Mohamed Elsawy, B.Pharm.Sc.(Hons.) Ph.D. FHEA MRSC

  • Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy
  • Stopford Building, Oxford Road

    M13 9PT Manchester

    United Kingdom

Accepting PhD Students

Personal profile

Biography

Dr Mohamed Elsawy gained his PhD in Peptide Medicinal Chemistry from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University of Belfast in 2012, funded by a University Scholarship (Belfast, UK). After his PhD, he was awarded a short-term postdoctoral fellowship from Campus France, which was hosted in the Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie at the University of Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France). In 2014, he started an EPSRC funded postdoctoral research associate position in the Polymers & Peptides Research Group at the School of Materials and the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester (Manchester, UK). In 2017, he was appointed Lectureship in Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, where he started the Peptide BioNanomaterials Group (Preston, UK). In 2020, he moved with his research group to Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, upon his appointment as a Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences and as the Head of Postgraduate Research Students at the Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical Innovation (Leicester, UK). In 2024, he moved to the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry at the University of Manchester to take his current position. 

Research interests

Dr Mohamed Elsawy research interest focus on understanding the fundamentals behind molecular self-assembly of peptides into bio-inspired nanostructures for the rational design of stable, responsive and functional novel bionanomaterials for pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnological applications.

 

The main advantages of these systems are the physicochemical tunability and versatility of the formed nanostructures, which could be engineered by the molecular design of the primary peptide sequence. In addition, these peptide-based systems are biocompatible and biodegradable, with low toxicity and immunogenicity profiles, implying safety for use in pharmaceuticals and for tissue engineering applications.

 

Inspired by the unique 'EAK16' motif of the baker’s yeast Z-DNA binding protein, Dr Elsawy's group developed Ultra-short Ionic-complementary Constrained Peptides (UICPs) that assemble into thermodynamically stable β-sheet nanofibres in aqueous medium. These nanofibers were manipulated to fabricate shear-thinning viscoelastic hydrogels and emulgels, as well as microcapsules and nanoparticles. The interfacial activity of those peptide nanofibrous structures is being studied with the potential applications as emulsifiers and as stabilising agents in biopharmaceuticals.

 

The innovation of peptide-based therapeutic nanomaterials is currently investigated. The work is focused on developing a platform for tailoring material properties to meet clinical needs for various disease conditions. This involves working towards clinical translation of the developed technologies in the following areas:

  • Soft implants for localised delivery of anti-cancer drugs in solid tumours
  • Sprayable mucoadhesive soft materials for nasal delivery of biologics
  • Hydrogel microneedles for transdermal drug delivery
  • Anti-microbial hydrogels for tissue repair in difficult to heal wounds
  • Stem cell delivery approaches for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration

Supervision information

Supervision of PDRAs and PGR Students (current underlined)

PDRAs

1. Dr Reem Alazragi 2021-22 (Fellowship main supervisor – University of Jeddah Research Fellowship) "Development of peptide hydrogels as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering"


PGRs

1. Alisher Djumaev 2024-26 (PhD co-supervisor – Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University – University PhD Scholarship) "Painless transdermal delivery of peptide hydrogel vaccine formulations using core-shell microneedles"

2. Abdelrhman Moustafa 2022-26 (PhD main supervisor – Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University – Egyptian Government Scholarship) "Peptide hydrogel as sprayable mucoadhesive vehicle for nasal delivery of viral vaccines"


3. Beckzod Bekchanov 2022-25 (PhD main supervisor – Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University – Uzbekistan Government Scholarship) "Advanced microfluidic techniques for controlled fabrication of peptide-based nanoformulations for the localised delivery of anti-cancer drug combination therapy"


4. Somaya Amer 2022-24 (PhD co-supervisor – Division of Cell Matrix Biology & Regenerative Medicine, University of Manchester – Egyptian Government Scholarship) "Recreating the Niche to Enhance Stem Cell Transplantation in Dystrophic Muscle"


5. Tehseen Fateema 2021-25 (PhD co-supervisor – Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University – Self-funded) "Development of peptide-based nanofibrous scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering and modelling"


6. Abdulwahhab Khedr 2020-24 (PhD main supervisor – Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University – Newton Mosharafa PhD Studentship) "Nanofibrous peptide soft materials for the localised delivery of chemotherpeutic agents to glioblastoma"


7. Mohamed Soliman 2020-24 (PhD main supervisor – Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University – Egyptian Government) "Development of anti-bacterial peptide nanofibrous soft materials for treatment of wound infections"


8. Afaf Abouzid 2018-19 (PhD co-supervisor – School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Lancashire – Self-funded) "Development, characterisation and evaluation of liposome-based nano-formulation of Amlexanox”

Memberships of committees and professional bodies

Professional Bodies and Societies:

Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC), UK 

Member of the Materials Research Society (MRS), USA

Member of the United Kingdom Society of Biomaterials (UKSB), UK

Fellow of the Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate (Registered Pharmacist), Egypt

 

Editorial:

Editorial Frontiers in Nanobiotechnology (Sections: Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and Frontiers in Materials)

Editorial Frontiers in Chemistry (Section: Supramolecular Chemistry) 

Editorial in Pharmaceutics (Topical Advisory Panel)

 

Higher Education:

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), UK

Advisory Board Member for the MSc Drug Discovery and Development Programme, College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy - Queen's University Belfast

20092012

Postgraduate Diploma, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy - Cairo University

20062007

Bachelor of Pharmacy, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy - Cairo University

19992004

External positions

Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leicester School of Pharmacy - De Montfort University

20202023

Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences - University of Central Lancashire

20172019

Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Materials and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology - University of Manchester

20142017

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institut Européen de Chimie et Biologie - University of Bordeaux

2013

Areas of expertise

  • QD Chemistry
  • RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
  • RS Pharmacy and materia medica

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

  • Advanced materials
  • Biotechnology
  • Cancer

Keywords

  • Nanomaterials
  • Peptide self-assembly
  • Nanomedicine
  • Drug delivery
  • Cancer
  • Biologic therapies

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