Rongshi Li is a Professor of Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry, UNMC Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy; Cancer Genes and Molecular Regulation Program, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center; and Center for Staphylococcal Research, University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Li spent 14 years in industry advanced from Scientist to Senior Vice President after postdoctoral training at University of California San Francisco. Dr. Li began his academic career in 2008 at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, Florida. In 2013, he was recruited to University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Li received 2013 Grants Award, 2014 and 2016 New Inventions, and 2016 Distinguished Scientist Award. Dr. Li has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, US and PCT patents, edited books, book chapters, and editorial. He delivered over 100 lectures and presentations in the universities and research institutions throughout the world, and in national and international symposia as invited and keynote speakers.

Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Satinder Ahuja successfully managed development of many new drugs at Novartis Corporation for over 25 years in a number of leadership positions that led to earnings of billions of dollars. His expertise is recognized worldwide in chromatography and separations, especially in the area of ultratrace analyses, chiral separations, and characterization of contaminants by various techniques. As President of Ahuja Consulting, he has advised major pharmaceutical companies in the US and abroad on new drug development and on green chemistry solutions to environmental issues. He has given plenary lectures worldwide, won awards, and published numerous papers and over twenty books.

Ultratrace analyses

Wei Zhang, PhD Professor and Director of the Center for Green Chemistry Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Boston

Organic Chemistry and Green Chemistry

Wei Li, Ph.D. Professor and Faculty Director of Instrument Facility University of Tennessee Health Science Center. His research areas include drug-targeting, nanoparticles, drug transport across the blood-brain barrier using nanoparticles, microspheres, trans-dermal transport, polymeric drug delivery systems, adjuvants for vacccines, solid solutions, stability testing by microcalorymetry, and container materials. He has over 300 publications.

His research areas include drug-targeting, nanoparticles, drug transport across the blood-brain barrier using nanoparticles, microspheres, trans-dermal transport, polymeric drug delivery systems, adjuvants for vacccines, solid solutions, stability testing by microcalorymetry, and container materials. He has over 300 publications.

Carlos Feleder was selected by the Italian Ministry of Health to review grant applications for biomedical research. He reviews grants in the fields of neuroscience, immunology, and endocrinology. Dr. Feleder servers as a Principal Investigator at the Albany Center for Computational Nano-Neuroscience at The State University of New York. He has done his M.D. from School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina and completed his PhD. from The Frauenklinik fur Experimentelle Endokrinologie, University George-August, Gottingen, Germany; and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr. Feleder has a long-standing interest in uncovering the mechanisms underlying the body's response to immune challenges, i.e., how the central nervous system controls the physiologic functions that protect the body from the harmful effects of infectious agents. In 2008, Dr. Feleder was awarded a three year research grant totaling $231,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effects of the spleen in managing fever.

Asunción Barbero was born in Burgos, Spain. She studied Chemistry at the University of Valladolid, and received her PhD degree at the same university working with Prof. Pulido. She joined Prof. Ian Fleming’s group at the University of Cambridge as Marie Curie fello for two years working in the study of stereocontrol in organic synthesis using silicon chemistry. She came back to Valladolid as Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2001 and obtained the spanish habilitation to full Professor in 2012. In 2013 she was appointed as Coordinator of the Grade of Chemistry of the University of Valladolid. She has co-authored around 50 international scientific publications and has delivered several invited and plenary lectures. Her current interests include the study of the silyl-cupration of multiple bonds and its application to the synthesis of natural and related products.

Organic synthesis, synthesis of heterocycles, Organometallic synthesis, Synthesis of carbocycles, synthesis of natural products

Research activities developed within Catherine Guillou’s group are centred on the development of new methodologies, their application to the total synthesis of biologically active natural products and the design of enzyme inhibitors involved in cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. She is co-authors of 58 publications and 8 patents.

Chemistry

Dr Guallar completed his PhD in collaboration between UAB (Spain) and UCBerkeley (USA) and postdoctoral studies from Columbia University. After an assistant professor position at Washington University School of Medicine (USA), he was awarded an ICREA professor position at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. He is also founder of Nostrum Biodiscovery. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals and has been the recipient of presitioug grants like an Advanced ERC from the European Union.

Chemistry, Drug designing, High performance computing and improved 2D/3D visualization techniques.

