On May 12th 2011, LACDR organised the anual Spring Symposium. Key speakers were Prof.dr. Kostas Kostarelos (Professor of Nanomedicine and Head of the Centre for Drug Delivery Research, School of Pharmacy, London, UK) and Dr. Veronique de Vroey (Director Discovery Screening, Janssen Research & Development, A Division of Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Beerse, Belgium).

Professor Kostarelos' lecture was titled 'How to Transform Novel Nanomaterials to Clinically-relevant Nanomedicine Tools: The Carbon Nanotube Experience'. He provided specific examples of engineering carbon nanotube material to achieve control over their pharmacology (localisation and retention in specific tissues) on administration and their toxicological impact.

Dr. De Vroey's lecture was titled 'The Current Challenges of the Pharmaceutical Industry'. She provided in depth insights in the challenges and the responses to the changing landscape in pharmaceutical industry, which faces though challenges at the moment.

During the LACDR PhD Competition, one PhD per division presented his or her research in full. The winners of this competition will represent LACDR in the National PhD competition during the FIGON Medicine Days. The winners were:

Jeroen van Smeden from the Division of Drug Delivery Technology Leiden, with his presentation: 'Human stratum corneum lipid analysis by LC-MS and its applicability on skin diseases'.

Danny Scholten from the Division of Medicinal Chemistry Amsterdam, with his presentation: 'Molecular Determinants of Chemokine Receptor CXCR7 Regulation'.

Additionally, all current LACDR PhD-Students have presented a poster.

Abstracts of all posters and presentations can be found in the Symposium Abstract Book (pdf)