Malang, August 29, 2026 — Two lecturers from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), received Best Oral Presenter awards at the 5th Health Science International Conference (HSIC) and 17th ISCC Annual Meeting. The conference was held at Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Malang, East Java, on August 28–29, 2026. Under the theme “Recent Advances in the Prevention, Treatment, and Supporting Cares for Cancer and Chronic Diseases,” the conference served as an international forum for disseminating recent developments and innovations in the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and supportive care of cancer and chronic diseases.
The two Best Oral Presenter awards were presented to Dr. apt. Muthi’ Ikawati, M.Sc. for her research on the combination of Pentagamavunon-1 and diosmin in modulating PD-L1 expression and autophagy in triple-negative breast cancer. Meanwhile, Dr.rer.nat. apt. Raisatun Nisa Sugiyanto, M.Sc. received the same award for her research investigating the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of methyl carbamate ester isolated from Spatholobus littoralis in hepatobiliary carcinoma. Both studies represent efforts to advance pharmaceutical approaches to understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer while exploring potential candidates for therapeutic development.
The participation of UGM Faculty of Pharmacy lecturers in the conference also contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, through research focusing on cancer prevention and the development of therapeutic approaches; SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through pharmaceutical science-based innovation, natural products, and molecular approaches to support the discovery and development of therapeutic candidates; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through research dissemination, knowledge exchange, and the strengthening of academic collaboration networks at both national and international levels. Such engagement reinforces the role of higher education institutions in generating knowledge and innovation that contribute to improving public health.
Organized by the Faculty of Health Sciences and Pharmacy of UMM in collaboration with the Indonesian Society for Cancer Chemoprevention (ISCC), the conference brought together academics, researchers, healthcare professionals, practitioners, and students from diverse scientific backgrounds. A number of keynote and invited speakers from Indonesia and abroad shared perspectives on the latest developments in cancer and chronic disease management.
Prof. Hiroyuki Nakamura from the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, for example, delivered a presentation entitled “Shaping the Future of Drug Discovery: AI-Assisted Design, Chemical Biology, and Precision Oncology.” His presentation explored the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in analyzing structure–activity relationships for drug candidate discovery, the development of chemical biology approaches, and precision cancer therapy. The presentation also covered advances in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), particularly strategies to improve the selective delivery of boron to tumor tissues. Beyond cancer research, Prof. Nakamura also discussed SAR Matrix and SAR Transfer approaches in the development of curcumin derivatives with potential activity against amyloid-beta aggregation associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Meanwhile, Emmy Hainida Khairul Ikram, Ph.D. from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, discussed the molecular mechanisms of antioxidants derived from natural food sources in regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their relationship to cancer. Other topics covered included chemoprevention of liver cancer by retinoids, precision cancer therapy, physical rehabilitation and exercise oncology, phytochemical screening, targeted drug delivery systems, quality of life, as well as supportive and palliative care for patients with chronic diseases and cancer.
The two Best Oral Presenter awards further strengthened the achievements of the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy academic community, which collectively received five awards at the conference. In addition to the two awards received by lecturers, three other awards were won by postgraduate students: one Best Oral Presenter award by a student of the Doctoral Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, one Best Oral Presenter award by a student of the Master’s Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, and one 3rd Best Poster award by a student of the Master’s Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
