Mohamed Elkhashab Receives CoMH Postgraduate Researcher of the Year Award
The School of Pharmacy, UCC is delighted to congratulate third-year PhD researcher Mohamed Elkhashab, who received the Postgraduate Researcher of the Year Award at the College of Medicine and Health (CoMH) Postgraduate Research Student Awards on 15 June 2026.
Mohamed is undertaking his PhD under the supervision of Professor Abina Crean and Dr Sonja Vucen. His research focuses on the development of drug-only glassy microneedle arrays for the localised delivery of medicines into the skin. Unlike conventional microneedle systems, these arrays are manufactured predominantly from the active pharmaceutical ingredient itself, enabling high drug loading while reducing the need for additional polymers or excipients.
His work investigates the manufacture, stability, sterilisation and in vivo performance of these microneedle systems. The research has demonstrated that drug-only microneedles can successfully penetrate the skin and achieve high local drug concentrations while limiting systemic exposure. This approach could support the development of more targeted treatments for skin diseases, including potential applications in skin cancer, where localised drug delivery may help concentrate treatment at the disease site while reducing exposure to the rest of the body.
Mohamed’s research is funded by Research Ireland through the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme, which he was awarded in 2026. His work has also received funding and support from SSPC, the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceuticals, and the School of Pharmacy, UCC.
Read more about the 2026 College of Medicine and Health Postgraduate Research Student Awards and the full list of award recipients on the College of Medicine and Health Graduate Studies website.