Alex is a registered pharmacist who obtained a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacy and a PhD in Drug Delivery from the University of Strathclyde.

Prior to his appointment as a lecturer in 1999, Alex had previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry (Reckitt Benckiser) and as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Immunology, University of Strathclyde, on a WHO-financed project involving the pre-clinical development of parenteral liposomal delivery systems for infectious diseases.

Since his appointment, Alex has developed an extensive research portfolio, encompassing oral and vesicular drug delivery technologies, drug eluting stents, liposomes, vaginal and vaccine delivery systems.

In 2008 Alex was appointed Professor of Pharmacy Practice and has used this science-based practice chair to develop cross disciplinary research integrating and bridging science and practice elements of the pharmacy profession to widen patient access to better medicines and to realise better use of medicines.