Editor Profiles

Professor Jean Calleja-Agius is an obstetrician and gynaecologist by profession, and she has also served as Head of Department of Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Malta. She has read for her MSc in clinical embryology at the University of Leeds and successfully obtained her PhD at University College London. She has successfully chaired the GYNOCARE COST Action CA18117, which is a European collaboration forming an international network for Gynaecological Rare Cancer research: From Concept to Cure. She has published extensively in the field of rare gynaecological cancer, infertility, menopause as well as all other aspects of women’s health.

Keywords: infertility, menopause, embryology

Roberto Bassi was born in Vicenza, Italy in 1955. He graduated in Biology at Padua University (1977), after which, he worked as microbiologist and botanist in the same University till 1983, when he won an assistant professorship in Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. He specialized in genetics in Copenhagen, Biophysics in Paris and Molecular Biology in Geneva. He has been teaching Plant Biochemistry, Physiology and Synthetic Biology in Padua, Urbino, Marseille, Lausanne and Verona.  His research focuses on the structure and function of the photosynthetic systems of plants and algae and the environmental stress physiology with the aim of optimizing the light to biomass conversion efficiency and devise biotechnological solutions for environmental sustainability, with special reference to the management of carbon cycle. He has published more than 300 articles in international journals with an HF of 102 and 28.000 citations. He is a member of the National Academy of Lincei, National Academy of Technology, the EMBO, the European Academy and others. He was awarded theBaccarini-Melandri prize, the Herlitzka prize, for Physiology, the von Humboldt Award, the Chinese Academy of Sciences Award and the Miller Research professorship in Berkeley. He is the P.I of the ERC advanced grant GrInSun (2022-2027). He has been serving as the chair of the scientific advisory board of  the Stazione Anton Dorhn in Naples of which Istitution he is now the President.

Key words: Photosynthesis, chloroplast, light harvesting, plants, unicellular green algae, higher plants, bioenergetics, cryo-EM, spectroscopy

Enrico M. Bucci, born in Naples, Italy, in 1972, is a scientist with expertise in biology, bioinformatics, and research integrity. Following his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2001, he joined Italy's National Research Council (CNR) as a full researcher. His academic and scientific journey includes professorial roles at Temple University – Biology Dept, where he is an adjunct professor, and as a scientific director at Centro Medico Santagostino, Italy. Bucci's research interests encompass research integrity, image analysis, systems biology, and pharmaceutical data analytics. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers, contributed to scientific books, and authored books on scientific fraud detection and biological evolution. Bucci's work in scientific fraud detection has garnered global acclaim and media attention. Additionally, he is or has been an advisor on research integrity for several Institutions in Italy and abroad, as well as a reviewer for some European research funding scheme. Alongside his academic pursuits, Bucci established BioNucleon Srl and Biodigitalvalley Srl, focusing on nucleic acid-based drugs and bioinformatics, respectively. Later, he founded Resis Srl, a consulting business specialized in research integrity.

Keywords: biomedical data analysis, preclinical research, biochemistry, research integrity

Frank Eisenhaber's research is focused on the discovery of new biomolecular mechanisms mainly with theoretical approaches and the functional characterization of yet uncharacterized genes and pathways. As mechanistic insight is the driver for biotechnology and medical applications, this data analysis has catalysed various lines of applied research. Frank Eisenhaber is one of the scientists credited with the discovery of the SET domain methyltransferases, ATGL, kleisins, many new protein domain functions (for example in the GPI lipid anchor biosynthesis pathway) and with the development of accurate prediction tools for posttranslational modifications and subcellular localizations. Currently, he is affiliated with the Bioinformatics Institute Singapore (he was its executive director 2007-2020), NTU Singapore and with LASA – Lausitz Advanced Scientific Applications in Germany.

Key words: bioinformatics, genomics, proteomics, biomolecular sequence analysis

Elena Enzo is Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Her research endeavors are primarily centered around elucidating the biochemical signals governing cell proliferation and self-renewal in epidermis. Notably, she has made significant contributions to understanding the interplay between the YAP/TAZ signaling pathway and glycolysis, unveiling their pivotal role as drivers of cancers. Leveraging state-of-the-art single-cell transcriptomic approaches, she identified FOXM1 as a master regulator of self-renewal in epidermal stem cells. She is now focusing on unraveling the intricate connections between DNA repair, metabolic state, epigenetics, and self-renewal downstream of FOXM1 activity.

Key words: DNA repair, self-renewal, metabolism, skin biology

Stefano Gianni is Full Professor of Molecular Biology at Sapienza, University of Rome, where he established is independent group since 2012. He is Member of the Academia Europeae and former member (Alumnus) of the International Global Young Academy. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry in Sapienza University of Rome and has spent several years in Cambridge, first as a post-doctoral scientist in the Centre for Protein Engineering of the Medical Research Council of Cambridge and, subsequently, as a Visiting Scientist of the Department of Chemistry. He is author of over 160 scientific publications. His research interests are mainly focussed on establishing the general rules between the structure and the function of proteins. Furthermore, he has contributed key insights in the field of protein folding, where he contributed to develop a unifying mechanism for the description of such a complex reaction. More recently, he has undertaken the ambitious goal to describe the structural and functional behaviour of intrinsically disordered proteins, a very challenging to investigate class of proteins, which lack a well-defined three-dimensional structure while displaying important physiological roles. Furthermore, he has offered several perspectives in the study of cancer related protein systems. His research has been extensively supported by prestigious funding sources, such as AIRC, European Union, MIUR and the Pasteur Institute.