Dr. Bhargava Karumudi is a research specialist at University of Illinois, Chicago in the field of medicinal chemistry. He has completed his postdoctoral in medicinal chemistry in 2014 at University of Illinois.

Organic Synthesis/Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Chemistry of natural products with interesting biological activity, Natural products drug discovery, developing new probes to explore promising drug targets/photoaffinity labeling, LC-MS/MS.

Praveen S Hiremath is currently working as a Principal Scientist at Pharmaceutics International Inc Pii. He has completed Masters and doctoral studies and PhD in Pharmaceutics. Dr. Hiremath has worked in renowned Pharmaceutical companies like Astra Zeneca and Ranbaxy. Also he has Postdoctoral experience in Pharmaceutical drug delivery and formulation from Western University of Health Sciences, California, USA. Dr. Hiremath has published several research articles in peer reviewed international journals. He has extensively presented his research at international conferences/symposiums. Dr. Hiremath has been an invited speaker at international conferences. He has been invited to edit books in Pharmaceutical formulation and technology. Dr. Hiremath serves on editorial board of Journal of Bioequivalence and Bioavailability, Journal of Bioanalysis and Biomedicine and Research in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. He is a full member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society and member of AAPS.

Oral drug delivery Pharmaceutical formulation development Controlled release drug delivery systems Pharmaceutical intellectual property (IP) Lipid based drug delivery systems Pharmaceutical technology Quality-by-design (QBD).

Dr. Sahar Ahmed is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, KSA. She is Currently on leave from the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt. Dr. Ahmed received her B.Sc. from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt, and then her M.Sc. From the same Faculty. She subsequently got her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Alberta, Canada in 2010 under the supervision of Dr. K. Kaur followed by one year of a postdoc at the same Faculty. She has participated in many international conferences and published 15 publications in international journals and one chapter book.

Organic Synthesis/Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Chemistry of natural products with interesting biological activity, Natural products drug discovery, developing new probes to explore promising drug targets/photoaffinity labeling, LC-MS/MS.

Daisuke Yamamoto has completed his PhD in 2006 at Kitasato University (Prof. Toshiaki Sunazuka). Subsequently, he became a researcher at the Kitasato Institute (Prof. Satoshi Ōmura) and joined the group of Prof. Barry M. Trost at Stanford University, as a postdoctoral fellow. In 2008, he started his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Kitasato University. His research focuses on the development of redox reactions with attendant applications in biologically active molecules.

Chemistry: development of redox reactions and applications in biologically active molecules

Prof. Dr. Kreuter studied pharmacy from 1968 to 1971 at the Philipps-University Marburg, Germany. He did his Ph.D. from 1972 to 1974 at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) under the supervision of Prof. P. Speiser. His doctoral thesis was honoured with the ETH-Medal. He received his habilitation (D.Sc.) in 1982 at the ETH. In 1977 he worked as a postdoc with Prof. T. Higuchi in Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A. and in 1979 with Prof. W. I. Higuchi in Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A. In 1983 he was a guest professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, U.S.A. 1984 he became associate professor in pharmaceutical technology at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University in Frankfurt. Simultaneously he was offered the position of a full professor in pharmaceutical technology in Vienna but remained in Frankfurt. In 1990 he became full professor in Frankfurt. Twice he was dean, 1988/89 and 1997/98. In addition, from 1987 to 1990 he was Governor of the Controlled Release Society. He is recipient of the APV-Price 1981, the PPD Award of the Japanese Society of Powder Technology 2009, the Takeru and Aja Higuchi Honorary Lecture Award of the Japanese Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences 2010, the Best Paper Award and the Most Cited Paper Award of the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics in 2000 and in 2012, respectively, and the Jorge Heller Outstanding Paper Award of the Journal of Controlled Release 2009.

His research areas include drug-targeting, nanoparticles, drug transport across the blood-brain barrier using nanoparticles, microspheres, trans-dermal transport, polymeric drug delivery systems, adjuvants for vacccines, solid solutions, stability testing by microcalorymetry, and container materials. He has over 300 publications.

Wei Zhang, PhD Professor and Director of the Center for Green Chemistry Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Boston

Chemistry

Wei Li, Ph.D. Professor and Faculty Director of Instrument Facility University of Tennessee Health Science Center 881 Madison Avenue, room 561 Memphis, TN 38163 901-448-7532

Instrument Facility

Hiroshi Maeda is a world renowned expert in macromolecular therapeutics. He created the world first polymeric-conjugate drug, SMANCS, approved for treatment of hepatoma in Japan. Consequently, he discovered the concept of EPR effect of macromolecular-drugs, ubiquitous mechanism for solid tumor selective targeting of polymeric drugs. He received MS, University of California, Devis, Fulbright student, Ph.D., M.D., Tohoku University. He published more than 450 papers in reputed journals. He was awarded Lifetime-Achievement-Award at Royal-Pharmaceutical-Society, Princess-Takamatsu-Award in Cancer Research, Tomizo-Yoshida-Award, highest award of Japan-Cancer-Assoc., and also selected as most cited influential scientist in pharmacology by Thomson Reuters 2014, and H-index of 89.

His key areas of research includes concept of EPR effect of macromolecular-drugs, ubiquitous mechanism for solid tumor selective targeting of polymeric drugs. He created the world first polymeric-conjugate drug, SMANCS, approved for treatment of hepatoma in Japan

Frank M. Boeckler received his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Erlangen (Germany) in 2004 under supervision of Prof. Peter Gmeiner. He is specialized in computational chemistry and drug design, ranging from QM methods to in silico screening. In 2006, he joined Prof. Sir Alan R. Fersht at the MRC Center for Protein Engineering in Cambridge/UK as Marie Curie fellow and discovered there p53 mutant stabilizers as potential new cancer therapeutics. While working in Cambridge at the interface of experiment and theory, he focused on molecular biology and biophysics. In 2008, he was appointed as Professor (W2tt) for Bioanalytics at Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) Munich. In 2010, he moved to Eberhard Karls University Tubingen as Professor for Medicinal Chemistry/Drug Design, where he now heads the Laboratory for Molecular Design & Pharmaceutical Biophysics. Since 2014, he is also member of the Center for Bioinformatics Tubingen. He received several awards, including the Klaus-Grohe Award in Medicinal Chemistry, the Research Award of the Dornhecker Foundation and the PHOENIX Pharmazie-Wissenschaftspreis. In 2014, he was announced to be runner-up for the EFMC Prize for a Young Medicinal Chemist in Academia. His work is dedicated to understanding molecular interactions, particularly -hole bonding effects, as the foundation for chemical biology and drug research and to apply theoretical, chemical, biological, structural and biophysical methods to cancer research, particularly, for targeting the human kinome and the extensive p53 network.

• Understanding molecular interactions particular focus is halogen bonding, an innovative, bifunctional interaction. In drug research by generating tools, models, strategies and concepts for molecular design and fragment-based screening. Diversity-optimized and target-focused halogen-enriched fragment libraries (HEFLibs), use medicinal chemistry in combination with structural biology and computational chemistry for lead optimization of HEFLibs. • Develop and optimize biophysical and computer-aided techniques for screening, innovative assay formats, based on semi-automated titration, magnetic beads, and solid-phase synthesis by plate-spotting. With DEKOIS2.0, we have established tools for benchmarking of virtual screening strategies. • Extending the idea of molecular design to structured therapeutic peptides, developing a chemical tool-kit that can be used for selecting antibody-like, structured peptides, such peptides will be useful for therapeutic, diagnostic, analytical procedures, because they can be easily functionalized or linked to proteins, ligands, materials, radioisotopes, etc. • He is particularly interested in innovative therapeutic concepts in oncology, including individualized therapy und novel targets: e.g. p53 mutant rescue and therapeutic intervention in the p53 pathway; studying the paradigm of molecular chaperones for protein-(mis)folding diseases, targeting protein-protein interactions, kinase polypharmacology, epigenetic targets, etc.

Asunción Barbero was born in Burgos, Spain. She studied Chemistry at the University of Valladolid, and received her PhD degree at the same university working with Prof. Pulido. She joined Prof. Ian Fleming’s group at the University of Cambridge as Marie Curie fello for two years working in the study of stereocontrol in organic synthesis using silicon chemistry. She came back to Valladolid as Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2001 and obtained the spanish habilitation to full Professor in 2012. In 2013 she was appointed as Coordinator of the Grade of Chemistry of the University of Valladolid. She has co-authored around 50 international scientific publications and has delivered several invited and plenary lectures. Her current interests include the study of the silyl-cupration of multiple bonds and its application to the synthesis of natural and related products.

Organic synthesis, synthesis of heterocycles, Organometallic synthesis, Synthesis of carbocycles, synthesis of natural products

Carlos Feleder was selected by the Italian Ministry of Health to review grant applications for biomedical research. He reviews grants in the fields of neuroscience, immunology, and endocrinology. Dr. Feleder servers as a Principal Investigator at the Albany Center for Computational Nano-Neuroscience at The State University of New York. He has done his M.D. from School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina and completed his PhD. from The Frauenklinik fur Experimentelle Endokrinologie, University George-August, Gottingen, Germany; and Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Dr. Feleder has a long-standing interest in uncovering the mechanisms underlying the body's response to immune challenges, i.e., how the central nervous system controls the physiologic functions that protect the body from the harmful effects of infectious agents. In 2008, Dr. Feleder was awarded a three year research grant totaling $231,000 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effects of the spleen in managing fever.

Dr Laurent Désaubry is a CNRS research director in the University of Strasbourg in France (website: http://desaubry.u-strasbg.fr/) and professor at Tianjin University of Science and Technology (TUST) in China. He is currently editor and board member of Frontiers in Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and Advances in Oncology Research and Treatments. In 1992, he received a Ph.D. degree in medicinal chemistry from Strasbourg University. From 1992 to 1996, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at SUNY at Stony Brook, USA. He made another post-doctoral internship in Prof. Pierre Chambon’s laboratory before to get a CNRS Research Senior Scientist at the University of Strasbourg-CNRS. He was promoted CNRS research director (corresponds to full professor) in 2014, and became also professor at TUST in 2015.

Medicinal Chemistry and Advances in Oncology Research and Treatments

Dr. Bhargava Karumudi is a research specialist at University of Illinois, Chicago in the field of medicinal chemistry. He has completed his postdoctoral in medicinal chemistry in 2014 at University of Illinois.

Organic Synthesis/Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Chemistry of natural products with interesting biological activity, Natural products drug discovery, developing new probes to explore promising drug targets/photoaffinity labeling, LC-MS/MS.

Praveen S Hiremath is currently working as a Principal Scientist at Pharmaceutics International Inc Pii. He has completed Masters and doctoral studies and PhD in Pharmaceutics. Dr. Hiremath has worked in renowned Pharmaceutical companies like Astra Zeneca and Ranbaxy. Also he has Postdoctoral experience in Pharmaceutical drug delivery and formulation from Western University of Health Sciences, California, USA. Dr. Hiremath has published several research articles in peer reviewed international journals. He has extensively presented his research at international conferences/symposiums. Dr. Hiremath has been an invited speaker at international conferences. He has been invited to edit books in Pharmaceutical formulation and technology. Dr. Hiremath serves on editorial board of Journal of Bioequivalence and Bioavailability, Journal of Bioanalysis and Biomedicine and Research in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. He is a full member of Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society and member of AAPS.

Oral drug delivery Pharmaceutical formulation development Controlled release drug delivery systems Pharmaceutical intellectual property (IP) Lipid based drug delivery systems Pharmaceutical technology Quality-by-design (QBD).

Rafat M Mohareb is Head of Organic Chemistry department Faculty of Pharmacy Modern Sciences and Arts University Professor of Organic Chemistry at Department of Chemistry faculty of Science Giza, Egypt. He got his Ph D Organic Chemistry on 1984 Cairo university Full professor of Organic chemistry 1994 Visiting Professor at UC Berkeley University State of California USA from 1999- 2002 Visiting Professor At Kuwait University 19951996. He was Humboldt fellows in Germany in 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2006 and 2009. He received the price of encouragement of research work from Egypt 1995. He published more than 108 Scientific publications in International journals. He Supervised more than 5 PhD M Sc Theses.

Synthesis of new heterocyclic compounds with different pharmaceutical uses. Heterocyclizations of some Human Hormones followed by application of the synthesized compounds in Medicinal chemistry.Synthesis new dyes and their applications towards different fabrics.Recently his research focused on synthesizing antitumor agents.

Dr. Sahar Ahmed is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, KSA. She is Currently on leave from the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt. Dr. Ahmed received her B.Sc. from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt, and then her M.Sc. From the same Faculty. She subsequently got her Ph.D. from the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Alberta, Canada in 2010 under the supervision of Dr. K. Kaur followed by one year of a postdoc at the same Faculty. She has participated in many international conferences and published 15 publications in international journals and one chapter book.

