At the Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), our research students are at the heart of groundbreaking discoveries that shape the future of pharmaceutical science. Each PhD candidate brings unique expertise, curiosity, and passion to our vibrant research community, contributing to advancements in drug development, delivery systems, and patient outcomes.
Our students work alongside world-class researchers, accessing state-of-the-art facilities and resources that support innovative projects addressing global health challenges. From enhancing drug efficacy to pioneering novel treatments, their research impacts not just academia but also industry and healthcare practice.
Explore the profiles of our current research students to learn about their diverse projects, academic journeys, and aspirations to make meaningful contributions to the pharmaceutical field.
Alaa Bazeed
Alaa is a PhD student within the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group, having previously completed a Master of Research in Pharmaceutical Science. Prior to joining CPI, Alaa was a teaching assistant for five years, instructing and supervising undergraduate students. Alaa’s PhD project focuses on utilising 3D printing in developing localised drug delivery systems for pancreatic cancer. Her research aims to address the limitations of systemic chemotherapy.
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Alexander Hunter
Alexander Hunter is a master’s student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Bachelor of Medical Science. Alexander’s master’s project focuses on developing and optimising multifunctional hybrid materials that effectively modulate the gut microbiome.
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Ali Taheri
Ali Taheri is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree. Currently, Ali’s PhD project focuses on advancing novel prodrugs and associated drug delivery systems that facilitate lymphatic transport of orally dosed drugs.
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Amer Moh'd Mah'd Abdelhafez
Amer is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group. Amer obtained his master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences (MSc) from the University of Jordan in 2017. During his studies, he gained research experience working with spray drying technology to prepare controlled release microparticles. Amer’s PhD project with CPI is focused on exploring the impact of novel fish oil formulation design on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs).
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Amin Ariaee
Amin Ariaee is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Biomedical Research (Honours). Amin’s PhD project focuses on developing multifunctional gut-actives that overcome the inter-individual variability of current pharmaceutical approaches against inflammatory bowel disease.
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Anam Ahsan
Anam Ahsan is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Master of Philosophy (Pharmacology) and PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy). Currently, Anam’s PhD project focuses on developing liquid crystal lipid nanoparticles (LCNPs) as a novel drug delivery system to combat Gram-negative bacterial biofilm infections.
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Ashlyn Austin
Ashlyn is a PhD candidate within the Applied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials (ACTB) group, after previously completing a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science and a Bachelor of Biomedical Research (Honours). Ashlyn’s research focuses on developing conditioned taste aversion baits as an innovative fox management strategy to protect native animals and livestock. Ashlyn utilises gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry and emulsion-based formulation chemistry in her work.
Contact
ashlyn.austin@mymail.unisa.edu.au
twitter.com/ashlynaustin_
www.linkedin.com/in/ashlynaustin/
ORCID: 0000-0002-2249-9952
Baljinder Singh
Baljinder Singh is a PhD student within the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group. He holds a Master of Pharmacy (Pharmaceutics) and a Bachelor of Pharmacy. Baljinder's PhD research focuses on developing novel long-acting drug delivery systems to improve the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Contact
Baljinder.singh@mymail.unisa.edu.au
ORCID: 0000-0002-6878-5196
Deepa Nakmode
Deepa Nakmode is a PhD student within the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group, having previously completed a Master of Science in Pharmaceutics and a Bachelor of Pharmacy. Deepa’s PhD project focuses on the development of long-acting injectables using various technologies for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
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Dorsa Maher
Dorsa Maher is a PhD student within Clinical and Health Sciences. She previously completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) at the University of South Australia in 2016. Dorsa’s PhD project focuses on optimising medication use in gout by individualising therapy. Specifically, her research aims to predict treatment-related gout flares.
Contact
dorsa.maher@mymail.unisa.edu.au
ORCID: 0000-0002-8758-3602
Fantahun Kassa
Fantahun is a PhD student within the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group. His academic journey began with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s degree in pharmaceutics. He later obtained a second master’s degree in human nutrition. Fantahun’s PhD research focuses on developing implants for targeted drug delivery in brain cancer. He has previously served as a lecturer in pharmaceutics at both Addis Ababa University and Mekelle University in Ethiopia, where he taught and supervised pharmacy students.
Fatima Abid
Fatima Abid is a PhD candidate in Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group. She is a pharmacist and holds a Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration (MPH/MBA). Fatima’s PhD project focuses on drug discovery and development of novel topical formulations against resistant skin infections, including wound healing and acne.
