Top Skip to main content
LOGO(small) - Queen's University Belfast
  • Our facebook
  • Our twitter
  • Our instagram
  • Our
LOGO(large) - Queen's University Belfast

School of

Pharmacy

  • Home
  • Study
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Scholarships
  • Research
    • Research Themes
    • Research Impact
    • Research Facilities
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
    • MATCH Pioneer Research Programme
  • International
    • China Medical University - Queen's University Belfast Joint College
  • Careers
    • Potential Careers
    • Foundation Training Year
  • Discover
    • Pharmacy Practice Unit
    • Pharmacy Labs
    • Clinical Teaching Practitioners
    • Boots Teaching Practitioners
    • Green Impact
  • Connect
    • Academic Staff
    • Administrative Staff
    • Technical Staff
    • Clinical Pharmacists
    • Postdoctoral Research Fellows
  • News
  • Home
  • Study
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Scholarships
  • Research
    • Research Themes
    • Research Impact
    • Research Facilities
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
    • MATCH Pioneer Research Programme
  • International
    • China Medical University - Queen's University Belfast Joint College
  • Careers
    • Potential Careers
    • Foundation Training Year
  • Discover
    • Pharmacy Practice Unit
    • Pharmacy Labs
    • Clinical Teaching Practitioners
    • Boots Teaching Practitioners
    • Green Impact
  • Connect
    • Academic Staff
    • Administrative Staff
    • Technical Staff
    • Clinical Pharmacists
    • Postdoctoral Research Fellows
  • News
  • Our facebook
  • Our twitter
  • Our instagram
In This Section
  • Research Themes
  • Research Impact
  • Research Facilities
  • Find a PhD Supervisor
  • MATCH Pioneer Research Programme

  • Home
  • School of Pharmacy
  • Research
  • Find a PhD Supervisor

Find a PhD Supervisor

Professor Karl Malcolm

School of Pharmacy

Professor Karl Malcolm

School of Pharmacy

Karl's research interests lie primarily within the pharmaceutical sciences, and particularly in the application of drug delivery technologies to women's sexual and reproductive health. Current research projects are focused on development of drug-releasing vaginal rings for HIV prevention, hormonal and non-hormonal contraception, new treatments for sexually transmitted infections and bacterial vaginosis, and development of new multipurpose prevention technology products. New areas of emerging research include drug-releasing subdermal implants and silicone elastomer breast implants for reduced incidence of capsular contracture.

Contact info

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

Research Interests

Karl is open to applications for postgraduate research from suitably qualified applicants who meet the University's English language requirements (https://www.qub.ac.uk/Study/international-students/Applying/EnglishLanguageRequirements/), who have secured a source of funding for their studies, and who wish to pursue a research project in a relevant research topic.

  • modified release drug delivery systems
  • sustained and controlled release
  • vaginal drug delivery
  • vaginal ring technology
  • polymeric drug delivery devices
  • injection molding and extrusion technologies
  • human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • HIV microbicides
  • antiretrovirals for HIV prevention
  • multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs)
  • mucosal vaccination
  • silicone elastomers
  • polyurethanes
  • ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers
  • in vitro release testing of drug dosage forms
  • protein drug delivery
  • long-acting contraceptives
  • long-acting injectables
  • 3D-printing of drug delivery systems
  • bacterial vaginosis (BV)
  • estrogen replacement therapy
  • cervical ripening
  • induction of labour

Make a PhD enquiry


Current Research Opportunities

  • Dexamethasone-releasing cochlear implants for fibroblast growth inhibition
  • Novel poly(acrylic acid) complexes for enantioselective drug delivery and chiral separation
  • Dip-coating as a strategy to modify drug release from silicone elastomer drug delivery devices

Public outreach & key achievements

Karl's research team have world-leading knowledge and expertise in the formulation, testing and manufacture of controlled release implantable drug delivery devices, particularly vaginal rings for HIV prevention and contraception. Karl's research team has worked closely with The International Partnership for Microbicides (https://www.ipmglobal.org) to help develop the first sustained release antiretroviral-releasing vaginal ring for prevention of sexual transmission of HIV. The dapivirine ring completed Phase III clinical testing in 2016 and has recently received a positive opinion/approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization for use in developing countries. Second-generation ring devices for HIV prevention and contraception are currently in early state clinical testing.


Research students

Name: Miss Xinyu Zhao
PhD title:
Years of Study: 2018– present
Country: China

Name: Miss Eugénie Guimier
PhD title: Modified silicone elastomers for reduced capsular contracture
Years of Study: 2020–present
Country: France

Name: Miss Xin Shen
PhD title: Multipurpose vaginal rings for HIV prevention and contraception
Years of Study: 2020-present
Country: China

Name: Miss Caixuan Wang
PhD title: Vaginal rings containing prebiotics and probiotics for treatment of bacterial vaginosis
Years of Study: 2020-present
Country: China

Name: Miss Siqi Wang
PhD title: A subdermal implant for controlled release of Vitamin D
Years of Study: 2020-present
Country: China


Alumni: Where are they now

Name: Claire Forbes
PhD title: Silicone elastomer gels for vaginal delivery of antiretroviral microbicides
Years of Study: 2009–2012
Country: UK
Current position: Senior Manager, Drug Product Manufacturing at Pfizer (UK)

Name: Susan Fetherston
PhD title: Novel sustained release devices for vaginal drug administration
Years of Study: 2007–2010
Country: UK
Current position: Senior Formulation Development Scientist at Almac Group (UK)

Name: Sandeep Kumar
PhD Title: A multipurpose prevention technology vaginal drug delivery device
Years of Study: 2012–2015
Country: UK
Current Position: R&D Project Manager / Technical Project Lead at Thermo Fisher Scientific

Name: Clement Haeck
PhD Title: Preclinical development of depot injectable formulations for combination contraception and HIV prevention
Years of Study: 2014–2017
Country: France
Current Position: Researcher / Population Council, USA


Discover More

  • Faculty of Medicine, Health & Life Sciences

  • School of Pharmacy

  • Materials and Advanced Technologies for Healthcare 


Postgraduate research
Apply now
Your postgraduate experience
Queen's University Belfast - Logo (small)
Contact Us

School of Pharmacy

Medical Biology Centre,
97 Lisburn Road,
Belfast, BT9 7BL. 

GET DIRECTIONS

Phone :+44 (0)28 9097 2086
E-mail: pharmacyinfo@qub.ac.uk

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Study
  • Careers
  • Research

 

© Queen's University Belfast 2023
Legal
Accessibility Statement
Privacy and Cookies
Modern Slavery Statement
Manage cookies