Two IQS-URL Students Awarded by AEFI for Excellence in Their Bachelor’s Theses

Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Two students from the Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy at IQS-URL have been honoured with the Best Bachelor’s Final Thesis (TFG) Award granted by the Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Pharmacists (AEFI) — a recognition that highlights the academic quality, innovation, and applied focus of the projects developed.

The award recipients are Marc Portús Clapera and Laura Maldonado Valverde, whose work stood out at the national level for its scientific rigour and contribution to advancing knowledge in the pharmaceutical and biomedical fields.

Applied and Frontier Research

Marc Portús Clapera received the award for his thesis titled “Improving the Mechanical Properties of Injectable Hydrogels with Nanocomposites for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis”, supervised by Dr. Núria Oliva. The work falls within the development of advanced biomaterials with potential applications in regenerative medicine and the treatment of joint diseases.

Laura Maldonado Valverde was awarded for her thesis “Listening to an Orphan Receptor: A New Family of Agonists for GPR3”, supervised by Dr. Ana Belén Cuenca, together with Dr. David Pubill Sánchez (UB). The project focuses on the study of new pharmacological targets with potential future therapeutic applications.

What Do the Awarded Theses Cover?

Marc Portús Clapera’s thesis addresses the challenge of articular cartilage regeneration — a tissue with very limited repair capacity whose degradation underlies conditions such as osteoarthritis. The study focuses on developing injectable hydrogels reinforced with nanocomposites, aiming to improve their mechanical properties and durability in the joint environment, proposing an innovative and minimally invasive therapeutic alternative.

Laura Maldonado Valverde’s thesis sits within the field of molecular pharmacology and the study of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Specifically, it analyses the orphan receptor GPR3, which is of interest for its possible involvement in neurological and neurodegenerative processes. The work led to the synthesis and evaluation of a new compound with agonist activity on GPR3, opening new lines of research into the development of future treatments.

Recognition and Professional Prospects

Each AEFI award includes full registration to the AEFI Symposium, free membership for one year, access to four courses from the organisation’s training programme, and participation in outreach activities aimed at Pharmacy students.

The award ceremony took place during this year’s AEFI Awards event.