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Dr Karen Hapgood

B.E. (Chemical Engineering, Hons I), University of Queensland, 1993.
Ph.D. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, 2000

Senior Lecturer

email: karen.hapgood@eng.monash.edu.au
tel: +61 3 9905 3428
fax: +61 3 9905 5686
Room 207, Building 69 Engineering

Research Information Page

Advanced Particle Engineering Laboratory

Professional Appointments

  • 2006-Present: Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University.
  • 2005-2006: Process Engineer, Technical Operations, Merck Sharp and Dohme Australia.
  • 2003-2005: Project Scientist, Pharmaceutical Materials Laboratory, Merck & Co., USA
  • 2001-2003: Senior Research Chemical Engineer, Pharmaceutical R&D, Merck & Co., USA
  • 1993-1996: Project Engineer, Industrial Automation & Controls, Honeywell.

Professional Affiliations 

  • IChemE
  • Australasian Particle Technology Society
  • American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
  • Australian Association of Engineering Education
  • Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients, International Steering Committee member (6th edition)

Current Research and Professional Interests 

  • Understanding granulation processes
  • Liquid-particle interactions in processing equipment
  • Pharamceutical manufacturing processes for solid dosage forms
  • Applied powder technology
  • Pharmaceutical formulation
  • Design of particles to provide desired properties

Awards and Honours

  • 2006 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists New Investigator award in Pharmaceutical Technology
  • 2004 Merck Pharmaceutical Technology and Engineering award for Excellence in Technology Transfer

Selected Publications and Presentations

Book Chapters:

  • Hapgood, K.P., S.M. Iveson, L. Liu & J.D. Litster, “ Granule Rate Processes”, in “Handbook of Granulation”, A. Salman and M. Hounslow (eds.), Elsevier Science, 2006  in press.

Journal Articles:

  •  Hapgood, K.P., Litster, J.D., White, E.T., Mort, P.R., and Jones, D.G., “Dimensionless spray flux in wet granulation: Monte-Carlo simulations and experimental validation”, Powder Technology, 141: 20-30 (2004).
  • Tardos, G.I., Hapgood, K.P., Ipadeola, O, and Michaels, J.N., “Stress measurements in High Shear Granulators using Calibrated “test” Particles: Implications for Scale-up”, Powder Technology, 140: 217-227 (2004).
  •  Hapgood, K. P., Litster, J.D., Smith, R, “Nucleation Regime Map for Liquid Bound Granules.” AIChE Journal, 49: 350-360 (2003).
  •  Hapgood, K., Litster, J., Biggs, S., Howes, T., “Drop Penetration into porous powder beds.” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 253: 353-366 (2002).
  • Litster, J. D., K. P. Hapgood, Michaels, J.N., et al., “Scale-up of mixer granulators for effective liquid distribution.” Powder Technology, 124: 272-280 (2002). 
  •  Iveson, S.M., Litster, J.D., Hapgood, K.P., “Nucleation, growth and breakage phenomena in agitated wet granulation processes: a review.” Powder Technology, 117: 3-39 (2001).
  •  Litster, J. D., Hapgood K. P., Michaels, J.N., et al., “Liquid Distribution in Wet Granulation. Dimensionless Spray Flux.” Powder Technology, 114: 32-39 (2001).

Conference Proceedings:

  • Farber, L.F., K.P. Hapgood, K.P. and J.N. Michaels, “Hydrophobic nucleation in particle agglomeration”, to be presented at World Congress Particle Technology 5, Florida USA, April 23-27, 2006.
  • Mort, P.R., K.P. Hapgood, J.D. Litster, E.T. White, "Dimensionless spray flux in wet granulation: Monte-Carlo simulations and experimental validation", AIChE Annual Meeting, November 2004.
  • Hapgood, K.P, Jain, S., Kline, L, Moaddeb, M, and Zega, J., “Application of Spray Flux in Scale-Up of High Shear Wet Granulation Processes”, AIChE Annual Meeting, November 2003.
  • Tardos, G.I., Hapgood, K.P., Ipadeola, O.O, and Michaels, J.N., "Stress measurements in high shear granulators and implications for scale-up", AIChE Annual Meeting, November 2003
  • Hapgood, K.P., invited speaker, “Case Study: Liquid Distribution during scale-up of high shear granulation”, Advances in wet granulation technology, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Lansdowne VA, 8-13 June 2003.
  • Hapgood, K., R. Plank, H. Hartman, P. Harmon, C. Kaur and J. Zega, “Drug Distribution in wet granulation: A case study”,. World Congress on Particle Technology 4, Sydney, Australia, July 2002.
  • Hapgood, K., R. Plank and J. Zega, “Use of dimensionless spray flux to scale up a wet granulated product”,. World Congress on Particle Technology 4, Sydney, Australia, July 2002.
  • Plank, R., L. Schenck, K. Hapgood and J. Zega, “Scale-up of a pharmaceutical high-shear wet granulation process using swept volume and dimensionless spray flux”, American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2002 Annual Meeting (AICHE), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 2002
  • White, E., K. Hapgood and J. D. Litster, “Monte Carlo Simulation of Drop Distribution”, 9th APCCHhE and CHEMECA 2002, Christchurch, New Zealand, 29 September - 3 October 2002.
  • Smith, R., Hapgood, K. P., Litster, J.D., Mechanical Dispersion Regime in High Shear Granulators, 6th World Congress of Chemical Engineering, Melbourne 2001.