Dr Heba Ghazal
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
- Department of Pharmacy
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry
- Penrhyn Road
Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am a senior lecturer in pharmacy and a pharmacist prescriber registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council in the UK (GPhC), specialised in chronic heart failure. I teach in the MPharm course, and I am year lead of final year pharmacy students (Level 7). My educational background includes pharmacy degree, PGCert in Independent Prescribing in heart failure, a master's degree in drug delivery and a PhD in biopharmaceutics.
I am an active researcher engaged in multidisciplinary collaborations on both internal and external projects, with a publication record spanning pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, and environmental lab-based research. My current research interest is on water stewardship – specifically, eliminating pharmaceutical residues and contaminants from the environment and advancing sustainability in healthcare. The method I explore, using biochar, involves affordable materials and scalable techniques with a focus on eliminating antibiotics and hormonal residues from water to provide a sustainable water resource in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. I actively collaborate with national and international universities on projects related to pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonisation HTC, drug stability, carcinogen detection in herbal drinks, and cryotherapy, including the supervision of PhD and MSc projects in pharmaceutical sciences in Kingston University and externally.
Throughout my career, I have worked across academia, industry, and both community and hospital pharmacy settings. This diverse experience has shaped my expertise in research, pharmacy practice, and academic teaching. In the industry, I have been a scientific officer for Flint Engineering since 2015, within this role I have been working on several projects in areas related to the vaccine storage, stability of food preserved in new open refrigerators and enhancing food processing for better food safety.
I am also a community pharmacist and I was a relief pharmacist manager with Lloyds Pharmacy and since 2022, I have the privilege of being under honorary contract at St George's Hospital, London that enables joint supervision of research students and enhancement to my prescriber experience. In addition, I am bank hospital pharmacist for Ramsay Heath Care.
In addition I contribute to the peer review process in academic journals as an editor of the following journals by Elsevier:
- Editor-in-Chief for "Science Talks" journal
- Editorial board member in "Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering"
- Managing Guest Editor for special issue Pharmaceuticals Contamination in the Environment in "Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology"
- Managing Guest Editor for special issue Decarbonization & Sustainability as a Roadmap to a Cleaner Environment in "Thermal Science and Engineering Progress"
Qualifications
- PhD in Biopharmaceutics, Liverpool John Moores University
- Masters degree in Drug Delivery, The University of Manchester
- Diploma in Pharmaceutical Quality Control and Analytical Methods
- Bachelors degree in Pharmacy
- PGCert Independent and Supplementary Prescribing for Pharmacists, University of Reading
- Aurora Advance HE
Domains
I am committed to delivering high quality teaching and aspire to motivate students to achieve excellent results. I teach a range of topics including clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice. Given the significant role of pharmaceutical calculations in the pharmacy profession in ensuring patient's safety, I lead on teaching calculations within the MPharm course. I have a keen interest in teaching pharmacy calculations using blended teaching methods, digital tools and videos that facilitate student comprehension.
I am also interested in incorporating pharmacogenomics teaching into the MPharm curriculum. I conducted projects gathering the views of pharmacy students, community and hospital pharmacists regarding the teaching of pharmacogenomics and the potential implementation of pharmacogenomics service.
I also bring my research activities to my teaching to ensure the students have access to real life experience. This was demonstrated through joint supervision for MPharm projects "prescribing for heart failure" at St Georges Hospital (abstracts have been published in international heart failure specialised conferences) and industrial support to my PhD students from industrial contacts.
Articles Published in Conversation
- Hay fever: new immunotherapy approved in England for people with severe birch pollen allergies
- An animal sedative keeps turning up in opioid deaths – what you need to know about medetomidine
- Should you worry about melatonin and heart failure? The evidence isn’t clear
- Ketamine is giving more young people bladder problems – an expert explains
Awards Academic Impact Awards Kingston University People Award
- Best project supervisor (2024) Kingston University
Nominations Academic Impact Awards Kingston University People Award
- Enterprising value award team (2024)
- Outstanding contribution to learning and teaching award (2024)
- Outstanding contribution to the student experience (2024)
- Professional/support staff of the year (2024)
- Most friendly staff award (2023)
Nomination Alliance Award (2024)
Inspiring individuals (2024) published in p.89 Little book of big impact.
Advance HE Higher Education blogs
- Finding the “Goldilocks” balance in assignment briefings
- Who benefits more: peer mentors or mentees? | Advance HE
- The art and challenges of teaching calculations in clinical courses | Advance HE
Qualifications
- Senior Fellow in the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Courses taught
An active researcher collaborating on multi-disciplinary internal and external research projects, with a record of publications in pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, and environmental lab-based projects
Ghazal, Heba S. - Author details - Scopus.
Grants
Innovate UK: Active refrigeration shelf with thermal storage. Grant Number: 102330. Grant Value: £412,572. Duration: 18 months from 2015 to 2016 Role: PI (under Flint Engineering Limited).
Research and projects
- The occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals from aquatic environment.
- The use of biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste to remove pollutants from water, in particular pharmaceutical contamination such antibiotics and contraceptives.
- "Recycling the non-recyclable", a new project concerned with recycling and re-use of pharmaceutical packaging's and blister packs.
- Through collaboration with Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Poland, projects including waste tyres pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation of sewage sludge.
- Analysing real-life data and conducting clinical audits in heart failure prescribing in St George's hospital, London.
- Pharmacy practice topics such as pharmacogenomics testing service, pharmacists' views, and training needs.
- Evaluating the safety of food, the effect of storage conditions on the oxidative stability of lipids in food products. This is a part of a project in-collaboration that aims to evaluate new supermarket shelves that provide a consistent cooling in supermarket fridges.
- Comparing the levels of carcinogenic substances polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in herbal drink – Yerba Mate – dried using traditional method versus samples dried using the novel drying system.
- Through collaboration with Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland, a project concerned with air quality, toxicity and genotoxicity assessment of particulate matters suspended in urban areas.
- Through collaboration with SANZI, evaluation of non-alcoholic antibacterial hand sanitisers to demonstrate that an alcohol-free hand sanitiser can be as effective as an alcohol-based antiseptic.
- The development and validation of stability indicating methods for the analysis of medicinal substances such as rivaroxaban, sitagliptin and terbinafine in bulk drug substance and pharmaceutical preparations.
- Developing teaching materials that help student students 'visualise' the calculation problems using short illustrative videos showing the practical steps involved in working the question.
Qualifications and Professional expertise
- GPhC registered Pharmacist
- Pharmacist Prescriber
Editor-in-chief for Science Talks, by Elsevier.
Quoted in a piece in the Daily Mail discussing how pine tree oils could be used for drug production instead of fossil fuels. It has also been published by other news sites including Mahalsa News.
Conference organising committee
I have been part of the organisational boards for the following major academic conferences:
- Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy & Environmental Protection (SEEP) 2025, 2026
- Member of the international advisory board SEEP 2024,2025, 2026
- Local organising committee MSSM, May (2024), Athens, Greece.
- Water, Energy & Climate Change conference (2021) Sharja University, UAE leading on a theme on pharmaceuticals in aquatic environment.
- International Conference on Sustainable Energy & Environmental Protection (SEEP 2021 & 2022).
University responsibilities
- Final year pharmacy - Level 7 (MPharm) year lead
- Calculations teaching and assessment lead
- PY7000 module lead
Publications
Dynamic multi-objective, multi-period optimisation of a hydrogen supply chain in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region: a Saudi Arabia case study
Olabi, Valentina, Alhajeri, Abdulrahman, Ghazal, Heba and Jouhara, Hussam, 2026, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (231), Published
Collagen supplements can help your skin and joints, large new study finds
Ghazal, Heba, 2026, The Conversation, Published
Decarbonization & sustainability as a roadmap to a cleaner environment
Ghazal, Heba and Acquaviva, Marialuisa, 2026, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (70), Published
Decarbonization & sustainability as a roadmap to a cleaner environment
2026, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (70), Published
Ketamine is giving more young people bladder problems – an expert explains
Ghazal, Heba, 2026, The Conversation, Published
Design and material characterisation of additively manufactured polymer scaffolds for medical devices
Pereira, Aidan, Moetazedian, Amirpasha, Taylor, Martin J., Longbottom, Frances E., Ghazal, Heba, Han, Jie and Zhang, Bin, 2026, Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing (10), 1pp 39, Published
Investigation of ethinylestradiol removal from water using chemically and thermally activated garden-waste biochar
Odeh, Sarah, Singer, Richard and Ghazal, Heba, 2026, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (69), Published
Cutting-edge advances in hydrogen applications for the medical and pharmaceutical industries
Jouhara, Hussam, Kodresko, Alevtina, Alhajeri, Abdulrahman, Olabi, Valentina and Ghazal, Heba, 2025, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (189), Published
Should you worry about melatonin and heart failure? The evidence isn’t clear
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, The Conversation, Published
The art and challenges of teaching calculations in clinical courses
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, AdvanceHE, Published
An increased focus on calculation competency as a regulatory requirement has never been more critical
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, Pharmaceutical Journal, Published
An animal sedative keeps turning up in opioid deaths – what you need to know about medetomidine
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, The Conversation, Published
Hay fever: new immunotherapy approved in England for people with severe birch pollen allergies
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, The Conversation, Published
Who benefits more: peer mentors or mentees?
