Juan Cortés is a CNRS Research Director at LAAS-CNRS (Toulouse), leading the Robotics and Interactions Team. He holds a PhD in automated systems/robotics from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse (2003). His research spans robotics, artificial intelligence, and computational biology, with focus areas including: Protein conformational dynamics and disordered proteins Robotic motion planning and multi-agent systems Development of computational tools for structural biology (e.g., AFflecto, MoMA-LoopSampler) His publications emphasize algorithm development for molecular flexibility analysis and robotic coordination. Recent work explores Wasserstein distance metrics for protein ensemble comparisons and optimization methods for energy landscapes. Cortés contributes to understanding pathogenic protein structures (e.g., huntingtin) and surface-molecule interactions. He advises on doctoral committees and collaborates internationally but currently lists no direct students or major awards.
Kiril Kirilov serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at New Bulgarian University (NBU) since 2022, following 15 years of research at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IMB-BAS) where he completed his PhD dissertation on bacterial and mitochondrial codon usage. His academic foundation includes specialized bioinformatics training at Italy's International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (2003) and Canada's Carleton University (2013). His educational milestones feature: Master's degree in Engineer Biotechnologist from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia (2001) PhD in Molecular Biology from the Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2014) Kirilov's research operates at the intersection of computational and experimental biology, with three dominant thematic clusters emerging from his publication record. His foundational work in bioinformatics focuses on codon usage patterns across bacterial and mitochondrial genomes, developing specialized algorithms for genomic analysis. A significant experimental stream investigates glycation processes in aging and disease, examining molecular interactions between compounds like L-lysine and proteins such as histone H1. Most recently, his work has expanded into neurodegenerative disease mechanisms , exploring neurotensin analogs for Parkinson's disease and novel galantamine derivatives for Alzheimer's treatment, often incorporating nutraceutical approaches like lycopene analysis. His publication trajectory reveals a strategic evolution from pure molecular genetics toward translational biomedical applications, consistently applying computational rigor across diverse biological systems. The 2023 Parkinson's disease study exemplifies this integration, combining receptor pharmacology with animal model validation. Patent development for chemistry education tools further demonstrates his commitment to knowledge transfer beyond traditional academic boundaries. At NBU, Kirilov teaches GENB093 History of Science while maintaining active research collaborations across Bulgarian academic institutions, with email correspondence facilitated through kkirilov@nbu.bg.
Bangyan L. Stiles, PhD, is the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC) School of Pharmacy. She joined USC Mann in December 2005, was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2012, and became a full professor in 2016. Her research program focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of chronic disease pathogenesis with particular emphasis on lipid metabolism in cancer development, specifically targeting the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and related signaling pathways. Dr. Stiles' research interests span multiple interconnected areas of biomedical science. Her work primarily investigates how metabolic changes drive cancer development, with a special focus on liver cancer where fatty liver disease is a common co-morbidity. She has made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Her laboratory discovered that steatosis is a critical step for liver cancer development and identified Wnt produced from macrophages as niche factors that promote tumor development due to steatosis. Additionally, her research on pancreatic beta-cells has contributed to understanding how aged beta-cells lose their response to growth/regeneration signals and how this relates to diabetes onset. The research trends in Dr. Stiles' publications show a strong focus on the intersection of metabolism and cancer, particularly examining how PTEN/AKT signaling regulates liver and pancreatic pathophysiology. Her work spans from basic molecular mechanisms to translational applications, with significant emphasis on tumor initiating cells, macrophage-tumor cell interactions, and the inflammatory microenvironment in cancer development. The publications demonstrate increasing sophistication in understanding the crosstalk between metabolic pathways and cancer signaling, with recent work focusing on specific AKT isoforms, chemokine signaling in the tumor microenvironment, and transcriptional regulation in metabolic liver disease. Dr. Stiles has received substantial research funding as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH grants, including R01DK131492 (The Role of ERRa in liver lipid dysfunction and pathology), R01CA154986 (The role of PTEN and AKT2 in the malignant transformation of liver progenitor cells), and R01DK084241 (The mechanism of beta-cell regeneration). Her laboratory has trained numerous researchers who have contributed to her extensive publication record of over 100 papers with more than 13,000 reads and 5,913 citations on ResearchGate. Her laboratory focuses on the molecular mechanisms linking metabolic disease to cancer development, with particular expertise in PTEN/AKT signaling, liver pathophysiology, and pancreatic beta-cell regeneration. The lab employs a range of techniques including mouse models of liver disease and cancer, molecular biology approaches, and translational studies aimed at developing therapeutic interventions for metabolic liver disease and associated cancers.
