Workshops in this years ECCC
Organized by CavX students
Ion Channels in Drug Discovery – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Monday, May 26, 14:00-16:00
Michael Leitner
Dep. General Pharmacology, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co.
Ion channels as drug targets offer great potential for treatment of a wide variety of diseases. Yet, identification of selective and efficient ion channel modulators is complicated by their complex molecular architecture together with high homology between related channels, and potentially incomplete understanding of conformational transitions as well as their physiological relevance in multi-layered biological networks. Furthermore, unwanted modulation of ion channels may give rise to potentially life-threatening adverse events. In this workshop, we will discuss challenges in drug discovery focusing on (The Good) ion channels as drug targets, on strategies for derisking of (The Bad) channels as off-targets and No-Goes in drug development associated with (The Ugly) ion channels.
The use of AI in data analysis and academic writing
Monday, May 26, 16:30-18:30
Univ. – Prof. Dr. Anita E. Weidmann,
Dep. Clinical Pharmacy,
University of Innsbruck
Assist. Prof. Matteo Cesari,
Department of Neurology
Medical University of Innsbruck
This workshop is designed to introduce PhD students to a range of current AI tools used to optimise their academic writing workflow. Participants will explore AI tools for conducting efficient literature searches, summarizing literature findings, and identifying evidence gaps in their field of science. The session will cover the effective management of references using AI-powered citation tools, ensuring organized and streamlined workflows for thesis preparation.
A critical focus will be placed on the ethical use of AI in academic writing, addressing issues such as plagiarism, transparency, and proper attribution when using AI-generated content. You will have a look at the use of AI in publications and what’s allowed within the guidance of good scientific research practice and institutional guidelines. By the end of the workshop, attendees will gain valuable insights into optimizing their research and writing processes with AI while maintaining academic integrity and rigor.
In the second part of the workshop Dr. Cesari’s will provide an overview of fundamental principles of artificial intelligence (AI), including training, validation, and testing processes, as well as various types of learning. He will illustrate these concepts through practical research examples from the field of EEG analysis. In the interactive session Dr. Cesari will introduce tools designed to critically assess the use of AI in research. Students will apply these tools to evaluate a scientific publication and engage in a discussion of the main findings.