Antibiotic Resistance, soil bacteria

Zlatko Dembic is a Professor of Immunology, Cell-Biology and Microbiology at University of Oslo. He has been working in science at various institutions in Academia (Medical Faculty, Zagreb, Croatia; Max-Planck Institute for Immunogenetics, Tubingen, Germany; Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland; Institute of Immunology, Oslo, Norway) and industry (Roche, Switzerland). He has his expertise in molecular biology shown by over 100 publications to date and a monograph about cytokines in immunology. He is co-inventor of the US patent (Roche) covering the production and use of etanercept (Enbrel), which is a successful (anti-TNF) biological used to treat several autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. He was the president of the Norwegian Society for Immunology and Editor-in-chief of the Scand J Immunol (at present, Associate Editor). He is a Visiting Professor of Medicine at medical school in his hometown Rijeka (Croatia).

Immunology, Cell-Biology and Microbiology

Peter Timms is Professor of Microbiology at the University of Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is a nationally and internationally renowned microbiologist with specific expertise in the area of Chlamydia. His laboratory is acknowledged as the leading Australian laboratory and one of the leading groups internationally working on all aspects of chlamydial infections. His research group of 12 staff and students is developing vaccines and new diagnostics for chlamydial diseases in humans and animals as well as an improved understanding of chlamydial genomics, cell biology and pathogenicity. The group is widely acknowledged for its major contributions to chlamydial infections in koalas and other wildlife, including the development of a vaccine for koalas. He has published over 250 papers, reviews and book chapters in peer-reviewed international scientific journals.

Chlamydial Infections, Cell biology, Pathogenicity

Professor Paul Van Buynder is a Public Health physician on the Gold Coast and holds an appointment as a Professor in the School of Public Health at Griffith University in Queensland. He is the Immediate pat president of the Australian Immunisation Coalition. He has held previous senior public health positions in a number of Australian states, at the Centre for Infections in the United Kingdom and in two Canadian provinces. He has held personal appointments on the Influenza sub-committees of National Advisory committees in three continents.

vaccine effectiveness studies, and the evaluation of programs and marketing to maximise vaccine coverage

Professor Paul Van Buynder is a Public Health physician on the Gold Coast and holds an appointment as a Professor in the School of Public Health at Griffith University in Queensland. He is the Immediate pat president of the Australian Immunisation Coalition. He has held previous senior public health positions in a number of Australian states, at the Centre for Infections in the United Kingdom and in two Canadian provinces. He has held personal appointments on the Influenza sub-committees of National Advisory committees in three continents. He has over 50 publications.

Vaccine effectiveness studies, and the evaluation of programs and marketing to maximise vaccine coverage

Epidemology, S. pneumoniae

Hanadi Salman Al-Salmi Recently holds the position of Assistant Director of Infection Control and Hospital in Epidemiology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, and a member of the Makkah Region HealthCare Council, Team Leader PCI Standard for Joint Commission Accreditation. At the same time she has done 5 publications in collaboration with different departments and personnel such as: Risk Factors for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection among Healthcare Personnel, CDC, EID Journal, Volume 22, November 2016, Risk Factors for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection Among Healthcare Personnel" to the New England Journal of Medicine,Itemizing the Bundle: Achieving and Maintaining “ZERO” Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection For Over A Year in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia, AJIC and Taking Compliance in Hand – Hand Hygiene and Importance of Education, EMH Magazine UK.

Infectious diseases

Dr. Maria Lourdes Gozali has completed her Medical degree at the University of Santo Tomas, Philippines. She finished her pediatric residency and fellowship in infectious diseases in Makati Medical Center in the Philippines. She served as a former chairman of the Department of Pediatrics of Asian Hospital and Medical Center and was also chief of the section of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases in Makati Medical Center and Asian Hopsital and Medical Center. She is an active consultant in both hospitals, as well as in St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City.

Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Stef Stienstra is a strategic and creative Consultant in Biomedical Science with a parallel career as a Commander of the reserve of the Royal Dutch Navy. For the Dutch Armed Forces he has responsibility for the counter measures in CBNRe threats and (Medical) consequence management both in a military and a civilian (terrorism) setting. He is a strategic functional specialist for “Health & Environment” of the 1-Civil-Military-Interaction Command (1-CMI) of the Dutch Armed Forces and for 2015 also in the NATO Response Force (NRF), which is in 2015 the responsibility of the 1-German-Netherlands-Corps (1-GNC). In his civil career he works internationally as Consultant or as Scientific Supervisory Board Member for several medical and biotech companies, merely involved in biodefense. He is also a Visiting Professor for Punjab University in Pakistan and Rhein-Waal University in Germany. He has completed his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-hematology, biodefense and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often created out of unexpected combinations of technologies. His good understanding of abstract science combined with excellent skills in the communication of scientific matters to non-specialists, helps him with strategic consulting at top level management.

Zoonotic Diseases

Dr. Fekadu Abebe is a scientist at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway. He obtained his PhD in immunology from the Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Ulleval University Hopsital, University of Oslo. After completion of his PhD training, he was employed as a postdoctoral fellow at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. He received his BSC (Biology) and MSc (Parasitology) from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He has been a researcher and lecturer at Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University for many years. Dr. Abebe`s work include plant molluscicide, epidemiology and immunology of schistosomiasis, with special emphasis on specific antibody responses and puberty-related hormones on Schistosoma mansoni worm load. Dr. Abebe`s group was the first to show the influence of dehydroepiandrosterone- sulphate (DHEAS) on Schistosoma mansoni worm load in humans. Currently, Dr. Abebe is engaged in tuberculosis research, including tuberculosis epidemiology, immunology and molecular genetics. He is leading major projects that deal with molecular genetics, epidemiology, immunodiagnosis, protective immune markers during Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human population. Dr. Abebe`s publications include cytokine profile during latent and progress tuberculosis; the Beijing genotype of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the protective efficacy of BCG; serodiagnosis of tuberculosis; and the protective role antibody responses during Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Dr. Abebe`s main research interest is immunology of tuberculosis, including cell-mediated and antibody responses; immunodiagnosis, and vaccine immunology

Infectious diseases epidemiology and control, Infection and immunity, including vaccines and vaccinations, and immunodiagnosis

Dr. Linana Monica Deac working at Public Health Institute, Cluj-Napoca, Regional Public Health Center, Ro National Public Health Institute, Babes – Bolyai University – 2004 to present. 1993-2000, Head of the Transylvania Epidemiology Department ( for 12 regions) 1997 – 2004 Head of several Academic and National researches and studies for epidemiology and microbiological etiology of specific infectious diseases 2005- present : Staph and Strepto - coccical infect. , Nosocomial infections , Hand washing as preventive activity for Infect Dis., Foodborn infection, Infectious diarrhea in children, Giardioza infect in population from Transylvania, Immunization studies in Romania; Coordination of general and particular actions for prevention of Infect Dis in Ro. 2 Regional awards, for prevention activity in elderly people’s pathology ( 2010 and 2012).

Epidemiology and Public Health

Huseyin Kayadibi was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. He received a Degree in Medicine from the GATA School of Medicine (Turkey) in 2000. He is an Associate Professor in Medical Biochemistry at Hitit University School of Medicine, where he is the head of Medical Biochemistry. He worked at Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of California Los Angeles in 2012 as a visiting scholar. He has been a co-investigator on NIH and other international projects about metabolomic, proteomic and lipidomic analysis. He is the member of EFLM Working Group Test Evaluation and IFCC Working Group Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins. He has published more than 70 papers in peer reviewed journals. His research interests are non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, separation techniques and mass spectrometry.

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, separation techniques and mass spectrometry.

Refat Sadeq, Prof. and Head of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Port said University, Egypt. He has been on microbiology field over 40 years. He has started and graduated in Zagazig Faculty of Medicine for M.Sc. and Ph.D. Then started to research articles reaching more than 80 articles, many of which have been published in international scientific journals, and he has reviewed over 150 articles on different journal sites. He is a Featured Author, for books in Medical Microbiology and Immunology for both medical students and nurses. Work from 2008-2011 as Head of Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine- Zagazig University. Also work as member of Egyptian scientific committee for graduation of Professor and assistant Professor in Microbiology in Egypt and some Arabic countries. He signed as Board editor of EC Microbiology Journal and Journal of Human Virology and Retrovirology. Since Oct 2014 he pointed as a Head of Microbiology and Immunology department, Faculty of Medicine, Port said University. He is very goal-oriented, assisted in building many units in his department but the favorite one was that of Virology and Molecular biology. He loves how to help junior doctors in his department to solve their scientific problems. His advice to new contributors is to take your time to get to know all the tools and to invest your energy and be sure that success will happened.

Virology and Molecular biology.

Edgar M. Carvalho is Professor of Medicine of the Federal University of Bahia Medical School and Senior Investigator of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. He is a clinic immunologist with expertise in the pathogenesis, Immunology and therapy of tropical diseases mainly in leishmaniasis, helminthic infections and Human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1 infection). He has developed the facilities to follow a large amount of patients as well as carriers in the endemic areas of the Schistosoma mansoni and Leishmania braziliensis infection and in a HTLV-1 clinic at the University Hospital of Federal University of Bahia.

Imunopathogenesis, host and parasite interaction

Prof. Eliora Ron serves as Scientific Advisor of BioPetroClean. Prof. Ron served as Scientific Director and Member of Scientific Advisory Committee at MIGAL - Galilee Research Institute LTD. until November 7, 2016. Prof. Ron is a Professor of Microbiology at Tel Aviv University. She serves as the author of more than 150 publications and holds several patents. She serves as Chair of Manja and Morris Leigh for Biotechnology and Biophysics. She serves as President of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies and Federation of Israeli Societies of Experimental Biology. Prof. Ron holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Harvard University.

Regulation of gene expression, Bacterial virulence, Use of bacteria to combat pollution

Professor Timms is Professor of Microbiology at the University of Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is a nationally and internationally renowned microbiologist with specific expertise in the area of Chlamydia. His laboratory is acknowledged as the leading Australian laboratory and one of the leading groups internationally working on all aspects of chlamydial infections. His research group of 12 staff and students is developing vaccines and new diagnostics for chlamydial diseases in humans and animals as well as an improved understanding of chlamydial genomics, cell biology and pathogenicity. The group is widely acknowledged for its major contributions to chlamydial infections in koalas and other wildlife, including the development of a vaccine for koalas. He has published over 250 papers, reviews and book chapters in peer-reviewed international scientific journals.

Chlamydial infections and diagnosis

Luis Ulloa is Associate Professor of Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School, USA. His study focuses on innate immune responses to septic and aseptic conditions and their regulation by the nervous system in experimental models of sepsis and hemorrhage/Resuscitation.

Molecular mechanisms of neuronal modulation of the immune system, Bioelectronic immunology,

João R. Mesquita (D.V.M., M.Sc.; Ph.D.) is a Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Veterinary Section, where he teaches topics within Infectious Diseases for more than 10 years. On the past decade he has focused on Virology, where he has published 44 papers in Scopus indexed Journals. He has won several scientific prizes from different societies and conferences, where he has presented numerous oral and poster presentations.

