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ESP Activities
21st Congress of European Society for Photobiology - August 24-28, 2025
Polytechnic University of Bari
Bari, Italy
Election for the new Executive Committee of the European Society for Photobiology (ESP) for the 2025-2027 term
From May 26th to June 23rd
The election results and the new EC will be announced at the General Assembly during the 21st Congress of the ESP scheduled to take place in Bari, Italy, from August 24 to 28, 2025
7th Photobiology School - June 16-22, 2024
Casa della Gioventù Universitaria of the University of Padova
Via Rio Bianco 12, I-39042 Brixen/Bressanone, Italy
With the the patronage of the University of Padova and of IQS-University Ramon Lull.
ESP Junior Meeting
Online, May 16, 2024
Join us online on the International Day of Light (May 16, 2024) to grow, learn, and have fun within the ESP community!
27-31/8: 20th Congress of the ESP - Lyon (France).
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Many thanks to José M G Pereira for this one and the other photos of the Congress.
ESP gratefully acknowledges the institutions and companies which supported and sponsored ESP2023.
2023 Young Investigator Awardees
The European Society for Photobiology is pleased to announce the 2023 ESP Young Investigator Award winners Dr. Nadja A. Simeth-Crespi (The University of Göttingen + MBExC - Cluster of Excellence Multiscale Bioimaging) and Dr. Roger Bresolí Obach (IQS Barcelona) for their research of exceptionally high quality in the field of Photobiology.
The awards were presented at the 20th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, Lyon (France), August 27-31. 2023. Congratulations!
The University of Göttingen + MBExC
IQS Barcelona
1st ESP Best Ph.D. Thesis Award
The 1st ESP Best PhD Thesis Prize is out! Congratulations to the 2023 ESP2hD Awardees Miriam Izzo (in the area Plant Photobiology) and Carla Arnau del Valle (area of #Photodynamic therapy).
University of Warsaw (UW), Poland
University of East Anglia, Norwich (UK)
New ESP Editor-in-Chief of PPS
Kristjan Plätzer
Rex Tyrrell
We are excited to introduce Dr. Kristjan Plätzer as the new ESP Editor-in-Chief of Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences" (PPS)! Kristjan is the head of the Lab of Photodynamic Inactivation, conducting research and development of novel antimicrobial therapies at the Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg = Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg. Congratulations, Kristjan!
At the same time, join us also to sincerely thank Prof. Rex Tyrrell for his service, leadership and the exceptional work done as the Editor-in-Chief of PPS. Rex is still active as a member of the ESP EC and the Scientific Organizing Committee of the 20th ESP Congress in Lyon, France, 27-31 August!
August
6th ESP Photobiology School (Brixen/Bressanone, Italy, 22-27 August 2022)
Drone video from Sergio Adan Bermudez
Letter from the President
Dear ESP members and colleagues,
On behalf of the ESP Executive Committee and the Congress Organizing Committee, I am delighted to invite you all to attend the 20th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology, which will take place in Lyon from August 27 to August 31, 2023. Our ESP congress is always a great opportunity to share knowledge, promote our recent advances in the different fields of Photobiology, exchange new ideas and developing or strengthening collaborations. We are looking forward to renewing bonds with old friends and getting to know younger researchers that always participate to the ESP congresses with excitement and high-quality contributions.
The 20th Congress of the ESP will showcase the scientific activities of our thriving society through invited lectures, oral presentations, poster sessions and contributions from industrial partners.
We warmly extend the invitation to attend the congress to our sponsors.
em>Finally, I would like to highlight that the ESP School will take place again in Brixen/Bressanone after its cancellation two years ago due to the Pandemic. The School will run from the 22nd to the 27th of August 2022. It will be fantastic to get together again at the foot of the Tirol mountains and cast the seeds for a new generation of Photobiologists.
Amparo Faustino
ESP President
Season's Greetings from ESP
Dear members of the European Society for Photobiology, dear colleagues and friends!
With this remarkable year coming to an end, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you for the contributions you made to photobiology and to the thriving of our Society, even in times unsecure. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused unheard-of disruptions to all aspects of our private and professional lives and it has brought to light all human strengths and weaknesses.
In such tricky times, it is only with selfless commitment, solidarity, and reason that success, stability, and development can be maintained. It was these ingredients that enabled our Society’s last year’s main success, the transfer of our Journal Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences to our new publisher Springer-Nature. It will be these ingredients that will make our forthcoming congress in Salzburg 2021, like our congresses in the past, a unique occasion for scientific and social reunion. I would like to extend a special thank you to everyone involved in these collaborative efforts.
On behalf of the ESP leadership team I wish all of you and your families happy and healthy holidays and a successful New Year.
Franz Trautinger, President, European Society for Photobiology
Letter from the President
St. Poelten, Austria, February 2020
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Photobiology is a crucial discipline to deal with some of the most challenging problems of the 21st Century. It encompasses biological, chemical, physical, and medical sciences to investigate effects of sunlight and artificial sources of non-ionising radiation (ultraviolet, visible and infra-red) on living organisms. As such, photobiology has a vast societal impact in environmental safety, climate change, agricultural developments, and human disease. The mission of the European Society for Photobiology (ESP) is to provide a platform for scientific exchange, for a modern and relevant approach to research, for collaboration of academia and industry, and for education and training of multi-disciplinary scientists from these diverse backgrounds. (read more...)
