Dr. Yujing Li received his PhD in Institute of Genetics Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China in 1996. Currently, he is working as a senior scientist at Department of Human Genetics, Emory University. His research interest is molecular genetics human mouse and fly and neuroscience particularly in the roles of noncoding RNAs in neural development and neurodegeneration as well as chemical approaches towards dissection of RNAi pathway. He has authored more than 30 of research articles and several book chapters. He is a member of American Society of Human Genetics. He has been honored as an honorary professor at the Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Breeding of Shaanxi Province PR China 1997-2000.

Dr. Yujing Li research interests include Non-coding RNAs and neurodegeneration, Epigenetics, neuron development, chemical biology approach towards the dissection of RNAi pathway.

Yue Zhang is now an instructor in Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) /Harvard Medical School. He completed his PhD program in Cellular and Developmental biology in 2006 at University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and identified the differentially expressed downstream targets of human nucleosome remodelling Mi-2 orthologue LET-418 and explored the influence of TOR kinase on lifespan in C. elegans using genetics. Then he carried out his postdoctoral training at Institute of Ageing and Pittsburgh Institute of neurodegenerative diseases, University of Pittsburgh. In 2008, he moved to Dept of Radiation Oncology/BIDMC first as research fellow and was promoted to current position in August, 2010. He have authored and coauthored 15 publications in journals, such as Nature, Developmental biology, BMC developmental biology, PLOS Genetics, PLOS one, J. Vis Exp, Cancer informatics, Gene regulation and Systems biology. He served as a reviewer in some journals, including Cellular and Molecular Life Science, Transgenic Research, Knowledge-based Systems, and the La-Press journals.

Yue Zhang research interests include Genetics and Epigenetics, Systems biology, SLAC ( Stem cell biology,longevity, Ageing  and cancer biology) with a focus on chromatin remodelers w/o the stressors, particularly  radiation, heat shock, and nutrient deprivation by using  both C.elegans model organisms and mammalian systems.

Dr. Park received his BS and MS from Seoul National University at Korea and PhD from University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in the field of Cell and Structural Biology. During his PhD training he studied mTOR pathways regulating cell growth and myogenic differentiation. He continued his research as a Postdoc fellow in Dr. George Daley’s lab in Harvard Medical School where he isolated one of the first human induced pluripotent stem iPS cells and investigated the epigenetic change during reprogramming process. He is now an Assistant Professor of Genetics and Yale Stem Cell Center at Yale University.

Dr. Park have shown that the overexpression of genes important for pluripotent stem cells convert somatic cells to become induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells that have similar features of embryonic stem cells. The iPS cells provide unprecedented resources for cell replacement therapy and for developing platforms for drug discovery. Dr. Park’s lab investigates the molecular and epigenetic mechanism of reprogramming and the utility of iPS cells for human diseases.

Dr. Ritsuko K. Pooh graduated from Law Department of Keio University, Tokyo, and Medical School of Tokushima University with social, legal and ethical viewpoints. After her graduation from Medical school in 1990, she has dedicated her most of time to clinical research and investigation in fetal medicine and perinatology. Especially, she has introduced the most sophisticated fetal neuroimaging from 1996 by using transvaginal sonography, three dimensional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Her sonogram of fetal brain morphology and vascularity is really scientific as well as artistic. Especially her recent study of relations between medullary vein development and postnatal neurological deficit is worthy of note, and in 2011 she received the Alfred Alfred Kratochwil Award in ISUOG congress. Her remarkable activities on fetal brain have been internationally approved by perinatologists as well as neurologists and neurosurgeons. She published the book on Fetal Central Nervous System, Diagnosis and Management in 2003 and also the book on Fetal Neurology in 2009 with Prof. Asim Kurjak.

