Monday, 22nd June 2026  

8:45 a.m.-9:15 a.m.   REGISTRATION

9:15 a.m.-9:30  a.m  Prof. Rosario Pignatello (Director, Department of Drug and Health Sciences,  University of Catania) – Introduction to the course.

9:30  a.m-10:00 a.m Prof. Maria Alessandra Ragusa - Prof. Mattia Frasca (Deputy Rectors for Internationalization)

10:00  a.m-11:30  a.m  Prof. Luca Vanella (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania.).

Biochemical strategies for translational research (Theory) 

       11:30  a.m-12:00 p.m.   Coffee-Break

12:00  p.m-13:00 p.m. Dr. Barbara Tomasello (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania ) .  

Biochemical strategies for translational research (Introduction to the Hands-on Laboratory Session).  

      1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m. Lunch Break  https://maps.app.goo.gl/zrSqPEMEYK3wJw2a9

3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Dr. Barbara Tomasello (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania) 

 Biochemical strategies for translational research (Hands-on Laboratory Session).  

9:00 a,m.-11:00 a.m. Prof. Giuseppe Grasso(Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania).  

Surface Plasmon Resonance in Drug Discovery Part 1 (Theory).

11:00 a.m-11:30 a.m  Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Dr. Alessia Di Stefano (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania). 

Surface Plasmon Resonance in Drug Discovery Part 2 (Introduction to the Hands-on Laboratory Session) 

      1:00-2,30 Lunch Break  CANTEEN Cittadella on "via (street) Santa Sofia 107-109" on Campus  https://maps.app.goo.gl/zrSqPEMEYK3wJw2a9

3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Dr. Alessia Di Stefano (Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania). 

Surface Plasmon Resonance in Drug Discoovery Part 2 (Laboratory Hands-on Session).. 

 

5:30 p.m.-5:45.00 p.m. Natalia Stach, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University,  Kraków, Poland.  

Lymphocytes in infectious mononucleosis analyzed by Raman microspectroscopy (OC1)

5:45 p.m.-6:00 p.m.-: Ryskeldi Koichubekov (Poznan University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technolog, Poland)

. Clinical Trials: Why Are They Important in Drug Development? (OC2)

6:00 p.m -6:15 p.m.:  Beata Sikora (Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznań University of Technology, Poland). 

Choline-Based Monomers for the Preparation of Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems via Photopolymerization (PO1)

Certificates relevant to oral and/or poster presentations can be received upon request by email to salvatore.guccione@unict.it

 

9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Prof. Giuseppe Forte (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania). 

Designing Functional Nanomaterials: From Electronic Structure to Applications

     11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dr. Antonino Mazzaglia (1 CNR-ISMN URT of Messina, Supramolecular Nanomaterials for Health, Optoelectronics and Sensing (SuNforHeOS) Lab, at Dept. ChiBioFarAm, University of Messina, Italy). 

Supramolecular magnetic materials: from design to application in therapy and biomarkers detection

     12.30 p.m. -1,30 p.m. Lunch Break  CANTEEN Cittadella on "via Santa Sofia 107-109" on Campus   https://maps.app.goo.gl/zrSqPEMEYK3wJw2a9

DSFS site via Valdisavoia 5. https://maps.app.goo.gl/aSfbDJZydRnNNrYs6

3:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Prof. Claudia Carbone-Prof. Teresa Musumeci (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania). 

Laboratory activity for the preparation and characterization of nanomedicines

  University Campus, viale Andrea Doria 6, Bldg.2 Classroom G  https://maps.app.goo.gl/PPwLUrgnmt1zJuLi8

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Dr. Maria Di Chiara (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania). 

Radioligand Binding Assays in Drug Discovery.Part 1 (Theory).

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Dr. Maria Di Chiara (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania).

Radioligand Binding Assays in Drug Discovery Part 2 (Hands-on Laboratory Session)

     11:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Dr. Maria Di Chiara (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania).

Radioligand Binding Assays in Drug Discovery. Part 2 (Hands-on session continued).

     1:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Lunch Break CANTEEN Cittadella  on "via Santa Sofia 107-109", on Campus  https://maps.app.goo.gl/zrSqPEMEYK3wJw2a9

 University Campus, viale Andrea Doria 6, Bldg.2 Classroom I.  https://maps.app.goo.gl/PPwLUrgnmt1zJuLi8

3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Dr. Rosalia Maria Cristina Pellitteri (Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, (IRIB-CNR).

Neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity of natural compounds: therapeutic implications for neurodegenerative diseases

4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Dr. Sara Merlo (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania) . https://maps.app.goo.gl/PPwLUrgnmt1zJuLi8

Neuroinflammation: a unifying mechanism in brain disorders

 University Campus, viale Andrea Doria 6, Bldg.2 Classroom F. https://maps.app.goo.gl/PPwLUrgnmt1zJuLi8

09:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Prof. Roberto Di Marco&Prof. Daria Nicolosi  (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania)  

Updates on microbial extracellular vesicles: just tools for intercellular communication and virulence factors, or also potential innovative therapeutic targets?

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Dr. Ezgi Balkan Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa. Istanbul Türkiye) 

Cancer Immunotherapy: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Applications

11:00-11:30  a.m.: Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dr. Agata Kryczyk-Poporawa (Department of Inorganic Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analytics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University, Medical College,  Kraków, Poland)

Stability in Drug Development: Ensuring Quality and Efficacy

12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Dr Eng. Emilia Konował (Institute of Chemistry and Technical Electrochemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technology-Poznan University of Technology). 

Fundamentals of toxicology: factors affecting xenobiotic toxicity

     1:30 p.m.-2 :00 p.m.  CLOSING REMARKS & PHOTO

               LUNCH  CANTEEN Cittadella on "via Santa Sofia 107-109" on Campus  https://maps.app.goo.gl/zrSqPEMEYK3wJw2a9

Lab and session schedules may vary according to the number of participants to ensure proper access to laboratory practices.”

 

VIRTUAL SESSION (e-LEARNING) JUNE 13th-17th 2026

09:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Prof. Dr. Thierry Langer (University of Vienna Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.Pharmaceutical Chemistry Division).

Research towards next generation pharmacophore modeling

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Dr. Ifat Shub (CTO AGREMATCH, Rehovot, Israel). From Data to Molecules: How Agentic AI is Transforming Small Molecule Discovery and Development

 

09:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Dr. Roy Chun-Laam Ng (Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK).

Pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome pathway for treating neuroinflammatory diseases

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Prof. Univ.-Prof.  Dr. Dr. h.c. Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry Holger Stark (Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf Institut fuer Pharmazeutische und Medizinische Chemie)

From Bench to Bedside to Bench: Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonists in Orphan Diseases

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Prof. Rosalía Rodríguez (Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, International University of Catalunya). Targeting Hypothalamic Neurons and Microglia in Obesity: Emerging Nanomedicine Strategies

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Dr. Christos Tapeinos. (Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK).

 Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology and Nanomedicines

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Prof. Lucia Montenegro (Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania).  Advantages and limits of lipid nanoparticles as carriers for delivery of pharmaceutical and cosmetic ingredients.

Thursday,  16 July 2026

9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Dr. Giulio Petronio Petronio PhD (Clinical Microbiology Laboratory , Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "V. Tiberio" , University of Molise, Campobasso (Italy).

.Bridging Traditional Botanicals and Modern Microbiology: Laboratory Standards and the Galleria mellonella In Vivo Pre-Screening Model

10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  Prof. Johan Wouters (Department of Chemistry Université de Namur). Crystal engineering to modulated pharmaceutical properties of solids. 

Friday,  17 July 2026 

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Dr. Lucilia Saraiva (Faculty of Pharmacy, REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal)

Beating hard -to-threat cancers with a first-in-class inhibitor of DNA damage response.  

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Dr. Alexandre Cruz (Pharm.D., RA, PV & Quality Manager, QPPV at CROFAR,  https://crofar.com/en/) 

Pharmacovigilance – the obligations of the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) from the submission process of the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) onwards.

 

 

The abstract book can be downloaded from the BIP website or from the folder in the Teams classroom after the virtual session has ended.

Attendance certificates need to be validated after the virtual session has ended. Please ask the Erasmus coordinator at your university to contact Prof. Salvatore Guccione.

Certificates related to lectures, oral presentations, or poster presentations can be issued upon request by emailing salvatore.guccione@unict.it.