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Find a PhD Supervisor

Professor Helen McCarthy

School of Pharmacy

Professor Helen McCarthy

School of Pharmacy

Prof McCarthy’s research team are dedicated to the development of non-viral delivery systems for nanomedicine applications.

These delivery systems are designed to overcome the extra and intracellular biological barriers, so that the macromolecular payload can be delivered at the destination site in order to exert the optimal therapeutic effect.

The objective of the activity is in the design and synthesis of nanotechnologies as local and systemic delivery systems for DNA, RNAi, miRNA, mRNA nanoparticle vaccines and therapies.

 

Contact info

  • View Academic Profile
  • askmhls@qub.ac.uk
  • +44 (0)28 9097 2149, +44 (0)28 9097 1993
  • @Prof_H_McCarthy

Research Interests

Open to PhD applications in the field of nano-drug delivery, biopharmaceutics, vaccine technology, repurposing of phosphate-based drugs, nucleic acid therapies and bone repair.

  • Development of nanomedicines for cancer
  • Design of non-viral delivery systems
  • Bioengineering for regenerative therapies

Make a PhD enquiry


Current Research Opportunities

  • Development of a Dual Nanogel for Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa

Public outreach & key achievements

    • http://www.qub.ac.uk/Research/Our-impact/Pioneeringresearch/THENANOMEDICINEINNOVATORWHOALWAYSHASTHEPATIENTINMIND.html
    • QUB team in breast cancer breakthrough
    • https://www.phiontx.co.uk/single-post/2017/10/07/Invent-2017
    • http://www.irishnews.com/business/2017/10/06/news/cancer-treatment-start-up-phion-therapeutics-takes-top-invention-award-1154969/
    • https://www.businessfirstonline.co.uk/other-articles/xenobics-phion-therapeutics-go-forward-intertradeireland-seedcorn-competition-final/attachment/phiontherapeutics-1/
    • phiontx.co.uk

 


Research students

Name: Guanjie Lin
PhD Title: Development of a nucleic acid vaccine for Prostate Cancer
Years of Study: 2022-2025
Country: China

Name: Rebecca Sutcliffe
PhD Title: Development of a non-viral delivery system for targeted delivery of nucleic acid therapies across the blood brain barrier
Years of Study: 2022-2025
Country: England

Name: Binyumeng Jiang
PhD Title: Development of a Nucleic Acid Vaccine for Head and Neck Cancer
Years of Study: 2021-2024
Country: China

Name: Chayanika Saha
PhD title: Development of a controlled release DNA vaccine for ovarian cancer
Years of Study:2019-2022
Country: India

Name: Ying Sun
PhD title: 3D printed scaffolds with biologically active cargo
Years of Study:2019-2022
Country: China

 


Alumni: Where are they now

Name: Jordan Wilson
PhD title: Development of radiosensitive pro-tides
Years of Study:2018-2021
Country: Northern Ireland
Current Position: R & D Scientist at pHion Therapeutics

Name: Adrian Juncos Bombin
PhD title: Development of a Nanomedicine in an Electrospun Patch for Wound Healing
Years of Study:2018-2021
Country: Spain

Name: Dr Marine Chalanqui
PhD title: The development of a multi-functional loaded thermo-sensitive hydrogel for the treatment of bone metastases
Years of Study:2014-2018
Country: France
Current Position: Scientist at Medincell, Montpellier

Name: Dr Eoghan Mulholland
PhD title: Development of a genetic nanomedicine for chronic wounds
Years of Study:2015-2018
Country: Northern Ireland
Current Position: Research Fellow at Oxford University

Name: Dr Philip Chambers
PhD Title: Intracellular Delivery of Self-Assembling Osteogenic Nanoparticles
Years of Study: 2014-2017
Country: Northern Ireland
Current Position: Head of Process Development at pHion Therapeutics


Discover More

  • https://www.qub.ac.uk/Research/case-studies/needle-free-delivery-mrna-vaccines.html
  • QUB team in breast cancer breakthrough
  • http://www.irishnews.com/business/2017/10/06/news/cancer-treatment-start-up-phion-therapeutics-takes-top-invention-award-1154969/
  • https://www.businessfirstonline.co.uk/other-articles/xenobics-phion-therapeutics-go-forward-intertradeireland-seedcorn-competition-final/attachment/phiontherapeutics-1/
  • phiontx.co.uk

Postgraduate research
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School of Pharmacy

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

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

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