Dr. Ritsuko K. Pooh research interest lies in the field of Sonogenetics, combining detailed sonogram with cytogenetics and molecular genetics from 2009 and performing quite a number of invasive genetic procedures including more than 1,400s CVS and 300 amniocenteses per year. In the era of prenatal diagnoses with advanced molecular genetics, she emphasizes ‘The fetuses first’ as a sonogenetical motto. She established the clinical genetic laboratory in Osaka with the aim of ultimate sonogenetics. She has been truly one of the international young executives in publishing and lecturing in a field of perinatology.

Dr. Kaido graduated Nara Medical University in 1995, completed the postgraduate course of neurosurgery under Prof. Toshisuke Sakaki in Nara Medical University, and received PhD about experimental brain ischemia. I researched gene expression and change of complements after experimental brain ischemia under Prof. Oliver Kempski at the institute of neurosurgical pathophysiology, Mainz University in Germany from 1999-2000. I have worked for the Department of Neurosurgery, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry in Tokyo under Prof. Taisuke Otsuki since 2005, specializing functional neurosurgery such as deep brain stimulation and epilepsy surgery.

Dr. Kaido research interests include Functional Neurosurgery and Experimental brain ischemia

Dr. Sawada has done doctoral course in Biological and Environmental Science, Graduated School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University (Apr, 1991 to Mar, 1994). He received a Ph.D. (“Hakushi (Rigaku)”, literal translation is Doctor of Science) Mar, 1994 from Saitama University.

Dr. Sawada research interests include Phylogeny and evolution of the brain morphogenesis.

Dominique BREMOND-GIGNAC, MD, PhD, is Professor of Ophthalmology with pediatric ophthalmology subspecialty at Universitary Saint Victor
Centre Hospital Amiens and Picardie Jules Verne University. Previously,
she was Associate Professor of Anatomy at Paris 7 University and at
Head of the Ophthalmology clinic department at Robert Debre Pediatric
Hospital in Paris.Graduated, in pharmacology and statistics (master) and
PhD thesis in Anatomy, her activity is distributed in teaching, clinical
practice and research. She has participated as principal investigator in more than ten clinical research studies, and has contributed in international congresses and scientific meetings. At medicine faculty, she used to teach general anatomy and ophthalmology for pregraduate (medical school) and postgraduate (residency, fellowship, master degrees, doctorate and CME courses). Involved in management of the pediatric department, her practice includes oculo-plastic surgery as she is also graduated in maxillo-facial surgery.

Dominique Bremond-Gignac research interests include development of
oculo-orbital structures and ocular surface morphology.

Dr. Shengping Hu earned her MD from Tongji Medical University, China and PhD from Sydney University, Australia, and completed her postdoctoral training at Harvard and Boston University Medical Schools. She joined Shantou University Medical College of China in 1999 and is currently a faculty member and professor in molecular biology and forensic genetics. The interest of her laboratory is to investigate human DNA polymorphism in genetic susceptibility to cancers, particularly polymorphisms of HLA and nasopharyngeal and esophageal carcinomas, two cancers with high prevalence in certain areas in south China. She is state-certified for DNA parentage testing and her laboratory also embarks on research related to the forensic molecular genetics. She has served as a grant reviewer for the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and several other grant provider bodies, and a referee for several prestigious journals, including Human Immunology, Tissue Antigens, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, and for the Bentham Science Publishers.

Dr. Shengping Hu research interests include Human DNA polymorphisms (HLA, STRs, mtDNA) in genetic susceptibility to cancers, and its applications in forensic and population genetics.

Gang Qian is a Professor of Department of Cell Biology & Genetics, Zunyi Medical College, China

Gang Qian research interests include cell biology & plant molecular genetics.

