Dr Bhavik Anil Patel

Dr Bhavik Anil Patel is a Reader in Clinical and Bioanalytical Chemistry with research interests focusing on the development of analytical devices and methodologies for monitoring key biological signalling molecules in the bowel and bladder.

He was awarded his degree at the 九色视频 and his PhD at Imperial College London in the field of Bioengineering. He then obtained an EPSRC Life Sciences Interface fellowship to work at Michigan State University, University of North Carolina and University of Calgary, before returning as a Lecturer at the 九色视频.

More recently his research has broadened to investigate delivery of therapeutic drugs in neonates and the development of novel pedagogic teaching and learning approaches for delivery of analytical chemistry modules.

Watch Bhavik's story on the video (right)

Dr Bhavik Anil Patel

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How I like to teach

I teach on a wide range of courses including BSc (Hons) Pharmaceutical & Chemical Sciences, BSc (Hons) and MChem Chemistry and MPharm Pharmacy. I also teach on postgraduate degrees and am acting as the placement tutor for chemistry based degrees.

My teaching is predominately focused on analytical chemistry, leaning toward approaches in measurement of chemical entities in biological environments and the regulatory considerations required for approval of a new pharmaceutical drug.

When teaching I use blended learning approaches which focus on utilising a range of electronic learning resources and face-to-face workshops that apply the theory. This approach provides the scope for flexible learning and provides significant opportunities for active participation.

My learning approaches have been shown to make significant impact on student learning as I was awarded the Student Union Excellence Award for Innovative teaching in 2015 and the Excellence in Facilitating/Empowering Learning Award in 2012.

My research interests

With my research team and collaborators, I am interested in three core areas that focus on the interface between chemistry and biology and in the teaching of analytical chemistry.

My research has been focused on the development of tools and resources that can study biological signalling molecules that play key roles in influencing the central nervous system and periphery. My work has focused on the development of novel sensor devices that can monitor key transmitters of which serotonin has been a primary focus. Such sensor devices offer advantages over other analytical approaches and biochemical measures, as they can study signalling in real-time from live cells/tissues. We have utilised our electrode devices to understand how transmitters change with age in the central nervous system, in an invertebrate animal model and in the enteric nervous system. We have also developed novel devices that can be interfaced with biological tissues and therefore provide the means to simultaneously monitor signalling mechanisms and function. Using such approaches, we have been able to provide insight into the role of mucosal signalling molecules in the bowel in regulating key functions such as motility and ion transport.

Another area that we have applied our approaches to is in the monitoring of various therapeutic drugs that are utilised in the treatment of sick babies. At present pharmaceutical drugs are regulated as manufactured, but often require dilution on the ward to obtain a suitable dose for the baby. This diluted drug is not as well regulated and little is known about its stability in various ward conditions. Our work focused on monitoring of drug concentrations to understand how these changes might impact the development of baby.

Finally, we have been interested in enhancing the student learning experience and providing educational activities that can be utilised to enhance student employability. We have developed novel learning and teaching approaches using electronic technologies that have had impact in the classroom and are being developed for the laboratory classes. We have also developed the Analyst Laboratory Challenge which is a teaching activity based on the BBC hit show the Apprentice with leading chromatography manufacture Phenomenex (see video above right). Alongside these activities, we have developed student engagement activities such as the PABS outreach programme and the Press group, which provide students with the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills (see second video above right).

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The Analyst Laboratory Challenge - a teaching activity based on the BBC hit show the Apprentice with leading chromatography manufacture Phenomenex

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Learn more about PABS outreach programme

Research activity

Current research projects:

Previous research projects:

Research Centres and Groups

Social media

Contact me

Dr Bhavik Patel
Reader

Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences
Moulsecoomb
Brighton
BN2 4GJ

Telephone: +441273642418

Email: B.A.Patel@brighton.ac.uk

Biography

I graduated with a BSc(Hons) in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences at the 九色视频 in 2002, which sparked my interest in analytical chemistry and its application in measurement in biology. From this I moved to Imperial College London to undertake a PhD in the field of Bioengineering under the guidance of Dr Danny O’Hare. My work focused on understand the changes in signalling during ageing from an individual neuron from the pond snail, Lymnaea stagnalis. This project exposed me to the challenges of working on the interface between engineering and life sciences and the opportunity to work with Dr Mark Yeoman, who is still a mentor and friend and more recently a collaborator on various research projects.

