Assoc. Prof. Filipa L. Sousa leads the Genome Evolution and Ecology Group at the University of Vienna’s Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology. Her research bridges microbial evolution, bioenergetics, and geobiological processes. Key projects include: Pan-Metabolic Profiling of Archaea (WWTF, 2016–2025), developing genomic tools for metabolic classification. Evolution of Physiology: The Link between Earth and Life (ERC Starting Grant, 2019–2025), exploring energy metabolism evolution in archaea. Her work focuses on archaeal physiology , sulfur metabolism , and metagenomic data analysis , with recent publications in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B and Nature Microbiology . Notable awards include the Vienna Research Groups for Young Investigators (VRG) – Gender Mainstreaming (2017) . She supervises PhD students like Jessica Gomes da Silva and collaborates with institutions such as the Institute of Molecular Evolution at HHU Düsseldorf . Media outlets like BBC Earth and Nature have highlighted her contributions to understanding extremophilic archaea and early life evolution.
Erik Pulz is a Research Fellow in Latin Philology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, where he has served since April 2017 under Prof. Dr. Rainer Jakobi's chair. He earned his doctorate (Dr. phil.) from the same institution in February 2021 and completed a visiting postdoctoral position at Stanford University (October 2022–March 2023) through a DAAD scholarship. His academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Arts (2014) and Master of Education (2016) in Classical Philology and Byzantinistics from Leipzig University. BA in Classical Philology and Byzantinistics (Leipzig, 2014) MA in Classical Philology and Byzantinistics (Leipzig, 2016) PhD in Latin Philology (Halle, 2021) Pulz's research spans Latin and Greek literature with emphasis on Roman love poetry, historiography, and digital philology. His monograph on Laevius (2023) examines early Latin erotic epigram, while his Sallust studies explore narratology and rhetorical devices in Bellum Catilinae . He investigates textual transmission in Greek tragedy (e.g., Phrynichus' Alcestis ) and contributes to digital classics through the Platon Digital project. His work consistently bridges traditional philological methods with computational approaches, particularly in Greek text processing. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals three dominant research threads: (1) Latin Republican literature (Sallust, Laevius, early epigram), (2) Greek textual criticism (Euripides, Phrynichus), and (3) digital humanities applications. His output demonstrates increasing interdisciplinary engagement, with recent work combining narratology, metaleptic theory, and computational linguistics. The 2019 Platon Digital contributions highlight his expertise in corpus development and variant-sensitive text analysis. Promotionsstipendium der Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (2017, declined) Fondation Hardt Scholarship for Young Researchers (2019) DAAD Post-Doc Short-Term Scholarship (2022-2023) Pulz serves as editorial staff for Forum Classicum (2021-2022) and collaborates on digital humanities initiatives like Platon Digital. His grant history shows consistent support for early-career research, including prestigious international fellowships. While no formal advisees are documented, his role as scientific staff at Halle involves mentoring junior researchers in Latin philology. Future work appears focused on completing studies of Aprissius and expanding digital text-critical methodologies. As part of the Platon Digital team at Halle, Pulz contributes to creating gold-standard parallel corpora for Platonic paraphrases. His work intersects with computational linguistics groups developing form-accurate stopword lists for Ancient Greek, demonstrating active participation in cross-disciplinary digital classics networks.
Kristiina Aittomäki serves as a Supervisor in the Doctoral Programme within the Population Health Research Program Unit at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine. With an extensive publication record spanning over two decades, she has authored or co-authored 260 publications, demonstrating sustained research productivity through 2025. Her research interests focus primarily on genetics and cancer research , with specific expertise in breast cancer genetics, DNA repair mechanisms, and population-based genomic studies. She has made significant contributions to understanding hereditary cancer syndromes, particularly in the Finnish population context. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on translational genetic research with clinical applications, particularly in cancer risk assessment and variant classification. Her work frequently involves large-scale collaborative projects like FinnGen, which leverages Finland's unique population structure for genetic discovery. Dr. Aittomäki has participated in significant research projects including the 'Consumer choice and personalized health services in maternal care' (2016-2019), demonstrating her engagement with both basic science and health services research.
