USP Analytical Research Award Winners 2014

An international group of three scientists are the recipients of United States Pharmacopeial Convention’s 2014–2015 Global Fellowship Awards, aimed at advancing research involving quality standards for medicines. The recipients’ research will involve analytical tools useful in researching the safety of biopharmaceutical drugs, the detection of substandard drugs in the developing world, and the quality of dry powder inhaler products.

Each of the following students has received a $30,000 USP Global Fellowship Award for the 2014–2015 academic year:

Khaja Muneeruddin, PhD candidate, University of Massachusetts-AmherstArea of research: New mass spectrometry-based methods to characterize highly heterogeneous biopharmaceuticals
This project includes the development of novel analytical tools to characterize the natural diversity of biopharmaceutics, contributing to the safety of biopharmaceutical drugs. The methods developed under the guidance of Dr. Igor Kaltrashov, director of the chemistry department, will allow for thorough characterization of biopharmaceutical drugs to detect heterogeneity, which, in certain cases, affects their therapeutic activity.

Nicholas M. Myers, PhD candidate, University of Notre DameArea of research: Paper-based iodometric titration for quantification of antibiotics
This research is related to the Paper Analytical Device (PAD) project, which was primarily developed to test for counterfeit medications in developing countries, but the technology has also been adapted for other uses, such as testing for iodine deficiency. Led by Dr. Marya Lieberman, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, the PAD project uses paper-based technologies to test for the presence of specific chemicals in various substances. This technology is especially useful in low-resource settings where sophisticated lab equipment may not be available.

Ahmed O. Shalash, PhD candidate, Alexandria University, EgyptArea of research: Investigation of performance descriptor(s) in carrier-based dry powder inhalers
The research deals with investigation of the role of carrier surface roughness. Under the supervision of professor of pharmacy Mohammed Khalafallah, the ultimate goal of the project is development of characterization techniques that express performance and are suitable for routine quality control of dry powder inhaler products. The possibility of replacing lactose with other carriers will also be studied.

Source: USP.org