Nanotech & Nanobiotechnology

Dr. Julia Y. Ljubimova, M.D., Ph.D. has been President and Chief Scientific Officer of Arrogene, Inc. since January 11, 2012. Dr. Ljubimova serves as Director of Molecular Oncology for the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Ljubimova founded Arrogene, Inc. in 2007. Dr. Ljubimova serves as a Director of Nanomedicine Center and Professor of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Her primary research interests involve methods to block human glioma growth, brain and breast tumor treatments and the effects of air pollution on the brain. She has been a Director of Arrogene, Inc. since January 11, 2012. Dr. Ljubimova is working at Cedars-Sinai since 1993. Dr. Ljubimova's studies have been published in numerous peer-reviewed publications, including Cancer Research, Cancer, American Journal of Pathology and International Journal of Oncology. She is serving on the National Institute of Health Study Section “Nanoscience for Biology and Medicine”. Dr. Ljubimova’s research is funded by the grants from the National Institutes of Health and other government organizations.

Julia Ljubimova, MD, PhD, is director of the Nanomedicine Research Center in the Cedars-Sinai Department of Neurosurgery. Her main interests are differential cancer gene expression as a tool for finding novel and early markers of cancer growth and development, and the design of new nanomedicine drugs against tumor targets. The Nanomedicine Research Center has developed several nanobioconjugates that selectively target brain and breast cancer and thus could have less dose-limiting toxicity than existing therapies. Ljubimova joined the faculty at Cedars-Sinai to direct studies combining basic cancer and translational research for discovering specific tumor markers. One of the novel markers, the structural tumor vessel wall protein laminin-411, is in a clinical trial as a prognostic and diagnostic marker for human glial tumor progression. This discovery led to the development of new technologies for drug delivery and engineering of the new class of imaging and anti-cancer nanomedicines for MRI cancer-specific diagnostics and inhibition of tumor-specific molecular targets. Ljubimova also is studying the influence of air pollution on activation of molecular markers in the brain that can lead to differential expression of genes that play an important role in tumorigenesis. Her studies have been published in peer-reviewed journals including Cancer Research, Cell, The American Journal of Pathology, Angiogenesis, Nanomedicine and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Her research is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health along with state and private funds. Current investigations include the drug delivery system passing through the blood-brain barrier to deliver drugs to brain tumors and having the ability to block several cancer-specific tumor markers by using biodegradable nanoconjugate for brain and breast tumors; cancer-specific drug targeting; and development of nano-imaging agents for the brain tumor "virtual biopsy" using MRI.

Chantal Pichon is Full Professor at the University of Orleans (France). She has completed a Ph.D. in Cellular Biology and Microbiology (1991) at the University of Aix-Marseille before spending 2 years at the AFRC, Cambridge-UK as post-doc fellow. Chantal Pichon is performing her research activities at the Center for Molecular Biophysics of CNRS where she is coordinating the department of Cell Biology and Innovative therapies. Her lab is the pioneer of histidine-based nanoparticles and has developed novel strategies to improve uptake by chemical targeting and/or ultrasound trigger of nucleic acids. These last years, they are focusing their research on RNA as therapeutics. Chantal Pichon has a track-record of 108 publications and has obtained 20 grants (European, national, industrial and charities grants)

Chantal Pichon carried out her research activities at Center of Molecular Biophysics, a CNRS (French National Scientific Research Center) research activities (cbm.cnrs-orleans.fr/).She is conducting researches which are at the interface between chemistry and biology and comprise basic as well as applied research investigations. Her lab gains expertises in nucleic acids (plasmid DNA, oligonucleotidesmRNA, siRNA and microRNA) vectorization by non viral systems. They concern nucleic acids transfer based on cationic polymers, liposomes, inorganic materials and recently, efforts have been put on development of ultrasound assisted-delivery method. C. Pichon’s researches are mainly dedicated to the delivery of nucleic acids by non viral vectors cover the design and synthesis of chemical carriers, nucleic acids structures, nucleic acid formulations, uptake and intracellular trafficking of nucleic acids in cellulo and in vivo biodistribution by optical imaging and assessment of therapeutic activities in animal models. The lab has developed original cationic chemical vectors bearing histidylated residues or imidazolium groups that acquire permeabilization and fusogenic activities at mild acidic pH as that of endosomes. This feature improves the endosomal escape of cargo carried out by these vectors but also leads to a reduction of cytotoxicity. Concerning the development of ultrasound based delivery for gene/drug transfer, efforts are done on the design and production of new gasmicrobubbles as well as on basic researches concerning their interaction with cells. In parallel with those investigations, the team is also involved in establishing specific cell tools and the identification of new targets for cancer and musculoskeletal tissue regeneration.