Jarkko Salojärvi is a University Researcher at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Viikki Plant Science Centre (ViPS) and the Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Program . He serves as a supervisor in the Doctoral Programme in Plant Sciences and contributes to bioinformatics research for molecular biology and genomics. His research spans plant genomics , evolutionary biology , and bioinformatics , with a focus on silver birch , pathogen interactions , and plant stress responses . Recent work includes genomic analyses of Taphrina infections , betulin biosynthesis in fungi, and adaptive landscapes in forest trees. He has published extensively on plant-microbe interactions , genetic diversity , and computational biology , with funded projects such as TreeBio: Centre of Excellence in Tree Biology and Future Forests . His activities include peer review , conference presentations , and thesis supervision .
Dmitri Klimov is a Professor at the School of Systems Biology , George Mason University, specializing in computational biophysics and biomolecular simulations. With a PhD and MSc in Physics from Moscow State University, his research spans two major areas: protein aggregation in Alzheimer's disease and mechanical protein unfolding under external forces. Using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and replica exchange methods , Klimov investigates amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide aggregation into fibrils, critical for Alzheimer's pathology, and force-induced unfolding in proteins like titin and fibronectin, relevant to cellular mechanics. His work has established connections between native protein topology and unfolding pathways, while exploring therapeutic interventions such as NSAIDs and chemical denaturants . His 15 most recent articles (2025–2023) focus on integrating Martin Karplus' computational methods with machine learning to predict drug resistance variants, analyze antimicrobial peptide binding , and study viral inhibition mechanisms through importin-alpha interactions . Current projects include VEEV capsid inhibition , amylin signaling , and PSGL-1 antiviral functions , leveraging advanced free energy perturbation and replica exchange simulations . Klimov's NIH-funded research (R01/R41) bridges biomedical applications and fundamental biophysics , with implications for neurodegenerative diseases and viral therapies. He teaches biomolecular simulation methods and biophysics , maintaining a lab that develops open-source REM simulation tools for exploring protein folding and aggregation.
Emil Buzov is an Associate Professor of Egyptology at New Bulgarian University's Department of Mediterranean and Eastern Studies, where he has taught since 2004. His academic career includes directing Egyptology programs, leading archaeological excavations in Egypt, and extensive publication in Ancient Egyptian literature and history. He currently teaches courses including History of Ancient Egypt, Classical Egyptian, and Egyptian Archaeology. His educational background includes a Master's in Archaeology from Sofia University (2002) and a Master's in Egyptology from New Bulgarian University (2003), followed by a PhD defended in 2008 on Ancient Egyptian didactic literature. His research focuses on Ancient Egyptian wisdom texts, religious practices, and archaeological investigations of Theban tombs. Buzov's scholarly output reveals consistent focus on textual analysis of Ancient Egyptian literature, particularly didactic and wisdom texts from the Middle and New Kingdoms. His work demonstrates deep engagement with philological methods while connecting literary analysis to broader historical contexts including social structures, royal ideology, and educational systems. Recent publications increasingly incorporate archaeological evidence to contextualize textual findings. Buzov has directed multiple archaeological projects including excavations at Thracian sanctuary near Melnitsa (Yambol region) and serves as deputy director of the Bulgarian Institute of Egyptology's excavations at Theban Tomb 263 in Luxor since 2012. He has organized international conferences including the Fourth International Congress for Young Egyptologists in Sofia (2012) and coordinated research projects funded by UNESCO and the Bulgarian Ministry of Education. His institutional roles include program consultant for the Department of Mediterranean and Eastern Studies, secretary of the Journal of Egyptological Studies, and organizer of traveling seminars in Egypt (2005-2011). He has participated in numerous archaeological surveys across Bulgaria including sites in Sozopol, Silistra, and Central Rhodopes.
