University hosts prestigious APS PharmSci 2024 international conference

The University of Huddersfield successfully hosted the prestigious PharmSci 2024 conference organised by the Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

In its 15^th year, the three-day conference was held at the University of Huddersfield’s Queensgate campus in the Oastler Building. It saw a number of Huddersfield academics from the School of Applied Sciences invited to chair panels and present their research.

Instrumental in bringing the conference to Huddersfield for 2024 was Dr Kofi Asare-Addo, a Reader in Pharmaceutics with the University’s Department of Pharmacy, who sits on the APS Board. He was also on the scientific programme team for PharmSci 2024.

Professor Barbara Conway, the University’s Head of Pharmacy and Professor of Pharmaceutics, was also honoured at the conference, as she became a Fellow of the Academy of Pharmaceutical Science - the highest award from the academy to members each year in recognition of their contribution, accomplishment and impact within Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Professor Conway commented: “I am truly honoured to have received a Fellowship from the APS. I am grateful for the support and mentoring that the Academy provides for researchers and early career academics. We were delighted to be able to host the event in Huddersfield and to showcase our campus and facilities.

Professor Conway also chaired the Skin Forum UK focus group session of the conference, while her department colleague, Professor Laura Waters chaired the conference’s Joint Pharmaceutical Analysis Group session.

In addition, Professor of Biopolymer Science, Alan Smith, also of the University’s Department of Pharmacy, delivered a talk in the Emerging Technologies session of the conference on fabricating in vitro tissues models using suspended layer additive manufacture technique, known as SLAM.

Three of the University of Huddersfield’s Applied Sciences PhD researchers were invited to give talks about their research, who were Saedah Dereiah, Thi phuong nga Hoang and Rand Abdulhussain, the latter of whom won a presentation award.

Preyanthini Kirubakaran, a Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate from the University of Huddersfield who is currently working at GSK, also won a poster prize.

Dr Asare-Addo commented: ”It has been wonderful having the support of the University, my school and department in hosting this successful event.  The conference brought together academics, regulators and the pharmaceutical industry to discuss the conference theme, Beyond rules of 5:  Pharmaceutical development over the next 20 years. Hearing from Professor Jennifer Dressman, who has contributed immensely to this field was a highlight."

More than 300 people attended the conference with 29 exhibitors in the University’s sports hall, making this the largest PharmSci exhibition to date. In addition, almost 200 attended a conference dinner at The John Smith’s Stadium.

Exhibitors included GSK, Colorcon, NextPharma, Upperton, Almac, Erweka, Evonik, Intertek, Anton Paar, Y-tron-Quadro, IMCD, Cormica, Genvolt, Tentamus, Stable Micro Systems, Solubility, Netzsch, Hiden, Resolian, Pion, Seda Pharmaceuticals, Harke Pharma, MeltPrep, Malvern Panalytical and Certara.

The conference, which took place from 4-6 September, was sponsored by global pharmaceutical companies GSK and Viatris.