Scientists & non-specialists discuss future health emergencies
Oeiras, 18th May 2026
On April 25th, ITQB NOVA and Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC) held the public session “Responsible leadership in the face of future health emergencies” at CaixaForum Madrid, with the support of Fundación ”la Caixa”.
Organised within the scope of BioPlaTTAR, a project launched during the Covid-19 pandemic to develop antiviral proteins, the event brought together researchers, clinical trial specialists, virologists, funding agency representative and members of the public to reflect on lessons from recent health crises and future preparedness strategies.
Cláudio M. Soares, project leader and principal investigator at ITQB NOVA, presented an overview of the BioPlaTTAR and EvaMobs projects, both dedicated to antiviral research and pandemic preparedness. ITQB NOVA researchers Diana Lousa and João Vicente also took part in a central moment of the event: an interactive roundtable discussion with the public.
Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasized that preparing for future health emergencies goes far beyond scientific innovation alone. Continued investment in research, stronger clinical preparedness, trust in expertise, and sustained collaboration across disciplines and countries were highlighted as essential to respond faster and more effectively to future crises. The conversation also underscored the importance of scientific culture, collective memory, and public engagement in building resilient societies.
The BioPlaTTAR “la Caixa” project, now in its final year, laid the foundations for EvaMobs, an €8 million initiative led by ITQB NOVA to strengthen the European Union’s pandemic preparedness through the development of next-generation antivirals, focusing on small proteins called monobodies.
Over the past years, the consortium has moved from early exploration to designing and testing thousands of small proteins capable of binding and inactivating viruses. “We have tested a very large number of molecules, and we already have very nice successful cases for RSV and SARS-CoV-2,” said Diana Lousa, co-coordinator of both projects and ITQB NOVA researcher, during EvaMobs’ annual meeting held the same week, in Madrid.
The research team is now testing candidate antivirals in pre-clinical assays, a key milestone toward potential first-in-human studies. “This is a turning point. We are not lacking possibilities – on the contrary, we have many. The challenge now is to decide what to take forward,” concluded Cláudio M. Soares.