Anne McCabe is an Assistant Professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences with a strong research focus on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly studying Klebsiella pneumoniae and its survival mechanisms during infection. She earned her BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Harvard University, PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University, and completed an IRACDA Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology at Tufts University. Dr. McCabe's research interests focus on understanding how opportunistic pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae survive diverse environmental stressors, including oxidative stress from the innate immune response and antibiotic treatment during infection. Her work spans bacterial stress response mechanisms, host-pathogen interactions, metal ion transport, and outer membrane biogenesis. Analysis of her publication record from 2016-2024 reveals a strong focus on bacterial pathogenesis with particular emphasis on Klebsiella pneumoniae as a model organism. Her research combines molecular microbiology, structural biology, and infectious disease approaches to understand bacterial survival mechanisms during host infection. Key themes include antibiotic resistance mechanisms, bacterial metabolism during infection, and structural analysis of bacterial transport systems. Her scientific contributions include important discoveries related to Klebsiella pneumoniae's ability to resist neutrophil killing, the role of amino acid biosynthesis in bacterial survival during lung infection, and structural insights into metal transport systems. Her 2024 publication on growth medium effects on drug interactions in Gram-negative bacteria represents her most recent contribution to the field.
Matthew L. Bowen is a Professor in the Faculty of Religious Education at Brigham Young University–Hawaii. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the Catholic University of America (2014) with expertise in Semitic languages, Hebrew wordplay, and Book of Mormon studies. His teaching portfolio includes courses on the New Testament, Old Testament, and Pearl of Great Price, with consistent course offerings through Spring 2025. Dr. Bowen's research focuses on the intersection of biblical studies, onomastics (study of names), and Latter-day Saint scripture. His work explores Hebrew wordplay in the Book of Mormon, temple symbolism, and the theological implications of names and linguistic patterns in ancient texts. He employs linguistic analysis to uncover deeper theological meanings in scripture, particularly examining how names function as theological signposts in narrative contexts. His publication record shows a consistent output of scholarly articles, primarily in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, with recent work focusing on Joseph symbolism, temple themes, and the literary function of names in scripture. Bowen's research demonstrates a methodological approach that combines linguistic precision with theological insight, revealing how ancient authors used wordplay to convey doctrinal concepts. BYU-Hawaii Exemplary Faculty Award – Scholarship (2021) Rank Advancement to Associate Professor (2020) Multiple Nibley Fellowship Awards (2006-2012) BYU-RE Dissertation Grants (multiple years) Eagle Scout Award (1988) Dr. Bowen serves on the Board of Trustees for the Interpreter Foundation and has been an advisor for Book of Mormon Central since 2016. His scholarly work connects ancient textual patterns with modern religious understanding, particularly in how names and linguistic structures convey theological meaning across scriptural texts. He has contributed significantly to understanding the intertextual connections between the Bible and Book of Mormon through careful linguistic analysis.
Dr. David Glahn is the Associate Chief for Research in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he directs the Tommy Fuss Center for Neuropsychiatric Disease Research, the Early Psychosis Investigation Center (EPICenter), and the Neuropsychiatric Genetics Program (NPG). He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of California at Los Angeles. Prior to joining Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Glahn served as Co-Director for the Division of Neurocognition, Neurocomputation, and Neurogenetics at the Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Glahn's research program centers on discovering genes and environmental mechanisms that predispose individuals to affective and psychotic disorders across the lifespan. His work develops and applies neuroanatomic, functional neuroimaging, and neurocognitive endophenotypes in large-scale family-based studies. His research involves four broad scientific aims: identifying genes influencing risk for psychotic and affective disorders; specifying genetic and environmental influences on brain structure/function and cognitive ability; isolating factors involved in human cognitive and brain development during adolescence; and developing novel endophenotypes for psychiatric disorders. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on neuroimaging genetics, particularly examining structural brain differences across psychiatric disorders, the role of copy number variants in brain morphology, and the development of reference curves for brain metrics across the lifespan. His work often involves large-scale consortium efforts like ENIGMA, highlighting his collaborative approach to psychiatric research. Dr. Glahn's research has significant implications for early identification of psychosis risk and potential interventions to mitigate the development of full-blown disease by recognizing antecedents in young children. Dr. Glahn has received recognition for his contributions to understanding the genetic architecture of brain structure and function, with particular emphasis on developmental aspects of psychiatric disorders. His work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical applications, aiming to translate findings into improved diagnostic and intervention strategies. As a leader in the field, Dr. Glahn mentors junior researchers and collaborates extensively across institutions. His laboratory serves as a hub for innovative research on the biological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders, with particular focus on early identification and prevention strategies. His work on the gut-brain axis and somatic symptoms in psychosis represents innovative directions in understanding the complex interplay between physical and mental health in psychiatric conditions.
