Dr Ali Athab Al-Kinani

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Ali Athab Al-Kinani
About
Teaching and learning
Research
Business, knowledge transfer and international
Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact
Leadership and management
Image gallery
Videos of my work

About

I have completed my BPharm at Baghdad College of Pharmacy in 2006. I have worked as a pharmacist in both community and hospital settings in Iraq and Qatar. I  joined Kingston University to pursue my higher education where I obtained my MSc (with distinction) in Pharmaceutical Analysis followed by my PhD in Therapeutics and Drug Delivery.   

Being an active researcher with national and international reputation, I lead a research group of four PhD students and regularly hosting research visitors in my lab. 

The high standard of my research has been acknowledged nationally and internationally upon being the recipient of various awards. I am an awardee of Research Award in Analysis and Pharmaceutical Quality (APQ) from the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, AAPS (USA 2015). I was the winner of the Global Achiever award, KU Talent from Kingston University (UK, 2015) and I was a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) first award winner for the best poster (UK, 2011).

I was appointed as a lecturer in Clinical Pharmaceutics at the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry in 2015 where I teach Masters of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences courses.

Academic responsibilities

Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmaceutics

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD in Therapeutics and drug delivery), Kingston University, London
  • Masters in Pharmaceutical Analysis (with distinction), Kingston University, London
  • Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm), Baghdad College of Pharmacy

Teaching and learning

I have substantial teaching experience in Higher Education that I gained through developing, leading, and teaching undergraduate and postgraduate modules. I am the module leader for two modules, one at postgraduate level and another at undergraduate level. In addition to the modules' leadership, I contribute to the teaching and assessment, and design learning and teaching material for several modules in the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry. These include Making Medicines (PY4030), Life Sciences and Medicine (PY4140), The Science of Medicine (PY5130), Biomedicines (CH4006), Technology to Care (PY7030) Research Methods and Project (PY7030), Design, Discovery and Development of Pharmaceuticals (CH7070) from Bench to Bedside (PY7940) and Application of Science to Patient Care (PY7960).

I was the course director for the Foundation Degree in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences in 2020-21 where I provided academic leadership to a team of 8 module leaders, and 16 teaching staff. Student voice is extremely important in my leadership style, and under my course directorship overall student satisfaction in the NSS jumped from 71.4% in 2020 to 82% in 2021.

I am very interested in providing students with an inclusive teaching and learning experience. My teaching is informed by research and practice. Therefore, I attended several teaching workshops including the leadership program "Teaching through Research" (Paris, France) in 2014 organised by the UNESCO Chair of Science which helped me to develop a research informed teaching approach. In my classrooms, I use different teaching styles including incorporating technology enhanced learning (TEL), Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL).

During the pandemic, my aptitude for technology has enabled me to become the Pharmacy Department lead for Online Examinations, Online Exams Quality Assurance (QA) and Proctoring. This role has involved transferring exams from traditional paper-based submissions to an online setting. I followed a research-informed approach to develop an innovative assessment strategy that not only met our accreditation needs, but also informed the pedagogic community in how to conduct invigilated online exams. I shared this knowledge in a talk at the 2021 Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference.

Academic Impact Awards

Nominated for the Personal Project/Dissertation Supervisor Award, 2019 (Kingston University)

Qualifications and expertise

  • Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2016.
  • Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), 2015.

Undergraduate courses taught

Postgraduate courses taught

Research

I am an active researcher in the department of Pharmacy whose work spans eye formulations, pharmaceutics, drug delivery, 3D printing for personalised eye medicines and biological evaluation of new drugs and drug delivery systems. My innovative research is developing new treatments for diseases using cutting edge technologies. Indeed, my main research focus is on ocular drug delivery, and I am a recognised leader in the field.

During my career I have led projects and built a significant body of work in ocular drug delivery and pharmaceutics. I have developed several pioneering, collaborative and multidisciplinary research projects aiming to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases. Currently, I am the Principal Investigator (PI) on FOUR research projects at Kingston University. These projects involve research into new eye medicines and formulations. The Intellectual property (IP) generated from two of these projects will be protected as these have identified potential new eye medicines.