Animal and human virology and Zoonotic viruses

Stef Stienstra is a strategic and creative Consultant in Biomedical Science with a parallel career as a Commander of the reserve of the Royal Dutch Navy. For the Dutch Armed Forces he has responsibility for the counter measures in CBNRe threats and (Medical) consequence management both in a military and a civilian (terrorism) setting. He is a strategic functional specialist for “Health & Environment” of the 1-Civil-Military-Interaction Command (1-CMI) of the Dutch Armed Forces and for 2015 also in the NATO Response Force (NRF), which is in 2015 the responsibility of the 1-German-Netherlands-Corps (1-GNC). In his civil career he works internationally as Consultant or as Scientific Supervisory Board Member for several medical and biotech companies, merely involved in biodefense. He is also a Visiting Professor for Punjab University in Pakistan and Rhein-Waal University in Germany. He has completed his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-hematology, biodefense and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often created out of unexpected combinations of technologies. His good understanding of abstract science combined with excellent skills in the communication of scientific matters to non-specialists, helps him with strategic consulting at top level management.

Ebola

Eugenie Bergogne-Berezin is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at University Diderot, Paris. She has studied MD in Medicine and PhD in Sciences in the early 1970s. She is a Chief of Department of Clinical Microbiology and research group, University Bichat Claude-Bernard and developed research on Acinetobacter spp., (nosocomial pathogen, pathogenicity, resistance), pharmacology of antibiotics, tissue distribution (lungs, brain, bronchi), research on intestinal ecology, jejunal flora and bacterial adhesion. She is an Adviser to pharmaceutical companies, expert in pharmacology-toxicology for the Ministry of Health, expert for international journals. She has developed a journal Antibiotics, (Elsevier). She has published 6 medical books, many chapters in international infectious diseases books, 200 articles in scientific journals.

Antibiotics

Dr. Theresa I. Dale, Ph.D., CCN, NP Founder & Dean, California College of Natural Medicine, Ventura, CA. President & CEO, The Wellness Center for Research & Education, Inc. Author * Inventor * Researcher * Biological Medical Consultant Dr. Dale’s interest in non-invasive therapies became her passion when she was diagnosed with a uterine tumor at 22 years of age. After healing herself of the tumor by herself in six months using only natural medicine, she decided to make natural medicine her career. She completed her Naturopathic Studies in Europe. In 1992 Dr. Dale founded The Wellness Center for Research and Education, Inc. The California College of Natural Medicine (501C3) was then founded to train health providers in advanced Biological Medicine. A Winning Combination! Dr. Dale is the “Pioneer of Hormone Rejuvenation” with over 20,000 case studies using her advanced formulas NuFem & EndoPure for Men and Women and her “Five Element Salivary Test” panel with her custom Wellness ProgramMoreover, Dr. Dale’s organic herbal and clean nutritional formulas have been proven successful in clinical testing. Furthermore, Advanced Homeopathic research lead to her formulation of the first Fibonacci Sequenced Homeopathic product line. She offers lectures and workshops to medical professionals and speaks at various conferences. Dr. Dale has authored two books “Revitalize Your Hormones; Dr. Dale’s 7 Steps to a Happier, Healthier and Sexier You” and "Transform Your Emotional DNA, Understanding the Blueprint of Your Life”.

non-invasive therapies

K C Santosh worked as a research fellow at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). He worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at the LORIA research centre, Universite de Lorraine in direct collaboration with industrial partner ITESOFT, France, for 2 years. He also worked as a research scientist at the INRIA Nancy Grand Est research centre for 3 years, until 2011. K C Santosh has demonstrated expertise in pattern recognition, image processing, computer vision and machine learning with various applications in handwriting recognition, graphics recognition, document information content exploitation, medical image analysis and biometrics. He published more than 60 research articles, including a book section in encyclopedia of electrical and electronics engineering.

Electrical and electronics engineering

Lalit Garg has received his PhD degree from the University of Ulster, UK in 2010. He has received his first degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering from the Barkatullah University, India in 1999 and Postgraduate degree in Information Technology from ABV-IIITM, Gwalior, India in 2001. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Computer Information Systems at the University of Malta, Malta. He was a Researcher at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and at the University of Ulster, UK. His research interests include missing data handling, machine learning, data mining and their applications especially in the healthcare domain. He has published more than 60 technical papers in refereed journals and conferences.

Electronics and communication engineering

Ashok Kapse is a consulting Pediatrician practicing in the city of Surat in the Gujarat state of India, besides owning a private pediatric hospital he is also Head of the Pediatric Department at a prestigious Mahavir Super Specialty Hospital. After finishing graduation (MBBS) he did MD in Pediatrics. Initially he has worked as a Professor of Pediatrics at Medical College Surat, later he opted out for private practice however pursued academic interest. He developed special interest and skill in infectious diseases. He is a recipient of many oration awards and delivered hundreds of lectures on dengue, malaria, typhoid and antibiotic uses across India. He has decorated many a posts in medical fields: President of Surat City Branch of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), President of Gujarat State Branch of IAP and National President of Infectious Diseases Branch of IAP are few of them. He is an avid Clinical Photographer; his photos figure into various books and atlases including the prestigious atlas of infectious diseases published by American Academy of Pediatrics. He has published umpteen articles in peer reviewed journals.

Pediatric infectious diseases

K C Santosh worked as a research fellow at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). He worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at the LORIA research centre, Universite de Lorraine in direct collaboration with industrial partner ITESOFT, France, for 2 years. He also worked as a research scientist at the INRIA Nancy Grand Est research centre for 3 years, until 2011. K C Santosh has demonstrated expertise in pattern recognition, image processing, computer vision and machine learning with various applications in handwriting recognition, graphics recognition, document information content exploitation, medical image analysis and biometrics. He published more than 60 research articles, including a book section in encyclopedia of electrical and electronics engineering.

Pattern recognition, image processing, computer vision, machine learning, data mining, information retrieval, big data.

Stef Stienstra works internationally for several medical and biotech companies as scientific advisory board member and is also an active reserve-officer of the Royal Dutch Navy in his rank as Commander (OF4). For the Dutch Armed Forces he is CBRNe specialist with focus on (micro)biological and chemical threats and medical- and environmental functional specialist within the 1st CMI (Civil Military Interaction) Battalion of the Dutch Armed Forces. For Expertise France he is now managing an EU CBRN CoE public health project in West Africa. In his civilian position he is at this moment developing with MT-Derm in Berlin (Germany) a novel interdermal vaccination technology as well as a new therapy for cutaneous leishmaniasis for which he has won a Canadian ‘Grand Challenge’ grant. With Hemanua in Dublin (Ireland) he has developed an innovative blood separation unit, which is also suitable to produce convalescent plasma for Ebola Virus Disese therapy. He has finished both his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry in The Netherlands with a doctorate and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-haematology, infectous diseaases, biodefense and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often generated from unexpected combinations of technologies.

Ebola

Anil Kaul was graduated from Madras Medical College in Medicine, King Georges’ Medical College in Dentistry and in Public Health from University of Minnesota. He currently serves as the Director of High-Complexity Clinical Laboratories and a Faculty at Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences. He has been awarded 6 patents and has published more than 50 scientific papers. He has served as Senior Health Advisor to the US Department of State and received “Expeditionary Service Award”. In 2014, he also received “Lifetime Achievement Award” at Global Health Summit and in 2008 he was named as Sony’s “Scientist of the Year Award”.

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Dr. Robert Emery is the Executive Director of Environmental Health & Safety for the University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center and Professor of Occupational Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Bob has 20 years of experience in health &safety and holds masters degrees in health physics and environmental sciences, and a doctorate in occupational health. Bob is unique in that he possesses national board certification and registration in all four main areas of health and safety; health physics[Certified Health Physicist(CHP)], Occupational Safety[Certified Safety Professional(CSP)], industrial hygiene[Certified Industrial Hygienist(CIH)], and biological safety[Registered Biosafety Professional(RBP)] He is an author of peer-reviewed articles on public health and Safety topics and makes frequent presentations on such issues on both the local and national level. Bob recently assumed to role of Assistant Vice President of research administration to coordinate to infrastructure in place to support the research enterprise for the health science center.

Comprehensive Approaches To Health And Safety,Health And Safety Program Outcome Measures,Health And Safety For Special Populations,Occupational Radiation Protection,Hazardous Waste Management,Emergency Preparedness And Response

Hamid Yahay Hussain is Member of editorial Board of Middle east journal of internal medicine, Middle East Journal of Age and Aging, Middle East Journal of Alzheimer and Psychiatry. He is Member of different international, regional and national associations e.g. APHA, IEA, MENAPF, EMAME, American college of occupational and environmental medicine, American college of Epidemiology, American academy of family medicine, Canadian College of family physician, international family physician association (Wonca). He is Qualified with PhD family and community medicine, Higher diploma respiratory Diseases Edge hills University UK, fellowship of institute for international education/New York, Master course of Epidemiology and biostatistics/American University of Beirut, training certificates on Public Health (north Carolina, Johan Hopkins and Harvard). He has supervised more than 20 PhD theses, 10 MSc Thesis, achieved about 50 research work and contribute to CDC textbook on Ethics in Public Health

Microbiology

Hana Zelenková has been active in the field of Dermatovenerology since 1973. Since 2000 she has been directing her own Private Clinic of Dermatovenereology. Professional orientation: aesthetic dermatology, acne and facial dermatoses, medicinal mycology (nail diseases), wound management, psoriasis, employment of Ichthyol and carboxytherapy in dermatology. She is a coordinator of many international multicentre trials. More than 555 expert lectures in the Slovak Republic as well as abroad, 440 scientific publications. Co-author of the dermatocosmetic formulae containing Ichthamol and glycyrrhizinic acid. Author of the book “Carboxytherapy” (2015), translated into 4 languages. Regularly invited to deliver lectures at international congresses. Founder and President of the Slovak Society for Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dermatology (SSEDK), organizer and President of the traditional international DERMAPARTY congress. Since 2006 Vice-President European Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dermatology, since 2007 President of the European Society of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Dermatology.

Dermatovenerology, Cosmetic Dermatology, Aestheti, acne and facial dermatoses,medicinal mycology , wound management, psoriasis, employment of Ichthyol and carboxytherapy in dermatology

Geert Vanden Bossche obtained his DVM at the Veterinary Faculty of Ghent and his PhD in Virology at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart. Following his postdoctoral training in virology, immunology and molecular biology at the Free University of Berlin and Hohenheim (Germany), where he subsequently held adjunct faculty appointments, he transitioned to the Vaccine Industry where he served various senior roles in both early and late vaccine development at GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics and Solvay Biologicals. He then joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to serve as SPO in Vaccine Discovery for Global Health. He is founder of UNIVAC llc in the US and UNIVAC NV in Belgium and visiting scientist at the REGA Institute, University of Leuven (Belgium). Geert is board certified in virology and microbiology, the author of over 30 publications, and inventor on several patent applications. He has presented vaccine- and adjuvant-related topics at multiple international congresses.

Vaccines

Dr. Edmond Puca is currently working as Medical Doctor Service of Infectious Disease, University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa in Tirana. He finished specialization on May 2008 in Infection Disease near of University Hospital Center Mother Teresa in Tirana.

His research has included sepsis, HFRS and leptospirosis

Francesca Torriani is a medical director in San Diego and a member of several editorial boards. She has done many research findings in Infection Prevention and Control and her studies have included investigations of respiratory viruses using cellular and molecular techniques.

