Development of long-acting drug delivery systems for ocular diseases, peptide and protein stabilisation, 3D printing, and in vitro disease modelling

Dr Rasha Alshaikh

Dr Rasha Alshaikh is a pharmacology and drug delivery researcher with expertise in the development of advanced drug delivery systems for hard-to-reach targets, particularly for the treatment of ocular neovascular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Her multidisciplinary research spans 3D printing technologies, peptide and protein delivery, in vitro model development, and solid-state formulation science. She has led projects investigating the role of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulators in retinal degeneration, the design of controlled-release ocular implants, and the formulation of drug-drug cocrystals to improve solubility and stability. In addition to her laboratory-based work, Dr Alshaikh also contributes to pharmaceutical regulatory research, health technology assessment (HTA), and policy research, supporting evidence-based implementation of EU health regulations and integration of innovative therapies into clinical pathways.

Research interests:

• Development of long-acting drug delivery systems (e.g., implants, long-acting injectable depots, particulate drug delivery systems ) to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies and/ or achieve targeted delivery to anatomically or physiologically challenging sites.
• Understanding the mechanism of degenerative ocular diseases and identifying novel pharmacological targets, with a particular focus on age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
• Stabilisation and controlled delivery of peptides and proteins, particularly in challenging physiological environments (e.g., ocular, inflammatory).
• Co-crystallisation and solid-state modification to improve physical stability of labile drugs, control drug release, and offer dual-drug synergy in certain indications.
• In vitro and 3D ocular disease model development: including biomimetic models to study retinal degeneration, screen drug effects, and understand drug-tissue interactions.
• Health technology assessment (HTA), pharmaceutical regulation, and policy translation, supporting evidence-based integration of innovative therapies into clinical practice and alignment with EU health directives (e.g., HTAR for medical devices and combination products). 

I welcome enquires from students interested in discussing MSc or PhD opportunities and post-doctoral researchers wishing to join the research group. If you have ideas for collaborations on existing work or would like to discuss your own research interests then there are a number of PhD studentships, Postdoctoral fellowships and other funding schemes available which I am more than happy to discuss this with you in the first instance by email ralshaikh@ucc.ie 

Publications 

Alshaikh RA, Chullipalliyalil K, Waeber C, Ryan KB. Extended siponimod release via low-porosity PLGA fibres: a comprehensive three-month in vitro evaluation for neovascular ocular diseases. Biomater Sci. 2024;12(18):4823–4844.  

Alshaikh RA, Salah El Din RA, Zaki, RGE, Waeber C, Ryan KB. In Vivo Ocular Pharmacokinetics and Toxicity of Siponimod in Albino Rabbits. Mol. Pharmaceutics. 2024; 21(7), 3310–3320

Alshaikh RA, Zaki RGE, El Din RAS, Ryan KB, Waeber C. Siponimod As a Novel Inhibitor of Retinal Angiogenesis: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence of Therapeutic Efficacy. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2023 Aug;386(2):224-241. 

Alshaikh RA, Waeber C, Ryan KB. Polymer based sustained drug delivery to the ocular posterior segment: barriers and future opportunities for the treatment of neovascular pathologies. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2022 Aug;187:114342. 

Alshaikh RA, Ryan KB, Waeber C. Sphingosine 1-phosphate, a potential target in neovascular retinal disease. Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 Sep;106(9):1187-1195. 

Alshaikh RA, Essa EA, El Maghraby GM. Eutexia for enhanced dissolution rate and anti-inflammatory activity of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents: Caffeine as a melting point modulator. Int J Pharm. 2019 May 30;563:395-405.