The Speakers

Guido Krenning (1980) is principle investigator and assistant professor at the department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology of the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). Dr. Krenning studied Molecular Biology at the University of Groningen after which he started his PhD training at the dept. Pathology and Medical Biology of the UMCG, where he focused on endothelial progenitor cells in vascular regenerative medicine. In 2009, Dr. Krenning received PhD in Medical Sciences with distinction (Cum Laude) and continued his academic training as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Kalluri Laboratory (Division of Matrix Biology, Faculty of Medicine) at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA). During this time, Dr. Krenning focused his research on non-coding RNA in the pathogenesis of vascular disease and heart failure. In 2011, Dr. Krenning was awarded a prestigious innovational research incentive grant (NWO-VENI) by the Dutch Research Council and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development and established his own research team at the University Medical Center Groningen. The scientific success of his research team was confirmed by the award of a second innovational research incentive grant (NWO-VIDI) by the Dutch Research Council and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development in 2016. In that same year, Dr. Krenning was appointed as “Chief Scientific Officer” at the privately-held biotech company Sulfateq BV (Groningen, The Netherlands), a company focused on the development of innovative small molecule compounds for the treatment of chronic non-commutable diseases, including chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neuropathies, and heart failure.

Dr. Krenning’s current research interest is on the functional contribution of the endothelium to cardiovascular pathologies, including atherosclerosis, vascular calcification and heart failure with special emphasis on metabolic cellular reprogramming, mitochondrial function, and the phenotype-switching of endothelial cells, known as endothelial-mesenchymal transition. Dr. Krenning’s expertise in on basic translational research including animal models of metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen

Michele Caraglia achieved the degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Naples “Federico II” in 1990 and the PhD degree in Cellular Biochemistry at the Second University of Naples in 2001. He  is Full Professor of Biochemistry at School of Medicine of the University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli” in Naples (Italy) and coordinator of the Precision and Molecular Oncology lab at Biogem (Ariano Irpino). He is president of the Italian Association of Cell Cultures (AICC) and is the Coordinator of the Signal Transduction and Nucleotide Sequencing Laboratory and deputy chair at the Department of Precision Medicine of the University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli” of Naples. He is author of more than 500 manuscripts on internationally peer-reviewed journals with a Scopus H index of 67. He is also author of several internationally issued patents. He is in the Editorial Board of several international peer-reviewed Journals. His activity is focused on cancer research with particular interest on micro-RNAs and long non coding RNAs as both therapeutics and diagnostics and on the delivery of anti-cancer agents in tumours through the use of nanocarriers. His clinical activity is based on the genetic characterization of tumours for the prediction of response to anti-cancer agents through liquid biopsy approach. Pubmed link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=caraglia+m.

Research Link: http://www.medicinadiprecisione.unicampania.it/dipartimento/docenti-csa?MATRICOLA=059142

Prof. Józef Dulak, PhD, DSc,  full member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences, member of Academia Europaea, head of the Department of Medical Biotechnology at the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology of the Jagiellonian University. Doctor honorius causa  of the University of Orléans, France (2012); Vice-chairman of the Committee of Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (from 2020). Pot-doctoral fellowships at Stanford University, Free University in Amsterdam, University in Muenster, and conducted research at the University of Innsbruck (1999-2001). Invited speaker at many international conferences and at foreign and domestic scientific institutions, visiting professor of the University of Orleans (2009, 2013) and Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (2010). In 2013-2020, the coordinator of the International Associated Laboratory (LIA) of the Jagiellonian University and CBM CNRS in Orleans, president of the European Vascular Biology Organization (EVBO) - 2013-2017. He conducts research on molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and genetic neuromuscular diseases, including the function of stem cells and the possibilities of genetic and cell therapies. The co-author of more than 250 papers, cited more than 10, 000  times (without auto citation), h-index is 55,  the co-inventor of one patent. Prof. Dulak coordinated numerous grants (more than 13,5 million Euro in the last 10 years), both research and infrastructural.

Department of Medical Biotechnology

Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology

Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland

Email: jozef.dulak@uj.edu.pl 

Web: https://zbm.wbbib.uj.edu.pl/en_GB/ 

I am a developmental biologist specialized in regeneration, my research focusing on the molecular circuits governing cell fate decisions following diverse types of homeostasis disruption. 

Briefly, during my PhD studies (2002-2008) I studied the signaling pathways involved in the cell death induced compensatory proliferation, an evolutionarily-conserved response to amputation, essential for hydra regeneration. I spent my postdoctoral stage (2008-2015) in Prof. Pedro Herrera laboratory (University of Geneva, Switzerland) focusing on mammalian cellular plasticity during pancreas regeneration, more specifically the cell conversion processes occurring in the post-natal mammalian pancreas following the extreme loss of insulin expressing β-cells. Following a brief postdoc at University of Bergen (2015), I started my laboratory in 2016 enabled by Young Investigator grants from Norwegian Research Council and Novo Nordic Foundation. Since 2020, I am Professor at the Department of Clinical Science (UoB) where my independent line of research is directed at identifying the master regulators that control cellular plasticity. 