Wei Hsu earned his PhD from Mount Sinai Medical Center and completed a postdoctoral training at Columbia University Medical Center. He has joined the faculty of the University of Rochester since 2002. The interest of his laboratory is to investigate the Morphogenetic Signaling Network in Development and Disease. His work has led to important contributions to our understanding of Wnt signaling and its interplay with other signaling pathways in various developmental processes in health and disease. He has received distinctions including the NKF fellowship award, the DOD IDEA award and the PHS awards from the NIH. He has served as a grant reviewer for NIH, DOD, NSF and private foundations and a referee for the prestigious journals including Science Signaling Development, Developmental Biology, PLoS Genetics and American Journal of Pathology and on the editorial board for Cancer Management and Research Breast CancerTargets and Therapy and International Journal of Women’s Health.

Wei Hsu research interests include Wnt signaling and its interplay with other signaling pathways in various developmental processes in health and disease.

Koh Ono is an Associate Professor, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan

Koh Ono research interests include non-coding RNA, MicroRNA, cardiovascular diseases, stem cells of the heart.

Hussam Al-Kateb is an Associate Director, Department of Immunology and Pathology, Washington University School of Medicine, USA. He did his PhD at The University of Heidelberg, Germany and a fellowship in complex disorders at The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada as well as fellowships in clinical cytogenetics and clinical molecular genetics at Case Western Reserve University, Ohio.

Hussam Al-Kateb research interests include discovery of disease genes for both monogenic and complex disorders and in developing of genomic tests for a variety of diseases. Dr. Al-Kateb is also interested in discovering markers for differential diagnosis, prognosis and management of hematological malignancies.

 

Dr. Nady Golestaneh is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cellular Biology She received her PhD and MS degrees in Biology and Pharmacology of Aging from University of Paris VI Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris France and her BS in Cellular Biology and Biochemistry from University of Paris VII Jussieu in Paris France She performed postdoctoral training at NIH NEI and Johns Hopkins University before joining Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2005 Recently she has shown that male germline stem cells can become pluripotent capable of differentiating into the three primordial germ layers offering the possibility of autologous cellbased therapy in degenerative diseases In parallel Golestaneh’s lab has demonstrated that the iPS cells can be differentiated into functional retinal pigment epithelium that could be prominent candidates for regeneration therapies in agerelated macular degeneration AMD Dr Golestaneh’s innovative work in the area of stem cells research has earned her several prestigious national and international awards and her research is supported by NIH grant.

Dr. Golestaneh′s lab is committed to researching how aging mechanisms affect the cells and induce diseases such as aged-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness among people over 55 years of age in the western world. Recent generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from somatic cells has the potential to accelerate the implementation of stem cells for clinical treatment of degeneration diseases by bypassing immune rejection and ethical problems using patient-specific iPS cells. Using patient-specific iPS cells Dr. Golestaneh is investigating the mechanisms that induce the AMD and is developing ways to stop this disease from occurring. One of the essential reasons for the lack of understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of human AMD is the absence of reliable experimental models that recapitulate all features of the disease. Generation of AMD patient-specific hiPS cells and subsequent differentiation into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) would provide in vitro models that are otherwise experimentally unattainable. Golestaneh’s lab has shown that the iPS cells can be differentiated into functional RPE that could be prominent candidates for regeneration therapies inAMD. In addition, the patient-specific iPS cells are used in her lab as an in vitro model to study the genetics of AMD disease and to eventually develop targeted drugs for treatment of AMD. In addition, Golestaneh’s lab is interested in using the human iPS (hiPS) cells as an in vitro model of human aging and has created hiPS cells from young and aged donors to subsequently differentiate them into somatic cells in order to study human aging mechanisms. The iPS cells would be of great interest to elucidate the genetics of human aging mechanisms, since recent studies have shown that telomeres are elongated in iPS cells compared to the parental differentiated cells, and the somatic mitochondria within hiPS cells revert to animmature ESC-like state and hiPS and hES cells, although not identical, share similar mitochondrial properties. In addition she investigates the influence of human KL gene in normal and pathological aging to understand the mechanisms of KL-induced human aging.

