Newcastle Pharmacist Leads Research to Protect Kidneys from Damage Caused by Antibiotics

A Newcastle-based pharmacist and academic has been awarded a major research grant to help protect people’s kidneys from damage caused by certain antibiotics — and his work could lead to safer treatment for patients across the country. 

Dr Oisín Kavanagh, senior lecturer in pharmacy at Newcastle University, has received a £90,000 PhD studentship award from Kidney Research UK, jointly funded by the Thompson Family Charitable Trust. His research will investigate how needle-like crystals can form in the kidneys when high doses of antibiotics are given and whether safe substances found in foods or existing medicines could help prevent this. 

Originally from Derry, Oisín studied pharmacy at the University of Ulster, graduating with the Gold Medal from the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland, before going on to complete a PhD in drug crystal engineering. Awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to the University of Michigan, he held a research posts in Cork before joining Newcastle University in 2021. 

“I’m very grateful that Kidney Research UK is backing this work,” said Oisín. “As a pharmacist, I want to help ensure patients get the powerful medicines they need without putting their kidney health at risk. If we can understand and prevent this type of kidney injury, it could make high-dose antibiotics much safer to use.” 

Oisín’s work is focused on a little-known condition called crystalluria, where crystals form in the urine and can lead to acute kidney injury. His project will explore which drug concentrations cause crystals to form — and which substances might be able to slow down or stop this process.

Elaine Davies, director of research operations at Kidney Research UK, said: “We’re proud to support this research here in Newcastle. Oisín’s project could lead to meaningful changes in how we use antibiotics, making treatments safer and directly improving kidney health for patients across the UK.” 

Katie Woodward, daughter of the late David Thompson, said: “This work really demonstrates the need to increase collaboration across relevant medical fields. As a family, we know how much of an impact kidney disease can have, not only on the patient but on their loved ones around them, and we are excited to be supporting research that presents the real possibility of preventing kidney disease”.