Institute of Technology Carlow

Dr Brian O'Rourke

PhD (Chem), UCD, 1983

BSc(hons), UCD, 1979

 

Brian O’Rourke obtained a PhD at UCD in physical chemistry in 1983 and began work as a pharmaceutical analyst with the R&D laboratories of a Sligo dermatological manufacturer. Here he worked on new product development creating two new patented compositions for the treatment of dermatological conditions.

 

Four years later he transferred to product development at a large pharmaceutical manufacturer in Athlone, working on controlled-release medications, followed by a stint at a cosmetic manufacturer in Dublin. 

 

He moved to Paris in 1989 becoming Applied R&D Manager with Roure, a manufacturer of sunscreening and other speciality chemicals, flavours and perfumes. Here he supervised a laboratory of twenty scientists working on antibacterial and antioxidant properties of various synthetic and natural materials. Two further patents were issued.

 

Returning to Ireland in 1993 he worked as a consultant to a number of cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies in Ireland and in France. He became a member of the part-time staff of I.T. Carlow in 1995 and a full time lecturer in 2000. 

 

His research interests are primarily in product development and trouble-shooting and in general surface-chemical applications and he has worked in a close collaboration with Dr Norman McMillan bringing at a vital time a necessary chemical and applications expertise to what was previously for the most part an instrumentation project.

 

Research Experience

 

Collaborator with Dr Norman McMillan in I.T Carlow since 1996

Supervisor of two PhD, one MSc post-grad students.

 

Member of Institute of Chemistry of Ireland. 

Member of Society of Cosmetic Scientists.

 

PUBLICATIONS

PATENTS

• ‘Microemulsions’, Belgian Patent, 1988;

• ‘Dispersible Emollient Gels’, Belgian Patent, 1989;

• ‘Fragrance Formulations’, Swiss Patent, 1992

• ‘Perfume Compositions’, Swiss Patent, 1993

 

PAPERS

A Wavelet, Fourier and PCA Data Analysis Pipeline: Application to Distinguishing Mixtures of Liquids.  Kokuer, M., Murtagh, F., McMillan, N.D., Riedel, S., O’Rourke, B., Beverly, K., Augousti, A. T., and Mason, J. 

A new phase-coherent data-scatter fingerprinting and archiving technique for qualitative ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and a new improved quantitative method for multi-component colorimetric determinations of food colours, N.D. McMillan, B. ORourke, in Press (Analityca Chemica Acta), In Press

Ecological tensiography: initial application study on water colour from an Irish bog unpolluted river and rivers receiving mine effluent,  DDG McMillan, AC Bertho, B ORourke, M Neill, D Morrin, Sensors and their Applications XII (IOPP, Bristol and Philadelphia, Sept 2003), 591-597

A feasibility study into differential tensiography for water pollution studies with some important monitoring proposals, AC Bertho, DDG McMillan, ND McMillan, B ORourke, G Doyle, M ONeill, M Neill, Sensors and their Applications XII (IOPP, Bristol and Philadelphia, Sept 2003), 291-296

 

Research Interests

 

Use of microemulsions and other novel delivery systems as replacements for organic solvents in industrial processes.

 

Pharmaceutical formulation/compounding.

 

Use of tensiography as qualitative and quantitative tool in laboratory analysis.

 

Current Research Projects

 

The development of a drop-volume tensiometer without correction factors;

 

The analysis of adsorbed protein and cholesterol monolayers;

 

The evaluation of Italian olive oils of different source by tensiography and light-scattering.