Journal of Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Dr. Giuseppe Murdaca is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Genova, Italy. He obtained his M.D. degree cum laude from the University of Genova in 1993, followed by a specialization in Allergology and Clinical Immunology in 1999. He later earned his Ph.D. in Sciences and Space Engineering in 2003, also from the University of Genova.Dr. Murdaca began his professional career as a Fellow in Allergology and Clinical Immunology (1996–1999) and subsequently served as an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine (2006–2017) before assuming his current role as Associate Professor in 2017. His research interests encompass immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, neuro-endocrino-immunology, pharmacogenomics, vaccine-related autoimmune diseases, and soluble immune molecules. Through his extensive clinical and academic work, Dr. Murdaca has made significant contributions to the understanding of immune system regulation and the interface between immunology and internal medicin  

Research: Immunodeficiency, Autoimmunity, Neuro-endocrino-immunology, Pharmacogenomics, Vaccine and autoimmune diseases, Soluble Molecules

Dr. Gianni Testino, M.D. (born April 11, 1961, in Genova, Italy) is a renowned medical professional specializing in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Digestive Endoscopy. He currently serves as Chief of the Unit of Addiction and Hepatology at ASL3, located within the San Martino Polyclinic Hospital, Genova, Italy. Dr. Testino also heads the Department for Healthy Lifestyles and Community Programs and coordinates the Regional Alcohological Centre for the Ligurian Region. Additionally, he leads the Study Center on Self-Help and Caregiver Training at ASL3, Genova, and serves as a Contract Professor. A prolific researcher, Dr. Testino is the author of over 600 scientific publications, including more than 280 indexed in PubMed. His work has significantly contributed to the fields of hepatology, addiction medicine, gastroenterology, and public health. He has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international scientific conferences and has organized many accredited medical education events. As the National President of the Italian Alcohological Society (Società Italiana di Alcologia – SIA), based in Bologna, he plays a key role in advancing clinical research and public health initiatives related to alcohol use and liver diseases. Dr. Testino is also an active member of several national and international working groups, serves on editorial boards, and contributes as a peer reviewer for multiple scientific journals. His distinguished career reflects a lifelong dedication to medical science, clinical excellence, and community health.

Research: Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy

Dr. Morvarid Shafiei, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology at the Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Microbiology from Alzahra University and a B.A. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Azad University. Her research focuses on antibacterial activity, antibiotic resistance, and molecular identification of bacteria, with expertise in advanced techniques such as PCR, ELISA, PFGE, and 2-DE. Dr. Shafiei has participated in national and international workshops on nanobiotechnology and bioinformatics, and actively teaches Ph.D. and M.Sc. students at the Pasteur Institute and other universities. Her work contributes to advancing microbiological research and infectious disease diagnostics in Iran.

Research: Antibacterial activity assays, Antibiotic sensitivity assays, Culture and biochemical identification of bacteria, Molecular techniques such as: PCR, ELISA, gel filteration, chromatography, thin layer chromatography, PFGE, Ribotyping, Plasmid profiling ,RFLP.Two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), Anaerobic bacteria

Dr. Paul H. Wooley, is the Director of the Orthopaedic Research Institute in Wichita, Kansas and the Chief Scientific Officer for the National Center of Innovation for Biomaterials in Orthopaedic  Research (CiBOR). Dr. Wooley also holds the positions of Eminent Scholar in Biomaterials from the Kansas Bioscience Authority, Professor of Biology at Wichita State University and Research Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at University of Kansas Medical School in Wichita.  Prior to moving to Kansas in 2007, he was Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Immunology & Microbiology, and Biomedical Engineering, and Director of Research for Orthopaedic Surgery at Wayne State University in Detroit. 

Prof. Subhash Sad started his research career developing antibody responses to hormones. They showed that tolerance to self-molecules can be easily broken by conjugating them to immunogenic proteins.  They showed that induction of antibody response against Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) resulted in atrophy of the prostate, and hence was used successfully as a therapy in androgen-dependent prostate cancer patients. During his post-doctoral studies, he showed that cytokine-secreting subsets of T cells are derived from a common precursor cell that secretes mainly IL-2. My studies further demonstrated CD8+ T cells, similar to CD4+ T cells, can secrete distinct cytokine patterns which can influence their function. He also showed that cytokines can induce a state of “anergy” in T cells, providing novel mechanistic insights into how cytokines might regulate T cell responses in vivo.

