12^th Galenus Workshop: Bioengineering the future of drug delivery

26-27 March 2025 | i3S, Porto, Portugal

Dear colleagues,

We are excited and truly honored to invite all of you to the 12th Galenus Workshop: Bioengineering the future of drug delivery in Porto (Portugal) at i3S - Institute for Research and Innovation in Health, March 26-27, 2025. This will be a unique event organized in collaboration with the Galenus Foundation (Austria).

Join us for an innovative workshop aimed at pushing the boundaries of knowledge and encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration. We will bring together emerging and leading experts working at the interface of drug delivery science, bioengineering, designer biomaterials and pharmaceutical technology. By combining these diverse research fields, we hope to create a dynamic environment that fosters interdisciplinary scientific exchange and enhances the overall value of our research efforts.

A diversity of topics will include nanomedicine, pharmaceutical formulations for the delivery of bioactives, tissue engineering, gene delivery and editing, AI-enabled therapeutics, and many more. Get inspired by a line-up of renowned and outstanding invited speakers from academia and industry (to be announced).

 

In addition, young scientists (early career researchers) will have the chance to present their interdisciplinary research in dedicated sessions. By providing a platform for young scientists to present their work, we aim to showcase their scientific advancements and contribute to foster future collaborations. Short-talks by young scientists will be selected from submitted abstracts, which will be assessed by independent reviewers based on criteria such as novelty, significance, clarity and impact. Award(s) will be given to the best presentation(s). We also plan to organize sessions that can help support the career development of young scientists.

Abstract submission (using the abstract template guidelines) is open until 12th January, 2025, 23:59 PM CET.

Do not miss this unparalleled opportunity to engage with leading experts, connect to your (young scientist) peers, and shape the future of bioengineering and drug delivery.

“Vemo-nos no Porto!” – see you all in Porto!

Poster >>

 

The meeting will be held at i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, University of Porto.

Rua Alfredo Allen, 208; 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Tel: +351 226 074 900 | E-mail: events@i3s.up.pt
GPS coordinates: 41º 10’ 30.008’’ N, 8º 36’ 12.488’’ W.

Organization
Bruno Sarmento (i3S-University of Porto)
Cláudia Martins (i3S-University of Porto)
Cornelia D. Sonntag (Galenus Foundation)

Young Scientist Organizing Committee
Ana M. Carvalho (Social Media, i3S-University of Porto)
Ana Miranda (Sponsorship, i3S-University of Porto)
Ana M. Pereira (Event Logistics, i3S-University of Porto)
Bárbara Ferreira (Social Media Visuals, i3S-University of Porto)
Carolina Vieira (Event Logistics, i3S-University of Porto)
Catarina L. Pereira (Abstracts, i3S-University of Porto)
Catarina Pacheco (Sponsorship, i3S-University of Porto)
Cecília Ferreira (Social Media, i3S-University of Porto)
Daniel Carvalho (Event Logistics, i3S-University of Porto)
Diogo Coelho (Event Logistics, i3S-University of Porto)
João David Almeida (Event Logistics, i3S-University of Porto)
Maria Francisca Côrte-Real (Event Logistics, i3S-University of Porto)
Natália Teixeira (Social Media Visuals, i3S-University of Porto)
Sónia Siquenique (Social Media Visuals, i3S-University of Porto)
Soraia Pinto (Abstracts, i3S-University of Porto)

