Dr Alaaldin M Alkilany, a professor of pharmaceutical and nanoscience at the Qatar University (QU)’s College of Pharmacy, has achieved global recognition by securing a spot within the prestigious top 2% of world-cited scientists, according to the Stanford University Ranking.
Recognised for his contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences, Dr Alkilany has registered more than 20 pharmaceutical products across the US and Europe.
His research in developing gold nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy has opened new avenues in the fight against this formidable disease.
Dr Alkilany worked on developing protocols to manufacture gold nanoparticles to target cancer cells.
These nanoparticles have unique optical properties that allow them to absorb external laser beams and convert them into localised heat to destroy and burn cancer cells through thermal ablation.
In addition, he developed simple chemical methods to obtain complex nanoparticles from a mixture of medicinal polymers as well as gold and silver nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
The impact of Dr Alkilany's research is underscored by his collaboration with Qatar-based pharmaceutical manufacturer QLife Pharma, facilitated by a grant from the Transformative Research Priorities Readiness Programme.
This collaboration underscores the QU's commitment to translating research into practical solutions for real-world challenges.
Dr Alkilany's efforts to bring his innovative cancer treatment prototype to market reflect Qatar's strategy of nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship.
Dr Alkilany said: “Qatar has a serious strategy to promote scientific research and basic and applied sciences in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship; QU is one of the top educational institutions in Qatar and has the best academics from around the world.”
He joined the QU in 2021 as a professor of pharmacy and nanotechnology at the College of Pharmacy.
Since joining the Health Cluster, he has gained extensive experience in the nanotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
In addition, Dr Alkilany has broad research interests, including the manufacturing, operation, and biomedical applications of nanomaterials, as well as pharmaceutical formulation and the development of new drug delivery systems.
Dr Alkilany graduated from Jordan University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2000 and went on to work for Al-Hikma Pharmaceutical Company as a research and development scientist.
He earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Nanoscience from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US in 2010, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Augusta University.