Infection Prevention and Control

Pătrașcu Ionel Victor, MVD, PhD president of Activeimmunity, born on February 7, 1937. Graduated in Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest in 1963. Researcher in the field of virusology at Pasteur Institute in Bucharest. Made different specializations in the field of avian and human oncogenic viruses at Houghton Poultry Research Station, Huntington, England, at Friedrich-Loeffler- Institut, Celle, Institute of Animal Pathology in Rotherdam, Netherlands, Cornell University Ithaca NY and Athens University, Athens, GA. USA. In 1971 discovered to extract Fc 126 cell associated as cell free in SPGA and allowed to freeze-dry vaccine anti Marek disease lymphoma

Infectious Diseases, Veterinary, Immunological Diseases

Dr. Nanda earned her medical degree from Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College. She then completed a fellowship in Infectious Diseases with additional training in healthcare epidemiology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr. Nanda's major areas of research interest are infection prevention strategies to reduce healthcare associated infections and fecal transplantation for Clostridium difficile infection.

Professor Dr. Mohammad Hadi Dehghani (PhD) is a Full Professor at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Tehran, IRAN. His scientific research interests include the Environmental Health and Infectious Waste. He is the author of various research studies published at national and international journals, conference proceedings and Head of several research project at the TUMS. He has authored 8 books and more than 150 full papers published in peer- reviewed journals. He is an editorial board member and reviewer in many internal and international journals and is member of several international science committees around the world. He has supervisor and advisor PhD and MSc theses at the TUMS

Environmental Health and Infectious Waste

Dr. Ananda M. Chakrabarty serves as Senior Science Advisor of Amrita Therapeutics Limited. Dr. Chakrabarty is a Amrita’s Senior Science Mentor and Global Domain Expert relating to how bacterial proteins effectively combat cancers, parasites, and viruses in the human body. Dr. Chakrabarty serves as a Distinguished University Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine, and advises senior officials in the U.S. and abroad on policies relating to biotechnology and related technology transfer. He is a Consultant to the United Nations. In 1980, Dr. Chakrabarty’s genetically modified Pseudomonas bacteria became the first genetically-engineered organism to gain a patent, as a result of the Supreme Court decision in Diamond vs. Chakrabarty. Dr. Chakrabarty undertook pioneering biotechnology research into the therapeutic potential for protein products of bacteria, both at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and on behalf of CDG Therapeutics, a U.S. biotechnology start-up company engaged in clinical cancer research. Dr. Chakrabarty has led path-breaking research into the therapeutic qualities of protein products of bacteria. His work includes recent studies with water-soluble products of pathogenic bacteria demonstrating significant promise for cancer therapies, effective against HIV/AIDS, malaria and perhaps even tuberculosis. Dr. Chakrabarty was a part of the Advisory Committee that resulted in creation of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Trieste, Italy and rejoined the ICGEB Advisory Board. Dr. Chakrabarty has numerous publications and has received many notable awards for his contributions to biotechnology, including Padma Shri in 2007, one of the Indian Government’s highest civilian honors.

Cell Biology, Microbiology, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Cancer Cells, Biotechnology, Oncology, Cancer Biology, Cancer Therapy, Pseudomonas, Malaria, Cystic Fibrosis, Genetic Engineering, Infectious Diseases, Cancer Chemotherapy, Mutation

1996-present: Director, WM Keck Center for Transgene Research, University of Notre Dame. 1983-present: Kleiderer/Pezold Professor of Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame. 1979-2002: Dean, College of Science, University of Notre Dame. 1977-1983: Professor, University of Notre Dame. 1974-1977: Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame. 1970-1974: Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame. 1968-1970: NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Duke University. 1968: Ph.D. in Biochemistry, University of Iowa. 1964: B.S. University of Scranton. 2006-present: Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine.

The interests of Professor Castellino\'s laboratory involve the structure, function and activation of proteins that participate in blood coagulation and blood clot dissolution. The in vivo mechanisms of the roles of these proteins in these processes are being addressed through in vivo targeted gene-replacement approaches and corresponding in vitro structure-function studies on these genes and proteins are being studied by the most modern biophysical techniques, e.g., X-ray crystallography, NMR, etc. Most of these proteins exist in an inactive state in plasma and thus must be activated to enzymes to exhibit their functional properties. The molecular events involved in the activation and analysis of the concomitant structural changes that occur in the protein are investigated by modern biochemical techniques. Major tools of the laboratory involve cloning, mutagenesis and expression of variant recombinant proteins and individual protein domains, immunochemical studies of the proteins, as well as physical and chemical analysis of their solution structures. The properties of the proteins are then related to their functions. Another project receiving attention involves the structure-function relationships of small gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing peptides from marine cone snails that target the brain NMDA receptor. These peptides inhibit the flow of calcium into neuronal cells, this latter event being responsible for the neuropathology associated with stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer\'s Disease, ALS, etc. The biochemical, pharmacological and neurobiological mechanisms of the actions of these peptides are under study. Peptide synthesis, receptor binding, molecular biological and electrophysiological tools are currently employed in this work. To determine the biological functions of genes encoding coagulation and clot-dissolving proteins in hemostasis, cancer, inflammation, wound healing, embryonic implantation and development, metastases, and athersclerosis, gene deletion and other gene targeting experiments are being performed in mice, in conjunction with phenotyping of these animals. Such studies are expected to provide important information on the development and progression of these disease states.

Dr. Xi Yang is a Canada Research Chair in Infection and Immunity. He is working as a Professor in the departments of Medical Microbiology and Immunology of University of Manitoba, Canada. He is also extending his duties as a Chair of Promotion and Tenure committee in the department of Immunology. The research program in his laboratory focuses on the cellular and molecular basis of immune responses to allergens and infectious agents and on the development of immunoprophylactic approaches for allergy and infectious diseases.

Infectious Diseases

Dr.Rao is working as Professor & Head of Microbiology and Immunology, and Dean of students affairs in the Avalon University School of Medicine, Curacao.He is having 42 years of experience in the field of microbiology. He has published many research papers/articles in international journals.

Immunology, Microbiology

John J.S. Cadwell received his degree in pharmacology from the University of Miami in 1981. He spent additional time studying at the University of Nottingham and the National Institute of Medical Research at Mill Hill, U.K.. In 2000 he founded FiberCell Systems Inc., a company specializing in the research and supply of hollow fiber bioreactors. He has over 10 publications in the field and three patents relating to hollow fiber systems and is considered a world expert in the field.

Hollow fiber bioreactors

Associate Director of Clinical Proteomics Core Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine University of California Health System USA

Disease Biomarkers for Studies on Tuberculosis (TB)

Dr. Maximilian Lackner earned his PhD in 2003 and his habilitation in 2009 from Vienna University of Technology. He has held several senior leadership positions in the polymer industry in Austria and China. Dr. Lackner has founded 5 companies, amongst them one for antimicrobial polymers and one in the area of bioplastics, Lackner Ventures & Consulting GmbH. This company collaborates with JinHui Zhaolong, one of the largest PBAT manufacturers. The research interests of Dr. Lackner include PHA and PBAT. Lackner Ventures & Consulting GmbH runs a research project to produce PHB from CO2 and sunlight using cyanobacteria. Dr. Lackner has authored more than 100 scientific articles. He teaches materials science at the University of Applied Sciences FH Technikum Wien.

Dr. Maximilian Lackner's research interests include PHA, PBAT and polymers

Jintao Li, female, Professor, Director and Principle Investigator, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Third Military Medical University(TMMU). She got her master degree in molecular biology from Biotechnology Centre, Southwest University in 1996 and then became a faculty in Genetics Department, TMMU and got her Ph.D degree in Immunology Institute, PLA, TMMU in 2000 and became associate professor and then professor later since then till to 2013. From 2011-2012, she worked in Canada as a visiting scientist for one year. Now she has published more than 100 academic papers such as Science Translational Medicine, J.I, E.J.I, etc. and got 5 items of awards. Awards and group menberships 2010 Chongqing Natural Science Prize “Antigen immune response regulation” 2009 First class of Chinese medical award “Antigen protein antigenic properties and Engineering Research” 2005 Chongqing natural science prize “Relationship with the immune response to a protein antigen characteristic” 2003 Excellent graduate doctor in TMMU 1993~1996 University first grade Scholarship 1989~1993 University second grade Scholarship

Tropical Pathogens and Epidemiology, Immunology, Biotechnology & Molecular Biology

Dr. Mubarak Ahmad Khan is Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Director General, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. He did his Ph.D. in Radiation and Polymer Chemistry. He is working in several promising areas of Radiation Chemistry and Processing Technology, natural fiber reinforced polymer composites, nanotechnology, material science, biomedical science, applied science etc. Also experience in fiber reinforced polymer composite materials for various applications such as parts and body of auto car, panelized constriction materials, and bodies of electric appliances. Totally biodegradable composite materials based on natural fibers and degradable (both and synthetic) thermoplastic and resin for biomedical purposes. His focus is to use radiation-processing technology for biomedical purposes, renewable energy, Dye sensitized solar cell, modification of natural fibers; stimuli-responsive materials, hydrogel, scaffold form natural polymers. He has conducted research works in many countries including America, Germany, Japan and etc. He has worked in Germany (Technical University of Berlin, Fraunhofer Institute of Applied Polymer Research) as DAAD and Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) fellow, in Japan as MIF Fellow, as visiting scientist, in Australia (University of New South Wells) as IAEA fellow. Trained in Nuclear and Radiation Chemistry through various training course organized by IAEA. He is a part time Professor of Dhaka University, and visiting professor and examiner of various universities of Bangladesh. He is author/co-author of about 600 publications including 16 book chapters and a patent. He has served as project director/co-project director of different national and international scientific project on polymer science. Reviewers of different International Journals on Polymer and Composite Science as well Radiation supervised more than 300 M.Sc. 8 M. Phil and 13 PhD. Students. He is part time/visiting Professor of different universities of home and abroad. He has invented advanced wound dressing material from cow bone, liquid bio-fertilizer from textile effluent, natural plant growth promoter from prawn shell etc. He is also the inventor of Jutin (Jute Reinforced Polymer Corrugated Sheet) the outstanding housing material from jute plastic composite and food preservative using oligo chitosan (alternative to the formalin), He is awarded several national and international awards including Bangladesh Academy of Science Gold Medal awards 2010 for his remarkable contribution to scientific community. He is also awarded and honored by various social and academic institutes in home and abroad, He is also selected as Fellow of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). His name was published in How’s Who in World in 1998. He visited more than 22 countries for participating different seminars, workshops, symposiums, conferences as invited speaker or speaker.

