Meet the Physical Characterisation Team at Cormica Bradford
Behind every project at Cormica is a team of dedicated scientists, and in Bradford, UK, we’re proud to showcase the talented people whose work drives the high-quality testing our clients trust.
Cormica Bradford is home to one of our leading analytical chemistry laboratories, supporting pharmaceutical, medical device, and combination product manufacturers with advanced testing solutions.
Within the Bradford site, two specialist groups drive our work forward:
- Physical Characterisation – experts in physico-chemical analytical solutions
- Separation Sciences – specialists in precision chromatographic separations
In this feature, we’re shining a spotlight on the Physical Characterisation team: the people behind the science and the expertise that underpins so many of our clients’ success stories.
Type:
Published:
Who are the Physical Characterisation team?
The Bradford team brings together specialists in particle and powder characterisation, solid state analysis, wet chemistry, and elemental analysis. With extensive experience and a wide range of advanced equipment, they are well-equipped to solve some of the industry’s most complex challenges.
Caroline Aiken, Section Head of the department, attributes the team’s success to their diverse backgrounds, innate curiosity and creative problem solving.
“The team are all talented, experienced scientists. Bolstering our globally recognised talent, we have individuals with strong academic credentials and those with extensive analytical experience from a variety of industries. In addition to their technical skills, they possess deep knowledge of pharmaceutical regulatory guidelines and quality standards.”
A diverse perspective
Beyond their varied career histories, the team’s diversity extends to their cultural heritage, with five different nationalities represented. This not only enriches the team dynamic but also gives unique insight into the global market we serve.
This blend of expertise, coupled with the desire to help one another, fosters a collaborative problem-solving environment. They not only care deeply about their own contributions to life-changing medicines, they care about each other, enabling the team to tackle complex challenges effectively.
Caroline is keen to add, “We couldn’t do what we do without the support of all the teams onsite, our fantastic facilities team making sure we can work safely and have what we need, when we need it. The quality team, supporting compliance and navigation of the complex regulatory requirements of our industry. As well as the technical expertise of the other teams both onsite and as part of the wider Cormica family. We work together to elevate our knowledge and understanding to better support our customers.”
Highlights from recent projects
Some of the team’s achievements this year include:
- Designing and manufacturing bespoke solutions for complex MDRS testing to support equivalency assessments
- Supporting clients with successful regulatory submissions, helping them bring life-changing medicines to market
- Solving highly complex problems, such as quantitative polymorphic determination in unique drug delivery systems and tackling persistent manufacturing contaminant issues
These successes highlight the blend of scientific excellence and practical application that clients can rely on at Cormica Bradford.
Meet the leaders
Caroline Aiken has been with Cormica and its legacy business for seven years. A driven and successful R&D manager, she has over 15 years of experience across CRO and FMCG industries, leading her multidisciplinary team in Bradford with her own extensive career history in physico-chemical analysis. She is passionate about her team’s development and facilitating their ability to deliver their work with reliable consistency, within agreed timelines while prioritising safety and quality.
Dr. Jabbar Gardy is a passionate chemist and trained as a multi-disciplinary chemical engineer, with over 20 years of experience in academia and the pharmaceutical CRO industries. He specialises in nanoparticle design, material synthesis, and powder technology, particularly in situ and ex situ characterisation, as well as developing new rigs and prototypes. He joined the Bradford site in mid-2022 as a Technical Leader in Physical Characterisation, where he focuses on delivering analytical solutions, particularly in designing and developing robust methodologies for size and shape analysis under GMP and GLP environments for complex generics. Jabbar also hosted our webinar on Morphologi4-ID: MDRS of Complex Generics – click here to watch free
How Cormica Bradford can help you
Our Physical Characterisation team works with pharmaceutical, medical device, and combination product manufacturers worldwide, providing analytical testing that supports:
- Particle and powder characterisation
- Solid-state analysis
- Nanoparticle and material analysis
- Method development, validation, and transfer
- Regulatory submissions and equivalency testing
Whether you need to solve a complex problem, ensure compliance, or accelerate product development, Cormica Bradford offers the expertise, equipment, and global regulatory knowledge to help you succeed.
The Physical Characterisation team at Cormica Bradford is a great example of what makes our labs so special: talented people with different skills and backgrounds, all working together to solve tough challenges. Their hard work helps our clients get safe and effective products to patients around the world.
Keep an eye out as we share more stories from the amazing teams across Cormica!