Scientific Committee
Alejandro J. Paredes (Queen's University Belfast, UK)
Alexandros M. Sofias (RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Germany)
Anne des Rieux (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium)
Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi (University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands)
Amy Logan (Children's Cancer Institute, Australia)
Antonio J. Guillot (University of Valencia, Spain)
Bruno Silva (Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Switzerland)
Carla Vitorino (University of Coimbra, Portugal)
Carlos Fernandes (FCUP-University of Porto, Portugal)
Catarina L. Pereira (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Christel C. Mueller-Goymann (Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany)
Cristina Fornaguera (Ramon Llull University, Spain)
Edorta Santos-Vizcaíno (University of the Basque Country, Spain)
Eliana M. Lima (Federal University of Goiás, Brazil)
Estrela Neto (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Eva Roblegg (University of Graz, Austria)
Flávia Castro (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Francesca Buttini (University of Parma, Italy)
Choon F. Goh (Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia)
José das Neves (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Juliana Viegas (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Juan Aparicio-Blanco (Complutense University Madrid, Spain)
Koen Raemdonck (Ghent University, Belgium)
Maria Vivero-Lopez (University of Nottingham, UK)
Mariana Hugo (Ghent University, Belgium)
Miguel Xavier (INL - International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal)
Nathalie Mignet (Université Paris Cité, France)
Nuno Azevedo (FEUP-University of Porto, Portugal)
Nuno Guimarães (LEPABE-University of Porto, Portugal)
Paola Luciani (University of Bern, Switzerland)
Pedro Fonte (University of Algarve, Portugal)
Rita C. Acúrcio (iMed-University of Lisbon, Portugal)
Rui Pereira (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Rute Nunes (IUCS - University Institute of Health Sciences, Portugal)
Sara Cordeiro (De Montfort University, UK)
Sarah Hester (University of Muenster, Germany)
Sarah Zellnitz-Neugebauer (Research Center Pharmaceutical Engineering, Austria)
Sílvia Ferreira (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Sofia Barros (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Soraia Pinto (i3S-University of Porto, Portugal)
Vitor M. Gaspar (CICECO-University of Aveiro, Portugal

DOWNLOAD THE PROGRAM FILE HERE >>

Day 1 | 26^th March 2025

Note: Live at Mariano Gago Auditorium, livestreamed in Corino de Andrade Auditorium.
PRIORITY SEATING for Speakers, Organizers and the Scientific Committee.
REMAINING SEATS are first come, first served.

08:30 – 09:15 REGISTRATION (i3S main hall), POSTER MOUNTING (i3S main hall), PRESENTATION UPLOAD (Mariano Gago Auditorium)

09:15 – 09:30 WELCOME SESSION (Mariano Gago Auditorium, with livestreaming in Corino de Andrade Auditorium)
Bruno Sarmento (i3S-University of Porto
Cláudia Martins (i3S-University of Porto)
Cornelia D. Sonntag (Galenus Foundation)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 1 | Chair: Christel C. Mueller-Goymann (Technical University of Braunschweig) | Co-chair: Ana M. Carvalho (i3S-University of Porto)

09:30 – 10:00 INVITED SPEAKER: Paolo Caliceti (University of Padova)
Multifunctional polymers for nucleic acid delivery

10:00 – 10:40 ABSTRACT SHORT TALKS I
Koen Raemdonck (Ghent University)
Small molecules and peptides to promote intracellular delivery of RNA therapeutics

Kristin Fichna (Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia)
Drug-loaded urease-powered nanomotors to enhance bladder cancer chemotherapy

Miguel Xavier (International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory)
Microfluidics and organ-chips as advanced models for drug delivery studies

10:40 – 11:10 COFFEE BREAK (i3S main hall), PRESENTATION UPLOAD (Mariano Gago Auditorium)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 2 | Chair: Nuno Azevedo (LEPABE-University of Porto) | Co-chair: Soraia Pinto (i3S-University of Porto)

11:10 – 11:40 INVITED SPEAKER: Vincent Jannin (Lonza)
Revolutionizing enteric delivery: unveiling the performance of Capsugel® Enprotect® capsules

11:40 – 13:10 ABSTRACT SHORT TALKS II
Nathalie Mignet (Université de Paris Cité, CNRS, INSERM)
In situ activation of the immune response in colorectal cancers

Mina Mehanny (Ain Shams University)
Intranasal empagliflozin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles demonstrate neuroprotective effects against chemobrain

Gabriella Costabile (University of Napoli Federico II)
Exploiting the role of the CD105/Endoglin pathway in lung fibrosis with tailored siRNA-loaded nanoparticles

Ramona Jeitler (University of Graz)
Molecular insights into lipid composition effects on nanostructured lipid carrier stability and cellular uptake