Chief Scientific Officer

João R. Mesquita (D.V.M., M.Sc.; Ph.D.) is a Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu where he teaches topics within Infectious Diseases for more than 12 years. On the past decade he has focused on Virology, where he has published over 50 papers in Scopus indexed Journals. He has won several scientific prizes from different societies and conferences, where he has presented numerous oral and poster presentations. His research interests are focused on animal and human virology, mainly on zoonotic viruses, with special interest on surveillance tools and epidemiology.

animal and human virology, zoonotic viruses, special interest on surveillance tools and epidemiology

Dr Evans is a clinical laboratory director with a PhD in medical microbiology and immunology. He currently serves as a senior laboratory and informatics consultant to the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) which is the parent organization of all state and local public health laboratories in the United States. During this time, he has been involved with APHL/CDC projects in Haiti, Kenya, Indonesia, Namibia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. As a microbiology and infectious disease consultant for the American Society for Microbiology, he has participated in CDC antimicrobial resistance surveillance and other programs in Ethiopia, Kenya and Bangladesh. Dr Evans serves on the New York State Board for Clinical Laboratory Technology and was the first chairman of the state board established in 2006. He is the recipient of APHL's Thomas E Maxson Education, Training and Workforce Development Award for significant contributions to Public Health Laboratory Practice. In 2013, Dr Evans concluded 6 years of public health laboratory service as an Associate Director at the New York City Public Health Laboratory.Key responsibilities included Director of Technical Affairs, Acting Manager of the Microbiology Section & LIMS Project Leader. Previously, Dr Evans spent 14 years in the private sector as a clinical laboratory director at Quest Diagnostics and SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories. Prior to his work in the diagnostic laboratory, he was in academia including positions at Temple University and the University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine. He is also a New York State licensed medical technologist.

Antimicrobial resistance, microbial pathogenesis, laboratory assessment tools, LIMS implementation and improving laboratory quality indicators

Dr Sanjib Bhakta is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Molecular Microbiology and Biochemistry, Strategic Dean (International and Partnership) and Programme Director of MRes Global Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of London and UCL .His continued research interest in infectious bacterial diseases (funded by Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, UK and EU) is focussed on developing novel therapeutics as well as repurposing existing drugs to tackle antibiotic resistance and persistence in tuberculosis (TB), a global health emergency. He has published more than 100 original research articles for a number of internationally acclaimed journals including J. Exp. Med., JBC, Tuberculosis, Biochem. J., J. Antimicrob. Chemotherapy, FEBS J, Molecular Microbiology, British Medical Journal, PLOS, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Nature Sci Report.

infectious bacterial diseases,developing novel therapeutics as well as repurposing existing drugs to tackle antibiotic resistance and persistence in tuberculosis (TB),

Dr. Joshi is director of center for surgical infections at Drexel University; and a professor of Drexel’s Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Nyheim Plasma Institute, Dermatology, and Surgery. At Drexel University, his laboratory is renowned for studying novel nonthermal plasma-based technologies in infection control. He has a special interest in emerging bacterial infections, biofilms, novel infection control strategies. Since 1987, Dr. Joshi has taught undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students, and trained doctoral, postdoctoral, and resident fellows in medical research. He has been mentoring graduates and medical students, who now have successful careers in medicine, academia and the pharmaceutical industry. Since 2004, he has been a member of international mentoring program and minority mentoring program of American Society of Microbiology (ASM), and Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA). He is a physician-researcher-teacher and eligible member of American Board of Medical Microbiology. In 2016, Dr. Joshi is elected as a Fellow of Infectious Disease Society of America.

Research Interest: Emerging bacterial infections, host-pathogen interactions and immune responses, hospital-acquired infections and molecular epidemiology, wound infection and wound healing, antimicrobial drug resistance, novel infection control strategies, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, botulism, MRSA & bacterial biofilms, biodefense bacterial vaccines, nonthermal plasma applications in infection control.

Dr.V. O. Fadipe holds a PhD degree in Chemistry (Organic/Natural Product) from University of Zululand, South Africa. He is presently Principal Research Fellow /Assistant Director with Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria. He has several research publications in chemistry of natural product for the treatment of TB. His research interest is in the bio-prospecting for drug lead candidates from natural products (plant and animal) for management & treatment and repositioning of existing drugs for infectious diseases particularly TB and TB/HIV. He is a member of several learned society in chemistry.

Research interest is in the bio-prospecting for drug lead candidates from natural products (plant and animal) for management & treatment and repositioning of existing drugs for infectious diseases particularly TB and TB/HIV

Prof Wilson Parawira is the Executive Dean, Faculty of Science, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe. He has over 20 years of experience teaching in various universities. His main teaching area is Microbiology and Biotechnology. He has held the following positions during his career: Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Associate Professor and currently is a full Professor in Microbiology and Biotechnology. Currently, Professor Parawira is the Executive Dean of Faculty of Science at Bindura University of Science Education since August 2012. Professor Wilson Parawira holds a BSc Honours degree in Biological Sciences MSc in Biotechnology from University of Zimbabwe. He obtained his PhD degree in Environmental Biotechnology from Lund University, Sweden in 2004. He did his first postdoctoral research fellowship in 2008 at Lund University in Sweden in Anaerobic Digestion and his second postdoctoral research fellowship in in Fermentation Process Development in Departments of Process Engineering and Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2009. During his academic career, he has written 36 scientific articles and three book chapters and supervised several MSc and PhD students and serves as an editor of three scientific journals. His research interests are in environmental biotechnology; biofuels; food microbiology; and science, engineering, technology and innovation policies and their effectiveness. Prof Parawira is an External Examiner at the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Department of Biological Sciences at University of Namibia, Department of Environmental Science, University of South Africa, and Department of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. Prof Parawira has examined many PhD and MPhil theses from several universities.

Environmental biotechnology; biofuels; food microbiology; and science, engineering, technology and innovation policies and their effectiveness.

Dr. Ajadi Isaac is a medical doctor from Nigeria with eight years of work experience in clinical medicine both at teaching hospitals and private facilities. He had his medical training at Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital where he later served before joining the medical team at Onabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital both located in the South-Western part of the country. Due to his strong passion for medicine, he founded Divine Treasure private hospital which has now birthed many other branches across the country. As an accolade to his academic achievements, Dr. Ajadi recently bagged a master's degree in Health Science with a focus on Preeclampsia and HIV pathogenesis at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. He intends to continue his research in HIV pathogenesis at PhD levels in the same university. Dr. Ajadi is also a prolific writer, a motivational speaker and a proprietor of Treasure International College.

HIV pathogenesis ,medicine

ZAREMA OBRADOVIC, Professor, Faculty for Health Studies University of Sarajevo, Institute for Public Health of Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, PhD, Medical doctor , Specialist of epidemiology . Main areas of work: immunisation, travel medicine, zoonotic diseases, general epidemiology . Coordinator for diseases associated with climate changes for FB&H by WHO. Till now published over 200 scientific papers in different publication, medical journals, nacional and internacional symposiums and congresses. Scientific books :“Echinococcosis”, “International Travelers Healthcare”, “Epidemiology and Health Statistic”, “Applied epidemiology” “Zoonoses” and some chapter in the book “Occupational Health” . President of Association of epidemiologists of FB&H, Member of Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences (BHAAAS ) Member of International Society of Travel Medicine( ISTM) Editorial Board member for Journal of Health Sceinces. Visiting profesor on Medical Faculty in Bucharest, Romania, external evaluator for Ph.D. thesis on The University Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan

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Jonathan Leis is a leader in the field of replication of retroviruses. His laboratory has played important roles in defining the mechanisms of reverse transcription, viral DNA integration, proteolytic processing, and virus assembly. He also created the nomenclature used to describe retrovirus specific proteins. He is a Professor of Microbiology & Immunology and former Executive Associate Dean for Research for the Feinberg School of Medicine. He has published 127 peer review manuscripts including many in Nature Communications, Cell, Science, and Proceedings National Academy of Sciences. He has served on many editorial boards and state, national, and international study sections.

Preventing Enveloped Virus Release from Cells by Targeting Budding Complexes

Giulio Filippo Tarro, male, graduated summa cum laude from Medicine School of Naples University in 1962. Assistant to Medical Pathology at Naples University, 1963-1965, and Research Associate at Division of Virology and Cancer Research, Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1965-1968, he was assistant professor of Research Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati 1968-1969, and professor of Oncological Virology at University of Naples 1972-1985. He worked for National Research Council, Rome, 1969-1972, and for National Cancer Institute, Frederick Center, Maryland, 1973. He became Division Chief of Virology 1973-2003, and then Department Chief of Diagnostic Laboratories, 2003-2006, D. Cotugno Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Naples; Emeritus, 2006 -. Dr Tarro's researches in Virology have been both basic and mission oriented. His basic researches have been concerned with antigens induced early during the replication cycle of human herpesviruses. Another study has involved the identification, isolation and characterization of specific virus-induced tumour antigens, which were the "finger-prints" left behind in human cancer. His mission-oriented research has dealt with many aspects of various infectious diseases including broncho-pneumonia, encephalitis, cholera, and the diseases caused by different viruses. Achievements include patents in field; discovery of RSV virus in infant deaths in Naples and of tumor liberated protein (TLP) as a tumor associated antigen, 50 kilodalton, overexpressed in lung tumors and other epithelial adenocarcinomas. Scientific Coordinator extracorporeal hyperthermia in HCV patients, First Circle Medicine, Minneapolis., 2000-03. Since 2007 he is Chairman Committee on Biotechnologies and VirusSphere World Academy Biomedical Technologies (WABT), UNESCO, and Adjunct Professor Department Biology Temple University College of Science and Techology, Philadelphia, Dr. Tarro is on the editorial board of various medical journals and has been elected to membership and/or presidence of many academies and societies. He has also been the recipient of many awards and honours, among the most recent ones the Sbarro Health Research organization lifetime achievement award, 2010 Philadelphia, USA. Since 2015 he is Chairman Delegate WABT Committees and Commissions and Editor in Chief, Journal of Vaccine Research and Development, Singapore.

Virology and Cancer Research

Dr. Sztein is Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland. In addition, Dr. Sztein is Associate Director for Immunologic Research, Leader of the Immunology Group and Chief of the Cellular Immunology Section and Flow Cytometry Core Laboratory at the prestigious Center for Vaccine Development. Dr. Sztein is an accomplished investigator in the area of immunology of infectious diseases. He has published 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals and written 35 invited chapters.

Dr. Sztein is Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland. In addition, Dr. Sztein is Associate Director for Immunologic Research, Leader of the Immunology Group and Chief of the Cellular Immunology Section and Flow Cytometry Core Laboratory at the prestigious Center for Vaccine Development. Dr. Sztein is an accomplished investigator in the area of immunology of infectious diseases. He has published 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals and written 35 invited chapters.

Anna Hirsch read Natural Sciences with a focus on Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and spent her third year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, doing a research project with Prof. Timothy Jamison on the total synthesis of amphidinolide T1.For her Master’s project, she returned to Cambridge to develop the double conjugate addition of dithiols to propargylic carbonyl systems reaction in the group of Prof. Steven V. Ley.She received her Ph.D. from the ETH Zurich in 2008. Her research was carried out in the group of Prof. François Diederich and consisted of de novo structure-based design and the synthesis of the first inhibitors for an enzyme as a novel approach to treat malaria.Subsequently, she joined the group of Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn at the Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS) in Strasbourg, before taking up a position as assistant professor at the Stratingh Institute for Chemistry at the University of Groningen in 2010. In 2015, she was promoted to associate professor of structure-based drug design. In 2017, she moved to the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), where she heads the department for drug design and optimization.

Her work focuses on rational approaches to drug design (with a strong focus on anti-infective targets), including structure- and fragment-based drug design in combination with dynamic combinatorial chemistry and kinetic target-guided synthesis. Anna Hirsch was awarded the Gratama Science Prize in 2014, the SCT-Servier Prize for Medicinal Chemistry in 2015 and the Innovation Prize for Medicinal Chemistry of the GdCh/DPhG in 2017.

