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James Noble

Principal Scientist in Biophysics and structural Biology

Talent
CambridgeMember since June 14, 2026
Biophysical assaysStructural biologyDrug discoveryProtein NMRX-ray crystallographyProtein productionProtein characterisationCross-functional leadershipMentoring
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Biophysical assaysStructural biologyDrug discoveryProtein NMRX-ray crystallography

About

Principal Scientist in Biophysics with ~8 years' experience in drug discovery, specialising in mechanistic biophysical assays and structural biology. Proven track record of building biophysical and structural platforms from the ground up and enabling oncology and neurodegeneration programmes through protein–ligand characterisation. Experienced in cross-functional leadership across biology, chemistry, and computational teams, with a strong focus on delivering actionable insight to drive decision-making.

Experience

Principal Scientist, Biophysics at Cancer Research Horizons (2025-11 – Present)

  • Provide scientific leadership in the design, execution, and interpretation of mechanistic biophysical assays
  • Drive implementation of innovative methodologies to enhance discovery capabilities
  • Support multidisciplinary project teams by delivering insight into protein–ligand interactions and mechanism of action
  • Contribute to strategic direction of biophysical sciences within oncology drug discovery

Senior Scientist, Biophysics & Structural Biology at Curve Therapeutics (2023-11 – 2025-11)

  • Built and established company-wide biophysical screening capabilities (SPR, DSF, ITC)
  • Introduced structural biology platform including protein NMR, HDX, and X-ray crystallography
  • Enabled hit validation and binding site identification across oncology targets
  • Delivered structural and mechanistic insight to guide medicinal chemistry optimisation
  • Collaborated closely with computational and chemistry teams to inform design cycles
  • Played a key role in scaling biophysical and structural biology capabilities from early-stage setup

Senior Scientist, Protein Sciences at Charles River Laboratories (2022-04 – 2023-10)

  • Supported global clients through protein production, structural biology, and biophysical analysis
  • Delivered high-quality recombinant proteins to enable assay development and screening campaigns
  • Contributed to multidisciplinary drug discovery programmes across client portfolios
  • Generated structural data to support computational chemistry and structure-guided design
  • Worked across international teams and stakeholders in a CRO environment

Postdoctoral Researcher at King's College London & UK Dementia Research Institute (2019 – 2022)

  • Specialised in protein NMR to study small molecule and antibody binding
  • Investigated neurodegenerative disease targets and protein aggregation mechanisms
  • Designed and executed biophysical experiments to characterise binding interactions
  • Collaborated across academic and translational research teams

PhD Researcher at Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, University of Sussex (2015 – 2019)

  • Trained in drug discovery with focus on biophysical, biochemical, and structural biology techniques
  • Worked on collaborative projects with medicinal chemistry and industry partners
  • Developed expertise in protein characterisation and structure determination

Education

PhD/Doctorate in Biochemistry – University of Sussex (2015 – 2019)

BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry – King's College London (2012 – 2015)

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