In recent years we’ve witnessed an increasing number of partnerships between academia and the drug discovery industry, in a push to expedite drug discovery innovation. As active advocates of this trend, we have formed a partnership with the British Pharmacological Society to help further strengthen the links between academic and biopharmaceutical pharmacology.
“Our aspiration for this collaboration is to deliver a more blended learning experience through our flagship Drug Discovery 2018 conference and the Society’s Pharmacology 2018 meeting,” explains Stephen Rees, Vice President of Discovery Biology at AstraZeneca, and ELRIG Chairman. “By marrying the skills and capabilities of academia and industry at the two events, we hope to facilitate the translation of new drug targets and disease indications into therapeutic value, ultimately helping to deliver the medicines of the future.”
“This is an exciting partnership,” adds Stephen Hill, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the School of Life Sciences in Nottingham and President of the British Pharmacological Society. “By taking an interdisciplinary approach to drug discovery and academic pharmacology, we aim to give researchers across both specialisms a valuable exchange of high quality scientific knowledge.”
Taking the Drug Discovery 2018 and Pharmacology 2018 events to the next level
Through our partnership with the British Pharmacological Society, we are upgrading our highly-regarded conferences, Drug Discovery 2018 (October 9th and 10th at the Excel Arena in London) and Pharmacology 2018 (December 18th-20th at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London), by offering our delegates the unique opportunity to:
Acquire new knowledge
Within the framework of the partnership, both of our organisations will be delivering a session at each other’s events to demonstrate the synergy between academic and industrial drug discovery. Delivered by speakers from world-class academic institutions and biopharmaceutical organisations, the sessions will highlight the different approaches to science taken by each sector and how these complement each other to drive drug discovery innovation.
“The two meetings are complementary, with Pharmacology 2018 naturally taking a more academic approach, whereas Drug Discovery 2018 has a more industrial focus,” says Hill. “As such, presentations at the Pharmacology 2018 event will offer in-depth knowledge of academic and clinical pharmacology, with attendees having the chance to hear from renowned scholars.”
“During the Drug Discovery 2018 conference, we will provide participants with leading-edge information on the most recent scientific breakthroughs helping to understand disease biology and identify novel chemical and biological candidate drugs,” remarks Rees.
Initiate new collaborations
Both conferences are perfect places to lay the foundations for new strategic collaborations between academic institutions and biopharmaceutical companies. Whether you come from the academic or industrial world, you’ll be able to meet with your peers, exchange ideas and identify common ground to foster partnerships. These synergies could help initiate new research programmes, while also uncovering novel ways of using the latest scientific advances to facilitate the drug discovery process.
“One of the key goals of our society is to establish closer links between academic pharmacologists and the drug discovery industry,” says Hill. “ELRIG is probably the best-connected organisation to enable that through their annual Drug Discovery meeting, which attracts more than 1200 attendees.”
“Working together, we want to provide a forum for drug discovery scientists to hear from their academic peers on novel targets and new disease indications that could help drive the discovery of new treatments,” adds Rees. “We will also give pharmacologists the opportunity to network and interact with biopharmaceutical vendors, providing the infrastructure that allows them to perform their research.”
Explore new career options
Whether you’re fresh out of university or looking to take the next step in your career, attending Drug Discovery 2018 and Pharmacology 2018 can help you identify the different paths that are available to you. As we explored in a previous ELRIG blog, well-regarded scientific events enable you to to build and expand your connections with influential people working in your field of interest. So, if you’re an early career professional, you can decide between a career in industry or academia. If you are an experienced professional, there is an opportunity to discover a new career path and transition.
“ELRIG and our Society share the same vision of championing the careers of early career researchers, whether they wish to work in academia or industry,” says Hill. “Pharmacology 2018 will be featuring a robust mentorship programme with workshops highlighting academic career opportunities for early career pharmacologists. Similarly, Drug Discovery 2018 will be placing special focus on mentoring early career professionals interested in a career in the biotech or pharma sectors. As such, we strongly recommend young professionals to attend both events to get valuable insights from both worlds to help them make a more informed decision.”
Register now to attend Drug Discovery 2018 and Pharmacology 2018
The synergy between drug discovery and pharmacology is one of the key topics that will be discussed at this year’s Drug Discovery 2018 conference (October 9th and 10th at the Excel Arena in London) and Pharmacology 2018 meeting (December 18th-20th at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London). If you would like to connect with Stephen Rees and Stephen Hill, as well as other drug discovery and pharmacology experts, to explore the potential benefits of academic-industry collaborations, reserve your place at Drug Discovery 2018 and Pharmacology 2018 now.