29 June 2026

All PhD candidates and the Postdoctoral researcher from the Biopharmacy group attended the 16th European ISSX Meeting, held in Basel, Switzerland, from 29 June to 2 July 2026. As this international meeting takes place in a different location each year, its organization in Basel provided a unique opportunity for the entire Biopharmacy team to participate together in this international event in the field. The conference brought together leading experts from academia and industry to exchange the latest advances in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) and their implementation in modern drug development. The meeting covered emerging topics in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, including model-informed drug development, AI applications in ADME sciences, and challenges associated with novel therapeutic modalities. Beyond the scientific sessions, the meeting offered an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with leading experts in the field, connect with the international DMPK community, and meet several long-standing collaborators in person. These interactions enabled discussions on ongoing projects and future research directions, fostering new ideas and strengthening existing collaborations. 

A particular highlight for the group was the recognition of Dr. Marta Rysz, who was awarded Third Place in the ISSX Postdoctoral Fellows Poster Awards Competition for her poster presentation, acknowledging the high quality and impact of her research.

12 June 2026

The Biopharmacy group offers interested students the opportunity to conduct their Master’s thesis projects in our laboratory each year. These projects provide selected students with first-hand insights into experimental wet-lab research and day-to-day scientific work. The thesis topics are closely aligned with the research projects of our postdoctoral and PhD researchers, ensuring strong scientific integration and dedicated supervision, often in an almost one-to-one mentoring setting. This structure allows students to actively contribute to ongoing research while receiving continuous guidance and support throughout their project.

This year’s Master’s students, Jeron David Antony, Bleona Tahiri, Mascha Bögli, Ramon Jacobs, Diyar Dumaz, Pascal Odermatt (from left to right in the photo), successfully completed their Master’s thesis work in June 2026 within the Biopharmacy group at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences as part of the Master of Pharmacy program.

The past months were marked by intensive work, exciting projects, and many important contributions to our mission in research and education.

For us as the Biopharmacy Team, the collaboration with them was both professionally and personally enriching. We sincerely thank them for the great teamwork and hope that their time in our laboratory and team was both educational and rewarding, providing valuable experiences for their future careers. We also hope that this experience may inspire some of them to pursue a future in the broad field of pharmaceutical science.

1 June 2026

Leila Potzel, PhD-student within the Biopharmacy has been awarded a competitive Doc.Mobility fellowship, enabling her to undertake a research stay at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill within the framework of the project “Investigating placental mechanisms for feto-maternal coproporphyrin exchange” in collaboration with Prof. Jacqueline B. Tiley and Prof. Kim L.R. Brouwer. Following the approval in November 2025, she carefully prepared for this next step, including the organization of administrative matters as well as the completion of her teaching and research responsibilities.

With great motivation and anticipation, she set out for the United States in June 2026 to begin this valuable academic and personal experience. During her stay, she will further develop her research in an international environment, build on her already broad network of active collaborations, gain insights into new methodological approaches, and expand her scientific network even further.

While she will certainly be missed by the team, we warmly congratulate her on this outstanding opportunity and fully support her during this important stage of her academic career.

Upon her return, Leila will enrich the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences with fresh perspectives, advanced methodological insights, and international experience gained abroad, contributing to both research and teaching.

18 May 2026

Pint of Science is an international science communication festival with the mission of bringing researchers and the public together in an informal and accessible setting. By moving scientific discussions out of the laboratory and into cafés, pubs, and public venues, the initiative aims to make science approachable, engaging, and open to everyone.

On May 18 2026, three members of the department participated in the Pint of Science event in Basel at the Novartis Pavillon, where they presented their research to a mixed audience in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

The evening featured three talks, two of which were presented by members of the department: “Predicting Your Drug Response … One Bite at a Time” by Dr. Marta Rysz and Nikolaos Paloumpis, and “Trips, Traces and Neuronal Communication” by Prof. Dr. Linda Simmler.

Both presentations sparked lively discussions and an exciting Q&A session with the audience. The cozy setting of the event created the perfect environment for open scientific exchange and inspiring conversations.

7 May 2026

Leonhard Kempinger, a PhD student in Biopharmacy who has just started his second year, participated in the 6^th Joint Congress of the AGNP and DGBP 2026, where he contributed to a symposium organized by the Swiss Society of Biological Psychiatry entitled “Biomarkers for Therapy Optimisation”.

He delivered his first presentation at a scientific conference on 7 May 2026. His talk, entitled “ABCB1 Genotypisierung zu Präzisionstherapie: Reloaded?”, took place in a well-attended session and provided an excellent basis for lively exchange with researchers from various disciplines.

He presented data from a translational research project carried out in close collaboration with Prof. Thorsten Mikoteit. The discussion that followed was characterized by strong interest in his work and offered valuable feedback from an international scientific audience. These insights are now being incorporated into the final stages of the project and its ongoing completion.