Rate My Professor James Falconer

James Falconer is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Queensland, serving as Program Lead for the Master of Pharmacy Industrial Practicum (MPharmIndPrac). He joined UQ in June 2015 as a Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, following roles as Assistant Lecturer and Research & Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland's School of Pharmacy from 2011 to 2015. His early career included practicing as a ward pharmacist in general surgery, hospital dispensary, and community pharmacy in New Zealand from 2006 to 2011, after completing an internship at Middlemore Hospital. Falconer's academic qualifications comprise a BSc in Genetics (1999) and Master of Health Sciences in Bioethics (2003) from the University of Otago, a Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours (2005) from the University of Auckland, and a PhD (2007) from the same institution on developing a supercritical fluid platform for transdermal delivery of poorly aqueous soluble steroids. This PhD was supported by the Technology for Industry Fellowship from the New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, jointly funded with Pharmaceutical Compounding New Zealand.

Falconer's research specializes in supercritical fluid technology for selective extraction of bioactive molecules and engineering advanced nanoparticulate dosage forms, including liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles, using lipid and polymeric systems. His work promotes sustainable, green processing methods to supplant organic solvent-based manufacturing, with a focus on repurposing carbon dioxide. Key research areas encompass preformulation, solid-state characterization via Raman and IR spectroscopy, chemometrics, polymorphic transformations, and in-situ gelling systems for drug delivery. He has authored over 70 publications, with notable contributions including "Strategies to improve the transdermal delivery of poorly water-soluble non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs" (Pharmaceutics, 2024), "Fabrication and Characterization of Clozapine Nanoemulsion Sol–Gel for Intranasal Administration" (Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2022), and "Fractional factorial design study for the extraction of cannabinoids from CBD-dominant cannabis flowers by supercritical carbon dioxide" (Processes, 2022). His postdoctoral research under A/Professor Zimei Wu resulted in international patents and a registered veterinary pour-on product for cattle. Falconer has delivered public lectures such as at the Mushroom Forum on supercritical fluid technology for natural drugs (2022) and various Medicines Management conferences.