Robert Falconer

Robert Falconer serves as Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Director of the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) at the University of Bradford. A registered pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council, he leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on tumor glycocalyx targeting and protease-activated anticancer prodrugs. His academic journey spans from pharmacy training at The School of Pharmacy, University of London to establishing the medicinal chemistry program at ICT in 2005.

• Pharmacy Degree: The School of Pharmacy, University of London (now UCL School of Pharmacy)
• PhD in Medicinal Chemistry: London (2000)
• Professional Registration: General Pharmaceutical Council

Professor Falconer's research centers on tumor glycocalyx modulation through polysialyltransferase inhibition and protease-activated drug delivery systems. His work spans osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma, breast, and prostate cancers with emphasis on developing targeted therapies that minimize systemic toxicity. The Falconer group employs computational design, solid-phase synthesis, and advanced biological evaluation techniques to develop novel anticancer agents.

His publication portfolio demonstrates consistent focus on tumor-specific activation mechanisms (2023-2025), glycocalyx-targeted metastasis inhibition (2019-2021), and prodrug development (2010-2014). Recent work emphasizes theranostic applications and DNA repair targeting for pediatric cancers.

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Former Honorary Treasurer, RSC Central Yorkshire Local Section Trust (2012-2018)
• Registered Pharmacist with General Pharmaceutical Council

As principal investigator, Falconer has secured substantial funding from Breast Cancer Now, Bone Cancer Research Trust, Worldwide Cancer Research, and Neuroblastoma UK. He leads the £2m ICT Doctoral Training Centre and co-founded spin-out company Incanthera plc, which is advancing the MMP-targeted prodrug ICT2588 to clinical trials. His mentorship includes three PhD students and multiple postdoctoral researchers developing next-generation cancer therapeutics.

The Falconer group operates within the ICT's state-of-the-art facilities, collaborating with Stanford University, University of Sheffield, and Ellipses Pharma. Current projects address unmet needs in pediatric oncology while developing platform technologies applicable across multiple cancer types.