During a five-day event, held between October 16 and 20, 2023, NOVA Medical School hosted the first edition of the NMS Research Week. This event, organized by the PhD Students and Post-Doctoral Research Committees, brought together 300 participants, and marked a unique moment on the school's scientific calendar.
The opening session of NMS Research Week was graced by the presence of various prominent individuals from our school, including Helena Canhão, Dean of NOVA Medical School (NMS), Patrícia Calado and Aníbal Ferreira, respectively Vice-Deans for Research and for the Interface with Health Units and Clinicss, respectively. Joining them were Miguel Seabra and Maria Paula Macedo, who coordinate two of NMS's PhD programmes. Their presence emphasized the importance of this event in the school's scientific landscape.
This event covered all scientific areas of NMS over five thematic days, specifically: Musculoskeletal Health; Healthy Brain; Retina and Vision; Cardiorespiratory Function and Infection; Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolism; Cancer; Nutrition, Food Science, and Health Promotion. Fulfilling its primary objective, each day, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers presented the research findings in these areas through oral and posters presentations, followed by lectures by renowned national experts in these fields, adding an additional layer of specialized knowledge and experience. Additionally, the week was designed to foster scientific discussions among researchers at different stages of their careers, from both the national and international academic community.
The grand finale was the closing session, where awards were presented to outstanding participants: Ana Tomás, PhD Student at the Instituto Português de Oncologia Francisco Gentil, under the supervision of Marta Pojo (IPOLFG) and co-supervision of Guadalupe Cabral, NMS researcher, received Best Poster Presentation award for her work "Identifying potential predictive and prognostic immune biomarkers in cutaneous melanoma"; and Maria João Meneses, post-doctoral researcher from Metabolic Diseases Research Group (MEDIR), was distinguished with Best Oral Communication award for the presentation regarding "Exploring the Connection Between Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Insulin Mechanisms: a PREVADIAB2 Cluster Analysis".
The event concluded on a sweet note with a celebration featuring cake and champagne, marking the end to this intense and rewarding week. Members of the organizing committee reflecteded that “this week was a success, highlighting the dedication and excellence of NMS researchers and their commitment to advancing the fields of biomedical and medical research.”
It is undeniable that NMS Research Week created a vibrant and dynamic environment that filled the NMS research campus, bringing together all kinds of researchers who exchanged valuable ideas, contacts and perspectives.