Dr Brahim Benyahia

Background:

Brahim Benyahia graduated with an MEng ("Diplôme d'Ingénieur") in Chemical Engineering from the National Polytechnic School, Algeria. He completed a PhD in Chemical Engineering, at the ENSIC (Engineering School of Chemical Industries) France, in December 2009, then moved for a postdoc associate position at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) USA, where he focused for 2.5 years on the development of the first end-to-end integrated continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing platform (a $65 M Novartis-MIT project). In 2013, Brahim joined Loughborough University as a lecturer in Chemical Engineering and was promoted to Senior Lecture in 2017 then to Reader in 2022. He became professor of Chemical Engineering in 2023.

Key awards:

• Co-recipient of the Council for Chemical Research (CCR) Collaboration Award 2014
• Contribution Award, MIT, USA (2012)
• Teaching Award of Chemical Engineering (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018)

Outline of main research interests:

• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.
• Crystallisation, e.g., Process and Product Design, Optimisation and Control.
• Digitalisation and Automation, e.g., Digital Twins, PAT, Autonomous Plant/Operation, Process and Plant-Wide Control.
• Optimal Design of Experiments, e.g., Model-Based DoE, Bayesian Experimental Design.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI), e.g., Deep Reinforcement Learning, Apprenticeships and Transfer Learning.
• Quality Control,e.g., Quality-by-Design, Quality-by-Control, Quality-by-Digital Design.
• Systems Approaches for Sustainable Manufacturing and Circular Economy, g. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Green Engineering/Chemistry, Plant-Wide Simulation and Optimisation, Multiobjective Optimisation, Multicriteria Decision Aiding.
• Advanced Mathematical Modelling and Data Analysis, e.g., Sensitivity and Estimability Analysis, Uncertainty Propagation, Structural Identifiability.
• Process Intensification and Integration.
• Computer Aided Molecular Design and Retrosynthesis.

PhD positions:

PhD positions are available in the research areas above and related topics. PhD projects may be model/simulation-based, experimental, or a combination of both. We have a multidisciplinary research ecosystem which involves several PhD students and postdoctoral associates who work closely with our external collaborators and industrial partners. If you intend to join my research group, please contact me by email.

Grants and contracts:

• REFINE - From solar energy to fuel: A holistic artificial photosynthesis platform for the production of viable solar fuels. HORIZON-CL5-2022-D3-03, 2023-2027.
• SusPharma - Merging Chemistry Technologies for Sustainable Pharmaceutical Design and Development. HORIZON-HLTH-2021-IND-07-01, UKRI 10038378, 2022-2026.
• Made Smarter Innovation - Digital Medicines Manufacturing Research Centre (DM2): Levelling up the UK’s digital medicine manufacturing capabilities. EPSRC EP/V062077/1, 2021-2025.
• Novel, cost-effective, stand-alone integrated portable microfluidic platform for self-optimised plug-and-play screening and production. EPSRC IAA. 2019-2020.
• ARTICULAR - ARtificial inTelligence for Integrated ICT-enabled pharmaceUticaL mAnufactuRing. EPSRC EP/R032858/1, 2018-2022.
• Future Continuous Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallisation (CMAC) Research Hub. EPSRC EP/P006965/1. 2017-2024.
• Development of a novel stand-alone integrated portable microfluidic platform based on rapid prototyping. HEFCE /Enterprise Projects Group (EPG), 2019.
• Linking synthesis to crystallisation - counter current liquid - liquid extraction. Industrial project (Pfizer, Novartis, Roche, AZ, Ely Lilly),
• Scale up of bioreactors for the production of pharmaceuticals and food: Towards Quality-by-Design. British Council Newton Researcher Links, 2016.
• Multiobjective Model Predictive control of integrated processes. EPSRC – DTC Training grant, 2014-2018.

Teaching responsibilities

Undergraduate:

• Chemical Process Control (CGC047)
• Process Safety and Design (CGB001)
• Process Balances and Process Economics (CGA007)
• BEng Individual and Team Process Design Project (CGC038 and CGC001)
• MEng Individual and Team Process Design Project (CGD046 and CGD045)

Postgraduate:

• Advanced Process Design and Optimisation (CGP006)
• MSc project (CGP056)
• Clean Chemical Energy and Sustainability (CGP070)
• Plant-Wide Control (CDT PhD course)

Recent publications:

Li, W, Hatcher, LE, Wilson, CC, Rielly, C, Benyahia, B (2024) A framework for systematic crystal shape tuning – case of Lovastatin's needle-shaped crystals, Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 202, pp.126-146, ISSN: 0263-8762. DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2023.12.016.

