One of the largest Nordic academic pharma events

The event has been one of the largest academic pharmaceutical events in the Nordic countries.

As chair of the Nordic POP organizing committee, Associate Professor Andrea Heinz was in charge of the practical matters of the event, planning talks and sessions etc, in collaboration with her team. All in all, there have been 102 posters and 24 talks at the event.

One of your main tasks as chair has been to select and assess abstracts. What did you and your team focus on?

“With regard to talks, we focussed on ensuring that all the universities are represented. With regard to sessions, we focused on ensuring that the programme includes a diversity of topics, e.g. drug delivery barriers (the blood-brain barrier, skin, mucosa, intestines). We also looked at the gender distribution among the speakers and whether their research is on the forefront.

I have returned abstracts to conference speakers in the past, but for the Nordic POP we only received high-quality material. We did not have to return any of the abstracts. We asked the speakers to use an abstract template, and that has been very useful.”

What are the main challenges of chairing an event such as this one?

“A main challenge, of course, has been the sheer number of tasks – and ideas. As a team, we have had to find solutions that everyone is happy with. Also, some of the speakers have made changes, which means that we have had to adjust the programme several times. Finally, with more than 200 participants there are lots of different needs to consider, not least dietary requirements.”

What are the main networking opportunities?

“Nordic POP has existed for many years now, so we know each other pretty well by now, and the network continues to grow, not least in the form of PhD students. It feels like one big family to me, and it has given me a lot of insight into what researchers at the other Nordic universities are working on. There is also the Nordic POP exchange programme, which means that the University has received PhD students from the other Nordic countries – and vice versa. Naturally, this helps to strengthen the network and collaborations between the Nordic universities.”

Has Nordic POP resulted in interesting new research topics?

“Yes, a lot, especially with regard to personalised medicine, as our focus is after all on patient-oriented products. It has been extremely interesting to follow.  Of course, as pharmacists we are interested in different drug forms and delivery pathways, and there are lots of creative solutions, e.g. 3D printing, and combinations of different forms of drug delivery. The development, not least in data analysis and AI, is extremely interesting to follow.”

What would you say to other researchers who are thinking about chairing an event like this one?

“I have helped organise similar events in the past, e.g. meetings and the 2020 Nordic POP Annual Meeting. Before you say yes to chairing a large-scale event like this one, it is a good idea to have experience with organising one. It gives you a sense of what to focus on. Because it is not just about putting together a programme; there is also the abstract book, ordering merchandise, booking rooms and dinners and putting together a social programme. I would tell people who have not been part of an event team before to go and talk to someone who has, because otherwise the responsibility can be overwhelming.”

The consortium continues its collaborative activities in the new project, Nordic Pharma Train. Read more about Nordic POP here.