During Grant Period 2, SIGMA-1EUROPE supported 10 early-career researchers through Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grants (YRICGs), with a total budget of EUR 8,441. The grantees came from 5 countries – Italy (5), Türkiye (2), Estonia, Germany and Poland – and presented their work at 5 international conferences in Belgium, Italy, Poland, Sweden and Türkiye. Four of the grantees were affiliated with institutions in Inclusiveness Target Countries, and the grants were shared equally between women and men. These grants supported early-career researchers in presenting their results, increasing the visibility of their work and building international professional networks.
MedChem 2025 – Sustainability in Drug Discovery
December 2025, Ghent, Belgium · 1 grant
Denys Bondar (Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia)
In vitro and in silico evaluation of 5-(piperazin-1-ylsulfonyl)-1,3-oxazole-4-carbonitriles against neuroblastoma
(poster)
Denys presented a poster on the design and evaluation of 5-(piperazin-1-ylsulfonyl)-1,3-oxazole-4-carbonitriles as a new scaffold against neuroblastoma. The study combined in vitro cytotoxicity profiling with molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and MM/GBSA analysis. Several compounds showed low-micromolar activity in neuroblastoma cells with reduced effects on non-neuroblastoma cell lines, providing a basis for further structure–activity optimisation. The meeting also offered opportunities for scientific exchange and discussions on sustainable approaches to drug discovery.
XV Paul Ehrlich Euro-PhD Network Meeting
20–22 May 2026, Cagliari, Italy · 1 grant
Sara Salvi (University of Pavia, Italy)
Dimeric sigma receptor–proteasome ligands as anticancer agents for glioblastoma
6th European Symposium on Sigma-1 Receptors / 2nd SIGMA-1EUROPE Meeting
9–11 June 2026, Kraków, Poland · 5 grants
Vittorio Brufani (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy)
Oligomerization dynamics of sigma-1 receptor: trimer, hexamer and nonamer revealed by cryo-EM and mass photometry
(oral presentation, Early-Career Award session)
Vittorio presented his structural research on the sigma-1 receptor, combining cryo-EM findings with mass photometry data. His presentation brought the work to a broad academic and industrial audience and generated interest from researchers working across structural biology, pharmacology and related fields. The meeting also created opportunities for new multidisciplinary collaborations and for connecting structural findings with functional and pharmacological studies.
Anselma Liturri (University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy)
Sigma-1 receptor modulation as a potential missing link in ONC201 mechanism of action in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG)
(oral presentation)
Carlo Reale (University of Catania, Italy)
Design and synthesis of novel, structurally simplified σ/HDAC dual-target prodrugs
(poster)
Giuliana Costanzo (University of Catania, Italy)
Two-step synthesis of enantiomerically pure morphans from (R)-carvone
Burak Kaan Kasap (Karadeniz Technical University, Türkiye)
A SIGMAR1-centered network signature of synaptic adhesion in Alzheimer’s disease
(poster)
34th GP2A Conference on Medicinal Chemistry
26–28 August 2026, Gothenburg, Sweden · 2 grants
Damiano Arella (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany)
Design, synthesis, photophysical and pharmacological evaluation of piperazine-based photoswitchable ligands targeting sigma-1 receptors
Katarzyna Szczepańska (Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland)
Towards multi-target ligands for pain therapy: design and biological evaluation of compounds directed at histamine H3, sigma-1 and μ-opioid receptors
51st Turkish Physiology Congress
7–10 October 2026, Türkiye · 1 grant
Esra Şentürk (Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University, Türkiye)
Effects of prolonged light exposure on oxidative and inflammatory responses in the ovaries of female rats
Taken together, these grants gave early-career researchers the opportunity to present their work across fields ranging from medicinal chemistry and structural biology to oncology and physiology, while building new connections within and beyond the SIGMA-1EUROPE network.
New calls for Young Researcher and Innovator Conference Grants will be announced in the next grant period. Follow the SIGMA-1EUROPE website and social media channels for upcoming opportunities.