Lackowska, I, Vladisavljevic, G, Dragosavac, M, Benyahia, B (2023) Production and tuning of spherical agglomerates of benzoic acid using membrane dispersion systems, Crystal Growth and Design, 23(12), ISSN: 1528-7483. DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00963.

Gao, S and Benyahia, B (2023) Technoeconomic and life cycle assessment of an mRNA vaccine integrated manufacturing plant. Computer Aided Process Engineering, 52, pp.2261-2266, ISBN: 9780443152740. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-15274-0.50360-7.

Meng, Q, Anandan, P, Rielly, C, Benyahia, B (2023) Multi-agent reinforcement learning and RL-based adaptive PID control of crystallization processes. Computer Aided Process Engineering, 52, pp.1667-1672, ISBN: 9780443152740. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-15274-0.50265-1.

Yuan, X and Benyahia, B (2023) A combined D-optimal and estimability model-based design of experiments of a batch cooling crystallization process. Computer Aided Process Engineering, 52, pp.255-260, ISBN: 9780443152740. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-15274-0.50041-X.

Selected publications:

Liu, J and Benyahia, B (2022) Optimal start-up strategies of a combined cooling and antisolvent multistage continuous crystallization process, Computers and Chemical Engineering, 159, 107671, ISSN: 0098-1354. DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2022.107671.

Bandulasena, MV, Vladisavljevic, G, Benyahia, B (2019) Versatile reconfigurable glass capillary microfluidic devices with Lego® inspired blocks for drop generation and micromixing, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 542, pp.23-32, ISSN: 0021-9797. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.01.119.

Brumano, LP, da Silva, FVS, Costa-Silva, TA, Apolinario, AC, Santos, JHP, Kleingesinds, EK, Monteiro, G, Rangel-Yagui, CD, Benyahia, B, Junior, AP (2019) Development of L-Asparaginase biobetters: Current research status and review of the desirable quality profiles, Fontiers, 6(212), ISSN: 2296-4185. DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2018.00212.

Fayemiwo, K, Vladisavljevic, G, Nabavi, SA, Benyahia, B, Hanak, DP, Loponov, K, Manovic, V (2018) Nitrogen-rich hyper-crosslinked polymers for low-pressure CO2 capture, Chemical Engineering Journal, 334, pp.2004-2013, ISSN: 1385-8947. DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2017.11.106.

Fysikopoulos, D, Benyahia, B, Borsos, A, Nagy, Z, Rielly, C (2018) A framework for model reliability and estimability analysis of crystallization processes with multi-impurity multi-dimensional population balance models, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 122, pp.275-292, ISSN: 0098-1354. DOI: 10.1016/j.compchemeng.2018.09.007.

Su, Q., Benyahia, B., Nagy, Z.K., Rielly, C.D., (2015). Mathematical modeling, design, and optimization of a multi-segment multi-addition plug-flow crystallizer for anti-solvent crystallizations. Organic Process Research & Development, 19(12), 1859-1870. DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.5b00110.

Lakerveld, R., Benyahia, B., Heider, P.L., Zhang, H., Wolfe, A., Testa, C., Ogden, S., Hersey, D.R., Mascia, S., Evans, J.M.B., Braatz, D.R., Barton, P. I., (2015). The Application of an Automated Control Strategy for an Integrated Continuous Pharmaceutical Pilot Plant. Organic Process Research & Development, 19 (9), 1088-1100. DOI: 10.1021/op500104d.

Heider, P.L., Born, S.C., Basak, S., Benyahia, B., Lakerveld, R., Zhang, H., Hogan, R., Buchbinder, L., Wolfe, A., Evans, J.M.B., Jamison, T.F., Jensen, K.F., (2014). Development of a Multi-Step Synthesis and Workup Sequence for an Integrated, Continuous Manufacturing Process of a Pharmaceutical. Organic Process Research & Development, 18(3), 402-409. DOI: 10.1021/op400294z.

Mascia, S., Heider, P.L., Zhang, H., Lakerveld, R., Benyahia, B., Barton, P.I., Braatz, D.R., Cooney, R.D., Evans, J.M.B., Jamison, T.F., Jensen, K.F., Myerson, A.S., Trout, B.L., (2013). End-to-End Continuous Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals: Integrated Synthesis, Purification, and Final Dosage Formation. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 52(47), 12359-12363. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201305429. (Nature Research highlights, 502(274), 2013. doi:10.1038/502274d)

Benyahia, B., Lakerveld, R., Barton, P. I., (2012). A plant-wide dynamic model of a continuous pharmaceutical process. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 51(47), 15393-15412. DOI: 10.1021/ie3006319.

