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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/S023054/1
Title: 'EPSRC and SFI Centre for Doctoral Training in Transformative Pharmaceutical Technologies
Principal Investigator: Stolnik-Trenkic, Professor SS
Other Investigators:
Marlow, Dr M E Roberts, Professor C Hailes, Professor HC
Guldin, Dr S Gaisford, Professor S Williams, Professor GR
Knowles, Professor JC Alexander, Professor C Zelzer, Dr M
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
3M Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences Alderley Park
Almac Group Ltd AstraZeneca Bio Nano Consulting Ltd
BioCity Causaly Croda (Group)
GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) Heptares Therapeutics Limited Juniper Pharma Services Ltd
Knowledge Transfer Network Ltd Medicines Manufacturing Ind Partnership Mikota Ltd
Nemaura Pharma Limited Peter Timmins Pfizer
Quotient Sciences Limited Restoration of Appearance & Function Tst SSPC (Synth & Solid State Pharm Centre)
Syngenta Upperton Pharma Solutions
Department: Sch of Pharmacy
Organisation: University of Nottingham
Scheme: Centre for Doctoral Training
Starts: 01 October 2019 Ends: 31 March 2028 Value (£): 6,714,348
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Analytical Science Design Engineering
Design of Process systems Manufact. Enterprise Ops& Mgmt
Manufacturing Machine & Plant Materials Synthesis & Growth
Particle Technology
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Manufacturing Chemicals
Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
07 Nov 2018 EPSRC Centres for Doctoral Training Interview Panel L – November 2018 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
A drug is a molecule that acts upon biological processes in the body. In contrast, a medicine is a complex product that comprises the drug and other ingredients packaged into a final dosage form that can be administered to a patient to ensure there is a beneficial therapeutic effect with minimum side-effects. To achieve therapeutic effect it is essential to ensure that the drug is delivered to the appropriate site in the body, at the right time, and in the correct amount. This is challenging: some drug molecules are poorly soluble in biological milieu, while others are either not stable or have toxic side-effects and require careful processing into medicines to ensure they remain biologically active and safe. The new drug molecules arising from drug discovery and biotechnology have particularly challenging properties. Pharmaceutical technologies are central to developing medicines from these molecules, to ensure patients are provided with safe and efficacious therapy.

The design and development of new medicines is an inherently complex and cross-disciplinary process, and requires both innovative research and highly skilled, imaginative, researchers. To sustain and reinforce the UK's future global competitiveness, a new generation of highly-trained graduates educated at doctoral level is required to deliver transformative new therapeutics.

Our CDT will train an empowered network of at least 60 PhD students through a consortium of multiple industry partners led by the University of Nottingham and University College London. The involvement of partners from start-ups to major international pharmaceutical companies will ensure that our students receive the cross-disciplinary scientific knowledge needed to develop future medicines, and build the leadership, resilience and entrepreneurial skills crucial to allow them to function effectively as future leaders and agents of change. Through partnering with industry we will ensure that the research work undertaken in the CDT is of direct relevance to contemporary and future challenges in medicines development. This will allow the CDT research to make significant contributions to the development of new therapies, leading ultimately to transformative medicines to treat patients. Beyond the research undertaken in the CDT, our graduates will build careers across the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, and will in the future impact society through developing new medicines to improve the health and well-being of individuals across the world.

We will train our students in four key science themes: (i) predictive pharmaceutical sciences; (ii) advanced product design; (iii) pharmaceutical process engineering; and, (iv) complex product characterisation. This will ensure our graduates are educated to approach challenges in preparing medicines from a range of therapeutic molecules, including emerging cutting-edge actives (e.g. CRISPR, or locked RNAs). These are currently at a critical stage of development, where research by scientists trained to doctoral level in the latest predictive and product design and development technologies is crucial to realise their clinical potential. Our students will obtain comprehensive training in all aspects of medicines design and development, including pharmaceutical engineering, which will ensure that they consider early the 'end game' of their research and understand how their work in the laboratory can be translated into products which can be manufactured and enter the clinic to treat patients.

Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Summary
Date Materialised
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk