Dr Ian Collins FRSC received an MA (Natural Sciences) and PhD (Synthetic Organic Chemistry, 1992) from Cambridge University, where he studied in the group of Professor Andrew B Holmes developing a new asymmetric synthesis of biologically active alkaloids. In 1991 he joined the Neuroscience Research Centre of Merck & Co. Inc. in Harlow UK as a medicinal chemist, where his research included the discovery of the first selective antagonists for the dopamine D4 G-protein-coupled receptor, the development of sub-type selective GABA-A ion channel agonists as anxiolytics, and the discovery of potent non-peptide inhibitors of the Alzheimers disease target γ-secretase.
In 2003 he took up his current position as Team Leader (Faculty) of a medicinal chemistry group in the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London.
