Dr. Shahzeb Khan

Research

My primary research focus is to develop, characterize and isolate Smart Nanocrystals of pharmaceutical drug compounds using experimental and molecular simulation approaches. More than 70% of the drug compounds coming through high throughput screening are poor water soluble which result into erratic bioavailability. Among the different approaches including solid dispersion, micronization, micelles, cocrystals, salts, complexation, Nanocrystals have received a noticeable attraction for addressing the issue of poor water-soluble drugs. I have the experience of process optimization of both Top down and Bottom-up technologies for production of stable nanocrystals of pharmaceutical drug compounds with enhanced physicochemical attributes. I have an extensive working experience of using simple and advanced/sophisticated bottom up technologies including solvent and antisolvent approach with syringe pump fitting, microfluidics, Nanoassemblers, SHAPE (superheated aqueous particle engineering), Syringe pump, atomizer hybrid technology and Supercritical CO2 fluid Technology. Furthermore, we have also been working on the top down techniques for producing pharmaceuticals nanocrystals which include, HPH and Wet milling (DENA-DM100).In addition, my research expertise also includes isolation of the drug nanocrystals from nanosuspensions using carrier mediated approach. We have extended this technology for taste masking of bitter antibiotics and development of effective solid pediatric dosage forms. Supercritical Co2 Fluid technology is an amazing technology which is being employed for engineering of smart therapeutics with enhanced bioavailability attributes. I have worked on the production and isolation of both single and combination drugs nanoparticles using modified supercritical Co2 fluid technology. Professor Kevin Rayan and Dr Luis Padrela lead the supercritical CO2 fluid research group at SSPC, University of Limerick Ireland and I jointly developed with them, the modified ScO2 method for generation and isolation of nanocrystals. I have also an experience of engineering and characterization of multidrug co-crystals, nanodrug co-crystals and fixed dose multidrug nanocrystals using simple and sophisticated technologies. For molecular level underpinning of the polymers and drug nanocrystals’ interaction, we employ molecular modelling and simulation approaches to rationalize and optimize the suitable stabilizer for stability of nanocrystals. We are also looking at the preparation and characterization of of Folic Acid and amino acid conjugated nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery applications. Furthermore, I am also interested and have the experience of working on Nanogel and nanocrystals loaded hydrogel for different pharmaceutical applications. We have state of the art labs at CPES (Center for Pharmaceutical Engineering Science) with all the aforementioned facilities including, Zeta Sizer, Master Sizer, DSC, XRD, SEM, TEM, Spray dryer, freeze dryers, stability chambers, tableting machine, granulators, DVS, HPLC, hot melt extrusion technology, HPH etc. The Prospective PhD students, exchange researchers and postdoctoral researchers, who have the potential funding source with them can directly reach out to me by sending their CVs. I shall be happy to further discuss and help in preparing the joint research proposal for the fellowship opportunities. We have well equipped labs at CPES being led by the multidisciplinary research team, so the applicants from different research backgrounds including natural science and health sciences are warmly welcomed to the group.