Associate Professor Darren Svirskis
BHB, BPharm, PhD
Research | Current
My main research drive is the use of materials to communicate with and influence the body through microelectrode arrays and the intelligent delivery of drugs. My team’s research has demonstrated the ability of conducting polymer coatings to improve the performance of sensing and stimulating bio-electrodes. I have expertise in releasing different drugs in a controlled fashion from a range of injectable and implantable platforms.
My translational and multidisciplinary research aims to address currently unmet health demands. The technologies my team design and test can be used in implantable medical devices to answer fundamental research questions and to treat injury and disease.
As the Research Director in the School of Pharmacy I support researchers to develop and conduct excellent research.
Teaching | Current
Pharmacy 212
Pharmacy 213
Pharmacy 410
Pharmacy 411
Course Director Pharmacy 751
ChemEng 751
Postgraduate supervision
Current PhD Candidates - Principle supervisor
Mahima Bansal - A glutamate delivery system for neural stimulation
Anusha Dravid - Nerve growth factor stimulation to promote outgrowth in lower motor neurons (with Simon O'Carroll)
Ernest Cheah - The development of sustained and tuneable drug delivery systems for neurotrophic growth factors
Current PhD Candidates - Co-supervisor
Svenja Meissner - The development of drug delivery systems to achieve controlled exposure of neurotrophic growth factors to neurons. (with Dr Brad Raos)
Rishi Pattabhiraman - Developing the use of a bioelectronic implant to apply sustained electrical
fields to achieve functional recovery after spinal cord injury (with Dr Bruce Harland)
Wiremu McFater - Perioperative lidocaine (with Professor Andrew Hill)
Qing Xu - Pressure sensing PEDOT to improve ocular health (with Dr Duleepa Thrimawithana)
Patrick Pan - On-demand release from liposomes (with Associate Professor Zimei Wu)
Hani Abdeltawab – Development and evaluation of bupivacaine loaded injectable composite in-situ gel formulation for postoperative pain management following arthroplasty (with Dr Manisha Sharma)
Barbara Angoro – Developing an electrochemical technique for measuring free unbound iron in the human blood plasma (with Dr Manisha Sharma)
James Jin - The role of targeted multi-modal analgesia in on pain pathways following haemorrhoidectomy (with Professor Andrew Hill)
Marvin Liu - Improving Thymopentin Stability using PEGylated Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Systems (with Associate Professor Jingyuan Wen)
Matthew Horrocks - Development of Novel Block Co-polymer Interfaces for Force Modulated Delivery of Growth Factors to Stem Cells (with Dr Jenny Malmstrom)
Completed PhDs (primary supervisor)
Dr Prabhat Bhusal - Development of a recoverable controlled release polymeric implant for use following abdominal surgery
Dr Dedeepya Uppalapati - Liquid crystalline templated conducting polymer structures
Dr Zaid Aqrawe - Conducting polymer / neuronal communication
Completed PhDs (co-supervisor)
Dr Wes Xia - Investigating Post-Operative Pain following Haemorrhoidectomy (with Professor Andrew Hill)
Dr Joy Reginald-Opara - Development of a novel drug delivery system for targeted brain delivery in neurodegenerative diseases (with Associate Professor Zimei Wu)
Dr Marvin Tang - Co-delivery of gemcitabine and dCK DNA to overcome resistance to gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer (with Associate Professor Zimei Wu)
Dr Travis Badenhorst - Dermal and cellular delivery of an endogenous peptide (with Dr Zimei Wu)
Dr Shawn (Guanyu) Chen - Development of a novel drug delivery system to enhance the oral bioavailability of Gemcitabine for the treatment of cancer (with Dr Jingyuan Wen)
Dr Emma Kang - Cancer drug delivery systems and nano-carriers for drug targeting (with Dr Zimei Wu)
Dr M. Naveed Yasin - Conducting polymer implant for on-demand ocular drug delivery (with Dr Ilva Rupenthal)
Distinctions/Honours
Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellow
Responsibilities
Current Research Fellows
Dr Brad Raos (https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/brao003)
