Organisation/Company Swansea University Department Central Research Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 9 Jun 2025 - 11:59 (Europe/London) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
The community prevalence of dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) is between2% to 20% around the world, particularly in the geriatric and paediatric populations. Subsequently, patients do not take their medications as prescribed, resulting in high incidences of non-compliance and suboptimal therapy.
One strategy to address this problem involves the formulation of orally disintegrating tablets which dissolve in the mouth, providing a more patient-friendly alternative. Orally disintegrating tablets have the advantages of both solid dosage forms, such as accurate dosing and easy handling by patients, and liquid formulations, such as easy administration and minimal risk of choking. One significant limitation, however, is that many active pharmaceutical ingredients are highly unpalatable and, after a tablet dissolves, the active ingredient remains in the mouth providing an unpleasant taste, even with sweeteners.
This project aims to adsorb a chosen drug into the pores of a carrier molecule, such as a zeolite, which is subsequently formulated into the final orally disintegrating tablet. The zeolite acts as a taste-masking agents which “locks” the drug away from the taste buds whilst maintaining medicinally useful drug release rates once swallowed. The project will then investigate drug release from the stable zeolite-drug complexes, subsequently from their formulation into tablets, which contain numerous excipients in the tablet matrix.
Scholarship open to UK fee eligible applicants only
If you have any questions regarding your academic or fee eligibility based on the above, please emailpgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.
Additional Information
This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees.
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