Armelle Phalipon is group leader in the Molecular Microbial Pathogenesis Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France. With about 25 years of experience working on Shigella, she has deciphered the targets and effectors of the humoral response to infection, discovered two novel molecular mechanisms of secretory IgA-mediated protection at mucosal surfaces, and highlighted the Shigella-mediated targeting mechanisms, and their functional consequences, on human B and T lymphocytes. In addition, in collaboration with Dr. Laurence Mulard (Institut Pasteur), she has developed a Shigella subunit vaccine candidate which is presented here. Armelle Phalipon has co-created the International Vaccinology Course launched at the Pasteur Institute in 2008, and is Co-Director since then. Dr. Phalipon was also a member of the WHO Steering Committee for Diarrheoal Diseases (2007-2009).

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Dr. Nassiri is a former Associate Dean of Global Health at the Michigan State University (MSU). He also served as MSU director of Institute of International Health. He is currently Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Professor of Family and Community Medicine, and, lecturer in Global Health, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine. He currently works on international public health issues and has expertise in global health. He has made contributions in various fields of medical sciences including clinical investigation and health education. On the basis of his extensive experience and expertise in HIV/AIDS, TB and antimicrobial resistance, he developed clinical research programs in Brazil, South Africa, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Mexico. He had served as editorial board member for the journal of HIV and AIDS Review. He is currently on editorial board member for AIDS Patient Care and STDs. Prof. Nassiri has delivered seminar presentations on Tropical Medicine, HIV/AIDS, TB, Global Health and public health interventions in numerous national and international conferences and workshops. He is internationally recognized for his work in the areas of building effective international partnerships particularly in global health, community health, clinical care capacity building, and technical assistance mechanism. He is the founder of Michigan State University Osteopathic and Primary Health Clinic in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. He has developed academic and research partnership programs with Federal University of Para Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belem, Brazil.

He currently works on international public health issues and has expertise in global health. He has made contributions in various fields of medical sciences including clinical investigation and health education.

Professional experience: 1989 employed at Veterinary Faculty Ljubljana, Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology; 2004 Assist. Prof. in the field of microbiology and epizootiology; 2009 Senior Research Fellow in the field of microbiology and immunology; 2014 Research Counsellor in the field of microbiology and immunology; 2016 DipECVM (European Veterinary Specialist in Veterinary Microbiology).Mentor for five and co-mentor for three completed PhD dissertations. He has published more than 90 original scientific papers. He is a member of the editorial board and a reviewer for several international scientific journals and a member of the European Society of Mycobacteriology (chairman of the 31st ESM congress), International Association for Paratuberculosis, International Society for Infectious Diseases and Slovenian Microbiological Society (past president). A board member of the European College of Veterinary Microbiology.

He is engaged in development and implementation of the methods for diagnostics of zoonoses. He is also a leader of several scientific projects and a principal investigator one of the main research groups at the Veterinary Faculty.

Richard Dybowski is a senior research scientist at Cambridge University. He have been involved with the application of artificial intelligence to medicine for over 20 years. This includes the use of deep learning for automatic image analysis and the use of Bayesian networks for optimizing clinical decision-making, including those cases associated with infectious diseases.

His research interests lie within the areas of stochastic models of biomedical phenomena, machine learning (particularly deep learning), and normative clinical reasoning.

Carmela Saturnino, professor in Medicinal Chemistry University of Basilicata. 1989 University L. Pasteur in Strasbourg (F) (.DEA - Pharmacologie et Pharmacochimie, option = Pharmacochimie. Supervisors prof.C.G.Wermuth and J.J.Bourguignon. 1991-1993: Fellow of the pharmaceutical industry -Servier in Paris and later the University of Caen (F). Co-autor: 112 (publications, 6 Patent, etc.)

Carbazoles, Metalocines, Pyrazoles, suzuki reaction, Design, Synthesis and biological studies and understanding of the mechanisms of action of new therapeutic molecules for: cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, antimicrobial agents.

Dr. Saleh received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto in 1997. Working at the Department of medical biophysics his work concerned the interaction of bacterial toxins and membranes. Prior to joining the Department of Biology at Laurentian University, I spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Colorado State University. Dr. Saleh is currently the Chairperson for the Department of Biology at Laurentian University.

The area of my expertise is molecular biophysics. My training in this area has been used in the past 15 years to study various aspects of bacterial physiology and their interactions with their environments. Several research programs were carried out in relation to interaction of bacteria with their environments in both pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria. In non-pathogenic bacteria, I used bioinformatics techniques to address certain questions on the process of protein secretion in bacteria. Specifically, how the structural features of signal sequences direct the membrane translocation of signal sequence-containing secretory proteins. I currently have a graduate student looking at the involvement of the mRNA of such secretory proteins in targeting the protein to the membrane for translocation and secretion. In terms of other aspects of bacterial protein secretion (relevant to pathogenesis), I'm interested in the secretion mechanisms and characterization of bacterial extracellular polypeptides. My group is involved in several projects at the present time to include work with RNA-binding proteins and their role in protein secretion, physiological and immunological comparative studies of Streptomyces and Mycobacteria, and the cloning and characterization of a number of virulence factors of mycobacteria, mycoplasma and streptomyces.

Abeer Mostafa Abdalhamed is working as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Clinical laboratory Sciences at College of Applied Medical Sciences Shaqra University. She is an Editorial board Member of Donnish Journal of Biomedical Research (DJBR), Member of Journal of Immunology and Cellular Microbiology.

My research focuses on the Molecular Typing and Epidemiological Studies of Microbial Diseases of Human and Animal Origin with Special Interest of Molecular Bacteriology and Open Journal of Medical Microbiology.

Ahmed Hegazi is currently a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the National Research Center, Egypt. Prof. Hegazi received his master’s degree in 1979, and his PhD in 1981. He has published 211 scientific papers and articles in national and international journals. He also served on the board of multiple national and international scientific journals. Dr. Hegazi is also the president of the Egyptian Environmental Society for Uses and Production of Bee Products, secretary of the Egyptian Society of Apitherapy, secretary general of the African Federation of Apiculture Associations, and a member of the International Apitherapy Commission (APIMONDIA). Dr. Hegazi awards; First Class Decoration of Excellence, Egypt, 1995, The Senior Scientist Prize of National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, 1996, The National Scientific Prize In Biological Sciences, Egypt, 1990, The Scientific Prize of The National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, 1989, The Second Best Research Paper Award, International Congress of Propolis, Bones Aires, Argentina, 2000, Main Speaker Award,10th Academic Conference, PRA and NAS (Nippon Apitherapy Soc.) Japan, 2006, 2 Bronze medals from The International Innovation Fair of the Middle East, Kuwait, 2007 Awarded of Ghazi Wad Allah Salon Prize, 2008, Finally awarded the Merit Ward in Medical Sciences, National Research Centre, Egypt, 2016 and have 4 patents.

Hegazi's research work has been focused lately on bee products and their therapeutic effects. Hegazi organized and contributed to national and international research projects since 1977 and up till now; he has been the principal investigator on multiple research projects within the National Research Center.

Ishwar Gilada: A medical doctor, specialized in Skin & STDs with special training in HIV management, Managing Director and Consultant in HIV/AIDS at Unison Medicare& Research Centre-India’s first private sector comprehensive HIV Care clinic; President of AIDS Society of India (a professional organization of physicians in HIV care); Secretary General of Peoples Health Org. (India). He was Secretary General of ASI from 2005-2011 and the Jt. Sec. of National AIDS Committee, Govt of India (1995-97). He was the first to raise alarm against AIDS in 1985, is known for bringing India on AIDS control map, had started India’s first AIDS Clinic-1986 and has expertise in HIV care in resource-poor settings. He had trained several doctors, nurses and social workers; he was Editor-Publisher of AIDS ASIA from 1993 to 2008. He initiated, managed, supervised, evaluated over 40 HIV/AIDS projects in India, addressed over 3700 public meetings and training programs in India and abroad, has 235 scientific papers at conferences, written chapters in books on AIDS/STDs. He was consultant for American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR), World Vision, USAID; has more than 65 awards to his credit including the "Outstanding Young Person of the World" –Glasgow in 1995 and Annemarie Madison Award-Germany in 1999 in Munich, Germany where he was termed as ‘the Indian Machinegun against AIDS’.

Specialized in Skin & STDs with special training in HIV management

Dr. Guirakhoo joined GeoVax as Senior Vice President R&D in October 2015. Dr. Guirakhoo was named one of the ‘50 Most Influential People in Vaccines’ in Vaccine Nation’s 2014 list. His previous assignment was Chief Technology Officer at Vaxess Technologies, a Cambridge, MA, based biotechnology company researching thermostabilization of vaccines and biologics using silk fibroin protein. Prior to this, he served as Chief Scientific Officer at Hookipa Biotech in Vienna, Austria, developing vaccines against Cytomegalovirus and cancers based on a novel replication deficient viral vector platform. Prior to that, Dr. Guirakhoo held the position of Executive Director of External R&D at Sanofi Pasteur from 2007-20012. Before joining Sanofi Pasteur in 2007, Dr. Guirakhoo was Head of Virology Research at Acambis for 15 years. During this time, he co-invented the ChimeriVax TM -technology platform in association with St. Louis University. This platform utilizes the YF 17D vaccine virus as a vector to develop chimeric live viruses. The ChimeriVaxTM vector platform was successfully used in the development of innovative vaccines such as: a) a single dose vaccine against Japanese encephalitis (IMOJEV™), marketed in Asian countries by Sanofi, b) a single dose veterinary vaccine for the prevention of West Nile encephalitis (PREVNILE™), marketed by Merck Animal Health, and c) DENGVAXIA®, the world’s first dengue vaccine approved in Mexico and Brazil in December 2015 and marketed by Sanofi. This tetravalent vaccine represents a historic milestone for half of the world population who lives at risk of dengue. Dr. Guirakhoo has over 30 years of experience in developing vaccines against infectious diseases. Dr. Guirakhoo holds a BSc in Biology, a MSc in genetics, and a PhD in Virology from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and was awarded a National Research Council post-doctoral fellowship at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort Collins, CO, from 1990-1992.

