Aline M. Betancourt, PhD is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA. She is a member of the Tulane Center for Gene Therapy headed by Dr. Bruce Bunnell. She is a member of the Louisiana Gene Therapy Consortium, the Tulane Cancer Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium. She received her PhD in Microbiology from Georgetown University, Washington, DC in 1992.She has completed her B.A in Psychology in New York University, New York, NY (1981). She was nominated into MICR Database of Exceptional Minority Scientists by MICR (Minorities in Cancer Research) Awards Nomination Committee. She is also serving as an editorial board member for the World Journal of Stem Cells (WJSC). She has served as an ad hoc reviewer for several NIH study sections and numerous journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Stem Cells, Experimental Hematology, Infection and Immunity, FASEB, Journal of International Cancer, Journal of Hepatology, Journal of Virology, Journal of Immunology, Cell Stem Cells, Biochemistry and Cell Biology and BioMed Central Cancer. She has published over 25 original peer-reviewed articles and two invited book chapters.
 

Martin Rodriguez-Porcel is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and a non-invasive imaging cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN and an elected fellow of the American Heart Association (Council of Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology). He received his medical degree in 1994 from Universidad del Salvador, Argentina and did his residency in Internal Medicine at Alton Ochsner in New Orleans and fellowship in Cardiology at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Rodriguez-Porcel obtained his M.S. in Physiology and Biophysics from The Mayo Graduate School and performed a sabbatical in Molecular Imaging at the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, CA.  He has performed seminal work in the use of molecular imaging strategies to better understand cell homing and biology and its translation to clinical applications, as well as as studied novel PET tracers for the assessment of pathophysiological processes non-invasively. He has authored 57 peer-reviewed publications and 3 book chapters, 2 patents, and presented his work and national and international meetings.  He serves as reviewer for many international highly reputed scientific journals.

Rosalinda Madonna is Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Cardiology Division, University of Texas Medical School (UT) in Houston and Research Scientist, Texas Heart Institute (THI) in Houston. She received her MD in University of Chieti, Italy (1997) and PhD in Biotechnology at the same University (2003).  She completed her post-doctoral research fellowship in Molecular Cardiology (2007, University of Louisville, KY) and Atherosclerosis and Heart Failure (2002 – 2006, UT and THI – Houston). She completed her Residency and Clinical Fellowship in Cardiology in University of Chieti (2003-2007). She has a Master in Internal Echocardiography and Cardio-Respiratory Physiopathology and stress test (in Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Milan, Italy) She is recipient of several awards and research grants (2003: Award for best abstract by The International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis; 2003: Young Investigator award by The Italian Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis; 2004: Travel grant by Alliance of Cardiovascular Researchers and The Brown Institute; 2004: Travel grant by The European Association Study of Diabetes (EASD); 2006: Scholarship by Italian Society of Cardiology (SIC); 2007, 2008 and 2009 Scholarship by The National Institute for Cardiovascular Research; 2008 Scholarship by SIC and Sanofi Aventis; 2010 Travel grant young scientist by European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Ongoing reviewer of Circulation Research, Expert Reviews, Cardiovascular Research, Atherosclerosis, Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Journal of Internal and Emergency Medicine, International Journal of Cardiology, The Journal of Diabetes Complications. Member of several International Societies and Nucleus Member ESC Working Group on Cellular Biology of the Heart. Author and co-author of 42 journal papers, 7 book chapter, 100 abstracts.

Luis F. Porrata is Assistant Deputy Director of the Blood and Marrow Program, Mayo Clinic.Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic.He is serving as an editorial board member of reputed journals and reviewer of several journals including Blood, Bone Marrow Transplantation, and Biology of Blood and Marrow transplantation.

Pranela Rameshwar is Professor, University of Medicine DNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, Department of Medicine-Hematology/Oncology. She is a member for Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UMDNJ, member for Rutgers/UMDNJ Integrative Neuroscience Graduate Program, Newark, NJ, member for Combined Doctoral Biomedical Engineer Program, New Jersey Institutes of Technology and UMDNJ-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. She has received a PhD in Biology, Rutger’s University, NJ, 1993. She has received the Water Russel Award, Rutgers State University; was a World Health Scholar between 1983-1985. She was inductee in the Stuart D. Cook, MD Master of Educator Guild. 2005. She was selected as New Jersey Medical School Faculty of the Year Award, 2006. She is serving on several editorial boards of journals, reviews for more than 40 journals and serves on several national and international grant review panels. She has published more than 140 articles, including reviews and book chapters.

Yong Zhao, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his PhD in Immunology at Shanghai Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China, (2000). He received his MD in Clinical Medicine at Weifang Medical College, Shandong, China, (1990). He received 2006 and 2008 Rachmiel Levine Scientific Achievement Award. He has 24 peer-reviewed publications. He owned 8 patents.