Patrick S. Schnable is the C.F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor at Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute, with a courtesy joint faculty appointment. His research focuses on plant genomics, crop improvement, and phenomics, particularly in maize and sorghum. He leads the Schnable Lab, advancing technologies like high-throughput phenotyping and genomic selection to address climate resilience and agricultural productivity challenges. Key research areas include root architecture, drought tolerance, and genetic adaptation to environmental stresses. He co-leads initiatives like Genomes to Fields (G2F) and the AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA), integrating AI with agricultural science. His work emphasizes translating genomic insights into practical breeding strategies and sustainable farming practices. Publications highlight innovations in satellite-based crop monitoring, moisture-responsive root systems, and machine learning for plant analysis. Collaborations span academia and industry, addressing global food security through data-driven solutions.
Matthew Smith is Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology at Wilfrid Laurier University, currently on sabbatical until December 2024. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms in plant cell biology with expertise in protein trafficking and membrane dynamics. Research interests include: Chloroplast biogenesis and protein import pathways Structural-functional relationships in membrane proteins Mechanisms of protein-protein interactions in cellular transport Mitochondrial uncoupling protein functions Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on membrane protein dynamics, with consistent themes in proton transport mechanisms, chloroplast targeting systems, and computational modeling of protein structures. Article keywords predominantly fall within biochemistry, structural biology, and plant molecular biology domains.
Adam Mecca, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Director of the Yale Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit at Yale School of Medicine. He specializes in geriatric psychiatry with a focus on memory disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. His research integrates neuroimaging techniques, such as PET and MRI, to study synaptic density and neurobiological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. He leads clinical trials investigating potential therapies and has pioneered novel imaging methods, including a PET technique to measure synaptic loss in Alzheimer’s patients. Dr. Mecca holds academic affiliations with the Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center, Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), and the Center for Brain & Mind Health. Education: B.S. in Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Florida (2005) M.D.-Ph.D. from University of Florida College of Medicine (2012), specializing in Physiology and Pharmacology Residency in Psychiatry and Fellowship in Geriatric Psychiatry at Yale University Research Focus: Dr. Mecca’s work centers on Alzheimer’s disease, synaptic dysfunction, and translational neuroimaging. Key areas include: Developing SV2A PET tracers ([11C]UCB-J) to quantify synaptic density Linking cognitive decline to neuroimaging biomarkers Evaluating hearing loss’s impact on Alzheimer’s progression Assessing disparities in dementia diagnosis among language groups Publications & Grants: His 60+ peer-reviewed articles emphasize synaptic imaging, biomarker discovery, and clinical trial design. Notable grants include studies on CT1812’s synaptic effects and Alzheimer’s proteomic signatures. Collaborations span Yale’s neuroscience teams and international AD consortia. Labs/Teams: He directs the Yale Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit, leading multidisciplinary teams in imaging, clinical trials, and basic science. The lab actively engages in NIH-funded projects and industry partnerships.
