Advisory Board and Editors Cell Biology
Imran Khan
I received my MSc. Degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India in 2007 on understanding the role of TBP associated factor 9 (TAF9) in eukaryotic transcription. I completed my Ph.D. training in the laboratory of Prof. Paturu Kondaiah, in 2012, at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, on exploring the mechanism of precancerous oral lesion (OSF and Oral cancer) using gene expression profiling. I also worked on exploring the molecular mechanism of photo dynamic therapy agents in cancer cells. I did my first post doctorate in Dr. Praveen Arany’s lab at NIDCR, NIH on exploring the role of laser mediated phototoxicity involving ER stress and laser mediated wound healing. I am currently doing my second postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Patricia Steeg at NCI in NIH, on exploring the molecular mechanism of metastasis suppressor gene, NM23 in breast cancer metastasis and its possible therapeutic applications.
Judith Klumperman
Professor of Cell Biology, Chair of the Cell Biology Department University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, Head of the Cell Microscopy Center (CMC) of the UMC Utrecht.
Editorial boards of: Traffic, Histochemistry and Cell Biology, Biology of the Cell, Molecul
Alla S Kostyukova
Associate Professor at Voiland School of Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering. Former director of the Circular Dichroism facility at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ.
Prasanna Krishnamurthy
Dr. Prasanna earned his BVSc (DVM) degree with honors from Bangalore Veterinary College and completed his Masters and PhD in Veterinary Pathology from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (India's premier institute for Veterinary Research). He completed his postdoctoral training at Northwestern University (in Dr. Raj Kishore's laboratory) and East Tennessee State University. Before joining University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), he held faculty appointments at the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois and Houston Methodist Research Institute, Texas.
As a member of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, he directs a research program focusing on understanding mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and developing novel therapeutic strategies to promote cardiac regeneration and repair. Dr. Krishnamurthy’s laboratory is supported through funds from National Institutes of Health (NIH-R01) and American Heart Association (GIA and Postdoctoral fellowships).
Mohammed Kuddus
Dr. Mohammed Kuddus is working as a Professor and Chairman of Biochemistry Department at University of Hail, Saudi Arabia. His main research area includes Molecular biology, Industrial enzymes, Extremophiles and Extremozymes, Microbial biotechnology, Food biotechnology, Waste utilization, Value added products, Bioremediation, Biopolymers and Bioplastics. He has published more than 75 research articles in reputed international journals along with 8 books and 22 book chapters; and presented more than 40 abstracts in national/international conferences/symposia. He has been serving as an Editor / Editorial Board Member and Reviewer of various international reputed journals. He has been awarded Young Scientist Projects from the Department of Science and Technology, India and International Foundation for Science, Sweden.
Takeshi Kurita
I am a Professor of Biology at the Institute of Science Tokyo. My research interest lies in the molecular and cellular basis of development and reproduction, two fundamental processes for all multicellular organisms. I am particularly interested in the cell and tissue communications that regulate these processes. In embryonic development, interactions between tissues of different cell lineages drive organ formation by activating genetic and epigenetic programs for tissue patterning and cellular differentiation. Tissue interaction also plays a fundamental role in mammalian reproduction as it mediates the actions of sex steroid hormones in reproductive organs. Deregulation of signaling pathways that control tissue communications could lead to conditions such as cancer. Thus, I also investigate the molecular pathogenesis of disorders in reproductive and hormone-target organs. Since mammalian development and reproductive functions are controlled by complex crosstalk among multiple tissues, organs, and systems, we primarily use in vivo mouse models for the investigation.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the fundamental process of life is a goal of our research. In addition, our research also aims to improve human health through translational research based on the knowledge obtained through basic research.
Julia Kzhyshkowska
1997: PhD Cancer Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow.
1997-2001: Postdoc at the University of Regensburg
2001-2007: Junior group leader/PI and lecturer, University of Heidelberg.
2007- 2010:Senior group leader/PI and senior lecturer, University of Heidelberg
2010-2013: Professor, head of the Lab for Cellular and Molecular Biology of Innate Immunity;
2013-permanent: Professor, head of Department for Innate Immunity and Tolerance, University of Heidelberg.
