Iain Greig

Iain Greig serves as a Reader (equivalent to Associate Professor) at the University of Aberdeen's School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, where he leads drug discovery initiatives at the Kosterlitz Centre for Therapeutics. His multidisciplinary work bridges medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and commercialization, with active collaborations at the University of Toronto and significant grant funding from CIHR, MND Association, and industry partners.

His research spans

• Novel cannabinoid receptor modulators for depression, schizophrenia, and liver fibrosis
• Synthetic retinoids targeting neurodegenerative diseases
• Fluorinated cardiovascular therapeutics including perhexiline derivatives
• Drug repurposing for osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, and pain management

Notable projects include a Phase IIa successful rheumatoid arthritis treatment and development of allosteric CB1 modulators to avoid opioid-related side effects.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in cannabinoid pharmacology (40% of works), neurodegenerative disease mechanisms (25%), and innovative medicinal chemistry approaches like fluorine bioisosterism (20%). His work consistently emphasizes translational pathways from target validation to clinical application, with increasing focus on AI-driven drug design since 2022.

Award highlights include:

• RSE Fellowship for commercialization expertise
• Co-founding two spin-out companies: OsteoRx (rheumatoid arthritis) and Signal Pharma (pain)
• Multiple Proof of Principle grants from Canadian Institutes for Health Research

As Head of Operations for the Kosterlitz Centre, he manages intellectual property and coordinates multidisciplinary teams across 12 active grants totaling over $3.5M annually. His teaching responsibilities include directing the Biobusiness Programme and courses on drug commercialization, reflecting his dual expertise in science and entrepreneurship. Beyond academia, he applies his mountaineering experience (including ascents of 6,893m Ojos del Salado) to foster resilience in research teams.