Professor Leon Aarons is a Professor in Manchester Pharmacy School at the University of Manchester, UK.  Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, he came to Manchester in 1976.

His major research interests lie in the area of pharmacokinetics.  He has a general interest in the subject as a whole but has a special interest in data analysis and interpretation.  He collaborates with members of the pharmacokinetic group in Manchester and also with other scientists in industry and academia throughout Europe.  His current activities revolve around population pharmacokinetics.  People involved in the drug development process are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of studying the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of the drug in the population interest as soon as possible.

He is a member on various committees promoting research including the United Kingdom Pharmacokinetic Discussion Group and is a member of the management committee of COST B25.

He is European Editor of the Journal of Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics and Executive Editor of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics Computer aided clinical trial design Optimal design for population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies

Population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

Population pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) aims to investigate and quantify PK/PD differences between patients. The sources of this variability include genetics, demographic differences, drug-drug interactions and disease state. Having identified sources of variability it is possible to provide rational dosage regimen guidelines. Population PK/PD is a modelling discipline and we use a variety of Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian techniques to perform the modelling. Current therapeutic applications include malaria, paediatrics, anti-inflammatories and anti-cancer agents.

Computer aided clinical trial design

Computer aided clinical trial design (CATD) builds on population modelling and is a model based technique in which future clinical trials are designed based on the current state of knowledge using stochastic simulation techniques. The work is carried out within CAPKR. The methodology has been applied to an anti-migraine drug.

Optimal design for population PK/PD studies

The use of optimal design techniques is an alternative to CATD and aims to minimise parameter estimation error using various information criteria. Both frequentist and Bayesian methods are being applied. This work is also being carried out in CAPKR and we are currently working on both the methodology and developing software.

Members of the Statistical Modelling Research Group:

• Kayode Ogungbenro
• Adam Darwich
• Hitesh Mistry
• Fernando Ortega
• Amais Ahmed

Scientific Research Links:

• CAPKR
• Population Approach group Europe
• NONMEM project group
• The BUGS project (Bayesian methods using Gibbs sampling)
• PharmPK (PK discussion group)
• Tutor on the Advanced Methods on Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics and Basic Pharmacokinetic Workshops

• Pharmacokinetics
• Development Biopharmaceutics
• Drug Development Workshop

• CAPKR Collaboration: Brian Houston, Aleksandra Galetin, Amin Rostami,  David Hallifax, Jeff Penny, Kayode Ogungbenro, Adam Darwich
• Senior Research Fellows: Hitesh Mistry and Fernando Ortega
• Postdoctoral Research Associates: Amais Ahmed
• PhD Students: Estelle Yau, Aurelie Lombard, Yumi Cleary

• 1973 - PhD (University of Manchester)
• 1971 - MSc (University of Calgary)
• 1968 - BSc (Sydney)