Dr Ryan Hamilton

Job: Associate Professor of Antimicrobials

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

School/department: Leicester School of Pharmacy

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: N/A

E: ryan.hamilton@dmu.ac.uk

 

Personal profile

Dr Hamilton is an Associate Professor in the School of Pharmacy, leading research into antimicrobials, which includes exploring the experiences of people diagnosed with drug-resistant infections and chronic carriage; lab-based research on antimicrobial drug-delivery; alongside a range of antimicrobial stewardship and prescribing related research. He has collaborated nationally and internationally, notably with NHS England, local hospitals and pharmacies, and the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association's Pharmacy Infection Network, for which he is the research lead. 

He teaches across the MPharm (Pharmacy) focusing on infection, antimicrobial therapies and stewardship, clinical pharmacy practice and prescribing, and evidence based medicine, audit, and research. 

Outside of DMU, Ryan is a Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and chairs the regional Northamptonshire Antimicrobial Medicines Optimisation Group. Ryan's previous roles as a clinical pharmacist include OPAT, acute and general medicine, respiratory medicine, and COVID ICU pharmacist.

Across these roles Ryan develops regional and national outreach initiatives that aim to improve the public’s understanding of antimicrobial resistance and best use of antibiotics.

Research group affiliations

Leicester Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation for Integrated Care (LIPIIC)

  • Pharmacy Practice Research Group - Lead
  • Infectious Diseases Research Group - Member

Publications and outputs

Hamilton. R.A, Courtenay. M, Frost. K.J, et al. (2023) Implementation of the national antimicrobial stewardship competencies for UK undergraduate healthcare professional education within undergraduate pharmacy programmes: a survey of UK schools of pharmacy, JAC Antimicrobial Resistance, 5(4):dlad095, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jacamr/dlad095 

Frost. K.J, Hamilton. R.A., Hughes. S., et al., (2023) Systematic review of high-dose amikacin regimens for the treatment of Gram-negative infections based on EUCAST dosing recommendations. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 30:189-195, doi: 10.1136/ejhpharm-2022-003421

Hamilton. R.A., Krockow. E.M., & Vekria. P., (2021) Attitudes towards influenza and uptake of the flu vaccine: A survey of pharmacy staff working in English hospitals. Vaccine10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.03.091

Price. A., Morris. T.C., White. H.A., & Hamilton. R.A., (2021) Cutaneous phototoxic reaction to intravenous micafungin in the outpatient setting: A case report. Clin Inf Pract, doi: 10.1016/j.clinpr.2020.100061

Hughes. S, Gilchrist. M, Heard. K, Hamilton. R, Sneddon. J, (2020) Treating infections caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE): a pragmatic approach to antimicrobial stewardship on behalf of the UKCPA Pharmacy Infection Network (PIN), JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance, Volume 2, Issue [https://doi.org/10.1093/jacamr/dlaa075]

Pan D, Hills G, Hamilton AR, et al., (2020) Recommended antimicrobial therapy for common inpatient infections: a comparative review of guidelines across 51 hospital trusts in England, Postgraduate Medical Journal Published Online First: 02 October 2020. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-138452 

Krockow. E.M., Kurvers. R.H.J.M., Herzog. S.M., Kämmer. J.E.,  Hamilton. R.A., Thilly. N., Macheda. G., & Pulcini. C., (2020) Harnessing the wisdom of crowds can improve guideline compliance of antibiotic prescribers and support antimicrobial stewardship. Sci Rep, 10:18782. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-75063-z [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-75063-z

Research interests/expertise

  • People's experiences of living with antimicrobial resistance (infection and chronic colonisation)
  • Antimicrobial Prescribing & Stewardship
  • Pharmaceutics and formulation of antimicrobial materials for difficult to treat bone and joint infections
  • Public engagement with infection, hygiene, antibiotics, & drug-resistant infections

Areas of teaching

  • Antimicrobial therapies
  • Drug-resistant and complex infections
  • Clinical Pharmacy and Person-centred care
  • Research, Clinical Audit and Evidence-based medicine

Qualifications

  • MPharm (2010)
  • PhD (2017)
  • PGDip Clinical Pharmacy (2018)
  • PracCert Independent Prescribing (2018)
  • Consultant Pharmacist Accreditation (2022)

Courses taught

MPharm - Pharmacy

Honours and awards

  • eBug Anniversary Awards 2019, Implementation Category - Winner
  • UKCPA Antimicrobial Management Award 2018 - Winner
  • Antibiotic Guardian Awards 2018, Children and Family Category - Winner
  • Antibiotic Guardian Awards 2018, Das Pillay Award - Highly Commended
  • UKCPA Antimicrobial Management Award 2017 - Winner

Membership of external committees

  • Pharmacy Infection Network Committee  Research Lead- UK Clinical Pharmacy Association (2021 - Present)
  • Public Engagement and Patient Support Committee  - Antibiotic Research UK (2018  - 2023)
  • Faculty & Education Board - Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2019  - 2022)
  • eBug Uniformed Group Programme Steering Group - Public Health England (2018  - 2021)
  • Education Advisory Group - Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2014 - 2019)

Membership of professional associations and societies

  • Faculty of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society - Member
  • Royal Pharmaceutical Society - Member
  • Royal Society of Chemistry - Associate Member
  • UK Clinical Pharmacy Association - Member
  • Higher Education Academy - Associate Fellow
  • British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy - Member
  • UK Paediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Network - Member
  • British Infection Association - Member

Professional licences and certificates

  • Registered Pharmacist & Independent Prescriber - General Pharmaceutical Council
  • Consultant Pharmacist - Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Projects

  • Exploring the experiences and support needs of people living with antimicrobial resistance [Lead Investigator]
  • Use of high-dose amikacin for the treatment of Gram-negative infections [National collaboration]
  • Evaluation of AMS teaching within undergraduate Pharmacy education and training [National collaboration]

Consultancy work

Royal Pharmaceutical Society - Preregistration Pharmacist Training and Revision Programme (2016 - 2020)

Externally funded research grants information

Exploring the experiences and support needs of people living with antimicrobial resistance in the UK: A qualitative interview approach - Chief Investigator, £25,000 award from Antibiotic Research UK, Jan-Dec 2022 (Collaborator: Dr Iain Williamson; Researcher - Lucina Wilde)

Internally funded research project information

Investigating the antimicrobial and pharmaceutical properties of antimicrobial calcium sulfate composites for the treatment of diabetic foot osteomyelitis - Project supervisor, Gunn & Carter Studentship, June-August 2022 (supervising 3rd year MPharm student)

Interactive train-the-trainer sessions to upskill and empower primary school teachers to deliver A Germ’s Journey interventions in schools - Lead Applicant, £1500 awarded from HEIF, Jan-July 2022 (collaborating with wider Germ's Journey team)

Professional esteem indicators

ORCID number