Professor Richard Paul
- Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry
- Christchurch House C205, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
Biography
My research is focused on the application of bioanalytical chemistry to address questions of importance in forensic and medical fields. I am particularly interested in biomarker discovery and detection as employed in toxicology, pathology, and related disciplines. Projects are inherently interdisciplinary, and have provided scope for diverse collaborations including government agencies, healthcare providers, and the private sector.
Research
Our research in the Analytical Science Research Group is problem-driven, which raises the need to invent new methodology. Our work is currently funded by Skin Cancer Research Fund, Sir Samuel Scott of Yews Trust, The Valentine Charitable Trust, and Border Force, Home Office.
Our technical focus and capabilities include a focus on volatile biomarker detection using headspace techniques, a range of mass spectrometry techniques, surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and chemometric techniques for data handling and optimization.
I am currently Chief Investigator on a multidisciplinary research project on cancer metabolomics. In collaboration with University Hospitals Dorset the project aims to show proof of concept in a novel study for the early identification of skin cancer.
Recent projects:
We were commissioned by the Prison Officers Association to investigate the issue of NPS abuse in UK prisons. NPS are new narcotic or psychotropic drugs (not controlled by the UN drug conventions) many of which pose serious health risks. We designed new analytical approaches to assess the prevalence of NPS abuse in UK prisons and assessed the extent to which prison staff are exposed to secondary drug fumes during their employment.
Working with colleagues in our forensic team we are investigating volatile compounds associated with bank currencies, using headspace analysis. The project, funded by Border Force, Home Office, aims to inform future strategy for currency detection dogs.
Our team has employed wastewater monitoring using high resolution mass spectrometry to understand population level trends in drug consumption... This work, a collaboration between Synlab UK and our research group has focused on new psychoactive substances in surface waters and prison settings.
Consultancy and research opportunities: please contact me to discuss analytical science collaborations, consultancy requirements, or PhD opportunities.
more