Matteo Tollemeto (Technical University of Denmark)
Oxygen-induced modulation of drug release from semipermeable polymersomes

Inés Rubio Prego (University of Santiago de Compostela)
Pre-targeting approach for theragnosis in glioblastoma multiforme

Zhanjun Ma (Université Catholique de Louvain)
Lipid nanoparticle-mediated delivery of microRNA-124 reduces neuroinflammation

13:10 – 14:00 LUNCH BREAK (i3S main hall)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 3 | Chair: Rita C. Acúrcio (iMed-University of Lisbon) | Co-chair: Catarina Pacheco (i3S-University of Porto)

14:00 – 14:30 INVITED SPEAKER: Miriam Breunig (University of Regensburg)
Temporal control of vaccine presentation

14:30 – 15:30 ABSTRACT SHORT TALKS III
Paolo Signorello (University of Pisa)
Mucoadhesive chitosan-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles for the treatment of intestinal motility disfunctions

Giulia Anderluzzi (University of Milan)
Investigating the effect of cationic polymer on the structure and pDNA transfection efficiency of lipopolyplexes

Lennart Christe (Goethe University Frankfurt)
Unraveling cellular uptake of biomimetic liposomes by 3D Raman imaging

Paulo Faria (i3S-University of Porto)
Synergistic triple-drug chemotherapy exhibits powerful antitumoral effects against glioblastoma in vitro

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 4 | Chair: Bruno Sarmento (i3S-University of Porto) | Co-chair: Cláudia Martins (i3S-University of Porto)

15:30 – 16:15 [Virtual real-time session]
KEYNOTE: Robert Langer (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Long-term strategies in biomedical technologies: priorities and challenges - From the discovery of the first angiogenesis inhibitors to the development of controlled drug delivery systems and the foundation of tissue engineering

16:15 – 16:20 DAY 1 WRAP-UP with musical performance
Tuna TS - Tuna de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto

16:20 – 18:15 YOUNG SCIENTIST POSTER NETWORKING SESSION with Porto d’Honra (i3S main hall)
Sponsored by the Young Scientist Forum of the European Society for Biomaterials (YSF-ESB)

18:15 – 19:30 Free time before dinner

19:30 Social Dinner at Sancho Panza Restaurant
Address: Avenida Ramos Pinto 250, 4400-261 Vila Nova de Gaia (meeting point at restaurant’s entrance)

 

Day 2 | 27^th March 2025

Note: Live at Mariano Gago Auditorium, livestreamed in Corino de Andrade Auditorium.
PRIORITY SEATING for Speakers, Organizers and the Scientific Committee.
REMAINING SEATS are first come, first served.

08:30 – 08:55 PRESENTATION UPLOAD (Mariano Gago Auditorium), POSTER DEMOUNTING (i3S main hall)

08:55 – 09:00 DAY 2 WELCOME (Mariano Gago Auditorium, with livestreaming in Corino de Andrade Auditorium)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 5 | Chair: Antonio J. Guillot (University of Valencia) | Co-chair: Juliana Viegas (i3S-University of Porto)

09:00 – 09:30 INVITED SPEAKER: Elias Fattal (Université Paris-Saclay)
Immunomodulatory nanomedicines

09:30 – 11:05 ABSTRACT SHORT TALKS IV
Eliana M. Lima (Federal University of Goiás)
Optimizing nanoparticle properties to enhance brain drug delivery via intranasal administration

Pedro Fonte (University of Algarve)
CpG oligodeoxynucleotide functionalized camptothecin-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a new chemo-immunotherapeutic approach for skin cancer treatment

Vijay Kumar Pal (i3S-University of Porto)
Peptide nanotechnology for in situ delivery of key amino acids and revamping metabolic capacities of immune cells against tumor cells

Vítor M. Gaspar (CICECO-University of Aveiro)
Bottom-up fabricated supra-nanoparticle colloidal gels for focalized therapeutics delivery

Miguel Ramôa (University College Cork)
Development of polymeric nanoparticles for intestinal delivery of RNA as a treatment for ileal Crohn’s disease

