Position: Dean International and Engagement, Science
  • Email: m.sykes@adelaide.edu.au
  • Alternative Contact: Please note Dr. Sykes works across both City East and West campuses (P5-27 and HB5-27). It is advisable to contact him in advance to check which campus he is at on a given day. 

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