Committee Members

Specialist in Anesthesiology — Senior Consultant (Director Rank, National Health System)
General Hospital of Komotini, Thrace, Greece, currently serving at the General Hospital of Komotini in Northern Greece(2013–present). Extensive clinical experience in regional anesthesia and perioperative care. Two Master of Science (MSc) degrees:

1. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics – School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace
2. Pain Medicine and Palliative Care – School of Medicine, University of Thessaly

Holder of a Doctorate in Medicine (PhD), with research focused on chronobiology, perioperative inflammation, and the modulation of anesthetic outcomes by circadian timing.

Kathleen Hefferon completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine. She worked as a PostDoc in the Department of Food Science at Cornell and now teaches in the Department of Microbiology at Cornell University. Kathleen is the Founder and CTO of Forte Protein, a biotech company that can generate any protein using plant (as well as other) production platforms. Kathleen was the Fulbright Canada Chair of Global Food Security in 2018 and is the author of several books.

Pedro Valencia is an experienced biochemist and holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV). He has over 20 years of expertise in enzymatic technology. His current research focuses on the valorization of food by-products through the enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins to obtain functional hydrolysates. Pedro is an expert in enzyme kinetics, mathematical modeling of reaction kinetics and reactor behavior, as well as bioreactor operational strategies. He is currently a professor at the School of Food Science (PUCV) and is passionate about teaching the Philosophy of Science.

Nader Ghaffari Khaligh received his Ph.D. in Organic chemistry from the University of Guilan, Iran, in 2013.
Since 2015, he has worked as a researcher in the Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Center at
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. His publications, including papers, reviews, and mini-reviews, are focused on
heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, sustainable chemistry and energy, synthesis of heterocycles,
and multi-task reagents such as Ionic liquids and Functional polymers. He has been elected as the
World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. He is the
Associate Editor and Section Editor of three international journals and an Editorial Board member of a
few international journals.

Dr. Zhihong Li is an Associate Professor at Wenzhou University, China, where he also serves as the Academic Vice Dean of Rui’an Graduate School. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Member of Optica (formerly OSA), the Optical Society of Zhejiang Province, and CAAI. Dr. Li is a Guest Editor for the journal Photonics, an Editorial Board Member for Frontiers in Sensors, and a Technical Committee Member for the 7th International Conference on Intelligent Medicine and Image Processing (IMIP 2025). His research has led to several advancements in optical fiber sensing, particularly in fiber grating devices, fiber surface waves, fiber optics/waveguide theory, and fiber lasers. Dr. Li has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers and holds 18 patents. He has led 11 research projects, serving as Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI).

Majdi Ayed Awad Alalawneh is currently a PhD candidate at Qatar University, specializing in molecular cancer biology with a focus on PRMT5-mediated signaling and gene regulation in triple-negative breast cancer. He holds a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences from Yarmouk University and has extensive experience in molecular biology, biotechnology, and cancer research. Majdi has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications in Q1-ranked journals and actively participates in international research collaborations. He is dedicated to advancing cancer therapeutics and fostering scientific understanding through research and teaching.

Hanseung Baek has completed his PhD at the age of 35 years from Kyunghee University, School of Dentistry, Dept. of Oral Medicine and got a bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University, Chemical and Biological Engineering. At present, he is the director of Oral Biome Clinical Center of Appletree Dental Hospital, South Korea.

Dr. Nguyen Tran Trung holds a PhD in Biology from Hue University and specializes in animal genetics and molecular biology. His research spans viral pathogens in animals, genetic diversity, and disease diagnostics. Recently, he has expanded into cardiovascular research, focusing on biomarkers and genetic risk factors. He has published widely in reputable journals and presented at various national and international conferences. Dr. Trung is also recognized for his work on gut microbiota, lncRNA in gastric cancer, and has received awards including the Vingroup Scholarship.

Dr. Jose Luis Ferran Bertone is a faculty member specializing in Human Anatomy and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia. He is part of the Functional Genoarchitecture Research Group, with previous contributions to the Neurobiology research group. His work focuses on understanding the structural and functional organization of the nervous system.