Dr Bruce Harland (https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/people/profile/bruce-harland)
Previous Research Fellows
Dr Priyanka Agarwal (https://www.linkedin.com/in/p-agarwal-nz/?originalSubdomain=nz)
Dr Ali Seyfoddin (https://www.aut.ac.nz/profiles?id=aseyfodd&asset=268500)
Dr Manisha Sharma (https://unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz/profile/manisha-sharma)
Committees/Professional groups/Services
Research Director - School of Pharmacy
Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)
- Svirskis, D., Procter, G., Sharma, M., Bhusal, P., Dravid, A., MacFater, W., ... Sreebhavan, S. (2020). A non-opioid analgesic implant for sustained post-operative intraperitoneal delivery of lidocaine, characterized using an ovine model. Biomaterials, 26310.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120409
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Anusha Dravid, Manisha Sharma, Laura Bennet, Satya Amirapu, Jacqueline Hannam, Priyanka Agarwal, Andrew Hill - Aqrawe, Z., Boehler, C., Bansal, M., O'Carroll SJ, Asplund, M., & Svirskis, D. (2020). Stretchable Electronics Based on Laser Structured, Vapor Phase Polymerized PEDOT/Tosylate. Polymers, 12 (8).10.3390/polym12081654
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Mahima Bansal, Zaid Aqrawe, Simon OCarroll - Dravid, A., Raos, B., Aqrawe, Z., Parittotokkaporn, S., O'Carroll SJ, & Svirskis, D. (2019). A Macroscopic Diffusion-Based Gradient Generator to Establish Concentration Gradients of Soluble Molecules Within Hydrogel Scaffolds for Cell Culture. Frontiers in Chemistry, 7, 1-13. 10.3389/fchem.2019.00638
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Anusha Dravid, Brad Raos, Zaid Aqrawe, Simon OCarroll - Aqrawe, Z., Wright, B., Patel, N., Vyas, Y., Malmstrom, J., Montgomery, J. M., ... Svirskis, D. (2019). The influence of macropores on PEDOT/PSS microelectrode coatings for neuronal recording and stimulation. SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL, 281, 549-560. 10.1016/j.snb.2018.10.099
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Zaid Aqrawe, Bryon Wright, Jenny Malmstrom, Johanna Montgomery, Jadranka Travas-Sejdic, David Williams, Yukti Vyas - Sharma, M., Chandramouli, K., Curley, L., Pontre, B., Reilly, K., Munro, J., ... Svirskis, D. (2018). In vitro and ex vivo characterisation of an in situ gelling formulation for sustained lidocaine release with potential use following knee arthroplasty. Drug delivery and translational research, 8 (3), 820-829. 10.1007/s13346-018-0492-x
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Simon Young, Manisha Sharma, Andrew Hill, Jacob Munro, Louise Curley, Beau Pontre - Yasin, M. N., Brooke, R. K., Rudd, S., Chan, A., Chen, W.-T., Waterhouse, G. I. N., ... Svirskis, D. (2018). 3-Dimensionally ordered macroporous PEDOT ion-exchange resins prepared by vapor phase polymerization for triggered drug delivery: Fabrication and characterization. Electrochimica Acta, 269, 560-570. 10.1016/j.electacta.2018.02.162
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Wan-Ting Chen, Geoffrey Waterhouse, Ilva Rupenthal, Andrew Chan - Bansal, M., Sharma, M., Bullen, C., & Svirskis, D. (2018). Free standing PEDOT films prepared by vapour phase polymerisation as electrically tuneable barriers to drug permeability. Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications, 84, 248-253. 10.1016/j.msec.2017.12.002
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Manisha Sharma, Chris Bullen, Mahima Bansal - Aqrawe, Z., Montgomery, J., Travas-Sejdic, J., & Svirskis, D. (2018). Conducting polymers for neuronal microelectrode array recording and stimulation. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 257, 753-765. 10.1016/j.snb.2017.11.023
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Jadranka Travas-Sejdic, Zaid Aqrawe
Identifiers
Contact details
- +64 9 923 1158
- +64.9.923.1158
- d.svirskis@auckland.ac.nz
- dsvi001@aucklanduni.ac.nz
- Media Contact
Primary office location
M&HS BUILDING 503 - Bldg 503
Level 3, Room 301D
85 PARK RD
GRAFTON
AUCKLAND 1023
New Zealand
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