Industrial partners commit to join the medicinal chemistry training team in Mendoza, Argentina

By on

Category: Network Events

Pharmaceuticals industry representatives, NTD Network members and associated colleagues are now on their way to Mendoza, Argentina, to deliver an early career researcher (ECR) training workshop in medicinal chemistry skills, held 2nd-4th November, 2019.  This three-day training, “Workshop in techniques and technologies in drug discovery”, will provide ECRs from neglected disease-endemic countries throughout South America with skills in medicinal chemistry and the drug discovery process. The final session of the workshop is an open symposium of drug discovery case studies, delivered by representatives from Novartis, GSK and DNDi.  This symposium is free to attend: industry symposium flyer.   

The training workshop is the first training event by the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Argentina; workshop flyer here.  The programme comprises a combination of lectures and group problem solving / tutorial sessions, in which students learn about the various stages involved in developing new drugs.  Most of our workshop participants are staying on in Mendoza for the XXII SIMPOSIO NACIONAL DE QUÍMICA ORGÁNICA (22nd National Symposium for Organic Chemistry), 5th-8th November, also at the Mendoza Conference centre.  This conference is held here each year by the Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Química Orgánica (SAIQO, the Argentinian Society for Organic Chemistry).  We anticipate that the workshop and open industry symposium will enthuse our students and kick off an exciting week of learning and career-enhancing conversations for them at the conference. 
Workshop topics:
• Target Identification and Validation: Molecular Biology in Medicinal Chemistry, target-Based and Phenotypic Screening, Assay development
• Drug design: Molecular Modeling, Structure-guided Drug Design, Fragment based drug discovery, biophysical methods, Chemoinformatics
• Lead Optimization: Hit-to-Lead Process in Drug Discovery, Improving Drug Candidates by Design, Bioisosteres, Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) and QSAR
• Physical Properties: Drug-like Properties in Drug Discovery, Toxicology in Drug Discovery, Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Methodologies for Optimizing Drug Clearance
• Case Histories of Drug Discovery for NTDs
There are also opportunities for students to present their own research to their peers and to external invited experts.
Organisers:
Patrick Steel (Durham University, UK)
Guillermo Labadie (Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina)
Confirmed speakers:
José Duca (Novartis)
Jan Jiricek (Novartis)
Julio Martin (GSK)
Robert Young (GSK)
Jadel Kratz (DNDi)
– Workshop flyer
SAIQO is sponsoring some of its student members to attend our training; others are funded by NTD Network travel bursaries.  Most students are staying on for the XXII SIMPOSIO NACIONAL DE QUÍMICA ORGÁNICA, 5th-8th November, also at the Mendoza Conference centre, information available here: https://www.sinaqo2019.unsl.edu.ar/.
Information about the City and the State of Mendoza is available here: https://upscapetravel.com/destinations/argentina/mendoza/.