Workshop 8: Meet the expert
Tracks
Track 2
| Monday, July 13, 2026 |
| 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
Details
The "Meet the Expert" workshop has been a highly anticipated and successful feature of the Brazilian Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (SBFTE) Congress over the last 10 years. The 20th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (WCP 2026) in Melbourne, Australia, aims to facilitate discussions on research topics, academic opportunities, and potential collaborations among undergraduates, master's students, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and other interested attendees. This event provides a valuable networking platform with distinguished Experts and researchers in pharmacology.
The speakers will be selected from a range of companies and backgrounds, with distinct experiences and stories to tell.
Some will be near the start of their journey – how have they mapped out the road ahead?
Some will be well advanced, with millions spent on clinical trials – what insights can they provide to those starting out?
The session will appeal to anyone with an interest in the development of safe and efficacious drugs and getting them to patients.
Speaker
Prof Kelly Chibale, Ph.D.
Professor of Organic Chemistry
University of Cape Town (UCT)
Presenter
Biography
Kelly Chibale is Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cape Town, where he holds the Neville Isdell Chair in African-centric Drug Discovery and Development. He is also the founding Director of the H3D Centre and the South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit at UCT. He earned his PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University of Cambridge and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Liverpool and The Scripps Research Institute. Professor Chibale is internationally recognized for his leadership in drug discovery and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters.
Prof Francesca Levi-Schaffer
The Hebrew University Of Jerusalem
Presenter
Biography
Francesca Levi-Schaffer is Professor of Immunopharmacology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she holds the Isaac and Myrna Kaye Chair in Immunopharmacology. She completed her PharmD at the University of Milan, her PhD at the Weizmann Institute, and her postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School. She is President of IUPHAR (2024–2026) and an internationally recognized expert in the immunopharmacology of allergy, with a focus on mast cells, eosinophils, and their role in allergic diseases. Professor Levi-Schaffer has published extensively and has held several major leadership roles in international pharmacology.
Prof Mariela Gironacci
Proffesor
University Of Buenos Aires
Presenter
Biography
Mariela Gironacci is Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Buenos Aires, School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, and Principal Investigator at CONICET, Argentina. Her research focuses on the protective axis of the renin-angiotensin system, particularly the regulation of Mas receptor activity and its interactions with other receptors. Professor Gironacci is also active in scientific leadership and editorial roles, serving on the executive committees of the Argentinian Society of Hypertension and the Inter-American Society of Hypertension, as well as on the editorial boards of leading journals in the cardiovascular field.
Dr David Sauer
Principal Investigator of Membrane Protein Structural and Chemical Biology
The University Of Oxford
Presenter
Biography
David Sauer is a biophysicist and Principal Investigator at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Medicines Discovery. He completed his PhD at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and pursued postdoctoral training at New York University School of Medicine. His research focuses on the structure and function of membrane channels and transporters, with particular interest in their role in disease and their chemical targeting by small molecules. Professor Sauer’s work has contributed to the understanding of amino acid transporters, ceramide synthase mechanisms, and pathogenic membrane protein function.
Prof Ulrik Gether
Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen
Presenter
Biography
Ulrik Gether is Professor of Molecular Neuropharmacology in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Copenhagen. He obtained his MD from the University of Copenhagen and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. His research focuses on the monoamine system, particularly the physiological function and pharmacology of monoamine receptors and transporters, and how genetic variations in these systems contribute to disease. His team has made important contributions to understanding dopamine transporter mutations, monoaminergic circuits, and dopaminergic neuron architecture. Professor Gether has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers and has served on numerous scientific committees and boards.
Prof Arthur Christopoulos
Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Presenter
Biography
Arthur Christopoulos is Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University and inaugural Director of Monash’s Neuromedicines Discovery Centre. He trained in Pharmacy and Pharmacology at the Victorian College of Pharmacy and completed postdoctoral research in the United States before returning to Australia. Professor Christopoulos is internationally recognized for his work on innovative approaches to drug discovery and has published widely in leading journals. He has received major international awards, is a Fellow of several distinguished scientific societies, and has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in Pharmacology and Toxicology, as well as in Biology and Biochemistry.
Prof Gilberto De Nucci
University Of Campinas
Presenter
Biography
Gilberto De Nucci is one of Brazil’s leading pharmacologists, recognized for his pioneering contributions to clinical pharmacology, bioavailability, and bioequivalence studies in Brazil. He graduated in Medicine from Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, completed his PhD at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, and pursued postdoctoral training at the William Harvey Research Institute. Professor De Nucci played a key role in establishing clinical pharmacology infrastructure in Brazil and in advancing the development of the Brazilian Generic Medicines Law. He has published more than 400 scientific papers and is a member of the Brazilian National Academy of Medicine, the Brazilian National Academy of Pharmacy, and the Brazilian National Academy of Sciences.
Prof Emilio Clementi
University of Milan and IUPHAR
Presenter
Biography
Dr. Emilio Clementi is Full Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Milan, Director of the Clinical Pharmacology Unit of the National Health System, Secretary General of IUPHAR, and a member of the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee at the European Medicines Agency. He earned his MD from the University of Milan and his PhD in Experimental Pharmacotherapy from the University of Brescia. His research has focused on nitric oxide biology, clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, and paediatric pharmacovigilance. Professor Clementi has published more than 400 scientific papers and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Pharmacological Research and Pharmacological Research – Modern Chinese Medicine.
Session chair
Weverton Castro
Researcher
University Of São Paulo
Isis Nem de Oliveira
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - SBFTE young committee
