Professor Stuart West is a Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Oxford's Department of Biology. His research focuses on the evolution of social behaviors, including cooperation, altruism, and spite, with a particular emphasis on how these phenomena drive major evolutionary transitions. He employs a multidisciplinary approach combining theoretical models, experimental studies, and comparative analyses across species, particularly in bacteria and insects. Key research areas include the evolution of cooperation and division of labor, genomic analyses of social behaviors, and the role of ecological factors in shaping social strategies. His work addresses questions such as how cooperation evolves despite potential cheating, and how symbiotic relationships influence diversification. Professor West is affiliated with two Oxford addresses: the Department of Biology on Mansfield Road (OX1 3SZ) and the South Parks Road campus (OX1 3RB). His research has explored topics ranging from microbial cooperation to the evolutionary dynamics of eusociality in ants. He is actively engaged in advancing methods like SOCfinder, a genomic tool for identifying cooperative genes in bacteria.
Dr. Jing Li is Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Administrative Data Core Services at Washington University School of Medicine's Division of General Medical Sciences. Her work focuses on health data science applications in medical research. Research examines cancer genomics, tumor evolution, and microenvironment interactions using spatial transcriptomics and computational approaches. Key investigations include allele-specific aberrations in tumors, CRISPR gene drive systems, and glioblastoma signaling pathways.
Andreas Milias Argeitis is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen. He leads the Milias-Argeitis Lab within the Molecular Systems Biology research unit at the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences & Biotechnology Institute (GBB). His research focuses on integrating experimental and computational approaches to understand cellular processes, particularly the coordination between cell growth, division, and metabolic dynamics in budding yeast. Key research areas include systems biology, TOR signaling pathways, cell cycle regulation, and the application of machine learning and mathematical modeling. His lab develops advanced tools like optogenetic control systems and deep learning algorithms for cell segmentation and tracking. Recent work has revealed metabolic oscillations linked to the cell cycle and explored the role of proteins like Sch9 in TORC1-dependent signaling. Notable achievements include an NWO Vidi Grant (2018) and an ENW Science-M Grant (2023) for studying how growth drives the cell division cycle. He has over 40 peer-reviewed publications, including work in Nature Communications , Nature Metabolism , and Journal of Cell Science . His research bridges fundamental biology with technological innovations in single-cell analysis and synthetic biology. Lab activities include CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing protocols, fluorescent protein maturation studies, and the development of photo-switchable enzymes. Collaborations span biochemistry, mathematics, and engineering, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to unraveling cellular mechanisms.
Kevin Myles is a Professor in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University's College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. His research investigates mosquito antiviral immunity and genetic control strategies for arbovirus vectors. With a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Colorado State University, his work integrates molecular virology, genomics, and bioinformatics to develop novel vector control methods. Research focuses on RNA interference pathways in mosquito defense, CRISPR-based gene drives for population control, and temperature effects on vector competence. Current projects engineer self-eliminating transgenes and characterize tissue-specific antiviral responses. Analysis of 15 publications reveals emphasis on genetic control technologies (53% of articles), mosquito immunity (27%), and climate-vector interactions (13%). Recent work increasingly addresses safety mechanisms for field applications. Leads development of computational tools like MGDrivE for simulating gene drive efficacy. Research has produced multiple genetic systems for precise modification of mosquito populations, with applications in dengue, Zika, and chikungunya control.
Dr. Olga Zaytseva is a Research Fellow at the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR), Australian National University, specializing in cancer biology within the Department of Cancer Biology and Therapeutics. She is a key member of the Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer and The Quinn Group, focusing on brain cancer discovery. Her work integrates molecular biology, genetics, and translational research to address fundamental questions in cancer development. Her research interests center on transcriptional regulation, particularly the role of Myc oncogene in brain development and cancer progression. Using Drosophila models, she investigates cell growth control mechanisms, stem cell biology, and RNA-mediated regulatory pathways. Her work bridges basic science with therapeutic applications for brain cancers, with a strong emphasis on understanding how transcription factors like Myc drive tumorigenesis. Analysis of her publications reveals a consistent focus on molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development, with particular expertise in Drosophila models for studying transcriptional regulation. Her work spans from fundamental discoveries in developmental biology to translational cancer research, demonstrating how basic mechanisms of gene regulation relate to oncogenesis. The recurring themes include cell cycle control, transcription initiation, and the balance between growth promotion and inhibition in normal development versus cancer. Scientific Awards: The JCSMR Gender Equity Fund (2022) Dr. Zaytseva is registered to supervise research students and leads active projects including 'Screening patient-derived glioma lines to identify novel drugs targeting IDH1-driven brain cancer' (2025-2026) and 'Understanding how FUBP1 drives primary brain cancer towards rational drug discovery' (2023-2024). Her collaborative approach with Professor Leonie Quinn demonstrates strong grant acquisition capabilities in competitive funding environments. As a core member of The Quinn Group within JCSMR's Division of Genome Sciences and Cancer and The Shine-Dalgarno Centre for RNA Innovation, she contributes to a multidisciplinary research environment focused on translating basic discoveries into potential cancer therapeutics, particularly for brain cancers.