External Collaborators: 

• University of Strathclyde, UK
• Siemens, Takeda, Dompe, Perceptive Engineering, AZ, Pfizer, Ely Lilly
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
• School of Art, Glasgow, UK
• Laboratory of Reactions and Process Engineering, ENSIC, CNRS, France
• Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico
• University of São Paulo, Brasil
• Technical University of Denmark
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• University of Bari (A. Moro), Italy

External roles and appointments: 

Editorial activity:

• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Chemical Engineering (2020 - date)
  Editorial Board Member, MDPI Crystals (2020 - date)
  Editorial Board Member, Process Engineering Journal (2017 - date)
  Editorial Board Member, Open Journal of Optimization (2013 - date)

Reviewer for International Funding Programmes

• EPSRC and BBSRC
  EPSRC Adventurous Manufacturing Outline Panel and Interview Panel
  Science Investment Round of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, New Zealand. 
  National Research, Development and Innovation (NRDI), Hungary.
  National Centre of Science and Technology Evaluation, JSC, Kazakhstan. 

Other external roles

• Regular reviewer for more than 20 leading journals including Computers and Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering Science, Journal of Process Control, Small, Journal of Cleaner Production, Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, Crystal Growth & Design, Chemical Engineering and Processing:  Process Intensification, Control Engineering Practice.
• External examiner for several PhD vivas.    

Selected invited seminars and keynote lectures

• Chemical engineering as a toolkit for precision crystallization, spherical agglomeration and formulation of pharmaceuticals. EFCE Spotlight Talks, 30th May 2023
• How to design crystallization experiments for process model identification? Crystallization Modeling & Engineering Workshop, CMEW BUDAPEST, November 2022, Budapest.
• Current Challenges Recent Progress and Future Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.  The 2nd Global Summit and Expo on Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering 2022. Barcelona, Spain, September 19-21, 2022.
• Robust Control of a Crystallisation Process using Advanced Reinforcement Learning Strategies – Bridging the Gap between MPC and Artificial Intelligence. CMAC open days, May 2022, Glasgow.
• Control of crystallization processes using deep reinforcement learning.  9th International Conference on Systems and Control (ICSC'2021), IEEE. 24-26 November 2021. Caen
• From Big Data to Advanced Plant-Wide Control. Takeda showcase seminar, 30th Arpil-1st May 2019, Boston, USA.
• Artificial intelligence in pharma: Opportunities in process and quality control. Digi Tech Pharma Webinar Series 2021 | Pharma Webinar Series . PHARMA FOCUS ASIA. 15 July 2021.
• Quality by Digital Design for precision batch and continuous crystallization of pharmaceuticals. Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico, 16th March 2021.
• A PSE roadmap for the design optimisation and control of the next generation single and integrated continuous pharmaceutical processes. Sargent Centre Seminar Series. Imperial College, 1st March 2021.
• A comparative life cycle assessment approach of 5 alternative technologies for converting municipal solid waste (MSW) into chemicals and electricity in the UK. 6th international congress on Green Process Engineering. June 2018, Toulouse, France.
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing from high fidelity mathematical models to robust process control. CMAC open day, 25th & 26th October 2018, Glasgow, UK.
• Continuous Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: from Quality-by-Design to Green-by-Design. A plenary in the 6th International Conference on Biology, Chemistry and Agronomy, September 2017, Guadalajara, Mexico.
• Quality-by-design for bioreactors: opportunities and limitations. International Workshop on Scale up of bioreactors for the production of pharmaceuticals and food: Towards Quality by Design. 19 September 2016. Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
• Continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing: towards a more flexible and viable industry. 25th September 2014, LRGP-CNRS, Nancy, France.
• Plant-Wide Control System - Implementation and Integration. July 2012, MIT, Boston, USA. 

Organising / scientific committee of international conferences

• British Association for Crystal Growth, BACG 2024. 1-3 July 2024, Loughborough.
• The 3rd International Online Conference on Crystals (3rd IOCC). MDPI Crystals, 15-30 January 2022, Online.
• The 2nd International Online Conference on Crystals. 10-20 November 2020, Online.
• The 7th World Conference on Pharmaceutical Science and Drug Manufacturing. March 2020, Dubai, UAE.  
• Workshop on Scale up of bioreactors for the production of pharmaceuticals and food: Towards Quality-by-Design. 19 – 23 September 2016, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.