Start Date: October 2015.

Supervisor: Dr Sheng Qi, sheng.qi<στο>uea.ac.uk

The Project:

The production of crystalline forms of pharmaceutical active ingredients is of considerable importance to the pharmaceutical industry. Selection and production of the appropriate crystalline form can be directly related to the quality and effectiveness of a medicine. This project will employ a novel electrospraying approach to produce well-controlled micron to nano size droplets (microlitre to femtolitre) of drug containing solutions from which drug crystals will be obtained as the solvent evaporates. This approach will allow rapid production and screening of the most suitable form of the crystal. This new approach will also allow detailed investigation into the crystallisation behaviour of the drug in different solvents and in the presence of additives. The outcome of this project will contribute significantly to improving fundamental understanding of the size confinement effect on the nucleation and crystallisation of low molecular weight drugs. The student will work closely with Dr Qi from the School of Pharmacy and Dr Alexander from School of Engineering. A wide range of technical skills and professional development training will be provided. The student will work within a dynamic research group studying pharmaceutical materials and processing and various applications of nanotechnology in advanced drug delivery. The candidate should have an undergraduate degree with in pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences, engineering or other relevant disciplines.

Entry Requirements:

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2.1 degree in Pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, engineering or other relevant disciplines

Funding:

This project is offered on a self-funding basis. It is open to applicants with funding or those applying to funding sources.  Details of tuition fees can be found at http://www.uea.ac.uk/pgresearch/pgrfees.

A bench fee is also payable on top of the tuition fee to cover specialist equipment or laboratory costs required for the research.  The amount charged annually will vary considerably depending on the nature of the project and applicants should contact the primary supervisor for further information about the fee associated with the project.

To discuss the application process or particular projects, please contact the: Admissions Office, email:pgr.enquiries.admiss<στο>uea.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1603 591709.