Research
The School of Pharmacy is now one of eight academic schools in the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences, which cover health and social care disciplines and life science programmes.
The School of Pharmacy in collaboration with pharmacology is developing a strong research culture of national and international standing by consolidating research expertise in the field of pharmacology and creating research disciplines in topical drug delivery; patient safety and pharmacovigilance; pharmacy practice and education and clinical pharmacology.
These disciplines are underpinned by the development of new state of the art laboratories in the School of Pharmacy that include brand new analytical chemistry facilities, a simulation centre, and (co-funded with MedPharm Ltd, Guildford) a recently refurbished topical drug delivery unit to enable leading edge research in the development of dermal, ungual, airway and mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.
In 2005 an £8m commercial research centre, Biopark, was established by the University at the vacated Roche Pharmaceutical site in Welwyn Garden City with funding from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). The complex boasts high-quality, fully equipped laboratories and offices and outstanding meeting and conferencing facilities. It is also beginning to house biotechnology and health care companies.
Collaborations between the Biopark, its future and current tenants and academics within the University have already been established in drug delivery and Pharmacology. The Biopark and the University have jointly funded the construction of new Class II and Class III laboratories which will be used for industrially funded research and development as well as providing research facilities for the academics in the School of Pharmacy.
The main strategic focus of combined Pharmacy and Pharmacology Research Group is on the discovery of basic mechanisms that can aid in the identification of novel therapeutic targets and agents for the formulation of medicines for effective clinical use. In this regard a Joint Research Board has been initiated, which meets monthly.
The Board's objective is to develop the research policy, strategy and infrastructure that support all key disciplines across pharmacy and pharmacology.
This is a key priority for the School of Pharmacy and runs in parallel with the RPSGB accreditation.
The University has ensured that the new appointments support and expand the existing research programmes with strong links now being fostered between pharmacy and pharmacology. This is reflected by the recent recruitment of two new professors.
Professor Marc Brown brings with him a wealth of experience in topical drug delivery and formulation development. Professor Fabrizio Schifano also brings significant clinical experience to the School of Pharmacy, being one of the very few internationally recognised physicians with training and specialist qualifications in both psychiatry and clinical pharmacology.
Research activity
Currently, research activities within the School of Pharmacy include the following:
- Dermal and transdermal absorption of exogenous chemicals
- Ungual drug delivery
- Drug delivery to the airways
- Drug delivery to the eye
- Development of quantitative structure-permeability models pertaining to skin absorption
- Insulin formulation development
- Pharmaceutical development of topical formulations for treatment of the cutaneous leishmaniasis and bilharzia
- Drug screening for antileishmanials
- Development and validation of in vitro and in vivo models for cutaneous leishmaniasis and bilharzia
- Psychopharmacology and drug misuse
- Therapeutic and illicit drug addiction
- Evaluation of the role of a pharmacist
- Social pharmacy and policy analysis
- Supporting the development of the pharmacist's role as an integral partner in the health and social care team
- Public health and social policy for pharmacy development
- Patient safety and prescribing
- Clinical audit projects
- Clinical pharmacokinetics
- Law, ethics and professionalism
- Evaluation of pharmacy
- Quality of education of postgraduate pharmacists
- Continuing professional development and reflective practice