Thomas A. Edwards
Dr. Edwards has 20 years of experience in teaching and research in a university environment. He has taught an array of classes in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and supervised 29 graduate students through to a Ph.D.听听He has been an Investigator on grants focused on structural/chemical biology and virology worth >$16million and published 77 peer-reviewed manuscripts.听 At the University of Leeds (2005-2022) he served as Deputy Head of the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology (2018-2021) and Deputy Director of the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology (2012-2018).听 Dr Edwards recently arrived at Larkin University to teach Biochemistry and Genetics.
Research Profile
Dr Edwards uses structural biology (mostly X-ray crystallography, including EM and NMR) to study the structure and function of a variety of proteins.听 He studies RNA binding proteins in development and disease and has recently focused on RNA binding proteins from RNA viruses. Another focus is investigating protein-protein interactions involved in the control of cancer.
80 publications, >4,500 citations, H-index = 36
Hot off the press:听
March 2026:听Identification of cellular ion channels that facilitate Hazara nairovirus infection enables selection of clinically approved compounds with anti-nairoviral properties. Scientific Reports听
January 2026: Held out wings RNA binding activity in the cytoplasm during early spermatogenesis. Communications Biology:
December 2025: Discovery of three small-molecule inhibitors targeting Ebolavirus听genome replication and transcription. Journal of General Virology:
Selected recent publications:
Grafted Coiled-coil Peptides as Multivalent Scaffolds for Protein Recognition. Amanda M. Acevedo-Jake, Bram Mylemans, Danielle F. Kay, Peiyu Zhang, Boguslawa Korona, Guto G. Rhys, Aneika C. Leney, Danny T. Huang, Thomas A. Edwards, Laura Itzhaki, Derek N. Woolfson, and Andrew J. Wilson. ACS Chemical Biology听(2025)听20听(6), 1309-1318.
The cryoEM structure of the听Hendra henipavirus听nucleoprotein reveals insights into paramyxoviral nucleocapsid architectures. Tim C Passchier, Joshua BR White, Daniel P Maskell, Matthew J Byrne, Neil A Ranson, Thomas A Edwards, John N Barr (2024). Scientific Reports DOI
Understanding 尾-strand mediated protein鈥損rotein interactions: tuning binding behaviour of intrinsically disordered sequences by backbone modification. Emma E Cawood, Emily Baker, Thomas A Edwards, Derek N Woolfson, Theodoros K Karamanos, Andrew J Wilson (2024). Chemical Science. DOI:听
The native orthobunyavirus ribonucleoprotein possesses a helical architecture. Francis R Hopkins, Beatriz 脕lvarez-Rodr铆guez, George R Heath, Kyriakoulla Panayi, Samantha Hover, Thomas A Edwards, John N Barr, Juan Fontana (2022). MBio 13.4 e01405-22. DOI:听
RAS-inhibiting biologics identify and probe druggable pockets including an SII-伪3 allosteric site. KZ Haza, HL Martin, A Rao, AL Turner, SE Saunders, B Petersen, C Tiede,听Kevin Tipping, Anna A Tang, Modupe Ajayi, Thomas Taylor, Maia Harvey, Keri M Fishwick, Thomas L Adams, Thembaninkosi G Gaule, Chi H Trinh, Matthew Johnson, Alexander L Breeze, Thomas A Edwards, Michael J McPherson, Darren C Tomlinson (2021). Nature Communications听12 (1), 1-15.
Selective Affimers Recognise the BCL鈥�2 Family Proteins BCL鈥恱L听and MCL鈥�1鈥塼hrough Noncanonical Structural Motifs. JA Miles, F Hobor, CH Trinh, J Taylor, C Tiede, PR Rowell, BR Jackson,听Fatima A Nadat, Pallavi Ramsahye, Hannah F Kyle, Basile IM Wicky, Jane Clarke, Darren C Tomlinson, Andrew J Wilson, Thomas A Edwards (2021). ChemBioChem听22听(1), 232-240.
Structure of the 70S ribosome from the human pathogen acinetobacter baumannii in complex with clinically relevant antibiotics. D Nicholson, TA Edwards, AJ O鈥橬eill, NA Ranson (2020). Structure听28 (10), 1087-1100. e3.听 DOI:听
The structure of the human respiratory syncytial virus M2-1 protein bound to the interaction domain of the phosphoprotein P defines the orientation of the complex. M Selvaraj, K Yegambaram, EJAA Todd, CA Richard, RL Dods, Georgia M Pangratiou, Chi H Trinh, Sophie L Moul, James C Murphy, Jamel Mankouri, Jean-Fran莽ois 脡l茅ou毛t, John N Barr, Thomas A Edwards (2018). mBio听9 (6), e01554-18.
Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) as a model for studying inhibition of protein鈥損rotein interactions. GM Burslem, HF Kyle, A Nelson, TA Edwards, AJ Wilson (2017). Chemical Science听8 (6), 4188-4202.听 DOI:听
ABC-F proteins mediate antibiotic resistance through ribosomal protection. LKR Sharkey, TA Edwards, AJ O鈥橬eill (2016). mBio听7 (2), e01975-15.听
听Full publication list:
