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Dr. Peter Davern

BSc(Hon), PhD

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Biography

Interests:

  • The crystallisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) onto excipients
  • Pharmaceutical organic chemistry
  • Process safety
  • "From Arsenic to Zirconium - Poems and Surprising Facts about the Elements", No Starch Press (2020)

Course Director, BSc in Environmental Science programme

Research Interests

The crystallisation of APIs onto excipients:
The work focuses on (i) methods (wet and dry impregnation, and ion exchange) to facilitate the crystallisation of APIs onto pre-formed particles or granules of excipients or excipient mixtures, and (ii) the development of surface treatment of excipients to make them more suitable as matrices on which crystallisation will occur. Initially the role of the solvent, supersaturation and metastable zone widths will be assessed with a view to determining how best to promote heterogeneous crystallisation on the excipient as opposed to nucleation in solution. Once formed, the nature and strength of the interactions will be investigated, including an evaluation of the suitability of the technique for a range of pharmaceuticals with propensity to form a range of polymorphs and particle habits when crystallised through primary nucleation.

Teaching Interests

Pharmaceutical organic chemistry
Process safety

Professional Activities

Education

  • 1993 University of Limerick - PhD
  • 1989 University of Limerick - BSc (Hons)

Employment

  • University of Limerick - Lecturer - part-time (2005 - 2009); Lecturer below the bar (2009 - 2018); Lecturer (2019 - present)
  • Davern & Bell - Co-proprietor (2002 - 2005)
  • GlaxoSmithKline, Cork - Process Development Chemist / Production Technologist (1993 - 1995)
  • Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited, Cork - Production Chemist (1995 - 2002)

Committee

  • IOSH (Ireland Branch), Western District,
  • CS Dept. Athena Swan Committee,
  • CS Dept. Safety Committee,
  • UL Safety Committee,
  • CS Dept. Postgraduate Progression Review Committee,
  • CS Dept. Student Status Committee,
  • SciFest Ireland,
  • Royal Society of Chemistry (2012-13),

Other

  • Organizer: 2-day Master Class in Process Safety (2016): Seven internationally-recognized process safety experts delivering plenary lectures / workshops to 80+ engineers, chemists, and process safety practitioners from the Irish PharmaChem sector.
  • Course Leader - BSc in Environmental Science (2018 - present)
  • Course Director - Dip. in Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (2010 - 2014)
  • Course Leader - BSc in Health & Safety (2011 - 2015)
  • Organizer: 1-day Master Class in Process Safety (2018): Six internationally-recognized process safety experts, 100+ from the Irish PharmaChem sector.

Association

  • Graduate member, Institution of Occupational Safety & Health (IOSH)
  • Member, IChemE Safety & Loss Prevention Group
  • Associate member, Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
  • Member, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Outreach

  • 'Chemistry Magic Show' Workshops for secondary school chemistry teachers

  • 'Chemistry Magic Show' demonstrations for the following:
    * Local primary schools
    * UL Open Days
    * BT Young Scientist Exhibitions, Dublin

Consultancy

  • Novartis Ringaskiddy Limited, Cork - providing technical support to API production (2005 - 2017)

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal

2019

Carrier particle mediated stabilization and isolation of valsartan nanoparticles.
Kumar A;Davern P;Hodnett BK;Hudson SP;
Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.12.021

2018

The heterogeneous crystallization of a novel solvate of clozapine base in the presence of excipients
Verma, V;Bannigan, P;Lusi, M;Crowley, CM;Hudson, S;Hodnett, BK;Davern, P
Crystengcomm DOI: 10.1039/c8ce00663f

2018

The heterogeneous crystallization of a novel solvate of clozapine base in the presence of excipients
Verma, V;Bannigan, P;Lusi, M;Crowley, CM;Hudson, S;Hodnett, BK;Davern, P
Crystengcomm DOI: 10.1039/c8ce00663f

2018

Dependence of Heterogeneous Nucleation on Hydrogen Bonding Lifetime and Complementarity
Verma, V;Zeglinski, J;Hudson, S;Davern, P;Hodnett, BK
Crystal Growth & Design DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01302

2018

Heterogeneous Crystallization of Fenofibrate onto Pharmaceutical Excipients
Bueno, RA;Crowley, CM;Davern, P;Hodnett, BK;Hudson, S
Crystal Growth & Design DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b01598

2018

Experimental Study on the Influence of Excipients on the Heterogeneous Crystallization and Dissolution Properties of an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
Verma, V,Peddapatla, RVG,Crowley, CM,Crean, AM,Davern, P,Hudson, S,Hodnett, BK
Crystal Growth & Design DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b01336

2017

Influence of Process Parameters on the Heterogeneous Nucleation of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients onto Excipients
Bueno, RA,Crowley, CM,Hodnett, BK,Hudson, S,Davern, P
Organic Process Research & Development DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.6b00425