Monash Memo - 19 September 2001

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New Chair of Pharmaceutical Biology

The Victorian College of Pharmacy's appointment of Professor Colin Pouton as Chair and head of Pharmaceutical Biology would herald changes to pharmacy teaching methods, it was announced this week.

Professor Colin Chapman, dean of the Victorian College of Pharmacy, said the college was delighted it would be joined by the award-winning international researcher and teacher with an interest in multimedia and collaboration.

Professor Pouton (pictured) received the Pfizer Award for Pharmaceutical Science in 1995.

Coming to Monash from the UK, Professor Pouton was a reader in pharmaceutical biology and head of the Pharmaceutics Group, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, at the University of Bath from 1999.

Professor Chapman said biomedical researchers at Monash would be interested in Professor Pouton's expertise in the delivery of biological macromolecules and experience in gene delivery, gene therapy and protein delivery.

"Professor Pouton can add value to any project wrestling with making difficult molecules effective as medicines. Collaboration in research has been an important key to his success," he said.

Professor Pouton's arrival also heralds changes to pharmacy teaching methods, Professor Chapman said.

A leader in the development of new approaches to learning while at Bath, Professor Pouton was part of a team that introduced the use of multimedia to undergraduate education.

This led to the establishment of an international network for academic colleagues (PCCAL International) and a marketing company for multimedia courseware (Coacs Ltd).