Research

Faculty in the College of Pharmacy at KKU are equipped with necessary expertise in clinical and applied pharmaceutical sciences. The primary areas of research are outlined below.

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Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry

The department’s research is categorized into three broad areas: drug discovery, drug analysis, and natural products research. Research in pharmaceutical chemistry mainly focuses on computational chemistry and drug discovery. The facility supports the synthesis of organic small molecules, identification of hits/lead compounds and optimization of pharmacological properties. Analytical research includes analytical and bioanalytical method development, quality assurance, and stability studies on drug substances. Development of analytical chemical concepts and methods for standardization of honey from KSA are also being carried out. 

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Department of Pharmacognosy

The department is engaged in the study of the drugs from natural products, such as plant, animals, marine and other life origins. Research areas include extraction, isolation, characterization, and biological studies of bioactive substances. The department also deals with development and standardization of novel herbal formulations and cosmetics. The current focus of research in the department are cancer, anti-inflammation, and antioxidant substances that have been derived from local pharmacologically active plants. 

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Department of Pharmaceutics

The department conducts research targeted towards improving patient therapy by increasing drug efficacy while reducing drug toxicity. The research focus is on drug action and delivery and related factors, such as genetic, environmental, physiological and disease processes that can alter metabolism, transport, distribution, and absorption of drugs. The research areas include biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, drug delivery, and nanotechnology and nanomedicine.

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Department of Pharmacology

The department is involved in evaluation and screening of both natural and synthetic compounds for diverse pharmacological activities including neuro-behavioral activities, analgesic effects, antidiabetic activities, and hepatoprotective effects, gastroprotective effects, diuretic effect, antioxidant activities, antimicrobial activities, cytotoxic activities and toxicological screening are some of the core broader areas of research. The department also augments the application of clinical pharmacology on different pathological conditions. In addition, the department seeks to overcome the challenges posed by cancer complexity and makes discoveries that defeat cancer. Community based research is also carried out to impart scientific understanding on some disease and disorders and better understanding and utilization of drugs.

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Department of Clinical Pharmacy

Research in the department of clinical pharmacy encompasses diverse areas related to the clinical aspects of medications, with the goal of optimizing medication use and improving the quality of patient care. Areas of research include medication outcomes and comparative effectiveness, clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenomics, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, and health policy. It also includes pharmacy education and practice-based research in areas such as community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, ambulatory care, internal medicine, acute care, and other specialized areas.