Teaching Strengths
Mrs Anam Ahsan
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences
College of Health
I am a PhD candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Adelaide University, based in the Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation. My research focuses on advanced lipid-based nanomedicine approaches for the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant and biofilm-associated infections.
My PhD project investigates liquid crystalline nanoparticles and liposomes for the delivery of antibiotics and biofilm-disrupting adjuvants, with the aim of improving antimicrobial penetration, enhancing biofilm eradication, and supporting more effective treatment of infected wounds.
My research experience spans pharmaceutical formulation, nanocarrier development, physicochemical characterisation, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, biofilm models, confocal microscopy, IVIS bioluminescence imaging, and in vivo wound infection studies. I have authored more than 25 peer-reviewed publications in nanomedicine, drug delivery, antimicrobial therapy, and biomaterials.
Alongside my research, I am actively involved in teaching, student mentoring, STEM outreach, peer review, and graduate research student representation. My broader interests include antimicrobial resistance, bacterial biofilms, wound therapeutics, combination antimicrobial therapy, and translational nanomedicine.
I am a PhD candidate in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Adelaide University, based in the Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation. My research focuses on developing advanced lipid-based nanomedicine platforms to improve the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant and biofilm-associated infections.
My PhD project investigates liquid crystalline nanoparticles and liposomes as delivery systems for antibiotics and biofilm-disrupting adjuvants. A key focus of my work is improving the penetration and therapeutic efficacy of antimicrobial agents within bacterial biofilms, which are highly resistant to conventional treatment due to their protective extracellular matrix. My research explores how nanocarrier-enabled co-delivery strategies can enhance antibiofilm activity, support bacterial eradication, and improve outcomes in infected wound models.
My work combines pharmaceutical formulation, microbiology, nanomedicine, and translational infection research. I have experience in nanoparticle formulation and physicochemical characterisation, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, biofilm formation and eradication assays, confocal microscopy, IVIS bioluminescence imaging, and in vivo wound infection studies.
More broadly, my research interests include antimicrobial resistance, biofilm-associated infections, wound therapeutics, lipid-based drug delivery systems, combination antimicrobial therapy, and the translational development of nanomedicines for difficult-to-treat infections.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Lab Demonstrator (Dosage Form Design I) | Adelaide University |
| 2020 - 2022 | Research Assistant | COMSATS University Islamabad |
| 2018 - 2018 | Visiting Research Associate | Gachon University |
| 2018 - 2022 | Research Associate | Shanxi Agricultural University |
| 2017 - 2018 | Industrial Pharmacist | Danas Pharmaceuticals (Pvt.) Ltd. |
| 2016 - 2017 | Administrative Assistant | Government of Punjab |
| 2014 - 2015 | Hospital Pharmacist | Umar Hospital |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Award | Finalist, ASM SA/NT Branch Student Awards | Australian Society for Microbiology | Australia | - |
| 2025 | Recognition | Invited Speaker, World AMR Awareness Week 2025 Webinar | MDPI | Switzerland | - |
| 2025 | Award | Winner, Adelaide MedTech Hackathon 2025 – Best Engineering Solution | Adelaide MedTech Hackathon / ThincLab | Australia | - |
| 2025 | Recognition | Cover Feature Selection, Pharmaceutics | Pharmaceutics / MDPI | Switzerland | - |
| 2024 | Award | SAAFE CRC Travel Grant | SAAFE CRC | Australia | - |
| 2022 | Scholarship | University Presidential Scholarship | Adelaide University | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Panjabi; Punjabi | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Urdu | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Adelaide University | Australia | PhD (Pharmaceutical Sciences) |
| 2015 - 2017 | University of Agriculture Faisalabad | Pakistan | MPhil (Pharmacology) |
| 2014 - 2015 | Allama Iqbal Open University | Pakistan | Bachelor of Education (B. Ed) |
| 2009 - 2014 | Government College University, Faisalabad | Pakistan | Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) |
| Date | Title | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | EMBL Australia PhD Course | EMBL Australia | Australia |
| 2025 - 2025 | ATN Professional Development Courses | Australian Technology Network | Australia |
