Dr. Alaaldin Alkilany
Doha, Qatar: Qatar University (QU) continues to solidify its position as a beacon of scientific excellence as Dr. Alaaldin M Alkilany, a Professor of Pharmaceutical and Nanoscience at the College of Pharmacy, has secured a spot within the prestigious top 2% of world-cited scientists according to the Stanford University Ranking.
Since 2020, Dr. Alkilany’s pioneering contributions have not only elevated by QU’s research endeavours but have also expanded the boundaries of pharmaceutical innovation and nanotechnology on a global scale.
Dr. Alkilany’s work stands as a testament to the institution’s unwavering dedication to quality education and research. Recognised for his exceptional contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences, Dr. Alkilany has registered more than 20 pharmaceutical products across the US and Europe. His groundbreaking research in developing gold nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy has opened new avenues in the fight against this formidable disease.
He worked on developing protocols to manufacture gold nanoparticles to target cancer cells. These nanoparticles have unique optical properties that allow them to absorb external laser beams and convert them into localised heat to destroy and burn cancer cells through thermal ablation.
In addition, he developed simple chemical methods to obtain complex nanoparticles from a mixture of medicinal polymers (PLGA) as well as gold and silver nanoparticles for biomedical applications.
The impact of Dr. Alkilany’s research is underscored by his collaboration with Qatari pharmaceutical manufacturer QLife Pharma. This collaboration was facilitated by a grant from the Transformative Research Priorities Readiness Programme (T2RP). This collaboration underscores QU’s commitment to translating research into practical solutions for real-world challenges.
Dr. Alkilany’s efforts to bring his innovative cancer treatment prototype to market reflect Qatar’s strategy of nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship.
In a statement, Dr. Alkilany said, “Qatar has a serious strategy to promote scientific research and basic and applied sciences in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship. QU is one of the top educational institutions in Qatar and has the best academics from around the world.”
“QU offers a unique simulation environment for research and development in the sciences. Both I and the rest of my colleagues have received the necessary support to advance my research and excel in the field of nanoscience and technology, and we are thankful to QU,” he added.
Dr. Alkilany added, “According to Scopus Elsevier’s database, I have contributed to the publication of 62 scientific articles published in prestigious international journals with a high index of 32 and more than 12,000 citations. Furthermore, I was the supervisor of numerous bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses.”
It is worth mentioning that Dr. Alkilany graduated from Jordan University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2000 and went on to work for Al Hikma Pharmaceutical Company (a FDA-approved pharmaceutical manufacturer) as a research and development scientist.
After gaining extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he decided to explore, research, and develop himself in a different field — academia. He got his PhD in Pharmaceutical Nanoscience from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the USA in 2010, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Augusta University (USA).
