Assoc ProfessorSteven Ferguson

I am originally from Dublin, and conducted my undergraduate studies in Chemical & Bioprocess Engineering in UCD. After graduating, I stayed on in UCD to do my PhD in Prof Brian Glennon's research Group where I studied continuous crystallization of drugs as part of the SSPC Research Cluster. This was the first continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing research conducted in Ireland, to my knowledge, a theme which subsequently became a main focus of the SSPC, the SFI Pharmaceutical Research Centre. Following my PhD I moved to MIT where I worked as part of the Novartis -MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing, a $100 million dollar investment by Novartis to transform the manufacturing of medicines, under the supervision of Prof Allan Myerson and Center Director Prof Bernhardt Trout. I was then recruited to Chemical R&D in Biogen where; I led crystallization efforts and contributed to all engineering competencies in the development and commercialisation of API processes. Furthermore I had the opportunity to develop novel clinical forms for first in class drugs in collaboration with pharmaceutical sciences and engage in the development of flow synthesis and continuous manufacturing technologies for Biogen.

My experience highlighted many technological gaps and opportunities within drug delivery, pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, which motivated me to return to UCD to take up the position of Assistant Professor in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, and start a research group focusing of drug delivery, separations and advanced manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. To this end I have assembled a multidisciplinary team with expertise in separation processes, downstream bioprocessing, process simulation, flow synthesis, unit operation & reactor design, crystallization and formulation; structured to be vertically integrated to bring fundamental insights from multiphase systems, reactions or separations, through simulations and prototypes to actionable technologies. My research is closely aligned with my of teaching which enables me to keep my courses up to date with on-going technological developments and thinking in relevant fields, and outline how the core engineering skills developed in my modules can be applied to future problems/opportunities in a number of industries.