Popular science in focus as the faculty inaugurated seven new professors
“The inauguration lectures provide great opportunities to get an easily accessible and up to date overview of what is happening in the BMC corridors,” stated Johan Lennartsson, one of seven new Professors at the Faculty of Pharmacy that in mid-November give popular scientific introductions to their research.
(Image removed) Andrew C Hooker, one of seven new Professors at the Faculty of Pharmacy
In December 1625, Uppsala University carried out its first documented professor inauguration. At the time, the Vice-chancellor escorted each new Professor to a lectern where he or she gave a lecture, but with the university's growth, the number of new Professors also increased. This year, close to four centuries later, the ceremonies extended over a week, and Tuesday 16 November, it was time for the new Professors at the Faculty of Pharmacy to give an introduction to their research.
“That our relatively small faculty inaugurates seven new professors is of course very positive. The fact that they all conduct research in highly relevant areas, adds important cutting-edge competencies to our already extensive scientific breadth, states Dean Mathias Hallberg.
First on the podium was Christel Bergström, Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics, who started her lecture by answering the question she encounters most often: What exactly is “Galenic” (part of Professor Bergström’s Swedish title)? Fifteen minutes later, the audience – both on site and online – has received a crash course in challenges and progress regarding the development of drugs that find their goal in the human body and achieve the desired effect.
(Image removed) Professor Christel Bergström
“We are also committed to developing 3D printers that quickly and easily produce drugs, including so-called poly-pills that combine several active substances in the same tablet. We will soon place a 3D printer at the Uppsala University Hospital, and with the current development, it is entirely possible that within ten years we can place compressed devices in the homes of individual care recipients,” said Professor Bergström.
Andrew C Hooker, new Professor of Pharmacometrics, talked about the potential of calculating optimal drug doses using mathematical models. Today, the cost of developing a new drug is estimated at SEK 20 billion. That only just under seven percent of all candidates reach all the way to clinical treatment – and that several side effects only become apparent when the drug is given to patients – provides a problematic economic equation. But, notes Andrew C Hooker, with a meticulously designed study and model-based choices, the threshold is significantly lower, and now an increasing number of pharmaceutical organisations are discovering the great values in pharmacometrics.
(Image removed) Professor Johan Lennartsson
“The inauguration lectures provide great opportunities to get an easily accessible and up to date overview of what is happening in the BMC corridors, said Johan Lennartsson, new Professor of Pharmaceutical Cell Biology who titled his presentation Ett receptorproteins liv och död (Life and death of a receptor protein). “Here we focus on popular science, which makes the lectures valuable for both students and the curious public, but also for us researchers who on a daily basis often concentrate on our already existing research networks.”
During the midmorning, Ola Spjuth, Professor of Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics, also gave a lecture on how Artificial intelligence and automation can make drug development more efficient. Björn Wettermark, Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology, told about Prescriptions on registers - stories about health data for better drug use, and Anja Sandström, Professor of Medicinal chemistry, explained the path From fragile peptides to drug candidates.
During Uppsala University's Professor Inauguration Friday 19 November, Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong, Professor of Social Pharmacy, gave the lecture Från bräckliga peptider till läkemedelskandidater (From fragile peptides to drug candidates).
Meet our new Professors
(Image removed) Christel Bergström, Dep. of Parmacy
Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics
Advanced drug delivery systems & computational pharmaceutics
(Image removed) Andrew C Hooker, Dep. of Parmacy
Professor of Pharmacometrics
Pharmacometrics
(Image removed) Johan Lennartsson, Dep. of Pharmaceutical Biosciences
Professor of Pharmaceutical Cell Biology
Pharmaceutical Cell Biology
(Image removed) Ola Spjuth, Dep. of Pharmaceutical Biosciences
Professor of Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics
Pharmaceutical Biosciences
(Image removed) Björn Wettermark, Dep. of Parmacy
Professor of Pharmacoepidemiology
Pharmacoepidemiology
(Image removed) Anja Sandström, Dep. of Medicinal chemistry
Professor of Medicinal chemistry
Peptides and Peptiomimetics in Drug Discovery
(Image removed) Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong, Dep. of Parmacy
Professor of Social pharmacy
Social pharmacy
More information
CONTACT
(Image removed) Mathias Hallberg
Dean, faculty of Pharmacy
Mathias.Hallberg@farmbio.uu.se
text: Magnus Alsne, photo: Magnus Alsne, Mikael Wallerstedt