A two-day workshop “Drug Screening Method Development” was successfully held on April 22–23,2026, bringing together researchers, experts, and participants interested in modern approaches to drug discovery and screening.
The workshop was organized by the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFULisboa), and took place at the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” (IBISS). The event aimed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical insights into drug screening methodologies.
The program opened with introductory remarks by Nataša Veličković, coordinator of the STRIMHealth project, who welcomed participants and highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing drug discovery.
On the first day, participants attended a series of lectures covering key topics such as drug discovery pipelines and target validation, presented by Rui Moreira, and an overview of phenotypic versus target-based screening by Cecilia Rodrigues. Marta Afonso delivered sessions on assay development principles, focusing on robustness, reproducibility, and scalability, followed by case studies in metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
The second day focused on advanced screening technologies and data analysis. Ana Ressurreição introduced high-throughput and medium-throughput screening techniques, while Joana Amaral discussed data acquisition, quality control, hit selection, and hit-to-lead optimization challenges. The workshop concluded with practical demonstrations of screening workflows, along with group discussions and networking opportunities.
The workshop provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and hands-on learning, strengthening collaboration between institutions and enhancing participants’ understanding of contemporary drug screening strategies.
