School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast

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School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast The School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast is one of the UK's leading teaching and research

The School of Pharmacy at Queen’s is acknowledged as a leading centre for Pharmacy teaching and research in the UK, focusing on the practice of pharmacy and advancements in the pharmaceutical sciences. Research in the School was returned in REF 2021 as part of the Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy Unit of Assessment, which was ranked 4th= in the UK overall, and 2nd in the UK for Research Power (data from Times Higher Education, 2022)

The School of Pharmacy offers two exceptional degree courses, namely the MPharm (Pharmacy) degree and a BSc in the Pharmaceutical Sciences. Our professional degree has recently been accredited by the UK's governing pharmacy body, The GPhC, for a maximum term, further indicating the excellence offered by our taught undergraduate programmes. More information can be found on our website, at www.qub.ac.uk/pha

Congratulations to Dr Alejandro Paredes, who has been selected for the Royal Society of Chemistry's Journal of Materials...
13/10/2026

Congratulations to Dr Alejandro Paredes, who has been selected for the Royal Society of Chemistry's Journal of Materials Chemistry B Emerging Investigators 2026 collection, with the Paredes Lab's research also chosen for the journal's front cover.

Alejandro's team here at Queen's University Belfast is developing targeted drug nanocrystals: medicines engineered at the nanoscale to overcome biological barriers and deliver drugs more precisely to the tissues and organs that need them. The potential applications include malaria and other neglected tropical diseases, neurological disorders and inflammatory conditions.

This is a wonderful recognition for Alejandro and his team, and great international visibility for the pharmaceutical nanotechnology research happening here at the School!

Read the article: https://doi.org/10.1039/D6TB00506C

09/10/2026

Second-year Pharmaceutical Biotechnology student Andrei Balauca is back from his two-month summer research placement at NYU Shanghai, where he worked in Professor John Zenghui Zhang's group at the NYU–ECNU Centre for Computational Chemistry.

Andrei's project used computational methods to study GPCR 75, a receptor being investigated as a target for treating obesity.

Earlier this week, we caught up with Andrei to chat about his placement:

"It was a computational research summer program where I worked on GPCRs… for obesity. It was very self-directed and independent — you weren't told what to do, you had to do it yourself. I like drug discovery and design and I want to create new medicines, and it was really fun trying to do that. A lot of the methods that I learned in my lectures, I ended up using in my research project."

Congratulations, Andrei — a brilliant summer's work.

We were delighted to welcome Ms Kiran Khatri, Consul General of India in Belfast, and her team to the School of Pharmacy...
08/10/2026

We were delighted to welcome Ms Kiran Khatri, Consul General of India in Belfast, and her team to the School of Pharmacy on Monday.

Hosted by Professor Brendan Gilmore, Professor Raj Thakur and Dr Shubhamkumar Baviskar, the visit brought staff, researchers and students together for an afternoon of conversation and connection.

A tour of the McClay Research Centre and Whitla Medical Building here at Queen's University Belfast offered a glimpse into our research in drug delivery, microbiology, diagnostics and pharmaceutical sciences. The Consul General also spoke with staff and students about the support available to Indian students in Northern Ireland: a meaningful moment for our incoming 2026 cohort, who have been settling in here in Belfast over the last few weeks.

A special thank you to Dr Baviskar and Professor Thakur for arranging the visit, and to India in Belfast for a warm and generous afternoon. Our Indian students and researchers are a valued part of the Queen's community.

Read more: http://go.qub.ac.uk/IndiaCG

Congratulations to Professor Ryan Donnelly from the School, who has been awarded the prestigious APS Medal by the Academ...
07/10/2026

Congratulations to Professor Ryan Donnelly from the School, who has been awarded the prestigious APS Medal by the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, alongside Professor Hannah Batchelor.

Presented at this year's PharmSci Conference in Newcastle, the Medal is one of the highest honours bestowed by the Academy, recognising career-long contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and dedicated service to the APS community. Both recipients are former Chairs of APS.

Reflecting on the award, Ryan said: "I was honoured to receive the APS Medal alongside Hannah Batchelor, from whom I learned a great deal while she superbly guided APS as Chair post-COVID. APS has played a strong role in supporting the development of my students and providing me with opportunities to lead and expand my activities beyond research and teaching."

We're very proud of Ryan on this richly deserved recognition.

Read more: http://go.qub.ac.uk/RyanAPS

We were delighted to take part in Science and Stormont 2026, the annual Royal Society of Chemistry event bringing togeth...
06/10/2026

We were delighted to take part in Science and Stormont 2026, the annual Royal Society of Chemistry event bringing together researchers, industry leaders and policymakers to discuss the future of STEM and innovation in Northern Ireland.

Professor Dimitrios Lamprou, our Chair of Biofabrication & Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Director of Internationalisation, joined one of the panel discussions and delivered a talk entitled "The Capability Is Already Here: Turning Northern Ireland's Advanced Manufacturing into Economic Growth".

