Biomarkers, Cancer Therapy & Clinical Research

Xuemei is currently a Senior Principal Scientist in the Translational Molecular Biomarkers Department at Merck & Co., Inc. in Rahway, NJ. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University and performed her postdoctoral research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Afterwards, Xuemei joined the Proteomics Department in Molecular Profiling at Merck in 2004. She led the biochemistry group focusing on sample preparation for LC-MS based proteomics profiling for biomarker discovery and new target identification. In 2012, Xuemei transitioned to clinical biomarker development. Currently, she leads the immunoassay group focusing on clinical biomarker assay development, validation, and implementation to support drug development clinical studies across all disease areas at Merck.

Immunoassay group focusing on clinical biomarker assay development, validation, and implementation to support drug development clinical studies across all disease areas at Merck.

Biography Sergey Suchkov graduated from Astrakhan State Medical University and awarded with MD, then in 1985 maintained his PhD at the I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy and in 2001, maintained his Doctorship Degree at the Nat Inst of Immunology, Russia. From 1987 through 1989, he was a senior Researcher, Koltzov Inst of Developmental Biology. From 1989 through 1995, he was a Head of the Lab of Clinical Immunology, Helmholtz Eye Research Institute in Moscow. From 1995 through 2004, a Chair of the Dept for Clinical Immunology, Moscow Clinical Research Institute (MONIKI. Dr Suchkov has been trained at: NIH; Wills Eye Hospital, PA, USA; Univ of Florida in Gainesville; UCSF, S-F, CA, USA; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. He was an Exe Secretary-in-Chief of the Editorial Board, Biomedical Science, an international journal published jointly by the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. At present, Dr Sergey Suchkov is a Chair, Dept for Personalized and Translational Medicine, I.M.Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University. He is a member of the: New York Academy of Sciences, USA; American Chemical Society (ACS), USA; American Heart Association (AHA), USA; EPMA (European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine), Brussels, EU; ARVO (American Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology); ISER (International Society for Eye Research); PMC (Personalized Medicine Coalition), Washington, USA.

Personalized and Translational Medicine, Clinical Immunology, Preventive and Personalized Medicine

Dr. Luo been studying molecular pathology related to human malignancies in the last 27 years. Currently, he is a Professor of Pathology and Director of High Throughput Genome Center at University of Pittsburgh. In the last 15 years, Dr. Luo has been largely focusing on genetic and molecular mechanism of human prostate and hepatocellular carcinomas. In this period, his group has identified and characterized several genes that are related to prostate cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, including SAPC, myopodin, CSR1, GPx3, ITGA7, MCM7, MT1h and GPC3. He has characterized several signaling pathways that play critical role in prostate cancer development, including Myopodin-ILK-MCM7 inhibitory signaling, myopodin-zyxin motility inhibition pathway, CSR1-CPSF3 and CSR1-XIAP apoptotic pathways, MT1h-EHMT1 egigenomic signaling, ITGA7-HtrA2 tumor suppression pathway, GPx3-PIG3 cell death pathway, and AR-MCM7 oncogenic pathway. He proposed prostate cancer field effect in 2002. He is one of the pioneers in utilizing high throughput gene expression and genome analyses to analyze field effects in prostate cancer and liver cancer. He is also the first in using methylation array and whole genome methylation sequencing to analyze prostate cancer. Recently, Dr. Luo’s group found that patterns of copy number variants of certain specific genome loci are predictive of prostate cancer clinical outcomes, regardless tissue origin. His discovery of several novel fusion transcripts and their association with aggressive prostate cancer has brought significant new insight into the field of prostate cancer research. Overall, these discoveries advance our understanding on how cancer develops and behaves, and lay down the foundation for better future diagnosis and treatment of human malignancies.

Hepatocellular Carcinomas , Prostate Cancer , Genome Analysis

Kaushala Prasad Mishra has earned B.Sc and M.Sc. degrees from Allahabad University and Ph.D. from Gujarat University. His areas of Specialization: Life Sciences, Radiation Biology, Biotechnology, Biophysics and chemistry. He has been Research Guide for Ph.D. students in many Universities of India; Successfully guided 41 Ph.D. students and presently guiding 08 students. He has published more than 280 research papers and proceeding papers in National and International Journals. He has delivered more than 300 invited talks in Symposia and Conferences. He is currently the Vice Chancellor of Nehru Gram Bharati University, Allahabad, India. He also served as Head, Radiation Biology and Health Science Division and Senior Scientific Officer of Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Department of Atomic Energy, and Government of India, Chairman, Standing Selection Committee, Member, Trombay Scientific Council, BARC, Member, Health, Safety & Biomedical Group Board, Member, Committee of Atomic Energy Commission on Health and Environment Aspects of Uranium Mining at Jaduguda, Member, Core Expert Group on Chemical Disaster and Nuclear Disaster Management of National Disaster Management Authotrity of India (NDMA). He served as Chancellor's Nominee in Selection Committees of Padmashri Dr. D.Y. Patil Deemed University; Mumbai and West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata and served as Expert on Selection Committees of IITs and several Universities in India.