Research: Prof. Subhash Sad have been a principal investigator since 1997, and have been evaluating the mechanisms of T cell memory development against acute and chronic intracellular pathogens. His lab has demonstrated that the kinetics, differentiation, maintenance and attrition of T cell responses is highly pathogen-specific and does not follow a universal paradigm. He has revealed novel mechanisms of memory differentiation, erosion, and shown that mutation in key virulence genes, and the intracellular location of pathogen are important determinants of acquired immunity. He is currently deciphering how T cell responses can be modulated to control chronic pathogens. He is also evaluating how the death of macrophages, an important cell type of the innate immune system, influences host outcome during various virulent infections.  

Prof.Janet Liversidge graduated in Zoology from Aberdeen University in 1971 and then took up a post at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland Marine Laboratory to train as a microbiologist. Specializing in infectious diseases affecting farmed and wild salmonids, she ran the Fish Virology diagnostic service until 1978. Then, to further her interest in the emerging discipline of immunology, she joined the Salmonid Immunology Team that was formed to develop vaccines for use in the rapidly developing aquaculture industry. She then returned to Aberdeen University in 1985 to complete formal postgraduate training as an Immunologist in the Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology. Research Fellowships followed, including a Wellcome University Award Lectureship in 1993. Awarded a Personal Chair in Immunology in 2006, she had established a successful research team specializing in the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying mononuclear cell pathogenesis in autoimmune disease and was awarded a DSc in 2008.

Research: Prof. Janet Liversidge's research interests has been focused in two main areas:  (i) Blood retina barrier (BRB) function and (ii) Regulatory mechanisms controlling mononuclear myeloid cell activity in inflammation. Recent results from both lines of research indicate that circulating monocytes are central to breakdown of the BRB and development of inflammation and that both macrophage and dendritic cell activity can be modulated through receptors such as CD200R to reduce retinal damage and restore immunological non-responsiveness. More recently we have developed phos-flow specific assays for the analysis of activated signalling pathways in leukocytes for identification of biomarkers linked to disease and potential response to different theraputic drugs.

Andrew Taylor-Robinson received a BSc in microbiology (immunology major) from University College London and a PhD in parasite immunology from the University of Glasgow for work on immunity to malaria. Postdoctoral research at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the Medical Research Council Laboratories, Fajara, The Gambia, and the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology, Freiburg, Germany, on human and rodent malarias further developed interest in regulation of immunity to infection. Andrew Taylor-Robinson was awarded a Welcome Trust Career Development Research Fellowship at the University of Leeds and subsequently appointed to the permanent academic staff. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Royal College of Pathologists, Society of Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science and the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine. He joined CQ University in 2012 and spent a secondment as a Professorial Research Fellow with the Health Collaborative Research Network. He is Professor of Immunology & Hematology and currently Deputy Dean (Research) in the School of Medical & Applied Sciences. Andrew has 25 years’ research experience of infectious disease immunology, with focus on malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

Research: His research interests includes Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology - Respiratory Diseases Medical Microbiology - Medical Parasitology Medical Microbiology - Medical Virology Clinical Sciences - Infectious Diseases Medical Microbiology - Medical Bacteriology Immunology - Cellular Immunology Clinical Sciences - Otorhinolaryngology 

Dr. Portugal brings a wealth of diversified experience to the realm of biotechnology. He has taught extensively in both graduate biotechnology and undergraduate science programs. He has lectured in traditional face-to-face classrooms; developed, trained, taught, and used curricula materials in virtual classrooms online; and advocated methods and reasons for the incorporation of digital media in both graduate and undergraduate coursework. Dr. Portugal has participated in historical and fundamental molecular biological studies with Dr. Marshall Nirenberg, Nobel Laureate for the discovery of the genetic code, and with Dr. Dolph Hatfield, which led to the discovery of the 21st amino acid selenocysteine. He has co-invented and patented a novel instrument for biotechnological analysis, as well as conducted experiments on possible new pathways that control of the growth of human bacterial pathogens. Dr. Portugal has founded a start-up biotechnology company, set up entire biotechnological laboratories from scratch, competed successfully for grant support from federal and state agencies, and formed collaborations with leading scientists, engineers, and pharmaceutical companies both in the local Washington area and around the country. In addition, he has written business plans for biotechnology companies that panels of scientists and business people alike have validated.