In addition to my main supervisory role, I co-supervise another four students as either second or ‘other' supervisor.

I regularly publish high-quality research outputs under the theme of ocular drug delivery. Thus, I have authored or co-authored numerous peer reviewed articles in Q1 journals with high impact factors. Some of these outputs were returned to REF 2021.

In recognition of my expertise in field of ocular drug delivery, I was invited to give talks at international and national conferences where I presented my work, in some cases as a recipient of prestigious awards. These include the annual meeting of the Controlled Release Society, the annual meeting and exhibition of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and the SMI Annual Ophthalmic Drugs Conference.

I am actively applying for internal and external funding to expand my research. Recently I have managed to secure TWO external research grants from Qatar:

2020-The National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), NPRP13S-0126-200173, PI: Ali Al-Kinani, Qatar Foundation, total value $510K.  

2020- International Research Collaboration Co-Funding Program (IRCC), IRCC326, PI: Ali Al-Kinani, Qatar University, total value $175K.

In addition to my scholarly activities, I am an editorial board member for Pharmaceutical Development and Technology since 2021 (Taylor and Francis, IF 3.131). I act as the social media editor for the same journal and am also a member of the Topic Advisory Board for Pharmaceutics (MDPI, IF 6.321).

Areas of specialism

  • Ocular Drug Delivery
  • 3D Printing Technology
  • Biological Evaluation of New Drugs
  • Pharmaceutical Analysis
  • Biological Evaluation of Drug Delivery Systems

Scholarly affiliations

  • Pharmaceutical Scientist Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
  • Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
  • Member of the United Kingdom and Ireland Controlled Release Society
  • Member of the Controlled Release Society

Research student supervision

Main supervision

Other supervision

Publications

Jump to: Article | Book Section | Conference or Workshop Item | Thesis
Number of items: 30.

Article

Al-Qaysi, Zinah, Beadham, Ian, Schwikkard, Sianne, Bear, Joseph, Al-Kinani, Ali and Alany, Raid (2023) Sustained release ocular drug delivery systems for glaucoma therapy. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, ISSN (print) 1742-5247

Baheran, Sanaz Sadig, Alany, Raid G., Schwikkard, Sianne, Muen, Wisam, Salman, Lena Namaan, Freestone, Nicholas and Al-Kinani, Ali A. (2022) Pharmacological treatment strategies of pterygium : drugs, biologics, and novel natural products. Drug Discovery Today, p. 103416. ISSN (print) 1359-6446 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Osi, Barzan, Khoder, Mouhamad, Al-Kinani, Ali A. and Alany, Raid G. (2022) Pharmaceutical, biomedical and ophthalmic applications of biodegradable polymers (BDPs) : literature and patent review. Pharmaceutical Development and Technology, ISSN (print) 1083-7450 (Epub Ahead of Print)

Abdelkader, Hamdy, Fathalla, Zeinab, Seyfoddin, Ali, Farahani, Mojtaba, Thrimawithana, Thilini, Allahham, Ayman, Alani, Adam W.G., Al-Kinani, Ali A. and Alany, Raid G. (2021) Polymeric long-acting drug delivery systems (LADDS) for treatment of chronic diseases : inserts, patches, wafers, and implants. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 177, p. 113957. ISSN (print) 0169-409X

Smail, Shahla S., Ghareeb, Mowafaq M., Omer, Huner K., Al-Kinani, Ali A. and Alany, Raid G. (2021) Studies on surfactants, cosurfactants, and oils for prospective use in formulation of ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic nanoemulsions. Pharmaceutics, 13(4), e467. ISSN (print) 1999-4923

Terreni, Eleonora, Chetoni, Patrizia, Burgalassi, Susi, Tampucci, Silvia, Zucchetti, Erica, Chipala, Edwin, Alany, Raid G., Al-Kinani, Ali and Monti, Daniela (2021) A hybrid ocular delivery system of cyclosporine-A comprising nanomicelle-laden polymeric inserts with improved efficacy and tolerability. Biomaterials Science, 9(24), pp. 8235-8248. ISSN (print) 2047-4830

