Nine students from the Integrated Master's in Medicine and the Bachelor's in Nutritional Sciences programs, who participated in the annual PIATI program - Student Integration in Research Projects - presented their scientific projects to the NOVA Medical School community. These projects were developed over the past year in several research laboratories.
The PIATI program, created by the NOVA Medical School Students' Association (AENMS), allows students to participate in research projects for a minimum of 35 hours. In addition to NOVA Medical School, these projects take place at institutions such as Hospital Curry Cabral, CUF, Lusíadas, Hospital da Luz, INIAV, CEIDSS, Champalimaud Foundation, and CEMA.
Each year, the PIATI Congress culminates in the presentation of posters detailing the students' research projects to a panel of judges. This year’s edition took place during the 2024 Science and Technology Week on November 21, in the Manuel Machado Macedo Auditorium at NOVA Medical School. The initiative featured a jury panel consisting of Ana Rita Jesus Maria, Nuno Mendonça, and André Marques, who recognized the top three posters presented.
The winners were:
- 1st Place: João Sequeira, with the project "Hydrogel Nanocomposite for Local Therapy Against Colorectal Cancer," developed in the laboratory led by João Conde, Principal Investigator of NOVA Medical School.
- 2nd Place: João Tomás Magalhães and Inês Guerreiro, with the project "SONO-GRAVITY: Sonographic Needle Guidance for Intracranial Pressure Evaluation in Microgravity," developed in the laboratory led by Edson Oliveira, Principal Investigator of CEMA.
- 3rd Place: João Calado Pereira, with the project "Design of Multicolor Gene Circuit Nanoparticles for Profiling Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment," developed also in the laboratory led by João Conde.
The PIATI Congress 2024 was an afternoon of discussion and knowledge sharing across several research fields, highlighting the essential role of research in students' academic journeys. In this case, it equips students with practical skills, such as developing and presenting scientific posters to an audience.