Professor Lamprou and PhD researcher Vlad-Nicolae Lesutan also led an exhibition for the School, meeting MLAs, policymakers and industry representatives to showcase how our research is contributing to healthcare innovation, skills development and economic growth across Northern Ireland.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with our team.

Congratulations to the UK Schools of Pharmacy Digital Community of Practice (SoPDCoP), which has won the i2i Soar Beyond...
05/10/2026

Congratulations to the UK Schools of Pharmacy Digital Community of Practice (SoPDCoP), which has won the i2i Soar Beyond Award for Digital Transformation!

Atif Saddiq, who leads the community of practice, attended the i2i Soar Beyond Summit, where he presented the community's work on the Indicative Curriculum for Digital Health and collected the award on behalf of everyone involved.

Established around two and a half years ago, SoPDCoP has brought together colleagues from Schools of Pharmacy across the UK, alongside NHS England, the Royal College of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Schools Council, to shape digital health education for the profession.

Our School has been proud to play a part, including contributing on the professional use of GenAI. The Indicative Curriculum is already generating real interest before it has even been formally published — and we're looking forward to seeing it make a genuine difference to pharmacy education and the future workforce. 🏆

Congratulations to Dr Paul McCague, who received his National Teaching Fellowship at the Advance HE Teaching Excellence ...
02/10/2026

Congratulations to Dr Paul McCague, who received his National Teaching Fellowship at the Advance HE Teaching Excellence Awards last Thursday evening at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.

The National Teaching Fellowship recognises Paul's sustained excellence in pharmacy education and his commitment to student success: something our students benefit from every day.

Pictured with Paul are Professor Judy Williams (Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students) and Professor Sharon Haughey (Associate Dean of Education, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences), who were there to share in the celebration.

Congratulations to Paul, and to all of Thursday's winners 🎉

It was fantastic to welcome our BSc students back to Queen's after completing their placement year!Yesterday, our return...
30/09/2026

It was fantastic to welcome our BSc students back to Queen's after completing their placement year!

Yesterday, our returning students shared their experiences with our Level 2 students, who are preparing to apply for their own placements. Through short presentations and posters, they reflected on the projects they worked on, the skills they developed, and what it was really like to spend a year working in the pharmaceutical sector.

These sessions are a brilliant chance for students to hear honestly from their peers about the different opportunities a placement year can offer, from the technical and professional skills gained to the challenges and rewards of working in industry.

A big thank you to Lewis Currie, Zara Copelan, Katelin Lord, Nikol Attard, Charlie Anderson, Lucy Jervis, Eileen Costello, Lasairíona Ní Néill and Jane Hutchinson for sharing your experiences so openly and helping to inspire the next generation of placement students.

What an afternoon! 🎉 Thank you to everyone who came along to our Careers Fair in the Whitla Hall last Tuesday.Our studen...
28/09/2026

What an afternoon! 🎉 Thank you to everyone who came along to our Careers Fair in the Whitla Hall last Tuesday.

Our students had the chance to meet around 30 exhibitors from right across pharmacy, and we're so grateful to every one of them:

💊 Community pharmacy: Bannside Pharmacy, Boots, Clear Pharmacy, Gordons Chemists, McCartan's Pharmacy, McCoubrey & McGettigans, McKeevers Chemists, MediCare Pharmacy Group, Northern Pharmacies, Orchard Pharmacy and Pharmacy Plus

🔬 Industry: AbbVie Ireland, Almac Group, Millicent Pharma, Norbrook and Teva

🤝 Regulation and professional bodies: the Pharmaceutical Society NI, Pharmacy Forum NI, the Pharmacists' Defence Association, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, the National Pharmacy Association, Community Pharmacy NI and the Ulster Chemists' Association

📚 Policy and professional development: the Department of Health and NICPLD

🩺 Wider healthcare and recruitment: Screen Clinical, 210 (North Irish) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Cpl Healthcare and Locate a Locum

🎓 Here at Queen's: Careers, Employability & Skills and our postgraduate team

Students, we hope you came away with new contacts and plenty of ideas for the future. And a big thank you to our team for making it all happen! 🙌

There's nothing quite better to celebrate World Pharmacists Day than a nice coffee break! ☕To mark the day, our student ...
28/09/2026

There's nothing quite better to celebrate World Pharmacists Day than a nice coffee break! ☕

To mark the day, our student society organised a lovely tea and coffee morning, and it was wonderful to see so many staff and students come along to celebrate together.

It gave us a chance to pause and think about why pharmacy matters: the care pharmacists provide in their communities every day, and the difference they make in keeping people healthier.

A huge thank you to our student society for putting it all together, and to everyone who joined us. We're very proud of the profession our students are training to enter.

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97 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT97BL

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