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Associate Professor Paul Young

Associate Professor, Pharmaceutics
ARC Future Fellow

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) W.England PhD Bath
MRACI CChem

Contact Details

University of Sydney
Phone: +61 2 9036 7035
Fax: +61 2 9351 4391
Email:
Room 501
Badham Building A16
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

Research Theme

Respiratory Disease

Research Interests

Associate Professor Young is an ARC Future Fellow and his research portfolio covers all areas of respiratory research from bench to bedside.

Areas of research include drug discovery, particle engineering, device design, physico-chemical characterisation and the fate of drugs after delivery. Brief examples of some A/Prof Young’s ongoing research programs are outlined below.

The control of molecular structure and long-range order, will affect the physico-chemical properties of a micro-particulate system and the bioavailability of drug after deposition in the lung. Using computational approaches, we are able to simulate the 3-dimensional structure of pharmaceutical systems and predict the physical and chemical properties with respect to aerosol drug delivery. For example, recent research has shown molecular dynamic simulation can be used to predict amorphous particulate systems and their physico-chemical properties. Similar systems can be engineered using specific excipient molecules so that the inhalable micro-particles have enhanced properties (such as aerosol performance or drug dissolution).

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Drug particles intended for delivery to the lung are inherently small (invisible to the naked eye) and are extremely difficult to aerosolise. Subsequently, we have developed an advanced approach to the design of new and efficient inhaler devices. Devices can be designed in silico using computer-aided design (CAD) and the flow properties through these designs tested using computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

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Using rapid 3-Dimensional prototyping these optimized models can be ‘printed’ overnight and the fully working devices tested in a laboratory setting the following day. This approach allows a fundamental insight into de-agglomeration mechanisms and results in a rapid design and implementation process for modern inhalers.
Particles emitted from the inhaler will be affected by many factors (such as morphology, surface chemistry, aerodynamic diameter, hydroscopisity and charge). Subsequently, we have developed tools and infrastructure to study these. In addition to conventional cascade impaction and in-line particle sizing, tools such as colloid probe microscopy, AFM, IGC, TAM etc. are routinely used. For example, the electrical next generation impactor (eNGI), developed by A/Prof Young’s group, allows simultaneous measurement of aerosol charge and drug deposition, using a pharmacopeia based in vitro lung model.

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Finally, after efficient and targeted lung delivery, the fate of particles after they land at the lung surface will directly affect therapeutic effect. Our group have developed and validated a series of models to study these phenomena (including bronchial epithelial, alveoli and macrophage cell lines). These are being used to test toxicity, drug dissolution, diffusion and active uptake mechanisms of standard inhalation drugs as well as the advanced particulate systems engineered by our team.

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Current Higher degree research students

  • John Chan (PhD) – Macrophage targeted inhalation drug delivery for the treatment of tuberculosis. (Supervisory team: D Traini, P Young)
  • Yang Chen (PhD) – Electrostatic phenomena and CFD modeling in pressurized metered dose inhalers. (Supervisory team: D Traini, P Young, H-K Chan, D Fletcher)
  • Sharon Davis (PhD) – Identifying inhaler misuse within at risk populations. (Supervisory team: S Bosnic-Anticevich, D Traini, P Young)
  • Mehra Haghi (PhD) – Respiratory cell models to evaluate asthma drug effectiveness after deposition in the lung. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, M Bebawy)
  • Hui Xin Ong (YY) (PhD) – Cell based respiratory infection models. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, M Bebawy)
  • Jesslynn Ooi (PhD) – Surface modification of inhaled micro-particulates to enhance drug delivery. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini)
  • Judy Yee (PhD) – Engineering nanostructured intubation tubes to reduce VAP associated deaths in intensive care settings. (Supervisory team: R Rohanizadeh, P Young)
  • Eric Zhou (PhD) – Fundamental investigations aerosol generation from solution based pressurized metered dose inhalers. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, M Bebawy)
  • Kanika Jetmalani (MPhil) – Combination drug delivery systems and complex multi-particle interactions. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, P Stewart)
  • Sherry Mamlouk (MPhil) – Antibiotic interactions at the lung epithelia. (Supervisory team: D Traini, P Young, M Bebawy)
  • Mariam Seif (MPhil) - Cell level transport phenomena and implications on asthma therapy. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, M Bebawy)