Philip Romero, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. He earned his doctorate from the California Institute of Technology in 2012 and leads the Romero Lab, which relocated to Duke in 2023. His research focuses on developing computational and experimental methods for protein engineering, with applications spanning therapeutics, biocatalysis, and synthetic biology. Research Interests: Romero's work integrates machine learning, microfluidics, and high-throughput experimentation to study protein fitness landscapes. Key areas include: Self-driving laboratories for autonomous protein optimization Neural network models for predicting protein functions Therapeutic enzyme engineering (ACE2, caspases, lysins) Microfluidic platforms for deep mutational scanning His recent publications demonstrate a strong emphasis on machine learning-guided protein design, with 80% of post-2022 publications involving AI/ML methods. Therapeutic applications against infectious diseases (particularly SARS-CoV-2) and microbiome engineering represent emerging directions. Lab & Advising: The Romero Lab develops novel technologies for protein engineering, including custom gene library assembly platforms and droplet microfluidics systems. Romero mentors graduate students (e.g., Nishit, who recently defended a thesis on transcription factor engineering) and has collaborated with researchers across computational biology, metabolic engineering, and virology.
Professor Keith Channon is the Field Marshal Earl Alexander Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Professorial Fellow at the University of Oxford's Department of Cardiovascular Medicine. He serves as Head of Department and Associate Head of the Medical Sciences Division (Clinical Research). Field Marshal Earl Alexander Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine Professorial Fellow Head of Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Associate Head of Medical Sciences Division (Clinical Research) His research focuses on nitric oxide (NO) and redox signalling in cardiovascular disease, particularly how NO dysregulation drives endothelial dysfunction and vascular pathologies like atherosclerosis. He investigates the role of tetrahydrobiopterin in modulating NO synthase activity and explores transgenic models to manipulate this pathway. Key research themes include: Endothelial dysfunction in diabetes and coronary artery disease NO synthase regulation by tetrahydrobiopterin Reactive oxygen species (ROS) interactions with NO Clinical trials targeting NO pathway restoration Monocyte/macrophage dynamics in atherosclerosis Mitochondrial redox balance His work bridges clinical studies and experimental models, with recent publications highlighting applications in machine learning for medical imaging , STEMI intervention , and photon-counting CT angiography . He holds fellowships from the Academy of Medical Sciences and Royal College of Physicians.
Parviz Minoo, PhD is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, where he also serves as Director of the USC Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research. His research focuses on pulmonary development and disease, with particular emphasis on understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lung morphogenesis and alveolar development. Dr. Minoo's research interests center on pulmonary biology with a focus on lung development, alveologenesis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. His work investigates the complex signaling pathways involved in lung formation, including Wnt, FGF, TGF-β, and Hedgehog signaling networks. He has made significant contributions to understanding how transcription factors like NKX21 regulate lung epithelial cell differentiation and how growth factors such as FGF10 drive alveolar formation. His research bridges basic developmental biology with clinical applications for neonatal respiratory disorders. Analysis of Dr. Minoo's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the molecular mechanisms of alveologenesis and lung regeneration. His work demonstrates how specific signaling pathways (Wnt5a, FGF10, Hedgehog) interact with transcription factors (NKX21, FOXO1) to regulate alveolar cell differentiation. The research spans from fundamental developmental biology to potential therapeutic applications for bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary fibrosis, with increasing attention to cellular plasticity, progenitor cell niches, and the role of the extracellular matrix in lung development. As Director of the USC Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Dr. Minoo oversees a multidisciplinary team investigating lung development, injury, and repair mechanisms. His laboratory employs sophisticated mouse models, organoid cultures, and molecular techniques to unravel the complexities of pulmonary biology. The center serves as a hub for collaborative research connecting basic science with clinical applications in neonatal and pediatric pulmonary medicine.
