Dr Nathalie Lavignac

Nathalie has over 17 years of experience teaching in higher education, across a range of programmes including MPharm. Her teaching covers pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutics, drug development and emerging therapeutic modalities, with a strong focus on active learning and blended delivery. She uses a combination of face-to-face and online methods to support different learning styles and improve accessibility for all students. She regularly integrates digital tools to encourage engagement and help students check their understanding throughout the learning process.

Nathalie has contributed extensively to curriculum design, module development and programme accreditation. She led the development of modules aligned with General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards and played an active role in ensuring quality and compliance across programmes. As a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she is committed to maintaining high standards in teaching and supporting student learning through clear communication and inclusive practice.

Nathalie’s research focuses on nanomedicine, with particular expertise in the development of polymer- and lipid-based nanocarriers for the intracellular delivery of therapeutic proteins and nucleic acids. Her work explores how smart delivery systems can improve drug stability, reduce toxicity and enable targeted release within specific cellular environments. She has also developed protein-polymer conjugates, using tailored chemistries to preserve enzymatic activity while enhancing cellular uptake.

Her recent projects include the design of core-shell hybrid nanoparticles using microfluidic manufacturing and the creation of stimuli-responsive nanocarriers that release their therapeutic payload in response to pH or redox changes. This work supports applications in areas such as gene therapy, cancer treatment and rare disease therapeutics.

Nathalie is currently interested in developing collaborative research focused on the stabilisation of protein-based drugs, the design of functional bioconjugates, sustainable drug delivery systems and the development of novel antimicrobial peptides. She welcomes partnerships with academic, clinical and industrial collaborators to develop innovative solutions in drug delivery and therapeutic development to help address unmet medical needs and broader healthcare challenges.

Prospective PhD students interested in these areas are encouraged to get in touch for informal enquiries.

Nathalie has worked with international partners throughout her academic career. As Erasmus Coordinator, she helped set up exchange agreements with universities in France and Italy, giving students the chance to gain academic experience abroad. She has supervised visiting students from across Europe and supported them during their placements. Nathalie has also worked on collaborative research projects with international colleagues and has served as an external examiner for PhD candidates in both the UK and overseas. Being fluent in French and English, she values cross-cultural collaboration and continues to look for opportunities to support student mobility and build international links in teaching and research.

Visiting students interested in gaining research experience in nanomedicine are welcome to get in touch for informal enquiries.