Key words: Protein Engineering; chemical kinetics; protein folding; protein stability; allostery

Giuseppe Ippolito MD, MSc (HCMO), FRCPE is Full professor of Infectious Diseases (SSD MED/17) at the Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences in Rome. He was the director general for research and health innovation at the Italian Ministry of Health and for more than 20 years Scientific Director of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" in Rome, and for 12 years Director of the WHO-CC for highly infectious diseases (IDs). He graduated in Medicine, and he obtained his specialty degree in IDs and in Dermatology; and Masters Degree in Organization and Management of Health Institutions. He served as member of several National and international bodies on IDs, coordinated several EU-funded projects and activities funded by the Italian Cooperation in Africa. The President of the Italian Republic awarded him as “Cavaliere di Gran Croce al Merito della Repubblica Italiana” In 2021, and received the special Linceo Prize and the Irti Foundation prize.

Key words: infectious diseases, health care systems, new technologies

Flavia Novelli, PhD, is Senior Scientist in the Department of Cancer Biology at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, USA. Her research focused on cancer research, particularly on the study of the molecular mechanisms implicated in the development of Malignant Mesothelioma. Notably she has made significant contributions to elucidating the molecular mechanism for the observed Gene x Environment (GXE) interaction in Mesothelioma that occurs in carriers of germline BAP1 mutations exposed to asbestos. She discovered that BAP1 and HMGB1, two major players in Mesothelioma pathogenesis, binds to each other forming a trimer with the enzyme HDAC1 that lessens the risk of developing Mesothelioma. She is now focusing in the identification of new genetic mutations and relative molecular mechanisms potentially involved in the pathogenesis of Malignant Mesothelioma. 

Key words: Mesothelioma, Gene X Environment Interaction, Cancer Biology

Dr. Luca Pellegrini is a Full Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is known for his expertise in inter-organelle contacts, particularly between the ER, mitochondria and peroxisomes. His laboratory was responsible for the discovery of the WrappER (wrapping-rough ER), a novel type of ER that envelops and groups mitochondria and peroxisomes to play a critical role in the metabolism of dietary lipids in liver cells. His current research focuses on the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids at the peroxisome-WrappER-mitochondria complex, the mechanisms of mitochondrial membrane tethering, and the molecular dynamics of cholesterol translocation to mitochondria. 

Key words: electron microscopy (EM), electron tomography, biochemistry, molecular biology, multi-omics, protein evolution, mouse transgenesis

Nash Rochman is an Assistant Professor in the CUNY SPH Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics; an Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health Investigator; and an NIH Special Volunteer. His research employs diverse computational approaches to uncover and explain deeply conserved mechanisms of pathogen host adaptation focusing on three areas: the construction of novel bioinformatic methods to reveal prior, and predict future, evolutionary trajectories for viral and bacterial pathogens; assessing the impact of environmental factors on viral ecology and evolution; and the development of epidemiological models to assess optimal strategies for pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical intervention.

Key words: mathematical biology, virology, epidemiology, climate impacts, bioengineering

Yufang Shi, Ph.D., a member of Academia Europaea, currently holds the positions of Director and Distinguished Professor at the Soochow University Institutes for Translational Medicine. Additionally, he serves as a Vice President at the First Affiliated Hospitals of Soochow University and is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He is an immunologist and stem cell biologist who has made noticeable contributions. Notably, he discovered the crucial role and mechanisms of activation-induced cell death in T cells. By integrating his expertise in immunology and stem cell biology, he has pioneered the convergence of these disciplines, leading to groundbreaking advancements in understanding immune homeostasis maintenance and the molecular processes governing inflammation-controlled tissue regeneration. Yufang Shi's research has highlighted the importance of the immune function and regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in preserving tissue and organ functionality. He introduced the concept of "stem cell empowerment" for tissue repair, laying a solid scientific groundwork for the clinical application of stem cells. His scholarly endeavors have expanded the horizons of immunology and stem cell biology, enriching our understanding of organism function.

Keywords: mesenchymal stem cells, wound healing, thymus

Dr Valentina Tassinari is a biologist with a PhD in Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine that she got at University of Rome “Tor Vergata”.  She worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù and Sapienza University, in Rome. During that period she studied the role of the RNA editing enzymes, Adenosine Deaminase acting on RNA (ADARs) in tumor progression and immune-suppression. Recently, she joined Professor Gerry Melino’s lab at University of Rome “Tor Vergata” as a Researcher, where she is investigating the role of proteins, interacting with the transcription factor p63, in the regulation of genes mediating immune evasion in  squamous cell carcinoma, a tumor highly dependent on p63 protein expression.

Keywords: cancer, molecular biology

Boris Zhivotovsky is a professor of toxicology at the Institute of the Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. He is a member of the European Academy. For the past 14 years, he has been a professor and head of the Laboratory of investigation of apoptosis mechanisms at the Faculty of Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University. His research interests focus on investigation of the mechanisms of various types of cell death and their interaction due to the importance of this interaction in overcoming the resistance of tumor cells to therapy.

Key words: cell death, tumor resistance, lung adenocarcinoma, ovarian carcinoma