Dr. Rosalia Rodriguez Rodriguez is a professor and researcher specializing in cell metabolism and metabolic diseases. She holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy (2006) from the University of Seville, where she also earned her Pharmacy degree and expertise in Pharmaceutical Care. She is part of the METADIS Research Group, contributing to advancements in neurolipids and metabolic disorders.

Dr. RF Minchin is a distinguished researcher and academic in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Queensland. With extensive experience in biomedical sciences, his work spans molecular biology, pharmacology, and disease mechanisms. His research has contributed significantly to understanding biochemical pathways involved in health and disease, with a particular focus on cellular function and regulation.

Throughout his career, Dr. Minchin has been involved in numerous research projects, collaborating with national and international institutions. His expertise has led to publications in high-impact scientific journals, furthering knowledge in biomedical sciences. In addition to his research, he is actively engaged in mentoring students and fostering new scientific talent within the university.

As a respected faculty member, Dr. Minchin continues to contribute to academia through teaching, research, and collaborations that drive innovation in biomedical sciences.

Hayataka Takase, at the age of 28, completed his Ph.D. in Agricultural Science from the University of Tokyo and is scheduled to conduct one year of postdoctoral research at the same institution starting in April 2025. He has also been selected for the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship for Young Scientists. Additionally, he obtained a high school teaching license in science at the age of 23.

Dr. Zhao received his M.D. from China Medical University (Shenyang, China) in 1993 and Ph.D. from Keio University School of Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) in 2002. He conducted his postdoctoral research in Dr. Tannishtha Reya’s laboratory at Duke University Medical Center, where he demonstrated the important roles of the Wnt and Hedgehog signaling pathways in regulating the self-renewal of chronic myeloid leukemia stem cells. He became a physician-scientist (assistant professor) in the Department of Pathology at the University of Iowa in 2014. In addition to fulfill his clinical service as a hematopathologist, he has been focusing on developing basic and translational research programs exploring novel signaling pathways in hematologic malignancies. He was promoted to an associate professor with tenure before leaving UIOWA. He joined in the Department of Pathology at CWRU in August 2020.

Fernanda Mariano Garcia has completed his PhD at the age of 30 years from Federal University of Espírito Santo and postdoctoral studies in the same University. She has published more than 15 papers in reputed journals and various Abstracts published in conference proceedings, she have experience in organization of events, and participation in Final course work defenses.

Simina Alina Georgiana is a resolute Research Assistant in Biotechnology at The Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer Treatment – OncoGen and a PhD Student in Biotechnology at the University of Life Sciences “Regele Mihai I” in Timisoara. During her studies she started volunteering in the research laboratories of her university, gaining experience, and understanding the biological process in plants. She presented her work at various scientific conferences. Her expertise lies in in vitro plant cell and tissue cultivation including crop plant multiplication, microbiology (inoculation, isolation of fungi and their evaluation as biocontrol agents), and molecular biology techniques such as DNA extraction, PCR, and agarose gel electrophoresis. She wants to improve her knowledge of Next- generation sequencing (NGS) and analysis of mitochondrial respiration staying in touch with advanced laboratory techniques. She also gained international research experience during her training at Agrico, a research facility in the Netherlands, and in Thomas More University of Applied Science Geel, Microbiology laboratory.

In her free hours she likes to sing in choir and dance with her friends. She enjoys going to concerts and theater and loves to travel and to know other cultures.

Enthusiastic about scientific innovation, Simina is dedicated to exploring biotechnological solutions that drive progress in agriculture and healthcare.

Participation in research projects:

1. The use of plant cell and tissue cultures to obtain plants from various forms of Paulownia, 2014, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine “Regele Mihai I” Timișoara – PP Pepiniera si Plantatie SRL;
2. Bioeconomic approach to antimicrobial agents – use and resistance) with the acronym Bio-AMR, 2018, The Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer Treatment – OncoGen;
3. Application of Biotechnological Methods in Sunflower Breeding and Testing the Genetic Purity of Commercial Hybrids, 2025, University of Life Sciences “Regele Mihai I” in Timisoara;
4. Cross – border cooperation to foster the resilience of clinical management in cancer patients by establishing best practices in personalized molecular-based diagnostics, treatment, long-term care – CROSSCARE, 2025, The Center for Gene and Cellular Therapies in Cancer Treatment –