Our Scientific Advisory Panel
The Scientific Advisory Panel was established to advise the Board of Trustees on the development of Pharmacy Research UK’s research grant giving strategy and policies. It also provides an independent review of proposals for research funding and makes recommendations to the Trustees for the allocation of research funds.
In addition, the Scientific Advisory Panel oversees the processes for timely monitoring and reporting of funded research activity. The Terms of Reference for the Scientific Advisory Panel and Conflicts of Interest Policy are available to download.
Professor Adam Todd (Chair)
Reader in Pharmaceutical Public Health
Adam Todd is a Reader in Pharmaceutical Public Health, and Deputy Head of the School of Pharmacy at Newcastle University. He is a qualified pharmacist registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, and a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. He was previously a Senior Lecturer at Durham University where he held the roles of MPharm Programme Director, Director of Education, and Deputy Director of the Centre of Health and Inequalities Research (CHIR).
Adam is actively involved in delivering the MPharm Programme at Newcastle; he approaches pharmacy education in an integrated way, and combines both science and practice elements in his teaching. Using this integrated approach, Adam has published two international books focusing on antibacterial and anticancer therapeutics.
Professor Delyth James
Professor of Health Psychology in Pharmacy Practice
Delyth James is currently Professor of Health Psychology in Pharmacy Practice at the School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, having received her undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from the University of Bath in 1988, followed by a MSc in Clinical Pharmacy at UCL (1991) and a PhD in Health Psychology at the University of Brighton in 1999.
Her research focuses on the application of psychological theory to address problems which are central to the way people use medication. She adopts a range of methodologies in her research including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods, drawing on health psychology and behavioural science approaches. Her specific areas of interest are in developing interventions such as shared decision-making tools and using visual communication approaches to support medication-taking and educating professionals to conduct effective consultations to support behaviour change.
Dr Heather Barry
Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice
Heather is a Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at Queen’s University Belfast. She is a qualified pharmacist registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. Heather is a health services researcher whose research focuses on rational prescribing and medicines management for older people, particularly those with dementia and frailty, in primary care settings. She has significant experience of utilising both quantitative and qualitative methods in her research and is an Editorial Board member of the journal BMC Health Services Research.
Professor Amanj Kurdi
Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacy Practice
Amanj is a clinical pharmacist by training. His research interest is pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Utilisation Research in cardiovascular, diabetes and antibiotics areas as well as adherence/persistence to medications using secondary database analysis and patient level data through applying various statistical and analytical techniques. He is also interested in Health service research and evaluating the impacts of health policies and clinical guidelines.
Professor Katherine Payne
Professor of Health Economics
Katherine’s current research focus involves using and developing quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand the economic value of health care interventions with a specific interest in precision medicine and genomic technologies. She has had a key role in multi-disciplinary research programmes and projects with funding from MRC, NIHR, Department of Health and Charities (Versus Arthritis and Cancer Research UK). She was the lead economist on a number of large MRC-funded consortia looking at using targeted approaches (developing prescribing algorithms) for biologics and other medicines (for lupus, psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis). Other work includes applied ‘NIHR’ funded projects involving generating ‘early’ economic evidence (NIHR i4i) and translating research into patient benefit (NIHR: HTA; PGfAR; RfPB; HS-DR). She has worked on several EU-funded grants as the UK-workpackage economics lead. Katherine is one of the three Manchester co-applicants on the Research Design Service (tender 3) proposal and line manage frontline advisors.
Dr Jignesh Patel
Reader and Honorary Consultant Pharmacist in Anticoagulation
Jignesh Patel is a clinical academic, specialising in anticoagulant drug therapy and is based between the department of haematological medicine, King’s College Hospital and the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King’s College London.
Jignesh’s research is concerned with the optimal use of anticoagulant therapy in clinical practice and primarily focuses on addressing anticoagulant drug dosing issues where uncertainties exist. This work involves pharmacokinetic modelling of the anticoagulants, including the direct oral anticoagulants. A particular focus for Jignesh’s research is anticoagulation therapy in the context of women’s health.
Theresa McGrady
PPI member
I am a disabled person & co-carer and have used pharmacy services for several years. I have worked in the public and third sectors for a number of years, including being involved with a variety of panels & groups (including the local ICS; Integrated Care System), supporting the co-production of essential local services.
I value the benefits that disabled people and the wider public can bring, as experts by lived-experience. I am interested in health-care research and how this can lead to improved services and wider health benefits for the public, helping to meet the changing & ever-increasing demands upon the NHS.
I am keen to utilise my long-term knowledge & experience of pharmacy services to assist the panel in its work, helping to ensure that the interests of the public remain at the forefront of pharmacy research.
Professor Reem Kayyali
Professor in Clinical and Applied Pharmacy Practice
My current research interests focus on public health and medicines optimisation. The emphasis is on evaluating the use of innovative technology to streamline and optimise public health and the care of patients with long term conditions. I have a special interest in issues related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. As a pharmacist, my research interests also focus on building the evidence of the role of this profession in disease prevention and management and public health. As an academic, I am also interested in healthcare professionals’ and patients’ education and the use of simulation and serious games in this regard with a hope to build a strategy for pharmacy education that ensures their recognition as an integral part in the healthcare team.
Sienna-Mae Yates
PPI member
I am a passionate advocate for inclusive, patient-centred research with lived experience of autism, ADHD, and long-term mental health conditions. I have extensive expertise in public involvement through advisory roles with organisations such as Genomics Partnership Wales, Cancer Research UK, and Imperial College’s Clinical Research Facility. Drawing on my own and my family’s experiences of pharmacy care, I champion research that improves how services are delivered and accessed, especially in community settings. My commitment lies in amplifying the voices of patients and carers, promoting equitable access, and shaping studies that significantly impact public health.
Shani Shamah
PPI member
Shani Shamah is a passionate and experienced Public Patient Involvement (PPI) contributor, committed to improving healthcare through inclusive, patient-centered research. With a background in both corporate and academic sectors, Shani brings a unique blend of strategic insight, lived experience, and academic engagement to health research initiatives.
