Lorna Duffy, PhD

Dr Lorna Duffy is an Associate Director of Chemistry at Sygnature Discovery, with over 18 years of experience within the organisation. During her career at Sygnature, she has progressed through a range of scientific and leadership positions, developing extensive expertise in medicinal and synthetic chemistry across diverse drug discovery programs. Lorna played a key role in supporting the development and implementation of Sygnature’s CHARMED™ targeted protein degrader platform and has significant experience within the induced proximity field. Her drug discovery expertise spans the full project lifecycle, from hit finding through lead optimization to pre-clinical candidate selection, enabling her to support multidisciplinary teams in accelerating the development of innovative therapeutics.

Prior to joining Sygnature, Lorna held research positions at CellAura Technologies and completed her PhD in Synthetic Chemistry under the supervision of Professor David Procter at The University of Manchester.

Alongside her role in drug discovery, Lorna has contributed to the wider scientific community as a Committee Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Heterocyclic and Synthesis Group, supporting the advancement of synthetic and medicinal chemistry. Through her combination of scientific expertise, strategic leadership, and collaborative approach, she helps drive the successful progression of novel therapeutic programs.