Advanced Drug Delivery
Overview
Modulation of transport across biological barriers, including the intracellular ones, is one of the major challenges in drug delivery. Frequently therapeutic molecules, irrespective of molecular weight or origin, do not possess the required physicochemical properties to reach the target site or enter diseased cells, needing delivery and targeting systems that aim to overcome these limitations, reducing toxicity and improving drug performance.
Students will be educated in comprehensive concepts needed to approach advanced drug delivery at cellular and molecular biology levels. They will have contact with relevant matters such as the physicochemical and biological determinants of passively and actively targeted drug delivery, including the nanotechnological approaches to nanomedicine.
The course is the exclusive responsibility of FFUL and will feature contributions from national and international experts affiliated with other institutions.
Coordination:
- António José Leitão das Neves Almeida, Full Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon;
- Helena Isabel Fialho Florindo Roque Ferreira, Full Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon.
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Legislation:
Programme
The course will take place from October 27, 2025, to November 17, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, in both in-person and online formats.
The course comprises a total of 32.5 hours of training, which corresponds to 6 ECTS credits.
The training hours are distributed as follows:
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Theoretical training hours: 19.5 hours
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Tutorial guidance hours: 13 hours
Course Location: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon.
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COURSE PROGRAM
Teaching Methodologies
TEACHING METHODOLOGY:
Lectures will be delivered either in person or remotely (online format).
LEARNING OUTCOMES AND SKILLS TO BE ACQUIRED BY THE STUDENT:
By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate integrated knowledge of the scientific principles underpinning the multidisciplinary field of advanced drug delivery in its various components. To this end, the course will cover the following main topics:
- Fundamentals of advanced drug delivery and targeting;
- Controlled release in the context of drug delivery and targeting;
- Strategies to overcome biological barriers;
- Drug delivery pathways;
- Future perspectives in advanced drug delivery and targeting.
ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY:
The assessment for students attending the course consists of preparing and submitting a short research project (10,000 characters, including spaces). This project should propose a potential solution to a drug delivery/therapeutic problem using an advanced drug delivery approach or strategy. The submitted document must comply with the following general guidelines:
- The project description should address a relevant research question in advanced drug delivery;
- Contents should include the title, drug delivery/therapeutic problem and innovative solution to be tested, research plan and methods, and the project’s relevance (scientific and social impact);
- Students will be divided into groups. Each group is invited to choose a research topic and propose a specific project that will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Novelty and relevance (30%);
- Clear description of the proposed approach (40%);
- Interdisciplinarity of the research plan (30%).
Application
Application Period: September 1, 2025, to September 15, 2025.
Course start and end dates: October 27, 2025, to November 17, 2025.
Target Audience:
Doctoral students enrolled in their respective doctoral programs, as well as professionals, faculty members, researchers, and students wishing to deepen their knowledge in the field of advanced drug delivery and targeting. The course is particularly aimed at Pharmacists, Physicians, Biomedical Scientists, Biologists, Biochemists, Chemists, and other professionals in health and life sciences.
Admission Requirements:
Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate degree in relevant fields.
Scientific Area(s) or Specialization:
PhD in Pharmacy, within the scientific area of Galenic Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology.
Selection and seriation criteria:
Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Fifteen places will be reserved for doctoral students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon (FFUL).
- Minimum number of trainees for operation: 08
- Maximum number of trainees for operation: 50
Required Documents for Application: Academic Certificate and Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Application Fees and Tuition:
- Application fee: 10€ (Note: the application fee will not be refunded if the candidate is excluded or not selected).
- Course Tuition: €250
- School Insurance Fee: 2,10€
Note: FFUL PhD students who wish to take the course as part of their mandatory 1st-year curriculum are exempt from the registration fee.
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Application Process:
Applications for the course are made exclusively through the FenixEdu Platform of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Lisbon (FFUL).
Access to the FenixEdu Platform:
- If you have never been a student at FFUL you must pre-register on the FenixEdu Platform.
- If you are a former student of FFULisboa and have already had an account campus@ulisboa or @edu.ulisboa.pt you should access the FenixEdu Platform and authenticate yourself with your account data. If you have lost access to your account, you can recover your password in the ULisboa users area.
- If you are a former student of FFULisboa and have never had an account campus@ulisboa or @edu.ulisboa.pt you must send an email to cncg@ff.ulisboa.pt indicating your full name and ID document number.
Access the FenixEdu Platform.
- On the tab “Candidate”, choose the type of application: “Advanced Training Courses”, select the desired course.
- Fill out the online form and attach all the required documents in digital format. In the application process you can indicate whether you want the invoice to be issued in the name of another entity/company/institution.
- Select the “Submit” option.
Applications will only be validated by the Academic Services once the applicant has paid the Application Fee.
Contacts
For information regarding the application process and the course organization, please contact the Academic Services: doutoramentos@ff.ulisboa.pt
Sponsors
