Tim Harrison

Tim Harrison is the McClay Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at Queen's University Belfast, affiliated with the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences and the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research. His work focuses on drug discovery targeting cancer heterogeneity through molecularly targeted therapeutics. He holds a first-class BSc from Nottingham University and a PhD in synthetic organic chemistry, followed by postdoctoral studies at UC Irvine. Previously, he held leadership roles at Merck Sharp & Dohme and Almac Sciences, contributing to drug development programs like Emend®.

Research interests include ubiquitin-proteasome system inhibitors, DNA damage response modulators, and fragment-based drug design. He leads multidisciplinary teams integrating medicinal chemistry, bioinformatics, and clinical research. Key projects include FLIP inhibitor development for colorectal cancer and establishing the Almac-QUB Drug Discovery Unit.

Awards: 2004 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award. Over 120 papers/patents. Active in Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health).

Grants/Projects: Current leadership in Future Medicines Institute (2024–present), FLIP inhibitor evaluation (2019–present), and USP7 inhibitor studies (2024).