Biography

Prof Janet Mifsud obtained her PhD in 1995 from Queen's University of Belfast in the pharmacology of chiral antiepileptic drugs. Her research activities in epilepsy are undertaken with colleagues in Mater Dei Hospital, Queen’s University of Belfast and King’s College London, where she has been appointed visiting lecturer. She has published extensively and has been invited to European and World Epilepsy Conferences. She was appointed on the organising and scientific committees of the 2011 International Congress on Epilepsy and European Epilepsy and Society Conference, 2010 and European Pharmacology Congress, EPHAR, 2012. She has also organised various conferences in Malta such as an International School in Pharmacokinetics in conjunction with the University of Minnesota and the University of Pisa and various national epilepsy conferences.

She co-ordinates pharmacology study units offered at the University of Malta for Faculties of Medicine and Surgery; Health Sciences; Science; Education; and Dental Surgery. She also co-ordinates an MSc (Pharmacology/Clinical Pharmacology) and a Pharmacotoxicology Course, both of which have been approved under the Get Qualified Scheme of Malta Enterprise.

Prof Mifsud was Secretary General for the European Epilepsy Academy and is presently Vice-President for the International Bureau for Epilepsy; and member, Joint Task Force, European Epilepsy Research and Advocacy. She is an advisor, Caritas Malta Epilepsy Association. She is also involved in several EU and internationally funded projects.

Prof Mifsud was national expert on the scientific Pharmacogenetics Working Group (PGWP) in European Medicines Agency in London. In 2010, she was appointed by the Malta Council for Science and Technology as national contact point for COST, the intergovernmental framework for European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research. Dr Mifsud was appointed the first Commissioner, National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE) in 2004 and was for several years a member of the Public Service Commission. She is presently Board Member, Malta Council for Science and Technology and a member of Team Europe, EU Representation in Malta.

Research Interests & Publications

Research Interests

• Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacometrics and Pharmacogenetics
• Pharmacology of drugs used in chronic neurological disorders specifically anti-epileptic drugs
• Pharmacotoxicology
• Abuse and misuse of over the counter drugs and Drug Doping in sports
• Stigma and inclusion in epilepsy
• Ethical issues in health care and pharmacology
• Gender and science

Baulac, M., De Boer, H., Elger, C., Glynn, M., Kalviainen, R., Little, A., Mifsud, J., Perucca, E. & Pitkanen, A. 2012, "The Written Declaration on Epilepsy: An important achievement for Europe and beyond", Seizure, vol. 21, pp. 75-76.

Sghendo, L. & Mifsud, J. 2012, "Understanding The Molecular Pharmacology Of The Serotonergic System -Using Fluoxetine As A Model", Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, vol. 64, pp. 317-325.

de la Mata Barranco, I., Reynardi, M., Bock , A., Majcen, S., Corral, T., Mifsud, J., Boye, N., Debonneuil, E., Tietz, A. & Gyoerffi, M. 2011, The SESTI project - D6.2 Workshop papers (4/4)- Major trends, challenges and emerging issues in Health, eForesee project.

Maliepaard, M., Ingelman-Sundberg, M., Gil Berglund, E., Salmonson, T., Oselin, K. & Mifsud, J. 2011, Guideline on the use of pharmacogenetic methodologies in the pharmacokinetic evaluation of medicinal products, European Medicines Agency guideline edn, London.

Mifsud, J. 2011, "Facing the Challenges: Malta" in Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy: continuing the global conversation, eds. D. Chapman, D. Panelli, J. Hanna & T. Jeffs, Epilepsy Australia Ltd, Australia, pp. 123-124.

Mifsud, J. 2010, "Epilepsy in the WHO European Region. Education." in Epilepsy in the WHO European Region. Fostering Epilepsy Care in Europe Sein, Netherlands, pp. 26-27.

Mifsud, J. 2010, "Phenobarbital and Other Barbiturates" in The Atlas of Epilepsies, eds. P. Chrysostomos & P. Panayiotopoulos, Springer, , pp. 1807-1812.

Ellul Darmanin, R., Cordina, M., Buhagiar, A., Fenech, A. & Mifsud, J. 2009, "An analysis of gender differences in self-reported health, use of medicines and access to information sources about medicines among adolescents", International Journal Adolescent Medical Health, vol. 4, pp. 591-600.

Lecturing Portfolio

Academic Year 2016/17

Other

Research work in progress

- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics of antipsychotic
- Drug interactions and pharmacogenetics of antiepileptic drugs
- OTC drug use and misuse and drug doping in sports
- Management of pain
- Stigma and educational inclusion in epilepsy
- Sustainable and accessible health care

Publications in progress

Dempsey J, Bezzina C, Dimech V, Mifsud J. Imparting Knowledge And Improving Attitudes Towards Epilepsy To Enhance Educational Inclusion. International Journal of Inclusive Education - special edition - Youth: Responding To Lives, 2012, submitted for publication.

Sghendo L, Mifsud J. A reproducible GC/MS method for the analysis of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine enantiomers in biological fluids. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 2012 accepted for publication.

Involvement in projects and ongoing collaborations

- Malta representative on Euroepinomics, ESF project 2011-2016.
- Chair of the dissemination board of a 10 million Euro EU funded FP6 project EPICURE: Functional Genomics and Neurobiology of Epilepsy: A Basis for New Therapeutic Strategies (LSH-037315)
- Co-coordinator of an EU funded project looking at Curricular Education for Professionals Allied to Medicine (PAMs) in Epilepsy 2006-2011.
- Co-ordinator of a UNESCO funded project on Gender Gap in science and technology in Malta, 2007.
- Co-ordinator of a UNESCO funded project on Learning Impairments and Pharmacological Interventions In Neurological Disorders, 2005.
- Co-ordinator of an EU Youth Grant - Epilepsy Youth in Europe, 2003

Awards
- Italo Maltese award to La Sapienza University Rome Italy, 2009
- Visiting fellow US Fulbright scholarship to the University of Minnesota, 2007
- Erasmus Lecture programme award, Queen’s University of Belfast, UK,2004,009.
- Pektur award, Commission for Persons with Disability, 2001
- DAAD grant, Bethel Epilepsy Clinic, Germany, 1999



Others

Expert evaluator
- European Science Foundation (ESF);
- DG Research, European Commission;
- Swedish Research Agency;
- Spanish Research Agency;
- Italian Bureau against Epilepsy.


Reviewer
- Epilepsia,
- Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology,
- Biopharmaceutics & Drug Disposition
- Journal of Pediatric Neurology
- Maltese Medical Journal.

Member, SEIZE, consultative board, Glaxo-Smith Kline®
Member, PERFECT study, Viropharma®.
Member, American Society of Clinical Pharmacology