The first joint conference between The International Conference on Mechanisms of Action of Nutraceuticals (ICMAN) and the International Union of Pharmacology (IUPHAR) Natural Products Section will bring their biennial meetings to Aberdeen from September 27-29 2017.
The conference will bring together leading academic and clinical researchers from the drug discovery and nutrition fields to Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) to discuss the common challenges and approaches that face them in the development of novel nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals derived from natural sources.
In addition to the main conference themes, a series of lunchtime workshops will take place throughout the conference, focusing on some important issues in the industry including regulatory requirements and health claims, social responsibility and sustainability of exploiting natural resources.
The joint conference is set to attract around 400 delegates from around the world and was secured by Robert Gordon University (RGU) and the University of Aberdeen with additional support from TeamAberdeen, a collaboration of expertise from Aberdeen City and Shire Council, AECC, Aberdeen International Airport, RGU, The University of Aberdeen and VisitAberdeen, to secure high profile conferences for the city. TeamAberdeen support by helping with conference organisation, sourcing hotel accommodation, identifying superb venues and support in the management of conference budgets. The event received subvention funding from VisitAberdeen which was match funded by VisitScotland’s Conference Bid Fund.
Joint Conference Chair, Professor Cherry Wainwright from RGU, "While the use of natural products from terrestrial and marine sources has been vital to the discovery of new drugs and nutritional supplements for centuries, the availability of new technologies to understand how they can provide health benefits has resulted in the exploitation of natural products going through a renaissance. The discovery processes for identifying novel drug entities and nutraceuticals share a lot of common ground and there is significant potential for drugs derived from natural products to be used alongside nutraceuticals for greater health benefits.
By bringing two scientific communities together at this biennial meeting, we will help identify where they can join to open new avenues of collaboration and innovation. We are delighted ICMAN and IUPHAR have chosen Aberdeen as the venue for the unique conference as it reflects the expertise in both nutraceutical and natural product drug discovery research that exists within the two Universities in the city. It is also highly relevant to the City Region Deal, which includes funding for the development of a Biopharmaceutical Innovation Hub."
Vice Chair of IUPAR Natural Products Section, Valeria Schini-Kerth commented, “Bringing together experts from the nutraceutical and pharmacology fields allows them to combine their efforts in developing novel and promising targeted disease management, in addition to launching new therapies based on both, traditional drug development and new insights, brought about by innovative nutraceuticals and natural products.”
Sales Manager at AECC, Steven Daun, said: “Welcoming this joint conference to Aberdeen is another great addition to our conference calendar and is an achievement which allows us to showcase the research available in the city and the expertise at hand in the field.”