Professor Gavin Halbert

Personal statement

I obtained a pharmacy degree from the University of Strathclyde in 1979 followed by a PhD in Physiochemical Aspects of Anti-Cancer Drug Targeting Systems in 1984. I worked during pre-registration in industrial and hospital pharmacy settings, joined SIPBS as a lecturer in 1984 and was appointed Director of the Formulation Unit in 1992. The Unit's role is to characterise, analyse, formulate and manufacture putative anti-cancer drugs accepted by CRUK's New Agents Committee for use in human clinical trials, where I have now been pharmaceutically responsible for over 20 novel NCE's. Arising from this are research interests, which include medicinal and analytical chemistry, drug physiochemistry, formulation for both small volume and parenteral and oral products and the GMP production of specialist pharmaceutical products for phase l clinical trials. The latter incorporates research areas such as microbiology and lyophilisation. In addition related research is conducted in drug targeting and delivery systems for cancer chemotherapy for example the utilisation of synthetic Low Density Lipoprotein systems. I have over £10 million in personal career grant income and over 150 published papers, conference abstracts and presentations.

Undergraduate teaching is limited due to the nature of the Formulation Unit's activities to introductory and specialist courses associated with the areas above applicable to undergraduate pharmacists. Since 1987 I have been involved in post qualification education teaching for the pharmaceutical industry and initiated and teach on the joint SIPBS-David Begg Associates Qualified Persons training course which has been running since 1991.