Catherine Mullié obtained a PhD in Microbiology and a PharmD at the University of Lille, France, in 1999. After a post-doc year at the Faculté de Medicine in Amiens (Laboratoire d’Immunologie, INSERM-EMI 0351), she was appointed as assistant professor at the Faculté de Pharmacie in Amiens in 2000 and joined the LG-2A (Laboratoire de Glycochimie des Antimicrobiens et des Agroressources, UMR 7378 CNRS) in 2008. She has been a member of the French Society for Microbiology since 2000. Her research is focused on the development of new antimicrobial and antimalarial drugs, with a special interest in efflux-mediated antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. She currently heads the French part of a bilateral project funded by France and Algeria (Partenariat Hubert Curien Tassili) on this topic.

development of new antimicrobial and antimalarial drugs, with a special interest in efflux-mediated antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii

Professor Dr. Andy I.M. Hoepelman (26-03-1955) is Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases in the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands. Until 2016 he was also the head of the Department of Internal medicine. Since August 1st 1998, he is Professor in Medicine. Dr. Hoepelman received his medical training from the University of Utrecht, receiving his Doctorate in 1978 and his MD degree in 1980. He completed two internships at the University in 1980 and 1985 to earn his board certification as a specialist in Internal Medicine. He received his PhD in 1989. In 1991/1992 he worked at the Rockefeller University, New York (Laboratory Prof. E. Tuomanen) and at the Memorial-Sloan Kettering (Department of Infectious Diseases, Prof.dr. D. Armstrong). In 1993, he was board certified as a specialist in Infectious Diseases. He also heads the training programme in Infectious Disease for internal medicine specialists at the University Hospital Utrecht. He is author/co-author of more than 400 published articles and is a member of several professional associations. His research interests are pathogenesis and treatment of HIV and viral hepatitis. He won a bronze medal in waterpolo at the Montreal Olympics

pathogenesis, treatment of HIV and viral hepatitis

Huseyin Kayadibi was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. He received a Degree in Medicine from the GATA School of Medicine (Turkey) in 2000. He is an Associate Professor in Medical Biochemistry at Hitit University School of Medicine, where he is the head of Medical Biochemistry. He worked at Pasarow Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, University of California Los Angeles in 2012 as a visiting scholar. He has been a co-investigator on NIH and other international projects about metabolomic, proteomic and lipidomic analysis. He is the member of EFLM Working Group Test Evaluation and IFCC Working Group Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins. He has published more than 70 papers in peer reviewed journals. His research interests are non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, separation techniques and mass spectrometry.

non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, separation techniques and mass spectrometry.

Refat Sadeq, Prof. and Head of Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Port said University, Egypt. He has been on microbiology field over 40 years. He has started and graduated in Zagazig Faculty of Medicine for M.Sc. and Ph.D. Then started to research articles reaching more than 80 articles, many of which have been published in international scientific journals, and he has reviewed over 150 articles on different journal sites. He is a Featured Author, for books in Medical Microbiology and Immunology for both medical students and nurses. Work from 2008-2011 as Head of Microbiology Department, Faculty of Medicine- Zagazig University. Also work as member of Egyptian scientific committee for graduation of Professor and assistant Professor in Microbiology in Egypt and some Arabic countries. He signed as Board editor of EC Microbiology Journal and Journal of Human Virology and Retrovirology. Since Oct 2014 he pointed as a Head of Microbiology and Immunology department, Faculty of Medicine, Port said University. He is very goal-oriented, assisted in building many units in his department but the favorite one was that of Virology and Molecular biology. He loves how to help junior doctors in his department to solve their scientific problems. His advice to new contributors is to take your time to get to know all the tools and to invest your energy and be sure that success will happened.

Virology and Molecular biology.

Professor Janak Kishore is Chief of Serology and Molecular Virology in the department of Microbiology, Sanjay Gandhi Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, India. He was Associate Editor Indian Journal of Virology, member National Academy Medical Sciences, American societies and Fellow of JICA, Japan. His passion is on healing and minimising human sufferings; on unveiling emerging viral infections and finding aetiologies in viral epidemics and in investigating undiagnosed/missed clinical infections so that appropriate treatment is given and life is saved. Dr. Kishore taught for over 30 yrs with pioneer work on parvovirus B19, developed in-house molecular techniques and published three novel clinical associations besides finding novel oncolytic property of B19. He also worked on cytomegalovirus, enteroviral haemorrhagic conjunctivitis, rubella. Dr Kishore published over 50 papers, served as reviewer for reputed journals, organized conferences, Chaired sessions and frequently invited to speak at international conferences.

Emerging viral infections,Viral epidemics and Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Dr Ashok Kapse is consulting Pediatrician practicing in the city of Surat in the Gujrat state of India, besides owning a private pediatric hospital he is also head of the pediatric department at a prestigious Mahavir super specialty hospital. He has special interest and skill in infectious diseases. Working along with CDC Atlanta he evolved simple clinical approach for diagnosis and management of Dengue illnesses particularly in resource limited situations. Recipient of many oration awards he is a popular and sought after speaker, he has delivered hundreds of lectures on Dengue, Malaria, Typhoid and antibiotic uses across the India. He has published more than 10 articles in reputed national & international journals also has contributed chapters in prestigious books.

Dengue, Malaria, Typhoid and Antibiotics

Professor Dr. Reza Nejat (1963) is Chief of Khatam-ol-Anbia Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 1992-1994, Taibad City, Khorasan Province, Iran. Emergency Dept of Tehranpars General Hospital 1994-2009. Emergency Dept of Iranmehr General Hospital 1997-2000. Chief of Imam Khomeini Firuzkuh Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 2006-2007, Firuzkuh, Tehran Province, Iran. Directing Manager of Biotourism, Consultant to Deputy of Therapeutics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 2007 to March, 2008. Member of managerial board of the committee of Health Tourism, Consultant to The Chancellor of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Health Tourism, March 2008-September 2008. Staff of Open Heart Surgery ICU of Day General Hospital, Tehran, Iran, June 2008-September 2009. Staff of ICU of Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, August 2008-March 2011. Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Dept. at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, March 2011 onward. Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Dept., ICU at Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, March 2011-April 2011. Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Dept. at 15th Khordad Hospital, OR of plastic and reconstruction surgery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, April 2011-April 2012. Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology Dept. at Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, April 2012-January 2013. Critical Care fellowship programme at Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, January 2013-July 2014. Assistant Professor, Fellowship of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM), ICU, Taleghani Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, July 2014-May 2015. Chief of CCM Dept., Bazarganan Hospital, Feb 2016- till now

Echocardiography, acute heart failure, stress response, sepsis and IVIG.

Glenn S Tillotson has over 30 years pharmaceutical experience in pre-clinical and clinical research, commercialization, medical affairs, scientific communications including publication planning strategic drug development, life cycle management and global launch programs. He has been instrumental in the development and launch of ciprofloxacin, moxifloxacin, gemifloxacin, fidaxomicin and several other agents. He is a SVP of Medical Affairs where he is preparing for the launch of solithromycin for community acquired bacterial pneumonia. He has published more than 170 peer-reviewed manuscripts and is on several journal Editorial Advisory Boards including the Lancet Infectious Disease, eBioMedicine, Expert Reviews in Anti-infective Therapy and F1000.

Infectious diseases

Joanna Zajkowska is currently working at Medical University of Białystok, Poland and carries Clinical Research on infectious diseases, especially on tick-borne diseases and nervous system diseases. She is an expert in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health and epidemiology. She is a Member of ISW-TBE, Wien Austria (International Scientific Working group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis and ESGBOR (ESCMID-European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases). She has published more than 200 papers in reputed journals and serving as a Reviewer in many journals.

Clinical Research on infectious diseases, especially on tick-borne diseases and nervous system diseases

Stef Stienstra is a strategic and creative Consultant in Biomedical Science with a parallel career as a Commander of the reserve of the Royal Dutch Navy. For the Dutch Armed Forces he has responsibility for the counter measures in CBNRe threats and (Medical) consequence management both in a military and a civilian (terrorism) setting. He is a strategic functional specialist for “Health & Environment” of the 1-Civil-Military-Interaction Command (1-CMI) of the Dutch Armed Forces and for 2015 also in the NATO Response Force (NRF), which is in 2015 the responsibility of the 1-German-Netherlands-Corps (1-GNC). In his civil career he works internationally as Consultant or as Scientific Supervisory Board Member for several medical and biotech companies, merely involved in biodefense. He is also a Visiting Professor for Punjab University in Pakistan and Rhein-Waal University in Germany. He has completed his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-hematology, biodefense and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often created out of unexpected combinations of technologies. His good understanding of abstract science combined with excellent skills in the communication of scientific matters to non-specialists, helps him with strategic consulting at top level management.

Ebola

Eugenie Bergogne-Berezin is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at University Diderot, Paris. She has studied MD in Medicine and PhD in Sciences in the early 1970s. She is a Chief of Department of Clinical Microbiology and research group, University Bichat Claude-Bernard and developed research on Acinetobacter spp., (nosocomial pathogen, pathogenicity, resistance), pharmacology of antibiotics, tissue distribution (lungs, brain, bronchi), research on intestinal ecology, jejunal flora and bacterial adhesion. She is an Adviser to pharmaceutical companies, expert in pharmacology-toxicology for the Ministry of Health, expert for international journals. She has developed a journal Antibiotics, (Elsevier). She has published 6 medical books, many chapters in international infectious diseases books, 200 articles in scientific journals.

Antibiotics

K C Santosh worked as a research fellow at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). He worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at the LORIA research centre, Universite de Lorraine in direct collaboration with industrial partner ITESOFT, France, for 2 years. He also worked as a research scientist at the INRIA Nancy Grand Est research centre for 3 years, until 2011. K C Santosh has demonstrated expertise in pattern recognition, image processing, computer vision and machine learning with various applications in handwriting recognition, graphics recognition, document information content exploitation, medical image analysis and biometrics. He published more than 60 research articles, including a book section in encyclopedia of electrical and electronics engineering.

Electrical and electronics engineering

Fernanda De Freitas Anibal had her PhD from University of São Paulo, Brazil in Basic and Applied Immunology. She is a Principal Investigator at Laboratory of Parasitology (Federal University of São Carlos) seeks new tools for the treatment, prevention and diagnostics for infectious diseases. Currently, they are working with two plants and six enzymes and their effects against schistosomiasis mansoni and toxocariasis, about the treatment of the infectious diseases, their group studies effects of plants (extracts) and their isolated fractions in order to evaluate the anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory effects and for infectious disease prevention, moreover have been working on the evaluation of the proteins of the parasite that has been potential to induce immune responses that decrease the parasite burden.

Immune Responses

Lalit Garg has received his PhD degree from the University of Ulster, UK in 2010. He has received his first degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering from the Barkatullah University, India in 1999 and Postgraduate degree in Information Technology from ABV-IIITM, Gwalior, India in 2001. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Computer Information Systems at the University of Malta, Malta. He was a Researcher at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore and at the University of Ulster, UK. His research interests include missing data handling, machine learning, data mining and their applications especially in the healthcare domain. He has published more than 60 technical papers in refereed journals and conferences.

Electronics and communication engineering

Junie Lia Monica is an MD, Ph D, Professor, Head Microbiology Department, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania. She is a Coordinator of resident doctor’s in the Laboratory Medicine specialty and Leadership PhD doctor’s thesis in Medicine field. She is a Board Member of European professional Societies ESCMID (ESGCP Study Groups), Society of Chemotherapy, Scientia Parasitologica Pro Vita and is a Reviewer of international reviews, Member of International organizations, Director/Coordinator in research projects. She has more than 63 papers published in full in international journals and is an editorial board member of national reviews. She is an Organizer/President, Keynote, Invited Speaker and Chair of International and National Congresses.