Terreni, Eleonora, Chetoni, Patrizia, Tampucci, Silvia, Burgalassi, Susi, Al-Kinani, Ali Athab, Alany, Raid G. and Monti, Daniela (2020) Assembling surfactants-mucoadhesive polymer nanomicelles (ASMP-Nano) for ocular delivery of Cyclosporine-A. Pharmaceutics, 12(3), p. 253. ISSN (online) 1999-4923

Churchward, Colin P., Al-Kinani, Ali A., Abdelkader, Hamdy, Swinden, Julian, Siwoku, Opeoluwa, Alany, Raid G. and Snyder, Lori (2020) Monocaprin eye drop formulation to combat antibiotic resistant gonococcal blindness. Scientific Reports, 10, p. 12010. ISSN (online) 2045-2322

Abedin Zadeh, Maria, Khoder, Mouhamad, Al-Kinani, Ali A., Younes, Husam M. and Alany, Raid G. (2019) Retinal cell regeneration using tissue engineered polymeric scaffolds. Drug Discovery Today, 24(8), pp. 1669-1678. ISSN (print) 1359-6446

Conboy, Darren, Mirallai, Styliana I., Craig, Austin, McArdle, Patrick, Al-Kinani, Ali A., Barton, Stephen and Aldabbagh, Fawaz (2019) Incorporating morpholine and oxetane into benzimidazolequinone anti-tumor agents : the discovery of 1,4,6,9-tetramethoxyphenazine from hydrogen peroxide and hydroiodic acid-mediated oxidative cyclizations. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 84(15), pp. 9811-9818. ISSN (print) 0022-3263

Mehta, Prina, Al-Kinani, Ali A., Arshad, Sohail, Singh, Neenu, van der Merwe, Susanna M., Chang, Ming-Wei, Alany, Raid G. and Ahmad, Zeeshan (2019) Engineering and development of chitosan-based nanocoatings for ocular contact lenses. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 108(4), pp. 1540-1551. ISSN (print) 0022-3549

Al-Kinani, Ali A., Zidan, Ghada, Elsaid, Naba, Seyfoddin, Ali, Alani, Adam W.G. and Alany, Raid G. (2018) Ophthalmic gels : past, present and future. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 126, pp. 113-126. ISSN (print) 0169-409X

Butt, Ummara, ElShaer, Amr, Snyder, Lori A. S., Al-Kinani, Ali A., Le Gresley, Adam and Alany, Raid G. (2018) Fatty acid based microemulsions to combat ophthalmia neonatorum caused by 'Neisseria gonorrhoeae' and 'Staphylococcus aureus'. Nanomaterials, 8(1), p. 51. ISSN (online) 2079-4991

Hassanin, Hany, Al-Kinani, Ali, ElShaer, Amr, Polycarpou, Elena, El-Sayed, Mahmoud Ahmed and Essa, Khamis (2017) Stainless steel with tailored porosity using canister-free hot isostatic pressing for improved osseointegration implants. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 5(47), pp. 9384-9394. ISSN (print) 2050-750X

Mehta, Prina, Al-Kinani, Ali A., Haj-Ahmad, Rita, Sohail Arshad, Muhammad, Chang, Ming-Wei, Alany, Raid G. and Ahmad, Zeeshan (2017) Electrically atomised formulations of timolol maleate for direct and on-demand ocular lens coatings. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 119, pp. 170-184. ISSN (print) 0939-6411

Mehta, Prina, Al-Kinani, Ali, Arshad, Muhammad Sohail, Chang, Ming-Wei, Alany, Raid G and Ahmad, Zeeshan (2017) Development and characterisation of electrospun timolol maleate-loaded polymeric contact lens coatings containing various permeation enhancers. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 532(1), pp. 408-420. ISSN (print) 0378-5173

Mehta, Prina, Haj-Ahmad, Rita, Al-Kinani, Ali, Arshad, Muhammad Sohail, Chang, Ming-Wei, Alany, Raid G and Ahmad, Zeeshan (2017) Approaches in topical ocular drug delivery and developments in the use of contact lenses as drug-delivery devices. Therapeutic Delivery, 8(7), pp. 521-541. ISSN (print) 2041-5990

