Postgraduate Research Opportunity
PROJECT TITLE: Amorphous Solids and Composites - Routes to Solid Dispersions
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The role of polymers in drug delivery is ever expanding and
more recently hydrophilic polymers have been utilised as a means of enhancing the solubility
of poorly soluble drugs. The formation of solid dispersions and solid solutions is one of the
most promising strategies to improve the solubility of poorly soluble drugs.
The Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre (SSPC) is a Global Hub of
Pharmaceutical Process Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing, funded by Science
Foundation Ireland and industry, is a unique collaboration between 22 industry partners,
9 research performing organisations and 12 international academic collaborators. A PhD
student will work under the supervision of Prof. C. Higginbotham and Dr. L. Geever (AIT) on
platform project P9 (WP7). The student will undertake tasks associated with WP7 which is
concerned with different presentations of solid dispersions prepared by various high-tech
processing techniques including hot melt extrusion. This WP will build upon on-going research
activities of the current SSPC, as well as hot melt extrusion drug delivery research which has
been a core competency within AIT for many years. As such the student will work closely with
other PhD and postdoctoral researchers currently working on related projects within AIT, many
of whom are working on studies with industry partners. The study will involve combining
active agents and melt processable polymers, as well as other functional excipients such as
antioxidants, plasticisers, thermal stabilisers, etc. which will be blended together using twin
screw extrusion. The student will investigate the physicochemical characteristics of the
polymers, API and other excipient materials pre- and post-processing using a range of
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experimental techniques including thermal analysis, PXRD, DSC, DVS, FTIR, MFI, Advanced
Rheometry, GPC, XRD, Drug dissolution.
Duration of project / Salary scale: €18,000 stipend + full fees per annum for 4 years
Funding Agency: Science Foundation Ireland
Type of degree offered: PhD - Full-Time
Minimum qualifications/experience necessary/any other requirements: The student should
ideally have a B.Sc. in Polymer Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry or a related
discipline
Informal enquiries to Professor Clement Higginbotham (chigginbotham@ait.ie)
Research Supervisors: Prof. Clement Higginbotham (chigginbotham@ait.ie)
Dr. Luke Geever (lgeever@ait.ie)
Application forms available from Anita Watts, Office of Research, Athlone Institute of
Technology, Tel: 090 64 83061 Email: awatts@ait.ie or from link Download Application
Form on AIT website – Vacancies- Postgraduate Research Opportunities.
Closing date for receipt of completed application forms which must be submitted to Anita
Watts, Office of Research, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, Co.
Westmeath is 5.00 pm on Friday, 22nd of May, 2015.
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