Microbiology

An expert in international health initiatives, health in developing nations, HIV/AIDS research

Infectious Diseases, Infection Prevention, and HIV/AIDS Research

The Department of Department of Infectious Diseases / Tropical Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology at St. Georg Hospital in Leipzig is about regional focus clinic and competence center for infectious diseases for the state of Saxony

Infectious Diseases

Regional Director for Infection Prevention and Control, Taif – Saudi Arabia, and also worked in Philosophy of Medical Science, Clinical Microbiology in Sweden. He also Became Infection Prevention and Control Director, King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital – Taif, Saudi Arabia, and published many International articles on prevention of central line –associated bloodstream infection, WHO- Hand Hygiene implementation program, prevention sharp injuries in healthcare settings and molecular genotyping for epidemiological purposes and also participated in the Poster and oral presentations in many international conferences

Infection Prevention and Control

Nito Panganiban, Ph.D., is Professor and Interim Division Chair of Microbiology at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, Chief Scientific Officer at Peptineo, and a member of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Panganiban received his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Washington, where he carried out research on bacteriophage RNA processing in Helen Whiteley's lab. He did two years of postdoctoral work on retrovirus replication in Howard Temin's lab at the McArdle Lab for Cancer Research at the University of Wisconsin before joining the faculty at McArdle. He was then a Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. He moved to Tulane in 2012. Past work has centered on retrovirus replication including HIV. Dr. Panganiban does research on diverse emerging RNA viruses, with emphasis on pathogenic, zoonotic RNA viruses including members of the bunya- and flavivirus families including Zika virus, Rift Valley Fever, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, and hantaviruses. He is an expert in multiple facets of molecular virology and nonhuman primate models for RNA viruses, vaccines, virus-host interaction, high containment facilities, molecular biology, and genomics. In addition to his academic research and teaching, he is CSO of Peptineo (a biotech firm based in Albuquerque), and has served on numerous NIH, and additional, national committees and panels, and has served as a consultant for biotech and multi-investigator consortia.

Differential gene expression using transcriptome analysis, RNA biology, RNA viruses, emerging viruses, zoonotic viruses, host-pathogen interaction, viruses requiring high containment facilities, genomics

Dr. Montelaro is a Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine with secondary appointments in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology (Graduate School or Public Health) and the Department of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases. He serves as the Co-Director of the Center for Vaccine Research and the Scientific Director of the Peptide Synthesis Core. He received his PhD in Biochemistry in 1975 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research interest is in viral immunology and vaccine development, especially as related to AIDS, emerging diseases, and biodefense.

The primary focus of the Montelaro lab is to elucidate the intricate interactions between viral pathogens and host immune responses to determine the mechanisms by with host immunity contributes to protection and disease and to serve as a basis for the development of effective vaccines. A particular interest of the lab is to develop effective strategies to overcome the challenge of natural viral antigenic variation that has evolved as a common complication to the development of effective vaccines to important viral diseases, including those related to biodefense and emerging infectious diseases. Systems currently under investigation include HIV-1 and related animal lentiviruses (SHIV, SIV, and EIAV). Studies in these systems include investigation of the nature and role of antigenic variation during infection, the development of novel assays to characterize virus-specific innate, humoral, and cellular immune responses, and the design of engineered immunogens for effective vaccination against variant strains of a particular virus. In addition to these vaccine related studies, the lab also maintains a research program to develop novel de novo antimicrobial peptides (engineered cationic amphipathic peptides, or eCAPs) that can be used to inactivate a diverse spectrum of bacteria or enveloped viruses in a prophylactic or therapeutic treatment modalities.

C. A. Guzman graduated in Medicine and become Board Certified in Medical Bacteriology in Argentina. Later, he graduated as Doctor of Medicine and Surgery and obtained his Doctorate in Microbiological Sciences (University Genoa, Italy). In 1994 he became Head of the Vaccine Group (German Research Centre for Biotechnology, Germany). In 2005 he was appointed Head of the Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology (HZI), becoming later also APL-Professor at the Medical School and Member of the Centre for Individualized Infection Medicine (Hannover). His work was instrumental for developing new adjuvants and antigen delivery systems, leading to more than 200 publications.

Professor Grażyna Rydzewska M.D., PhD serves as a Head of the Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with IBD Subdivision, Central Clinical Hospital of Ministry of Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland. She currently serves also as a Vice-president of the Polish Society of Gastroenterology, and founding member and President of the Polish Pancreatic Club, member of coucil in International Association of Pancreatology and member of the European Pancreatic Club. She is also a professor and Director of Institute of Nursing and Obstetrics in Haculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Jan Kochanowski University, Kielce. She has founded and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Gastroenterology Review, also as Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Gastroenterology Disorders & Therapy. She is a member of editorial board in many journals in gastroenterology and internal medicine field (Nowa Klinika, Polish Gastroenterology, Medical Studies, Lekarz POZ, Gastroenterologia Praktyczna and others). During 10 years she was as Chief of Polish Medical Advisory Council on Gastroenterology (national consultant) and national representative in European Crohn and Colitis Organisation. Professor Rydzewska serves also as a member of clinical advisory boards at some pharmaceutical companies.

Professor Rydzewska main areas of interest are pancreatology, especialy signal transduction in pancreatic cells, prognosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis, treatment and prognosis in inflammatory bowel disease, and gastrointestinal endoscopy. She has published over 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals and over 10 chapters in medical textbooks.

Irene Wagner-Dobler studied biology in Munich and a PhD on an environmental issue - the vertical migration of planktonic insect larvae in lakes. Then she came as an assistant of the Scientific Director to Braunschweig at the GBF - now the HZI - and rose 1989 in the Department of Microbiology. Since they deal with topics of microbial ecology . Since 2001 Irene Wagner-Dobler is a professor at the University of Braunschweig and forwards since 2004, the working group "Microbial Communication". She has won several international research awards.

To understand the mechanisms behind the bacterial communication in detail. Then we can disrupt this radio and thus prevent the bacteria develop their pathogenic properties.

Carmen Alvarez-Dominguez has completed her Ph.D at the age of 29 years from Universidad Autonoma de Madrid and postdoctoral studies from Washington University School of Medicine on Small GTPases role in Listeria monocytogenes phagocytosis. She is the director of the Group on Genomics, Proteomics and Vaccines at the Research Institute Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL) in Santander, Spain. She has published more than 29 papers in reputed journals and serving as an editorial board member of Microbes and Infection and OMICS. She also is coauthor of the patent: Immunogenic peptides against Listeria and Mycobacterium, antibodies and their uses with reference PCT/ES2007/070144.

Kathleen Hefferon received her PhD from the Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto and continued her post-doctoral studies at Cornell University. Dr. Hefferon has worked on faculty at the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell and has written two books on biopharmaceuticals in plants. She teaches and conducts research at both the University of Toronto and Cornell University. Kathleen has 4 patents, has edited 6 books, and has multiple research publications. Kathleen currently lives with her family near Ithaca NY.

Pietro Mastroeni received a Degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Messina, Italy. He moved to the University of Cambridge, UK where he completed his Ph.D before becoming a Research Fellow at Imperial College, University of London UK. He is currently a Reader in Infection and Immunity at the University of Cambridge. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals and serves as an editorial board member.

Recent research in his group is focused on the study of pathogenesis and immunity to bacterial infections and on the improvement of strategies to deliver vaccines to the immune system. They concurrently run a number of multidisciplinary integrated research projects. Their past research has defined the role of cytokine networks, antibodies, phagocytes, B-cells and T-cell in host resistance to bacterial infections and has unravelled many bacterial virulence genes that counteract the immune system. This work is still evolving and has already contributed to the generation of new vaccine candidates. Recently, they are focused on understanding how individual bacteria interact with host cells in vivo and how subpopulations of microbes spread and distribute in the body. This has been achieved by novel multidisciplinary research approaches that integrate information acquired at different levels spanning from individual cells to global systems. This work has opened the possibility to comprehensively study the mechanistic bases of immune control of bacterial infections, thus opening the field to novel high impact research on improved prevention measures and medical treatments to fight infection. And currently, also delving into the interactions between the host and bacterial genome highlighting which bacterial genes play a role in counteracting specific host mechanisms. This research will lead to the identification of novel targets for vaccines and drug development. We are also exploring other new areas within infection such as the interplay between microbes and autoimmune diseases and the possibility to use recombinant bacteria as anti-cancer agents. This research may have translational outcomes in the generation of tools to modulate the course of autoimmune diseases and to destroy cancer cells in vivo. Another crucial line of research that we are actively pursuing deals with the understanding of how different cellular population and cell-surface receptors co-operate for the initiation and expansion of immune responses. This research is providing clues on what is required from bacterial vaccines to be effective and is guiding the development and testing of new vaccine preparations in human and domestic animals.

A. Paulo G. Almeida is Associate Professor in Medical Entomology/ Parasitology, at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa (IHMT/UNL), since 2009, where he is Director of the Unit of Medical Parasitology. He is currently a visiting professor at the ZRU, University of Pretoria. He has a Medical degree from the Classic University of Lisbon; Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (DTM&H), Royal College of Physicians, London; MSc Medical Parasitology, University of London (LSHTM) and PhD in Medical Entomology/Parasitology, University of London (ICSTM). Researcher and teacher in Medical Entomology and Parasitology and Coordinator of the MSc in Medical Parasitology of the IHMT/UNL. Has been invited as teacher in University of Oporto, University of Algarve, Faculdade Ciências e Tecnologia/ UNL, Faculdade de Veterinária/ UTL, Instituto de Ciências Sociais e Políticas/ UTL and Faculdade de Ciências/ UL. APG Almeida is author/co-author of over 30 peer reviewed publications and 5 book chapters.

APG Almeida's main areas of interest are anti-vector (mosquito and tick) vaccines and immunity and Vector-Parasite relationships; Studies on mosquito vectors aimed at malaria, arboviruses (WNV, dengue), filariasis, vector incrimination, and epidemiology; Mosquito systematics, molecular biology, bioecological and surveillance and control studies in different ecological settings; Climate change and risk analysis of mosquito borne diseases, in collaboration with specialists on remote detection. Almeida has led various research projects in those areas, supervised several postgraduate degrees, and acted as a consultant for the Portuguese National Directorate of Health and ECDC.

Dr. Bogdan Circiumaru currently hold the position of a Consultant in Infectious Diseases at the „Matei Balş“National Institute of Infectious Diseases, in Bucharest, Romania. Qualified in 1989 at the Bucharest State University of Medicine, He obtained a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and a Master of Science in Infectious Diseases from the University of London. This was followed by a PhD at the Bucharest State University of Medicine. He is an experienced clinician, with good skills in clinical infectious diseases and tropical pathology. His experience includes work under the supervision of Prof. Jon Cohen and David Mabey (London), and I also worked under the supervision of Prof. Antonella D`Arminio Monforte (Milan) with HIV/AIDS patients. He had numerous publications, especially in the infectious and Tropical Diseases. He had been awarded by the University of Bucharest with The Diploma of Excellence for the Book “Compendium of Infectious Diseases“. He also published a paper into the book: “NBC Risks (1999). Current Capabilities and Future Perspectives for Protection. NATO Science Series”.

Dr Atmaram Bandivdekar completed Ph D Degree at the age of 31 years from Mumbai University. He was Post-Doctoral and Carrier fellow at Population Council, New York. He was also the visiting scientist at UC Davis Primate Center, USA. He is the Consultant at National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health which is the premier Institute in India in the field of Reproductive Health Research. He has published more than 85 papers in peer reviewed journals and also the book and two conference proceedings. He also has six National and International awards for his scientific contributions.

Reproductive Biology, Endocrinology, Biochemistry, Virology and Immunology

Thomas D Licker has a BS in Environmental Science from Slippery Rock University and has over 20-years experience in handling event driven hazardous materials and biological response actions. He holds an accredited certification as a Council Certified Environmental Infection Control Remediator recognized by the Council for Engineering and Scientific Boards. He is the Director of Infection Control Technologies, a premier bioremediation services company and serves as the Director of Operations for Decontamination Professionals International.

