- Prof Dame Carol Robinson, Dr Andrew Doré and Prof Paula Booth to lead free-to-attend event at GSK Stevenage, 10–11 November 2026
- Programme to focus on AI, machine learning and data-driven approaches across protein design, characterisation and therapeutic development
CAMBRIDGE, UK — 8 October 2026 — ELRIG, a not-for-profit, volunteer-led organisation dedicated to the global drug discovery community, and The Protein Society, an international, not-for-profit, scholarly society with the mission to provide forums for the advancement of research into protein structure, function, design and applications, today announced the keynote speakers for Protein Sciences in Drug Discovery 2026.
Prof Dame Carol Robinson DBE FRS FMedSci FRSC, Director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at the University of Oxford; Dr Andrew Doré, Head of Structural Biology at Isomorphic Labs; and Prof Paula Booth, Daniell Chair of Chemistry at King’s College London (KCL), will lead this year’s conference, taking place at GSK Stevenage from 10–11 November 2026.
The free-to-attend event offers scientists from academia, pharma, biotech and CROs the opportunity to explore emerging developments in protein science and their application to modern drug discovery.
The programme will explore:
- AI and machine learning in protein science
- Challenging targets and complexes
- Antibody and alternative biologic developability and quality control
- Production challenges associated with non-standard binding proteins
There will be valuable networking opportunities to exchange ideas, build new connections and explore potential collaborations, alongside meeting technology and service providers through the exhibition. Early Career Professionals will also be eligible for the poster award recognising the research that the next generation of scientists bring to drug discovery.
Keynote Speakers and Presentations
Prof Dame Carol Robinson has held the University of Oxford Chair of Dr Lee’s Professor of Chemistry since 2009. She is the first Director of the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery at Oxford and the first female Professor of Chemistry at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Prof Robinson is recognised for establishing mass spectrometry as a viable technology to study the structure, function and interactions of proteins and their complexes.
In 2016, she founded OMass Technologies, now OMass Therapeutics, which uses high-definition native mass spectrometry to develop drug therapies for immunologic and genetic disorders. A Dame Commander of the British Empire and a former President of the UK Royal Society of Chemistry, her research has attracted numerous international awards and distinctions. She will present “Cell Surface Receptors and Transporters; Insights From Native MS” on day one of the conference.
Dr Andrew Doré is Head of Structural Biology at Isomorphic Labs. He earned his DPhil at the University of Cambridge and was a postdoc at the Institute of Cancer Research. He later founded and led Structural Biology at Heptares Therapeutics (Sosei Heptares / Nxera), where his group delivered multiple landmark first-in-class GPCR structures, yielding eight Nature publications and advancing 14 drug candidates to the clinic. He subsequently served as Vice President at CHARM Therapeutics, pairing 3D deep learning with structural biology for oncology.
At Isomorphic, his team is applying AI to enable the rational design of next-generation precision medicine of high therapeutic value. Dr Doré will discuss “Engineering the Future of Drug Discovery: Isomorphic Labs’ AI-First Approach” during his presentation on the first day.
Prof Paula Booth holds the Daniell Chair of Chemistry at KCL, and leads a Satellite Group at the Francis Crick Institute. Previously, as Head of Chemistry at KCL, she led the renaissance of the department and is now the inaugural Co-Director of King’s new Centre for Physical Science of Life.
Prof Booth has pioneered approaches at the interface of chemistry and biology to probe the biosynthetic folding of integral membrane proteins, studying reaction mechanisms, regulation by membrane lipids and constructing biomembranes for synthetic biology applications. She has previously held positions at the Universities of Bristol and Oxford, and Imperial College London. Her presentation, “Membrane Protein Tool-kit: Co-translational Folding in Native Lipid Environments”, will take place on the final day.
Dr Del Trezise, Chair of ELRIG, said:
“Protein science continues to play a critical role in modern drug discovery. This year’s Protein Sciences in Drug Discovery will provide leading scientists from academia and industry with a unique platform to share advances across rapidly developing areas in the field, particularly AI and machine learning.
ELRIG is committed to making high-quality scientific content accessible to the whole drug discovery community. The calibre of our keynote speakers, Prof Dame Carol Robinson, Dr Andrew Doré and Prof Paula Booth, reflects the strength and relevance of the scientific programme, while our continued partnership with The Protein Society brings together the expertise and communities of both organisations.”
Prof Heather Pinkett, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University, and President, The Protein Society, said:
“The Protein Society is excited to continue our partnership with ELRIG to bring together scientists from academia and industry around some of the most rapidly advancing areas of protein science. As an international society, we value opportunities to engage with the global protein science community, exchange ideas, build new collaborations, and strengthen relationships across countries and disciplines. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to creating opportunities for researchers at all career stages and to translating fundamental advances in protein structure, function and design into new approaches for drug discovery.”
Prof Paula Booth, Daniell Chair of Chemistry, King’s College London, added:
“I’m delighted to participate in Protein Sciences in Drug Discovery 2026, and to have the chance to bring membrane protein folding — a critical but often overlooked process — into prevailing drug discovery conversations.”
Event Details
Protein Sciences in Drug Discovery 2026
Dates: 10–11 November 2026
Venue: GSK Stevenage
Registration: Free to attend
More information: https://elrig.org/portfolio/protein-sciences-in-drug-discovery-2026/
About ELRIG
Since incorporation in 2004, ELRIG has consolidated its reputation as a best in industry UK-based not-for-profit volunteer-led organisation, operated by and for the drug discovery community, and dedicated to the delivery of leading-edge scientific meetings and conferences on an open-access basis for optimum accessibility across all levels of its 22,000-strong global community.
The Board delegates its tasks to a series of Work Groups, who work with the ELRIG team to ensure it achieves its objectives.
ELRIG continuously strives to advance its ED&I and sustainability strategic pillars, to both inspire and align with the ESG strategies of its delegates, exhibitors, sponsors and all other stakeholders.
For more information, visit the ELRIG website or follow on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Bluesky.
About The Protein Society
Founded in 1986, The Protein Society (TPS) is an international, not-for-profit, scholarly society with the mission to provide forums for the advancement of research into protein structure, function, design and applications. TPS supports diverse meetings including its Annual Symposium, to promote scientific collaboration, communication, and professional development, with many opportunities for junior scientists. The Society’s journal, Protein Science, led by Editor-in-Chief, John Kuriyan, has become a premier platform for leading-edge, trans-disciplinary research, furthering the science of proteins in the broadest possible sense.
Protein Science – Wiley Online Library
The Protein Society: Overview | LinkedIn
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