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Alexandru Moldovan

Location
Level 1, Energy Building
Sponsor
Pfizer & CCDC
Primary Supervisor
Dr Simon Connell, Physics
Qualifications
MChem Chemistry with Industrial Experience, Huddersfield

Biography

Alexandru came to Leeds to explore the particulates and materials aspects of chemical engineering. During his time at Huddersfield, Alexandru spent a year in industry with Lonza in their Microbial control division working in R&D for methods of analysis working primarily with HPLCs and XRFs.

As part of Alexandru’s master’s final year project at Huddersfield, he ventured into the world of computational chemistry where he carried out a study into a solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte material based on an apatite structure and modelled the effects of defects on the lattice.

PhD: Interfacial Interactions between Faceted Crystals: An in-silico & Atomic Force Microscopy Study

The research proposes an integrated experimental and computational approach with the goal of developing in-silico screening methods to aid drug formulation and design for common solid oral formulations by calculating the interactions between different API's and the excipient surfaces.
The ranking of the API/excipient compatibility is expected to be validated utilising experimental techniques. One of the main proposed techniques is the use of Atomic Force Microscopy in measuring direct surface-surface interactions.

Outreach, training and other activities:

  • Placement with Pfizer (3 months, Apr – June 2018)
  • I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here!

Publications and presentations:

  • Poster presentation BACG/CGOM 2016
  • Crystallographic Structure, Intermolecular Packing Energetics, Crystal Morphology and Surface Chemistry of Salmeterol Xinafoate (Form I), (2017), Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 106 (3), pp. 882-891
  • Cambridge Crystallography Data Centre – Research Day 2018

Masters research project in year 1 of CDT:

  • ‘Cohesive/Adhesive balance studies of Inhalation drug particles through in-silico AFM’ with Dr Vasuki Ramachandran, Chemical & Process Engineering