Bárbara Carreira (iMed.ULisboa-University of Lisbon)
Targeting melanoma brain metastases with a neoantigen-enhanced nanovaccine

Sheila Barrios-Esteban (DIVERSA Technologies)
Advancements in lipid nanoemulsion technology for enhanced drug delivery

11:05 – 11:35 COFFEE BREAK (i3S main hall), PRESENTATION UPLOAD (Mariano Gago Auditorium), POSTER DEMOUNTING (i3S main hall)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 6 | Chair: Anne des Rieux (Université Catholique de Louvain) | Co-chair: Carlos Fernandes (FCUP-University of Porto)

11:35 – 12:10 GUEST SPEAKER: Alessio Malfanti (University of Padova)
Part I: Exploring hyaluronic acid-conjugates for glioblastoma local chemo-immunotherapy
Part II: My tips for a successful ERC application

12:10 – 13:35 ABSTRACT SHORT TALKS V
Carla Vitorino (IMS-University of Coimbra)
A nanocarrier-based approach for combinatorial drug and gene therapy in glioblastoma

Juan Aparicio-Blanco (Complutense University of Madrid)
Double trouble to fight glioblastoma: in ovo assessment of cannabidiol and paclitaxel co-loaded lipid nanocapsules

Mariana Gomes (LEPABE-University of Porto)
Amphiphilic dendrimers: a novel approach to NAM delivery in E. coli

Maria Angela Motta (POLYMAT-University of the Basque Country)
Surface-decorated multilayer nanoparticles with inherent wound healing properties

Lisa Casagrande (University of Padova)
Physical PEGylation of siRNA for corneal delivery

SPONSOR: Joshua Karam (Izon Science)
Nanoparticles for drug delivery: scale-up purification and single-particle characterisation

13:35 – 14:20 LUNCH BREAK (i3S main hall), POSTER DEMOUNTING (i3S main hall)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 7 | Chair: José das Neves (i3S-University of Porto) | Co-chair: Sarah Hester (University of Muenster)

14:20 – 14:50 INVITED SPEAKER: Samuel Sánchez (Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia)
Biocompatible chemical nanobots and their applications in biomedicine

14:50 – 15:35 PHOSPHOLIPID RESEARCH CENTER SESSION
SPONSOR: Richard Wibel (Phospholipid Research Center)
Phospholipid Research Center – introductory talk

Sandra Klein (University of Greifswald)
Oral mixed micelle formulations – a novel phospholipid-based platform for safe and effective pediatric drug delivery

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 8 | Chair: Paula Parreira (i3S-University of Porto)

15:35 – 16:05 INVITED SPEAKER: Anette Müllertz (University of Copenhagen)
Tuning self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems for increasing oral peptide absorption after oral administration

16:05 – 16:35 COFFEE BREAK (i3S main hall), PRESENTATION UPLOAD (Mariano Gago Auditorium), POSTER DEMOUNTING (i3S main hall)

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 9 | Chair: Eliana M. Lima (Federal University of Goiás) | Co-chair: Mariana Hugo Silva (Ghent University)

16:35 – 17:05 GUEST SPEAKER: Ana Melero (University of Valencia)
Skin drug delivery of big-sized anti-inflammatory agents: challenges and solutions

17:05 – 17:55 TRANSLATION-DRIVEN SESSION: FROM BENCH TO BEDSIDE (Roundtable)

Meritxell Teixidó (Gate2Brain)
Gate2Brain blood-brain barrier shuttle peptides: from discovery to applications and going beyond small molecules

Patrícia C. Henriques (GOTECH Antimicrobial)
From the lab to a medech company – the GOcap®? story

Teófilo Vasconcelos (BIAL)
Translation from the perspective of pharmaceutical product development

--- SCIENTIFIC SESSION 10 | Chair: Catarina L. Pereira (i3S-University of Porto)

17:55 – 18:25 INVITED SPEAKER: João Mano (CICECO-University of Aveiro)
Bioengineering organotypic in vitro cancer models