| 2024 | SAAFE AMR Post-Summit Education and Training Workshop | SAAFE CRC | Australia |
| Date | Title | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | UniSA & SAHMRI Animal Ethics Induction | UniSA / SAHMRI | Australia |
| 2021 | Certified Peer Reviewer Course | Elsevier Researcher Academy | - |
| 2020 | WHO Infection Prevention and Emerging Respiratory Viruses Training | World Health Organization | Switzerland |
| 2014 | Registered Pharmacist | Punjab Pharmacy Council, Pakistan | Pakistan |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Ahsan, A., Barnes, T. J., Thomas, N., Subramaniam, S., & Prestidge, C. A. (2025). Lipid-based nanocarriers for enhanced gentamicin delivery: a comparative study of liquid crystal nanoparticles and liposomes against Escherichia coli biofilms. Drug Delivery And Translational Research, online(11), 1-22. Scopus9 WoS8 |
| 2025 | Ahsan, A., Gao, G. F., & Tian, W. X. (2025). Phytogenic Silver Nanoparticles Derived from Ricinus communis and Aloe barbadensis: Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Biomedical Potential. Bioengineering, 12(11), 31 pages. Scopus1 |
| 2024 | Ahsan, A., Thomas, N., Barnes, T. J., Subramaniam, S., Loh, T. C., Joyce, P., & Prestidge, C. A. (2024). Lipid nanocarriers-enabled delivery of antibiotics and antimicrobial adjuvants to overcome bacterial biofilms. Pharmaceutics, 16(3, article no. 396), 1-46. Scopus67 WoS60 Europe PMC32 |
| 2021 | Jahejo, A. R., Jia, F. -J., Raza, S. H. A., Shah, M. A., Yin, J. -J., Ahsan, A., . . . Tian, W. -X. (2021). Screening of toll-like receptor signaling pathway-related genes and the response of recombinant glutathione S-transferase A3 protein to thiram induced apoptosis in chicken erythrocytes. Developmental & Comparative Immunology, 114, 103831. |
| 2021 | Ahsan, A., Tian, W. -X., Farooq, M. A., & Khan, D. H. (2021). An overview of hydrogels and their role in transdermal drug delivery. International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials, 70(8), 574-584. |
| 2020 | Farooq, M. A., Xu, L., Aquib, M., Ahsan, A., Baig, M. M. F. A., & Wang, B. (2020). Denatured food protein-coated nanosuspension: A promising approach for anticancer delivery of hydrophobic drug. Journal of Molecular Liquids, 303, 112690. |
| 2020 | Ahsan, A., & Farooq, M. A. (2020). Corrigendum to “Therapeutic potential of green synthesized silver nanoparticles loaded PVA hydrogel patches for wound healing” [J. Drug Deliv. Sci. Technol. 54 (2019) 101308]. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 57, 101665. |
| 2020 | Baig, M. M. F. A., Lai, W. -F., Mikrani, R., Jabeen, M., Naveed, M., Abbas, M., . . . Ansari, M. T. (2020). Synthetic NRG-1 functionalized DNA nanospindels towards HER2/neu targets for in vitro anti-cancer activity assessment against breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 182, 113133. |
| 2020 | Ahsan, A., Farooq, M. A., & Parveen, A. (2020). Thermosensitive Chitosan-Based Injectable Hydrogel as an Efficient Anticancer Drug Carrier. ACS Omega, 5(32), 20450-20460. |
| 2020 | Jahejo, A. R., Rajput, N., Kashif, J., Kalhoro, D. H., Niu, S., Qiao, M. -L., . . . Tian, W. -X. (2020). Recombinant glutathione-S-transferase A3 protein regulates the angiogenesis-related genes of erythrocytes in thiram induced tibial lesions. Research in Veterinary Science, 131, 244-253. |
| 2020 | Jahejo, A. R., Raza Bukhari, S. A., Jia, F. J., Abbas Raza, S. H., Shah, M. A., Rajput, N., . . . Tian, W. X. (2020). Integration of gene expression profile data to screen and verify immune-related genes of chicken erythrocytes involved in Marek's disease virus. Microbial Pathogenesis, 148, 11 pages. Scopus7 WoS7 Europe PMC5 |
| 2020 | Khodaei, F., Ahsan, A., Chamanifard, M., Zamiri, M. J., & Ommati, M. M. (2020). Updated information on new coronavirus disease 2019 occurrence, drugs, and prediction of a potential receptor. Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, 34(12), 10 pages. Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC2 |
| 2020 | Ahsan, A., Farooq, M. A., Tian, W. -X., & Parveen, A. (2020). Correction to “Thermosensitive Chitosan-Based Injectable Hydrogel as an Efficient Anticancer Drug Carrier”. ACS Omega, 5(38), 24973. |
| 2020 | Baig, M. M. F. A., Lai, W. -F., Ahsan, A., Jabeen, M., Farooq, M. A., Mikrani, R., . . . Ansari, M. T. (2020). Synthesis of Ligand Functionalized ErbB-3 Targeted Novel DNA Nano-Threads Loaded with the Low Dose of Doxorubicin for Efficient In Vitro Evaluation of the Resistant Anti-Cancer Activity. Pharmaceutical Research, 37(4). |
| 2019 | Ahsan, A., & Farooq, M. A. (2019). Therapeutic potential of green synthesized silver nanoparticles loaded PVA hydrogel patches for wound healing. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 54, 101308. |
| 2019 | Farooq, M. A., Aquib, M., Khan, D. H., Hussain, Z., Ahsan, A., Baig, M. M. F. A., . . . Wang, B. (2019). Recent advances in the delivery of disulfiram: a critical analysis of promising approaches to improve its pharmacokinetic profile and anticancer efficacy. DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 27(2), 853-862. |
