Jayne Lawrence PhD

Jayne is Professor and Head of the Pharmaceutical Biophysics Group. She is currently on a 50% secondment at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) as their Chief Scientist. At the RPS Jayne is responsible for science and research, performing a variety of roles including working with other scientific organisations and the media and ensuring that the RPS and its membership is up to date with the latest scientific developments in pharmacy.

This is a role she has performed since 2007. At King’s, Jayne’s research has focussed on improving the delivery of low molecular weight drugs and biomolecules such as DNA and siRNA using a range of novel and conventional surfactant/polymer and lipid molecules. Jayne is particularly interested in understanding how the structure of a molecule influences the molecular architecture of the delivery vehicle it forms and its fate in the target cell. To achieve these aims Jayne uses a range of advanced analytical techniques including light and neutron scattering and reflectivity.

Jayne sits on a number of national committees including the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Vice-Chair), the United Kingdom and Ireland Controlled Release Society (Treasurer) and the Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group, the Institute of Physics and Royal Society of Chemistry’s Joint Neutron Group. She has recently been appointed Vice-Chair of the Formulation and Pharmaceutical Technology Special Interest Group for the International Pharmaceutical Federation.

Jayne is a pharmacist, having completed a BSc in Pharmacy at Liverpool Polytechnic and undertaken a year’s pre-registration training in community and industrial pharmacy. After qualifying as a pharmacist Jayne undertook a PhD at Manchester University under the supervision of Professors Peter Elworthy and David Attwood. Jayne started her academic career as a lecturer in Pharmacy at Chelsea College, which subsequently merged with King’s College. Jayne has spent sabbaticals working in the pharmaceutical industry and retains excellent links with the industry.