David Allsop is Professor of Neuroscience at Lancaster University, UK. He has a long-standing interest in the role of protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s disease. While working as a post-doctoral scientist at The University of Nottingham, Queen’s Medical Centre, he was the first person to isolate amyloid plaques from frozen post-mortem human brain and to raise monoclonal antibodies to these structures. More recently, he has been involved with the development of peptide-nanoliposome inhibitors of both amyloid and tau aggregation as a potential novel treatment for Alzheimer disease. He has published more than 130 refereed papers on Alzheimer disease and other protein misfolding disorders (h-index = 44).

I am interested in the pathological role of misfolded 'amyloid' proteins in a range of different human diseases, including some important neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and also late-onset diabetes. My research is concerned with the mechanism of formation and deposition of these protein aggregates, the relationship between protein aggregation and tissue damage, and in novel approaches to diagnosis and therapy.

Norma-Aurea Rangel-Vàzquez realized in 2007 the research of Polyurethane Porous/Hydroxyapatite for Biomedical Applications: Synthesis and Characterization for the degree of PhD in Polymers Science (Mexico). Later, she carried out a postdoctoral study using computational modeling. To date, She has have published several papers in journals indexed in the Web of Science - Journal Citation Reports and in other journals, 2 books and chapters book (Wiley, CRC-Press Taylor, ELSEVIER and Science Publishing), memories of national and international congress. She has served as a reviewer for different journals such as: Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Materials Letters, Carbohydrate Polymers, Journal Polymer Engineering & Science, Thermochimica Acta, Journal of Molecular Structure, Journal of Surface and Coatings Technology, Academic Journal of Agricultural Research, World Journal of Engineering and Physical Sciences (WJEPS), Annual Research & Review in Biology, Journal of Applied Physical Science International, Global Conference on Polymer and Composite Materials 2015 and International Journal of Nanomedicine. She is leader of project of controlled release of antifungical with the participation of 14 countries. She is on the Editorial Board Member of several journals including, Journal of Pharmaceutics & Drug Development, Material Science and Engineering with Advanced Research, Journal of Nanomedicine Research, Nanomedicine Research Journal and Chemistry Journal. Finally she had organized several international congress about nanotechnology, composites and pharmaceutical science around of the world.

Nanotechnology applied to controlled drug delivery systems. In particular, skin and brain cancer, diabetes mellitus, antifungical, Design and preparation of oral solid (tablets and capsules) dosage forms, Analysis of drugs in pure forms, formulations and biological matrices, Bioadhesive drug delivery systems, especially hydrogels, polymers, biopolymers and IPNs, respectively

Holder of the First Class Golden Medal for Sciences and Arts and the recipient of the 2010 Appreciation State Prize in the realm of Advanced Technological Sciences. Professor Ammar is currently the Chairman, Pharmaceutical Technology Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Industries, Future University in Egypt; formerly, Dean of the Pharmacy Division, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. He has 127 research papers published in international scientific journals. These research papers cover most of the areas related to pharmaceutics, biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics. Design of new drug delivery systems is not beyond the scope of his interest.

Drug Delivery Systems

Dr Yimin Chao has completed his PhD in Nanotechnology in 2004 from Newcastle University. He is a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry and Treasurer of Chemical Nanosciences & Nanotechnology Network, Professor in Nanosciences and the Head of Sustainable Energy Innovation at University of East Anglia. He has published more than 70 papers in leading reputed journals including two in Nature Nanotechnology and two in Small. He has given invited talks in over 50 international conferences. He is serving as a member of EPSRC Peer Review College, and acting as funding reviewer for various other funding bodies, such as Leverhulme Trust, Cancer Research UK, Natural Science Foundation of China, and Saudi Arabic government.

