Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Therapy Workshop: A great success!

We are delighted to look back on two inspiring days filled with exciting science, engaging discussions, dynamic poster sessions, and meaningful connections between researchers from Ireland, Wales, France, and Italy.

Organised by Prof. Silvia Giordani, the Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Therapy Workshop brought together a vibrant community of established researchers and early-career scientists, creating a unique forum at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, biotechnology, nanomedicine, and photonics. Hosted in the LSRF building at Dublin City University, the workshop opened with a welcome address from Prof. Silvia Giordani.

The workshop featured an outstanding line-up of invited speakers, whose talks showcased the latest advances in nanoparticle design, therapeutic strategies, imaging technologies, and nanomedicine applications.

We were especially proud to see two members of our team present our group’s latest research. Yingru Zhou delivered an excellent presentation on “Surface-Engineered Carbon Nano-Onions for Targeted Chemotherapeutic Delivery”, while Aravind Kannoth Anilkumar presented exciting results on “Laser-Assisted Photothermal Heating of Carbon Nano-Onions.” Both talks generated stimulating discussions and highlighted our group’s continued commitment to developing carbon-based nanoparticles for drug delivery and therapeutic applications.

Over the two days, participants enjoyed a diverse programme of expert presentations covering a broad range of topics, including:

Advanced Nano-Imaging and Computational Design

The workshop explored cutting-edge optical nano-imaging and sensing approaches with Prof. Zengbo Wang (Bangor University), alongside computational strategies for designing the nano–bio interface presented by Prof. Paola Posocco (University of Trieste) and Computer-aided drug design by Dr. Darren Fayne (Dublin City University).

Targeted Cancer Therapeutics and Drug Delivery

Speakers discussed innovative approaches to cancer treatment, including targeting protein kinases in human cancers with unconventional drugs and strategies (Dr. May Morris, University of Montpellier), targeted imaging and photodynamic therapy using thiophene BODIPY–ruthenium complexes (Prof. Mary Pryce, Dublin City University), and multifunctional nanoparticles for localised heating and nanoscale thermometry(Prof. Joulia Larionova, University of Montpellier).

Commercial Innovation and Nanomaterials

Dr. Paul Leonard (Dublin City University) explored the journey from research discovery to real-world impact in “From Lab to Life: Commercialising Antibody Innovation from Diagnostics to Drug Delivery.”

The energy during our poster sessions was wonderful, showcasing the talent of early-career researchers and presenters (Dr. Francesco Bellina, Manikrishna Lakavanthu, Soumakanya Ram, Ciaran Brown and Piero Alaimo).

Organised as part of the Ireland–Wales Research Alliance collaboration between Dublin City University and Bangor University, this workshop also provided an opportunity to strengthen future partnerships. A final strategic session focused on EU proposal planning marked an exciting next step for this growing network of collaboration.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our invited speakers, poster presenters, and attendees. Your contributions made these two days of scientific exchange, collaboration, and discussion truly rewarding and memorable.

We look forward to continuing to build on the connections and ideas generated during this successful workshop.