We welcome Emilia Jakubowska

Emilia Jakubowska is a pharmacist by training and since 2016 has worked in research & teaching at the Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland.  Her main research interests revolve around particle engineering, crystallisation and technologies for dissolution enhancement (PhD thesis on development and characterisation of cilostazol nanocrystals, 2023). She has led a project funded by National Science Centre Poland and co-managed a H2020-MSCA-RISE project 'ORBIS'  (778051). Emilia has experience in cooperation with pharmaceutical industry gained during collaborative projects and internships, such as APC Ltd. (Dublin).

At UCT, Emilia is doing a postdoctoral fellowship under Maria Sklodowska-Curie Actions (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01) on ManCoProc project (101152117) - 'Advanced manufacturing of drug substances by co-processing with excipients through heteronucleation in a milifluidic device'. ManCoProc is supervised by prof. Ing. Frantisek Stepanek and involves collaboration with Zentiva, where Emilia will complete the final part of the research.  The overarching goal of this work is to develop a method for co-processing active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with excipient particles in order to improve their flow and mechanical properties. The project will contribute to improving drug manufacturability in the context of the ongoing switch in pharma industry to continuous manufacturing approach.