Professor Graham Sewell, PhD
Member of International Editorial Advisory Board, GaBI Journal
Professor of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, UK
Professor Graham Sewell obtained his Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Bath and completed his PhD at the School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of Bath.
After his PhD, Professor Sewell held senior hospital pharmacist positions at Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and De Montfort, combined in each case with the academic appointments of research fellow, lecturer and reader, respectively. During this time, he continued to publish and developed a strong interest in both clinical and pharmaceutical aspects of oncology and in the application of the pharmaceutical sciences to clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice.
In 1999, Professor Sewell returned to the School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the University of Bath as Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice.
In October 2004, Professor Sewell took the post of Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at Kingston University and joined the team leading the development and accreditation of the new School of Pharmacy at Kingston. During this time, he also retained a practice base as Associate Director of Pharmacy at Plymouth Hospitals Trust.
In October 2009, Professor Sewell took up the position with Plymouth University as Head of the School of Health Professions and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Health.
In May 2019, Professor Sewell returned to his Pharmacy roots and joined the School of Pharmacy at De Montfort University as Professor of Pharmacy Practice.
Internationally, Professor Sewell was FIP and CPA representative on WHO Expert Committee on Cancer Pain Relief and Palliative Care in Geneva, July 1989. He is also Full Member of the EORTC Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms Group, since 1990. He was Chair of the Research Committee of International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners (ISOPP), 1998–2004. He was also Member of the Science Committee, ISOPP 8 Symposium, Vancouver, Canada, 7–11 May 2002 and Member of the Science Committee, ISOPP 9 Symposium, Turin, Italy, 14 April 2004. He was elected as President of ISOPP, 2004–2006.
Regionally, Professor Sewell was Chair of the Bath branch Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 1980–1982. He was also Member of the South and West Regional Committee of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 2000–2003 and Member of Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire Cancer Research Network, 2001–2006.
Nationally, Professor Sewell was a Member of the Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group, Royal Pharmaceutical Society in 1989. He was Chair of the Research and Development Group, National CIVAS Organisation, 1999–2004. He has been a Member of British Oncology Pharmacy Association (BOPA), since 1996. He was Chair of the MARCH Programme scientific panel, 1999–2011. He was also Member of BAPEN Research and Science Committee, 2001–2005. He was Member of the Management Committee, Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group of Royal Society of Chemistry/Royal Pharmaceutical Society, 2002–2006 and Member National Cancer Research Network Oncology Pharmacy and Chemotherapy Standardisation Committee November 2003–April 2008.
Professor Sewell has research interests in various scientific and professional areas including Novel methods of service delivery, including ‘dose-banding’ and therapeutic optimization of cancer treatments; Clinical pharmacokinetics and PK/PD relationships; Formulation and physical/chemical stability of pharmaceutical infusions; Neonatal and adult total parenteral nutrition – optimisation of regimens; occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs, and safe systems of practice; Environmental impact of cytotoxic drugs and metabolites discharged into rivers and marine domains; Medication review and quality assurance and audit in healthcare practice; Ambulatory infusion therapy for cystic fibrosis, cancer and infectious diseases; Pharmacist and ‘non-medical’ supplementary/independent prescribing; Risk management and medication errors.
He has more than 150 peer-reviewed research publications, abstracts, book chapters and review articles, over 80 invited keynote/plenary presentations and has directed over 20 PhD/MPhil projects to completion. Key areas published including his transformative work on dose-banding of cancer chemotherapy, and the environmental effect of cytotoxic drugs/metabolites from cancer patients which enter the water system and the food chain. He is best known for his work on Dose Banding of Cancer Chemotherapy, which was adopted by NHS England in 2016, and is currently Associate Editor of the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice.
Professor Sewell received many awards such as the Jansenn Prize 1980 by School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath; Vestric Travel Award 1987 (for research in cancer chemotherapy); National QC Symposium Award 1992; Norton Healthcare Award 1995. In 2008, the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy presented him with the Helen McKinnon Award, its highest accolade, in recognition of his research and achievement in oncology pharmacy, at the joint HOPA/ISOPP Conference, Los Angeles, 18 June 2008.