Working with the Pharmaceutical Industry to improve inhaled treatments for chronic lung diseases

This PhD project emanates from an established collaboration between an academic group in Cardiff University and an international partner from the pharmaceutical industry, and so if you are interested in developing the skills and experiences you need for a future career related to the Pharmaceutical Industry, then this project may be of interest to you!

Chronic respiratory diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases, with over 540 million sufferers worldwide. Every year millions of patients use inhalers to help manage conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One of the most commonly used type of inhalers is the dry powder inhaler. In these devices the drug is formulated as a powder, which is loaded into the inhaler and delivered to the lung upon patient inspiration. This has advantages for (i) the patient (because the delivered dose is controlled by patient inspiration rather than the propellants that are used in other inhalers), (ii) the pharmaceutical formulation (emerging novel biologic therapies are more easily formulated in a powder) and (iii) the environment (it’s a ‘greener’ propellant-free inhaler). A common way to load drug into these inhalers is using a powder-filled capsule, which is punctured just before patient inhalation to enable the powdered contents to escape. Capsules are therefore a key component of the drug delivery system and are designed specifically for this role. Cardiff University has worked with Qualicaps® (the world’s biggest supplier of inhalation capsules) for more than 10 years to test and improve these capsule formulations. This PhD project will continue this work, in an effort to develop and optimise capsule products for inhaled therapies.

The PhD candidate for this project would benefit from an experienced multi-disciplinary academic supervisory team and established strong relationships with colleagues from the Pharmaceutical Industry. Previous projects have led to real world impact and students that have previously worked in this team have used their insights and experiences as a catalyst to a career in the Pharmaceutical Industry. The successful candidate will be based in Cardiff and will work in the laboratories of Dr Sion Coulman, Prof James Birchall and Prof Rhys Pullin. However, they will benefit from regular interactions with colleagues at Qualicaps, will visit Qualicaps’ production facilities in Madrid and will be given opportunities to present their work at both National and International Meetings. They will use a range of cutting-edge equipment and techniques that have been established at Cardiff, and will also benefit from direct access to established and novel capsule formulations from Qualicaps. Candidates with a background related to pharmacy, the pharmaceutical sciences, the biological/biomedical sciences, materials sciences or medical / mechanical engineering are encouraged to apply. 

Supervisory/Project Team:

Sion Coulman (Pharmacy – Cardiff University)

James Birchall (Pharmacy – Cardiff University)

Rhys Pullin (Engineering – Cardiff University)

Susana Ecenarro (Qualicaps)

You can apply online – consideration is automatic on applying for a PhD with an January 2025 start date.

Please use our online application service at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/pharmacy

Applicants should possess (or expect to obtain) a UK higher education degree, or a non-UK qualification recognised by the University as being equivalent to this in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, materials sciences, medical/biomedical engineering, or another relevant subject. A Masters qualification in a similar area would be an advantage.  Normally you will be required to have the equivalent of a 2:1 or above.