18:25 – 18:30 AWARDS AND CLOSING SESSION

Robert Langer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Robert Langer is one of 9 Institute Professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); being an Institute Professor is the highest honor that can be awarded to a faculty member. He has written over 1,600 articles, which have been cited over 435,000 times; his h-index of 327 is the highest of any engineer in history and the 6^th highest of any individual in any field. His patents have licensed or sublicensed to over 400 companies; he is a cofounder of a number of companies including Moderna. Dr Langer served as Chairman of the FDA’s Science Board (its highest advisory board) from 1999-2002. His over 220 awards include both the United States National Medal of Science and the United States National Medal of Technology and Innovation (he is one of 3 living individuals to have received both these honors), the Charles Stark Draper Prize (often called the Engineering Nobel Prize), Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Albany Medical Center Prize, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Kyoto Prize, Wolf Prize for Chemistry, Millennium Technology Prize, Priestley Medal (highest award of the American Chemical Society), Gairdner Prize, Hoover Medal, Dreyfus Prize in Chemical Sciences, BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biomedicine, Balzan Prize, the Dr. Paul Janssen Award, and Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. He holds 42 honorary doctorates, including Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Northwestern, and has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors.

 

Miriam Breunig, University of Regensburg

Miriam Breunig is professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Regensburg in Germany. She studied pharmacy at Heidelberg University and earned her PhD from the University of Regensburg in 2005 for her work on nucleic acid delivery. In 2009 she was post-doctoral fellow with Bob Langer at the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT, where she also held the Galenus Guest Professorship in 2024.

Her research interest is focused on the development of innovative drug delivery systems for small drug molecules and biologics such as proteins and nucleic acids. Her team is not only fabricating polymer and inorganic nanoparticles, but also developing depot formulations for controlled drug delivery.

One focus is of her research is the use of nanoparticulate drug delivery system for therapy of ocular diseases like glaucoma, which is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Prof. Breunig´s expertise in the field of nanoparticle functionalization helps to address the complex challenges in ophthalmology, and in addition, her thorough knowledge of intravitreal depot formulations is of huge benefit for a patient centric therapy.

Another focus of her research is to improve efficacy of viral antigens in immunization. Her group has a substantial skill to modify the surface of nanoparticles with antigens or adjuvants for utilization as vaccine candidates and controlled interaction with target cells of the immune system. In addition, the development of depot formulations for nanoparticles is a substantial aspect to improve the efficacy of vaccines.

The overall aim of Prof. Breunig´s research is to increase the understanding between nanoparticulate materials and cells and tissues to optimally design and adapt physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles to biological requirements. Prof. Breunig also serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics.

 

Vincent Jannin, Lonza

Dr. HDR Vincent Jannin is currently the Director of R&D and Head of Innovaform™ Accelerator the innovation and formulation accelerator at Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients. In this role, he founded and leads Innovaform™ Accelerator, assembling a multidisciplinary team and overseeing the construction of a state-of-the-art facility to foster co-innovation with customers. Dr. Jannin develops and implements strategic plans to drive business growth and support team development. He has been instrumental in launching and commercializing new products, providing advanced characterization and formulation insights, including the award-winning Capsugel® Enprotect® capsule. He maintains strong scientific connections with customers, overseeing the development of proof-of-concept capsules and formulations to address delivery challenges. Additionally, he has established himself as a thought leader in oral lipid-based formulation and capsule innovation through presentations at international conferences and peer-reviewed publications.

Previously, Dr. Jannin held various positions at Gattefossé from 1998 to 2018, culminating as Research Director - Pharmaceuticals. He also served as a lecturer at Lyon University (CPE Lyon) from 2003 to 2019, where he taught formulation sciences. He earned his Pharm.D. (1999) and Ph.D. (2004) from the University of Bourgogne, focusing on pharmaceutical technologies. In 2010, he achieved the HDR (Habilitation to Supervise Research) from the University of Lyon, specializing in advanced drug delivery systems. The HDR is the highest academic qualification in France, recognizing superior independent scholarly accomplishments.

Dr. Jannin has a distinguished publication record, including 73 peer-reviewed journal articles (h-index=39), 5 patent families, 5 book chapters, 81 meeting abstracts, and 71 lectures on Drug Delivery Systems.

