The Monograph Edited by UM Professor Defang Ouyang Awarded Funding from the 2024 National Science and Technology Academic Publications Program

Recently, the 2024 National Science and Technology Academic Publications Funding Program finished the review process. Following expert evaluation and approval by the program committee, the monograph <Computational Pharmaceutics: Artificial Intelligence and Modeling in Pharma 4.0>, edited by Dr. Defang Ouyang, Associate Professor at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences/ State Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine and the Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, was selected for funding support（Source: Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China）.

Drug research and development (R&D) is widely challenged by high costs, long cycles, and low success rates. With the accelerated digital transformation of the pharmaceutical industry over the past decade, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and multiscale modeling have created important opportunities to enhance R&D efficiency. As early as 2011, Dr. Ouyang pioneered the application of AI, big data, and multiscale simulation techniques in pharmaceutical formulation studies, establishing the research direction of “Computational Pharmaceutics.” In 2015, he edited and published the field’s first English monograph <Computational Pharmaceutics>, which was published by the world-renowned academic publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and gained broad international attention and acclaim. In June 2024, the second edition, <Exploring Computational Pharmaceutics ‐ AI and Modeling in Pharma 4.0>, was also published by Wiley.

In May 2025, the Chinese edition <Computational Pharmaceutics: Artificial Intelligence and Modeling in Pharma 4.0> was published by Chemical Industry Press, which systematically integrates the latest advances in AI, big data, multiscale modeling, and quantitative pharmacology applied to pharmaceutical R&D. The book covers the entire R&D pipeline, from preformulation studies and process development to clinical trials, and explores the intelligent development of novel drug delivery systems such as liposomes, dendrimers, and inorganic nanoparticles. Authored collaboratively by experts from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies, the book presents a comprehensive overview of the cutting-edge progress and future directions of computational pharmaceutics in the Pharma 4.0 era.

The funding award from the National Science and Technology Academic Publications Program underscores the monograph’s high academic value and social significance. Current book will not only serve as an important reference for pharmaceutical scientists, R&D professionals, university faculty and students, and regulatory authorities, but also help drive the intelligent and digital transformation of China’s pharmaceutical industry, contributing Chinese wisdom to global pharmaceutical innovation.

Dr. Ouyang holds an interdisciplinary background in pharmaceutics and computer science, as well as experience in both the pharmaceutical industry and academia. He earned his PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2010, where his thesis received the President’s Award. From January 2011, he served as Lecturer (PI) in Pharmaceutics at Aston University, UK. He joined the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences at the University of Macau in November 2014. Dr. Ouyang’s research focuses on computational pharmaceutics. He has developed the crucial “Rule of 5” for effective AI drug delivery models and successfully built the first global artificial intelligence (AI)-based formulation platform “FormulationAI”. He has published over 150 high-quality SCI papers in the field.