Biography

Dr Marisa van der Merwe is Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health at the University of Portsmouth, where she provides strategic leadership across academic quality, curriculum development, governance, partnerships, and organisational change. Having held a number of senior leadership roles within the University, including Associate Dean (Academic), she has played a leading role in shaping the Faculty's academic strategy and supporting the delivery of the University's wider ambitions.

Marisa is recognised for her expertise in higher education policy, quality assurance, curriculum innovation, and regulatory compliance. She has led major institutional initiatives, including the Faculty's transition to the University's Connected Curriculum framework, the development of academic regulations and assessment policies, and the review and strategic development of academic portfolios. She works closely with senior University leaders and external partners to ensure academic excellence, student success, and sustainable growth across a diverse portfolio of science, health and professional programmes.

Alongside her University leadership responsibilities, Marisa is an Accreditation and Recognition Panel Member for the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), contributing to the national oversight and accreditation of pharmacy education programmes across the UK. Through this role she has developed a strong professional network and extensive expertise in professional standards, regulation, and quality enhancement within higher education.

Before moving into Faculty leadership, Marisa served as Course Leader for the University's MPharm programme, where she successfully led curriculum transformation and accreditation, achieving full approval with no conditions or recommendations. Her work pioneered innovative approaches to curriculum design and assessment that have subsequently influenced wider University practice.

A researcher in clinical pharmaceutics, Marisa's work spans drug delivery systems, medicines stability, pharmaceutical technologies, and healthcare innovation. She has secured external research funding, supervised doctoral researchers, published internationally, and contributed evidence that has informed national NHS guidance and practice. She collaborates with healthcare organisations, industry partners, and international universities to support research, innovation, and knowledge exchange.

Marisa holds a PhD in Pharmaceutics and is an Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmaceutics. She is passionate about creating inclusive, high-performing academic environments where staff and students can thrive, and about developing innovative educational opportunities that respond to the evolving needs of the professions, industry, and society.

Research interests

I have a broad research interest which includes:

• Clinical Pharmaceutics: a strong collaboration has been established with Southampton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (UHS) and more specifically Southampton Pharmacy Research Centre (SPRC) with a focus on chemical and physical compatibility and stability of IV administered medicines. 
• The use of carbon nanotubes in drug delivery and clinical assays.
• The application of electro-spraying and –spinning in drug delivery.
• Chitosan derivatives as absorption enhancers for peptide drug delivery
• Mucosal vaccine delivery.