Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Prof. Thiago Caon holds a PhD in Pharmacy from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC, 2014), with a sandwich doctorate at Monash University, Australia, under the supervision of Joseph A. Nicolazzo, and a Master’s degree in Biotechnology (UFSC, 2009), in addition to undergraduate degrees in Pharmacy (UFSC, 2006) and Business Administration (UDESC, 2011). His doctoral research focused on the development of pharmaceutic strategies to improve the biopharmaceutical characteristics and intestinal absorption of saquinavir mesylate, aiming at cost-effective formulations suitable for public health systems, while his master’s work standardized ex vivo Franz diffusion cell models for drug permeability studies across skin and mucosal tissues. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UFSC (2014–2015) in pharmaceutical quality assurance and control, supported by CAPES, and has extensive expertise in biopharmaceutics and pharmaceutical technology, particularly in molecular transport across biological membranes, alternative drug administration routes (skin, buccal, mucosal, and sublingual), and the development of nanotechnology-based delivery systems, polymeric films, and hydrogels. Prof. Caon has undertaken complementary research training at UFRGS and Monash University and participated in national initiatives such as the restructuring of the Brazilian Phytotherapy Network in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Since 2015, he has been a faculty member in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UFSC, where he is a permanent professor in the Graduate Program in Pharmacy and has served as research coordinator since 2021. He was a key contributor to the creation of the Junior Pharmacy Enterprise (EJIFAR) and is actively involved in innovation and extension projects with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, resulting in products on the market and multiple patent applications. His scientific output includes more than 80 peer-reviewed articles, several book chapters, five patent applications, and extensive activity as an ad-hoc reviewer for international journals, reflecting a strong academic profile integrated with innovation, entrepreneurship, and public health impact.