Elwerfalli, Arwa Matoug, Al-Kinani, Ali, Alany, Raid and ElShaer, Amr (2015) Nano-engineering chitosan particles to sustain the release of promethazine from orodispersables. Carbohydrate Polymers, 131, pp. 447-461. ISSN (print) 0144-8617

Al-Kinani, Ali Athab, Naughton, Declan P., Calabrese, Gianpiero, Vangala, Anil, Smith, James R., Pierscionek, Barbara K. and Alany, Raid G. (2015) Analysis of 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography: application for ocular delivery using chitosan nanoparticles. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 407(9), pp. 2645-2650. ISSN (print) 1618-2642

Book Section

Al-Kinani, Ali A., Calabrese, Gianpiero, Vangala, Anil, Naughton, Declan and Alany, Raid G. (2012) Nanotechnology in ophthalmic drug delivery. In: Souto, Eliana B., (ed.) Patenting nanomedicines: legal aspects, intellectual property and grant opportunities. Berlin, Germany : Springer. pp. 277-303. ISBN 9783642292644

Conference or Workshop Item

Snyder, Lori [Speaker], Churchward, Colin, Al-Kinani, Ali, Kirk, Ruth, Walker, Anthony J., Abdelkader, Hamdy, Swindon, J, Calder, Alan, Varnakulasingam, Thinuba and Alany, Raid (2018) A prophylaxis and treatment for gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum. In: International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference 2018; 23-28 September, 2018, Asilomar, California, USA. (Unpublished)

Churchward, Colin, Aruda, Polliane, Sears, Andrew, Galanaki, Venetia, Arutsothy, Archana, Naidu, Puspalatha Raja, Perera, Damithi, Al-Kinani, Ali, Snyder, Lori, , and (2018) Activity of natural products against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In: Microbiology Society Annual Conference, Birmingham, April 2018; 10-13 April 2018, Birmingham, UK. (Unpublished)

Al-Kinani, A., Vangala, A., Naughton, D., Pierscionek, B., Calabrese, G. and Alany, R. (2013) Development and validation of a new HPLC method for quantification of (R)-(−)-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid in simulated aqueous humor. In: American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition; 10-14 Nov 2013, San Antonio, USA. (Unpublished)

Al-Kinani, A, Virdi, K and Alany, R (2013) Formulation and optimization of ophthalmic chitosan nanoparticles using experimental design. In: American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition; 10-14 Nov 2013, San Antonio, USA. (Unpublished)

Al-Kinani, A., Abbas, Z., Calabrese, G., Pierscionek, B., Vangala, A., Naughton, D. and Alany, R. (2013) N-glycerol alkyl chitosan submicron particles as drug delivery systems: formulation and characterization studies. In: American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition; 10-14 Nov 2013, San Antonio, USA. (Unpublished)

Al-Kinani, A. A., Naughton, D., Pierscionek, B., Vangala, A., Swinden, J., Calabrese, G. and Alany, R. (2013) Separation and quantification of methionine in simulated aqueous humor using capillary electrophoresis. In: American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition; 10-14 Nov 2013, San Antonio, USA. (Unpublished)

Al-Kinani, A. A. (2013) New HPLC method for quantification of 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid permeated through excised bovine sclera. In: 40th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the Controlled Release Society; 21-24 July 2013, Honolulu, USA. (Unpublished)

Al-Kinani, A.A., Calabrese, G., Naughton, D.P., Pierscionek, B.K., Swinden, J., Vangala, A. and Alany, R. G. (2013) Separation and quantification of cystine and cysteine in simulated aqueous humor using capillary electrophoresis. In: 40th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the Controlled Release Society; 21-24 July 2013, Honolulu, USA.