Research: Dr. Portugal's laboratory has two main areas of interest. The first is the investigation of factors secreted by certain pathogenic bacteria that can self-inhibit the pathogen's own growth. These factors appear distinct from quorum sensors, which do not inhibit growth but switch on the expression of virulence genes when pathogens enter the stationary phase of growth in culture. Quorum sensors for Gram negative bacteria are derivatives of homoserine lactones, whereas quorum sensors for Gram positive bacteria are small peptides. Furthermore, these unknown factors also appear to be different from bacteriocins, which bacteria secrete and which prevent growth of competing organisms but not the bacterial species that secreted the factor. Our investigations center on the exact chemical structure for the self-inhibitory factors from both Gram negative and Gram positive organisms. Once the structures are known, we will investigate what regulates expression of these factors during growth, and how these factors might be used to treat patients with serious infections who are not responding well to antibiotics. The second area of interest is the application of a novel and highly sensitive biosensor that uses molecular interactions to identify pathogens and/or biological materials. This patented biosensor was developed in collaboration with faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park. The biosensor combines biotechnological principles with a fiber optic-based operating system that employs a near-infrared laser to create a positive fluorescent signal. After passage through a photoelectric tube that converts light impulses into electric ones, the pulses are then amplified by many magnitudes-of order. The electric signals are then detected and displayed on an oscilloscope. Current applications of this system include uses in medicine, agriculture, and biological warfare.

Research: The major goal of Dr. Lacorazza’s group is to better understand the molecular control of normal and malignant hematopoiesis, including development and differentiation of CD8+ T cells. His group studies genes involved in the balance between quiescence, a non-proliferative state poised to re-enter the cell cycle, and differentiating proliferation in hematopoietic stem cells and naïve/memory CD8+ T cells. Dr. Lacorazza also investigates the role of these genes in the pathobiology and targeted therapy of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias and the chemoresistance of leukemic stem cells.

Dr. Wen received his PhD in molecular microbiology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May 1998. He worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Center for Oral Biology, Rochester, New York from 1998 to 2001 and as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida from 2001 to 2008. Dr. Wen joined the faculty at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans in May 26, 2008 as an Assistant Professor with a primary appointment in the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biology and a secondary appointment in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology. Dr. Wen is currently serving as an Associated Professor with tenure in oral biology and microbiology.

Research: The primary interest of Dr. Wen’s research is in the areas of microbial genetics and ecology of oral biofilms. Currently, a major effort is being directed to molecular characterization of Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation and identification of novel strategies against cariogenic biofilms and human dental caries. In collaborative effort, Dr. Wen also works on intra- and inter-species communication and its impact on the development, stability, and ultimately, pathogenicity of the plaque microbial communities. 

Dr. Wen-Quan Zou received his medical degree from Jiangxi Medical College, his M.Sc. from Tongji Medical University, and his Ph.D. from Shanghai Medical University. He has practiced Internal Medicine and Nephrology for six years in Nanchang and Shanghai, China, as both a physician and an attending physician, respectively. His post-doctoral work in neurodegenerative diseases, with a concentration in prion diseases, was done at the Institute of Pathology at Case Western Reserve University and at the Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at University of Toronto. Currently, Dr. Zou is an Associate Professor of Pathology with tenure and Associate Director of the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Research: Pathologic prion proteins  Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease  Alzheimer disease 

Dr. Paula M Chilton received her Ph.D in 1996 from the University of Louisville studying the control of soluble IL-4R expression with Dr. Rafael Fernandez-Botran. Several postdoctoral research positions followed, including one at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine with Drs. Phillip A. Scott and Raymond W. Sweeney studying the early immune response to Mycobacterium avium ssp paratuberculosis, and one studying mixed chimerism as a cure for type I diabetes in NOD mice with Dr. Suzanne Ildstad at the Institute for Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Louisville. As a research scientist, Dr. Chilton studied T cell function and survival during effective vaccination using low-toxicity TLR agonists as adjuvants with Dr. Thomas Mitchell, also at the Institute for Cellular Therapeutics. In 2009, Dr. Chilton joined the Department of Microbiology & Immunology as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology and continues to work at the Institute for Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Research: Effects of low-toxicity TLR-based adjuvants on T cell differentiation, function and survival Vaccination and the induction of T cell memory The function of low-toxicity TLR4 agonists in the control of immune cell activation