Yimin Chao’s research interest is in investigating nanostructured systems, from the basic physical and chemical mechanisms of synthesis, through their optical and electronic properties to energy conversion and biomedical applications. Current research themes include functionalization and characterization of Si quantum dots (Si-QDs); biomedical applications of QDs in targeted and monitored drug delivery; and applications in thermoelectric modules. His research is carried out both at his laboratories at the University of East Anglia and in central facilities in Europe. These include Diamond Light Source (DLS) in the UK, Max-lab in Sweden and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), France.

Prof. (Em.) Aharon Gedanken obtained his Ph. D. degree from Tel Aviv University, Israel. After his postdoctoral research at USC in Los Angeles. He got a lecturer position at BIU on Oct. 1975. In 1994 he switched his research interest from Spectroscopy to Nanotechnology. His special synthetic methods of nanomaterials include: Sonochemistry, Microwave Superheating, Sonoelectrochemistry, and Reactions under Autogenic Pressure at Elevated Temperatures (RAPET). Since 2004 he is mostly focused on the applications of nanomaterials. Gedanken has published 785 per-reviewed manuscripts in international journals. His H-Index is 83. He was a partner in five EC FP7 projects one of them, SONO, was coordinated by him. This project was announced by the EC as a “Success Story”. He was the Israeli representative to the NMP (Nano, Materials, and Processes) committee of EC in FP7. He was awarded the prize of the Israel Vacuum Society in 2009 and the Israel Chemical Society for excellence in Research in Feb. 2013

Nanotechnology

Hala Muhtasib is Professor of Cell Biology at the American University of Beirut. She received her PhD from Kansas State University, USA in 1990. Her research interests are in cancer chemotherapy and anticancer mechanisms of plant-derived compounds. She has over 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals and is the recipient of four research achievement awards.

Hala Muhtasib research interests are in the field of cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy, particularly in what relates to the study of plant-derived compounds. She has explored novel drugs that inhibit the mechanisms involved in cancer such as naturally occurring plant tannins, vitamin E, and essential oils of the Lebanese sage plant, thymoquinone extract from black seed and extracts from Lebanese indigenous plants, all of which are ingested regularly by humans and thus may hold promise as anticancer agents. Her efforts have been directed towards understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of various anticancer agents using cellular biology techniques as well as an emerging array of molecular technologies.She has published over 90 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, and 11 book chapters, and has received several grants and awards for her efforts to advance the field of natural product drug discovery and drug delivery. She has mentored more than 30 Master’s students at AUB and guided many into doctoral studies and successful careers.

Dr. Tamara Minko, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and member of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Dr. Minko’s current research interests include drug and nucleic acids delivery, nanotechnology, personalized nanomedicine, biopharmaceutics, imaging and molecular targeting. She is an author and co-author of more than 400 publications. Her Hirsch factor is above 50. Dr. Minko is a President of Controlled Release Society (CRS), an elected Fellow of three organizations: CRS, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), and American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering (AIMBE); recipient of numerous awards, Executive Editor of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Editor of Pharmaceutical Research, member of editorial board of more than ten scientific journals. Her research is supported by grants from NIH, NSF, DOD and other national and international sources.

Biopharmaceutics; nanotechnology; molecular targeting; antisense oligonucleotides, siRNA and peptide delivery; mechanisms of multidrug resistance; intracellular fate and molecular mechanisms of action of anticancer drugs; bioimaging; macromolecular therapeutics; preclinical evaluation of new therapeutics; modulation of cell death mechanisms during hypoxia.

Dr. Chang-Guo Zhan is an Endowed Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of Molecular Modeling and Biopharmaceutical Center in the College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky. He also serves as Director of Chemoinformatics and Drug Design Core of the Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation at the University of Kentucky. His lab has successfully designed and discovered a number of promising therapeutic candidates, including two in Phase II clinical trials; one has received the Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA. Dr. Zhan is a winner of 2005 Emerging Computational Technology Prize, American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Computers in Chemistry, and is the current recipient of the NIDA Translational Avant-Garde Award from the NIH. Dr. Zhan was elected AAPS Fellow in 2010, and won 2016 AAPS Research Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development Interface. Dr. Zhan is also a UK Chapter Inductee of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Nanomedicine

Aaron Claeys is a young entrepreneur and CEO of Nanex company. He is a nano-tech researcher running his own R&D unit with expertise in multi-functional nano coatings to make materials smart, durable and more sustainable. He is also specializing in water and air purification through nanotechnology to face current challenges worldwide.

Nano-coatings