The necessity for new vaccines is urgent and evident. Despite humanity’s success in eradicating smallpox, two other infectious diseases — malaria and TB, remains tow of the world’s primary killers. The combination of either with HIV is lethal. Infectious agents are also implicated as causes of cancer.

There is good news, though says Professor Yvonne Perrie of Aston University. Several laboratories around the world are working on new vaccines and their delivery. Indeed her own research is focused on the advancements and strategic development of drug delivery systems to facilitate effective delivery and targeting of drugs and of vaccines.

Yvonne Perrie is Professor in Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, as well as being Head of Pharmacy at Aston University. She is also co-author (with Thomas Rades) of FASTtrack: Pharmaceutics – Drug Delivery and Targeting.

The specific fields of her research are the formulation engineering of vaccines (including conventional and DNA vaccines); enhancing solubility and delivery of bioactive molecules using colloid science and technology; the delivery of drugs, vaccines and gene therapies using liposomes, niosomes and other novel particulate systems; the design, physicochemical characterisation and development of non-viral systems for gene delivery; tissue engineering and regenerative medicine as well as enhancing learning methods in Pharmacy Education.