Research: Dr. Matthias Clauss research program focuses on endothelial cell activation, which we study both in cell culture and in transgenic and non-transgenic animal models of ischemia, inflammation and angiogenesis. Disease models of interest include lung emphysema and coronary vascular disorders. They analyze endothelial cell activation and signaling in response to stress, cytokines, growth factors and HIV virus and study the effects of activation of interaction with other cells, such as blood monocytes, endothelial progenitor cells and adipose stromal stem cells. Currently he has two major projects in his laboratory, one addresses the role of EMAPII in diseases, while the other one explores how HIV-1 infection can cause increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. His research on EMAPII culminated in the development of an EMAPII neutralizing antibody as a therapeutic tool for treating cigarette smoke induced emphysema. In the context of HIV biology, he analyzes the role of HIV and HIV-encoded proteins in diseases such cardiovascular diseases or pulmonary emphysema with a focus on endothelial dysfunction, leading to cell death and/or loss of barrier function, most likely in synergy with cigarette smoke exposure. 

Dr. Wang is currently a tenured faculty member in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology in Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) at New Orleans. After receiving his veterinary medicine and PhD degrees in China, he moved to the States in 1992 and completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Iowa where he then became a staff scientist. In 2001 he was recruited to LSUHSC as a tenure-track faculty member, and has stayed in the same institute till now. He is actively involved in medical student teaching and graduate student mentoring, and runs a productive biomedical research program.   

Research: Dr. Wang research interests include neutrophil biology in oxidant production, phagocytic innate immunity and lung host defense, cystic fibrosis disease and gene and stem cell-based therapy, alcohol effect on glucocorticoid receptor signaling and cell immune response. 

Dr. Kong graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry at Nanjing University, China, in 1987. He went on to earn an M.S. in Molecular Biology. In 1996, Dr. Kong completed a Ph.D. in Molecular Virology at the University of Massachusetts. From 1996 to 2000, he was a Research Associate in Molecular Immunology at Yale University, after which he joined the Department of Pathology as an assistant professor. Dr. Kong is currently an Associate Professor of Pathology and he has secondary appointments at the Department of Neurology and the National Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Research: Development of gene/cell therapies against diabetes, cancer and other diseases using rAAV/non-viral DNA and muscle stem cells Public health risks of animal prions (Chronic Wasting Disease of elk and deer and atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy of cattle) and animal modeling of various human prion diseases (especially CJD) Roles of the normal cellular prion protein in the biology and pathology of skeletal muscle and brain Etiology of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in human.

Dr. Huatao Guo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia, Missouri.  Before joining MU, he was a research scientist in the Laboratory of Dr. Jeff F. Miller at UCLA, whose group discovered diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs). He also studied mobile group II introns, a class of closely related genetic elements, at the Ohio State University and at the University of Texas – Austin as a graduate student in Dr. Alan M. Lambowitz’s laboratory.  

Research: Molecular mechanism of DGR mutagenic homing. Biological functions of DGRs in bacteria and phages. Protein and phage engineering for diverse applications. Bacterial pathogenesis and disease therapy.

Dr. Serezani got his PhD in Immunology at the University of Sao Paulo in 2006. He also spent 15 months at University of Michigan from 2003-2004. Dr. Serezani returned to University of Michigan as a Research Fellow in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine from 2006-2009. After that he became a junior faculty (2009-2012) there and moved to Indiana University School of Medicine to join the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as an assistant professor. He is a member of the American Association for Immunology and American Thoracic Society. Have been ad hoc reviewer of many peer-reviewed journals and is editor of many journals. 

Research: Macrophage biology Innate immunity Inflammation Sepsis Diabetes. 

Research: Major Research  A major focus of my research is to understand the regulation of immune responses and dysregulation by a particular protein, annexin-1, with regards to disease etiology, in particular reference to cancer development, treatment and metastasis and the modulation of the innate immune response Current Research Mechanisms of breast cancer growth, progression and metastasis – transcription factor regulation Regulation of anti-tumor immunity MicroRNAs in cancer and inflammation Annexin-1 as a critical mediator of TLR signaling in macrophages and dendritic cells: importance in pathogen recognition and immune response against viruses and bacteria

Dr. Jeffrey Lee received his Ph.D. (2005) in Biochemistry from the University of Toronto, before pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship in structural virology with Dr. Erica Ollmann Saphire at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. In 2010, he returned back to the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. His career has been highlighted with a number of awards and honors, including a Canada Research Chair in Structural Virology, CIHR New Investigator award, 2010 Spicer Young Investigator from Stanford University/SSRL, 2006 Canadian Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal, CIHR fellowships, among others. 

