Staff Directory - Dr Helen Fox

My Research

Research Group : Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre ►

Helen joined the PMBRC working on an Enterprise Ireland Innovation Partnership Project between WIT and Teva Pharmaceuticals in 2012. Based on the success of the project, a strategic collaboration was established between Teva and WIT in 2014. The aim was to establish and develop inhalations and formulations research in WIT with Helen as Principle Investigator. Since 2013, Helen has leveraged >€500,000 funding for research in this area. To date, Helen has supervised 4 PhD students to completion; 2 as primary supervisor and 2 as co-supervisor. A new PhD project is due to commence early 2019.

Research Interests

• Inhalations
• Dry powder inhalers
• Materials Characterisation
• Formulation
• Physical Chemistry

Links

• Google Scholar
• Research Gate

Previous Postgraduate Students

Teaching Experience

Department of Science, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2012 onwards

MSc in Analytical Science with Quality Management

Development and delivery of the following modules and subjects:

• Advanced Spectroscopic Techniques – solid state NMR
• Advanced Materials Characterisation – solid state NMR

BSc in Applied Chemistry/Biology/Pharmaceutical Science/Applied Computing

Delivered modules and practicals on:

• Introductory Chemistry
• Introductory Physics
• Good Laboratory Practice & Core Skills
• Physics 1
• Physical & Organic Chemistry
• Physical & Organic Chemistry Tutorials
• Spectroscopic Techniques
• Research Methodology
• Lab Data Analysis
• Sensors & Electroanalysis
• 4th Year Research Project

Blackwater Community School, Lismore, Waterford, 2009-2010

• Science and Maths Teacher

School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, 2003-2009

BA (mod) in Physics / Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials

Delivered tutorials and laboratory classes on:

• Physics
• Sensors
• Special Relativity
• Currents and Electricity
• Physical Optics and Oscillations 

Qualifications

• Currently undertaking the Level 9 Module in Blended Learning, WIT
• Completed the Level 9 Module in Research Supervisor Skills in WIT in 2015 
• Qualified as a post-primary school teacher having completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Education in UCC in 2010 

Publications

(Publishing as Helen Cathcart)

1. C Weiss, P Mcloughlin, P Manesiotis, W Redington, H Cathcart, "Preparation and Characterization of Beclomethasone Dipropionate Solvates", Crystal Growth & Design, 2018

2. S Baghel, H Cathcart, NJ O’Reilly, "Investigation into the Solid-State Properties and Dissolution Profile of Spray-Dried Ternary Amorphous Solid Dispersions: A Rational Step toward the Design and Development of a Multicomponent Amorphous System", Molecular pharmaceutics, 2018

3. S Baghel, H Cathcart, NJ O’Reilly, "Understanding the generation and maintenance of supersaturation during the dissolution of amorphous solid dispersions using modulated DSC and 1H NMR", International journal of pharmaceutics 536 (1), 414-425, 2018

4. S Baghel, H Cathcart, NJ O’Reilly, “Theoretical and experimental investigation of drug-polymer interaction and miscibility and its impact on drug supersaturation in aqueous medium”, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 107, 16-31, 2016.

5. S Baghel, H Cathcart, et. al., “An investigation into the crystallization tendency/kinetics of amorphous active pharmaceutical ingredients: A case study with dipyridamole and cinnarizine”, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics 104, 59-71, 2016. 

6. S Baghel, H Cathcart, NJ O'Reilly, “Polymeric Amorphous Solid Dispersions: A Review of Amorphization, Crystallization, Stabilization, Solid-State Characterization, and Aqueous Solubilization of Biopharmaceutical Classification System Class II Drugs”, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 105 (9), 2527–2544, 2016. 

7. C Weiss, P McLoughlin, H Cathcart, “Characterisation of dry powder inhaler formulations using atomic force microscopy”, International Journal of Pharmaceutics  494 (1), 2015. 

8. JM Hughes, H Cathcart, JN Coleman, “Dispersion and Exfoliation of Nanotubes with Synthetic Oligonucleotides: Variation of Dispersion Efficiency and Oligo-Nanotube Interaction with Base Type”, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 114 (27), 11741-11747, 2010, 

9. H Cathcart, JN Coleman, Chemical Physics Letters, “Quantitative comparison of ultracentrifuged and diluted single walled nanotube dispersions; differences in dispersion quality” 474 (1-3), 2009. 

10. H Cathcart, V Nicolosi et. al., “Ordered DNA wrapping switches on luminescence in single-walled nanotube dispersions”,  Journal of the American Chemical Society, 130(38), 12734-12744, 2008 

11. H Cathcart, S Quinn, V Nicolosi et. al., “Spontaneous debundling of single-walled carbon nanotubes in DNA-based dispersions”, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 111(1), 2007, 

12. SD Bergin, V Nicolosi, H Cathcart, et. al., “Large populations of individual nanotubes in surfactant-based dispersions without the need for ultracentrifugation”, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 112(4), 972-977, 2008 

13. V Nicolosi, H Cathcart et. al., “Spontaneous exfoliation of single-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed using a designed amphiphilic peptide” Biomacromolecules, 9(2), 598-602, 2008 

Metrics

Total Citations: 610

H-index: 9

Citations calculated by Google Scholar on 06/03/19

Conferences

• 2^nd Annual Formulation & Drug Delivery Congress, London, 18 – 19^th May 2016
• 1^st Annual Inhalation & Respiratory Drug Delivery Congress, 18 – 19^th May 2016
• Drug Delivery to the Lungs 25 (DDL25), Edinburgh, 10th - 12th December 2014
• Drug Delivery to the Lungs 24 (DDL24), Edinburgh, 11 – 13^th December 2013
• ChemOnTubes, Zaragoza, Spain. 6^th - 9^th April 2008 (poster presented)
• ICSM, Dublin, Ireland. 2^nd -7^th July 2006 (poster presented)
• E-MRS, Nice, France. 29^th May – 2^nd June 2006 (poster presented)
• Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composite International Conference, TUHH, Hamburg, Germany. 4^th – 7^th September 2005 (talk presented)
• Molecular Nanotechnology Workshop, Copenhagen, Denmark. 16^th – 21^st August 2004 (talk and poster presented)
• Nanotechnology in Biology, Biotechnology and Medicine Workshop, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. 31^st May – 4^th June 2004 (talk and poster presented)

Other Presentions

• Talk presented for “Careers in Physics Seminar”, Science Week, November 2016
• Poster prepared for Global Head of Respiratory R&D, TEVA Pharmaceuticals, September 2013
• Talk presented for “Careers in Physics Seminar”, Science Week, November 2012