Past Higher degree research students

  • William Wong (PhD 2011) – An exploration of the fundamental mechanisms underpinning the aerosolisation of agglomerated systems in dry powder inhalers. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, H-K Chan, D Fletcher)
  • Susan Hoe (PhD 2010) – Electrostatic characteristics in pharmaceutical aerosols. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, H-K Chan)
  • Rania Salama (PhD 2009) – Controlled release dry powder inhalation therapy. (Supervisory team: P Young D Traini, H-K Chan)
  • Shyamal Das (PhD 2008) – understanding the changes in dispersion of salmeterol xinafoate-lactose mixtures during storage at different humidities. (Supervisory team: P Stewart, I Larson, P Young)

Research Grant Support 2010-2011

  • ARC Future Fellowship (2011-2015)
    PM Young. An attack from all angles! Multiphase particle systems that target respiratory infection (ARC FT110100996) $802,976
  • ARC Discovery Project (2012-2014)
    PM Young; D Traini; P Stewart; DR Honnery. Multi-drug dry powder inhalation systems for the effective treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ARC DP120103510) $355,000
  • ARC Discovery Project (2012-2014)
    D Traini; PM Young. Treating tuberculosis: targeted delivery of multidrug nano-suspensions (DP120100251) $325,000
  • ARC Linkage Project (2010-2013)
    D Traini; PM Young; HK Chan. Engineering pressurized liquid droplets to generate high-efficiency aerosols for targeted respiratory delivery (ARC LP100200156) $464,400 (incl. Partner contribution)
  • ARC Linkage Project (2010-2013)
    D Traini; PM Young; HK Chan. Engineering of composite particles to enhance performance in respiratory drug delivery (ARC LP100100451) $494,700 (incl. Partner contribution)
  • ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities (LIEF) Grant (2011)
    Z Liu; S Perrier; Y Mai; PM Young; S Bandyopadhyay; FC Braet; RP Burford; GD Housley; MV Apte; P Thordarson. Accessing the third dimension in scanning electron microscopy for rapid, high resolution tomography of large samples (ARC-LIEF-LE110100203) $250,000
  • ARC LIEF Grant (2010)
    2010 FC Braet; L Soon; RL Overall; DA Day; PM Waterhouse; J Marc; AD Conigrave; AS Weiss; TP Newsome, SR Meikle, J Götz; CS Goldsbury; TW Hambley; IM Ramzan; PM Young; D Traini; T Grewal; SC Fleming; CR Murphy; GE Grau; W Weninger; CG Dos Remedios; S Wimmer-Kleikamp; PR Munroe; MA Stevens-Kalceff; LJ Foster; H Mitchell. A 5-D Correlative Imaging Platform: Combining the strengths of light and electron microscopy (ARC-LIEF- LE100100010) $720,000
  • Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (2010-2013)
    P DeSouza; W Liauw; K Scott; PM Young; G Graham; P Russell. A Translational and Pharmacokinetic study of a Novel, Orally-active, Targeted Treatment for Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer. (PCFA-PG3009) $450,000
  • Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundations (2010)
    Chan, H-K; Ramzan, I; Young, P.M; Traini, D; Rohanizadeh, R; Chrzanowski, W; Bebawy, M; Collins, M; Hughes, M; Murray, M. Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) offers high-resolution topographic imaging and local current mapping of substrates bathed in electrolyte solution at zero force. (3030/2010) $75,000
  • University of Sydney NH&MRC equipment grant (2010)
    D Traini;, PM Young; HK Chan; R Rohanizadeh; M Bilek; T Langrish; V Gomes. Surface Energy Analyser (SEA) (NHMRC $75,000