Research: Dr. Lee’s laboratory in structural virology is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms at play in the tug-of-war between viruses and the host. He wants to understand how certain retroviruses enter cells and are then antagonized by innate immune molecules. Immunological recognition and restriction of viral pathogens is fundamental for fighting infectious disease. He employs a combination of X-ray crystallography with molecular biological, virological and biophysical techniques to understand these host-pathogen interactions. 

I graduated medical school in Bulgaria in 1991 where I practiced as a general pediatrician for two years after graduation. In 1994 I came to the United States and discovered my passion for perinatal and pediatric pathology. Following a four-year residency training in anatomic and clinical pathology and a year of fellowship in pediatric pathology I joined Alpert Medical School at Brown University and the Division of Perinatal and Pediatric Pathology at Women and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island in 2004 where I have been enjoying my service, teaching and research activities ever since.

Research: Dr. Stefan Kostadinov research interests are primarily in the field of fetal and placental pathology, particularly fetal growth restriction, related placental abnormalities and their clinical correlates. He is also a co-leader in the Formative Center for the Evaluation of Environmental Impacts on Fetal development coordinating procurement of fetal tissues for xenotransplantation which will allow us to study the adverse effects of environmental exposures that impact fetal development and produce childhood and adult disease. In addition, he is collaborating with Dr. S. Sharma to study the effects of immunity and inflammation on adverse pregnancy outcome and reproductive failure.

Dr. Olga Latinovic received her M. Sc (2001) and Ph.D (2006) from Lehigh University, USA, where she was awarded the Sherman Fairchild scholarship for outstanding academic performance. As of 2010, she is an assistant professor working at the Institute of Human Virology led by Robert C. Gallo, M.D. at the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA. She heads the Laboratory for Imaging Studies of Pathogens and Host Cells Interactions. Dr. Latinovic’s research focus is on HIV-1 entry and its inhibition into host target cells, particularly focusing on the CCR5 coreceptor which plays a major role in HIV-1 infection and is consequently an attractive target for anti-viral therapy. Dr. Latinovic wrote the book Micromechanics and Structure of Soft and Biological Materials, published by Verlag Dr. Muller in 2010, and co-authored the book Handbook of Photonics for Biomedical Engineering published by Springer-Verlag in 2013. Dr. Latinovic has lectured at various national/international conferences, and is on the Editorial Board of three scientific journals. She is a member of several national and international scientific societies.

Dr. Barlic-Dicen is an Assistant Professor at Department of Cell Biology, University of Oklahoma. She had an adjunct appointment at the Department of Cell Biology. Her primary appointment is as the Assistant Member at Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.She obtained her B.S. in 1995 from University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She pursued her graduate studies at the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada and obtained Ph.D. from Microbiology and Immunology in 2001. As a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (2001-2007), she investigated how the chemokine system regulates development of atherosclerotic plaques. She joined the Cardiovascular Biology Research Program at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation as an Assistant Member in 2008.

Research: Identify mechanisms that support atherosclerotic plaque regression Determine how the chemokine system regulates energy expenditure, inflammatory responses and homeostasis of adipose tissue

Research: Prostate cancer Bladder cancer Renal cancer 

Dr. Mohammad Ayoub did masters in Biochemistry from the University of Kashmir, India. He received PhD degree in Biophysics from Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Department of Atomic Energy of India.  And then joined the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque , as a post doctoral fellow  in Virology.  After his post doctoral training, he joined the University of Kansas Medical Science as an Assistant professor on tenure track.  He enjoy  research in the field of virology in general and more interested in negative strand RNA viruses. He love teaching both the medical and graduate students at the University of Kansas Medical Center.  

Research: The replication of negative strand RNA viruses with an emphasis on hantaviruses.  In addition, he also interested in antiviral therapeutics and drug design.  Following are the specific research areas: Cap-snatching mechanism of transcription initiation How viruses hijack the host translation machinery for efficient synthesis of viral proteins Autophagic regulation of viral glycoprotein expression during virus infection Antiviral therapeutics and drug design

Dr. Parameswaran Ramakrishnan completed his Ph.D from Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel in 2006 under the guidance of Prof. David Wallach. He did postdoctoral training under the mentoring of nobel laureate Prof. David Baltimore at California Institute of Technology. He have been studying the regulation of the immune system since 1999 and particularly focused on the activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, which orchestrates inflammatory responses and autoimmunity. For the past five years his research focused on the molecular mechanisms controlling NF-κB function in proinflammatory signaling and autoimmune diabetes. 

