Doctoral Defense in Pharmaceutical Sciences – Elisa Alessandrini

On Monday, 9 February 2026, Elisa Alessandrini will defend her doctoral dissertation in pharmaceutical sciences at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland.

The dissertation is entitled: Advancing the Acceptability of Paediatric Medicines: A Multifaceted Analysis of Preferences, Measurement Strategies, and Links to Adherence.

The opponents will be Dr Nikoletta Fotaki, Professor at the University of Bath, and Dr Sigrún Þorsteinsdóttir, Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Education, University of Iceland.
The main supervisor and advisor was Sveinbjörn Gizurarson, Professor, together with Catherine Tuleu, Professor.
In addition, the doctoral committee included Anna Bryndís Blöndal, Associate Professor; Helga Helgadóttir, Assistant Professor; and Oscar Della Pasqua, Professor.

Berglind Eva Benediktsdóttir, Associate Professor and Head of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, will preside over the ceremony, which will take place in the Ceremonial Hall of the University of Iceland and will begin at 13:00.

Abstract

As the development of age-appropriate and patient-tailored medicines for children gains momentum, understanding patient acceptability has become a critical component of paediatric formulation development. Despite increasing efforts to promote acceptable formulations and adopt patient-centric approaches, significant gaps remain in how children’s preferences and needs are integrated into pharmaceutical design. This thesis aims to bridge some of these gaps and enhance the understanding of patient acceptability in paediatric oral dosage forms, with the aim of providing new valuable guidance for future formulation development.
This thesis is structured around four key objectives. First, it explores children’s preferences for oral dosage forms through a large-scale online survey conducted in multiple European countries. Second, the thesis investigates children’s perspectives on the colour of oral medicines. A systematic literature review is first conducted to gather information available on this topic. This review highlighted the lack of targeted studies in this area, prompting a cross-sectional online survey to gather direct input from children across various European countries. Third, the thesis pilots an innovative objective method for assessing palatability using computer vision to analyse children’s facial reactions to taste stimuli. This approach addresses limitations of traditional methods like hedonic scales, which are unsuitable for young or non-communicative children. Finally, the thesis examines the link between acceptability and medication adherence using pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) modelling and simulations. The analysis shows that poor acceptability, particularly due to taste, can significantly impact drug exposure and treatment outcomes.

In conclusion, this thesis contributes valuable data and methodological innovations to the field of paediatric formulation development. By integrating children’s voices and exploring novel assessment tools, it supports the creation of more acceptable, and patient-centred medicines for children.

About the doctoral candidate

Elisa Alessandrini was born in 1991 in Verona, Italy. She studied pharmacy at the University of Milan and graduated in 2016. She subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Drug Development at University College London in 2017, after which she immediately began working in clinical research as an Associate Pharmacy Manager.

Elisa’s passion for research and paediatric medicines led her back to University College London in 2019, where she worked as a Research Assistant in paediatric drug development and participated in several European research projects focusing on medicines for children. During this period, Elisa met Professor Sveinbjörn Gizurarson, and they shared a common interest in addressing important knowledge gaps in the development of medicines for children. As a result, she decided to begin doctoral studies at the University of Iceland under his supervision, with co-supervision from Professor Catherine Tuleu of University College London.

Elisa’s family lives in Italy, while she herself resides in London with her husband, Giovanni.