New insight in Drug design and discovery: from the bench to the patient

*Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

The summer students’ week will be hosted by the Medicine School, Department of Pharmacology at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid between 30 June to 4 July 2025. The students will participate in lectures, seminaries, hands-on-courses and practical tutorials covering the following topics:

• New strategies to develop drugs for neurodegenerative diseases / Methods to measure calcium - Tools for drug discovery (Prof. Maria F. Cano Abad, Facultad de Medicina, Universitad Autónoma Madrid)
• Microbicidal versus antipathogenic strategies in antimicrobial drug discovery (Prof. Dr. Carmen Chifiriuc, University of Bucharest)
• Introduction to physiologically-based modelling - (Prof. Florence Gattacceca, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aix-Marseille Université)
• Methods for the In vitro Assessment of Antimicrobial Activity (Prof. Dr. Luminița Măruțescu, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest)
• NMR-based Metabolomics (Prof. Emmanuel Mikros, Faculty of Pharmacy, National Kapodistrian University of Athens)
• Practical Aspects in Building (3D-) QSAR Models and their Validation - (Prof. Rino Ragno, Faculty of Pharmacy, La Sapienza University Rome)
• The Versatility of Halogen Bonding / Methods in CompChem - Choose wisely and apply with care! (Prof. Frank M. Böckler, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)
• Principles and Applications of Chalcogen Bonding / Introduction Hands-on-Course: CompChem/ VS/ ML- (Dr. Markus O. Zimmermann, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)
• Gastroplus ADMET Predictor to Screen Gastro-intestinal Absorption and Metabolism Properties (Prof. Florence Gattacceca, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aix-Marseille Université)
• 3D QSAR Practical Course (Prof. Rino Ragno, Faculty of Pharmacy, La Sapienza Universita di Roma)
• Hands-on-Course: Computational Chemistry / Virtual Screening / Machine Learning (Dr. Markus O. Zimmermann, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)
• Hands-on-Molecular-Biophysics: Differential Scanning Fluorimetry / Isothermal Titriation Calorimetry / Fluorescence Polarization / Crystallography (Prof. Frank M. Böckler, Dept. of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)
• From the laboratory to the patient (Prof. Dra. Manuela García López, Pharmacology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Madrid)
• Hands-on animals models in neurodegenerative disease- Tools for drug discovery (Dra. Elena Tortosa, Pharmacology Department, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Madrid)
• Hands-on Microparticles and Nanoparticles for drug administration, (Prof. Dra. Ana Isabel Torres, Pharmacy Faculty, Department of Galenic Pharmacy and Food Technology)
• Drug development pharmaceutical company (Dr. Carlos Herrero, EMEA Head. Early Development & Clinical Pharmacology. Global Clinical Operations The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson)

Virtual part

The program's virtual component will be delivered between 7 May - 27 June 2025 by academics with internationally recognized research experience in the field.

7 May, 14:00‐17:00 CET

•  From Charges to p‐systems: Classical Molecular Interactions – Familiar, yet still Surprising. Non‐Classical Molecular Interactions: New Tools, New Rules - Prof. Dr. Frank M. Boeckler Molecular Design & Pharm. Biophysics, Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen

 9 May, 14:00‐17:00 CET

• The Drug Discovery Process & Technologies ‐ Strategies, Issues, Costs, Outlook
• Thermodynamics in Drug Discovery (in Hit2Lead / LeadOpt) Molecular Complexity & Fragment‐based Drug Discovery Hit‐to‐Lead optimization, Co‐optimizing Ligand Properties, Avoiding late Attrition - Prof. Dr. Frank M. Boeckler Lab for Molecular Design & Pharm. Biophysics, Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen

 14 May, 14:00‐15:30 CET

•  In Vitro Cell Culture Models and Evaluation of Drug Effects - Dr. Miruna Stan, Faculty of Biology, Bucharest University
• 15:30‐17:00 Neurodegenerative Diseases and Drug Discovery - Prof. Dr. Maria Cano‐Abad, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma Madrid

16 May, 14:00‐15:00 CET

• Immunomodulation and Drug Impact on Cytokine Production and on the M1/M2 Macrophage Phenotype - Dr. Gratiela Gradisteanu, Research Institute of Bucharest University
• 15:00‐17:00 CET  Evaluation Drug‐induced Responses in Cultured Cells at Specific Time Points (Cell Cycle Analysis and Apoptosis). Screening of Drug‐induced Reactive Oxygen Species Production in Leukocytes Subpopulations in Whole Blood (Ex‐vivo) - Prof. Dr. Luminita Marutescu, Faculty of Biology, Bucharest University

21 May, 14:00‐17:00 CET

• Microcalorimetry (ITC, DSC) and NanoDSF : Application to Anticancer Drugs Screening and Thermodynamic Characterization - Prof. Dr. Francois Devred, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aix‐Marseille Université

23 May, 14:00‐17:00 CET

• Introduction to NMR Spectroscopy and Related Screening Methods - Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Mikros, Faculty of Pharmacy, National Kapodistrian University of Athens