 

Samuel Sánchez, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia

Samuel obtained his PhD in Chemistry at Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2008.

Currently, he is ICREA Research Professor, Group Leader and Deputy Director at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia. Before that, he worked at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Stuttgart, at the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences at IFW Dresden, Germany, and at MANA-NIMS in Japan. He is honorary adjunct Professor at POSTECH University in South Korea.

Samuel received several awards (among others): The MIT TR35 Top Innovator Under 35 Spain 2014, Guinness World Records in 2010 and 2017, the Princess of Girona Scientific Award 2015 (Spanish King’s Foundation award) and the National Research Award for Young Talent 2016, the “Scientific Excellence award 2022” from the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry, the Banco Sabadell Foundation award for “Basic Science and Engineering award” 2022. He is elected member of the Young Academy of Spain since 2020.

He received the prestigious ERC-Starting grant in 2013 and the ERC-Consolidator Grant in 2019, together with three ERC Proof of concept grants. Besides extensive public funding (>8Mi€), he has had 4 cooperation agreements with the Private sector and hospitals. He has published >165 papers with h-index of 76 and filed 8 patents one of them to be licensed to the spin off Nanobots Therapeutics of which he is co-founder.

His group’s main interests are new types of advanced robotics from nano- to mesoscale, including self-propelled nanoparticles as intelligent vehicles in biomedicine to the 3D Bioengineering of biohybrid robots and actuators.

 

João Mano, University of Aveiro

João F. Mano is a Full Professor at the Chemistry Department of University of Aveiro, Portugal, and vice-director of the Associate Laboratory CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, where he is directing the COMPASS Research Group. He is the director of the doctoral program on Biotechnology at University of Aveiro. His research focuses on the application of advanced biomaterials and cells to advance multidisciplinary concepts in the field of regenerative and personalized medicine. Specifically, he utilizes biomimetic and nano/micro-technology approaches to develop polymer-based biomaterials and surfaces for the creation of biomedical devices with enhanced structural and multi-functional properties. He also engineers microenvironments to regulate cell behavior and organization, with the goal of clinically applying these technologies in advanced therapies and drug screening, or in the bioengineering of disease models. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Materials Today Bio (Elsevier). He has been coordinating multiple national and European research projects, including 2 Advanced Grants and 3 Proof-of-Concept Grants from the European Research Council. João F. Mano has received different honours and awards, including two honoris causa doctorates (Univ. of Lorraine and Univ. Utrecht), the George Winter Award 2020 from the European Soc. for Biomaterials and he was elected fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (FEurASc), FBSE and FAIMBE.

 

Elias Fattal, University of Paris-Saclay

Elias Fattal is a full professor of Drug Delivery Science at the University of Paris-Saclay and served as president of the APGI from 2003 to 2010. He earned his Pharmacy Degree in 1983 and his Ph.D. in 1990 from the University of Paris-Sud, following an internship in Hospital Pharmacy at the University of Lille from 1984 to 1986. After completing a post-doctoral position at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1990-1991, he became an Associate Professor in 1992 and a full Professor at the University of Paris-Saclay in 2000. He led the Institut Galien Paris-Saclay from 2010 to 2019.

Professor Fattal has made significant contributions to drug delivery science, particularly in using nanotechnologies for targeted and localized delivery of drugs and nucleic acids. His recent research has focused on lung nanotoxicity and designing nanoparticle-based delivery systems for anti-inflammatory drugs and nucleic acids. One of his patents resulted in the development of Calixarene® Cevidra, a cream for treating external actinide contamination.

Professor Fattal has received numerous awards for his work, including the Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress (PSWC) Research Achievement Award in 2007, the Controlled Release Society Fellow Award in 2016, a French Academy of Sciences award for his research at the chemistry-biology interface in 2016, and the Maurice-Marie Janot Award in 2018. He serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals. He is a member of the French Academy of Pharmacy, the French Academy of Medicine, and the European Academy of Sciences.

