Professor Ward is the Deputy Director and Walter Myers Professor of Parasitology at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM).
Steve has over 30 years’ experience in drug discovery, drug development and tropical pharmacology. After a year working as a Senior Research Fellow at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, Steve returned to Liverpool begin his UK academic career. Working initially as a Lecturer in Tropical Pharmacology at LSTM, Steve then held a number of senior research and teaching positions at the University of Liverpool before being awarded a Personal Chair in 1999. Steve returned to LSTM as Walter Myers Professor of Parasitology in 2000.
Steve is also currently Head of Drug Discovery at LSTM with a portfolio of antimalarial, anti-TB and antihelminthic and anti-bacterial drugs. He has delivered two molecules to full international registration, three molecules into human trials and a further four molecules through a completed full preclinical development. He had a key role in the Gates funded AWOL product discovery initiative and collaborates with Eisai Pharma, Japan supported through the GHIT initiative to develop new macrofilaricide drugs. His over-riding philosophy has always been to exploit the best science to deliver products that can improve the health of vulnerable populations.
During his career, Steve has established a significant number of international collaborative links with key organisations, including the Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories Kenya, Centre for Drug Research, University Sains Malaysia, Mahidol University Thailand, Thammassat University Thailand, Guangdong University of Technology China, GSK DDW Madrid, Astra Zeneca. He has a role as an external advisor in Translational Science to a number of international organisations including the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and the German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF).
Steve has received recognition for his work with the awards of the Dr Chitavat Sadavongvivad Memorial Medal from Thai Pharmacology Society (2010), Thompson Medal from the Royal Society for Chemistry (2011) and Sornchai Looareesuwan Medal from Mahidol University (2013).
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