Research:

Myself, along with Dr. Tapani Viitala, share leadership of the Pharmaceutical Biophysics group. Our research combines my computational research methodologies with the experimental research methodologies of Dr. Tapani Viitala, to the development of a mechanistic understanding of the interactions between the three fundamental elements of bionanovectors: lipid membranes, proteins and polymers. We study their behaviour in the bloodstream and, on a more general level, the design principles of safe and efficient drug delivery systems and their interaction with biological membranes and cells. The group is founded on the combined expertise of the two principle investigators with established track records in this field: the experimental research of Dr. Tapani Viitala and the computational research of Dr. Alex Bunker. The combination provides a synergistic framework that, as collaboration, has already provided new insights from new combined experimental-computational methodologies for the analysis of these systems.

Teaching:

I currently teach two courses “advanced mathematical tools for pharmaceutical research” Course #590337 and “Fundamentals of Molecular Modelling and drug design” Course #590287, both at the faculty of pharmacy. Course #590337 is an refresher course in the applied mathematical tools needed for pharmacy research in areas including physical pharmacy, pharmacokinetics and molecular modelling. Course #590287 is an introductory course in molecular modelling taught from the ground up to give the students who have no initial background a basic understanding of the growing use of molecular modelling techniques in pharmaceutical research. 

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