 

Sandra Klein, University of Greifswald

Sandra Klein is a licensed pharmacist who earned her doctorate from the University of Frankfurt, Germany. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, TN, USA, and has been serving as a Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Greifswald since 2010.

Her research primarily focuses on the development of oral dosage forms for paediatric and geriatric patients, along with the establishment of biorelevant in vitro methods and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to predict the in vivo performance of these dosage forms in specific patient populations. Her work encompasses the formulation of poorly soluble drugs, taste-masked preparations, and controlled-release dosage forms. While the current emphasis is on paediatric patients across various age groups, her research also extends to geriatric patients, particularly those with gastrointestinal disorders affecting drug absorption.

Beyond oral drug delivery, her research interests include the development of biorelevant in vitro models for subcutaneous drug administration, as well as predictive release testing for lozenges, vaginal and rectal delivery systems, and accelerated release testing of inserts, implants and long-acting injectables.

Sandra Klein actively contributes to several professional organizations, including the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), the European Paediatric Formulation Initiative (EuPFI), the German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG), and the International Association for Pharmaceutical Technology and Industrial Pharmacy (APV). She currently serves as President of the APV, is an expert member of the USP Expert Panel on New Advancements in Product Performance Testing and is part of the Formulations Expert Group of conect4children (c4c). Additionally, she holds the position of Editor-in-Chief of Pharmazie - An International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

 

Paolo Caliceti, University of Padova

MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (1984) and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (1989) at the University of Padova.

1989 Assistant Professor of Applied Pharmaceutical technology (University of Padova).

1998 Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology (University of Padova).

Since 2002 Full Professor in Pharmaceutical Technology (University of Padova).

Invited scientist at NIH (USA, 1986/1987), Academy of Sciences of Moscow (URSS, 1990), SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, (USA, 1994).

Main scientific topics of work include: protein PEGylation; polymeric and lipid nano- and micro-particle; stimuli sensitive and targeted polymer bioconjugates, gold nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, supramolecular assemblies for protein and oligonucleotide delivery.

Member of editorial boards of drug delivery journals, associate editor of Journal of Controlled Release.

Member of national and international evaluation committees for project funding i.e EU (ERC and IMI). Consultant with Italian and international companies.

Head of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Department of University of Padova (2015-2019).

President of CRS Italy Chapter (2008-2013), Coordinator of CRS Chapter Committee (2009-2012), President of Italian Association of Pharmaceutical Technology SITELF/ADRITELF and Divisione di Tecnologia Farmaceutica of Società Chimica Italiana (2021-2023).

Patents 17, Publications over 170; Invited presentations over 80.

 

Anette Müllertz, University of Copenhagen

Anette Müllertz is professor in oral drug delivery and industrial relations at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (UCPH) and head of Bioneer:FARMA, a business unit of Bioneer A/S, which is a research-based, non-for-profit service provider within the area of biomedicine and pharmaceutical development. She is heading the Physiological Pharmaceutics Research Group at UCPH, focusing on developing oral lipid-based drug delivery systems and predictive biopharmaceutics tools. She has >260 publications in international, peer-reviewed journals (H-index: 73, 16229 citations, Google Scholar 27/1-25). She is / has been supervising 12 post docs, 54 PhD students and numerous master students, primarily at the University of Copenhagen, but also at other universities. She is a Fellow at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (2022), Fellow at the Controlled Release Society (2023) and recipient of the AAPS Lipid Based Drug Delivery Award (2005) and was acknowledged by receiving the Industry Collaboration Award from the Natural Science Academy of Denmark in 2024. She is editor of Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology (IF2024: 4.5).

 

Ana Melero, University of Valencia

Ana Melero obtained her degree in Pharmacy from the University of Valencia in 2005. She completed her Euro-PhD at the same institution, with a 20-month research stay at Saarland University funded by a Marie Curie Fellowship and a DAAD Fellowship from the German Ministry of Education, under the supervision of T.M. Garrigues and C.M. Lehr. Following her doctoral studies, she undertook a three-year postdoctoral position at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland.