Radiation Research, Biomarkers, Biophysics, Biotechnology

Youhe Gao is a Professor in Beijing Normal University. He received his MD from Peking Union Medical College and his from PhD from University of Connecticut and Postdoctoral training from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. He was the Professor of Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/ Peking Union Medical College from 2001-2014. His research interests include biomarker discovery in urine, urine biobanking, protein interaction methods and related bioinformatics

Pathophysiology, Biomarkers, Bioinformatics, Biobanking

Leticia Cano identified a native citrullinated autoantigen for rheumatoid arthritis for her Ph.D. dissertation. She did her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Hank Fales at the National Institutes of Health, where she identified candidate biomarkers for Dermatomyositis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Systemic Lupus Erythematosis. As Founder and President of Biomarker Profiles Corporation, she is interested in developing methods to increase the speed of biomarker discovery.

she is interested in developing methods to increase the speed of biomarker discovery.

Pavel Vodicka graduated at the Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague and in 1986 obtained Ph.D. in biochemistry. He worked as postdoctoral fellow at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland (1987-1990) and as visiting scientist at Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden (1990-1993). Since 2002 he heads the Dept Molec. Biol. Cancer, Inst. Exper. Medicine, Acad. Sci., Prague, Czech Republic. He has published more than 100 (2430 citations, HI 30) articles. Since 2004, his main research topics are focused on the DNA and chromosomal damage and DNA repair functional tests in humans and on transient biomarkers in the onset of gastrointestinal cancers.

His main research topics are focused on the DNA and chromosomal damage and DNA repair functional tests in humans and on transient biomarkers in the onset of gastrointestinal cancers.

Gabriella Baio studied Medicine and Surgery at University of Pisa and she obtained Radiology specialization at University of Genoa in 2007. Since 2008, she works as Radiologist at IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST-National Cancer Institute, in Genoa. Dott. Baio research activities, cover clinical and preclinical molecular imaging by Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging applied to oncology, vascular and neuroscience. Her current research consist in the characterization of breast cancer in animal model, in order to validate new contrast agents as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug delivery. She is invited speaker to national and international conferences and an active member of the European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI). She has been Abstract Reviewer for the World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC) 2011 and 2012.

she works as Radiologist at IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST-National Cancer Institute, in Genoa. Dott. Baio research activities, cover clinical and preclinical molecular imaging by Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging applied to oncology, vascular and neuroscience. Her current research consist in the characterization of breast cancer in animal model, in order to validate new contrast agents as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug delivery. She is invited speaker to national and international conferences and an active member of the European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI). She has been Abstract Reviewer for the World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC) 2011 and 2012.

Professor Marija Krstic-Demonacos has completed her Ph.D. from University of California San Francisco, postdoctoral studies from Glasgow University and was a Lecturer and Principal Investigator in the University of Manchester. She was a recipient of a prestigious Wellcome Trust fellowship and was recently awarded the Honorary Visitor status in the University of Manchester and a Chair in Molecular Medicine in the University of Salford. She has published 43 papers in reputed journals and is serving as an editorial board member of several journals. In addition, commercialization potential of her research is evidenced by the three patents she owns. She was invited to present, chair and organize numerous conferences and has served as reviewer for various funding bodies and journals.

In particular my research group investigates effects of p53, nuclear hormone receptors and histone acetyltransferases on cell proliferation, survival, stress response, brain function and childhood cancer. Our studies aim to analyse the transcription factor activity in stem cells and leukaemia. Our target is to improve treatments and develop novel pharmacologically beneficial approaches to treat cancer.This knowledge can find application in the pharmaceutical industry and medicine.