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, AdvanceHE, Published
Technical assessment of green hydrogen production in Kuwait
Alhajeri, Abdulrahman, Ghazal, Heba, Olabi, Valentina and Jouhara, Hussam, 2025, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (144)pp 924-931, Published
Hydrothermal carbonization of digested sludge from wastewater treatment plants: processes, potential and key challenges
Kossińska, Nina, Krzyżyńska, Renata, Ghazal, Heba, Jouhara, Hussam, Kwapińska, Marzena and Kwapiński, Witold, 2025, Science Talks (14), Published
Finding the “Goldilocks” balance in assignment briefings
Ghazal, Heba, 2025, AdvanceHE, Published
Hydrothermal carbonisation products energy properties: the role of digested sludge type and operating conditions
Kossińska, Nina, Krzyżyńska, Renata, Grosser, Anna, Kwapińska, Marzena, Ghazal, Heba, Jouhara, Hussam and Kwapiński, Witold, 2025, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (61), Published
Cutaneous cryosurgery in dermatology: evolving principles and clinical applications for benign, premalignant, and malignant lesions
Mokbel, Ramia, Kodresko, Alevtina, Mokbel, Kefah, Ghazal, Heba, Trembley, Jon and Jouhara, Hussam, 2025, In Vivo (39), 2pp 577-612, Published
Exploring the preparedness of hospital pharmacists practising in Southwest London for implementing pharmacogenomics testing
Mason, Thuy, Ní Dheasmhúnaigh, Éirne and Ghazal, Heba, 2024, Southern Med Review (17), 1, Published
Co-hydrothermal carbonization as a potential method of utilising digested sludge and screenings from wastewater treatment plants towards energy application
Kossińska, Nina, Grosser, Anna, Kwapińska, Marzena, Kwapiński, Witold, Ghazal, Heba, Jouhara, Hussam and Krzyżyńska, Renata, 2024, Energy, E-pub ahead of print
Evaluating the effectiveness of videos for teaching pharmaceutical calculations to pharmacy students
Haq, Marrium, Crilly, Philip, Harrap, Nicola, Kayyali, Reem and Ghazal, Heba, 2024, Pharmacy (12), 1, Published
Cryogenic media in biomedical applications: current advances, challenges, and future perspectives
Mokbel, Kefah, Kodresko, Alevtina, Ghazal, Heba, Mokbel, Ramia, Trembley, Jon and Jouhara, Hussam, 2024, In Vivo (38), 1pp 1-39, Published
Are community pharmacists ready to deliver pharmacogenomics testing services?
Ghazal, Heba, Tahal, Ayaz and Mason, Thuy, 2023, Pharmacy (11), 6, Published
The use of biochar for the removal of erythromycin residues from aqueous environment
Ghazal, Heba and Ramroop, Nadia, 2023, Key Engineering Materials (962)pp 149-154, Published
The evolving role of cryosurgery in breast cancer management: a comprehensive review
Mokbel, Kefah, Kodresko, Alevtina, Ghazal, Heba, Mokbel, Ramia, Trembley, Jon and Jouhara, Hussam, 2023, Cancers (15), 17, Published
Pharmaceuticals contamination in the environment
Ghazal, Heba, 2023, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, E-pub ahead of print
Hydrothermal carbonisation of sewage sludge and resulting biofuels as a sustainable energy source
Kossińska, Nina, Krzyżyńska, Renata, Ghazal, Heba and Jouhara, Hussam, 2023, Energy, E-pub ahead of print
Experimental investigation of waste tyres pyrolysis gas desulfurization through absorption in alkanolamines solutions
Czajczyńska, Dina, Krzyżyńska, Renata, Ghazal, Heba and Jouhara, Hussam, 2022, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, E-pub ahead of print
Insights into current physical, chemical and hybrid technologies used for the treatment of wastewater contaminated with pharmaceuticals
Ghazal, Heba, Koumaki, Elena, Hoslett, John, Malamis, Simos, Katsou, Evina, Barcelo, Damia and Jouhara, Hussam, 2022, Journal of Cleaner Production (361), Published
The removal of tetracycline from water using biochar produced from agricultural discarded material
Hoslett, John, Ghazal, Heba, Katsou, Evina and Jouhara, Hussam, 2021, Science of the Total Environment (751), Published