In April 2012, she joined the University of Valencia, where she became an Associate Professor in 2021. During this time, she secured eight competitive research grants as principal investigator, funded by European, national, and regional agencies. In 2020, she was appointed Mobility Coordinator of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Valencia. In addition to her academic roles, she has obtained several industry contracts and serves as a scientific consultant for various companies.

Dr. Melero has held several leadership roles within the Controlled Release Society’s Young Scientist Committee, serving as Secretary, Vice-Chair, and Chair between 2021 and 2023. She is currently Secretary of the Spanish Portuguese Local Chapter of the Controlled Release Society and chaired the XIII^th International Congress of Pharmacy Students at the University of Valencia in 2023.

Her work has been recognized with numerous fellowships from institutions such as SEFIG, the Galenus Foundation, and Erasmus+. She was also awarded a Young Researchers Santander Fellowship for an internship at the University of Concepción in Chile in 2017.

Dr. Melero’s primary research focuses on designing novel drug delivery systems to improve drug release and bioavailability. Her work investigates these systems’ capabilities to modulate drug diffusion across human skin and intestinal barriers using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models. Her group’s medium-term goals involve developing innovative delivery systems for administering large-molecule drugs through the skin using minimally invasive techniques for both local and systemic applications. The ultimate objective is to translate these technologies into clinical use.

 

Alessio Malfanti, University of Padova

Alessio Malfanti is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences at the University of Padova, Italy.

After his Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (University of Torino, Italy), he earned his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Padova (Italy) under the supervision of Prof. Paolo Caliceti. In 2017, he worked as a PhD visiting student at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University (Tel Aviv, Israel) in the lab of Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro working on siRNA delivery systems. In 2018, he moved to the Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe (Valencia, Spain) in the Polymer Therapeutics Lab led by Dr. Maria J. Vicent focusing his work on polymer therapeutics applied to anticancer immunotherapy. In 2020, he was awarded Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at Louvain Drug Research Institute (Bruxelles, Belgium) in the research group coordinated by Prof. Veronique Préat leveraging the use of polymer therapeutics for the immunotherapy of Glioblastoma. In 2024, he has been awarded with the prestigious ERC-Starting grant.

His multidisciplinary research laboratory aims to understand the biological rationale of diseases for the design of advanced polymeric nanomedicines suitable for transfer into clinical testing. To do so, he works at the interface among polymer chemistry, nanomedicine, molecular biology, and immunology. Recently, his work has been focusing on the development of polymeric conjugates for cancer immunotherapy, vaccine development, and synergistic combination therapy applied for the treatment of unresectable and post-operative brain malignancies (e.g., glioblastoma, brain metastasis).

The Social Dinner will take place on Wednesday evening at the Sancho Panza restaurant, providing participants with a chance to enjoy some of the finest traditional dishes from Portugal and the Porto region, all while taking in the stunning view of the Douro River and the iconic Luís I Bridge.

The menu features a selection of starters, including a mini “francesinha,” followed by both cod and steak as main courses, with dessert and drink included. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, and the restaurant can accommodate any dietary restrictions (please indicate these on your registration form).

For more information about the restaurant and its cuisine, visit: https://restaurantesanchopanza.pt/

A registration is mandatory after abstract acceptance. Please download the abstract template (.docx) and follow all formatting instructions listed therein.

The abstract file (.doc/.docx format) should be saved using the following ID as file name: “Abstract_Name Surname” (e.g., Abstract_John Lewis).

Each participant can submit only one abstract. Participants will be informed about abstract acceptance for short-talk or poster communication by late January/early February, 2025.

Abstract submission deadline: 12th January 2025, 23:59 PM CET
Notification of abstract acceptance: late January/early February, 2025

 

Abstract template>>

Abstract submission form >>

Anyone who has submitted an abstract must be registered before 26^th February 2025, otherwise their communication (short-talk or poster) will be withdrawn from the program.

 

Regulamento Prémio - Comunicação oral >>

Regulamento Prémio - Poster >>

Fee: 50€

Anyone who has submitted an abstract must be registered before 26^th February 2025, otherwise their communication (short-talk or poster) will be withdrawn from the program.

Registrations are closed.

 

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