Elizabeth G. Laird
My research goals are to characterise the mechanisms of collagenous tissue development, repair and renewal. Current research interests include understanding the dynamics of collagen synthesis and turnover, the role of stem cells in musculoskeletal homeostasis and the role of glucose in musculoskeletal ageing. Tissues of interest are primarily tendon and ligament but include cartilage, bone, cornea and intervertebral disc, as well as fibrotic tissue.
This research is important because age-related degeneration and loss of function in musculoskeletal tissues is associated with chronic joint pain, limited movement, tendinopathy, ligament damage, intervertebral disc degeneration and osteoarthritis. There is both a loss of tissue integrity and propensity to fibrosis indicating that homeostasis of the collagenous extracellular matrix is lost with age. Understanding the molecular processes that create functional musculoskeletal tissues during development and growth, and which malfunction or cease to operate in aged tissues is key to developing new strategies for tissue engineering, to activate intrinsic stem cell repair mechanisms and to develop beneficial pharmaceutical, dietary or exercise-based interventions in an increasingly aged society.
Corinne I. Lasmezas
Corinne Lasmézas, DVM, Ph.D. serves as a Professor at The Scripps Research Institute. Since Dr. Lasmézas' appointment at Scripps in 2005, she has focused on how misfolded proteins lead to neuronal dysfunction and loss in diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion diseases. Additionally, Dr. Lasmézas is a reviewer for national and private funding agencies worldwide, including the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the UK Medical Research Council and an Advisor for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Earlier in her career, Dr. Lasmézas’ research provided the first experimental evidence that the prion disease “mad cow disease” had been transmitted to humans, causing variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. At the peak of the mad cow crisis, Dr. Lasmézas became an advisor to the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as several governmental and public health committees. She is multiple TED speaker and is an internationally recognized expert in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. She has published more than 60 original scientific papers. She has been a Member of Scientific Advisory Board at Anavex Life Sciences Corp. since March 2015. Dr. Lasmézas holds a PhD in Neurosciences from the University Pierre & Marie Curie in Paris and obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and Diploma of Aeronautic and Space Medicine from the University of Toulouse, France.
Patrizia Lavia
Research Director at Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology (IBPM), CNR, Rome (Italy). Main research interests:
- control of the cell cycle, mitosis, and the mitotic apparatus in human cells
- origins of genetic instability and cancer
- roles of nuclear transport receptors in nuclear organization and cell division
- signalling by GTPases and kinases
- innovative drug design, drugs targeting the cell cycle
-cellular imaging
Liudmila P Leppik
Assistant Director, Frankfurt Initiative for Regenerative Medicine, J.W. Goethe-Universität, Friedrichsheim Orthopedic University Hospital.
Dr. Leppik’s research background is in the fields of molecular biology and virology in Russia and Germany. Specifically her research focused on human genome activity and regulation of gene expression during tumor genesis and development and differentiation. Her current research at FIRM focuses on tissue development and regeneration.
Tim P Levine
Tim Levine trained first as a medic then moved into membrane cell biology, and then into intracellular lipid traffic. He showed that inter-organellar contacts are important sites for non-vesicular traffic inside cells. This was part of a revolution in our understanding of intracellular organelles. For over 40 years previously membrane contact sites had been largely ignored or dismissed as artefacts. Tim initially found a lipid transfer protein that localised to a contact site, and showed that it bound to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein VAP via a motif he named the FFAT motif. FFAT motifs are present in several other lipid transfer proteins leading Tim to propose that FFAT-motif proteins would act at contact sites by binding simultaneously to both the ER and another membrane. By improving the definition of FFAT-like motifs, Tim showed they are present in numerous other proteins, facilitating molecular research of many contact site components. Tim organised the first two conferences on contact sites in 2005 and 2011, linking advances in lipid traffic to those in calcium traffic to bring together these overlapping sub-disciplines.
Tim has also used remote homology tools to identify a new family of lipid transfer proteins anchored at contact sites, and highlighted the power of these tools through specific examples and a ‘How-To’ guide.