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I am a Senior Lecturer in Pharmaceutics, Drug Formulation and Delivery at the University of Birmingham. I have extensive expertise in the design, development and manufacture of both implantable drug delivery devices and nanoparticles. I also have extensive expertise in the solubility enhancement of poorly soluble drugs. I have been involved in the development of a number of drug delivery devices and formulations that have been evaluated in the clinic, one of which is currently in Phase III clinical testing.

Existing collaborations relevant to drug delivery

I have a number of collaborations with academic, clinical and industry partners. I am collaborating with Athlone institute of Technology as well as the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham on the 3D printing of implantable devices. 

I am also collaborating with Prof Garth Cruickshank, Prof Colin Watts and Dr Andrew Peet at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital on the local delivery of drugs to the brain for the treatment of brain tumours. 

I am collaborating with Foster Delivery Science, Evonik, QPharma, Extruded Pharmaceuticals and ProMed Pharma on the GMP manufacture of implantable devices.

Publications relevant to drug delivery

Fuenmayor E, Forde M, Healy AV, Devine DM, Lyons JG, McConville C, Major I (2018) Material Considerations for Fused-Filament Fabrication of Solid Dosage Forms. Pharmaceutics. 10(2) E44. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10020044.

de Lima G, Halligan S, Geever L, Dalton M, McConville C, Nugent M. 2017. Controlled Release of Poorly Soluble Active Ingredients from Bioresorbable Polymers. In Devine D. ed. Bioresorbable polymers and their biomedical applications. Smithers Rapra, pp. 77-112.

Major I, McConville C (2017) Vaginal drug delivery for the localised treatment of cervical cancer.  Drug Delivery and Translational Research. Epub ahead of print.

Najlah M, Ahmed Z, Iqbal M, Wang Z, Tawari P, Wang W, McConville C (2017) Development and characterisation of disulfiram-loaded PLGA nanoparticles for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 12: 224-233.

Wang Z, Tan J, McConville C, Kannappan V, Tawari PE, Brown J, Ding J, Armesilla AL, Irache JM, Mei QB, Tan Y, Liu Y, Jiang W, Bian XW, Wang W (2017) Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid controlled delivery of disulfiram to target liver cancer stem-like cells. Nanomedicine. 13: 641-657.

McConville C, Major I, Devlin B, and Brimer A (2016) Development of a Multi-layered Vaginal Tablet Containing Dapivirine, Levonorgestrel and Acyclovir for use as a Multipurpose Prevention Technology. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 104: 171-179.

Major I, Fuenmayor E, McConville C (2016) The Production of Solid Dosage Forms from Non-Degradable Polymers. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 22: 2738-2760.

McConville C, and Major I (2015). Hot Melt Extruded and Injection Moulded Dosage Forms: Recent Research and Patents. Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation. 9:194-200.

Shergill M, Patel M, Khan S, Bashir A, McConville C (2015) Development and Characterisation of Sustained Release Solid Dispersion Oral Tablets Containing the Poorly Water soluble Drug Disulfiram. International Journal of Pharmaceutics.  497:3-11

Tawari PE, Wang Z, Najlah M, Tsang CW, Kannappan, V, Liu P,  McConville C, He B, Armesilla AL, Wang W (2015)  The cytotoxic mechanisms of disulfiram and copper(II) in cancer cells.  Toxicology Research. 4:1439-1442.

McConville C, Tawari P, and Wang W (2015) Hot Melt Extruded and Injection Moulded Disulfiram-Loaded PLGA Millirods for the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme via Stereotactic Injection.  International Journal of Pharmaceutics  494:73-82.

Chatta D, Cottrell L, Burnett B, Laverty G, McConville C (2015) The use of Water-Soluble Mucoadhesive gels for the Intravesical Delivery of Epirubicin to the Bladder for the Treatment of non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 67:1355-1362.

McConville C (2015). The Therapeutic Potential of Vaginal Drug Delivery in the Treatment of Cervical Cancer.  Therapeutic Delivery.  6:559-570.

McConville C, and Major I (2015). Hot Melt Extruded and Injection Moulded Dosage Forms: Recent Research and Patents.  Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation.  9: 194-200.

Zembko I, Ahmed I, Farooq A, Dail J, Tawari P, Wang W, and McConville C (2015). Development of Disulfiram-loaded PLGA Wafers for the Localised Treatment of Brain Tumours: A Comparison of Manufacturing Techniques.  Journal of Pharmaceutical Science.  104: 1076-1086.

McConville C, Smith JM, McCoy CF, Srinivasan P, Mitchell J, Holder A, Otten RA, Butera S, Doncel GF, Friend DR, Malcolm RK (2015).  Lack of in vitro–in vivo correlation for a UC781-releasing vaginal ring in macaques.  Drug Delivery and Translational Research.  5(1): 27-37.

Baffoe CS, Nguyen N, Boyd P, Wang W, Morris M, and McConville C (2015).  Preformulation and Development of Disulfiram-Loaded Immediate and Extended Release Vaginal Tablets for the Localised Treatment of Cervical Cancer.  Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 67(2): 189-198.

Ramadhani N, Shabir M, and McConville C (2014). Preparation and characterisation of Kolliphor® P 188 and P 237 solid dispersion oral tablets containing the poorly water soluble drug disulfiram.  International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 475(1–2): 514–522.

Boyd P, Major I, Wang W, and McConville C (2014). Development of Disulfiram-Loaded Vaginal Rings for the Localised Treatment of Cervical Cancer. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics. 88(3):945-953.

McConville C, Friend D, Clarke MR, and Malcolm RK (2013).  Preformulation and development of a once-daily sustained-release tenofovir vaginal tablet containing a single excipient.  Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, 102(6): 1859-1868.

McConville C, and Friend D (2013).  Development and characterisation of a self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDSs) for the vaginal administration of the antiretroviral UC-781. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 83(3): 322-329.

McConville C, Major I, Friend D, Clarke MR, and Malcolm RK (2012).  Development of a UC781 Releasing Poly Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Vaginal Ring. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2(6): 489-497.

McConville C, Woolfson AD, and Malcolm RK (2012).  The effect of freeze-drying parameters on the cure characteristics of freeze-dried BSA-loaded silicone elastomer. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 127(6): 4402-4408.

McConville C, Major I, Friend DR, Clark MR, Woolfson AD, and Malcolm RK (2012).  Development of Polylactide and Poly Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Blends for the Manufacture of Vaginal Rings. Journal of biomedical materials research, Part B, 100B: 891–895.

McConville C, Andrews AP, Woolfson AD, and Malcolm RK (2012).  The effect of the incorporation of hydroxy-terminated liquid silicones on the cure characteristics, morphology and release of a model protein from silicone elastomer covered rods. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 124(1): 805–812.