Afaf El-Ansary, female, biochemist, graduated from biochemistry department, Ain Shams University, Egypt in 1974. She worked in the National Reserch Centre, Egypt from 1976-2000, since 2001, she is working in biochemistry department, King Saud University, KSA. She has published more than 45 papers related to metabolic integration between schistosome parasite and molluscan hosts. She recorded a patent on the “Use of sublethal concentration of solanum nigrum plant for the control of schistosomiasis". She was recognized by the Marquis Who's Who in science and engineering, Eight's edition, 2005-2006. She is member in number of national and international societies and she is recorded as reviewer in many international journals. In recent year she focused on the screening of biochemical markers related to autism and she got another 40 published papers in high impact factor Journals related to this research interest. She is member in Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine Society (Moscow).

She worked in the National Reserch Centre, Egypt from 1976-2000, since 2001, she is working in biochemistry department, King Saud University, KSA. She has published more than 45 papers related to metabolic integration between schistosome parasite and molluscan hosts. She recorded a patent on the “Use of sublethal concentration of solanum nigrum plant for the control of schistosomiasis". She was recognized by the Marquis Who's Who in science and engineering, Eight's edition, 2005-2006. She is member in number of national and international societies and she is recorded as reviewer in many international journals. In recent year she focused on the screening of biochemical markers related to autism and she got another 40 published papers in high impact factor Journals related to this research interest. She is member in Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine Society (Moscow).

Claudio Nicolini was born in Udine, Italy. He received the doctoral degree in physics from the University of Padua, in 1967. After serving as Adjunct Professor at the University of Bari, he moved for 17 years to the United States, of which he became citizen since 1974, and was originally at Brown University, MIT, and BNL. He then moved to Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, where after a period of intensive training and research in pathology he became Associate Professor of Pathology and then Professor and Chairman of the Biophysics in 1976. In 1985, he was called as “eminent scientist” to the Chair of Biophysics of the University of Genoa, in Italy until 2012, where he was successively Director of Biophysics Institute, DISTBIMO and CIRSDNNOB. From 1993 until now is Life President of the Fondazione ELBA Nicolini and of the Nanoworld Institute. On 2008 has been elected as a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and on 2010 Honoris Causa Professor of Biophysics and Nanobiotechnology at Moscow State University. He was Chief Editor of Cell Biophysics (USA), Science and Technology Advisor to Italian Prime Minister Craxi, Member of the National Science and Technology Council upon Parliament election, Scientific Director Industrial Consortium CIREF, Founder Technobiochip; President Polo National Bioelectronics, President Scientific Technological Park of Elba Island. He received several awards and prizes and has authored more than 480 publications in international scientific journals (SCI), 35 patents (WPI), 28 books and Series Editor in Bioelectronics (Plenum) and Nanobiotechnology (Pan Stanford). His main scientific activities concerned cancer research, biophysics and nanotechnology, pioneering world-wide chromatin structure-function, bioelectronics and nanobiotechnology.

Cancer research, Biophysics and Nanotechnology, pioneering world-wide chromatin structure-function, Bioelectronics and Nanobiotechnology.

Dr. Alain Moreau is Full Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry and the Faculty of Medicine at the Universite de Montreal. He is the Director of Research and Chief Scientific Officer of Sainte-Justine University Hospital.Dr. Moreau received his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the Universite de Montreal in 1993. He did a first postdoctoral training at the Protein Engineering Center of University of Liege, Belgium (1992-1993), followed by a second postdoctoral fellowship at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal affiliated with McGill University (1993-1997). Dr. Moreau is an internationally recognized expert on molecular genetics of pediatric scoliosis and osteoarthritis. His discoveries led to multiple peer-reviewed papers, international conferences as guest speaker, several awards as well as 32 patents issued.

Protein engineering, Molecular genetics, Biomarkers

Chee Gee See is the Director of Personalised Medicine at Proteome Sciences, a company providing high end mass-spectrometry based biomarker discovery and clinical utility tools, uniquely positioned to engage with pharma partners in our quest for personalised medicines. CheeGee was previously the clinical Biomarker and Experimental Medicine Leader at Roche for 5 years. He was the BEML for the Phase III pivotal TOGA study where Herceptin was trialled for the new indication of gastric cancer. He was also a BEML for CVD, CNS and immunology so his range and awareness of disease areas and their clinical development challenges is both deep and broad. CheeGee also spent 11 years at GSK where he was a genetics expert covering 3 key therapeutic areas in preclinical research within Genetics Research Europe. Prior to industry, CheeGee spent 6 years in post-doctoral academia at the University of Birmingham and University College London, most notably in the Human Genome Mapping Project. CheeGee also has dual specialist expertise as a consultant in regulatory affairs and value-based drug pricing, reimbursement and market access. CheeGee looks forward to engaging with like-minded professionals during this conference.