Ipsita Banerjee is a faculty in Chemical Engineering department of University of Pittsburgh. Adjunct faculty of Bioengineering Department, University of Pittsburgh. Adjunct faculty of McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. She has completed three years of post-doctoral training in Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, (2005-2008). She received her PhD from Rutgers University, NJ (2000-2005). She received the NIH New Innovator Award and the Ralph Powe Faculty Enhancement Award. She currently has fourteen publications in reputed international journals. She is a reviewer for Tissue Engineering, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Journal of Biotechnology, Computers and Chemical Engineering, Journal of Integrative Biology, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. She serves on the review panel of National Science Foundation, Biomedical Engineering Division.

Prof/Dr Qing Ma has received his PhD in Thomas Jefferson University during the period of 1990-1995.Currently, she is working as an Associate Professor of Cancer Medicine in the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She has successfully completed his Administrative responsibilities as she is serving as an reviewer or editorial member of several reputed journals like Blood, Journal of Immunology, Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cancer Research, Journal of Leukocyte Biology, World Journal of Biological Chemistry , International Journal of Immunology Research.she has authored 23 research articles/books. She is a member of The American Association of Immunologists, The American Society of Hematology, American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, The Society for Leukocyte Biology. She has honored as a Irvington Fellow and American Cancer Society Research Scholar.

She is a an Assistant Professor for the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Member of Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Member of Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington. She has received her MD/PhD degree from University of Minnesota, 1996-2003. She has completed her B.S. in biology and chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, 1996. She is serving as an editorial board member of reputed journals and reviewer of 3 journals. She has been nominated and awarded for the Princeton Global Networks and the Madison Who\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Who Member-Executives and Professionals. She received the Junior Faculty Awards: Perkins Coie Award and the Marian E. Smith award. 

Vincenzo Lionetti is Head of Unit of Molecular and Translational Medicine, National Institute of Biostructures and Biosystems, Bologna, Italy; Assistant Professor of Physiology, Sector of Medicine, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Itay; Adjunct Researcher, Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, Pisa, Italy. Adjunct Researcher, Fondazione Regione Toscana Gabriele Monasterio, Pisa, Italy. He has received a PhD in Innovative Strategies in Biomedical Research from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy, in 2007. He has specialized in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine at the University of Turin, Italy, in 2003. He received: Trainee Abstract Award from the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences of the American Heart Association in 2002; Young Investigator Award from the National Institute of Cardiovascular Research in 2009. He is serving as a member of the Council on Cardiovascular Science of the American Heart Association and Study Group on Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Heart of the Italian Society of Cardiology. He is serving as peer reviewer for Cardiovascular Research, Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, ECAM, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology. He has published 5 book chapters; 22 peer-reviewed articles in international journals including: Journal of Biological Chemistry, Cardiovascular Research, Journal of Cardiac Failure, American Journal of Physiology, Journal of Physiology (London),Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, FASEB Journal.

Jianlong Wang has received his PhD in University of Massachutes during the period of 2000. Currently,he is working as Assistant Professor in Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

B.Sc.Department of Biology,Faculty of Science,Chiba University,Chiba,Japan. 1985-1987 M.Sc Department of Biology, Faculty of Science,Chiba University graduate school, Chiba, Japan.Ph.D Department of Molecular Biology,Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo Graduate School,Tokyo,Japan.

He studied at the University of Milan, Italy. He received his PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from The Open University of London. He worked in the Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (TIGeT) and in the Stem Cell Research Institute, Hospital San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. He is currently working in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University, CA, USA.
 

Fazlul H. Sarkar, Ph.D. is a Professor at Karmanos Cancer Center, Wayne State University with a track-record of cancer research for over 32 years. He received his Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and completed his post-doctoral training in molecular biology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. His work has led to the discovery of the role of chemopreventive agents in sensitization of cancer cells (reversal of drug-resistance) to conventional therapeutics (chemo-radio-therapy). He has published over 400 original scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, review articles and book chapters. He is currently a Senior Editor of the journal: Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and member of the editorial board of many scientific journals.

Dr. Asfar Azmi, PhD. is a Research Scientist in the Department of Pathology, Wayne State University with a track-record of cancer research for more than 10 years. His broad research interest is focused on understanding the role of p53 in liquid and solid tumors especially focusing on pancreatic and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. His research been directed towards integrated design and development of synthetic small molecule anti-cancer drugs. He has extensively worked in developing small molecule inhibitors against Bcl-2, Mcl-1, CRM-1 and MDM2. Dr. Azmi has utilized cutting edge systems biology and network pharmacology to understand drug targets and combination drug signatures. These studies have helped in the design and development of novel combinations of small molecule drugs such as AT-101 (an advanced Bcl-2 inhibitor) that is currently in 21 different clinical trials. Dr. Azmi has published more than 50 peer reviewed articles and numerous editorials and books as well.