| 2019 | Farooq, M. A., Aquib, M., Khan, D. H., Ghayas, S., Ahsan, A., Ijaz, M., . . . Wang, B. (2019). Nanocarrier-mediated co-delivery systems for lung cancer therapy: recent developments and prospects. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 17(4), 1565-1583. |
| - | Ahsan, A., Farooq, M. A., Ahsan Bajwa, A., & Parveen, A. (2020). Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Parthenium Hysterophorus: Optimization, Characterization and In Vitro Therapeutic Evaluation. Molecules, 25(15), 3324. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Ahsan, A., Gao, G. F., & Tian, W. -X. (2025). Phytogenic Silver Nanoparticles as a Bioengineered Platform for Multifunctional Therapeutics: Synthesis, Characterization, and Biomedical Potential. DOI |
My research training and conference participation have been supported through competitive scholarships and travel funding, including the University Presidential Scholarship, University of South Australia, for doctoral research training from 2022–2026. I was also awarded the SAAFE CRC Travel Grant to attend the Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions Summit and Post-Summit Education and Training Workshop in Adelaide in 2024.
Prior to commencing my current PhD, I received competitive international scholarship and travel funding, including the Higher Education Commission Travel Grant from the Government of Pakistan, the Chinese Government Scholarship, and the Shanxi Provincial Government Scholarship. These funding opportunities supported my international research training and development in pharmaceutical sciences, nanomedicine, and drug delivery research.
I have experience in undergraduate teaching, laboratory demonstration, student mentoring, and research supervision within pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical research. Since 2024, I have worked as a Lab Demonstrator for Dosage Form Design I, supporting students in practical classes involving dissolution testing, chemical kinetics, pharmaceutical formulation, compounding techniques, precision weighing, mixing, dosing methods, laboratory safety, and Good Laboratory Practice.
I have also co-supervised Honours and Summer Vacation Research Scholarship students on projects in antimicrobial nanomedicine and biofilm-targeted drug delivery. My teaching and mentoring experience includes training students in microbiological assays, biofilm models, nanoparticle formulation and characterisation, experimental design, data analysis, troubleshooting, scientific writing, and research methodology. I am also involved in graduate research peer mentoring and STEM outreach, where I support students and communicate complex concepts in antimicrobial resistance, biofilms, and nanomedicine to diverse audiences.
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2026 | Co-Supervisor | Developing nanomaterials for multimodal targeting of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria | Adelaide University | Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science | Other | Full Time | Roua Azroun |
| Date | Topic | Location | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 - ongoing | Graduate research peer mentoring and HDR student support | Adelaide University | Girija Roka |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 - ongoing | Representative | Graduate Research Student Representative | Adelaide University | Australia |
| 2026 - ongoing | Representative | Student Engagement and Wellbeing Representative | Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation, Adelaide University | Australia |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Member | Controlled Release Society | Australia |
| 2025 - ongoing | Member | Australian Pharmaceutical Science Association | Australia |
| 2024 - ongoing | Member | Australian Society for Microbiology | Australia |
| Date | Title | Engagement Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 - ongoing | STEM Outreach Facilitator and Presenter | Public Community Engagement | Adelaide university | Australia |
| 2025 - 2025 | Science Alive! STEM Networking Event Representative | Public Community Engagement | Science Alive! STEM Sisters | Australia |
| Date | Role | Editorial Board Name | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Board Member | Bioengineering | MDPI | Switzerland |
| Date | Topic | Presented at | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Oral and Poster Presentations in Pharmaceutical Sciences and AMR | Multiple National & International Conferences | National & International | - |
| Date | Title | Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - ongoing | Review, Assessment, Editorial and Advice | Grant Assessment | Multiple international journals and organisations | - |
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