As the lead for Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Research and Enterprise Group and as a board member of Centre of Research Excellence for Precision Health and Translational Medicine, my research interests are focused on the development of novel technologies and solutions to emerging global health priorities.

My research is organised into two main areas (1) development of novel drug delivery technologies for safely delivering therapeutic quantities of drug substances in vivo and (2) investigating the therapeutic benefits based on structure activity relationship of naturally occurring antioxidants in particular their role in reversing senescence.

I started the Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Research and Enterprise Group at University of Brighton to develop a niche research area that focuses on and highlights the advances in modern technologies for developing more effective and safer medications. A major component of this group is to establish research collaborations with industrial partners. Using my industrial experience I was able to establish research links with UK and international pharmaceutical companies. Success stories in this research group, led by me, include commercialisation of a natural product for supply in south-east Asia, which was as a result of British Council Newton International Links grant (technology transfer) and a product development in collaboration with a contact lens manufacturer.

 My current research projects are:

• Encapsulation of therapeutically active molecules in polylactic acid nanoparticles for pulmonary drug delivery
• pH sensitive release of therapeutically active molecules from biodegradable microparticles for oral drug delivery
• Development of water soluble complexes with therapeutically active molecules for oral drug delivery
• Targeted drug delivery to the kidney for the treatment of acute kidney injury
• Role of oxidative and nitrative stress in health and disease and the efficacy of antioxidants in such conditions

Drug delivery research group works in the development of new technologies to provide solutions to emerging global health priorities. In broad terms my research includes investigation and development of novel technologies for targeted drug delivery via various routes of drug administration. 

PhD Students at University of Brighton

1. Dr Zhenqi Liu (awarded April 2023) - Design and development of novel oral formulations for the improved bioavailability of curcumin
2. Dr Kauther Layas (awarded February 2022) - Design and development of novel nano-formulations containing antioxidants for the treatment of acute kidney injury
3. Dr Kais Shaban (awarded April 2018) - Investigation into the chemical stability of levothyroxine and the design, development and characterisation of a fast-dissolving low dose levothyroxine film for the oral administration
4. Dr Gennaro Dichello (awarded January 2018) - Controlling self-assembling nanomaterials (SANs) within a biological environment
5. Dr Benjamin Elisha-Lambert (awarded October 2017) - Investigation into the role of dietary antioxidants against oxidant-induced kidney injury and dysfunction
6. Dr Mira Buhecha (awarded June 2016) - Design and development of novel PLA nanoparticles for the co-encapsulation of theophylline and budesonide for the treatment of asthma and COPD

Dr Ananth Pannala FRSC is the Subject Lead for Pharmacy and the head of Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Research and Enterprise Group. Dr Pannala is a pharmacy graduate with extensive professional career more than 25 years starting with a PhD (1993-1997) at Department of Pharmacy, King’s College London, followed by a post-doctoral research fellowship at King’s College London (Guy’s Campus), a career in a contract research organisation as the Head of Formulation & Pharmaceutical Analysis (pharmaceutical industry) and subsequently as Principal Lecturer Pharmaceutics and currently the Pharmacy Subject Lead (Head of Pharmacy) at University of Brighton. Dr Pannala was awarded the Fellowship of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) in 2017 and a Senior Fellow of the Academy of Higher Education (SFHEA) in 2019.

Dr Pannala’s research focuses on the development of novel drug delivery technologies as well as understanding the therapeutic qualities of naturally occurring substances, mainly antioxidants. He has developed research collaborative networks both nationally and internationally. Dr Pannala has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals with his work being cited more than 32,000 times, as on 14 December 2023.

I predominantly teach drug delivery and drug product development on the MPharm and OSPAP courses. My approach to teaching is based on “how would I like to learn the material?”. To this effect I use different teaching and learning approaches including blended learning, flipped learning, pedagogic and andragogic approach for module development, teaching, learning and assessment. My main teaching practice, however, is a blend of Didactic, Socratic and Heuristic models enabling the students not only to learn but also to question and develop the concepts of the subject material, encouraging students to think about the theory and come up with practical solutions.