Vesper Fe Marie Llaneza Ramos, MD is a neurologistintraining at Omaha, NE. She finished her medical school on full academic scholarship at the University of the Philippines Manila graduating Class Valedictorian and awarded as the most outstanding medical graduate of 2006. She is very much interested in the interface of ethics neurology and psychiatry. She believes that genetics research on this interface will explode in the coming years. She enjoys poetry and has had several poems published in both scientific and literary circles. She plans on subspecializing in movement disorders and dementia. Her special interest in genetics is on presymptomatic testing for neurodegenerative diseases as well as the hope for neuropharmacogenomics to provide specific treatments for these disabling diseases.

Vesper Fe Marie Llaneza Ramos reserach interests include ethical basis of presymptomatic testing for neurodegenerative diseases, nonmotor manifestations of Parkinson’s Disease, addressing the concerns of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, cognitive and Psychiatric applications of Deep Brain Stimulation.

Iraida G. Sharina, PhD is an Assistant Professor at University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology Division. After obtaining her PhD in Molecular Biology from the Russian Academy of Science, she had a postdoctoral training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York under the supervision of Dr. David I. Goldman, a leading investigator in the area of methotrexate MTX resistance in leukemia. She did an extensive study on structure function relationship of Reduced Folate Carrier, a major determinant of the cancer resistance to MTX. Following her interest in Nitric Oxide NO biology she moved to UT-Health Science Center in Houston, to join the laboratory of Dr. Ferid Murad, a Nobel Prize winner and major leader in NO field of research.

Dr. Sharina research program is focusing on the studies of diverse genetic processes that regulate the expression and function of major Nitric Oxide (NO) receptor soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC). NO is a crucially important signaling molecule in physiology of diverse organisms. NO initiate a number of signaling cascades, of which arguably the most significant is the activation of sGC which generates the ubiquitous secondary messenger cGMP. sGC is the only known NO-inducible guanylyl cyclase and provides a unique link transducing increases in NO concentrations to activation of various downstream effector enzymes such as cGMP-binding protein kinases, phosphodiesterases and cyclic nucleotide gated ion channels.

Dr.Zhihua Hua obtained his PhD in Plant Physiology from Pennsylvania State University in 2008. He is the recipient of the Penn State Alumni Associate Dissertation Award and the Travel Grant Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists. Currently, he is working as a research associate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has been serving as a manuscript reviewer for more than 10 of the world’s leading journals like Developmental Cell, Cell Research, PLoS ONE, Plant Physiology, and BMC Evolutionary Biology. He has authored 14 peer-reviewed articles published in top ranked journals worldwide including Nature, Science, PNAS, Plant Cell, and Annual Review of Plant Biology. 

Dr.Zhihua Hua research interests lie in the systematic study of the role of Ubiquitin-26S proteasome system in eukaryotic organisms, mainly in plants, using the interdisciplinary approaches of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and molecular evolutionary biology.

Debra Silver earned her B.S. in Biology from Tufts University in 1993. She worked with Dr.James Sellers at the NIH, studying the cytoskeletal
protein, Myosin. She earned her Ph.D. with Dr. Denise Montell of The
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and discovered a requirement
for JAK/STAT signaling in Drosophila and human ovarian cell migration.
For her postdoctoral training with Dr. William Pavan of the NHGRI, she discovered a novel role for an RNA binding complex in brain development,
neural stem cells, and mitosis, and was funded by an NIGMS fellowship and
NINDS K99/R00 Award. In 2010, Dr. Silver joined Duke University Medical
Center as an Assistant Professor in the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Department, a secondary faculty in the Cell Biology Department, and an
Investigator in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. Her lab studies
genetic and cell biological mechanisms regulating stem cells, neural
development, and neurodevelopmental disease.

