About
Founded on first-hand experience
Particology was founded by a team of scientists who had spent years working together, collaborating across the interface between API and drug product development to bring dozens of new medicines successfully to market.
That experience sharpened a shared conviction: that a holistic, integrated approach to particle design consistently delivers better outcomes than working within silos, and that more programmes deserved access to that kind of joined-up thinking.
So we set out to do something about it
We built Particology around that conviction — and with more than 150 years of combined pharmaceutical industry experience across the founding team, we bring that same connected approach to every client we work with.
Where we are now
Today, Particology is a team of 15 scientists based at Discovery Park in Sandwich, one of the UK’s leading life science campuses.
We work with pharmaceutical companies across the development spectrum, from early-stage startups reaching their first clinical milestone to established global organisations tackling complex reformulation challenges.
We have active research collaborations with InSPIREmed and Micropore Technologies, and an established network of trusted CRO partners that extends the range of what we can offer our clients without adding complexity to their supplier relationships.
How we work is as important to us as the work itself.
Put People First
People sit at the centre of everything we do — our clients, our team, the patients who will one day take the medicines we help develop, and the wider community we’re part of. We believe that specialist particle science expertise should be accessible to pharmaceutical companies of every size, and that the next generation of scientists deserves every opportunity to find their way into the industry. We support this through STEM outreach, student placements and work experience in our local area. We work with transparency, honesty and genuine respect for everyone we collaborate with.
Be Curious
We bring genuine scientific curiosity to every project. We follow the data wherever it leads, question assumptions rather than rely on them, and find innovative solutions to your specific particle challenge. That same curiosity drives how we develop as a team, through active research collaborations, continuous investment in our expertise, and a commitment to staying at the cutting edge of particle science.
Be Empowered
Every person on the Particology team is encouraged to bring their expertise to bear and to make decisions based on their scientific judgement. We work with care and agility — moving quickly when the science demands it, but never at the expense of technical rigour — and our independence as an organisation means we’re always working in our clients’ best interests.
Achieve More Together
The integrated nature of our work is only possible because the team shares knowledge and expertise across disciplines, works as a genuine extension of every client’s team, and collaborates openly with research partners and the wider industry to push particle science forward.
Meet the team
Dr Lisa Taylor
Chief Executive Officer
Never happier than when orchestrating a brainstorming session with colour-coded post-it notes, Lisa leads Particology with a combination of technical rigour and a leadership style built around mentorship and team growth.
With over 20 years in materials science — navigating a career path from tribology to pharmaceuticals — her expertise spans particle characterisation and milling development across all stages of product development, from pre-formulation to filing.
She has supervised numerous PhD candidates and apprentices, and is always on the lookout for digital and technology innovations that can accelerate the science. Her spirit of curiosity applies outside the lab too, as she is an avid traveller and adventure seeker.
Dr Paul Whiteside
Executive Director
Paul brings over 20 years of pharmaceutical materials science experience to Particology, specialising in applying advanced spectroscopic techniques to solve complex problems across the interface between API and drug product development.
His career spans pre-clinical through to commercial drug product development and launch. He has significant experience in Intellectual Property enforcement, working closely with patent attorneys to protect and leverage scientific insights.
At Pfizer, Paul was instrumental in establishing a proactive, risk-based approach to managing the physical instability of API in commercial drug products. It’s an approach that shapes how Particology thinks about particle science across every client programme.
Dr Ivan Marziano
Chief Scientific & Innovation Officer
Despite not yet fulfilling his childhood dream of acquiring superpowers through an experiment gone wrong, Ivan has enjoyed a 25+ year career as a chemist in pharmaceutical development.
An internationally recognised expert in crystallisation and particle engineering, he has contributed to the launch of many new medicines, has served as Chair of the British Association for Crystal Growth, Chair of the Industry Board for CMAC, and was part of the IQ co-processing working group.
Ivan is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, recognised with a 2024 WISE Ally Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Outside of work, Ivan is an avid music fan, and enjoys cooking and walking with his mad dog, Archie.
Dr John Murphy
Chief Operating Officer
John spent 20+ years in pharmaceutical development at Pfizer, gaining experience from pre-formulation through to the regulatory and IP challenges of bringing new medicines to patients.
This led him into leadership across safety, operational and facilities management – an approach he brings to Particology, building an environment where scientists can do their best work. John is a trained facilitator for the Men as Allies scheme and a keen advocate for equity and allyship.
Outside of work, John enjoys travel and motorsport and is currently trying to reconcile how to enjoy both responsibly with the urgent need for society to rethink its relationship with the environment and protect the Earth’s resources for future generations.
Dr Pat Basford
Director of Solid State Services
Pat’s scientific curiosity started early, with a practical experiment into the impact of adding soil to her father’s homebrew, and she hasn’t stopped since. With over 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Pat is a highly respected solid-state chemist whose work has directly contributed to the development of multiple new medicines.
A collaboration with Prof. Daryl Williams led to the creation of the first modern advanced sorption analyser, and she remains a leading authority on hydrated solid forms and hydrate risk management.
She has always made time to share her knowledge, mentoring PhD students and junior colleagues, and once explaining the science of biscuit softening to Simon Mayo’s Radio 2 listeners.
Jenny Dolman
Director of Materials Assessment & Formulation
Over a 20-year career in pharmaceutical development, Jenny has seen first-hand how particle properties can make or break product performance.
At Pfizer, she led the Materials Assessment group, carrying out detailed characterisation of particle and powder properties to enable better formulation and process design, and catching manufacturing risks before they became problems.
She brings the same commitment to continuous improvement to everything she touches at Particology, whether that’s projects, processes and people.
As a mum of young children, Jenny is a passionate advocate for the apprentice scheme as a way of bringing fresh energy and perspective into science.
Katy Alexander
Director of Portfolio Management
A chemist by training, Katy brings experience from both big pharma and CRO environments, with a particular focus on solid-state characterisation, screening and the scientific planning that keeps complex programmes on track.
Most recently she developed a substantial workflow and supplier network for regulatory starting materials and intermediates — an often overlooked area that can cause serious manufacturing headaches downstream.
Katy is active in the British Crystallographic Association Industrial Group, helping organise conferences and serving as treasurer.
In the lab she is the Particologist most likely to burst into a showtune. Outside it, you will find her on a hockey or cricket pitch, or with Teddy, her Jackapoo puppy.