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United Kingdom

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Senior Pharmaceutical Scientist | 15+ years in Semisolid Formulation, Rheology & Advanced Drug Delivery | PhD, UCL

Profile Summary

Senior Pharmaceutical Scientist | Drug Delivery & Formulation Specialist I am a Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutics at the University of Greenwich and a PhD graduate (Dean's Scholar) from University College London, with over 15 years spanning pharmaceutical industry, postdoctoral research, and academia. My work sits at the intersection of materials science and clinical performance, translating fundamental formulation science into products that work. What I offer clients: My consulting practice helps pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical companies move from guesswork to precision. I specialise in: • Rheological characterisation of semisolid formulations: viscoelastic profiling, flow behaviour analysis, and stability prediction for creams, gels, ointments, and topical drug products • Microstructure equivalence (Q3) for generic topicals: regulatory strategy and Analytical Quality by Design (AQbD) frameworks to meet FDA and EMA requirements • Advanced drug delivery system design: electrospun nanofibers, mucoadhesive platforms, and multicompartmental fibre systems for complex delivery challenges • Paediatric and specialist formulations: drawing on my role as scientific adviser to the European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure (EPTRI) • Formulation performance and skin permeation: evaluating post-application metamorphosis to optimise therapeutic outcomes Track record: My research is published in leading journals including International Journal of Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutics, and Advanced Science, and I have presented at conferences in the USA, Canada, South Korea, and the UK. In 2018 I was selected to present research outcomes to the UK Parliament. I also hold deep expertise in pharmacovigilance and medical quality assurance from my years as Drug Information Manager for a multinational pharmaceutical company in Ghana. I bring the rigour of a research scientist and the commercial instincts of an industry practitioner, helping you accelerate development timelines without sacrificing quality or compliance.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Pharmacy
• ☆ Drug Development
• ☆ Drug Formulation
• ☆ Formulation
• ☆ Cosmetic Formulation

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Product Development

Writing Medical Writing

Research Scientific and Technical Research

Consulting Manufacturing Consulting

Product Development Formulation, Quality Assurance & Control (QA/QC)

Work Experience

Senior Lecturer

University of Greenwich

- Present

University of Greenwich

- Present

Lecturer

Medway School of Pharmacy

September 2019 - Present

Research /Teaching Fellow

University College London

May 2017 - September 2019

Education

PhD

University College London, University of London - United Kingdom

September 2013 - September 2017

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Omar Shafi, Michelle Swer, Un Hou Chan, Alisha Kassam, Mirkomol Mirzarakhimov, Jai Yi Huang, F Brako (2025). Surfactant‐Modified Progesterone‐Loaded PVP/Cellulose Fibres for Future Drug Delivery Applications in Menopause . Macromolecular Materials and Engineering.

Shafi, Omar, Swer, Michelle, Chan, Un Hou, Kassam, Alisha, Mirzarakhimov, Mirkomol, Huang, Jai Yi, Brako, F(2025). Surfactant‐modified progesterone‐loaded PVP/cellulose fibres for future drug delivery applications in menopause . Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 310. (10). Wiley

Brako, Francis, Agyekum, Pearl Boamah, Lutterodt, Herman Erick, Ofosu, Isaac Williams(2025). Microstructural characterization of four nixtamalized and saccharified underutilized legume powders . Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies. 110. Elsevier

Francis Brako, Omar Shafi, Saurabh Phadnis, Un Hou Chan, Mohan Edirisinghe (2024). High Dose Progesterone Loaded PCL‐Polysorbate 80 Transdermal Fibers for Potential Application in Gynecological Oncology . Macromolecular Materials and Engineering.

Brako, Francis, Shafi, Omar, Edirisinghe, Mohan(2022). Polysorbate enhanced progesterone loaded drug diffusion from macromolecular fibrous patches for applications in obstetrics and gynaecology . Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology (JDDST). 79. Elsevier

Francis Brako, Mehmet Onur Aydogdu, Jennifer L. Rohn, Nazila V. Jafari, Shervanthi Homer‐Vanniasinkam, Mohan Edirisinghe(2022). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Type 2‐Causing Coronavirus: Variants and Preventive Strategies . Advanced Science. 9. (11). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 2104495. Wiley

Aydogdu, M.O., Rohn, J.L., Jafari, N.V., Brako, F., Homer-Vanniasinkam, S., Edirisinghe, M.(2022). Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Type 2-Causing Coronavirus: Variants and Preventive Strategies . Advanced Science. 9. (11).

Francis Brako, Elisa Alessandrini, Mariagiovanna Scarpa, Mariangela Lupo, Donato Bonifazi, Valeria Pignataro, Maria Cavallo, Ornela Cullufe, Cristina Enache, Begonya Nafria, et al.(2021). Children’s Preferences for Oral Dosage Forms and Their Involvement in Formulation Research via EPTRI (European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure) . Pharmaceutics. 13. (5). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 730. {MDPI} {AG}

Francis Brako, Elisa Alessandrini, Mariagiovanna Scarpa, Mariangela Lupo, Donato Bonifazi, Valeria Pignataro, Maria Cavallo, Ornela Cullufe, Cristina Enache, Begonya Nafria, et al. (2021). Children’s Preferences for Oral Dosage Forms and Their Involvement in Formulation Research via EPTRI (European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure) . Pharmaceutics.