For studying these aspects, we employ distinct strategies of homeostasis disruption in vivo (murine transgenic models) and in vitro (hiPSC and organoids). In these contexts, by using conditional genetic cell tracing and gene expression systems coupled with diverse omics (proteomics, single cell and bulk RNAseq) and large-scale imaging we uncovered global regulators with key role in preventing cell plasticity.

Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Blizard Institute - Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

Dr Yung-Yao Lin’s most  important  research contributions to date  are elucidating  pathological  mechanisms of neuromuscular  disorders  (NMDs) and developing disease models that can  facilitate therapeutic development. With expertise in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and CRISPR-based genome manipulation, the Lin group developed patient-derived microphysiological models for studying NMDs and testing candidate drugs, and research in muscle regeneration. The isogenic pairs of hPSC lines generated in the Lin laboratory provide an invaluable resource for many research projects. Dr Lin has been funded by industry, patient charities and the NC3Rs to exploit hPSC models for NMD research, drug discovery and regenerative medicine.

Dr Pierce completed postdoctoral training at UCLA before returning to Canada where he is now a Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed research manuscripts and 8 textbooks on metabolism, nutrition and health. His most recent work examines dietary flaxseed as a treatment for cardiovascular disease, as well as a new platform for antibiotics. He has served as Chair of the Executive Review Committee for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada where he oversaw all peer review for three years. Dr Pierce was Executive Director of Research for St Boniface Hospital (2006-2020) and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology from 2003-2016. He is President of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences World. In 2018, Dr Pierce was invested with the Order of Manitoba, the Province of Manitoba’s highest honour which recognizes citizens who have achieved excellence thereby enriching the social, cultural or economic well-being of the province. He has received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for service to Canada, the 2016 Research Canada Leadership Award and is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the highest distinction for a scientist in Canada.

Dr. Sanjiv Dhingra is a Associate Professor and Director of the Canada Italy Tissue Engineering Program at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. His research interests are focused on the post-myocardial infarction cardiac regeneration and tissue engineering using stem cell therapy and biomaterials. The current research in Dr. Dhingra’s lab focuses on understanding the host immune response against transplanted stem cells. Another major area of interest in Dr. Dhingra’s lab is to develop MXene based immunomodulatory materials to prevent rejection of transplanted stem cells and solid organs. Dr. Dhingra has published several papers in this area in prominent journals. Dr. Dhingra has been actively involved in promoting the field of stem cell therapy and tissue engineering. He has organized several national and international conferences and symposia. He was the Chair of First, Second and Third International Symposia’s on Future of Regenerative Medicine, which were held in Tuscania (2017), Ostuni (2018) in Italy and online (2021). Dr. Dhingra has been recognized nationally and internationally for his accomplishments in research. He received Outstanding Leadership Award in Cardiovascular Research from the Life Science Association of Manitoba. Previously he has been recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) in 2012 and Canadian Cardiovascular Society in 2017 for his efforts in the field of cardiovascular stem cell therapy and tissue engineering. His laboratory is currently funded by multiple agencies including CIHR and NSERC. He continues to serve as committee member on several granting agency review panels such as CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, European Science Foundation, Shastri Indo-Canadian Fellowship program, and Medical Research Council of England.

Dr. Jozef Bartunek, MD, PhD, is the Co-Director at Cardiovascular Center, OLV Hospital, Belgium. After clinical and interventional training, he served as a Fogarty International NIH fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Boston, MA. He is a clinician with expertise in interventional cardiology and heart failure. He pursues his research interests in clinical translational research in heart failure and structural heart disease including regenerative and device-based interventions. His research and innovation are driven by the experience from the Global Faculty in Training Program completed at Stanford Biodesign. He is a visiting Professor of Medicine at Catholic University Leuven, Belgium. He published more than 300 per reviewed articles and serves as editor in several cardiovascular journals.

Dr. Da-Zhi Wang received BS from Sichuan University and MS from Peking University in China. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in the laboratory of Prof. Jim Lin, where he studied molecular mechanisms of vertebrate development. Dr. Wang conducted his postdoctoral training with Prof. Eric Olson at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center studying heart development and disease. Dr. Da-Zhi Wang started his independent faculty position at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure there. Dr. Wang was recruited to the Department of Cardiology of Boston Children’s Hospital in 2009 and was promoted a tenured professor at Harvard Medical School in 2017. In 2021, Dr. Wang became the inaugural director, Center for Regenerative Medicine, USF Health Heart Institute and a Professor, Endowed Chair in Cardiovascular Research at University of South Florida.

