Professor Alastair Florence

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Personal statement

Director of the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation (CMAC) and associated 45 PhD Doctoral Training Centre. Leads the new world-class CMAC National Facility within the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) at the University of Strathclyde offering access to academic and industrial users to state-of-the art processing, analysis and characterisations facilties and support. Expertise in crystallisation and physical form control and characterisation of pharmaceuticals spanning polymorphism, solvate, co-crystal and salt formation and studies of amorphous systems. Extensive experience in the formation of pharmaceutical particles in continuous processes using a range of technologies as part of the CMAC programme. Interests also in the development and application of new technologies to control and monitor crystallisation and pharmaceutical solids.

Approaches for the characterisation of particles are also widely used and physical analysis of crystalline pharmaceuticals with a focus on the influence of crystallisation processes on structure and critical pharmaceutically relevant attributes that dictates product performance. Exploitation of X-ray powder diffraction techniques for phase identification, structure determination from powder diffraction data and in-situ phase surveys including local order using variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction are key areas.

Has published over 120 peer reviewed research papers in these areas and currently supervises a large multidisciplinary research group including pharmacists, chemists and chemical engineers.

Expertise

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Prize And Awards

Bhattacharyya Award Ceremony: Recipient; 20/10/2025
The CrystEngComm Outstanding Paper Award: Recipient; 13/5/2025
Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (FRPS): Recipient; 2024
Best Poster Award @ CMAC Annual Open Day 2018: Recipient; 25/10/2018
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain Conference Science Medal: Recipient; 9/2004

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Publications

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Publications

Process optimization in pharmaceutical hot-melt extrusion : real-time volatile detection via SIFT-MS combined with multivariate analysis: Smith Aaron D, Bordos Ecaterina, Devlin Michael, Hastie Colin, Perkins Mark J, Langford Vaughan S, Florence Alastair J, Robertson John; International Journal of Pharmaceutics Vol 691 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2026.126623
Accelerated Medicines Development using a Digital Formulator and a Self-Driving Tableting DataFactory: Abbas Faisal, Salehian Mohammad, Hou Peter, Moores Jonathan, Goldie Jonathan, Tsioutsios Alexandros, Portela Victor, Boulay Quentin, Thiolliere Roland, Stark Ashley, Schwartz Jean-Jacques, Guerin Jerome, Maloney Andrew GP, Moldovan Alexandru A, Reynolds Gavin, Mantanus Jérôme, Clark Catriona, Chapman Paul, Florence Alastair, Markl Daniel; Nature Communications (2026)
Empowering the pharmaceutical workforce for the digital future: Maclean Natalie, Abrahmsén-Alami Susanna, Clark Catriona, Dörr Frederik, Florence Alastair, Ketolainen Jarkko, Lindow Morten, Mantanus Jérôme, Rantanen Jukka, Reynolds Gavin, Robertson Amy, Markl Daniel; European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2026); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2026.107449
Modifiers regulate crystal morphology by generating lattice defects: Warzecha Monika, Yerragunta Manasa, Florence Alastair J, Vekilov Peter G; Crystal Growth and Design Vol 26, pp. 934-943 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.5c01526
Quality by digital design in action : a workflow for crystallisation and isolation: Houson Ian, Siddique Humera, Chong Magdalene WS, Robertson Murray, Turner Alice J, Nordon Alison, Osman Amal, Galindo Amparo, Dunn Andrew S, Johnston Blair, Benyahia Brahim, Brown Cameron J, Mustoe Chantal L, Price Chris J, Reilly Chris D, Adjiman Claire S, Jackson George, Prasad Elke, Halbert Gavin, Feilden Helen, Sefcik Jan, McGinty John, Robertson John, Smith Kenneth, Al-Attili Mais, McGowan Mark, Siddique Mariam, Pathan Momina, Rajoub Nazer, Hamilton Niki, Feeney Rachel, Brown Scott, Urwin Stephanie J, Bernet Thomas, Pickles Thomas, Li Wei, Florence Alastair J; International Journal of Pharmaceutics Vol 686 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.126343
In-silico analysis of API particle size and drug loading on direct compression tablet properties: Salehian Mohammad, Florence Alastair, Markl Daniel; International Particle Technology Forum (2025)

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Research

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Professional Activities

Small Molecule Matters Roundtable: Participant; 6/10/2025
PharmaTech Integrates 2025: Participant; 18/9/2025
16th PharmSci International Conference: Participant; 10/9/2025
Life Sciences Strategy 2025-2035: Participant; 21/8/2025
2025 Accelerate Conference: Speaker; 11/8/2025
CMAC Summer School 2025: Participant; 9/6/2025

More professional activities

Projects

DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Paterson, Fraser: Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Johnston, Blair (Co-investigator) Prostredny, Martin (Co-investigator) Paterson, Fraser (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 01-Jan-2029
AI enabled CMC Datafactory: Markl, Daniel (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2026
CERSI for the Digital Transformation of Medicines Development and Manufacturing: Markl, Daniel (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator) Johnston, Blair (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 31-Jan-2026
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Cyber-physical Systems for Medicine Development and Manufacturing (CEDAR) | Awan, Muhammad Asfand Yar: Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Brown, Cameron (Co-investigator) Awan, Muhammad Asfand Yar (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 01-Jan-2029
DPN-MED: Digital Plug-and-Produce Network for Sustainable Medicines Development and Manufacturing: Fitzpatrick, Stephen (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator) Johnston, Blair (Co-investigator) Markl, Daniel (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2025
DPN-MED: Digital Plug-and-Produce Network for Sustainable Medicines Development and Manufacturing: Fitzpatrick, Stephen (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator) Johnston, Blair (Co-investigator) Markl, Daniel (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2025