2019 Young Investigator Awardees
The European Society for Photobiology is pleased to announce the 2019 ESP Young Investigator Award winners Dr. Pilar Acedo (University College London) and Dr. Matteo Grattieri (University of Utah) for their research of exceptionally high quality in the field of Photobiology. The awards were presented at the World Congress on Light and Life, 25-30th August 2019, Barcelona, Spain, where the awardees gave a plenary talk.
University College London
University of Utah
Call for Bids for Arnold Rikli Award 2019
Deadline for bids January 31st 2020:
The 20th Arnold Rikli Prize is awarded for published work on optical radiation beneficial to man.
September
Call for Papers in Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences:
New and innovative applications of Photodynamic Inactivation of microoorganisms.
Submissions: Sept. 2018-Feb 2019.
Editors of this Special Issue: Cristiano Viappiani and Kristjan Plaetzer.
If you have new or novel methods for this, please contact the special issue editors.
August
Summer 2018, Issue 8 of the ESP newsletter 
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June
5th ESP Photobiology School (Brixen/Bressanone, Italy, 10-16 June 2018).
January
Kick-off meeting of the Organising Committee of the IUPB-ESP World Congress on Light and Life.
Call for bids for 2017 Arnold Rikli Award.
4 - 8: 17th Congress of the ESP.
Mouse over the image to zoom.
Many thanks to José M G Pereira for this one and the other photos of the Congress.
ESP gratefully acknowledges the institutions and companies which supported and sponsored ESP2017.
Summer 2017 Issue of the ESP Newsletter EYEonESP.
Call for fellowships to attend the 2017 ESP Congress.
Registration is open for the 2017 ESP Congress.
Call for nomination of candidates for the 2017 ESP Young Investigator Award.
Winter 2016-2017 Issue of the ESP Newsletter EYEonESP.
The ESP executive committee is extremely sad to announce that Ethel Moustacchi passed away on December 13th 2016 after a very short illness.
The ESP is pleased to announce the launch of the "Giulio Jori" Research Scholarship Programme.
The ESP is pleased to announce the launch of an official twitter site.
Please find us at: https://twitter.com/@EurSocPhotobiol. Please join twitter and follow us!
In the News:
Report on the "First joint congress of the Italian and French Photochemists and Photobiologists" by Evelyne Sage.
In the News:
Obituary of Professor Jan Cornelis van der Leun (1928-2016) by Frank R. de Gruijl.
International School - Time Resolved Methods in Biophysics - Venice, Italy, January, 2017.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow Position – Wellman Center for Photomedicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Summer 2016 Issue of the ESP Newsletter EYEonESP.
4th ESP Photobiology School (Brixen/Bressanone, Italy. Prizes won at 4th ESP Photobiology School.
Call for the ESP Travel Fellowships 2016.
Announcement of the 4th ESP Photobiology School.
Kick-off meeting of the Organising Committee of the 2017 ESP Congress in Pisa (Italy) to discuss about Scientific Advisory Board's suggestions and congress content.
Meeting of the ESP Executive Committee.
The ESP President Rex M. Tyrrell welcomes ESP members and fellow photobiologists for the Society term 2015-2017. Please read the President's letter.
31/8 - 4/10: 16th Congress of the ESP.
Mouse over the image to zoom.
Many thanks to José M G Pereira for this one and the other photos of the Congress.
ESP gratefully acknowledges the institutions and companies which supported and sponsored ESP2015.
Finalization of the ESP 2015 Congress programme.
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Selection of awardees of fellowships to attend the 2015 ESP Congress and of the 2015 Young Investigator Award.
Spring 2015 Issue of the ESP Newsletter EYEonESP.
Call for nomination of candidates for the ESP Executive Committee 2015-2017.
Call for fellowships to attend the 2015 ESP Congress and for the 2015 Young Investigator Award.
Meeting of the ESP Executive Committee and of the 2015 ESP Congress Organizing Committee.
We are very deeply saddened to announce the passing of Giulio Jori, Founder of the European Society of Photobiology. He passed on 23 December 2014.
We and the world of photobiology have lost a great scientist, leader and friend.
The Executive Committee of the ESP.
Winter Issue of the ESP Newsletter EYEonESP.
15th: Closing date for bids for the ESP 2017 Congress Venue.
Launch of ESP2015 website with preliminary information about the congress.
The call for proposals of ESP2017 venue is open.
Special Issue of the ESP Newsletter about the 2014 ESP School.
Launch of the ESP Newsletter EYEonESP.
3rd ESP Photobiology School.
Evaluation of the applications for the ESP Photobiology School and the Travel Fellowships.
Call for application to attend the 3rd ESP Photobiology School - Call for Travel Fellowships to attend Photobiology Conferences in 2014 - Call for the ESP Supplement to the PhD Degree.
Meeting of the ESP Executive Committee to evaluate the proposals of the ESP Education Committee and the other work groups.
Kick-off meeting of the Organising Committee of the 2015 ESP Congress to discuss about Scientific Advisory Board's suggestions and congress content.