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Robert Falconer

Director of ICT and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry

Area
Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
Faculty of Life Sciences
E-mail
R.A.Falconer1@bradford.ac.uk
Phone
+441274235842
Robert Falconer

Biography

Robert Falconer is the Director of the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics. A Pharmacist by training, he obtained his pharmacy degree from The School of Pharmacy, University of London (now UCL School of Pharmacy). He undertook his pre-registration pharmacy training year at Joyce Green Hospital, Dartford, Kent. He then  returned to academia in London, where he undertook a PhD in medicinal chemistry (2000). He was subsequently appointed Research & Teaching Fellow, and then Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

A move to the new Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT), University of Bradford followed (2005) followed, to establish a new medicinal chemistry team there. He is an academic responsible primarily for research, but also research-informed teaching (primarily the ICT’s post-graduate MSc courses) and the training of research students. His major interests include the cancer cell glycocalyx, and in the development of protease-activated anticancer prodrugs.

He was promoted to Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in 2019. He is a founder of University spin-out company Incanthera plc, leads the ICT's £2m Doctoral Training Centre. He is a member of several professional and learned societies, notably the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and is a registered pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, he has previously served as Honorary Treasurer for the RSC Central Yorkshire Local Section Trust (2012-18).

Research

The Falconer group is primarily focused on the tumour glycocalyx as a therapeutic target, and glycosyltransferases in particular, and in tumour protease-activated drug delivery. He is an experienced principal investigator and has secured funding from research councils and medical charities. He currently holds grants from Breast Cancer Now, Bone Cancer Research Trust, and Incanthera plc. He also leads the newly created Institute of Cancer Therapeutics Doctoral Training Centre (ICT DTC), established in 2019 following a major 10-year investment by Incanthera plc (£2m).  

He has a keen interest and track record in knowledge transfer and cancer drug development. As lead medicinal chemist, he is co-founder and technology co-inventor of the ‘crocus smart-bomb’ (MMP-targeted anti-vascular agent ICT2588), which is being progressed to the clinic by Ellipses Pharma/Incanthera Ltd. Incanthera is an ICT/University of Bradford spin-out company (www.incanthera.com). He is co-inventor on four patents associated with this technology.  

 

Current Research Projects 

 

1. Anti-cancer agents targeting the tumour glycocalyx

This research is focused on the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of inhibitors of polysialyltransferase (and prodrugs thereof) as a means by which to modulate tumour cell migration, invasion and metastasis. The polysialyltransferases are responsible for the tumour cell surface biosynthesis of polysialic acid (polySia), which plays a key role in the metastatic process in a number of cancers (see review: Curr. Cancer Drug Targets, 2012). We are employing computational methods to aid the inhibitor design process and have the capability to assess enzyme inhibition (see Carbohydrate Polymers, 2021 and Analyst, 2020), cell-surface polySia decoration (see review: Carbohydrate Polymers, 2019), and effects on cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, cell migration and invasion (see PLoS ONE, 2013; Scientific Reports, 2016; ChemBioChem, 2017). This work is currently supported by a PhD studentship in the ICT Doctoral Training Centre. 

 

2. Endoprotease-activated therapeutics

This research is focused on the transformation of potent cytotoxic agents to inactive peptide-conjugates that are selectively activated within the tumour microenvironment. We are currently interested in the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which are a family of endopeptidases, and other endoporteases overexpressed in tumours. We are employing both solution and solid phase chemistry to synthesise peptide-based therapeutics with potent but selective cytotoxicity in vivo. Compounds are assessed for in vitro cytotoxicity, successful cleavage in tumour tissue, stability in normal tissues (liver, kidney, lung) and plasma (key collaboration Prof Paul Loadman, Dr Huw Jones, ICT), before being evaluated in vivo (key collaboration with Dr Steve Shnyder, ICT). We are additionally pursuing prodrugs of DNA repair targets in collaboration with Prof Sherif El-Khamisy (ICT & University of Sheffield). Our lead compound ICT2588 was commercialised through Incanthera plc (see Cancer Research, 2010; Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2014).


We have a particular interest in osteosarcoma, and in developing kinder treatments for this deadly disease that mainly affects children and young adults. Funded by the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT) through a PhD studentship (2018-22), and a project grant (2023-26), our aim is to achieve preclinical proof-of-concept for an MMP-activated tumour-targeted prodrug of methotrexate. We will evaluate our lead molecules in clinically-relevant orthotopic models of the disease in collaboration with Prof Allie Gartland (University of Sheffield). 

