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Alison Paul

Dr Alison Paul

Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, School of Chemistry

School of Chemistry

Users
Available for postgraduate supervision

Overview

  • Polymer mediated drug-delivery systems
    • Polymer-drug and polymer-protein conjugates
    • Polymer excipients for inhalation drug delivery from hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs)
  • Physicochemical characterisation of macromolecules in solution
    • Relationships between molecular structure, solution conformation and therapeutic function.
  • Formulation in colloidal systems
    • Emulsions, microemulsions and particle suspensions
  • Self-assembling systems, including functionalised surfactants

For more information, click on the 'Research' tab above.

Links

See Also: Soft Matter Research Group

Publication

2023

2022

2021

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2007

2005

2004

2001

Articles

Research

  • Polymer mediated drug-delivery systems
    • Polymer-drug and polymer-protein conjugates
    • Polymer excipients for inhalation drug delivery from hydrofluoroalkanes (HFAs)
  • Physicochemical characterisation of macromolecules in solution
    • Relationships between molecular structure, solution conformation and therapeutic function.
  • Formulation in colloidal systems
    • Emulsions, microemulsions and particle suspensions
  • Self-assembling systems, including functionalised surfactants
There is a considerable demand for new and more effective drug-delivery systems to target a wide variety of diseases.   The majority of my research focuses on the use of polymers in drug delivery; as additives for drug particle suspension or emulsion stabilisation, or the targeted delivery of drugs and proteins via conjugation (covalent attachment) to a polymer.

Our aim is to enhance understanding of interactions in pharmaceutical formulations, particularly the stabilising interactions between polymer molecules and fluorinated solvents (such as those used in pressurised metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs)), and also how polymer based drug delivery systems behave and interact within the body.   To this end we study multi-component solutions designed to mimic the conditions encountered in the biological environment.   This approach allows us to identify correlations between molecular architecture, solution behaviour and therapeutic activity. This in turn will facilitate the targeted design of future drug-delivery systems building on the structure-activity relationships developed.

Projects include the targeted synthesis of both model and therapeutically relevant polymer-drug and polymer-protein conjugates, and their extensive characterisation by NMR, UV-VIS/IR/fluorescence spectroscopy. Solution properties are studied by two dimensional NMR methods (relaxation and diffusion), neutron/light/X-ray scattering and reflection, including experiments at central facilities such as the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories, Oxford, UK and Institut-Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France.

We also work collaboratively with UK and internationally based colleagues in pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, drug development, medicine, theoretical chemistry and physics.

Teaching

CH0002 Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Equilibria

CH3105 Techniques and Methods in Chemistry

CH3205 Thermodynamics and Kinetics

CH3407 Advanced Materials

Details of modules can be found in course finder.

Biography

PhD University of Bristol (2001, J. Eastoe). Postdoctoral Research Associate, Cardiff University (2001-3). Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (2003-4). Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Bristol (2004-5). Senior Research Fellow & Project Manager Cardiff University (2005-6). Appointed as Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, Cardiff, in 2006.

Committees and reviewing