Debra Silver research interests include genetic and cell biological approaches to understand normal development and human disease. Specifically our studies aim to elucidate the genetic and cell biological mechanisms of stem cells, neural development, and neurodevelopmental disorders. We are particularly interested in the role of mRNA localization in stem cell division. Precise control of stem cells during development helps dictate the size, structure, and function of different organs of our body, including the adult brain. As evidence of this, genes essential for neural stem cell division are associated with reduced brain size in humans (microcephaly). However, the genes that regulate stem cell division remain poorly understood,as do mechanistic explanations of how aberrant division causes microcephaly. Our goal is to help fill this void by uncovering new genes important for stem cell division and brain development.In previous studies utilizing a forward genetic screen in mice, we identified a requirement for Magoh, a component of an RNA binding complex, for proper brain size, asymmetric cell division, genomic stability, and neural stem cell function. Future projects in our laboratory will build upon these findings to ask the following questions: How does Magoh regulate stem cell division and what are its critical binding partners during brain development? Does Magoh have a conserved role in other stem cells? What is the role of mRNA localization and metabolism during stem cell division? What additional genes regulate these processes and influence neurodevelopmental diseases such as microcephaly? Our approach employs a repertoire of genetic and cell biological tools including mouse genetics, cell culture, microscopy, biochemistry, and genomics. Using this combination of in vivo and in vitro studies allows us to gain mechanistic insights both at a molecular and organismal level. Our long-term objective is that these approaches help broaden our fundamental understanding of both basic and translational problems ranging from how cells divide to the etiology of developmental diseases and cancers.

Dr. Uttiya Basu did his doctoral training in molecular biology with Dr. Umadas Maitra at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. Thereafter he did his post-doctoral training in Immunology as aIrvington Institute Fellow with Dr. Frederick Alt at Harvard School of Medicine, Boston. At present he is a assistant professor in immunology at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University, New York. He is a fellow of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, Irma Hirschl Foundation and Leukemia Research Foundation.

Dr. Uttiya Basu research interests include antibodies are polypeptide complexes produced by B-lymphocytes of the immune system that identify and neutralize pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. Antibodies are comprised of immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy (IgH) and light (IgL) chain polypeptides. Each polypeptide has an N-terminal variable region that facilitates its binding to antigen, whereas the C-terminal constant region of the IgH chain is necessary for downstream effector functions. There are three DNA alteration events that allow mammalian B lymphocytes to achieve enormous antibody diversification: V(D)J recombination, class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation. Developing B cells, in the bone marrow, undergo V(D)J recombination to assemble exons encoding the IgH and IgL variable (V) regions upstream of the corresponding constant region exons. Thereafter, the newly generated B cells migrate to secondary lymphoid organs where they encounter antigens, and are stimulated to further undergo two additional Ig gene alterations, class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). CSR is a B cell-specific DNA rearrangement reaction that replaces the initial Ig heavy chain constant region gene exon Cmu with other downstream constant region exons so that secondary isotypes (IgG, IgA etc) with different effector functions are generated. SHM, on the other hand, introduces point mutations into V genes at a very high rate, ultimately leading to increased antibody affinity. Although CSR and SHM are distinct processes, they both require transcription through the relevant Ig loci, and activity of the enzyme activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Human patients with inactivating mutations in the AID gene suffer from severe immunodeficiency leading to Hyper-IgM syndrome (HIGM2), whereas hyperactivity of AID leads to various B and T cell malignancies.

Dr. med. Katrin Karl has received her MD at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, where she studied from 1996-2003. Currently, she is working at the Center of Prenatal Diagnosis at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich/Germany. She was working with the San Franciso Perinatals in California in 2008. She has authored several research articles and book chapters. She is a member of several national and international societies of fetal medicine and ultrasound in Ob/Gyn.

Katrin Karl research interests include influence of maternal age, gestational age and fetal gender on expression of immune mediators in amniotic fluid

Jörn Bullerdiek is the head of the Center for Human Genetics of the University of Bremen. This center harbors 40 people working in science, diagnostics and teaching of students. Due to his expertise in science he is reviewer of a number of international journals as well as member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Portuguese Cancer Center in Lisbon. He has gained managerial experience in a number of DFG- and BMBF-supported projects as well as in co-operations with the pharmaceutical industry.

