Federica Tomao is an Associate Professor at the Department of Maternal, Child and Urological Sciences within Sapienza University of Rome. She actively teaches and supervises courses in Medicine and Surgery , Nursing , and Midwifery programs across multiple institutions. Current faculty member with academic rank Teaching roles in 6th, 3rd, and 2nd year courses Specialized in gynecologic oncology Research Focus : Her work spans ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and endometrial cancer, emphasizing chemotherapy optimization, precision medicine, and radiomics. Notably, she contributes to understanding PARP inhibitors, immune checkpoint therapies, and fertility preservation techniques in cancer survivors. Recent Publications highlight advancements in sarcopenia analysis, BRCA testing, and radiogenomic nomograms. These studies demonstrate her commitment to bridging imaging and molecular data for improved cancer management. Email : federica.tomao@uniroma1.it
Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc. is the Director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute and Professor in the Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He holds the Samuel E. Durand Chair in Medicine and leads one of the nation's premier lymphoma programs. Dr. Friedberg is internationally recognized for his expertise in lymphoma treatment, particularly in developing novel therapies and clinical trial approaches. Dr. Friedberg's research focuses on lymphoma, with particular expertise in Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. His work spans the entire treatment continuum from diagnosis through novel therapies including autologous stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell interventions. He has built a comprehensive lymphoma program with expertise spanning hematopathology, radiation oncology, dermatology, and neurology, in addition to hematology and medical oncology. His research interests include developing risk-adapted treatment strategies, investigating novel therapeutic agents, and improving outcomes for patients with various lymphoma subtypes. Dr. Friedberg's extensive publication record demonstrates his leadership in lymphoma research, with recent work focusing on immunotherapy combinations, predictive modeling, risk stratification, and novel treatment approaches for various lymphoma subtypes. His research has significantly contributed to the understanding and treatment of lymphomas, particularly in developing more personalized and effective treatment strategies. Scientific Awards: Faculty Academic Mentoring Award (2012) Scholar in Clinical Research (2008) America's Top Doctors Selection (2008) Jacob Gitelman Award (2007) Lawrence A. Kohn Senior Teaching Fellow (2004-2006) Clinical Investigator Career Development Award (2003) Clinical Oncology Research Fellowship "Immunotherapy of Hodgkin's Disease" (2001-2003) Rising stars program for innovative research (2001-2003) As Director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, Dr. Friedberg leads numerous clinical trials and research initiatives focused on advancing lymphoma treatment. He is actively involved in SWOG and has served in leadership roles for multiple clinical trials investigating novel therapies for lymphoma patients. His practice team includes Anna Morrison, R.N., and Kerri Hugelmaier, N.P., providing comprehensive care for lymphoma patients. Dr. Friedberg has established the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Consortium, a large observational cohort study supporting broad research on NHL prognosis and survivorship. His leadership extends to national organizations where he contributes to developing clinical practice guidelines and consensus recommendations for lymphoma treatment.
Dr. Giulia Biancon is an Assistant Professor Adjunct in the Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Yale School of Medicine. She holds a PhD from the University of Milan (2019) and is a member of the Halene Lab, focusing on RNA biology and hematologic malignancies. Her research combines high-throughput methodologies to study RNA mechanisms in diseases like myeloid leukemias and splicing factor mutations. Education: PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Milan (2019). Research Interests: RNA splicing, stress granules in cancer, epitranscriptomics, clonal hematopoiesis, and the interplay between genetic mutations and cellular pathways in blood cancers. Awards: 2024 Eclipse Award, 2022 ASH Abstract Achievement Award, and 2022 RNA Society Best Poster Award. Her work has been published in journals like Cell Reports , Blood , and Molecular Cell . Labs/Teams: Principal member of the Halene Lab and coordinator at the Yale Center for RNA Science and Medicine. Collaborates with institutions like the SeroNet network for immunology studies.
Dr. Shyh-Dar Li is a Professor and Tong Louie Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he also serves as Chair of Nanomedicine and Chemical Biology. With a BSc in pharmacy from National Taiwan University (1998) and PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from UNC Chapel Hill (2008), followed by postdoctoral training at UC San Diego's Moores Cancer Center (2009), Dr. Li has established himself as a leading researcher in advanced drug delivery systems. His research focuses on developing innovative nanomedicine platforms for targeted delivery of biological therapeutics including peptides, proteins, antibodies, and nucleic acids. Dr. Li's laboratory has pioneered several novel drug delivery approaches, particularly in lipid-based nanoparticles, phospholipid-free vesicles, and polymer systems for cancer immunotherapy, pain management, and protein delivery. His work bridges fundamental nanotechnology with translational applications for difficult-to-treat diseases. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on tumor microenvironment modulation, endosomal escape mechanisms for nucleic acid delivery, and non-invasive delivery routes for protein therapeutics. His research demonstrates increasing sophistication in nanocarrier engineering, with recent work incorporating machine learning approaches to optimize nanoparticle design and expanding into immunomodulatory therapies that harness the body's immune system to fight cancer. Scientific Recognition: 2014 AFPC New Investigator Award 2013 AAPS New Investigator Award in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technologies 2013 CIHR New Investigator Award 2013 CSPS Early Career Award 2012 Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award Dr. Li's research program has been consistently supported by major Canadian funding agencies including CIHR, NSERC, and MITACS. He actively collaborates across disciplines and accepts graduate students into his research program, focusing on cutting-edge approaches to overcome biological barriers in drug delivery. His laboratory, the Laboratory of Targeted Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, serves as a hub for innovation in pharmaceutical nanotechnology.
Wing Lam is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Pharmacology at the Yale School of Medicine. He holds a BSc in Molecular Biology and a PhD in Biochemical Pharmacology from City University of Hong Kong, followed by postdoctoral training at Yale. His research focuses on developing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulations as adjuvants for cancer therapy, notably YIV-906, which enhances chemotherapy efficacy and mitigates intestinal toxicity. Lam also pioneered the STAR database for herbal drug discovery and the Mechanism-Based Quality Control (MBQC) platform for botanical drug standardization. Education: BSc (Hons) Molecular Biology, City University of Hong Kong, 1995 PhD Biochemical Pharmacology, City University of Hong Kong, 1999 Postdoc, Pharmacology, Yale University, 1999-2002 His research interests span cancer pharmacology, TCM modernization, and mitochondrial toxicity mechanisms. Key projects include YIV-906’s role in enhancing anti-PD1 and CAR T-cell therapies, developing L-nucleoside analogs like troxacitabine, and investigating tylophorine analogs’ antitumor effects. Lam has co-chaired sessions at multiple Consortium for Globalization of Chinese Medicine (CGCM) meetings and contributed to patents on herbal drug formulations and quality control methods. Recent work explores YIV-906’s potential for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and phase II clinical trials for colon and liver cancers. Lam’s publications highlight synergistic drug interactions, mitochondrial DNA depletion mechanisms, and TCM’s evidence-based application in chronic diseases. His grants include studies on PHY906 as an adjuvant in rectal cancer therapy and collaborations with Yiviva, Inc. He maintains active roles in editorial boards, including a special issue on herbal drug quality control in Frontiers in Pharmacology . Lam’s lab is embedded within Dr. Yung-Chi Cheng’s group, focusing on translational pharmacology and botanical drug innovation.
Kelly Arnold is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research integrates systems engineering principles with immunology to investigate variability in immune responses across infection, vaccination, and injury, with a focus on computational modeling and clinical translation. Research Focus Systems-level immune response modeling Vaccination and antibody functionality Vaginal microbiome-host interactions Chronic lung disease progression Computational serology and proteomics Recent Work Her 2025 studies examine SARS-CoV-2 vaccination responses in cancer patients and computational frameworks for vaginal probiotics. Earlier works (2024-2007) span COPD progression, lupus fibrosis, HIV susceptibility, and tissue engineering for fertility preservation. Methodologies include proteomic profiling, network modeling, and microfluidic systems.
Weiqiang Chen is a Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering and Director of Research and PhD Programs. He holds a joint appointment at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center as a Faculty Member of the Tumor Immunology Research Program. B.S. in Physics (Nanjing University, 2005) M.S. in Electrical Engineering (Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2008) M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (Purdue University, 2009) Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (University of Michigan, 2014) His research focuses on Lab-on-a-Chip , Organ-on-Chip systems, Biomaterials , and Mechanobiology , with applications in cancer biology, stem cell engineering, and immune monitoring. He pioneers microfabrication technologies for real-time observation of cellular interactions, including CAR T-cell immunotherapy efficacy and tumor microenvironment dynamics. Recent grants include NSF funding for leukemia bone marrow niche modeling, NIH Trailblazer Awards for glioblastoma immunotherapy research, and collaborations with the Arthritis Foundation for synovium-on-chip rheumatoid arthritis studies. His work has been supported by over $2M in federal and institutional research funding. National Science Foundation (NSF) grants for leukemia-on-chip and glioblastoma modeling National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards for immunotherapy research American Heart Association fellowships and institutional training programs Chen's scientific awards include the American Heart Association Fellow distinction, multiple Young Investigator Awards from Lab on a Chip and Biomedical Engineering Society, and recognition for his dissertation on nanotopography in stem cell differentiation. He leads the Applied Micro-Bioengineering Laboratory (AMBL) , which develops microphysiological systems for drug testing and personalized medicine. His team has created the first immunocompetent leukemia-on-a-chip for CAR T-cell therapy screening and glioblastoma models that enable patient-specific immunotherapy validation.
Professor Matthias Mann is a world-leading scientist serving as Director of the Proteomics and Signal Transduction department at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, and Director of the Proteomics department at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. With an h-index exceeding 277 and over 350,000 citations, he is recognized as the highest cited German researcher and one of the most influential scientists globally in proteomics. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University (1988) Master's Degree in Physics from Georg August University Göttingen (1984) Bachelor's of Arts in Mathematics from Georg August University Göttingen (1982) Professor Mann's research focuses on advancing mass spectrometry-based proteomics to understand biological systems at the protein level. His work spans technological developments in mass spectrometry, bioinformatics and computational analysis, signal transduction and posttranslational modifications, and clinical proteomics applications for disease diagnosis and treatment. The Mann lab has pioneered groundbreaking methods like SILAC for quantitative proteomics and MaxQuant for proteome data analysis. Their vision is to translate proteomics knowledge into clinical practice for predictive, diagnostic, and preventive medicine, with recent work focusing on AI-guided platforms for analyzing proteomes from minimal tissue samples. Analysis of Professor Mann's recent publications reveals a strong trend toward clinical applications of proteomics, particularly in cancer research, metabolic diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. His work increasingly integrates spatial proteomics, single-cell resolution techniques, and artificial intelligence approaches to uncover disease mechanisms and identify potential biomarkers, with a clear shift from basic technology development toward direct clinical applications and personalized medicine. Professor Mann has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career: 2025: Elected member of the American National Academy of Sciences 2024: Dr. H.P. Heineken Award for Biochemistry and Biophysics 2023: Otto Warburg Medal 2019: Nominated member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences 2013: Elected member of Leopoldina German National Academy of Sciences 2012: Körber European Science Award, Louis-Jeantet Foundation Prize for Medicine, Ernst Schering Prize, and Leibniz Prize Professor Mann leads a highly collaborative research team involved in multiple international networks including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, CLINSPECT-M, and Munich Heart Alliance. His lab has mentored numerous successful researchers, with several former postdocs receiving prestigious ERC Starting Grants. The Mann group has developed innovative clinical proteomics pipelines for analyzing archived tissue specimens and body fluids, aiming to identify protein markers for early detection of diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The Mann lab operates across two major research centers with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry facilities. Their Clinical Knowledge Graph platform integrates multi-omics data with extensive metadata, creating an ecosystem for machine learning applications in proteomics. Current research focuses on developing highly sensitive methods that can profile thousands of proteins from minimal cell samples, enabling the identification of critical disease-related proteins and supporting the development of individualized therapies.
Rotem Karni, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. He leads a research lab focused on understanding how alternative RNA splicing contributes to cancer and genetic diseases, with a strong emphasis on translating these findings into RNA-based therapies. Karni's lab develops decoy oligonucleotides, small molecules, and splice-switching technologies to modulate splicing factors and enhance immunotherapy. Education BSc in Biological Chemistry from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1997) PhD in Biological Chemistry from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (2002) Postdoctoral Fellowship at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY (2002-2007) Karni's research explores the deregulation of alternative splicing in oncogenesis, particularly how splicing factors like RBFOX2 and S6K1 influence metastasis, DNA repair, and immune checkpoint modulation. His team investigates m6A RNA modifications for stabilizing mutant genes, with applications in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and pancreatic cancer. The lab's work is commercialized through biotech companies: SKIP Therapeutics, Andlit Therapeutics, and RNAble. Selected Research Trends RNA mis-splicing and neoantigen generation (2025) Splicing factor inhibition for tumor suppression (2023) Metastatic splicing signatures in pancreatic cancer (2023) Immune checkpoint splicing in cancer immunotherapy (2021) m6A modulation for mRNA stabilization (2023) Advising & Collaborations Karni has mentored numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now hold leadership roles in academia, biotech, and medical institutions globally. His lab collaborates extensively on projects involving RNA innovation, including partnerships with the Institute for RNA Innovation. Contact Department of Genetics & Institute for RNA Innovation, One uCity Square, Room 4018, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone: 215-898-5072 Email: Rotem.Karni@Upenn.edu
Harri Lähdesmäki is an Associate Professor (tenured) at the Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, where he leads the Computational Systems Biology research group. His work focuses on probabilistic machine learning and deep generative models with applications in biomedicine and molecular biology. Key Research Interests: Probabilistic machine learning, deep generative models, computational biology, bioinformatics, longitudinal data modeling Contact: harri.lahdesmaki@aalto.fi | Konemiehentie 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland His recent publications highlight advancements in: Gaussian process priors for scalable deep generative models Single-cell analysis of immune repertoires in leukemia and diabetes Probabilistic deconvolution methods for RNA-seq data Epigenetic analysis using hidden Markov and mixed models Transformer-based survival prediction and missing data handling Harri’s work integrates mechanistic modeling with Bayesian inference, particularly applied to immunology, cancer biology, and early disease prediction.
Prof. Waldemar Kolanus leads the Molecular Immunology and Cell Biology department at the University of Bonn's Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES) . His research bridges immunoregulation , stem cell dynamics , and metabolic stress responses in immune cells. Unit 2 member at LIMES Principal investigator in SFB 704 and ImmunoSensation Cluster Leads a multidisciplinary lab with postdocs, PhD students, and technical staff His work focuses on intracellular signaling pathways connecting immune activation to tissue homeostasis, particularly through: Cytohesin proteins in integrin-mediated adhesion and migration TRIM71 in stem cell regulation and congenital hydrocephalus High-salt environments affecting macrophage function Publication trends show expertise in immune cell migration , genetic models , and chemical inhibition , with frequent use of mice and zebrafish for in vivo studies. Key articles explore: TRIM71's dual role in auditory development and germ cell maintenance Cytohesin family's Golgi regulation and insulin signaling Ruxolitinib's off-target migration inhibition of dendritic cells Contact details: Address: LIMES Institute, Carl-Troll-Straße 31, Bonn Email: kolanus.sekretariat@uni-bonn.de Phone: +49 228 73-62788
Jessica Williams, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute (LRI) with additional faculty appointments at Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, and Cleveland State University. She serves as the Cleveland Clinic liaison for Kent State University and represents the Clinic on the Executive Council for the Brain Health Institute and the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program Executive Committee. Education: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroimmunology, Washington University School of Medicine (2017) Ph.D. in Immunology, The Ohio State University (2011) M.S. in Physiology, Purdue University (2006) B.S. in Biology/Chemistry, Lindenwood University (2004) Dr. Williams' research focuses on neuroimmune interactions during multiple sclerosis, particularly examining regional responses of CNS glia to immune stimuli and astrocyte-immune crosstalk. Her lab employs murine MS models, primary human and murine cell analyses, and MS patient lesion assessment to investigate cytokine-mediated neuroprotection and CNS repair mechanisms. Recent work highlights protective astrocyte functions mediated by traditionally deleterious cytokines. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on neuroimmune crosstalk in MS, with increasing emphasis on astrocyte heterogeneity, cytokine signaling (particularly IFNγ), and novel therapeutic targets like immunoproteasomes. Key themes include regional CNS differences in immune responses, glial cell repair mechanisms, and translating basic findings into potential MS therapies. Scientific Awards: Lerner Research Institute Excellence in Education Award (2022) Mentor of the Year Award (2023) Dr. Williams actively mentors the next generation of scientists as evidenced by her CIMER Trained Mentor certification and the graduation of PhD student Brandon Smith. Her research is supported by significant funding from the NIH, National MS Society, W.M. Keck Foundation, Brain Health Research Institute, and Neurological and Vision Impact Area. She regularly serves on study sections for the NIH, National MS Society, and Department of Defense. The Williams Laboratory investigates the interplay between immune and central nervous systems during MS, with current projects examining cytokine-mediated neuroimmune crosstalk for CNS repair and regionally distinct glial responses to inflammation. The lab employs advanced techniques including murine MS models and primary human cell analyses to identify novel therapeutic pathways for MS patients.