M. T. Goodman is a Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at Heidelberg University's Faculty of Medicine, with extensive contributions to ovarian cancer research through major international consortia including the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) and Ovarian Tumor Tissue Analysis (OTTA) consortium. With 77 publications documented in the DKFZ database from 2022-2025, Dr. Goodman's research focuses on the genetic and molecular underpinnings of ovarian cancer susceptibility and progression. Dr. Goodman's research interests center on ovarian cancer genetics, with particular emphasis on identifying genetic risk variants, understanding tumor microenvironment dynamics, and developing risk stratification models. Their work spans molecular oncology, cancer epidemiology, and translational research, with significant contributions to understanding how genetic factors, hormone receptor expression, and immune responses influence ovarian cancer development and patient outcomes. Recent studies have explored pleiotropic risk alleles at the 19p13.1 locus, immunological features of long-term survivors, and the interplay between RB1 loss and BRCA deficiency in predicting treatment response. The publication record demonstrates consistent involvement in large-scale, multinational studies analyzing genetic risk factors, tumor characteristics, and survival outcomes in ovarian cancer. These studies frequently employ sophisticated statistical frameworks for assessing interactions in risk stratification models and integrate multi-omics approaches to identify functional mechanisms underlying cancer susceptibility. Dr. Goodman's research has been published in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Clinical Cancer Research, and Gynecologic Oncology, reflecting significant contributions to the field of gynecologic oncology and cancer genetics.
Xinyun Jian is a Research Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at Monash University. Their research focuses on the chemistry and biology of bioactive natural products, including antibiotics, anticancer agents, and agrichemicals. They employ interdisciplinary approaches such as genomics-driven discovery, biosynthetic pathway elucidation, and bioengineering to create novel natural product derivatives. Education: PhD in Chemistry (2014), University of Warwick, UK MSc in Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy (Bioengineering of aminoglycosides), Wuhan University, China Research Interests: Genomics-driven discovery of novel bioactive natural products Mechanistic characterization of enzymes in biosynthesis pathways Engineering biosynthetic pathways for antibiotic diversification Recent Projects: Primary Chief Investigator (2025–2026): 'Unlocking the Potential of Soil Bacteria to Combat Drug-Resistant Fungal Pathogens' Publications Trends: Recent work emphasizes enzymatic mechanisms in polyketide and nonribosomal peptide systems, with a focus on antibiotic skeletal diversification, glycodiversification of aminoglycosides, and HDAC inhibitor design. Articles highlight interdisciplinary methods to address antibiotic resistance and anticancer drug development. Labs/Teams: Active in Monash University's Biochemistry & Molecular Biology department, collaborating on microbial natural product research and enzymatic biosynthesis.
Dr. Linda Chelico is a Professor and Department Head of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Saskatchewan's College of Medicine. Her research focuses on APOBEC cytosine deaminases, studying their roles in HIV restriction and cancer mutagenesis. She leads a lab investigating how these enzymes interact with retroviruses like HIV-1, their mechanisms of DNA deamination, and their unintended oncogenic consequences. Her work bridges virology, biochemistry, and cancer biology, with recent grants exceeding $1.6M from CIHR and NSERC. Education: PhD in Applied Microbiology (USask), postdoctoral training at University of Southern California (USC). Key areas include HIV restriction factors, DNA deaminases, enzyme mechanisms, and mutagenesis. She explores APOBEC interactions with viral proteins (e.g., HIV-1 Vif) and cellular DNA repair pathways, while also examining their role in cancer via mutagenic activity in genomic regions. Research highlights include identifying APOBEC3's dual role as a virus suppressor and cancer mutagen, studying enzyme competition with DNA-binding proteins like RPA, and developing assays to measure deamination activity. Her team's work on HIV-1 transmitted/founder viruses and APOBEC3's structural basis (via SAXS) underscores her interdisciplinary approach. Grants: Over $1.6M from CIHR (2019–2024) for projects on APOBEC3's HIV restriction and cancer links. Collaborations include structural biology (e.g., with Dr. Chen XS on APOBEC3G structure) and proteomic mapping (Krogan lab). Labs focus on biochemical assays, mouse xenograft models, and cross-disciplinary techniques. Publications (2024–2021) emphasize APOBEC3F/G interactions, enzyme purification, and their roles in SIV transmission and bladder cancer mutagenesis. Her work is published in Journal of Virology , Molecular and Cellular Proteomics , and Nature Communications .
