Professor Crean’s research focuses on the design and development of high‑quality, effective medicines through a detailed understanding of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients. Her pharmaceutical formulation research focuses on innovative drug delivery technologies such as microneedles, advanaced solid oral dosage forms, lyophilised formulations. This research is supported by the use of advanced spectroscopic techniques, data analytics, and qualitative studies aimed at identifying patient requirements. Professor Crean is an investigator in the CDT in Transformative Pharmaceutical Technologies (EPSRC–Research Ireland doctoral training partnership spanning UCC, Trinity College Dublin, UCL, and the University of Nottingham) where she supervises PhD researchers and contributes to advanced training in formulation and manufacturing science. She is a funded investigator within the SSPC, the Research Ireland Centre for Pharmaceutical Research, where she collaborates on cross‑institutional and industry‑connected initiatives that advance pharmaceutical science and practice.

Professor Crean has extensive experience in teaching, learning, and curriculum design across undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy education, as well as in pharmaceutical continuing professional development. She currently coordinates and delivers the BPharm modules “Physicochemical Basis of Pharmaceuticals” and “Pharmaceutical Technology”, and is a major contributor to the MPharm module “Biologics and Advanced Therapies – Pharmaceutical Strategies.” She also coordinates and delivers the module “Pharmaceutical Plant and Process: From Design through Validation” within the MSc in Pharmaceutical Technology and Quality Systems. Her role further includes the supervision of final‑year projects and postgraduate minor dissertations.