Position

Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutics

Areas of Expertise

Calorimetry, Thermodynamics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Stability, Biophysical Chemistry.

Biography

After periods as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor at the University of London, Professor Beezer became Head of Department of Chemistry at Royal Holloway and subsequently the University of Kent. Then followed a period as Director of Research at Medway Sciences,University of Greenwich before returning to The School of Pharmacy, University of London in 2004 as a Research Professor in Biophysical Chemistry.

In 1994 Professor Beezer was given the Award for "Applied Thermodynamics" from the Swiss Society for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. In 1997 the James J Christensen Award for "Innovation in Calorimetry" was presented to him by the (US) Calorimetry Conference and in 1999 he was awarded the Lavoisier Medal by the International Society for Biological Microcalorimetry.

Professor Beezer has given many plenary, keynote and Conference presentations all over the world. He has been a member of IUPAC Commission and Chairman of the (US) Calorimetry Conference Standards and Reference Committee. He is President of the International Society for Biological Microcalorimetry and has been a member of the IUPAC/IUPAB/IUB Commission on Biothermodynamics.

Research Interests

Professor Beezer's research interests have centred on calorimetry and, in particular, on the application of calorimetry in the fields of Pharmacy and Biology. Of late these interests have expanded to include the selection and establishment of Test and Reference reactions for heat-conduction microcalorimeters (ampoule-based, flow and photcalorimeters). A particular concern is the development of procedures for the determination of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters from microcalorimetric data. This has been essential as the capacity to determine these kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for long-term stability and excipient compatibility has improved markedly. A further area of expansion is envisaged to be drug/microbe interactions both for bioactivity determination and for mechanistic interpretation.

Unsurprisingly all the examples cited above must, at least in principle, be regarded as inherently complex reaction systems. This poses a serious challenge to calorimetrists and this issue is being pursued within the Research Group through exploration of the application of chemometric techniques to the analysis of calorimetric data.

Selected Publications

Gaisford S, Beezer AE, Bishop AH, Walker M, Parsons D.  An in-vivo method for the quantitative determination of the antimicrobial efficacy of silver-containing wound dressings.  INT J PHARM. 336: 111-116, 2009

Jones, MD, Beezer AE, Buckton G. Determination of outer layer and bulk dehydration kinetics of trehalose dihydrate using atomic force microscopy, gravimetric vapour sorption and near infrared spectroscopy.  J PHARM SCI. 97: 4404-4415, 2008

Skaria CV, Gaisford S, O'Neill MAA, et al.  Stability assessment of pharmaceuticals by isothermal calorimetry: two component systems. INT J PHARM 292 (1-2): 127-135 MAR 23 2005

Chilcott RP, Barai N, Beezer AE, et al.  Inter- and intralaboratory variation of in vitro diffusion cell measurements: An international multicenter study using quasi-standardized methods and materials. J PHARM SCI-US 94 (3): 632-638 MAR 2005

Urakami K, Hosoya K, Beezer AE, Calorimetry and liquid chromatography: determination of enthalpies of transfer from mobile phase to stationary phase. THERMOCHIM ACTA 424 (1-2): 157-163 DEC 15 2004

Parmar MK, Beezer AE, Willson RJ. An isothermal microcalorimetric study of the imidazole catalysed hydrolysis of triacetin and the observed rate constant dependence of triacetin concentration. THERMOCHIM ACTA 424 (1-2): 219-222 DEC 15 2004

Beezer AE, O'Neill MAA, Urakami K, et al.  Pharmaceutical microcalorimetry: recent advances in the study of solid state materials. THERMOCHIM ACTA 420 (1-2): 19-22 Sp. Iss. SI OCT 1 2004

Pinkrah VT, Beezer AE, Chowdhry BZ, et al. Thermodynamic considerations of microgel swelling behavior.
LANGMUIR 20 (20): 8531-8536 SEP 28 2004

O'Neill MAA, Beezer AE, Mitchell JC, et al.  Determination of Michaelis-Menten parameters obtained from isothermal flow calorimetric data. THERMOCHIM ACTA 417 (2): 187-192 JUL 30 2004

O'Neill MAA, Beezer AE, Vine GJ, et al. Practical and theoretical consideration of flow-through microcalorimetry: determination of "thermal volume" and its flow rate dependence. THERMOCHIM ACTA 413 (1-2): 193-199 APR 8 2004

Urakami K, Beezer AE. A method to reduce the equilibration time prior to data capture in ampoule-based isothermal microcalorimetric studies. THERMOCHIM ACTA 410 (1-2): 109-117 FEB 9 2004

O'Neill MAA, Vine GJ, Beezer AE, et al. Antimicrobial properties of silver-containing wound dressings: a microcalorimetric study (vol 263, pg 61, 2003). INT J PHARM 270 (1-2): 323-323 FEB 11 2004