Seasonal variability of chemical composition and mutagenic effect of organic PM2.5 pollutants collected in the urban area of Wrocław (Poland)
Trusz, Agnieszka, Ghazal, Heba and Piekarska, Katarzyna, 2020, Science of the Total Environment (733), Published
Synthesis of pH-responsive hydrogel based on PVP grafted with crotonic acid for controlled drug delivery
Ajji, Z., Maarouf, M., Khattab, A. and Ghazal, H., 2020, Radiation Physics and Chemistry (170), Published
Removal of methylene blue from aqueous solutions by biochar prepared from the pyrolysis of mixed municipal discarded material
Hoslett, John, Ghazal, Heba, Mohamad, Nour and Jouhara, Hussam, 2020, Science of the Total Environment (714), Published
Removal of copper ions from aqueous solution using low temperature biochar derived from the pyrolysis of municipal solid waste
Hoslett, John, Ghazal, Heba, Ahmad, Darem and Jouhara, Hussam, 2019, Science of the Total Environment (673)pp 777-789, Published
Patients' and prescribers' perception of contact lenses as a potential ocular drug delivery system
Ghazal, Heba, Ahmadouk, Judy, Dhanji, Sumayya, El-bushra, Amani, Kayyali, Reem and ElShaer, Amr, 2019, Contact Lens and Anterior Eye (42), 2pp 190-195, Published
Surface water filtration using granular media and membranes: A review
Hoslett, John, Massara, Theoni Maria, Malamis, Simos, Ahmad, Darem, van den Boogaert, Inge, Katsou, Evina, Ahmad, Balsam, Ghazal, Heba, Simons, Stefaan, Wrobel, Luiz and Jouhara, Hussam, 2018, Science of the Total Environment (639)pp 1268-1282, Published
Experimental investigation on the chemical characterisation of pyrolytic products of discarded food at temperatures up to 300[degrees]C
Jouhara, Hussam, Ahmad, Darem, Czajczyńska, Dina, Ghazal, Heba, Anguilano, Lorna, Reynolds, Alan, Rutkowski, Piotr, Krzyżyńska, Renata, Katsou, Evina, Simons, Stefaan and Spencer, Nik, 2018, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (5)pp 579-588, Published
Stability-indicating method for the determination of Rivaroxaban and its degradation products using LC-MS and TLC
Arous, Basima, Al-Mardini, Mohammad Amer, Ghazal, Heba and Al-Lahham, Fida, 2018, Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology (11), 1pp 212-220, Published
Heat pipe based municipal waste treatment unit for home energy recovery
Jouhara, H., Nannou, T. K., Anguilano, L., Ghazal, H. and Spencer, N., 2017, Energy (139)pp 1210-1230, Published
Municipal waste management systems for domestic use
Jouhara, H., Czajczyńska, D., Ghazal, H., Krzyżyńska, R., Anguilano, L., Reynolds, A. J. and Spencer, N., 2017, Energy (139)pp 485-506, Published
Potential of pyrolysis processes in the waste management sector
Czajczyńska, D., Anguilano, L., Ghazal, H., Krzyżyńska, R., Reynolds, A. J., Spencer, N. and Jouhara, H., 2017, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress (3)pp 171-197, Published
Potentials of pyrolysis processes in the waste management sector
Czajczyńska, Dina, Nannou, Theodora, Anguilano, Lorna, Krzyzyńska, Renata, Ghazal, Heba, Spencer, Nik and Jouhara, Hussam, 2017, Energy Procedia (123)pp 387-394, Published
Temperature and energy performance of open refrigerated display cabinets using heat pipe shelves
Jouhara, H., Nannou, T., Ghazal, H., Kayyali, R., Tassou, S. A. and Lester, S., 2017, Energy Procedia (123)pp 273-280, Published
A validated HPLC stability indicating method for the determination of sitagliptin in bulk drug substance and tablets
Qassas, Mohamed Karam, Al-Mardini, Mohammad Ameral-mardini and Ghazal, Heba, 2015, International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Review and Research (32), 1pp 194-198, E-pub ahead of print
The impact of food components on the intrinsic dissolution rate of ketoconazole
Ghazal, Heba S., Dyas, A. Mark, Ford, James L. and Hutcheon, Gillian A., 2014, Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy (41), 10pp 1647-1654, E-pub ahead of print
In vitro evaluation of the dissolution behaviour of itraconazole in bio-relevant media