Ilkka Kronholm is an Associate Professor in evolutionary biology at the University of Jyväskylä, affiliated with the Department of Biological and Environmental Science under the Faculty of Mathematics and Science. His research focuses on understanding how genetic and epigenetic variation drives evolutionary adaptation in response to environmental changes. Key areas include epigenetic modifications, chromatin structure impacts on mutation rates, and experimental evolution using microbial systems. Recent work emphasizes the role of epigenetics in microbial adaptation to fluctuating temperatures and stress conditions. Collaborative projects include analyzing fungal growth dynamics via microfluidics and exploring the evolutionary consequences of prophage activation in bacterial pathogens. Kronholm's lab utilizes genomic, bioinformatic, and quantitative genetics approaches to bridge mechanistic and evolutionary questions. Publications highlight themes like epigenetic regulation of antimicrobial resistance, transgenerational effects in fungi, and the interplay between mutation spectra and chromatin architecture. His work contributes to theoretical frameworks linking short-term phenotypic plasticity with long-term evolutionary trajectories.
Dr. Pradeep Sunila is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Calicut, India, and a Master’s in Microbiology from the University of Bharathiar, India. Research Focus: Dr. Sunila’s work centers on ovarian cancer metastasis, immune mechanisms driving tumor progression, and overcoming therapeutic resistance. Her lab investigates the role of immune cells, extracellular vesicles, and metabolic reprogramming in tumor microenvironments. Key projects include targeting SPHK1, CD5L, and FXR1 to combat drug resistance. Grants & Awards: NIH R01: Role of Exosomal SPHK1 in Ovarian Cancer Progression Department of Defense: Translational Adaptations in Macrophage for Ovarian Cancer Progression 2023 Liz Tilberis Early Career Development Award (OCRFA) AACR Marsha Rivkin Scholar-In-Training Award Lab Activities: The Pradeep Lab develops innovative mouse models to study hematogenous metastasis and evaluates therapies targeting epigenomic adaptations. Recent work includes preclinical studies on selinexor/eribulin combinations for uterine leiomyosarcoma and biomarker discovery using extracellular vesicle analysis.
Ruth Müller is a Professor of Entomology at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, leading the Department of Biomedical Sciences. She is the Unit Head in Entomology and oversees the Institute’s insectarium, established in 2019 with a €1 million grant. Her research focuses on the interplay between biodiversity, climate change, and human health, particularly regarding mosquito-borne diseases. Key projects include studying vector control strategies, climate impacts on disease transmission, and collaborations with institutions like Nepal’s National Health Research Institute. Education and Early Career: Müller’s early work involved Arctic studies on UV radiation and ocean warming’s environmental risks. She has authored over 57 ISI-listed publications, 12 non-ISI documents, 9 book chapters, and a German-language book on biodiversity and climate change. Research Interests: She investigates eco-bio-social approaches to vector control, climate change’s effects on disease vectors, and interdisciplinary solutions for tropical diseases. Her work spans Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia, with a focus on malaria and dengue vectors. Recent Articles: Müller’s recent studies address topics like predatory macroinvertebrate interactions with malaria vectors, public perceptions of climate change in Nepal, and gene drive technology in mosquitoes. These reflect her dual focus on ecological and public health dimensions. Grants and Labs: The insectarium houses species like tiger mosquitoes, malaria vectors, and sandflies, enabling interdisciplinary research on tropical diseases linked to climate change. Major grants include the Flemish Government’s support for vector control projects and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s funding for VECTORNET3. Future Work: Ongoing projects include light polarization’s impact on mosquito swarms and climate change’s biodiversity-health interface, emphasizing translational research for global health solutions.
Nicole Gervais, PhD is an Assistant Professor and Rosalind Franklin Fellow in behavioural and cognitive neuroscience at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering. She is affiliated with the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) and the Faculty of Medical Sciences/UMCG's Cognition, Ageing and Disease (CAD) research group. Dr. Gervais leads the Memory, Sleep, and Hormones (MeSH) lab, which focuses on translational research examining how sex differences and hormonal changes affect brain health. Dr. Gervais earned her PhD in Psychology/Behavioural Neuroscience from Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. She completed postdoctoral training at institutions in Amherst, Massachusetts, USA and Toronto, Canada. Before joining the University of Groningen in September 2023, she held a Research Associate position at the Rotman Research Institute and University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. Her research program explores diversity in vulnerability to neuropsychiatric conditions and responses to therapeutics, with particular focus on how individual factors (especially sex) and environmental conditions contribute to neuropsychiatric disease and treatment effectiveness. She investigates sleep-wake patterns, social interactions, and cognition across species to understand how hormonal transitions like menopause affect brain health. Her work has significant implications for understanding why certain neurological and psychiatric conditions disproportionately affect women. Dr. Gervais's publications reveal a strong focus on the intersection of sex differences, sleep physiology, and cognitive function. Her recent work examines how early ovarian removal affects hippocampal function, memory, and sleep architecture. She employs both human studies and rodent models to investigate these questions, using techniques including neuroimaging (MRI), sleep physiology measurements, behavioral assessments, hormone quantification, and pharmacological manipulations. Rosalind Franklin Fellowship Dr. Gervais serves as an editor for special issues of the journal Hormones and Behavior. Her research has received significant attention, with multiple publications covered in international media outlets. Her work contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to good health and well-being. She has published over 27 research outputs including articles, preprints, editorials, and review articles, with many receiving substantial citations and media coverage. Dr. Gervais directs the Memory, Sleep, and Hormones (MeSH) lab, which takes a translational approach to studying how major hormone changes interact with genes to increase vulnerability for developing insomnia and its adverse consequences for the aging female brain. The lab uses complementary research in rodents and humans, employing touchscreen tasks with high translational value to assess cognitive function in rodents and EEG recordings to assess sleep. Their research has important implications for understanding and treating conditions that disproportionately affect women, such as insomnia and Alzheimer's disease.