Al-Kinani, A. (2013) N-modification of chitosan for improved membrane permeability: synthesis, physicochemical characterization and submicron particle formulation. In: 40th annual meeting and Exposition of the Controlled Release Society; 21-24 Jul 2013, Honolulu, USA. (Unpublished)

Thesis

Al-Kinani, Ali Athab Tahar (2016) Delivery of antioxidants to the lens using nanoparticles. (PhD thesis), Kingston University, .

This list was generated on Wed Sep 13 06:39:32 2023 BST.

Business, knowledge transfer and international

My research is applied research related to industry and pharmaceutical formulations, I build internal and external collaborations with academic staff and companies. I was able to attract industrial partnerships which generated an income to Kingston University. I am also working to protect the Intellectual property (IP) generated from my research activities at Kingston University. 

In recognition of my expertise in the research area of ocular drug delivery, I was invited for an interview in mainstream media where I gave a talk about 3D printing and ocular drug delivery, as an expert speaker on the science and technology programme, ‘Future Insight', broadcasted by Polish National Television.

Professional practice, knowledge exchange and impact

Qualifications and expertise

  • Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Pharmacy Examination Board (2007 – 2008), Qatar
  • Syndicate of Iraqi Pharmacists

Leadership and management

I hold a variety of significant leadership roles within Kingston University, ranging from sitting on the Board of Governors to being the Co-chair of the Institutional Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team. I have strong decision making and problem-solving skills that enable me to successfully and effectively guide, support, and mentor colleagues in different areas of HE, thereby nurturing future academic leaders. Through my roles, I contribute to the strategic direction of Kingston University in research, teaching and policy making.

University Level Leadership:

Member of Kingston University Board of Governors, 2019 – Present.

I play an active part in ensuring that the business of the Governing Body including the educational character, research activities and University mission are carried out efficiently and effectively. 

Member of Kingston University Academic Council (Senate) for two cycles, 2017 – Present.

I provide advice to the Vice-Chancellor on the strategic direction of the University's academic activities and safeguard the academic standards of the University for teaching, research, and enterprise.

Member of the Senate Effectiveness Review Task and Finish Group.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Leadership and Policy Making:          

Co-Chair of the Institutional Athena Swan, 2022 – Present.

I am a strong advocate for equality and diversity and believe that my working experiences in different countries and cultures can provide a wider and more intimate view on equality and diversity in the ever-thriving academic environment. I am the co-chair for the self assessment team for the institutional Athena Swan Application.  

Member of Kingston University Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team (SAT), 2018 – Present.

Mentor in the Beyond Barriers Mentoring Scheme, Kingston University, 2017 – 2021.   

Network of Equality Champions, Kingston University, 2018 – Present.

Faculty, School and Departmental Level Leadership:

Faculty Research Ethics committee (FREC) member, Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Computing, Kingston University, 2018 – Present.  

I support the KU research activities where I regularly review ethics applications for my colleagues' research to ensure the highest standards of ethical conduct are met.

Civic and Outreach Activities.

I am devoted to enhancing recruitment into STEM subjects. As the KU Interactive Floor Champion, I supported the University in two Civic Receptions (2017, 2018) in which I demonstrated the "Periodic Table" interactive floor to the public and the Mayor of Kingston.

Chair of the Organising Committee of the 2nd and the 3rd Interdisciplinary Hub for the Study of Health and Age-related conditions (IhSHA), Kingston University, (2014 – 2015).

Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team (SAT) member and Group leader for the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry application, 2017 – Present.

I led the staff profile working group in which I compared the staff data and career progression pipeline for KU staff with national benchmarks.  My contribution was a significant factor in the success of the Bronze Award in 2018.

Fitness to Practice committee member, Department of Pharmacy, Kingston University, 2019 – Present.

University responsibilities

  • Member of Kingston University Board of Governors
  • Member of Kingston University Academic Council (Senate) for two cycles
  • Member of the Senate Effectiveness Review Task and Finish Group
  • Co-Chair of the Institutional Athena Swan
  • Member of Kingston University Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team (SAT)

Public and CIVIC roles

  • KU Interactive Floor Champion

Videos of my work

Dr Al-Kinani's interview on the science and technology programme, ‘Future Insight'.

3D printing and ocular drug delivery