The Challenge
Swansea University’s Dr Amira Guirguis is a pharmacist and an internationally renowned expert on substance misuse and drug detection. She describes the prevalence of new psychoactive substances, or NPS as ‘an area of growing concern’. NPS, previously referred to as “legal highs” (they have now become illegal) are different from traditional drugs of abuse and there are hundreds that have flooded the global market in the last decade.
The Method
Dr Guirguis joined Swansea University Medical School in March 2019, with a specific research focus on NPS. Together with a new team at the Medical School, she is setting up a research unit to analyse the properties and effects of NPS and other substances of misuse, to increase understanding of them, and, crucially, to offer advice to the medical profession on how to treat people who have taken them.
The Impact
- Dr Guirguis has led the creation of the first Home Office-licensed, community-based drug-checking service within a substance misuse service in collaboration with Addaction, one of the UK's leading drug, alcohol and mental health charities.
- Her research findings have been incorporated into renowned databases as well as essential textbooks for pharmacy undergraduates in the UK.
- She is the Scheduled Drugs lead for the Science and Research Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), advising the Chief Scientist for the RPS and is consulted on anything related to new drugs, feeding into UK drug policy and supporting the General Pharmaceutical Council.
- Dr Guirguis leads a research group of five PhD students whose research forms the basis of a holistic approach to dealing with NPS.
- Research Highlights
- Health Innovation
- Diabetes and Exercise
- Cholesterol in Human Health and Disease
- Maggots
- DNA Damage and the Safety of Nanomaterials
- Diagnosing Heart Disease in India
- Advanced drug detection
- Targeting Tumours with Bacteria
- Are supermarkets good for your health?
- Public views during the Covid pandemic
- Enhancing the performance of elite and professional athletes
- Physical activity and health of children
- Creating pain free needles
- The Adverse Drug Reaction Profile
- Artificial intelligence techniques to increase efficacy of cancer detection
- Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP)
- Increasing Breastfeeding Rates
- Tackling inequality in burn injury prevention and treatment
- Avoiding Unnecessary Medical Interventions
- Reducing waste and improving blood flow
- Control of Fungal Diseases
- Improving Outcome Assessment in Acquired Brain Injury
- Improving Psychological Support for Health Related Stress
- Improving Housing Information, Advice and Services for Older People
- Psychological Support to promote Physiotherapy for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
- Steel Innovation
- Sustainable Futures, Energy and the Environment
- Culture, Communication and Heritage
- Smart Manufacturing
- Justice and Equality
- Digital Futures
- Health Innovation
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