Ghazal, Heba S., Dyas, A. Mark, Ford, James L. and Hutcheon, Gillian A., 2009, International Journal of Pharmaceutics (366), 1-2pp 117-123, Published
Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Yerba-mate herbal drink
Nwankwo, Christian, Barton, Stephen and Ghazal, Heba (2019). [Published]
Potentials of pyrolysis processes in the waste management sector
Czajczynska, D., Nannou, T., Anguilan, L., Krzyzynska, R., Ghazal, H., Spencer, N. and Jouhara, H. (2017). [Published]
Temperature and energy performance of open refrigerated display cabinets using heat pipe shelves
Jouhara, H., Nannou, T., Ghazal, H., Kayyali, R., Tassou, S.A. and Lester, S. (2017). [Published]
Investigation of EE2 removal efficiency using biochar and KOH-activated biochar as adsorbents
Odeh, Sarah and Ghazal, Heba(2025). [Published]
Plasma utilisation for the removal of pharmaceuticals from aqueous environment
Ghazal, Heba(2025). [Published]
Management of Iron deficiency in heart population treated in Heart Failure Unit and the outlier setting, A comparison study
Kakhi, Sorayya, Baig, Muminah, Ali Abdullah, Muminah, Alalawi, Mohammed, Eltahir, Aya, Bijman, Laura, Ray, Robin, Shanmugam, Nessam, Anderson, Lisa, Ghazal, Heba and Jouhra, Fadi(2024). [Published]
7α-ethinylestradiol (EE2): wastewater treatment methods and challenges
Odeh, Sarah and Ghazal, Heba(2024). [Published]
Exploring pharmacy students' views and knowledge on pharmacogenomics
Mason, Thuy, Hussain, Mohammed Abid and Ghazal, Heba(2024). [Published]
Characterisation of bio-oil produced from spent ground coffee through low temperature pyrolysis
Ghazal, Heba and Abdul Salam, Arsala V.(2024). [Published]
Outcomes for heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction attending emergency department and discharged within 24 hours versus those admitted patients in heart failure unit
Alalawi, Mohamed, Begum, Tahiba, Eltahir, Ava, Peterzan, Mark, Knott, Kristopher, Ray, Robin, Shanmugan, Nessam, Anderson, Lisa, Ghazal, Heba, Jouhra, Fadi and Macken, Elizabeth Lilly(2024). [Published]
Role of specialised heart failure unit in optimisation of guideline-directed medical therapy with focus on renal function - real world data
Macken, Elizabeth L, Ferrari, Marco, Virxinia Pol, Salia, Mandanrano, Lilly, Ghazal, Heba, Ali, Omar, Ray, Robin, Shanmugam, Nesan, Anderson, Lisa, Rosano, Giuseppe, Metra, Marco, Banerjee, Debasish and Jouhra, Fadi(2023). [Published]
Role of specialised Heart Failure Unit in optimisation of guideline-directed medical therapy: real world data
Macken, Elizabeth Lilly, Ferrari, MF, Danso-Dapaah, RD, Ahmed, FA, Mandanrano, LM, Bocchio, GC, Ghazal, HG, Ray, RR, Shanmugam, NS, Anderson, LM, Rosano, GR, Metra, MM and Jouhra, FJ(2023). [Published]
Biochar utilisation in erythromycin residues removal from aqueous environment
Ghazal, Heba(2023). [Published]
Systematic review on the occurrence of contraceptives in the aquatic environment
Ghazal, Heba(2023). [Published]
Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Yerba-mate herbal drink
Nwankwo, Christian, Barton, Stephen and Ghazal, Heba(2019). [Published]
Potentials of pyrolysis processes in the waste management sector
Czajczynska, D., Nannou, T., Anguilan, L., Krzyzynska, R., Ghazal, H., Spencer, N. and Jouhara, H.(2017). [Published]
Temperature and energy performance of open refrigerated display cabinets using heat pipe shelves
Jouhara, H., Nannou, T., Ghazal, H., Kayyali, R., Tassou, S.A. and Lester, S.(2017). [Published]
The intrinsic dissolution rate of ketoconazole in proteinaceous biorelevant media
Ghazal, H., Dyas, A. M., Ford, J. L. and Hutcheon, G. A.(2007). [Published]
Morphological changes observed during intrinsic dissolution rate testing of itraconazole
Ghazal, H., Ford, J. L. and Dyas, A. M.(2006). [Published]
The impact of biorelevant media on the in-vitro dissolution of azole anti-fungal drugs
Ghazal, Heba (2009), PhD thesis [Published]