Shortly after my PhD, I was fortunate to win an EPSRC Overseas LifeSciences Interface fellowship to focus on the development of analytical devices to study the formation of synapses between neurons. Most of the fellowship had to be conducted outside the UK and I was fortunate to spend approximately two years in the laboratories of Professor Greg Swain (Michigan State University, USA), Professor Mark Wightman (University of North Carolina, USA) and Professor Naweed Syed (University of Calgary, Canada). It was during my stay at these leading research institutes that I was exposed to the challenges of measurement within the digestive tract and began collaborations with Professor James Galligan (Michigan State University) and Professor Keith Sharkey (University of Calgary).

I joined the 九色视频 as a Lecturer in 2010 and moved up the ranks to the position of Reader in 2015. During my time at the university I have been supported by over £1.5 million pounds of funding from EPSRC and BBSRC. At present I am acting as the school lead for enterprise and social partnership and in 2017 will be acting as the enterprise champion for the department of research, enterprise and social partnership, which is an exciting role in providing a user experience of partnerships with non-HEI partners.

Research output

Consultancy

Philips Consumer Lifestyle (2010 – 2011) – for biomarker detection in breath analysers

University of Oxford (2013) - monitoring of morphine and metabolites from blood samples

Uppsala University Hospital & NutriVision R&D (2014) – For analysis of 5-HTP supplements

Shire Pharmaceuticals (2012 – Present) – for evaluation of new chemical entities for digestive disorders

 

PhD students

 
NameThesis
Eldhose Skaria (expected 2017) Rapid and accurate point-of-care in vitro diagnostics (RAPID) for cutaneous melanoma 
Renee Flaherty (expected 2017) The effect of stress hormones on DNA damage and repair and its impact on chemotherapy in breast cancer 
Lamia Hachoumi (expected 2017) Phospholipase A2: the key to reversing age-related memory impairment 
Raghu Kothur (2016) Multiplatform sensors for biogenic amines
Yukyee Wu (2016) Understanding the role and location of colonic melatonin in the murine
Sarah MacEachern (2013) Nitric oxide and enteric glia in the regulation of intestinal ion transport in health and disease
Peiling Leow (2009) In-column electrochemical detection for liquid chromatography

Roles

External

  • BBSRC pool of experts (2016 – present)
  • EPSRC Peer Review College member (2016 – present)
  • External Examiner for Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kings College London (2015 – present)
  • Editorial Advisor Board, Ageing Research Reviews (2012 – present)
  • EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC, STCF, Innovate UK, NIHR and L’Oréal-UNESCO UK and Ireland Fellowships for Women in Science reviewer
  • Active reviewer for over 30 scientific journals in the fields of electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, gerontology and gastroenterology
  • Innovate UK Health & Life Sciences assessor (2017 – present)

Internal

  • Department of Research, Enterprise and Social Partnership Enterprise Champion (2017 – present)
  • Lead for School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences Enterprise and Social Partnership activity (2016 – present)
  • Industrial Placement Tutor for Chemistry based degrees (2010 – )

Awards

Royal Pharmaceutical Society Science Award (2015) for a proven record of independent research and published work that shows outstanding promise in the field of pharmaceutical science.

Brighton University Student Union Excellence Award for Innovation (2015) for development of novel and creative teaching and learning approaches.

GlaxoSmithKline Emerging Scientist Award (2013) for outstanding contribution and potential future impact to pharmaceutical and biomedical science.

Excellence in Facilitating and Empowering Learning Award, 九色视频 (2012) for outstanding contribution to teaching and learning.

Staff Research Award, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, (2008) for support provided to undergraduate and postgraduate research students.

Japan Society for Science Fellowship, (2004) for research exchange at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan for a period of 2 months.

EPSRC Life Sciences Section Award, (2003) for outstanding poster presentation as a PhD student