Dr. Wang has dedicated his research career to the study of the molecular mechanisms  that  regulate  mammalian development, cell fate determination, and human disease. He has made important contributions to understanding the fundamental processes regulating myocardial growth. Dr. Wang discovered the myocardin family of transcription factors and demonstrated their role in the cardiovascular system.  In the past two decades, Dr. Wang increasingly focused on non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), to understand how they regulate gene expression in the normal and diseased heart; in fact, Dr. Wang was among the first to recognize the importance of miRNAs in the regulation of muscle gene expression. Their studies have resulted in over 100 publications in  well-respected  journals including  Nature,  Nature  Medicine,  Nature  Genetics,  Cell,  and  PNAS. Dr. Wang is a recognized world leader in the study of heart development, cardiac function, and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Wang was awarded the American Heart Association (AHA) Established Investigator award and was elected Fellow of American Heart Association (FAHA). He serves on the editorial board for many journals and has been an active reviewer for multiple funding agents, including the NIH and AHA. Dr. Wang has been invited to give more than 180 lectures and seminars world-wise. Dr. Wang’s investigation has been continuously supported by NIH. Dr. Wang trained many young scientists, many now hold academic positions at well-established research institutions. 

Valeria Chiono has a Master Degree cum laude in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Chemical and Materials Engineering from the University of Pisa, Italy. She is currently Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Her research is aimed at the design of innovative bioengineering approaches to solve key problems in regenerative medicine and nanomedicine, and includes the development of bioactive materials and interfaces, tissue engineering, materials characterization, in vitro tissue models, drug delivery and non-viral gene therapy. One main research topic is cardiac tissue engineering. She has been the coordinator of several research projects, including STARIGEN FIRB2010 project, financed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, on the preparation of biomimetic scaffolds for cardiac regeneration. In 2017 she has been granted the ERC Consolidator project BIORECAR (contract number: 772168; http://www.biorecar.polito.it/) on advanced strategies for cardiac regeneration by direct reprogramming of fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes by an injectable hydrogel releasing miRNA-loaded nanoparticles. In BIORECAR in vitro models of fibrotic human cardiac tissue are also developed for preclinical investigation. Furthermore, she manages BIORECAR Laboratory at Politecnico di Torino. 

She is the main lecturer of the following courses at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at Politecnico di Torino: “Engineering for regenerative medicine”, “Cell and tissue engineering” and “Laboratory of Tissues and Physiological Processes' Models”. In 2021, she has been appointed Deputy-Director of Centro3R. She is author of 125 scientific publications (H-index: 35 Scopus, 39 Google Scholar) and 5 patents in the field of biomaterials, tissue engineering and nanomedicine.

Zdenko Levarski is an indepenedent researcher at the Comenius University Science Park and Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava. His focus is mainly on design and optimization of bacterial recombinant protein production systems and protein purification. He is involved in multiple collaboration projects focused on application of recombinant proteins in both research and industry. He has co-authored 12 CC publications and 4 patent applications.

Gioacchin Iannolo is Senior Researcher working at the IRCCS-Ismett (Palermo). He is working on molecular and cellular biology, trying to elucidate the pathways responsible for stemness maintenance/repair. Its current project is focused on the characterization of extracellular vesicles (EVs) delivery from Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) and their involvement in repair/proliferative mechanisms and on the possible use of these EVs as carrier for repair mechanisms (heart, skin) or tumors inhibition (liver, brain, pancreas), in particular in liver cancer (Badami et al. 2022) and glioblastoma. At this regard, he has investigated the action of Zika virus in normal and transformed stem cells, describing the molecular mechanisms of its action on these cells (Iannolo et al., 2019; Francipane et al. 2021). He previously worked on the isolation and characterization of stem cells derived from adult and embryonal human compartments. He has been involved in a project  employment for the evaluation of mi34 involvement in proliferation and stemness maintenance on cardiac stem cell (IRRB 35/13), by using different approaches (overexpression, LNA silencing) (Iannolo et al, 2018). He also analyzed the role of different miRNA identified by NGS and microarray (Iannolo et al, 2021). 

Head of Clinic of Angiology, Comenius University and National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia. Graduated at Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava in 1997, after graduation working at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Bratislava. Postgraduate education at Cardiovascular Center Aalst, Belgium (2003 – 2005), and at Dept. of Angiology, Heart Centrum Leipzig, Germany (2006 – 2007). Habilitated as Assoc. Professor at Comenius University Bratislava in 2015. His research and clinical interests are mainly peripheral artery disease, stem cells therapy, renal arteries, venous thromboembolism, aortic diseases, and carotid artery disease, endovascular interventions and vascular ultrasound.