Meet the team

Dr Pratik Gurnani is a Lecturer in Pharmaceutical Science at University College London School of Pharmacy. Pratik undertook his MChem degree in Chemistry at the University of Warwick and continued at Warwick to complete his PhD in 2018 under the supervision of Professor Sébastien Perrier, where he researched new biocompatible nanoparticles for biomedical applications. Following this, Pratik joined Professor Cameron Alexander’s group as a Research Fellow at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Nottingham, where he developed new manufacturable materials for mRNA vaccines within the EPSRC Future Vaccines Manufacturing Research Hub, aiming to enable rapid responses to global pandemics. In 2023, Pratik joined UCL School of Pharmacy to establish his independent research programme. His research focuses on interfacing polymeric materials with lipid nanoparticles for RNA therapeutic and vaccine delivery.

Research interests and biography to be added.

Charlie completed her undergraduate and integrated masters degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds. During her research, she worked with Professor Eric Blair, investigating the use of oncolytic viruses as a potential therapeutic approach for cancer. She subsequently completed her PhD at UCL under the supervision of Professor Clare Bennett and Dr Pratik Gurnani. Her doctoral research focused on understanding tumour dendritic cells in prostate cancer and exploring how mRNA vaccines could be harnessed to improve anti-tumour immune responses. Having completed her PhD in 2026, Charlie has now begun a postdoctoral position in collaboration with the Gurnani lab, continuing to build on her doctoral research. Her current work focuses on further understanding immune and mRNA interactions using a combination of in vitro and in vivo models.

Nga’s PhD research investigates interactions between RNA and lipids, focusing on how RNA structure affects the transfection efficiency of RNA–lipid nanoparticles. She uses molecular dynamics simulations and biophysical characterisation methods to study RNA structure following encapsulation within lipid nanoparticles. Her industry-affiliated project is supported by Croda and supervised by Dr Naoto Hori, Dr Pratik Gurnani, Professor Cameron Alexander, Dr Karen Alvey, Professor Zoe Waller and Dr James Humphrey. Before joining the CDT, Nga completed an MSci in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Nottingham. Her third-year research used LC–MS to characterise metabolites in Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Zanthoxylum schinifolium. During her placement year, she worked at Bristol Myers Squibb UK & Ireland as a Junior Medical Affairs Associate. Her fourth-year dissertation examined the opportunities and challenges associated with generating real-world evidence in medical affairs. Outside the laboratory, Nga enjoys swimming, running, going to the gym, travelling, hiking and playing the drums—as well as the occasional drink.

Kidus Biru is a PhD researcher at University College London School of Pharmacy, where he researches novel materials for the delivery of gene therapies. Kidus completed his MPharm at UCL, graduating with First-Class Honours, and previously undertook research at the University of Toronto investigating lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery. His PhD research focuses on sequence-defined polyphosphoester steric lipids as alternatives to PEG in lipid nanoparticles, investigating how polymer structure and sequence influence nanoparticle properties and mRNA delivery. His work combines phosphoramidite synthesis and characterisation with lipid nanoparticle formulation and characterisation, alongside in vitro and in vivo evaluation.

Research interests and biography to be added.

Mariachiara D’Elia is a PhD researcher at UCL developing targeted lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery to specific neuronal populations. Her project explores targeted delivery of an engineered KCNA1 (Kv1.1) potassium channel to reduce neuronal hyperexcitability, with potential applications in epilepsy and chronic pain. Before starting her PhD, Mariachiara trained as a pharmacist and worked as a clinical pharmacist in oncology within the NHS. Her research interests include RNA therapeutics, nanomedicine, targeted drug delivery and translational neuroscience.

Afsana holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from BRAC University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Drug Development from Queen Mary University of London. Her early research explored computational drug discovery, investigating potential inhibitors of HSP72 and HSC70 proteins for cancer treatment. She is now pursuing her PhD through the Centre for Doctoral Training in Accelerated Medicines Design and Development at UCL. During her CDT rotation, she worked on automating the synthesis of polymers and polyplexes. Her industry rotation at AstraZeneca focused on the computationally guided design of polymeric excipients for amorphous solid dispersions, combining RAFT polymer synthesis with miniaturised screening using 2D inkjet-printed formulation microarrays. Building on this experience, her PhD now focuses on engineering lipid nanoparticle surfaces to enable more precise mRNA delivery to cells involved in peripheral nerve repair, under the supervision of Dr Pratik Gurnani.

Huma Raza is a PhD researcher at UCL, focusing on targeted lipid nanoparticle delivery using a molecular imprinting approach. Her research explores novel strategies to improve the selectivity and targeting of lipid nanoparticles, with potential applications in the treatment of salivary gland carcinoma and other diseases. She previously completed an MSc in the Manufacture and Commercialisation of Stem Cells and Gene Therapy at UCL, developing a strong interest in advanced therapeutic technologies, nanomedicine and gene delivery. Her research interests include lipid nanoparticles, molecular imprinting, targeted drug and gene delivery, and nanomedicine, with a particular focus on translating innovative delivery approaches towards clinically relevant applications.

Research interests and biography to be added.