Jörn Bullerdiek research interest include human genetics and cancer

Karen E Heath is Senior researcher in the Institute of Medical and Molecular Genetics, INGEMM Hospital, Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain. Previously her group was in the University Autonoma de Madrid. She carried out her postdoctoral research in the Centre for Biological Investigations, CSIC, Madrid and in the Dept of Human Genetics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. She received a PhD in Genetics from University College, London, UK in 1999. Her MSc in Medical Genetics from the University of Glasgow 1993 and her BSc Hons in Genetics from the University of Leeds. She is serving as an editorial board member for the World Journal of Medical Genetics and reviewer of 7 journals American Journal of Human Genetics, American Journal of Medical Genetics, Clinical Genetics, Journal of Medical Genetics, Human Mutation, Journal of Human Genetics, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism.

Karen E Heath research interests include molecular genetics of skeletal dysplasias with a particular interest in the characterization of the role of SHOX in human skeletal growth., molecular genetics of craniosynostosis, molecular genetics of endocrine disorders.

Prof. YiHan Chen an outstanding cardiologist in China has become a pioneer in exploring the genetic bases of cardiac arrhythmias. In 2003, he identified a KCNQ1 mutation responsible for familial atrial fibrillation. In 2010, he confirmed that Kir34 was associated with congenital long QT syndrome. His original contributions have been published in the journals such as Science. Now, he also extends his research interest into the molecular mechanisms and novel intervention strategies of cardiovascular diseases including cardiac arrhythmias heart failures and congenital heart diseases.

Prof. YiHan Chen research interests include genetic bases of cardiac arrhythmias, molecular mechanisms, novel intervention strategies of cardiovascular diseases.

Babykumari P Chitramuthu is a research assistant at Endocrine Research Laboratory, Royal Victoria Hospital, Canada

Babykumari P Chitramuthu research interests include molecular cloning and sequencing, southern, northern and western blotting, PCR techniques.

Andrzej Kowalski graduated from the Educational University of Kielce (Poland) in 1986. Andrzej Kowalski has completed his Post-graduated studies at the University of Lodz (Poland), getting Ph.D. degree in 1997. My Ph.D thesis have been presented in the paper "Allelic polymorphism of histone H1.a in duck erythrocytes”, Biochemical Genetics in 1998.

Andrzej Kowalski research interests focus on the heterogeneity of birds and mammals linker (H1) histones. So far there are no unequivocal evidence on how such a most abundant chromatin components influenced on specific gene repression and/or activation, especially by its polymorphic and/or modified forms. To fill this gap, Andrzej Kowalski\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s current studies dealing the elucidation the histone H1-dependent genetic and epigenetic processes are concerned with population characteristic of polymorphic and modified histone H1 variants in certain special circumstances such as breeding and selection.

Dr. Yanhong Ji is a Director of Department of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Xian Jiaotong University, China and also Professor of School of Medicine, Xian Jiaotong University. She has finished her postdoctoral training with Dr. David Schatz at Yale University mNew Haven CT from 2004-2010. She has received a PhD in Philosophy from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel in 1998-2003. She has completed her MD in Medicine in Xian Medical University, China in 1989. She received Outstanding Service Award from Chinese Society for Immunobiology. She has 7 publications in Nat Rev Immunol Cell, JEM Nat Immunol and PNAS.

Dr. Yanhong Ji research interests include epigenetic regulation of Immunoglobulin genes, RAG Recruitments during the Initiation of V(D)J Recombination.

Prof. Monika Bugno Poniewierska has received his PhD in National Research Institute of Animal Production during the period of 3 years 2000 – 2003. Currently she is working as a professor Head of Independent Laboratory of Genomics in National Research Institute of Animal Production. She is a member of The Polish Society of Genetics and member of The Local Ethics Commission for Research on Animals. She has authored 57 research articles. The area of her expertise is cytogenetics.

