Dr Ali Athab Al-Kinani

Dr Al-Kinani is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) recognised for delivering research-informed, student-centred teaching that integrates pharmaceutics, drug delivery and translational medicine.

He has extensive experience in higher education, contributing to the design and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences. His teaching focuses on pharmaceutics, drug delivery, pharmaceutical formulation and translational medicine.

He currently serves as Course Director for the MSc in Advanced Therapeutics and Public Health, providing academic leadership for programme development, curriculum design and quality assurance. He previously served as Course Director for the Pharmacy with Biopharmaceutics (Pre-Pharmacy) programme, leading a team of module leaders and teaching staff. Under his leadership, student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS) increased significantly from 71.4% in 2020 to 82% in 2021, and to 90% in 2023.

Dr Al-Kinani is also Module Leader for Research Project (PY7031) and contributes to teaching and assessment across a wide range of modules within the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, covering areas such as drug delivery, pharmaceutical manufacturing, clinical pharmacology and precision medicine.

His teaching philosophy emphasises inclusive and research-informed education, incorporating innovative approaches such as Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL), Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as Department Lead for Online Examinations, Quality Assurance, and Proctoring, leading the transition to secure online assessment and contributing to institutional best practices, which were presented at the Horizons in STEM Higher Education Conference (2021).

Academic Impact Awards

• Most outstanding contribution to learning and teaching, Academic Impact Awards, Students Voice, Kingston University, May 2023.
• Most engaging personal tutor, Academic Impact Awards, Students Voice, Kingston University, May 2023.
• Nominated for the Personal Project/Dissertation Supervisor Award, 2019 (Kingston University)

Qualifications

• Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), 2024
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2016.
• Associate Fellow of Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), 2015.

Course director

• Advanced Therapeutics and Public Health MSc

Courses taught

• Pharmaceutical Analysis MSc
• Pharmaceutical Science MSc
• Pharmaceutical Science BSc (Hons)
• Pharmacy MPharm (Hons)
• Advanced Therapeutics and Public Health MSc
• Pharmacy with Biopharmaceutics MPharm (Hons)

Dr Ali A. Al-Kinani is an active researcher in the Department of Pharmacy at Kingston University, working at the intersection of pharmaceutics, drug delivery and pharmaceutical nanotechnology. His research focuses on developing advanced drug delivery systems and innovative therapeutic strategies, with particular emphasis on ocular drug delivery and treatments for eye diseases and other chronic conditions.

His work integrates pharmaceutical formulation, biomaterials and nanomedicine to develop next-generation drug delivery platforms with translational clinical potential. Current research in his group explores controlled drug release systems, nanoparticle-based therapeutics, polymer-based drug delivery technologies and 3D-printing approaches for personalised ophthalmic medicines.

Research themes

• Ocular drug delivery and ophthalmic therapeutics
• Pharmaceutics and advanced drug delivery systems
• Nanomedicine and nanoparticle drug delivery
• Biomaterials and polymer-based drug delivery systems
• 3D printing technologies for personalised medicines

Research leadership and supervision

Dr Al-Kinani leads multidisciplinary research projects in pharmaceutics and ocular therapeutics and serves as Principal Investigator on several research projects at Kingston University investigating new ophthalmic medicines and drug delivery technologies. Some of this research has generated intellectual property with potential for patent protection, reflecting the translational impact of the work.

He supervises doctoral and postgraduate researchers and regularly hosts international research visitors in his laboratory.

Research funding

Dr Al-Kinani has secured international research funding and collaborative grants, including:

• National Priorities Research Program (NPRP) – Qatar Foundation (PI, $510K)
• International Research Collaboration Co-Funding Program (IRCC) – Qatar University (PI, $175K)

These projects focus on developing innovative therapeutic approaches and sustained drug delivery systems for retinal diseases.

Publications and academic recognition

Dr Al-Kinani has published widely in high-impact international journals in pharmaceutics and drug delivery, including several Q1 journal publications, with outputs submitted to REF 2021.

He has been invited to present his research at major international conferences including the Controlled Release Society, AAPS, and the SMI Ophthalmic Drugs Conference.