Infection control technologies

Francis J Castellino is the Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Biochemistry and Director of the WM Keck Center for Transgene Research at the University of Notre Dame, USA. He has coauthored more that 400 peer reviewed manuscripts.

Hemostasis system

Stef Stienstra is a strategic and creative Consultant in Biomedical Science with a parallel career as a Commander of the reserve of the Royal Dutch Navy. For the Dutch Armed Forces he has responsibility for the counter measures in CBNRe threats and (Medical) consequence management both in a military and a civilian (terrorism) setting. He is a strategic functional specialist for “Health & Environment” of the 1-Civil-Military-Interaction Command (1-CMI) of the Dutch Armed Forces and for 2015 also in the NATO Response Force (NRF), which is in 2015 the responsibility of the 1-German-Netherlands-Corps (1-GNC). In his civil career he works internationally as Consultant or as Scientific Supervisory Board Member for several medical and biotech companies, merely involved in biodefense. He is also a Visiting Professor for Punjab University in Pakistan and Rhein-Waal University in Germany. He has completed his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-hematology, biodefense and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often created out of unexpected combinations of technologies. His good understanding of abstract science combined with excellent skills in the communication of scientific matters to non-specialists, helps him with strategic consulting at top level management.

Ebola

Rachel Groppo has completed her PhD in the laboratory of Dr. Ann Palmenberg at the University of Wisconsin, USA. After completing her Post doctorate at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, she has joined Sanofi Pasteur. Currently she is a Virology Manager at Sanofi Pasteur North American Research.

Virology

Eugenie Bergogne-Berezin is a Professor of Clinical Microbiology at University Diderot, Paris. She has studied MD in Medicine and PhD in Sciences in the early 1970s. She is a Chief of Department of Clinical Microbiology and research group, University Bichat Claude-Bernard and developed research on Acinetobacter spp., (nosocomial pathogen, pathogenicity, resistance), pharmacology of antibiotics, tissue distribution (lungs, brain, bronchi), research on intestinal ecology, jejunal flora and bacterial adhesion. She is an Adviser to pharmaceutical companies, expert in pharmacology-toxicology for the Ministry of Health, expert for international journals. She has developed a journal Antibiotics, (Elsevier). She has published 6 medical books, many chapters in international infectious diseases books, 200 articles in scientific journals.

Antibiotics

Fernanda De Freitas Anibal had her PhD from University of São Paulo, Brazil in Basic and Applied Immunology. She is a Principal Investigator at Laboratory of Parasitology (Federal University of São Carlos) seeks new tools for the treatment, prevention and diagnostics for infectious diseases. Currently, they are working with two plants and six enzymes and their effects against schistosomiasis mansoni and toxocariasis, about the treatment of the infectious diseases, their group studies effects of plants (extracts) and their isolated fractions in order to evaluate the anti-parasitic and anti-inflammatory effects and for infectious disease prevention, moreover have been working on the evaluation of the proteins of the parasite that has been potential to induce immune responses that decrease the parasite burden.

Immune responses

Joanna Zajkowska is currently working at Medical University of Białystok, Poland and carries Clinical Research on infectious diseases, especially on tick-borne diseases and nervous system diseases. She is an expert in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health and epidemiology. She is a Member of ISW-TBE, Wien Austria (International Scientific Working group on Tick-Borne Encephalitis and ESGBOR (ESCMID-European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases). She has published more than 200 papers in reputed journals and serving as a Reviewer in many journals.

Tick-borne diseases and nervous system diseases

Ashok Kapse is a consulting Pediatrician practicing in the city of Surat in the Gujarat state of India, besides owning a private pediatric hospital he is also Head of the Pediatric Department at a prestigious Mahavir Super Specialty Hospital. After finishing graduation (MBBS) he did MD in Pediatrics. Initially he has worked as a Professor of Pediatrics at Medical College Surat, later he opted out for private practice however pursued academic interest. He developed special interest and skill in infectious diseases. He is a recipient of many oration awards and delivered hundreds of lectures on dengue, malaria, typhoid and antibiotic uses across India. He has decorated many a posts in medical fields: President of Surat City Branch of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), President of Gujarat State Branch of IAP and National President of Infectious Diseases Branch of IAP are few of them. He is an avid Clinical Photographer; his photos figure into various books and atlases including the prestigious atlas of infectious diseases published by American Academy of Pediatrics. He has published umpteen articles in peer reviewed journals.

Pediatric infectious diseases

Stephen Mortlock X is the Global Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Liaison at the Q2 Solutions Laboratory in UK. Prior to joining Q2 Solutions, he was the Chief Microbiologist at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Lahore, Pakistan and was awarded a DSc for his work setting up an antenatal screening program for the indigent population. He with his colleagues has published over 40 papers on an eclectic mix of subjects from enteric pathogens, food science and saliva cotinine. He has also worked for the Health Protection Agency in the UK and spent time in the Middle East.

Global infectious diseases and microbiology

Junie Lia Monica is an MD, Ph D, Professor, Head Microbiology Department, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj Napoca, Romania. She is a Coordinator of resident doctor’s in the Laboratory Medicine specialty and Leadership PhD doctor’s thesis in Medicine field. She is a Board Member of European professional Societies ESCMID (ESGCP Study Groups), Society of Chemotherapy, Scientia Parasitologica Pro Vita and is a Reviewer of international reviews, Member of International organizations, Director/Coordinator in research projects. She has more than 63 papers published in full in international journals and is an editorial board member of national reviews. She is an Organizer/President, Keynote, Invited Speaker and Chair of International and National Congresses.

Microbiology

Maria Luisa G Daroy is a Scientist at the Research and Biotechnology Division of St. Luke’s Medical Center and Assistant Professor in the MS Molecular Medicine Program of the St. Luke’s College of Medicine-WHQ Memorial. She has published more than 20 papers on dengue, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya, eye infections, dementia, diabetes and coronary artery disease. She was the Chair of the Board of Examiners of the Philippine Academy for Microbiology from 2013-2015 and authored a book chapter on Philippine microbiology research. Researches include dengue, chikungunya, diarrhea, CNS infections, pathogen genomics, antimicrobial resistance, plant antivirals, molecular diagnostics and genetics of CVD, thyroid cancer and dementia.

Dengue, chikungunya, diarrhea , CNS infections, pathogen genomics, antimicrobial resistance, plant antivirals, molecular diagnostics, genetics of CVD, thyroid cancer and dementia

Maria Del Rosario Davalos Gamboa has acquired her Pharmaceutical Biochemistry degree from the University of San Simon. She has started working at the University of San Simon in the Faculty of Medicine at the Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and later from August 1992 continued working as a Teaching Research Assistant till 1998. From 2009 to 2010, she was the Director of the Research Institute of the Faculty of Dentistry UMSS and in 1997 won a competency exam at the Faculty of Dentistry UMSS in Biochemistry and appointed as a Professor. She is currently a Legal Representative and owner partner (in a greater proportion than 51% of shares) of the International Associated Factory oils and coals SRL ACECAB, in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, whose principal activity is to generate cosmetic oils and charcoal.

Cancer research

M Khalid Ijaz received DVM, MSc (Honors) from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan and completed Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology in 1985 at University of Ottawa, Canada. He did his post-doctoral work at the Vaccines and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), Canada. Currently, he’s Research Fellow at RB, Montvale, N.J. and Adjunct Associate Professor at The City University of New York (CUNY). His research focuses on human pathogenic microbial agents’ spread via the environment and mitigational role of hygiene agents. He is an active member of various scientific organizations including American Society for Microbiology, American Society for Virology, ASTM-International, Association of Professionals for Infection Control and Epidemiology and International Society for Infectious Diseases.

Human pathogenic microbial agents

Irina Magdalena Dumitru is an MD, PhD, Associate Professor, "Ovidius" University, Constanta, Romania, Faculty of Medicine. Senior Specialist in Infectious Diseases at Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Constanta. Director of research and development (2006 – 2010) at Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Constanta, in present I am Director of Research Department at Ovidius" University” Constanta. In recent years I am focused on the parasitological, tropical diseases, chronic hepatitis and HIV/AIDS research. In present I am NCP Health Romania for Horizon 2020 program. I am involved in many research projects, clinical trials and I have published numerous scientific articles (more than 95 papers and chapters in medical science journals and books). I am president of the Romanian Association of Parasitology, Constanta and I am member of many scientific societies (EACS, IAS, BENA, Romanian Association of Infectious Diseases, Romanian Association of Study Liver, Romanian Society of Microbiology).

Tropical infectious diseases

Stef Stienstra is a strategic and creative Consultant in Biomedical Science with a parallel career as a Commander of the reserve of the Royal Dutch Navy. For the Dutch Armed Forces he has responsibility for the counter measures in CBNRe threats and (Medical) consequence management both in a military and a civilian (terrorism) setting. He is a strategic functional specialist for “Health & Environment” of the 1-Civil-Military-Interaction Command (1-CMI) of the Dutch Armed Forces and for 2015 also in the NATO Response Force (NRF), which is in 2015 the responsibility of the 1-German-Netherlands-Corps (1-GNC). In his civil career he works internationally as Consultant or as Scientific Supervisory Board Member for several medical and biotech companies, merely involved in biodefense. He is also a Visiting Professor for Punjab University in Pakistan and Rhein-Waal University in Germany. He has completed his studies in Medicine and in Biochemistry at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands and has extensive practical experience in cell biology, immuno-hematology, biodefense and transfusion medicine. His natural business acumen and negotiation competence helps to initiate new successful businesses, often created out of unexpected combinations of technologies. His good understanding of abstract science combined with excellent skills in the communication of scientific matters to non-specialists, helps him with strategic consulting at top level management.

Ebola

Amr Ismail is an MBBCh, MSc, MD, MACP, FISQua, FABAM, CHPI, Consultant Dermatologist, received his Doctorate of Dermatology in 1998, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt, Fellow of the American Board of Aesthetic Medicine (ABAM), USA, Fellow of International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), Ireland, Certified Professional Health Performance Improvement, AIHQ, USA, Member of American College of Health Executives (ACHE), USA and Member of American College of Physicians (ACP).

Vaccines for HFMD

Ashok Kapse is a consulting Pediatrician practicing in the city of Surat in the Gujarat state of India, besides owning a private pediatric hospital he is also Head of the Pediatric Department at a prestigious Mahavir Super Specialty Hospital. After finishing graduation (MBBS) he did MD in Pediatrics. Initially he has worked as a Professor of Pediatrics at Medical College Surat, later he opted out for private practice however pursued academic interest. He developed special interest and skill in infectious diseases. He is a recipient of many oration awards and delivered hundreds of lectures on dengue, malaria, typhoid and antibiotic uses across India. He has decorated many a posts in medical fields: President of Surat City Branch of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), President of Gujarat State Branch of IAP and National President of Infectious Diseases Branch of IAP are few of them. He is an avid Clinical Photographer; his photos figure into various books and atlases including the prestigious atlas of infectious diseases published by American Academy of Pediatrics. He has published umpteen articles in peer reviewed journals.

Pediatric infectious diseases