Professor Afzal Mohammed

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biosciences, University of Aston

Scientific Background

Research Interests

Professor Afzal Mohammed’s research lies at the intersection of pharmaceutics, paediatric biopharmaceutics, particle engineering, pharmaceutical formulation and advanced in vitro modelling. A central focus of his work is the development of innovative pharmaceutical formulations and manufacturing approaches that can improve the safety, efficacy and acceptability of medicines, particularly for paediatric patients. His research interests include paediatric drug formulation and biopharmaceutics, with an emphasis on understanding how medicines behave in children and how formulation and drug-delivery strategies can be designed to address the specific physiological and practical challenges associated with paediatric therapy. This includes the development of age-appropriate dosage forms, palatable formulations and approaches that enable flexible dosing.

His wider interests encompass particle engineering, dry-powder technology, orally disintegrating medicines, inhaled drug delivery, nanomedicine, pharmaceutical excipients and advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Across these areas, his research combines fundamental understanding of drug and material properties with innovative formulation and processing technologies, with the aim of translating this knowledge into more effective, age-appropriate and manufacturable medicines.

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: Supportive, collaborative and innovative

Provision of Training

PhD training in his group is likely to provide a multidisciplinary research environment, combining pharmaceutical formulation, paediatric biopharmaceutics, in vitro modelling and advanced drug-delivery technologies. Students would develop both technical and transferable research skills, alongside opportunities to work collaboratively and translate fundamental research into innovative pharmaceutical applications. You will be working as part of the wider research group and receive extensive support throughout the PhD training programme.

Progression Monitoring and Management

Your progress will be supported through regular weekly meetings with the supervisory team. These meetings will be a chance to talk about how the research is going, review what has been achieved, and discuss the next steps. We will also use these meetings to talk through any challenges or concerns you may have and provide guidance where needed. The research plan and timeline will be reviewed regularly so that they can be adjusted as the project develops.

Progress will also be discussed as part of the university’s formal progression reviews. These reviews will provide an opportunity to look at the overall progress of the research, celebrate what has been achieved, and identify any areas where further support or development may be helpful. If there are any delays or difficulties, these will be discussed openly and we will work together to agree on a realistic plan to help keep the research moving forward.

Communication

Good communication is an important part of the supervisory relationship. I am always happy to discuss any issues or concerns that may be affecting your progress, wellbeing, or ability to fulfil your potential and meet the expectations of the PhD. Please feel comfortable raising any concerns early, as we can work together to find appropriate solutions and support.

We will have regular weekly meetings to discuss progress, plans, and any issues that need attention. Email will also be used for communication between meetings, particularly for sharing updates, documents, questions, or anything that may need a quick response. The aim is to maintain an open and supportive approach where you feel able to ask questions and seek advice whenever needed.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per week. These meetings will be face-to-face. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

The timing of work in my lab is completely flexible, and (other than attending pre-arranged meetings) I expect students to manage their own time.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 2 weeks' notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5,000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Decoding Biomaterial–Host Interactions in the Developing Gastrointestinal Tract to Enable Age-Responsive Oral Medicines

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Decoding Biomaterial–Host Interactions in the Developing Gastrointestinal Tract to Enable Age-Responsive Oral Medicines

Secondary Supervisor(s): Dr Daniel Kirby

University of Registration: Aston University

BBSRC Research Themes:

Integrated Understanding of Health (Pharmaceuticals)

Project Outline

Children are not simply “small adults”: the gastrointestinal (GI) tract undergoes substantial developmental changes in pH, mucus composition, digestive enzymes, bile salts, epithelial barrier properties and microbiome composition. These changes can profoundly influence the behaviour and performance of orally administered medicines. However, how developmental GI biology governs interactions with biomaterials and pharmaceutical excipients remains poorly understood, limiting rational design of age-appropriate formulations and leaving paediatric formulation development heavily reliant on empirical optimisation.

This project will build on the recent research findings at Aston (1,2,3) and establish a mechanistic framework for understanding how developmental GI environments regulate biomaterial–host interactions. We hypothesise that age-dependent changes in the biochemical and physical properties of the GI tract generate predictable changes in biomaterial behaviour, and that these relationships can be quantified to derive transferable biological design principles for oral drug delivery.

The objectives are to: (1) characterise key developmental GI conditions relevant to biomaterial interactions; (2) determine how these conditions influence the physicochemical, mechanical and interfacial behaviour of representative biomaterials; (3) identify the biological and material parameters that govern these interactions; and (4) integrate these relationships into a model that can inform age-responsive formulation design.

The research will be delivered in collaboration with Quotient Sciences and will combine developmental biology, biomaterials engineering, quantitative biophysics and predictive modelling. Experimentally defined GI conditions representing different developmental stages will be used to investigate biomaterial properties including hydration, aggregation, and adhesion with mucus and relevant biological components. Quotient Sciences will provide complementary expertise in material science, pharmaceutical formulation, drug-product development helping to ensure that the research has relevance to real-world drug development. The project will deliver fundamental biological insight and a transferable framework for predicting biomaterial behaviour across development, providing a foundation for rational, age-responsive oral medicines and reducing reliance on empirical formulation screening.

Stewart et al., 2026, Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology. 5, 1, 16
Khan et al., 2022, International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 616, 12 p., 121501.
Khan et al., 2021, In: Pharmaceutics. 13, 6, 831.