Contact
Fatima.abid@unisa.edu.au
twitter.com/FatimaAbid91
www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-bd/
ORCID: 0000-0001-8224-1569
Haripriya Koppisetti
Haripriya Koppisetti is a PhD student within the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group. She previously completed her Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Pharmaceuticals and worked with industry in the Research and Development of injectable formulations for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Haripriya’s PhD project focuses on developing long-acting injectables using biodegradable materials for mental disorders to overcome the limitations of current therapies.
Contact
Haripriya.koppisetti@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/haripriya-koppisetti-979204110/
ORCID: 0000-0001-8677-707X
Isabel Lean
Isabel is pursuing a PhD in Gut-Axis, Ageing and Therapeutics group at CPI. Isabel earned a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science at UniSA and a master’s in biopharmaceutical engineering at the University of Adelaide. Currently, her PhD project is focused on developing a 3D cell model that allows for a better representation of the Gut-Brain axis within Alzheimer’s patients.
Isabella Révész
Isabella Révész is a PhD student in the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Bachelor of Medical Science and a Bachelor of Biomedical Research (Honours). Isabella’s current research is focused on the development of novel lipid-based nanocarriers for effective cancer immunotherapies.
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Jasmine Nehema
Jasmine Nehema is a PhD student within the Bioinorganic Synthesis and Imaging group, having previously completed a Bachelor in Industrial Chemistry overseas and Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Newcastle (UoN). Jasmine’s PhD research is on developing luminescent lanthanide fibre optic sensors for reactive species. Her research will contribute towards the invention of a non-invasive cancer diagnostic tool.
Contact
Jasmine.nehema@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/jasmine-nehema-227331a2/
ORCID: 0000-0001-5124-2980
Lauren Fraser
Lauren Fraser is a pharmacist and PhD student within the Pharmacotherapeutics group at CPI. Her research focuses on adherence and deprescribing medications within rheumatoid arthritis. She also has experience as a clinical trial pharmacist supporting patients deprescribing glucocorticoids within the rheumatology unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Contact
lauren.fraser@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/lauren-fraser-945000191/
ORCID: 0000-0002-4527-9872
Manisha Hota
Manisha is a PhD student in Applied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials group at CPI. Manisha has a Master of Science degree majoring in organic chemistry from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in India and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Manisha’s PhD project focuses on advancing pentafulvene ligation chemistry for future bioconjugates as therapeutics.
Contact
Manisha.hota@mymail.unisa.edu.au
ORCID: 0000-0002-2131-5568
Mitra Hosseini Kharat
Mitra is a PhD Student in Pharmaceutical Sciences within CPI’s Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group. Her research is focused on lipid nanoparticle (LNP) design for gene delivery and improved response to nucleic acid vaccines. Moreover, she is broadly experienced in the synthesis and characterisation of metal-based complexes, some of which have proven to be active anti-cancer agents. She has prepared expert reports on her projects and published them in internationally-respected specialist journals. She received a Global Talent Visa for Australia in 2021.
Contact
mitra.hosseini_kharat@mymail.unisa.edu.au
ORCID: 0000-0001-5099-2712
Muhammad Anjum
Muhammad Awais Anjum is pursuing a PhD in CPI’s Gut-Brain Axis, Ageing and Therapeutics group. Muhammad has earned a Master’s of Philosophy in Pharmacology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Now, his doctoral research centres around identifying the key mechanisms by which gut bacteria contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease heterogeneity, with implications for developing therapeutic targets.
Contact
Muhammad.anjum@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/muhammad-awais-anjum-67054a202/
ORCID: 0009-0009-4542-4409
Nikita Parekh
Nikita is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Molecular Genetics and a Master of Science in Pharmacology. Nikita’s PhD focuses on developing Lipid Nanoparticles encapsulating multitargeted siRNAs to target and reverse chemoresistance.
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Riya Khetan
Riya Khetan is a PhD student within the Cancer Cell Targeting group at CPI. Riya has previously completed a Master of Biotechnology and Master of Research (Molecular biology and biochemistry). Riya's PhD project aims to develop ligand-furnished nanoparticles that will target overexpressed G-protein coupled receptors in ovarian cancer cells, while accelerating the cellular uptake and minimising the off-target drug effects.
