Joan Taylor

Professor Joan Taylor is a leading academic in pharmaceutics at De Montfort University, affiliated with the Leicester School of Pharmacy under the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Her research focuses on advanced drug delivery systems, particularly for diabetes treatment.

Her research interests include insulin physico-chemistry, diabetes control, targeted drug delivery, rheometry of gels and sols, engineering of drug delivery devices, and exercise physiology in diabetes. She has pioneered work on glucose-sensitive gels and implantable artificial pancreas systems.

The publications reflect a strong focus on novel insulin delivery technologies, biomaterials for controlled release, clinical interventions in diabetes, and analytical methods for protein stability. Key themes include smart gels, closed-loop systems, and translational approaches to diabetes management.

• Synthesized biologically active insulin conjugates
• Developed gel-based delivery systems responsive to glucose
• Explored exercise impacts on glycemic control
• Advanced analytical techniques for insulin stability
• Contributed to artificial pancreas design and testing

Prof. Taylor has secured substantial research funding and holds multiple patents in drug delivery systems. She supervises several postgraduate research students and collaborates widely across engineering, pharmacy, and clinical domains.

She has led externally funded projects from Lachesis, NEAT, Edith Murphy Foundation, and Prospect IP, focusing on rodent and pig models for artificial pancreas testing, gel development, and medical engineering. She also led internal HEIF-funded research on nanoparticle CNS targeting.

Prof. Taylor is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Her patented innovations include glucose-sensing gels and drug delivery systems. She has delivered numerous invited talks globally and contributed to media programs on artificial organs and diabetes technology.