As a part of the outreach activities of the research project “Synthesis of innovative drug candidates against neurodegenerative diseases and pain” (PID2023-147004OB-I00), funded by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, and FEDER, two workshops on drug discovery were held on 10 and 17 April 2026, aimed at high school students. In this fifth edition, the initiative was entitled “Drug discovery: Towards the efficient treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and pain. 2026”.
A total of 106 students participated in these workshops, from the Institut Castellbisbal (Castellbisbal), Institut Eugeni d’Ors (Hospitalet de Llobregat), Institut Mediterrània (El Vendrell), Institut Thalassa (Montgat), Institut Ramon Turró i Darder (Malgrat de Mar), and Sagrada Família School (Gavà).
The training was given by the professor of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences Diego Muñoz-Torrero, the postdoctoral researchers Anna Mallo-Abreu and Anna Sampietro, and the PhD students Alba López, Marc Granjé, Ana Buj, and Javier Sánchez.
The aim of these activities is to provide students with an introductory overview about drugs, what attributes they should have, how they are discovered and how they are synthesized in a chemical laboratory. In addition, the aim is to show the latest advances in the particular field of drug discovery against neurodegenerative diseases and pain, two of our most urgent unmet medical needs.
The activity was structured in three seminars of 45 minutes each (“Drugs and drug discovery”, “Most recent advances in drug development against neurodegenerative diseases and postoperative pain”, and “Preparation of a drug candidate. Practical example”), followed by a guided tour at the Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences of the UB, where the students had the opportunity to observe researchers’ work firsthand and learn about the techniques used in the synthesis of new organic compounds.
This initiative reflects our commitment to bringing science closer to young people and inspiring future careers in biomedical research. The “Drug Discovery” activity is open to schools interested in providing their students with a unique educational experience in pharmacy and scientific research.
