Dr Omar Qutachi

Dr Qutachi graduated as a pharmacist from the University of Mosul, Iraq in 1999 with BSc in Pharmacy. He completed an internship focusing on practicing clinical pharmacy, laboratory investigation, industrial pharmacy and community pharmacy. He then worked at the Medicinal Plant Research Unit at University of Mosul before obtaining his MSc in Clinical Pharmacy (2005) from the same university, which involved collaboration with Iraqi centre for cancer and medical genetic researches in Bagdad. Dr Qutachi lectured at the School of Pharmacy, University of Mosul from 2005-2008.  In 2008 he pursued a PhD in Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham with Dr Lee Buttery and subsequently joined Professor Kevin Shakesheff’s laboratory as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. Dr Qutachi has a strong background in clinical Pharmacy and biomedical research, and has worked with many industrial partners. Dr Qutachi has been involved in extensive research collaborations (e.g. EPSRC research centre and the UKRMP Acellular hub) which have focused on formulation development and targeted drug delivery.

• Pharmaceutical Technologies

• Targeted drug delivery
• Tissue engineering (bone, muscle, eye, and liver regeneration in addition to angiogenesis and neurogenesis)
• Formulations
• Biomaterials
• Medical devices
• Nanoparticles
• Micrfofluidics
• 3D printing

• PHCO1303 - Pharmaceutical Processes &Technologies
• PHAR1703 - People and Medicines 2: Gastrointestinal / Nutrition
• PHAR2604 - Medicine Development and Manufacture
• PHCO2310 - Pharmaceutical Formulation
• PHCO2312 - Chemical Analysis, Quality & Stability
• PHCO3311 - Dev&Manufacture -Pharmaceutical Products
• PHCO3314 - Advanced Process Technology
• PHCO5306 - Process Analytical Tech & Chemometrics
• Final Year Project Supervision

• B.Sc. in Pharmacy, July 1999 School of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Iraq

• M.Sc. in Clinical Pharmacy, Jan 2005 School of Pharmacy, University of Mosul, Iraq

• PhD in Pharmacy, July 2012
• School of Pharmacy, Centre of Biomolecular sciences, The University of Nottingham, UK

• Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science BSc (Hons)
• Pharmacy MPharm (Hons)
• Pharmaceutical Quality by Design MSc

• Joint University of Nottingham/University of Birmingham Leadership Programme for Early Career Researchers- certificate (2015)
• Biotech Yes for young entrepreneur- certificate (Manchester 2008)
• Four letters of Thanks, School of Pharmacy, University Mosul (Iraq 2001-2008)
• Honouree certificates from Iraqi Syndicate of Pharmacist and the Medical Association (Iraq 2007)
• Certificate in teaching and learning skills (Iraq 2005)

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) (May 2016)
• Member of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (2008)
• Member of the Tissue and Cell Engineering Society, UK (2008-Current) www.tces.org
• Member of the Medical Association in Iraq (2004-2008)
• Member of the Iraqi Teacher’s Society (2007)

• Member in the Syndicate of Iraqi Pharmacists (licenced pharmacist in Iraq since 1999)
• Member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), SRPharmS (2016-Current)

• Presenter in the EHDA network workshop, Portsmouth, UK 2017
• UKRMP Acellular Technologies Hub Annual Science Meeting, 2015-2017
• International PharmTech Conference, Leicester, UK, 2016
• UKRMP Scientific Showcase, London, UK, 2015
• UK and Ireland Controlled Release Society Workshop and Symposium, Nottingham, UK 2015
• Zeusi Symposium on the medicine of the future, Crotone, Italy, 2015
• European Chapter Meeting of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society, Genova, Italy 2014, Davos, Switzerland 2017

• American Chapter Meeting of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society, Atlanta, USA, 2013, Boston, USA, 2015

• Tissue and Cell Engineering Society conference, Nottingham 2008, Glasgow 2009, Manchester 2010, Cardiff 2013, Newcastle 2014, Manchester 2017

• UK PharmSci conference, Nottingham, UK, 2010
• Bridge European network meeting, Leeds, UK, 2008
• CBS symposium, Nottingham, UK, 2008-2010
• Organised and sponsored three national conferences and two workshops, introducing new medicinal products to the Iraqi market 2007

• Qutachi, O., Wright, E., Bray, G., Hamid, O., Rose, F., Shakesheff, K.,  Delcassian, D. (2018). Improved delivery of PLGA microparticles and microparticle-cell scaffolds in clinical needle gauges using modified viscosity formulations. International journal of pharmaceutics 546 (1-2), 272-278.
• Qutachi, O., Vetsch, J. R., Gill, D., Cox, H., Scurr, D. J., Hofmann, S., Muller, R., Quirk, R. A., Shakesheff, K. M. & Rahman, C. V. (2014). Injectable and porous PLGA microspheres that form highly porous scaffolds at body temperature. Acta Biomaterialia 10, 5090-5098.Cited 3 times to date.
• Gothard, D., Smith, E. L., Kanczler, J. M., Rashidi, H., Qutachi, O., Henstock, J., Rotherham, M., El Haj, A., Shakesheff, K. M. & Oreffo, R. O. C. (2014). Tissue Engineered Bone Using Select Growth Factors: A Comprehensive Review of Animal Studies and Clinical Translation Studies in Man. European Cells & Materials 28, 166-208.
• Qutachi, O., Shakesheff, K. M. & Buttery, L. D. K. (2013). Delivery of definable number of drug or growth factor loaded poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) microparticles within human embryonic stem cell derived aggregates. Journal of Controlled Release 168, 18-27. Issue cover story, Park, K. (2013). Delivery of definable numbers of PLGA microparticles within embryoid bodies. Journal of Controlled Release 168, 103-103.) 
• Bible, E., Qutachi, O., Chau, D. Y. S., Alexander, M. R., Shakesheff, K. M. & Modo, M. (2012). Neo-vascularization of the stroke cavity by implantation of human neural stem cells on VEGF-releasing PLGA microparticles. Biomaterials 33, 7435-7446.  

Contracted work with commercial partners for controlled/targeted delivery. As an expert in formulation development and drug delivery, I receive regular requests for contracted work to develop models and drug delivery formulations as detailed below.

•     Flexion Therapeutics, USA (2011-2012)
•     Neusentis/Pfizer, UK (2012-2013)
•     Calabrodental, Italy (2013-2016)
•     Neotherix, UK (2014)
•     Locate Therapeutics,UK (2011-2017)

• Demola Adepoju
• Aamina Bibi
• Mohammed Patel
• Hannah Picken

• Royal Society (RSG\R1\180079): Targeted cell delivery for liver Regeneration ~£20k

• VC2020 grant for equipment fund: Laser diffraction particle size analyser