Conference NOVA
Tackling Pandemics: Strategies for Prevention, Preparedness and Response
Tackling pandemics caused by infectious agents, such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites demands an integrated “One Health” approach that recognizes the interaction of human, animal, and environmental health.
This conference will highlight insights from various scientific disciplines and how these can be used together to promote prevention and combat microbial pandemics.
The development of strategies for prevention, preparedness, and response will be discussed and explored, including the importance of good communication and medical narrative, and the underlying biological, clinical, environmental and ecological conditions that can promote the appearance of new pandemics.
The session will take place at the Rectorate of Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (Campolide Campus) on November 18th 2024.
SUBMISSIONS
Authors interested in presenting their research on the conference topic should submit their work in (instructions and selection criteria in the call for abstracts, posters or oral presentation).
Conference Registration
Deadline: October 31th, 2024
Submission
Deadline: October 31th, 2024
Confirmation of Acceptance
Deadline: November 8th, 2024
INTRUCTIONS TO PREPARE POSTERS SELECTED
- Prepared in portrait orientation and A0 size (width:84.1 cm; height: 118.9 cm);
- Contents should be divided into Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results and Conclusions sections;
- Headings should have a minimum of 36 points size and text a minimum of 24 points size.
We emphasize that you must bring your printed poster on the day of the Conference.
Accepted abstracts will be included in the Conference Book. A “Best Poster Award” will be granted during the conference.
Any additional questions send an email to novasaude@nms.unl.pt.
Programme
November 18th, 2024
9.00h: Opening Remarks
João Sàágua | Rector – NOVA University Lisbon
Cláudio Soares | Pró-Rector – NOVA University Lisbon
Session 1 – Environment and human health
Chairs: Susana Viegas, Gonçalo Figueiredo Augusto
9.10h: Aleksandra Kazmierczak | European Environment Agency
Infectious diseases under the changing climate: risk and preparedness in Europe
9.30h: Ricardo Assunção | Egas Moniz School of Health & Science
From Farm to Climate: Navigating the Interplay Between Food Systems and Climate Change
9.45h: César Capinha, Iuria Betco, Jorge Rocha | Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning – University of Lisbon
From Maps to Action: Comprehensive Strategies for Pandemic Prevention and Response
10.00h: Oral communication 1
Inês Martins Alves | NOVA Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Epidemiological Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in a Cohort of Portuguese Schools
10.10h: Oral communication 2
Rebeca Pabst | NOVA Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Vector-Borne Diseases: the reason behind its increase
10.20h: Coffee Break
Session 2 – Pandemics preparedness
Chairs: Carla Sousa, Pedro Cravo
10.50h: André Peralta-Santos | NOVA National School of Public Health
Pandemics: never again
11.05h: Paula Patrício | NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT)
Mathematical models for infectious Diseases
11.20h: Alda Correia | NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities
Narrative Medicine in Pandemics Context
11.35h: Oral communication 3
Carolina Buga | NOVA Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology
SARS-CoV-2 viral entry: the role of the N-terminal and internal fusion peptides in membrane fusion
11.45h: Oral communication 4
Diogo Silva | NOVA Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology
Rapid Therapeutic Development Using AI-Driven Protein Design: Targeting SARS-CoV2 as a Proof of Concept
11.55: Roundtable with Talk Speakers
12.30h: Lunch
13.35h: Poster session
Session 3 – Therapeutics and management
Chairs: Maria Miragaia, Diana Lousa
14.00h: João Paulo Gomes | National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge (INSA)
Microbial genomics as a public health borderless compass for the detection and monitoring of emerging infectious agents and outbreak control
14.30h: Paulo Paixão | NOVA Medical School
Tackling pandemics: a medical perspective
14.45h Catarina Pimentel | NOVA Institute of Chemical and Biological Technology
Fungal Threats in Pandemic Preparedness: Treatment challenges and the antifungal potential of copper-azole complexes
15.00h: Sofia Costa | NOVA Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Drug repurposing for efflux and biofilm inhibition as a strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance, a silent pandemic
15.15h: Isabel Carvalho-Oliveira | Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation
European Partnership in Pandemic Preparedness
15.30h: Susana Castro Marques | Pfizer
Pharmaceutical Industry post-Pandemic: Lessons Learnt and Future Directions
16.00h: Oral communication 4
Inês Saraiva | GIMM – Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine
A new broad-spectrum antiviral strategy against SARS-CoV-2
16.10h: Oral communication 5
Juliana Gonçalves | NOVA Medical School
Improving vaccine response in the elderly through modulation of the hormonal-immune axis
16.20h: Roundtable with Talk Speakers
16.50h: Best Poster Award
17.00h: Concluding remarks: speaker to be selected (organizing committee)
Speakers
Organizing Committee
Chronic Disease and Infection Group:
- Maria Miragaia (ITQB-NOVA)
- Gonçalo Augusto Figueiredo (ENSP-NOVA)
Climate Change Impact on Public Health Group:
- Susana Viegas (ENSP-NOVA)
- Carla Sousa (IHMT-NOVA
Drug Discovery and Advanced Therapies Group:
- Diana Lousa (ITQB-NOVA)
- Pedro Cravo (IHMT-NOVA)
Scientific Committee
João Conde (NOVA-NMS)
José Artur Brito (NOVA-ITQB)
Filipa Marcelo (NOVA-FCT)
Cláudia Almeida (NOVA-NMS)
Carla Martins (NOVA-ENSP)
Ricardo Assunção (Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, NOVA-ENSP)
Chronic Disease and Infection
Chronic and infectious diseases are one of the major global human health problems that include neurodegeneration, inflammation, immunological dysregulation, and old and emerging microbial infectious diseases. Chronic diseases have been leveraged by the longer human lifespan, while globalization, migrations, exponential increasing of travellers have been associated with an alarming escalade of microbes that are resistant to antibiotics.
Climate Change Impact on Public Health
The identification of climate change as responsible for several risk factors for human health has been widely accepted by the scientific community. Its effects can be direct (due to heat waves, floods, among others) and indirect (which can result from changes in food security and safety and/or increased use of chemical substances, among others).
Drug Discovery and Advanced Therapies
The discovery and development of drugs, biopharmaceuticals, and advanced therapies are essential for identifying new or improved treatments for human diseases. In this context, the concerted and integrative application of scientific knowledge, cutting-edge technologies, and collaborative efforts are vital to finding, designing, testing, optimizing, and developing bioprocesses for novel medicines that can prevent symptoms and cure various medical conditions.
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