Professor Paul Workman is a world-renowned leader in cancer drug discovery whose pioneering work has transformed the development of molecularly targeted therapies. He currently serves as Harrap Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London following his distinguished tenure as Chief Executive and President of the ICR from 2014 to 2021. Workman earned his BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Leicester in 1973 and completed his PhD in Cancer Pharmacology at the University of Leeds in 1977. His exceptional career spans leadership positions at the Medical Research Council Clinical Oncology Unit at Cambridge University, Beatson Laboratories at the University of Glasgow, and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals where he oversaw the biology of the project that delivered the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib.
Workman conceptualized the biomarker-led 'Pharmacological Audit Trail' approach that has become a cornerstone of modern precision medicine drug development. Under his scientific leadership, his laboratory has identified 20 clinical drug candidates since 2005, with 11 progressing to Phase I clinical trials at the Royal Marsden Hospital and one prostate cancer drug receiving approval from the US FDA, European Medicines Agency, and NICE. His research has yielded seminal contributions to the discovery of molecularly targeted cancer drugs including HSP90 (luminespib; AUY922) and PI3K (pictilisib; GDC-0941) inhibitors that have advanced to clinical trials worldwide. With over 550 research publications accumulating more than 40,000 citations and an h-index of 105, his work has established new paradigms for drugging the cancer genome through innovative molecular pharmacology and chemical biology strategies.
Beyond his laboratory achievements, Workman has been instrumental in building collaborative research ecosystems as Founding Director of the CRUK Convergence Science Centre at ICR and Imperial College London from 2016 to 2020. As a serial scientific entrepreneur, he co-founded Chroma Therapeutics and Piramed Pharma (acquired by Roche), demonstrating his commitment to translating scientific discoveries into tangible patient benefits. He currently serves as Executive Director of the non-profit Chemical Probes Portal, advancing global standards for chemical tools in biological research. Workman continues to champion personalized molecular medicine while uniquely integrating his personal perspective as both a cancer researcher and cancer patient, ensuring his ongoing contributions remain profoundly informed by scientific excellence and human compassion.
