Paul Engel

BIO

Paul Engel is an enzymologist/protein engineer. Educated in Hong Kong and then as a biochemist at Oxford, he did a D. Phil. in enzyme kinetics (1968) and a post-doc. on flavoproteins at the University of Michigan. He was Lecturer in Biochemistry at Sheffield from 1970, Reader in 1984 and founding Director of the inter-disciplinary Krebs Institute. He was also Programme Manager for the U.K. SERC Biotechnology Directorate's pioneering 'Protein Engineering Club' experiment in state/industry co-funding. Following a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship back at Sheffield and a Visiting Professorship at the University of Hong Kong, he took up the Chair of Biochemistry at University College Dublin in 1994. With two professorial colleagues he spearheaded UCD's successful bid for government (PRTLI) funding of the Conway Institute, moving Biochemistry to a modern, purpose-built research building. Officially retired in 2009 as a member of teaching staff, Prof. Engel was supported 2006 - 2011 by a 5-year SFI Fellowship Award. Latterly, with ongoing support from SFI and from industry, his international research team at the Conway Institute, continues to focus on diverse aspects of oxidative enzymes and transaminases, with emphasis on engineering novel biocatalysts, understanding inter-subunit communication in allosteric enzymes, and explaining enzyme deficiency diseases at a molecular level. Understanding and controlling protein folding is a newer aspect of the group's research intersecting the other topics at various points. Paul Engel has taken a keen and active interest in public awareness of science and started a programme at UCD for training Ph. D. students in presenting science to the public, leading on to a high-profile competition. Originally the 'Merville Lay Seminars', this became 'Accesscience'. Paul was an elected member of UCD's Governing Authority 2005 - 2009.Elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy in 2001, he has also Chaired its Life Sciences Committee. In 2010 he was awarded the Biochemical Irish Area Section's Medal for outstanding research carried out in Ireland.

Education

• University of Michigan (1968 — 1970)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) University of Oxford (1965 — 1968)
• Bachelor's Degree University of Oxford (1961 — 1965)