Prof. Monika Bugno Poniewierska scientific interests concern animals cytogenetics, in particular the evaluation of the karyotype regularity of animals which are assigned for breeding. The research was focused on early detecting of karyotype anomalies, which enabled the elimination of their carriers from breeding and as a result avoiding economic losses related to ineffective mating or hormonal treatment, which is very often applied in such cases. Along with the development of molecular cytogenetics, my scientific interests had been directed to issues connected with elaboration and application of molecular techniques in the evaluation of domestic animals genomes, which enabled considerable increasing the precision of chromosomal abnormalities identification, not only in mitotic but also in meiotic cells, as well as it enabled broadening research on genes mapping or evolutionary issues. Currently, my interests are embracing the latest issues of chromonomics that is genomics where the organization of a genome in chromosomes is taken into account. These issues are helpful in creating genetic linkage groups, as well as in transferring results on other animals (comparative chromonomics).

Dr.Shom Shanker Bhattacharya completed his PhD in 1977 at University of Newcastle upon Tyne,UK. He awarded a training grant from the Wellcome Foundation for the PhD studies. Thesis submitted ‘Na-exchanges in skeletal and heart muscle membrane of the frog’.

Dr.Shom Shanker Bhattacharya research interests include identifications of the diseases genes, ophthalmic genetics, linkage map of the human X-chromosome.

Dr.Byron Asimakopoulos completed his PhD at Aristoteleion University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Currently working as Assistant Professor of Physiology,Democritus University of Thrace.

Dr.Byron Asimakopoulos research interests include the role of GnRH and its receptor in the ovary, the role of cytokines in IVF outcome GnRH-antagonists in ovarian stimulation with emphasis on embryo quality and pregnancy outcome.

Ana Paula de Souza Pardo is associate professor in Department of Morphology, University of Campinas, Brasil

Ana Paula de Souza Pardo research interest include medical genetics.

Asst.Prof.Dr. Veysel Sabri Hancer has received his PhD in Istanbul University. During his PhD training he studied ADAMTS13 gene expression in Antiphospholipid syndrome. He is now an assistant professor of Medical Biology and Genetics at Istanbul Bilim University. He is a member of Turkish Society of Medical Biology and Turkish Society of Hematology . The area of his expertise is Molecular Genetics.

Dr. Veysel Sabri Hancer research interests include ADAMTS13 molecule and its interplay with other molecules, Genetic bases andmolecular mechanisms of cancer, Epigenetics.

Staal Wouter Gerard is  Adolescent Psychiatrist and researcher working at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre (Cognitive Neuroscience) and Karakter University centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Netherlands. His research experience is in the field of neuroimaging and neurogenetics, where he conducted a large number of experiments and studies. During my Ph.D. He worked in the prestigious centre for schizophrenia research of Prof. N.C. Andreasen (University of Iowa). As resident in child- and adolescent psychiatrist I developed an additional interest in the genetics of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Staal Wouter Gerard developed an additional interest in the genetics of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr.Yosunkaya, MD, PhD is the chief of Clinical Genetics section at the Department of Medical Genetics, Cerrahpasa Medical School (CMS), Istanbul University. She completed her residency and PhD training in Istanbul University, and continued her career in Boston University, Center for Human Genetics as a research associate. After joining the faculty in CMS, she established the molecular genetics laboratory in the medical genetics department. She is the co-author of two medical book chapters. Her research studies has been published in 16 SCI journals and cited 92 times. She also contributed to many genetics meetings with 48 presentations. She was the assistant editor and is among the reviewers of three journals. She devotes most of her professional time to diagnosis/therapy of patients with genetic syndromes, counselling to pregnant women, who were exposed and/or at risk for teratogenic agents, to conducting clinical molecular genetics research projects and training of medical genetics residents.