Julian Hurdle, PhD, is a Professor at Texas A&M University and Director of the Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases (CIID). His research focuses on antibiotic resistance in Clostridium difficile , novel therapeutic strategies, and chemical genetic approaches to pathogenic mechanisms. Research Interests: His multi-disciplinary work bridges high-throughput screening of chemical libraries, target identification via genomics, and in vivo modeling to understand C. difficile resistance and develop therapies. Collaborations with medicinal chemists and clinical scientists drive translational goals. Publications: His 15 most recent articles highlight studies on C. difficile's evolution of resistance, membrane-active antibiotics, and antivirulence strategies. Keywords span Microbiology, Pharmacology, and Chemical Genetics, with sub-fields like toxin-inhibiting mechanisms, phytochemicals, and drug hybridization. Academic Contributions: As Director of the IBT Postdoctoral Program, he mentors researchers in infectious disease innovation. His lab integrates molecular biology, animal models, and clinical data to impact human health.
Dr. Robert Reenan is a Professor of Biology at Brown University, affiliated with the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry. His research spans evolutionary genetics, RNA editing, and neurogenetics, focusing on how genomes regulate rapid signaling in the brain through mechanisms like RNA editing and comparative genomics. He has contributed extensively to understanding RNA editing’s role in diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy. Education: PhD in Genetics (Harvard Medical School, 1991), AB in Biology (University of Missouri, 1984) Research Interests: Dr. Reenan investigates RNA editing, ion channels, neurogenetics, and their implications in aging, neurological disorders, and evolutionary adaptation. His work reveals how RNA editing modulates gene function in Drosophila, impacting diseases like ALS and epilepsy. Grants & Collaborations: He has secured major grants from the ALS Association, NIH (NINDS), Ellison Medical Foundation, and NSF. Collaborations include partnerships with researchers like Stephen Helfand, Gary Wessel, and Louis Lapierre. Teaching: Dr. Reenan teaches courses in genetics, molecular genetics, neurogenetics, and scientific communication.
Alexandra Berroyer serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas. Her research program investigates the biological roles of non-canonical DNA structures, particularly G-quadruplexes (G4s), and their implications for genomic instability and cancer pathogenesis using human cell cultures and yeast models. Her academic credentials include: Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston M.S. in Biotechnology from Illinois State University B.S. in Biology from Millikin University Following her doctoral work, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr. Berroyer's research centers on G-quadruplex DNA structures—four-stranded configurations formed in guanine-rich genomic regions. She examines how regulated G4 formation controls gene expression versus dysregulated G4s that cause DNA replication stress and genomic instability, ultimately driving carcinogenesis. Her laboratory employs molecular, genetic, and biochemical approaches to dissect interactions between G4 structures and DNA repair machinery, with particular focus on topoisomerases, nucleolin, and AP endonucleases. Analysis of her 2015-2022 publications reveals dominant themes in G-quadruplex biology across molecular genetics and cancer research. Key trends include structural characterization of G4-forming genomic regions, mechanistic studies of repair enzyme dysfunction at G4 sites, and exploration of metabolic influences on DNA repair. Her work bridges fundamental genome maintenance mechanisms with disease pathogenesis, featuring one interdisciplinary study in entomological behavior. Dr. Berroyer actively mentors undergraduate researchers, as evidenced by co-authorship patterns in her publications. Her laboratory operations are supported by institutional resources at St. Mary's University, with collaborative networks extending to Harvard and University of Texas researchers. Current projects investigate how DNA repair factors regulate cellular G4 homeostasis and the consequences of G4 dysregulation for genome integrity. Her research laboratory specializes in DNA structure-function analysis, utilizing yeast genetics and human cell models to probe G-quadruplex dynamics. The team employs chromatin immunoprecipitation, fluorescence microscopy, and in vitro reconstitution assays to characterize protein-G4 interactions and their impact on replication fidelity. Future work aims to translate mechanistic insights into therapeutic strategies for G4-associated cancers.
