Our Research

Research at the Faculty of Pharmacy is structured around five themes that closely reflect the Australian Government’s health priorities. These are: cancer, cardiovascular and diabetes, healthy ageing, mental health and respiratory disease.

Research conducted covers a broad spectrum of pharmaceutical and clinical sciences, including: the design, synthesis, testing and mechanism of action of drugs, studies on advanced drug delivery, investigation of the fate of drugs in humans including pharmacogenomics and other aspects of drug disposition, and research on the clinical and sociological aspects of pharmacy and health services research.

More information on research teams and individual academics can be found under our researcher profiles on each page.

Research Themes

Cancer

Cancer is a common major health issue in Australia today. At current rates, the Cancer Council of Australia expects that by the age of 85 one in two men, and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer. Research projects range from personalised anti-cancer therapy to drug resistance to the use of herbal medicines to design new therapies.
Theme Leader: Dr Nial Wheate

Cardiovascular and Diabetes

Australians are getting older, heavier and less active, putting themselves at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. CVD is the number one cause of death in Australia, according to the Heart Foundation, and diabetes is the country’s fastest growing chronic disease and the sixth leading cause of death in Australia. Faculty research covers a range of cardiovascular diseases and problems from atherosclerosis and thromboembolism, to cardiac infarction and stroke.
Theme Leader: Dr Thomas Grewal

Mental Health

Mental illness is a national priority area with one in five adults in Australia having an episode of mental illness in any one-year period. Drugs are a major modality of treatment and so pharmacists have the potential to play a significant role in delivering treatment and services to mental health patients.
Theme Leader: Professor Mary Collins

Respiratory Diseases

With over 2 million people with asthma, Australia has one of the largest populations of asthma sufferers in the world. Research into respiratory diseases in the faculty has yielded crucial findings for improving asthma treatment alongside other respiratory conditions such a cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Theme Leader: Associate Professor Alaina Ammit

Health Services and Patient Safety

Theme Leader: Professor Andrew McLachlan