Personalised Medicine, biomarkers, genetics

B.Sc and M.Sc. degrees from Allahabad University and Ph.D. from Gujarat University. Areas of Specialization: Life Sciences, Radiation Biology, Biotechnology, Biophysics and chemistry. Research Guide for Ph.D. students in many Universities of India. Successfully guided 41 Ph.D. students. Presently guiding 08 students. Published more than 280 research papers and proceeding papers in National and International Journals. Delivered more than 300 invited talks in Symposia and Conferences. Currently the Vice Chancellor of Nehru Gram Bharati University, Allahabad, India. Served as Head, Radiation Biology and Health Science Division and Senior Scientific Officer of Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Department of Atomic Energy, and Government of India. Chairman, Standing Selection Committee, Member, Trombay Scientific Council, BARC, Member, Health, Safety & Biomedical Group Board, Member, Committee of Atomic Energy Commission on Health and Environment Aspects of Uranium Mining at Jaduguda, Member, Core Expert Group on Chemical Disaster and Nuclear Disaster Management of National Disaster Management Authotrity of India (NDMA). Served as Chancellor's Nominee in Selection Committees of Padmashri Dr. D.Y. Patil Deemed University; Mumbai and West Bengal University of Technology, Kolkata and served as Expert on Selection Committees of IITs and several Universities in India.

Radiation Research, Biomarkers, Biophysics, Biotechnology

Leticia Cano identified a native citrullinated autoantigen for rheumatoid arthritis for her PhD dissertation. She did her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Hank Fales at the National Institutes of Health, where she identified candidate biomarkers for Dermatomyositis, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. As founder and president of Biomarker Profiles Corporation, she is interested in developing methods to increase the speed of biomarker discovery.

Biomarkers

Pavel Vodicka graduated at the Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague and in 1986 obtained PhD in biochemistry. He worked as postdoctoral fellow at the Finnish Inst. Occupat. Health, Helsinki, Finland (1987-1990) and as visiting scientist at Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden (1990-1993). Since 2002 he heads the Dept. Molec. Biol. Cancer, Inst. Exper. Medicine, Acad. Sci., Prague, Czech Republic. Pavel Vodicka has published more than 130 (total IF 552.4, 2650 citations a HI 31) articles. Since 2004, his main research topics are focused on the DNA and chromosomal damage and DNA repair functional tests in humans and on transient biomarkers in the onset of gastrointestinal cancers. In 2012 he edited the Special Issue in Mutagenesis http://mutage.oxfordjournals.org/content/27/2.toc), entitled Colorectal Cancer-Current Insights into Susceptibility.

Biochemistry, Molecular biology, biomarkers, cancer biology

Sergey Suchkov graduated from Astrakhan State Medical University and was awarded with MD. In 1985, Suchkov obtained his Ph.D. He is the PhD student of the I.M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy and Institute of Medical Enzymology, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia. In 2001, Suchkov finished the PostDoc Research Fellowship Program and maintained his Doctor Degree at the National Institute of Immunology, Russia. From 1987 through 1989, Dr. Suchkov was a senior Researcher, Lab of Developmental Immunology, Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, USSR Academy of Sciences to deal to developmental immunology. From 1989 through 1995, Dr. Suchkov was being a Head of the Lab of Clinical Immunology and Immunobiotechnology, Helmholtz Eye Research Institute in Moscow. From 1995 through 2004, Dr. Suchkov was being a Chairman of the Department for Clinical Immunology, Moscow Clinical Research Institute (MONIKI) and the Immunologist-in-Chief of the Moscow Regional Ministry of Health. At present, Dr Sergey Suchkov, MD, PhD, is Professor in Immunology, Department of Pathology, School for Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Dean of the Department (Faculty) of The PPPM Development, and the First Vice-President of the University of World Business, Politics and Law and Secretary General, United Cultural Convention (UCC), Cambridge, UK.

Enzymology, biomarkers, cardiology, Immunology

Gabriella Baio studied Medicine and Surgery at University of Pisa and she obtained Radiology specialization at University of Genoa in 2007. Since 2008, she works as Radiologist at IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria San Martino-IST-National Cancer Institute, in Genoa. Dott. Baio research activities, cover clinical and preclinical molecular imaging by Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging applied to oncology, vascular and neuroscience. Her current research consist in the characterization of breast cancer in animal model, in order to validate new contrast agents as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and drug delivery. She is invited speaker to national and international conferences and an active member of the European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI). She has been abstract reviewer for the World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC) 2011 and 2012.

Radiology