Publications List

2011
  • Hoe, S., Young, P.M., Traini, D. (2011) Aerosol tribocharging and its relation to the deposition of Oxis Turbuhaler® in the electrical Next Generation Impactor. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 100, 5270-5280
  • Hoe, S., Young, P.M., Traini, D. (2011) Dynamic electrostatic charge of lactose-salbutamol sulphate powder blends dispersed from a Cyclohaler®. Drug Delivery and Industrial Pharmacy. Vol. 7, 1365–1375.
  • Wong, W., Fletcher, D., Traini, D., Chan, H-K., Crapper, J., Young, P.M. (2011) Particle aerosolisation and break-up in dry powder inhalers: Evaluation and modelling of the influence of grid structures for agglomerated systems. Journal of Pharmaceutical Science Vol. 100, 4710-4721.
  • Lee Y-Y., Wu J-X.,Yang M., Young, P.M., Berg F., Rantanen J. (2011) Particle size dependence of polymorphism in spray-dried mannitol. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 44, 41-48
  • Marin, L., Colombo, P., Bebawy, M., Young P.M., Traini D. (2011) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: pathophysiology, current methods of treatment and the potential for simvastatin in disease management. Expert opinion on Drug Delivery. Vol. 8, 1205-1220
  • Ong, H.X., Traini, D., Bebawy, M., Young, P.M. (2011) Epithelial Profiling of Antibiotic Controlled Release Respiratory Formulations. Pharmaceutical Research. Vol 28:2327–2338
  • Young, P.M., Wood, O., Ooi, J., Traini, D. (2011) The influence of drug loading on formulation structure and aerosol performance in carrier based dry powder inhalers. International Journal of Pharmaceutics Vol. 416, 129-135
  • Salama, R., Young, P.M. Rogueda, R., Laleement, A., Lliev, L., Traini, D. (2011) Advances in drug delivery: is triple therapy the future for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy Vol. 12, 1913-1932
  • Rogueda, P., Price, R., Smith, T., Young, P.M., Traini, D. (2011) Particle synergy and aerosol performance in non-aqueous liquid of two combinations metered dose inhalation formulations: An AFM and Raman investigation. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. Vol 361, 649-655
  • Ooi, J., Traini, D., Wong, W., Hoe, S., Young, P.M. (2011) Does carrier size matter? A fundamental study of drug aerosolisation from carrier based dry powder inhalation systems. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. Vol 413. 1-9
  • Abdel-Halim, H., Traini, D., Hibbs, D., Gaisford, S., Young, P.M. (2011) Modelling of molecular phase transitions in pharmaceutical inhalation compounds: an in silico approach. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. Vol 78. 83-89.
  • Wong, W., Fletcher, D., Traini, D., Chan, H-K., Crapper, J., Young, P.M. (2011) Particle aerosolisation and break up in dry powder inhalers 2: Evaluation and modelling of impaction effects in agglomerated systems. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Vol 100. 2744-2754.
  • Chan, J., Kwok, P., Young, P.M., Chan, H-K., Traini, D. (2011) Mannitol delivered by vibrating mesh nebulisation for enhancing mucociliary clearance. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Vol 100. 2693-2702.
  • Hoe, S., Young P.M., Traini, D. (2011) A review of electrostatic measuring techniques for evaluating aerosol drug delivery to the lung. Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology. Vol 25. 385-405
2010
  • Strusi, O., Barata, P., Traini, D., Young P.M., Mercuri, S., Colombo, G., Bettini, R., Sonvico F., Colombo, P. (2010) Artesunate-clindamycin multi-kinetics and site-specific oral delivery system for antimalaric combination products. Journal of Controlled Release Vol 146. 54-60
  • Wong, W., Fletcher, D., Traini, D., Chan, H-K., Crapper, J., Young, P.M. (2010) Particle aerosolisation and break up in dry powder inhalers 1: Evaluation and modelling of venturi effects in agglomerated systems. Pharmaceutical Research. Vol 27. 1367-1376
  • Adi, H., Young, P.M., Agus, H., Chan, H-K., Traini, D. (2010) Co-spray dried Mannitol-Ciprofloxacin dry powder inhaler for cystic fibrosis. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Vol 40. 239-247
  • Haghi, M., Young, P.M., Traini, D., Jaswail, R., Gong, J., Bebawy, M. (2010) Time Dependent Characteristics Calu-3 Respiratory Epithelial Cell Model. Drug Delivery and Industrial Pharmacy. Vol 36. 1207-1214
  • Hoe, S., Traini, D., Chan, H-K., Young, P.M. (2010) The contribution of different formulation components on the aerosol charge in carrier based dry powder inhaler systems. Pharmaceutical Research. Vol 27. 1325-1336
  • Adi, H., Young, P.M., Chan, H-K., Salama, R., Traini, D. (2010) Controlled release antibiotics for dry powder lung delivery. Drug Delivery and Industrial Pharmacy. Vol 36. 119-126
  • Wong, W., Crapper, J., Chan, H-K., Traini, D., Young, P.M. (2010) Pharmacopeia methodologies for determining aerodynamic mass distributions of ultra-high dose inhaler medicines. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis Vol 51. 853-857
  • Das, S., Larson, I., Young, P.M., Stewart, P.J. (2010) Understanding lactose behaviour during storage by monitoring surface energy change using Inverse Gas Chromatography. Dairy Science and Technology. Vol 90. 217-285
  • Adi, H., Kwok, P., Crapper, J., Young, P.M. Traini, D., Chan, H-K. (2010) Does electrostatic charge affect powder aerosolisation? Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol 99. 2455-2461