The Principal Investigator at NOVA Medical School, Duarte Barral, was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the European Society for Pigment Cell Research (ESPCR), a position he assumed during the society's 26th annual meeting, held between September 25 and 27, 2025, at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany.
ESPCR is a multidisciplinary scientific society that promotes the advancement of knowledge and research on the pigmentary system, bringing together leading international experts.
In addition to Duarte Barral, leader of the Membrane Traffic in Disease research group, and Mafalda Lopes da Silva, researcher in the Molecular Mechanisms of Disease group led by Miguel Seabra, who presented two oral communications, researchers Inês Fonseca and Cristina Demelas, also from the Membrane Traffic in Disease group, were present at the meeting. In addition to the oral presentations, three posters from this group were presented, contributing to scientific sharing and discussion at the European level. It should be noted that Cristina Demelas was also awarded a Travel Award, recognizing the scientific merit of the doctoral student.
The appointment of Duarte Barral, as well as the participation of several researchers in the conference, highlights the international leadership role of NOVA Medical School in research in the field of skin pigmentation.