Professor Tracy Robson completed her PhD in cancer biology at Imperial College, London. She took up academic positions at Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast before joining RCSI as Head of Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics in 2016 and becoming Head of the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at RCSI in 2019. In 2024 she was appointed Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. She has a strong track record in the biotherapeutics space, with a focus on cancer, obesity and inflammation which has been supported by ~€18 M of grant funding over the last 15 years from UK and Irish bodies with current support from Research Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and the HEA and has been involved in numerous large scale collaborative centres including Precision Oncology Ireland and the most recent Research Ireland ARC Hub for Therapeutic Innovation. She has 25 years research experience on harnessing the biology of FKBPL for therapeutic gain. She developed IP on a novel protein, FKBPL with anti-angiogenic activity which was licensed to Almac Discovery UK where she proceeded to co-develop a therapeutic peptide drug which led to a Phase Ia, first in man, clinical trial in cancer patients with end stage, drug resistant disease. She has seven patents filed/granted, four of these licensed to pharma. Prof Robson is most passionate about supporting junior faculty in their academic careers, having supervised 37 PhD students with 9 of her PhDs/postdocs having been recruited to academic lectureship positions, two of these promoted to Full Professor, another three to Associate Professor and another 3 have been recruited to senior group leader positions in the pharma industry. She has been a huge supporter of the IACR over the last 25 years, serving as senior council member and more recently President (2020-24).