Polymorphism & Crystallisation Conference

Xiaowen Zhao joined Corteva Agriscience in April 2019 after getting her PhD in chemical engineering from University of Michigan. In Corteva, Xiaowen works as a process development engineer where her main job responsibility is developing robust manufacturing processes and unit operations to meet business needs. Xiaowen has expertise in crystallization and heterogeneous catalysis.

Dr. Martin Viertelhaus is principal scientist at BASF SE with focus on polymorphism and crystalline materials. His main interest is in the solid-state landscape of small molecule active ingredients, solid state properties and their implications for e.g. production, storage, formulation and toxicology. He formerly worked in the solid-state department of Solvias and the physicochemistry department of Nycomed/Takeda.

Michael Gruß works since 2015 as independent scientific consultant for the pharmaceutical, chemical and nutrition industry. He studid chemistry and graduated as Dr. rer. nat. at Justus-Liebig University of Giessen in 1998. After an appointment at Jos. Sauerwald Söhne as Head of Chemical Department from 1998 to 2000, he joined Grünenthal GmbH. Besides operating as Chemical Data Manager and Application Manager for ELNs and analytical data management systems he established and developed a solid-state investigation laboratory. The laboratory conducted polymorphism studies and the investigated crystallization processes of pharmaceutical drug substances and intermediates.
Michael is author or co-author of more than 15 patent applications in the field of salts, cocrystal and polymorphs.
Prior to editing “Solid State Development and Processing of Pharmaceutical Molecules: Salts, Cocrystals, and Polymorphism” as part of Wiley’s series “Methods and Principles of Medicinal Chemistry” he contributed the chapter “Regulatory aspects for formulation design – with focus on the solid state” in the book “Innovative Dosage Forms” of said series.

Eric Sirota is a Principal Scientist in the Process Research & Development division at Merck.  Eric has 17 years of experience developing chemical processes in the laboratory for pilot scale manufacture and commercial validation. Eric has been the leader of Merck’s crystallization lab for 7 years

Expert in pharmaceutical polymorphism. Spent 27 years at Teva as head of solid-state characterization within TAPI global R&D.

Focused on all the aspects of the active pharmaceutical ingredients where polymorphism is industrially relevant like novel forms screenings, analyses, characterization, development, and registration.

Gained broad experience in providing scientific support to patent litigations related to crystal forms, as well as prosecutions, clearances, and oppositions. Key contributor to TEVA worldwide leadership position in the intellectual property domain by searching new crystal forms of APIs and creating valuable IP.  Author of and contributor to more than 100 patents.   Took a dominant role in assessing IP strategies.

Presently active as consultant for pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries, for solid state and polymorphism issues.

Author of a chapter in the book “Solid State Development of Pharmaceutical Molecules. Salts, Cocrystals, and Polymorphism”, ed. Michael Gruss, Wiley-VCH (to be published soon).

Obtained a Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

This year Prof. Joop H. ter Horst started a new position at the University of Rouen within the laboratory of separation science and methods (https://labsms.univ-rouen.fr/en), continuing his work on Industrial Crystallization Fundamentals. His research group identifies and applies fundamental knowledge relating particulate product properties, crystal structure and product molecule for the optimization of innovative crystallization processes. Previously, his research group is part of the Centre on Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation (http://www.CMAC.ac.uk), a large Strathclyde based centre on Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. He was coordinator of the Horizon2020 Innovative Training Network CORE (Continuous Resolution and Deracemization of Chiral Compounds by Crystallization – http://coreitn.eu/) consisting of 15 PhD students, 8 academic and 7 industrial partners.

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My name is Dr Sophie Janbon and I am a French citizen. I moved to the UK in 2004 to start a PhD at the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences (SCEAS) at the University of Manchester in the group of Prof Roger Davey. My research topic was understanding crystallisation pathways from thermotropic liquid crystalline states. I started a Senior Crystallisation Scientist role at AstraZeneca in December 2007. My main activity was to develop robust crystallisation processes for APIs to provide suitable crystalline form and particle properties for downstream processes including efficient isolation/drying, formulation development and drug product manufacture. These engineered physical attributes are to ensure patients are supplied with consistent and safe investigational medicines.

I was promoted in 2017 to Associate Principal Scientist in Crystallisation Science and then became a Team Manager in 2018 in the Early Development Phase (from pre-Lead Optimisation to Phase IIb). My team consists of specialists including Biocatalysis, Crystallisation science, Material/Particle Science and Process Engineering.

My name is Dr Amy Robertson and I am the Principal Scientist for Crystallisation and Particle Science in Chemical Development in AstraZeneca. I obtained a PhD in structural chemistry from the University of Bristol (Prof Guy Orpen) and then spent 3 years as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester in the group of Prof Roger Davey. There my research was focussed on the crystallisation of pharmaceutical hydrates. I then worked in the Materials Science group at Pfizer, Sandwich, as a solid state scientist and small molecule crystallographer. For the past 15 years I have been a crystallisation scientist at AstraZeneca involved in the development and troubleshooting of crystallisation processes from early development to commercial products. I was the team manager of the crystallisation team in Chemical Development for 3 years and was promoted to Principal Scientist in 2019. My current role focusses on leading the science and technology for particle design, supporting crystallisation process development across AZ and interfacing with early development and product development organisations.  Since 2015 I have been a Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde.