Honglei Chen is the MSU Foundation Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Michigan State University . With a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Chen specializes in neuroepidemiology with a focus on Parkinson's disease, dementia, and healthy aging. His research leverages large prospective cohorts to investigate environmental risk factors and prodromal stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Key methodologies include assessing olfactory dysfunction, REM sleep behavior, and inflammatory mechanisms as early markers of disease progression. Recent publications highlight his work on Environmental triggers in Parkinson's disease Genetic risk scores for neurodegeneration Inflammatory pathway modulation in macrophages Olfactory dysfunction as aging biomarker
Justin Milner, PhD, serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and is a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research develops novel approaches to enhance cancer immunotherapies through multi-omics and bioengineering techniques. Education: Postdoctoral Fellowship, UCSD PhD, UNC Chapel-Hill BS, UNC Chapel-Hill Dr. Milner's lab investigates molecular drivers of T cell differentiation and function within tumor microenvironments, utilizing cutting-edge genomics, bioengineering, and computational immunology. His work focuses on reprogramming T cell activity to overcome immunotherapy resistance in cancers, with particular emphasis on epigenetic regulation and metabolic adaptations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Recent projects explore hydrogel-based delivery systems for immunotherapeutics and transcriptional networks governing T cell exhaustion. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in cancer immunotherapy enhancement, particularly through T cell engineering (7/15 articles), tumor microenvironment modulation (5/15), and computational approaches to T cell biology (3/15). Key methodologies include single-cell multi-omics, in vivo screening, and biomaterial-based drug delivery systems targeting solid tumors. Scientific Awards: NIH NCI K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award V Foundation Scholar Award Lung Cancer Initiative Career Development Award UNC Lineberger Innovation Award Multiple institutional pilot awards including Hirschberg Foundation and Mary Kay Ash Awards Dr. Milner currently advises three graduate students and multiple postdoctoral researchers while leading an NIH-funded R01 project ($2.79 million) investigating epigenetic regulation of T cell exhaustion. His lab maintains active collaborations across computational medicine and pancreatic cancer research programs at UNC. The Milner Lab operates within the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, utilizing core facilities for single-cell genomics, murine tumor modeling, and bioengineering. Current team includes seven researchers focused on T cell reprogramming strategies for solid tumor immunotherapy.
Timothy J. Muldoon is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas, where he has been since 2012. He holds joint appointments in the (ENGR)-Engineering and (BMEG)-Biomedical Engineering programs. B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University (2002) Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Rice University (2009) M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine (2010) Dr. Muldoon leads the Translational Biophotonics and Imaging Laboratory, focusing on multimodal microendoscopy , multiphoton imaging , and light sheet microscopy for cancer detection and treatment monitoring. His work bridges optical spectroscopy , nanotechnology , and microfluidics to develop novel diagnostic tools. Current research includes optical methods for assessing chemoradiotherapy response in colorectal cancer, metabolic imaging of tumor organoids , and point-of-care blood analysis systems . His publications (30+ peer-reviewed articles) and NIH-funded projects demonstrate clinical translation of optical biopsy technologies. National Institutes of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15) - Cancer Imaging NIH Early Career Reviewer Program (2016) Burroughs Wellcome Collaborative Research Grant (2012) Dr. Muldoon teaches advanced courses in Biomedical Microscopy (BMEG 5504) and Biomedical Instrumentation (BMEG 2904), emphasizing optical techniques and physiological measurements . He has received multiple teaching and service awards at the University of Arkansas.
Horst A. von Recum, PhD, is the Executive Vice Chair of the Case School of Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. He is also a member of the Cancer Imaging Program at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research focuses on developing novel platforms for molecular and cellular delivery, including affinity-based systems for controlled drug release and directed stem cell differentiation. Key applications include HIV therapies, wound healing, ocular disease treatments, and tissue engineering. His work emphasizes improving drug delivery precision through molecular interactions and enhancing stem cell viability for therapeutic use. Dr. von Recum’s research interests span drug delivery systems, biomaterials science, and regenerative medicine. His lab explores cyclodextrin polymers for sustained antibiotic release, affinity-driven drug refilling mechanisms, and engineering biocompatible materials to combat implant-related infections. Recently, his team has investigated microbiome interactions with neural implants and developed polymer-based solutions for localized chemotherapy. Notable contributions include advancements in PMMA bone cement composites for drug refillable depots, cyclodextrin hydrogels for controlled release, and affinity-based systems for anti-fibrotic treatments. His work bridges materials science with clinical applications, addressing challenges in orthopedic infections, neural interfaces, and cardiovascular regeneration. Scientific achievements include over 100 peer-reviewed publications. Research funding has supported projects on antimicrobial coatings, drug delivery mechanics, and stem cell differentiation. Dr. von Recum collaborates across disciplines to translate biomaterial innovations into clinical solutions.
Tatiana Segura is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Neurology, and Dermatology at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, where she also serves as Co-director of the Center for Biotechnology and Tissue Engineering and MPI of the T32 Biotechnology Training grant. Her research focuses on designing biomaterials to promote endogenous repair through geometry design and delivery of genes, proteins, and drugs. She has made significant contributions to the development of microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogels and other biomaterial systems for tissue regeneration. B.S. in Bioengineering from University of California, Berkeley (1999) Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University (2004) Professor Segura's research centers on biomaterials engineering for tissue repair and regeneration. Her lab designs innovative biomaterial interventions that promote brain plasticity after stroke, enable scarless healing in skin wounds, induce tolerance of transplanted skin, and promote constructive immune responses after biomaterial implantation. She pioneered the development of microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogels that have become widely adopted in regenerative medicine research. Her work uniquely bridges immunology, materials science, and clinical applications to create therapeutic biomaterials that harness the body's own healing capabilities. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on spatial control of biomaterial properties, with emphasis on void space analysis, immune cell recruitment, and vascularization. The research shows a progression from fundamental biomaterial characterization to increasingly sophisticated therapeutic applications, particularly in stroke recovery and wound healing. Her work integrates proteomics, lipidomics, and advanced imaging to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying biomaterial-mediated tissue regeneration. Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (2023) Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal (2021) Clemson Award for Contributions to Literature (2024) 15 d/e Plenary Award from AICHE Food, Pharmaceutical, and Bioengineering Division (2018) Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers (2016) Professor Segura actively mentors the next generation of scientists, currently supervising 12 graduate students, 4 postdoctoral scholars, 2 master's students, 16 undergraduates, and other trainees. Her laboratory has been continuously funded since 2008 with multiple NIH grants, including her current role as MPI of the T32 Biotechnology Training grant. She has received substantial support from the NSF (including a CAREER award), American Heart Association, and American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Her Segura Lab operates as a multidisciplinary team comprising engineers, biologists, and clinicians working together to translate biomaterial discoveries into clinical applications. The lab's 'MAP' technology platform has enabled numerous collaborations across Duke and other institutions, focusing on brain repair after stroke, scarless skin healing, and immune-modulating biomaterials. The lab maintains strong industry partnerships to accelerate the translation of their biomaterial technologies into clinical use.
Professor Sir Peter Barnes is a leading figure in respiratory science at Imperial College London's National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI) . As Professor of Thoracic Medicine , his work focuses on Asthma, COPD, and cellular senescence in lung disease , with over four decades of contributions to understanding inflammatory pathways and therapeutic innovations. Research Interests Mechanisms of chronic airway inflammation in Asthma and COPD Cellular senescence in lung aging and disease progression MicroRNA transfer via extracellular vesicles in COPD pathogenesis Targeted drug delivery for respiratory conditions Global health implications of lung disease Recent Publications highlight trends in: MicroRNA regulation of senescence and inflammation Extracellular vesicle dynamics in lung disease Biologics and corticosteroid efficacy in respiratory conditions Environmental factors influencing COPD and asthma Scientific Recognition Knighthood (2023) for services to respiratory science Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) Collaborative Leadership at NHLI has mentored numerous postdocs and researchers. His work intersects with global initiatives like GOLD (Global Initiative for COPD) , influencing clinical guidelines and public health policy.
Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She holds a medical degree from Peking University Health Science Center and a Ph.D. from Peking Union Medical College. After post-doctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh, she became a Research Assistant Professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine before joining UT Southwestern in 2020. Her lab focuses on understanding mechanisms of cell death (apoptosis, ferroptosis, pH-dependent death, immunogenic cell death) and their interplay with drug resistance, tumor microenvironment, and cancer immunogenicity. Education: M.D., Health Science Center, Peking University Ph.D., Peking Union Medical College Post-doctoral Training, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Research Interests: Mechanisms of programmed cell death (apoptosis, ferroptosis) Drug resistance in cancer Tumor microenvironment dynamics Immunogenic cell death pathways Labs/Teams: Established her independent lab in the Department of Surgery at UT Southwestern in 2023
Kelli Connolly is an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale School of Medicine, Yale University. Her research focuses on cancer immunology, with a particular emphasis on tumor immunity, T cell biology, and neoantigen-driven immune responses. She develops and utilizes mouse models to investigate mechanisms underlying anti-tumor immunity, including T cell exhaustion, tertiary lymphoid structures in cancer, and the role of stem-like T cells in sustaining immune responses. Her work bridges basic immunology and translational cancer research, aiming to improve immunotherapy strategies. Key Collaborations: Works closely with researchers like Nikhil Joshi, Gena Gora Foster, and Julie F. Cheung. Research Themes: Neoantigen expression, tumor-draining lymph node dynamics, and combination therapies targeting the immune microenvironment. Her studies highlight the importance of lineage fidelity in CD8 T cells and the role of transcription factors like KLF2 in suppressing exhaustion. She also explores how modulating chemokine axes (e.g., CCR2/CCR5) enhances radiotherapy efficacy. Connolly’s contributions span preclinical models for lung and pancreatic cancers, emphasizing the interplay between tumor biology and immunological mechanisms. Publications span journals like Science , Cell , and Nature Biotechnology , reflecting her impact in cancer immunology and translational research.
Dr. Oluwabunmi (Bunmi) Olaloye is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology at Yale School of Medicine. She holds appointments in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and is affiliated with the Janeway Society. Her academic background includes an MD from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, pediatrics residency at University of Texas Medical Branch, and neonatology fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Olaloye's research focuses on immune dysfunction underlying neonatal intestinal diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP). Using cutting-edge techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and mass cytometry, her work identifies biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve outcomes for premature infants. Key research areas include fetal immune system maturation, placental immune interactions, and gestational age-specific inflammatory responses. Her publication record spans 12 peer-reviewed articles between 2019-2025, emphasizing translational immunology and neonatal pathophysiology. Notable contributions include defining immune cell trajectories in preterm infants and developing gating guidelines for high-dimensional cytometry data. Current projects involve constructing immune cell atlases across human lifespans and investigating nutritional interventions for intestinal disorders. Laboratory affiliations include the Laboratory for Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology where she explores neonatal mucosal immunity. Her work integrates clinical observations with systems immunology approaches to address critical gaps in understanding prematurity-associated gastrointestinal pathologies.
Prof. Kai Markus Schneider is a Full Professor (W3) of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the TUD Dresden University of Technology, where he leads a research group at the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD). He also serves as a Senior Physician in the Department of Medicine I at the University Hospital Dresden. His research deciphers molecular mechanisms of organ crosstalk to develop therapies for gastrointestinal and liver diseases, emphasizing neuro-immune interactions, gut-brain signaling, and microbiota dynamics. Education highlights include: Board Certification in Internal Medicine (2023) PhD (Dr. rer.nat) and MD (Dr. med) from RWTH Aachen University Clinical rotations at Harvard Medical School and MD Anderson Cancer Center His work spans: Neuro-Immunology : Stress-induced inflammation via the gut-brain axis Microbiome-Host Interactions : Dysbiosis in liver cancer and cholestasis Regenerative Therapies : Molecular circuits in GI disease recovery Recent publications (2021-2023) focus on stress-gut-liver interactions, highlighting roles of enteric nerves, microbiota imbalances, and FXR signaling in disease progression. Trends show interdisciplinary integration of neuroscience, immunology, and molecular biology. Awards include: Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize (2024) Theodor-Frerichs-Prize (2024) Rising Star Award (UEG, 2023) Early Career Investigator Award (AASLD, 2021) He advises PhD students (e.g., Qusay Salih) and oversees a team of postdocs, technicians, and visiting scientists. Research is funded by European and German institutions.
Ben Allen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on the mechanisms of growth factor and morphogen signaling, particularly Hedgehog (HH) signaling in development, tissue homeostasis, and cancer. Employing techniques such as mouse genetics, chicken in ovo electroporations, and biochemical analyses, his lab investigates HH signaling regulation in embryonic/postnatal development and diseases like pancreatic cancer. Recent work explores HH pathway roles in taste organ repair, kidney morphogenesis, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments. The lab's publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, with keywords spanning developmental biology, cancer biology, and signal transduction. Subfields include pancreatic cancer progression, ciliary transport, GLI transcription factor dynamics, and tissue-specific signaling modulation. Collaborations with cancer researchers and regenerative medicine specialists are evident. Allen's group also contributes to science education initiatives, exemplified by their "Developing Future Biologists" program targeting underrepresented undergraduate students.
Joonhyuk Suh is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on applying analytical chemistry and metabolomics/flavoromics to enhance food flavor, quality, and safety. Research Interests : Multidisciplinary food chemistry analysis Metabolite and flavor profiling Nut and fruit quality evaluation Dairy product flavor chemistry Food safety biomarkers Recent Publication Trends (2025-2022) show expertise in: Metabolomic evaluation of agricultural products Flavor chemistry in tropical fruits and nuts Food processing safety and contaminant analysis Plant-based food characterization Microbiome and nutritional interventions
Anne G Hoen is an Associate Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine , Dartmouth College, with joint appointments in Epidemiology , Biomedical Data Science , and Microbiology and Immunology . Her research focuses on microbiome development in infants, environmental exposures, and their associations with health outcomes, using interdisciplinary approaches including statistical modeling and bioinformatics. Research Interests: She explores how microbial communities in early life influence disease risk through environmental and dietary factors. Her work integrates microbiome-metabolome interactions, computational methods for microbial network analysis, and epidemiological studies of infectious diseases. Recent Article Trends: 2025-2024 publications highlight maternal diet-microbiome links, microbial interaction networks, ECHO consortium collaborations, and novel computational approaches for microbiome data. Key sub-fields include perinatal exposome, microRNA profiling, and longitudinal metabolomic analysis. Scientific Awards: K01LM011985: Bioinformatics strategies for early life microbiomics R01LM012723: Multi-omic functional integration using networks Advising: Mentors current PhD students in Dartmouth's Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (QBS) program, including Becky Lebeaux and Quang Nguyen, while alumni like Sara Lundgren and Wes Viles hold postdoctoral and academic positions.
Gary W. Felton is a Professor and Department Head of Entomology at the Pennsylvania State University's College of Agricultural Sciences. His research focuses on chemical ecology, insect-plant interactions, and induced plant defenses against herbivores. Key Affiliations: Pennsylvania State University, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Entomology Research Interests: Dr. Felton investigates how plants perceive and respond to herbivore attacks, with particular emphasis on biochemical mechanisms like flavonoid-mediated defenses, microbial interactions in Lepidoptera, and stomatal regulation of volatile signaling. His work bridges agricultural sustainability and ecological theory. Recent Publications: His 2025 studies explore salinity stress impacts on tomato defenses, microbiome roles in herbivore digestion, and volatile-mediated host plant specialization. Earlier works (2023-2024) examine water stress effects, flavonoid toxicity, and microbial influences on plant-herbivore dynamics. Scientific Awards: Huck Chair of Chemical Ecology (2022) Laboratory Focus: The Felton Lab studies herbivore-induced plant defenses, microbial symbiosis in pest species, and integrated pest management strategies across crops like maize, tomatoes, and sorghum.
Craig Morrell is a Professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry , with joint appointments in the Departments of Medicine , Microbiology and Immunology , and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine . He serves as Associate Director of the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute . Education: Sc.B. in Biology, Brown University (1995) D.V.M. , Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine (2000) Ph.D. in Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University (2005) His research examines the interface between platelets, vascular biology, and immune cells , focusing on platelet roles in thrombosis, inflammation, and immune regulation. Using advanced mouse models , his lab investigates platelet-derived mediators like β2M and PF4 in diseases such as malaria, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Article trends highlight platelets' dual roles in thrombosis and immune modulation , with recurring themes in vascular inflammation , ERK5 signaling , and age-related immune dysfunction . Scientific Awards: Kenneth M. Brinkous Young Investigators Prize (2008) Deans Gift research award (2006) Multiple travel scholarships and fellowships (2003-2005) Pathology Award-Excellence in Pathology (2000) Mentoring and Teaching : He has mentored 8 doctoral students , 7 undergraduates , and 6 postdoctoral fellows , with a focus on diversity. He serves on thesis committees and the URMC MSTP (MD/PhD) admissions committee . Labs and Collaborations : Leads the Morrell Lab at the Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute, collaborating with institutions like Johns Hopkins and Medical College of Wisconsin.
