Dear Members of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology,

Here is the first newsletter of what is going to be a very active year for the DMCCB. It will start with the organization of the DMCCB Basel Symposium on May 14that the Pharmacenter in Basel, proposing a thrilling programme on a topic chosen by DMCCB members. Getting ready to host the 2020 EFMC-ISMC, the DMCCB is also involved in the organization of the EFMC-ISMC and YMCS in Ljubljana in September this year. And last but not least, the Division is organizing the 13thSwiss Course on Medicinal Chemistry in October in Leysin. Beside these events, the Division also fully engages in supporting its youngest fellows: The first DMCCB award will be awarded to a talented young DMCCB member on the occasion of the SCS Fall Meeting 2018, and travel grants have been launched to give the opportunity to young researchers to attend scientific conferences. 

Hopefully, this extensive programme will provide interesting opportunities to each of you. You can find more details about these topics below.

We hope to see you soon at one or the other event.

Best wishes,
Your DMCCB


Announcement from the DMCCB

Icon BaselSympDMCCB Basel Symposium – Pharmacenter, Basel – May 14, 2018 (afternoon): As voted by the DMCCB members, this year’s half-day symposium will be centered on “Novel chemical space and tools for chemical biology, medicinal and agrochemistry”. The interdisciplinary meeting will feature five talks from high caliber scientists from industry and academia including Alleyn Plowright, Miles Congreve, Gisbert Schneider, Jozef Vanden Broeck and David Spring. The event will be followed by a networking apéro. Registration is open on the event website.

Icon Award1stDMCCB Award for PhD students and junior Postdocs:For the first time this year, the DMCCB will grant a “DMCCB Award” to a talented PhD student or junior Post­doc in the field of medicinal chemistry or chemical biology. The award will consist of a certificate, cash money and an invitation to showcase his/her work at the SCS Fall Meeting 2018 - a valuable recognition for young scientists. Eligibility criteria and application process are available on our website.Application deadline: May 13, 2018.

Icon SCMC13thSwiss Course on Medicinal Chemistry – Leysin – October 7-12, 2018:This five-day Course organized by the DMCCB will focus on modern aspects of small molecule drug discovery, hit generation, lead finding and lead optimization campaigns. The target audience are scientists from industry and academia working in medicinal chemistry or flanking disciplines such as biochemistry, pharmacy, pharmacology, or biophysics. Registration is now open. Places for PhD students are limited and will be attributed on a first come first served basis!

Icon TravelGrantDMCCB travel grants:Starting in 2018 and three times a year, the Division will award up to 3 “DMCCB Travel Grants” of up to 800 CHF each. The awards are dedicated to PhD students and Postdocs wishing to attend conferences or workshops (co-) organized or sponsored by the DMCCB, or organized by the EFMC or DMCCB partner societies (LS2, GDCh). A great chance for young fellows to attend exciting medicinal chemistry or chemical biology events. Eligibility criteria and instructions on how to apply are available on our website.

Upcoming events from the European Federation of Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC)

Icon EFMCXXV EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry – Ljubljana, Slovenia – September 2-6, 2018: The biennial EFMC-ISMC is a key symposium in the field of medicinal chemistry and attracts around 1200 participants from industry and academia. The symposium is divided in three streams and covers advances in drug discovery in multiple therapeutic areas, chemical biology and drug-discovery related technologies. The programme will be completed by a number of plenary lectures, first time disclosures, and recent highlights in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. Registration until July 6, 2018.

Icon EFMC-Y5th EFMC Young Medicinal Chemist Symposium (EFMC-YMCS 2018) – Ljubljana, Slovenia – September 6-7, 2018:This short symposium has the aim of creating a network of young European investigators in medicinal chemistry. On this occasion, they will have the chance to share their scientific work with peers and inspiring leaders in the field. This year’s edition will take place in connection with the XXV EFMC International Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry (see above). Competition and excellence in Medicinal Chemistry within Europe will be stimulated by selecting the European Champion in Medicinal Chemistry.

Upcoming Congresses and Symposia

Icon RICTRICT 2018 - Interfacing Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery – Strasbourg, France - July 4-6, 2018:The main topics of this event organized by the French Medicinal Chemistry Society will include: Opportunities for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, breakthroughs in GPCR structure and their impact on drug discovery, chemical biology in drug discovery. Deadline for registration: May 15, 2018.

Icon Villars18Swiss Summer School 2018 in Chemical Biology – Villars-sur-Ollon – August 19-23, 2018:This five-day school will feature national and international speakers talking about many different aspects of chemical biology. PhD students and Postdocs will have the opportunity to showcase their research through posters or short oral presentation. Deadline for registration and abstract submission: July 1, 2018.

 

Icon FM18SCS Fall Meeting 2018 – EPFL, Lausanne – September 7, 2018:This year’s major Swiss chemistry event will take place at the EPFL. As usual, the DMCCB will chair a session featuring young and experimented researchers from industry and academia featuring their work in medicinal chemistry or chemical biology. This year for the first time, the programme will include a talk from the “DMCCB Award” recipient. Registration deadline: May 13, 2018.

Did you know …

That our website occasionally includes job offers? Please visit our page and check the news for the latest information, and do not hesitate to let us know if you have an opening for a medicinal chemist or a chemical biologist in your organization.