RNA - Genetherapys
2024-2025 Academic Year

From October 2024 to July 2025, students of the second edition of PharmaTech Academy completed a training program with lessons developed across two specific units, workshops, and internships led by academic and industrial experts. The program combined two specialized course units with workshops, laboratory sessions, and project-based internships, all led by experts from top academic institutions and leading companies, including University of Naples Federico II, University of Milan, University of Padua, AstraZeneca, and others.

 

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PharmaTech Academy 2023-2024 Academic Year 2025-2026 Academic Year

New in 2024–2025: Virtual Reality Laboratories

A key innovation in this second edition is the launch of state-of-the-art Virtual Reality (VR) Laboratories at the Academy’s headquarters within the Scampia Complex at the University of Naples Federico II. Using VR headsets and haptic devices, students will be able to:

  • Simulate real laboratory procedures
  • Interact with molecular structures, active ingredients, viruses, and proteins
  • Translate theory into immersive, practical experience
Project Work Partners 2024-2025

Project Work

For the class of 2025, PharmaTech Academy extended its project-based internships from two to three months, giving students even more time to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. With access to state-of-the-art infrastructure and high-impact placements, students gained deeper practical experience—accelerating their ability to develop, test, and refine innovative solutions. By spending more time embedded in research labs, biotech companies, and technology hubs, students are better equipped to bridge the gap between theory and application. This expanded hands-on component reinforces PharmaTech Academy’s role not only as a center for advanced training but also as an engine of economic and technological innovation across Italy.

Composition and Ongoing Support for Women in STEM

The class of 2025 students were selected from diverse academic backgrounds, including medicine and surgery, biomedical engineering, chemical sciences, biology, pharmacy, and biotechnological life sciences. The class represents a broad geographic spread, with students hailing from across Italy — including Campania, Calabria, Lazio, Molise, and Veneto — reflecting PharmaTech Academy’s growing national reach and influence. This wide regional representation underscores the Academy’s success in attracting top talent to fields where science and technology are rapidly transforming economies, creating new markets, and shaping the future of biomedicine.

Maintaining a strong gender balance, with approximately 70% women and 30% men, the class of 2025 is a reflection of the PharmaTech Academy’s continued commitment to advancing gender equity in STEM. This ongoing focus supports the participation and leadership of women in scientific fields where they remain underrepresented — particularly in gene therapy and RNA-based drug development.

Thanks to funding from the National Center, the program remained tuition-free and fully funded, ensuring access based on talent and potential.

PharmaTech Graduation Day 2025

Graduation Day 2025

Surrounded by friends, family, academic leaders, and local authorities, students of the second edition of PharmaTech Academy celebrated their Graduation Day, becoming the next group of specialized professionals in Italy equipped with the comprehensive skills required to contribute across all phases of gene therapy and RNA-based drug development.