In the early days, Mander was involved in extracting chemicals in plants that might help fight against cancer. Eventually, he turned his research skills to “...the gibberellin family of plant bioregulators". He further developed his interest in this chemical group to include an understanding of their role in plant development. Professor Sir Alan R. Battersby said that Mander's “...synthesis of gibberellic acid was a brilliant landmark achievement. This molecule is of daunting complexity and he developed two flexible routes to it, both depending on many ingenious and novel synthetic procedures".
Amongst his many scholarly activities, Mander contributed a chapter on Stereoselective Synthesis to the classic text Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds by Professors Ernest L. Eliel and Samuel H. Wilen.
Other interests include:
*Synthesis and preparation of semi-synthetic derivatives of gibberellins.
*Molecular basis of plant growth regulation with gibberellins.
*Synthesis of diterpenoid natural products with high bioactivity.
*Dissolving metal-mediated reductive alkylation of benzenoid synthons.
*C-selective acylation of enolates using methyl cyanoformate (Mander's reagent).