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Find a PhD Supervisor

Dr Jonathan Coulter

School of Pharmacy

Dr Jonathan Coulter

School of Pharmacy

Dr Coulter’s team focus on understanding key mechanisms which contribute to cancer resistance, developing novel therapeutic strategies to overcome these. Typically, these are alterations within the tumour microenvironment e.g. hypoxia or altered tumour metabolism.

 

We employ emerging pharmaceutical engineering technologies (3D-printing, microfluidics) to design novel nanomedicine solutions to solve challenges such as poorly soluble drugs. Such examples include developing controlled release platforms for sustained delivery of novel nanotherapeutics or exploiting active targeting to counter pro-survival responses to existing therapeutics.

 

Ultimately, the primary objective of our research is to identify novel sensitising adjuvants to existing cancer treatments, with protectable IP, that will ultimately deliver patient benefit.

Contact info

  • View Academic Profile
  • askmhls@qub.ac.uk
  • @Dr_JA_Coulter

Research Interests


Open to PhD applications in the field of:

  • Nanopharmaceuticals
  • Metalic/Gold nanoparticles
  • Tumour metabolism
  • Tumour microenvironment
  • Targeted delivery
  • Radiopharmaceuticals
  • Radiobiology
  • Targeted Immunotherapy

Make a PhD enquiry


Current Research Opportunities

  • Countering the proteinase-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) pro-tumour phenotype using a novel nanotherapeutic approach

Public outreach & key achievements

  • Prostate Cancer UK funding: https://prostatecanceruk.org/research/research-we-fund/s14-004
  • MRC Confidence in Concept – Anti-inflammatory radiosensitising gold nanoparticles for the treatment of prostate cancer
  • EPSRC – Nanoengineered microneedle arrays for enhanced plasmonic photothermal therapy of basal cell carcinoma – EP/P034063/1
  • EPSRC - Improving patient outcome by integrating the generic with the personal – EPSRC EP/K039342/1
  • Research Funder NI overview: https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/tag/dr-jonathan-coulter/
  • Materials & Advanced TeChnologies for Healthcare - https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPharmacy/MATCH/

Research students

Name: Lydia McQuoid
PhD title: Evaluating radiation bystander and abscopal effects conferred by novel nanoparticle formulations
Years of Study: 2022-2025
Country: United Kingdom

Name: Xinyi Liu
PhD title: Elucidating the impact of attenuated CXCR4/CXCL12 signaling in prostate cancer
Years of Study: 2021-2024
Country: China

Name: Bayan Ahmed A Alkhaldi
PhD title: A nanotherapeutic approach to inhibiting hedgehog signaling in brain cancer
Years of Study: 2021-2024
Country: Saudi Arabia

Name: Meabh Doherty
PhD title: Manipulating tumour glycolysis through lactate transport to augment radiation response
Years of Study: 2020-2023
Country: Northern Ireland

Name: Cancan Yin
PhD title: PSMA targeted gold nanoparticles as effective prostate cancer radiosensitisers
Years of Study:2019-2022
Country: China

Name: Tongchuan Wang  
PhD title: Exploiting hyperactive glucose transporters: a targeting mechanism for drug loaded nanoparticles  
Years of Study:2019-2022
Country: China


Alumni: Where are they now

Name: Jie Feng
PhD title: Elevating intracellular oxygen using tumour metabolism suppressing nanoparticles
Years of Study: 2019-2022
Country: China
Current position: Postdoc research fellow – Coulter lab, QUB.

Name: Chris Emerson 
PhD title: Development of a cell cycle computational model predicting outcome to novel nanotherapeutics.
Years of Study:2016-2020
Country: Northern Ireland
Current position: Celerion Clinical Trials - Data programmer

Name: Linsdey Bennie
PhD title: Enhancing the radiosensitivity of prostate cancer using RALA Gold nano-complexes
Years of Study:2016-2019
Country: Scotland
Current position: Scientist at pHion Therapeutics

Name: Dr Natalie Owen
PhD title: Radiation induced inflammatory signalling in prostate cancer: A target for co-functionalised gold nanoparticles
Years of Study:2015-2018
Country: England
Current position: Research Scientist at the Sanger Institute, Cambridge, England.

Name: Dr Shannon O’Neill
PhD Title: Enhancing the radio curability of prostate cancer using the anti-cancer stem cell agent, AD-01, and novel CD44-targeted gold nanoparticles
Years of Study: 2015-2018
Country: Northern Ireland
Current Position: Research scientist at Almac, NI.

 


Discover More

Funding

  • Prostate Cancer UK – Research Innovation Award: https://prostatecanceruk.org/research/research-we-fund/ria19-st2-008
  • Prostate Cancer UK – PhD studentship: https://prostatecanceruk.org/research/research-we-fund/s14-004
  • Higher Education Authority – North/South Stage 1 – Collaboration with UCD – Dr Susan Quinn – Title: Targeted gold (Au) nanocomposites as cancer radiosensitisers: https://tinyurl.com/yuyfu6ta
  • Invest NI Proof of Concept - TRACER - TaRgeted gold (Au) nanoparticles as CancEr Radiosensitisers
  • Research career overview: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jonathan_Coulter

Media

    • https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/122373d7-e4f0-48c5-bfc1-3b0ef70eff9e
    • Belfast Live – Grant announcement https://tinyurl.com/yc2e7uur
    • Irish News - https://tinyurl.com/mtz858vh
    • The Mail - https://tinyurl.com/2p8xbf6w

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