A first-of-its-kind conference led by Reina Bendayan, a professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, brought together two international societies to advance therapeutics that can be delivered to the brain. The meeting included experts in basic and translational research to foster new collaborations and brainstorm solutions to the field’s current challenges.
Members of the International Brain Barriers Society (IBBS) and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) from academia, government and industry attended the conference. Bendayan and her co-chairs, Robert Thorne from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Denali Therapeutics, as well as Per-Ola Freskgard from Roche’s Innovation Centre in Basel, Switzerland, created a program that addressed new research in the physiology of brain barriers, as well as strategies and approaches in drug discovery and development for targeting brain disorders.
“Developing and targeting therapeutic drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier present major challenges,” says Bendayan. “It’s very relevant for these two societies – which often focus on different types of research questions – to work together to address these challenges.”
Nearly 200 participants attended the conference, which took place in late April close to Washington, DC, and the poster sessions were at capacity. Bendayan says she was happy with the attendance and success of the meeting, and she hopes that it will become a regular joint event. She also noted the support of the Faculty, which offered complimentary registration and travel support for several trainees.
“I’ve been involved in this research for a number of years, and it was wonderful to see the interest in this highly specific field,” she says.
More News
Image
![Celene Titus, PhD candidate Celene Titus, PhD candidate](/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_4_3_600/public/images/2024-07/celene_titus_featured.jpg?itok=5zflGERW)
Faces of PharmSci: Celene Titus
PhD student Celene Titus is working in the field of HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Impairments (NCI) and brain inflammation to improve HIV patients' quality of life and deepen our understanding of brain inflammation in HIV infection.
Read More
Image
![Darius Rackus, Molly Shoichet, and Gilbert Walker Darius Rackus, Molly Shoichet, and Gilbert Walker](/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_4_3_600/public/images/2024-07/biohubnet_featured.jpg?itok=TL8QwP6W)
BioHubNet set to bridge academia and industry to strengthen Canada’s biomanufacturing talent pipeline
To kick-off the new launched Biomanufacturing Hub Network (BioHubNet) initiative, partners and collaborators met at U of T's Hart House to address key challenges in Canada's biomanufacturing sector.
Read More
Image
![Graduate Research in Progress (2024) Committee Graduate Research in Progress (2024) Committee](/sites/default/files/styles/landscape_4_3_600/public/images/2024-06/grip_2024_featured.jpg?itok=UZygswBz)
Exploring Tomorrow's Breakthroughs: GRIP 2024
Last week, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy hosted its 2024 GRIP symposium, attended by 200 faculty, staff, and students, showcasing diverse graduate student research.
Read More