Alessandrini, E., Brako, F., Scarpa, M., Lupo, M., Bonifazi, D., Pignataro, V., Cavallo, M., Cullufe, O., Enache, C., Nafria, B., et al.(2021). Children’s preferences for oral dosage forms and their involvement in formulation research via eptri (European paediatric translational research infrastructure) . Pharmaceutics. 13. (5).

Francis Brako, Chaojie Luo, Rupy Kaur Matharu, Lena Ciric, Anthony Harker, Mohan Edirisinghe, Duncan Q. M. Craig(2020). A Portable Device for the Generation of Drug-Loaded Three-Compartmental Fibers Containing Metronidazole and Iodine for Topical Application . Pharmaceutics. 12. (4). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 373. {MDPI} {AG}

Francis Brako, Chaojie Luo, Rupy Kaur Matharu, Lena Ciric, Anthony Harker, Mohan Edirisinghe, Duncan Q. M. Craig (2020). A Portable Device for the Generation of Drug-Loaded Three-Compartmental Fibers Containing Metronidazole and Iodine for Topical Application . Pharmaceutics.

Brako, F., Luo, C., Matharu, R.K., Ciric, L., Harker, A., Edirisinghe, M., Craig, D.Q.M.(2020). A portable device for the generation of drug-loaded three-compartmental fibers containing metronidazole and iodine for topical application . Pharmaceutics. 12. (4).

Cam, M.E., Hazar-Yavuz, A.N., Cesur, S., Ozkan, O., Alenezi, H., Turkoglu Sasmazel, H., Sayip Eroglu, M., Brako, F., Ahmed, J., Kabasakal, L., et al.(2020). A novel treatment strategy for preterm birth: Intra-vaginal progesterone-loaded fibrous patches . International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 588.

Altun, E., Aydogdu, M.O., Crabbe-Mann, M., Ahmed, J., Brako, F., Karademir, B., Aksu, B., Sennaroglu, M., Eroglu, M.S., Ren, G., et al.(2019). Co-Culture of Keratinocyte-Staphylococcus aureus on Cu-Ag-Zn/CuO and Cu-Ag-W Nanoparticle Loaded Bacterial Cellulose:PMMA Bandages . Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 304. (1).

Shams, T., Brako, F., Huo, S., Harker, A.H., Edirisinghe, U., Edirisinghe, M.(2019). The influence of drug solubility and sampling frequency on metformin and glibenclamide release from double-layered particles: Experimental analysis and mathematical modelling . Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 16. (155).

Brako, F., Luo, C., Craig, D.Q.M., Edirisinghe, M.(2018). An Inexpensive, Portable Device for Point-of-Need Generation of Silver-Nanoparticle Doped Cellulose Acetate Nanofibers for Advanced Wound Dressing . Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 303. (5).

Aydogdu, M.O., Altun, E., Crabbe-Mann, M., Brako, F., Koc, F., Ozen, G., Kuruca, S.E., Edirisinghe, U., Luo, C.J., Gunduz, O., et al.(2018). Cellular interactions with bacterial cellulose: Polycaprolactone nanofibrous scaffolds produced by a portable electrohydrodynamic gun for point-of-need wound dressing . International Wound Journal. 15. (5). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 789-797.

Brako, F., Thorogate, R., Mahalingam, S., Raimi-Abraham, B., Craig, D.Q.M., Edirisinghe, M.(2018). Mucoadhesion of Progesterone-Loaded Drug Delivery Nanofiber Constructs . ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. 10. (16). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 13381-13389.

Altun, E., Aydogdu, M.O., Koc, F., Crabbe-Mann, M., Brako, F., Kaur-Matharu, R., Ozen, G., Kuruca, S.E., Edirisinghe, U., Gunduz, O., et al.(2018). Novel Making of Bacterial Cellulose Blended Polymeric Fiber Bandages . Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 303. (3).

Brako, F., Raimi-Abraham, B.T., Mahalingam, S., Craig, D.Q.M., Edirisinghe, M.(2018). The development of progesterone-loaded nanofibers using pressurized gyration: A novel approach to vaginal delivery for the prevention of pre-term birth . International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 540. (1-2). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 31-39.

Brako, F., Mahalingam, S., Rami-Abraham, B., Craig, D.Q.M., Edirisinghe, M.(2017). Application of nanotechnology for the development of microbicides . Nanotechnology. 28. (5).

Brako, F., Raimi-Abraham, B., Mahalingam, S., Craig, D.Q.M., Edirisinghe, M.(2015). Making nanofibres of mucoadhesive polymer blends for vaginal therapies . European Polymer Journal. 70. Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 186-196.

Polysorbate enhanced progesterone loaded drug diffusion from macromolecular fibrous patches for applications in obstetrics and gynaecology .

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Type 2‐Causing Coronavirus: Variants and Preventive Strategies (Adv. Sci. 11/2022) .