In 2022, we held a competition inviting Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to submit designs that we could print on WCP2023 merchandise. The profits from the sale of these items will go to the WCP2023 ECR Fund, which provides financial support and creates more opportunities for ECRs to attend and get involved at WCP2023.

We are pleased to announce the winner of the competition is Rita Lauro, a PhD student studying Translational Molecular Medicine and Surgery at the University of Messina, in Italy. Rita’s design is titled ‘From Bench to Bedside and Beyond’ and represents her vision of pharmacology: ‘a science that examines how the effect of a molecule is able to provide answers to physiological questions. More importantly, the science which exploits these informations to drive the development of new agents with great therapeutic potential, and the effective delivery of cutting-edge bench-to-bedside research.’

Rita Lauro

Rita Lauro – Competition Winner

A mock-up of the 'Bench to Bedside and Beyond

Rita’s winning t-shirt design: ‘From Bench to Bedside and Beyond’

Rita’s design has been made into an exclusive WCP2023 ‘From Bench to Bedside and Beyond’ t-shirt, alongside a refreshed favourite which reads ‘I ♥ Pharmacology’. Online purchases of the t-shirts has now ended and they will be availabel to collect at the Help Desk during WCP2023. Postal orders will be despatched shortly after the congrss. A limited number of t-shirts will be available to purchase on site during WCP2023.

Rita Lauro

Professor David Webb and Professor Amrita Ahluwalia wearing the two WCP2023 t-shirt designs.

A mock-up of the 'Bench to Bedside and Beyond

The refreshed ‘I ♥ Pharmacology’ t-shirt

All profits from the sale of these t-shirts will go to the WCP2023 ECR Fund, which provides financial support and creates more opportunities for ECRs to attend and get involved with WCP2023.

More about our competition winner – Rita Lauro

I’m Rita Lauro, PhD student on the course of Translational Molecular Medicine and Surgery at the University of Messina in Italy. I graduated in Biotechnology (Bachelors Degree) and in Medical Biotechnology (Masters Degree) before applying for the PhD position. I work in the Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory of Professor Bitto at the University of Messina, and specifically my research project involves mostly the screening of nutraceuticals to promote the healing process associated with osseointegration. I’ve always been passionate about science, Biotechnology in particular, and lately in the pharmacology field which seems, to me, one of the most complete subjects which can give you answers and explanations, literally, from bench to bedside and beyond. However, I’ve also always followed my passion for graphics and art, which allowed me to exploit this little ability even during my everyday activity, and some of my illustrations have been used in different published work and for the IUPHAR International Students’ Poster Competition 2022 (image can be found here), in which I was awarded 3rd place. Moreover, since I have some editing competence as an autodidact, I’ve been collaborating in the last two years with the Italian Society of Pharmacology (Società Italiana Farmacologia (SIF)) as a content creator (posts and videos) for their Instagram account @societaitalianafarmacologia and for the online journal SIF Magazine.

Articles in which Rita’s illustrations have been featured:

Rita’s entries for other competitions:

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