Alan Spivey is a Professor of Synthetic Chemistry in the Synthesis Section of the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London. He began his research career studying for a DPhil with Professor Sir Jack Baldwin (Oxford University) developing new syntheses of enantiomerically pure beta-substituted alpha-amino acids.

Following post doctoral experience in the labs of the late Professor Wolfgang Oppolzer (University of Geneva, Switzerland) and Professor Sir Alan Battersby (University of Cambridge, UK) investigating alkaloid total synthesis and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis respectively, he was appointed to his first independent position as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sheffield, UK in 1996.

He moved with his research group to Imperial College London in January 2003. The focus of the group’s research is the development of useful new synthetic concepts and methods and the demonstration of their utility by application to the synthesis of biologically important molecules. Particular interests include asymmetric acylation, sulfonylation and phosphorylation; Ge-chemistry; total synthesis of natural products; asthma and cancer therapeutics; and chemical biology relating to agrochemicals.

He held the position of Director of Undergraduate Studies for Chemistry at Imperial College London from 2007-2013, Chair of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FoNS) Education Committee and Vice Dean (Education) in the Faculty of Natural Sciences from 2013-2017, and Associate Provost (Learning and Teaching) from 2017-2025.

Brief Biography (pdf version)

  • 2008-present Professor of Synthetic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, UK.
  • 2003-2008 Reader in Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, UK.
  • 2001-2003 Reader in Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, UK.
  • 1995-2001 Lecturer in Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, UK.
  • 1993-1995 Post-doc investigating: ‘synthetic approaches to the proposed spiro-pyrrolenine intermediate in the biosynthesis of natural tetrapyrroles’ supervised by Prof. Sir Alan R. Battersby, FRS, University of Cambridge, UK.
  • 1991-1993 Post-doc investigating ‘delta-alkenyl hydroxylamine cyclisations for alkaloid synthesis’ supervised by Prof. Wolfgang Oppolzer, Université de Genève, Switzerland.
  • 1988-1991 DPhil in Organic Chemistry entitled ‘The synthesis of alpha-amino acids’ supervised by Prof. Sir Jack E. Baldwin FRS, University of Oxford, UK.
  • 1985-1988 BSc 1st class degree in Chemistry at University of Nottingham, UK.

Outreach/Press Articles:

Professional Affiliations:

Contact details

Email: a.c.spivey@imperial.ac.uk

Tel & Fax: +44 (0)20 75945841

Further links:

LinkedIn Profile
Imperial Profile

Google Scholar