Born 1967, Alastair was educated at King’s College London (BSc Immunology 1989 & PhD Biophysics 1996). He did postdoctoral research at King's with Hannah Gould and Brian Sutton on IgE, its structure and interactions with its receptors. He moved to Industry in 1998 joining Celltech (now UCB) where he pioneered advanced biophysical methodologies to support the discovery and development of both small and large molecule drugs. He also successfully led therapeutic programs in allergic diseases and is the named inventor for a number of drugs. He is currently the Senior Vice President & Head of Discovery Science at UCB.