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Ruba Almasri
Ruba Almasri completed her Master of research in 2021 at UniSA under the supervision of Professor Clive Prestidge. Her research focused on enhancing the oral absorption of poorly water-soluble drug molecules through novel formulation strategies using lipids and nanostructured silica carrier materials. Currently, Ruba is an external PhD student within CPI’s Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group and a visiting researcher at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Her research centres on the development of specialised delivery systems for nucleic acid therapeutics, with a particular emphasis on targeting bone tissue.
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Samuel Nitschke
Samuel Nitschke is a PhD student within the Bioinorganic Synthesis and Imaging group, having previously completed a Bachelor of Medical Science and a Bachelor of Biomedical Research (Honours). Samuel’s PhD project focuses on using synthetic organic chemistry as a tool to develop novel antimicrobial compounds to help treat infectious diseases.
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Simone Babij
Simone K Babij is a PhD candidate within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Bachelor of Medical Science and a Master of Philosophy. Simone’s PhD project focuses on improving the efficacy of lung cancer therapies by using targeted nanomedicine.
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Songhita Mukhopadhyay
Songhita Mukhopadhyay, a PhD student in the Pharmaceutical Innovation and Development group at CPI, has a strong pharmaceutical foundation, holding a Bachelor of Pharmacy, a Master of Pharmacy (Pharmaceutics) and three years of Industrial experience in Formulation R&D. Her PhD research focuses on advancing both small-molecule and large-molecule product development. For small molecules, she emphasises solubility and bioavailability enhancement of novel chemical entities (NCEs). Additionally, she investigates innovative oral and intranasal delivery systems for next-generation antibacterial formulations, using advanced pharmaceutical technologies to address the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Contact
songhita.mukhopadhyay@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/songhita-mukhopadhyay/
Srinivas Kamath
Srinivas is a PhD student within CPI’s Translational Nanomedicine & Biotherapeutics group, specialising in pharmacomicrobiomics and neuropsychopharmacology. His research focuses on the interplay between psychotropic medications and the gut microbiome. With his Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), Srinivas aims to develop novel, personalised microbiome-targeting approaches to enhance mental health care outcomes by integrating microbiology, neuroscience, and pharmacology.
Contact
srinivas.kamath@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/sri-kamath/
ORCID: 0000-0002-7502-1581
Thabata Muta
Thabata Muta is a PhD student whose research project is centred on enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of lipophilic drugs, particularly Cannabidiol (CBD). She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy and Biochemistry and is a recipient of the prestigious Industry Doctoral Training Centre (IDTC) scholarship, awarded by the South Australian government in partnership with MedTEC Pharma.
Contact
thabata.muta@mymail.unisa.edu.au
twitter.com/ThabataMuta
linkedin.com/in/thabata-muta/
ORCID: 0000-0002-7440-4310
Thi My Hanh Tran
Thi My Hanh Tran is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science with a specialisation in Medicinal Chemistry. Thi My Hanh’s PhD research focuses on developing a SN38 antibody prodrug conjugate strategy, which involves the synthesis of novel lipophilic prodrugs of SN38 and their conjugation to an antibody. This approach aims to enhance the safety and efficacy of Sn38 in cancer treatment.
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Weranga Rajapaksha Gedara
Weranga Rajapaksha is a PhD student within CPI’s Cancer Cell Targeting group. With a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) and a Master of Philosophy in Nano and Advanced Technology from Sri Lanka, Weranga brings extensive expertise in pharmaceutical sciences and nanomedicine. His current research focuses on a novel dual-targeting strategy for ovarian cancer cells using engineered nanoparticles, using G protein-coupled receptors as a molecular target. This work aims to enhance targeted drug delivery systems, aiming for improved efficacy and reduced side effects, potentially overcoming challenges in treating current cancer treatments.
Yukta Hegishte
Yukta Hegishte is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group at CPI, having previously completed a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science and a Bachelor of Biomedical Research (Honours). Yukta’s PhD project focuses on developing advanced lipid-based nanostructured systems to improve the oral delivery – and enhance the performance – of anticancer drugs for the treatment of leukemia.
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Zarnab Asif
Zarnab Asif is a PhD student within the Nanostructure and Drug Delivery group, having previously completed a Bachelor with Honours and a Master of Food Technology. Zarnab’s PhD project focuses on understanding the biological performance of plant derived fats and proteins towards improved meat analogues.
Contact
zarnab.asif@mymail.unisa.edu.au
linkedin.com/in/zarnab-asif-02a89619a
ORCID: 0000-0003-2421-7151
