Belfast Metropolitan Area
CSO SiSaf Ltd Biotechnology Company - Nanoparticle drug / vaccine delivery systems. Background in: Immunology, Virology and Microbiology for Veterinary and Human Research. Hon Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast - Virology undergraduate course teaching and supervision of PhD students. Previously Head of Virology Branch - government research institute. Responsible for animal health research programmes (EU, UK research funding; vaccines, diagnostics, proteomics / metabolomics, nutrition immunology, nutrition disease prevention), commercial diagnostic testing services (aquaculture and poultry), Government emergency response team for epizootic disease testing in animals. Senior Scientist (Immunologist) in the bovine Tuberculosis Research Team - Government Research Laboratory (AFBI) Northern Ireland, UK. T-cell immunology, immuno-diagnosis (IFN-gamma testing and field application), disease modelling and vaccine immunology. Postdoctoral research scientist on salmon pancreas disease in salmon (development of first diagnostic tools and identification of major viral vaccine target antigens) Postdoctoral research scientist on human VZV Ty-VLP vaccines PhD studies on the immunosuppressive mechanisms and pathogenesis of BVD virus in cattle
CSO SiSaf Ltd. Application of nanoparticle drug delivery for human and animal health using SiSaf's nano silicon technology - Bio-Courier®. To be innovative and find new solutions and "fix" problems for drug delivery with a clear focus on commercial applications. To understand specific customer needs and technical challenges to design controlled drug / therapeutic / vaccine delivery formulations addressing drug targeting, solubility, reduced drug toxicity, drug release profile, enhance bioavailability, molecule stabilisation and protection from degradation and optimise formulations to match preferred delivery routes. Over the last several years SiSaf has focused on delivery of nucleic acid using SiSaf Bio-Courier technology with programmes on local and systemic administration of inhibitory RNA molecules.
Veterinary Species Vaccine development Diagnostic test development Government and Commercial contract research
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Virologist / Immunologist QUB, Department of Veterinary Science, Intervet International (Akzo Nobel) funded research position to investigate the protein antigens of salmon pancreas disease virus (SPDV) to facilitate the development of recombinant DNA-based vaccines. I developed the first diagnostic antibody reagents for the virus and this helped support the development work to control salmon pancreas disease though vaccination.
Post-doctoral position (Viral Vaccine Immunologist) Department of Virology, St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London. Funded by British Biotechnology to investigate the protein antigens of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) to facilitate the development of a novel VZV vaccine using the yeast Ty virus-like particle cloning system.