Research: Regulation of signal transduction in the immune system Postranslational modifications Inflammation and Autoimmunity Cancer Diabetes and obesity

Research: Advanced Microscopy and Biological Imaging Cellular and Molecular Imaging in Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics Biocompatibility Evaluation of the Composite Materials in Medical Devices and Orthopedic Implants

Research: Electric fields guided brain neuron migration Spinal cord repair and regeneration Peripheral nerve repair and regeneration

Dr. Zhou completed her PhD thesis studying the gap junction protein regulation by Src oncogene. From 1999 to 2001, Dr. Zhou worked as a Research Associate at HHMI under Dr. John Lowe’s supervision to study how fucosyl- glycans modify selectin ligand activity in myeloid cell homeostasis. Since being recruited to Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Zhou has conducted research to try to understand the functional regulation of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) fate specification and differentiation, myeloid and lymphoid cell homeostasis, and HSC self-renewal and niche development by fucosylated glycans present on Notch and selectin ligands. Dr. Zhou has also been interested in the role of Notch signaling in pancreatic cancer and aberrant glycosylation in colon carcinogenesis and tumor surveillance. Her long term research goals include  1) to understand the mechanism(s) of which Notch as a signaling molecule and an adhesion molecule in HSC niche retention and quiescence maintenance  2) to identify cellular and/or soluble factors that are critical for suppression of hematopoiesisby leukemia cells that are amenable to disruption  3) to develop a deeper understanding of the role of Notch signaling in pancreatic cancer progression  4) to use mouse models to investigate the mechanisms of aberrant glycosylation induced colitis and colon cancer development.

Research: Dr. Zhou long term research focus is to understand the normal hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche regulation by Notch and associated adhesion processes, how leukemia regulates marrow micro-environment, and the role of aberrant Notch signaling in pancreatic cancer and colon cancer carcinogenesis and immuno-surveillance.

Dr. Bin Zhou is a Staff Scientist at the J. Craig Venter Institute. His researches include rapid generation of viruses and vaccine seeds using synthetic genomics technology, design and evaluation of novel live attenuated influenza vaccines, development of techniques for virus genomic sequencing and reverse genetics, and discovery and characterization of pathogenic determinants of avian and human influenza viruses. The influenza virus genomic amplification technology developed by Dr. Zhou has been used widely by many labs throughout the world, and consequently the majority of the recently deposited influenza genome sequences in GenBank were generated by using this technology for genomic amplification. Dr. Zhou received his bachelor's degree in Biochemistry at Nanjing University in China. He received his doctoral degree in Biomedical Sciences studying virology at the State University of New York at Albany and at the Wadsworth Center of New York State Department of Health.

Research: Vaccines and antiviral drugs, Virus replication and polymerase functions, Virus engineering using synthetic biology technology, Sequencing and viral genomics, Evolution of viruses, Pathogenesis and inter-species transmission of viruses, Systems biology for host-pathogen interactions.

Dr. Mario P.S. Chin is an assistant professor at the Temple University School of Medicine and Center for Substance Abuse Research in Philadelphia, USA. He studied pandemic influenza viruses with Prof. Kennedy F. Shortridge in Hong Kong and completed postdoctoral training in the field of HIV/molecular genetics at the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Chin is a two-time recipient of the Fellows Award for Research Excellence and the Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institutes of Health.

Research: We employ transcriptomics approaches and recent advances in host-HIV interactomics to study the intersection of substance abuse and HIV infection and to examine the innate antiviral process.

Ramesh C. Gupta presently working as a Professor of Chemistry in SASRD at Nagaland University, India. He had his Ph.D. Chemistry from Lucknow University, India. He had worked as a Visiting Professor at Korea Advance Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) Deajeon, Korea and also worked as a Guest faculty Department of Neuro Sciences Linkopings University, Sweden. He had received awards like Visiting Professorship KAIST Korea, Brain Pool Scientist award of Korea Federation of Science and Technology, research in Korea and Sugita Award Nagoya University, Japan. He also worked as a one of the committee member of International bodies like United Nation Industrial Development Organization, British Common Wealth and UN Committee on Industry and Environment, France. At present also he is working as a one of the committee member of 10 National Bodies. He is an editorial board member of 19 international journals. He is also a Member of 26 Professional bodies.

Research: His research interests includes, Organic synthesis, Medicinal chemistry and Drug Development, Chemistry and Toxicology of natural substances, Nutriceuticals & functional food, Amino-acid in nutrition, Taurine, Analogues and Biological actions, Environmental aspects, Science popularization and education.