New UAB representative in the final phase of the CRUE #HiloTesis contest

In his Bluesky thread, Álex Pérez explained his research in 19 posts. The research focuses on how inflammation, which is a natural defense of the body and normally protects us, can become dangerous when it is not stopped, fueling diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's or arthritis. His thesis investigates how this process can be understood and controlled, and aims to develop more precise drugs using light. These drugs are called photoactivatable drugs: harmless molecules that are only activated when and where necessary, to avoid side effects and maximise their efficacy. This is done through computational chemistry, which simulates molecular reactions on the computer to save resources and better direct research to help the body heal itself without any harm.

In this fifth edition of the #HiloTesis contest, which this year only allowed publications in Bluesky, a total of 8 UAB PhD students participated.

Participants had to explain their thesis in a maximum of 20 posts. From the local phase, held between 3 June (12:00 a.m.) and 17 June (11:59 p.m.), the winner was chosen to go on to the final phase. The winner of the fifth edition of the #HiloTesis contest is expected to be announced during the first half of July.

The aim of this contest, organised by the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE), is to promote the development of communication skills and scientific dissemination among doctoral students and recent PhD graduates. A total of 362 theses from 49 universities associated to CRUE were presented in last year's edition of the #HiloTesis contest.