28 May, 14:00‐17:00 CET

• Pharmacokinetics in Drug Discovery and Development: Physiologically‐based PK (PBPK) Models - Prof. Dr. Florence Gattacceca, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aix‐Marseille Université

30 May, 14:00‐17:00 CET

• Facts and Principles in Drug Discovery and Development: the Molecular Drug Space Selection and Optimization - Prof. Dr. Sandrine Alibert, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aix‐Marseille Université

4 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

•  Animal Models (Ethical Considerations, Experimental Design, In vivo Analysis of Drug Effects) - Dr. Gratiela Gradisteanu, Research Institute of Bucharest University
• 15:30‐17:00 CET Microparticles and Nanoparticles for drug administration - Prof. Dra. Ana Isabel Torres, Pharmacy and Food Technology. Universidad Complutense de Madrid

6 June, 14:00‐17:00 CET

• Controlled Drug Delivery Systems for Parenteral Administration. Microparticles and Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery - Dr. Juan Aparicio Blanco, Pharmacy and Food Technology. Universidad Complutense de Madrid

11 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

• Screening methodologies for the identification of new drugs - Prof. Dr. Adrian Gironda Martinez, Pharmacology Department Medicine School, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
• 15:30‐17:00 CET Drug repurposing and repositioning: A new life for old drugs - Prof. Dr. Adrian Gironda Martinez, Pharmacology Department Medicine School, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid

13 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

• Case Studies in Industrial Anti-cancer Drug Discovery: KRAS G12C and HIF2α - Dr. Rainer Wilcken, Drug Design at Flare Therapeutics Director, Computational Chemistry / Computer-Aided Therapeutics
• 15:30‐17:00 CET Fragment-based Approaches towards PROTAC Development and FE Methods - Dr. Matthias Bauer, Senior Expert II Data Science at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)

18 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

• Introduction to Epigenetics and Related Drugs - Prof. Dr. Antonello Mai, Faculty of Pharmacy, La Sapienza Università di Roma
• 15:30‐17:00 CET - Introduction to Ligand‐based Methods: Pharmacophore Modeling, (3D) QSAR - Prof. Dr. Rino Ragno Faculty of Pharmacy, La Sapienza Università di Roma

20 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

• Introduction to Structure‐based Methods in Drug Design: Molecular Docking - Prof. Dr. Rino Ragno Faculty of Pharmacy, La Sapienza Università di Roma
• 15:30‐17:00 CET Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery - Dr. Markus Zimmermann, Molecular Design & Pharm. Biophysics, Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen

25 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

• New targets and potential drug candidates for refractory epilepsy - Dr. Carmen Ovejero, Pharmacology Department, Pharmacy, Universidad San Pablo Ceus
• 15:30‐17:00 CET Introduction to ligand-based methods: Pharmacophore modeling - Prof. Dr. Thilo Stehle, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Department of Pharmacy and Biochemistry Eberhard Karls University Tübingen

 27 June, 14:00‐15:30 CET

• Bioequivalence clinical Trials - Prof. Dr. Alberto Borobia, Pharmacology Department, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
• 15:30‐17:00 CET Clinical Trials - Prof. Dr. Evangelos Terpos, School of Medicine, National Kapodistrian University of Athens

Requirements

This course is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD's students at CIVIS member universities, with basic knowledge in pharmacy, medicine, biophysics, molecular biology, bioinformatics and biochemistry.

Also, the participants should have excellent English skills (B2). 

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.

Students from CIVIS’ strategic partner universities in Africa cannot apply for participation in this course.

Application process

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 31 October 2024, including:

• CV
• Motivation letter, highlighting your scientific background, your aptitude for the course and your particular interest in the course, with respect to your future professional/ scientific development plans.

The selection will be based on:

• aptitude
• seniority/ experience
• relevance for future plans

*M.Sc. Students should submit a short confirmation of their study coordinator(s) that the 6 ECTS (or a fraction of it) can be credited to their course of studies. M.Sc. or Ph.D. students, who are not intending to make use of the 6 ECTS, should submit a short statement confirming this.

The evaluation will assess the applicant’s background and training courses and internships. It will also consider the alignment of the research project and/ or career goals with the summer school’s focus, as well as the applicant’s proficiency in English.

Apply now

Assessment

The overall quality of the student presentation will be evaluated, including:

• clarity of presentation (slides),
• clarity of speaking,
• structure of the slides,
• understandability of theoretical foundation,
• timekeeping,
• response to questions.

In addition, the overall performance (level of participation, engagement in all activities) of the students during the virtual and the physical mobility part will also be taken into account.

1. Participation to online courses: 40%. At the end of the online session, students will have a multiple-choice test, containing questions with one correct answer.
2. Physical activity in the lab: 20%
3. Paper presentation review: 40%

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

GDPR Consent

The CIVIS alliance and its member universities will treat the information you provide with respect. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on our privacy practices. By applying to this course you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.