Konstantinos Anastassiadis is a Professor at the Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB) of Dresden University of Technology , leading the Stem Cell Engineering group at the Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) . His research focuses on unraveling molecular pathways regulating stem cell self-renewal and lineage commitment, with a strong emphasis on genetic engineering tool development and epigenetic mechanisms during cellular reprogramming. The lab utilizes mouse and human embryonic stem cells, neural stem cells, mesenchymal stromal cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in their investigations. Core Research Areas: Molecular regulation of stem cell fate Epigenetic mechanisms (e.g., UTX/UTY histone demethylases) Genetic engineering tool development (Flp, Dre, Vika recombinases, CRISPR protocols) Conditional immortalization systems for rare cell expansion Publications highlight his contributions to understanding: Role of histone methyltransferases (MLL1, MLL2, Setd1b) in hematopoiesis and cancer Epigenetic regulation during mouse development and spermatogenesis Genetic tools for protein tagging, transposon-mediated BAC transgenesis Interactions between stem cells and niche microenvironments Transcriptional and mechanical markers during reprogramming Collaborations span immunology , developmental biology , and bioinformatics . The lab actively participates in teaching activities at CMCB and maintains a focus on translational applications of stem cell research.
Kenneth Hoehn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Data Science at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College. As a computational immunologist with expertise in evolutionary biology, he develops computational evolutionary approaches to trace cellular lineages, particularly B cells, in contexts such as infection, vaccination, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. His research focuses on understanding adaptive immunity in conditions like COVID-19 Food allergies Myasthenia gravis through collaborations with experimental teams. Key projects include: Phylogenetic modeling of B cell responses Evolutionary signatures in immune repertoires Tracking B cell dissemination in autoimmune diseases Epigenetic regulation of memory B cells Recent publications highlight trends in single-cell immunology , phylogenetic inference , and computational tools for analyzing B cell dynamics. His lab at Dartmouth integrates evolutionary genetics with high-resolution immune profiling.
Santiago F. González is a Group Leader at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona, Switzerland, and an extraordinary professor at the University of Italian Switzerland (USI). He earned dual PhDs in microbiology (University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain) and immunology (University of Copenhagen, Denmark), followed by postdoctoral work (2007–2011) at Harvard Medical School's Immune Disease Institute under Michael Carroll. PhD in Microbiology, University of Santiago de Compostela PhD in Immunology, University of Copenhagen His research focuses on immune system dynamics during respiratory viral infections, vaccination, and cancer metastasis. Key areas include influenza recognition , lymph node inflammation , and immune cell behavior in vivo. He pioneered studies on C-type lectin receptors (e.g., SIGN-R1) in viral immunity and epigenetic modulators for inflammation. Recent publications highlight his work in epigenetic drug development , nanovaccines , and computational tools for immune cell tracking. His group uses two-photon intravital microscopy and spatial-temporal modeling to dissect immune responses. Scientific awards include three EU Marie Curie Fellowships (2004–2013), enabling his transition to independent research. His collaborations span Harvard, USI, and European institutions, with grants from the EU and Swiss research bodies. His lab at IRB, established via the 2013 Marie Curie Career Integration Grant , develops novel imaging approaches and therapeutic strategies for infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
