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Biography
I am Head of School of Life Science. Previously I was Head of School of Pharmacy (2013-2021) and Interim Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellor for Medicine and Health Sciences (May-Oct 2023). My research is focused on the application of novel analytical and formulation strategies to develop new medicines and biomedical devices, primarily via 3D printing, and in particular with colleagues in Additive Manufacturing in the Faculty of Engineering and a number of industrial collaborators. Some of the early tablets produced were exhibited during 2013-15 at the London Science Museum and Manchester Industrial Science Museum. I was listed in the global Highly Cited Researchers 2021 and 2022 from Clarivate™ and shortlisted for 'Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year' in the THE 2022 awards. [h-index 63 (Scopus), 83 (GoogleScholar i10 406), ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9443-3445]. My undergraduate teaching is primarily in pharmaceutical manufacture.
I originally trained as a Physicist, receiving my PhD in 1991 from Imperial College, London in nanolithography and scanning tunneling microscopy. I subsequently took up a postdoctoral position in the Laboratory of Biophysics and Surface Analysis (LBSA), School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham under the direction of Martyn Davies, Saul Tendler and David Jackson. In 1994, I joined the academic staff of the School of Pharmacy. The LBSA was also an important element in the award to the School of Pharmacy of a Queens Award for Enterprise (Innovation), 2007 for "…enhancing significantly the development of new medicines."
From its founding in 2005 to 2013 I also took up the role of the Director of the Nottingham Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre (nnnc, now nmRC). The nmRC helps coordinate research and education in nanoscience across the University and offers a range of state of the art analytical facilities. I became Director of Research of the School of Pharmacy (2010-13). In addition, I was founded eminate Ltd, a £6.5M government funded University of Nottingham company which rapidly translated products to the market including the multi-award winning salt reduction product, SodaLo, now licensed for use in foodstuffs. I was also co-founder and Technical Development Director of a successful spin-out, Molecular Profiles Ltd (which became Juniper Pharma in 2013 and was acquired by Catalent in 2018). Molecular Profiles Ltd was recipient of a number of awards including a two Queens Award for Enterprise. Nanotechnology has served as a great platform to support my work in public engagement including several major initiatives, including NanoinNottingham, 2007, the NanoWhat East Midlands roadshow in 2008 and the Flights of Fancy Exhibition at the Nottingham Contemporary in 2011.
Teaching Summary
Teaching I give lectures and workshops in the integrated MPharm Pharmacy course for our partner School (School of Pharmacy), including the 2nd year module, Asthma, Allergy and Immunology and on the… read more
Research Summary
My research interests are concentrated on the application of novel analytical and formulation strategies to develop new medicines and biomedical devices. Priority areas are the exploitation of novel… read more
Teaching I give lectures and workshops in the integrated MPharm Pharmacy course for our partner School (School of Pharmacy), including the 2nd year module, Asthma, Allergy and Immunology and on the advanced 4th year module 'Future Medicines' where I introduce the concept of 3D printing for medicines manufacture. I teach on the BSc/MSci in Pharmaceutical Sciences with a year in Industry in the first year module 'Science of Medicines'. I also supervise number of UG research projects and am a personal tutor to MPharm students from each year.
Current Research
My research interests are concentrated on the application of novel analytical and formulation strategies to develop new medicines and biomedical devices. Priority areas are the exploitation of novel manufacturing routes for medicines manufacture, based around 3D printing and the application of statistical modelling and nanoscale methods for early-stage screening of medicine formulations.
This work currently involves considerable support from the EPSRC and collaborations with many industrial partners and academic colleagues within the School of Pharmacy and Engineering at Nottingham, as well as nationally and internationally..