Dr.Elif Yosunkaya’s scientific interests mainly focused on the genetic basis for multifactorial diseases, and decided to specialize in the field of medical genetics upon graduating from medical school. During her residency training, she devoted most of her time in practicing clinical genetics, dysmorphology, syndromology and teratology. She earned the title of “Medical Geneticist” after completing the thesis “Evaluation of pregnancies at risk for teratogenicty and their outcomes”, in which 250 pregnancies at risk for teratogenicity were prospectively followed up and the outcomes evaluated in detail. The results of this research study highly expanded the scientific information of clinical teratology and promoted the counselling services for teratogenic exposures during pregnancy, fulfilling the significant requirement for this service not only in the country but also in neighbouring countries. Her extensive study on Familial Mediterranean Fever led to the discovery of a novel mutation of MEFV gene, and also over 20 significant genotype phenotype correlations for this disease. In Boston University, Center for Human Genetics, where she worked as a research associate in molecular genetics laboratory, she participated and directed various research projects, directed preclinical validation studies for genetic tests and evaluated feasibility studies of various molecular techniques. She was awarded a fellowship from Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association for her project titled “Fetal gene therapy for CMT1A”, and the results of this project formed the basis for a larger study project. Her former research subjects consisted of development of molecular techniques for DNA isolation from decayed materials, optimization of molecular techniques in which radioactive isotops are used, and development of algorithms to detect in vivo gene transfer via immunohistochemical assays using GFP. She is highly interested in and conducting research in the genetic basis of autoinflammatory disorders, the interface between cancer and inflammation, developmental genetics and teratology, syndromes with atypical inheritance patterns, pleiotropy and incomplete penentrance mechanisms in genetic syndromes, and searching for modifier gene effects on clinical entities with distinctly established mutations.

Orit Reish Graduated from Medical School, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel in 1983. Completed specialization in Pediatric Medicine at Hasharon Medical Center, Petach Tikva, Israel in 1991. Staff Physician in the ICU, Schneider Childrens Medical Center, Petach Tikva, until 1992. Training in Genetics and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA from 1992-1995. Certification by the Israeli Board of Medical Genetics in 1995 and the American Board of Medical Genetics (ABMG) in 1996. Staff Physician - Clinical Geneticist, and Director of Genetics Unit, Meir Medical Center, Israel until 1999. From 1999-present, Head, Medical Genetics Institute, and Head of cytogenetic and molecular biology laboratories, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, affiliated to Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University. Senior Lecturer at Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University.
 

Orit Reish research interests include Genotype-Phenotype correlation of single gene defects in families and large scale populations
Mapping and detection of new genes and mutations
Cytogenetic studies assessing mechanisms leading to sporadic aneuploidy in patients and single cells

Dr. Asude Durmaz has received her MD at Ege University Medical Faculty and her PhD in Medical Genetics at the same hospital. She completed her thesis about childhood drug resistant epilepsy. She has worked in neurogenetics department at Karolinska Hospital for 6 months. She is still working as a medical geneticist in Medical Genetics Department. She routinely works on cytogenetics, molecular genetics and clinical genetics besides different ongoing projects.

Dr. Asude Durmaz research interests include neurogenetics especially neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Ambroise Wonkam is senior lecturer/senior specialist in the Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. After a MBChB/MD from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I (Cameroon), Dr. Wonkam complete a thesis in Cell Biology in the department of Morphology, University of Geneva (Switzerland) following by a specialization in medical geneticist. His interests are reflected in his peer-reviewed publications, which are in laboratory, clinical and educational aspects of medical genetics. His major ongoing research project is on phenotypic correlation of sickle cell anemia to genotypic variations. His has recently established the medical genetics practice in Cameroon. Dr. Wonkam is board member of the African Society of Human Genetics and member of the Scientific Program Committee of the 2011 International Conference of Human Genetics.
 

Dr. Ambroise Wonkam research interests include human genetics and medical genetics