 

A project focused on neuroblastoma, and targeted delivery of an inhibitor of DNA repair is being funded by Worldwide Cancer Research (2023-25). Funding to explore clinically-relevant combinations of a lead prodrug has been secured from Neuroblastoma UK (2025-28). In collaboration with Dr Francis Barnieh (Research Fellow), we have explored CD13 as a new target for peptide conjugate delivery (see iScience 2023, BBA Reviews of Cancer 2021).


We continue our long-standing collaboratiion with the Daldrup-Link group (Standford University, USA) to further develop a novel theranostics, which have shown efficacy in breast cancer (see Small 2014) and glioblastoma (see Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2017, Nanotheranostics 2019, Nanoscale, 2025, and Scientific Reports, 2025).


Current projects are additionally focused on development of treatments for breast cancer, prostate cancer and neuroblastoma. Our research is currently funded by Bone Cancer Research Trust, Worldwide Cancer Research, Neuroblastoma UK, the ICT Doctoral Training Centre, and the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

 

Current Team members

PhD students

Ann Kengkwasingh (Personal Scholarship 2024-28)

Gabriel Nwokolo (Masonic Charitable Foundation 2024-28)

Zubeda Khatoon (ICT DTC 2022-26)

Post-Doctoral Researchers 

Dr Hannah Spencer (BCRT 2023-26)

Dr April Baral (Worldwide Cancer Research 2023-25; Neuroblastoma UK 2025-27)

Researcher Lecturer

Dr Goreti Ribeiro Morais (ICT DTC)

Interns and Project students

Cora Costello (University of York internship; 2024-25)

Fatima Aslam (MRes Drug Development; 2024-25)

Mollie Browes (MRes Drug Development; 2024-25)

Research projects

Teaching

Robert's teaching activities are primarily focused on the application of medicinal chemistry to cancer drug discovery, with contributions to several modules across the ICT's MSc and MRes post-graduate courses in Cancer Drug Discovery, Cancer Pharmacology, and Drug Toxicology and Safety Pharmacology. He leads the Principles of Drug Discovery module (INC7014-B), which provides an overview of the various elements of the drug discovery process, from designing molecules, through in vitro screening, drug metabolism and ultimately clinical trials. He contributes to some modules in the MPharm Pharmacy and BSc Clinical Sciences degrees.
He regularly supervises research projects and dissertations for MSc/MRes and undergraduate students, including ERASMUS placement students from overseas partners, and is also a personal academic tutor for students undertaking the Foundation in Clinical Sciences course.

Professional activities

  • Commendation - Outstanding Achievement Award (PhD student supervision) (1 April 2022)
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry (1 January 2019)
  • Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence (1 January 2017)

  • University of London, School of Pharmacy - PhD
  • Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust - MRPharmS
  • University of London, School of Pharmacy - BPharm (Hons)

  • University of Bradford - Professor of Medicinal Chemistry (16 December 2019)
  • University of Bradford - Reader in Medicinal Chemistry (1 September 2013)
  • University of Bradford - Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry (1 September 2005)
  • UCL School of Pharmacy - Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences (1 June 2003)
  • UCL School of Pharmacy - Research & Teaching Fellow (1 October 2000)

  • Scientific Advisory Board Member: Health Research Charities Ireland/ Health Research Board Ireland Joint Funding Scheme (2020)
  • Elected Member: EPSRC Peer Review College (2006-)
  • Editorial Board Member: Scientific Reports (Nature publishing group) (2016-)
  • Scientific Advisory Board Member: Neuroblastoma UK (2016)
  • Committee Member: RSC Central Yorkshire Local Section Member Network (2008-10; 2012-18)
  • Honorary Treasurer: RSC Central Yorkshire Local Section Member Network (2012-18; 3 terms)
  • Scientific Advisory Board Member: Medical Research Charity Group/ Health Research Board Ireland Joint Funding Committee (2018)
  • Co-Founder, Member of Scientific Advisory Board: Incanthera plc (www.incanthera.com)
  • External Examiner: MRes Drug Sciences, UCL School of Pharmacy Joint Postgraduate Board (2018-22)
  • Scientific Committee Member: Kidscan Children’s Cancer Research (2016-)
  • External Examiner: MPharm Pharmacy, BSc Pharmaceutical Sciences, BSc Pharmaceutical Biotechnology School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast (2020-24)

  • Royal Pharmaceutical Society / General Pharmaceutical Council, Member
  • Amercian Association for Cancer Research, Member
  • British Association for Cancer Research, Member
  • European Association for Cancer Research, Member
  • Royal Society of Chemistry, Fellow

Publications