Editorial and professional contributions

Dr Al-Kinani contributes to the international research community through editorial roles. He is an Editorial Board Member for Pharmaceutical Development and Technology and serves on the Topic Advisory Board for Pharmaceutics.

Research vision

Dr Al-Kinani’s research aims to advance the development of next-generation drug delivery technologies that improve the effectiveness and accessibility of treatments for ocular and chronic diseases. By combining pharmaceutical formulation science, nanotechnology and emerging manufacturing approaches such as 3D printing, his work seeks to translate innovative discoveries into clinically relevant therapies that improve patient outcomes.

PhD opportunities

Dr Al-Kinani welcomes enquiries from prospective PhD students and research collaborators interested in pharmaceutics, ocular drug delivery, nanomedicine and advanced pharmaceutical formulation technologies.

Specialisms

• Ocular Drug Delivery
• 3D Printing Technology
• Biological Evaluation of New Drugs
• Pharmaceutical Analysis
• Biological Evaluation of Drug Delivery Systems

Scholarly affiliations

• Pharmaceutical Scientist Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
• Member of the United Kingdom and Ireland Controlled Release Society
• Member of the Controlled Release Society

Dr Ali A. Al-Kinani’s research has a strong applied and translational impact, focusing on the development of innovative pharmaceutical formulations and advanced drug delivery technologies with clinical and industrial applications. He actively builds internal and external collaborations with academic researchers, healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical companies to translate scientific discoveries into practical therapeutic solutions.

Through these collaborations, Dr Al-Kinani has established industry partnerships that have generated research income for Kingston University and supported the development of novel drug delivery technologies. For example, he led a consultancy collaboration with Modepharma, providing expertise in pharmaceutical formulation and dissolution studies. He is also working with the university’s innovation and enterprise teams to protect intellectual property arising from his research, including novel ophthalmic drug delivery systems and formulation technologies.

Dr Al-Kinani contributes to international knowledge exchange and public engagement. In recognition of his expertise in ocular drug delivery and pharmaceutical innovation, he was invited as an expert speaker on the science and technology programme “Future Insight”, broadcast by Telewizja Polska, where he discussed emerging technologies such as 3D printing for personalised medicines and advanced ocular drug delivery systems.

He welcomes opportunities for collaboration with industry partners, healthcare organisations and interdisciplinary research teams to advance pharmaceutical innovation and drug delivery technologies.

Dr Ali A. Al-Kinani combines academic research with professional practice and knowledge exchange. Before entering academia, he worked as a pharmacist in community and hospital settings in Iraq and Qatar, experience that informs his research in translational pharmaceutics and patient-centred drug delivery systems.

He actively contributes to international knowledge exchange through research supervision, collaborations and engagement with the wider scientific community. Dr Al-Kinani is also involved in public engagement and outreach activities, including the Spectroscopy in a Suitcase programme organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which promotes STEM education among school students.

Through these activities, he supports the translation of pharmaceutical research into real-world healthcare applications.

Qualifications and expertise

• Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Pharmacy Examination Board (2007 – 2008), Qatar

Professional and scholarly affiliations

• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society
• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Member of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Syndicate of Iraqi Pharmacists

Dr Al-Kinani contributes to the strategic direction of Kingston University through leadership roles in governance, equality initiatives and research oversight.

At university level, he served as a Member of the Kingston University Board of Governors (2019–2022) and as a member of the Academic Council (formerly Senate), contributing to academic strategy, research development and institutional governance.

Dr Al-Kinani is actively involved in equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the Institutional Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team and is a member of the Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team and the Network of Equality Champions, supporting initiatives that promote equity and career development within higher education.

At faculty and departmental level, he contributes to research governance and professional standards as a member of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee and the Fitness to Practise Committee (FtP) in the Department of Pharmacy.

University responsibilities

• Member of Kingston University Board of Governors
• Member of Kingston University Academic Council (Senate) for two cycles
• Member of the Faculty Research Degree committee
• Co-Chair of the Institutional Athena Swan
• Member of Kingston University Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team (SAT)