The award, which is granted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and The Pharmaceutical Journal, recognises early-career researchers from across pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences who demonstrate potential to achieve world-leading status.

Qonita was recognised for her outstanding research in the development of innovative drug delivery systems.

Her work has focused on developing microneedle patches and long-acting implant technologies in disease areas such as tuberculosis, HIV, diabetes, skin regeneration and schizophrenia.

Her research harnesses microneedle technology to deliver high-dose compounds such as antibiotics, antiparasitic and antivirals and she collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies to scale-up and translate microneedle technology to clinical settings, leading to the real-world impact of her research on patients.

In addition, Qonita has designed her microneedle systems to use biodegradable materials, thus reducing waste and the impact on the environment.

Qonita Anjani, Research Fellow from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's University Belfast, said: “I am delighted to have been recognised by the RPS for the contribution my research is making to the advancement of long-acting and minimally invasive drug delivery systems that improve treatment adherence and patient outcomes.

"This award reflects the collective efforts of the inspiring mentors, collaborators, and students I have had the privilege to work with, both in the UK and internationally.”

Diane Ashiru-Oredope, Deputy Chief Scientist (Interim) at the RPS said: “Now in its third year, the Outstanding Pharmacy Early-Career Researcher Award (OPERA) continues to go from strength to strength. We were thrilled by the number of entries received and the breadth and quality of research conducted by the early-career researchers nominated, spanning pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy, and practice-based innovation. Well done to all nominated and shortlisted.

"Following a rigorous two-stage judging process, we are proud to announce two joint winners, recognised for their outstanding contributions to pharmaceutical sciences and clinical research. My heartfelt congratulations to both winners—I look forward to following your journeys in the years ahead.”

Judging panel member Delyth James, Professor in Pharmacy & Behavioural Medicine at Swansea University and member of the RPS Panel of Fellows, said: “This year’s OPERA25 award was an extremely challenging judging process, with a highly competitive list of candidates which we struggled to short-list. Huge congratulations to those who made it to the shortlist for this prestigious award – which is a notable achievement in itself.

"Selecting the winner was extremely difficult, which is why we made the decision to commend Jennifer Stevenson and Qonita Anjani as joint winners of the award. Both are undoubtedly making significant contributions in their respective fields, working in very different settings. Jennifer is leading the way integrating research and clinical practice for improving medication safety in older people and Qonita’s pharmaceutical research has had substantial global impact for innovative drug delivery."

"Both winners show a strong commitment to mentoring others, helping to develop the research capability and capacity within the pharmacy profession. I am thrilled to have joint winners this year and look forward to hearing more about their research at the RPS conference in London in November.”

Media

Media inquiries to Sian Devlin at s.devlin@qub.ac.uk