The group is mainly concerned with the study of the physical characteristics of drugs and dosage forms in relation to their performance. This involves the development of novel approaches, particularly centred around thermal and imaging techniques, whereby we are able to provide new insights into the structure of drugs, dosage forms and dosage form-biological media interactions. Listed below are some of our current interests; please note that the Drug Delivery group is highly collaborative and there is considerable overlap with other academic staff within the group.
Specific interests include
- Development of hot melt extrusion systems
- Characterisation of amorphous drugs and examination of amorphous material generation
- The study of polymorphism and hydrate formation
- The development of quasi-isothermal MTDSC as a novel pharmaceutical tool
- The study of spray dried amorphous systems for low Tg drugs
- The protection of proteins via inclusion of sugars
- The development of minitablets as paediatric dosage forms
- The development of the electronic tongue for prediction of taste masking
- The study of polymeric film coats using nanothermal analysis
- The development of nucleic acid delivery systems
- The development of zeins for colonic delivery
- The solid state characterisation of peptides
- Photothermal IR as a novel means of detecting drug degradation
