A multidisciplinary professional with expertise at the intersection of chemistry, software development, and machine learning. As the Head of Informatics and Co-founder at HotHouse Therapeutics, I leverage my extensive background in scientific research and computational methods to develop innovative solutions. My journey began with a solid foundation in chemistry, earning both my MChem and PhD from the University of East Anglia, followed by postdoctoral research at the prestigious John Innes Centre.
My technical skillset spans multiple domains including software development in Python, C/C++, and JavaScript, as well as specialized expertise in machine learning frameworks like PyTorch and CUDA. As a cheminformatician, I utilize tools like RDKit to bridge the gap between chemical data and computational analysis. My research is documented in peer-reviewed scientific publications, reflecting my commitment to advancing knowledge at the frontier of computational chemistry and therapeutic development.
HotHouse Therapeutics
Founding scientist. Development and deployment of ML/AI models (LLMs & GNNs) to predict both the chemistry & biology of natural products. Cheminformatic analysis of natural chemical space. Establishment of company tech stack from the ground up.
John Innes Centre
Applying machine learning to predict the bioactivity of natural products. Establishing the theoretical chemical space of triterpenes. Develop an in silico enzyme reaction toolkit. Predicting the reactivity of triterpene cyclases.
University of East Anglia
Development of fluorescent probes to target i-motif DNA. In silico and in vitro screening of i-motif binding ligands.
University of East Anglia
Development of novel polyoxometalate non-linear optical chromophores for the application of dye-sensitized solar cells.
Spence P, Reed J, Osbourn A • PLOS Biology • 2024
Al-Yasari A, El Moll H, Purdy R, Vincent KB, Spence P, Malval JP, Fielden J • Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics • 2021
Khodjoyan S, Remadna E, Dossmann H, Lesage D, Gontard G, Forté J, Hoffmeister H, Basu U, Ott I, Spence P et al. • Chemistry – A European Journal • 2021
Spence P, Fielden J, Waller ZAE • Journal of the American Chemical Society • 2020
Al-Yasari A, Spence P, El Moll H, Van Steerteghem N, Horton PN, Brunschwig BS, Clays K, Fielden J • Dalton Transactions • 2018