May 2023

Almost everyone now knows about endorphins, brain neurotransmitters whose release is invariably invoked when someone is describing the sensation of pleasure. But few know that the first endorphins were isolated and characterised at the Unit for Research on Addictive Drugs (URAD) in Aberdeen, Scotland way back in 1975.

Submit your articles to the fifth Early Career Pharmacologists Writing Competition, which could see your work pubished in the next issue of Pharmacology Matters.

Dr Aisah Aubdool interviews Dr Nilima Arun Kshirsagar about how she started her academic career, her current research, and her tips for networking.

Bharath Srinivasan explains how he pulled together the Binding Kinetics and Mechanistic PK/PD Modelling in Early Drug Discovery meeting, which took place in Cambridge in early 2023.

BPS Head of Journals Publishing Charles Whalley explores how open access is transforming our Society journals.

The team from Bristol Myers Squibb interviewed Dr. Corinne Sadlowski, a scientist who has carved an inspiring career path from academia into the pharmaceutical industry.

With the use of AI increasing across all mediums, Hannah Roughley explores the advantages and limitations of using tools such as ChatGPT in science communications.

Norah Htet Htet applied for a BPS engagement in 2022 to support her work providing health education to refugees and underprivileged communities in Kuala Lumpur. Here, she tells the story of two of the engagement events that took place.

Cristina Perez-Ternero talks about World Down Syndrome Day, which takes place on 21 March each year, reflecting on a 2023 event which brought together researchers and people with lived experience of Down Syndrome.

"Public engagement goes beyond simply communicating scientific facts; it involves two-way dialogue and building relationships with community members to understand their perspectives and needs", explains Sam Illingworth, who has created a new handbook, 'Community Engagement for Researchers'.

Mitochondria produce energy, but that’s not all: they also contain their own genome. In the age of precision medicine, how important is it that we consider mitochondrial genetics, and can we do this without nuclear DNA getting in the way? Authored by Robyn Kiy, the UK winner of the IUPHAR International Students' Poster Competition 2023.

How is drug repurposing shaping the research and development of new drugs? Anna Moelder explores the topic, including recent examples.

Marco Bonfanti explores how he helped to pull together the 2023 Glasgow Early Career Life Sciences Symposium, reflecting on the success of the day-long event.

PROTACs, heterobifunctional molecules enabling targeted protein degradation, offer therapeutic potential beyond traditional inhibitors. Despite challenges such as the hook effect and poor oral bioavailability, the unique event-driven pharmacology of PROTACs makes them a promising avenue for treating diseases, including cancer. 

A question from school pupils illuminates the barriers between pharmacology and prospective undergraduate students. Teaching assistant Dr Molly Carlier reflects that the perception of science being a difficult subject to study turns students away from studying pharmacology and shares public engagement resources that can be used to combat this perception.