Dr Aaron Courtenay

Overview

Dr Aaron J. Courtenay is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy, Course Director for the MPharm (Hons) program, and Academic Lead for Research within the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at Ulster University. Dr Courtenay is a registered Pharmacist with the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, a Chartered Chemist with the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a Global Health Fellow of the Office of the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer in England. Dr Courtenay also sits as a board member for the Pharmacy Forum Northern Ireland and is a serving Vice-Chair for Research Ethics Committee for Northern Ireland (REC-b).

Research Interests

With clinical and industry experience Dr Courtenay's research spans the "translational and clinical areas" within Pharmacy, focusing on the intersection of novel diagnostic device development and the implementation of clinical best-practice in healthcare prescribing and diagnostics.

Novel Diagnostic Device Development

Dr Courtenay's research focuses on the development of minimally invasive fluid sampling and epigenetic diagnostic testing devices, focusing on managing chronic wounds in oral health. His work has led to prototype development, clinical validation, patenting, and initial market discovery of diagnostic devices supported by competitive funding awards and industrial collaboration.

Clinical Pharmacy Service Development

Dr Courtenay also leads research in implementing clinical pharmacy services within primary and secondary care settings across the European and African continents. His work has led to significant enhancements in patient outcomes and secured funding to explore best practice in service provision, diagnostic care, and appropriate medicines use, particularly in developing antimicrobial stewardship strategies.

Ethical Conduct of Research

Dr Courtenay is an Expert member [Pharmacy] and serving Vice-Chair with the Office for Research Ethics committees in Northern Ireland (ORECNI). Having contributed as Northern Ireland representative to a specialist ad hoc committee convened to assess the use of novel vaccines in human challenge studies, his contributions have been recognised for shaping research agendas and ensuring ethical standards in the conduct of research including CTIMPs and complex trial designs.

Funding

Dr Courtenay has successfully secured research funding from a range of research council, industry, and charity-based sources. Notable grants include those from the MSD Merck Investigators Studies Programme, the Commonwealth Partners for Antimicrobial Stewardship, THET, and Cancer Horizons UK. Dr Courtenay works with research teams across the UK and Ireland, Ghana, Austria, Indonesia, Egypt, and Jordan drawing on funding sources from host settings.

Collaborations

Dr Courtenay has established significant industry collaborations with companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Teva, GSK, Lohmann Therapie Systemie, Randox Laboratories, and Merck Sharpe & Dohme (MSD). He has been supported by BBSRC, the Royal Society of Chemistry, CW Young fund, and the Department for the Economy for Northern Ireland. As a UK Global Health Fellow, he led impactful health partnerships for example, between Ulster University and KNUST University Hospital in Ghana, influencing national antimicrobial stewardship policies and helping to develop KNUST as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Centre of Excellence in Ghana.

Research Opportunities