Her research areas include Organic Synthesis/Medicinal Chemistry, and Cancer Targeting Peptides.

Volkmar Weissig, Sc.D., Ph.D. is a Tenured Full Professor of Pharmacology and Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Weissig received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry and his postdoctoral Sc.D. degree in Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from the Martin-Luther University in Halle (Germany). Combined he completed several years of postdoctoral fellowships at the Cardiology Research Center in Moscow (Russia), at the Academic Department of Medicine at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in London (UK), at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the Czechoslovakian Academy of Science in Prague (CSFR), at the College of Pharmacy and the College of Medicine at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL and at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. Before joining the faculty at Midwestern University, Dr. Weissig was an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Dr. Weissig holds 16 patents and he has published 98 research papers, review articles and book chapters, mostly in the area of nano drug delivery systems. He also edited and published 8 books. He serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Liposome Research and he is member of several other Editorial Boards. In July 2009 Dr. Weissig was inducted into the World Technology Network as a Fellow. In October 2014 Dr. Weissig was elected President of the World Mitochondria Society.

Dr. Weissig’s major research interests lie in the areas of Mitochondrial Medicine and Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology. In particular, his laboratory has pioneered the design and development of mitochondria-targeted nano drug delivery systems, which have opened new strategies for mitochondrial gene therapy, for apoptosis-based anticancer chemotherapies and for controlling and manipulating the redox status of mammalian mitochondria.

Dr Joël Richard is currently Senior Vice President, Peptides in IPSEN (France). He is globally leading all the pharmaceutical development activities of both injectable and oral peptide-based products, including APIs and drug products, with major franchises in Oncology, Endocrinology and Neurology. Dr Richard has more than 25 years of experience in chemistry and biopharmaceutical R&D, including several previous global senior positions in various Biotech and Pharma companies, such as: - Vice President, Drug Product Development in Ipsen (France) (2008-2011), - Director, Pharmaceutical Development in Serono and Merck Serono (Italy, Germany) (2005-2008), - Vice President Research, and Europe R&D Director at Ethypharm (France) (2001-2004), - COO at Mainelab (France), a drug delivery company he co-founded, which was specialized in developing solvent-free processes for protein delivery systems (1999-2001). Dr Richard graduated from Ecole Normale Supérieure (Cachan, 1985). He has got a PhD in Materials & Colloidal Science (University of Paris VI, 1987) and “Habilitation à Diriger les Recherches” in Chemistry (University of Bordeaux I, 1994).

In the last 20 years, Dr Richard has focused his research activity on new formulation technologies and drug delivery systems (such as microspheres, nanoparticles, nanocapsules, chemically-modified proteins, supercritical fluid technology . . .), especially for injectable peptide and protein formulations. He has published 67 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 8 book chapters and 2 review editorials in various fields: polymers, colloids and interfaces, drug delivery, biodegradable microspheres, microencapsulation, supercritical fluids, protein formulations and post-translational modifications, nanoparticles, sustained-release formulations . . . He is the author of more than 120 international communications and 53 patent families.

MD and PhD from University of Zaragoza (Spain), Full Professor for Human Anatomy and Embryology at the Department of Neuroscience (UPV-EHU). He has supervised 20 Ph.D. works. He has been Invited Professor and Visiting Researcher at several European (Free University of Berlin, MCNN Birmingham) and Latinamerican universities (Chile, Valparaiso, Mendoza…). His main Research interests are in neuropathology and neurobiology of adaptive postnatal changes in the microvasculature of CNS in health and disease. He has been autor of 120 original papers and 33 reviewed book chapters. He is actively involved in cooperative networking in neuroscience research.

Neuropathology and Neurobiology of adaptive postnatal changes in the microvasculature of CNS in health and disease.

Rick Panicucci joined WuXi AppTec in February 2015 as the Vice President of Pharmaceutical Development Services. In this capacity, Rick provides scientific leadership for 160 scientists in Developability, Formulation Development, and GMP Manufacturing and is responsible for the execution of all Parenteral and Oral dosage form programs. He also maintains key client relationships and assesses new technologies through partnering or internal M&A capacity building. In addition to his position at WuXi, Rick currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Prior to WuXi, Rick was the Global Head of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Profiling (CPP) at Novartis from 2004 to 2015. His responsibilities included analytics, solid state chemistry and formulation development of all small molecule therapeutics in early development. He also helped develop novel drug delivery technologies for small molecules and large molecules including siRNA. Rick has also led groups in Formulation and Research and Development at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Symbollon Pharmaceuticals, Biogen, and Bausch & Lomb.

Rick received his Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry from the University of Toronto and had two post-doctoral fellowships at University of California at Santa Barbara and the Ontario Cancer Institute. Rick has written 33 publications on Formulations, Drug Delivery, and Drug Discovery.

R N Saha is Shri B K Birla & Shrimati Sarala Birla, Chair Professor (Senior Professor of Pharmacy) and Director of BITS Pilani Dubai Campus. In 2011 he has been awarded Shri B K Birla and Shrimati Sarala Birla Chair Professorship at BITS Pilani for contributions in teaching and research. He has vast experience in the field of Pharmacy especially in Pharmaceutics, novel drug delivery systems and Pharmacokinetics. He received “Pharmacy Professional of the Year 2013” Award given by Indian Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and Technologists. He is also recipient of “The Best Pharmacy Teacher Award” for the year 2005, awarded by Association of Pharmaceuticals Teachers if India (APTI), in recognition of his contribution in teaching and research in the field of Pharmacy. He is also member of many scientific associations and societies like Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI); Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA); Indian Society of Technical Education (ISTE); Controlled Release Society Inc., USA; American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), USA; American Chemical Society, USA; Controlled Release Society, Indian Chapter.

Pharmaceutics and Novel Drug Delivery Systems

Dr. Ruben Abagyan is a Professor in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of California, San Diego, which he joined in 2009. He received his Master’s degree in molecular physics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and his Ph.D. in molecular modeling and biophysics from the Moscow State University. At the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg he developed internal coordinate mechanics and docking approach (ICM). He built computational biology and chemistry facilities at the Skirball Institute in New York, Novartis Institute in La Jolla, Scripps Research Institute and San Diego Supercomputer Center, founded Molsoft Company, and served on boards of several companies. Currently Dr. Abagyan serves on international review panels for Institutes in Switzerland, UK and Hong Kong. He received two CapCure awards, and Princess Diana Award and medal in Sydney, Australia. R.A. authored and co-authored over 250 research papers and book chapters.

Ruben Abagyan studied physical chemistry and has completed his PhD in biophysics from the Moscow State University. He worked as a researcher, lab head or director of computational departments in a number of research organizations. His research interests include computational structural biology and cheminformatics, with a particular focus on modeling and docking screening, including target identification, polypharmacology and adverse effect prediction, and molecular modeling for G-protein coupled receptors, kinases and nuclear receptors. He has published more than 250 papers and book chapters in research journals and is serving as a number of international review panels and editorial boards.

Sung Wan Kim is currently a Distinguished Professor of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering. He was Director of the Center for Controlled Chemical Delivery at the University of Utah from 1985-2006. He received his B.S. and M.S. at Seoul National University, and his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the University of Utah (under Professor Henry Eyring). Dr. Kim is a pioneer in drug delivery research and has engaged in his research since 1974 in the areas of hydrogels, biodegradable drug conjugates, self-regulating drug delivery and stimuli sensitive polymers. He also worked extensively in medical polymers, especially blood compatible polymers. Dr. Kim’s present research includes design of novel polymers for the delivery of protein drugs, cells and genes. Dr. Kim has received numerous awards; among them are the Terumo Award – Japan (2014), AAAS Fellow (2014), Research Achievement Award-Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress (2004), Rosenblatt Prize (2003), Ho-Am Prize (2003), AACP Volwiler Award (2002), American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Dale Wurster Award (1998), the Controlled Release Society (CRS) Founders Award (1995), and the Clemson Basic Biomaterials Award (1987). These awards are the highest scientific awards from their respective societies. He is the Founder and served as Co-Chairman of the International Symposium on Recent Advances in Drug Delivery, Salt Lake City, UT, 1983-2005. In 2006, Dr. Kim received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Twente. From 2004 to present, Dr. Kim is a Hanyang Distinguished Professor at Hanyang University. Dr. Kim has published over 650 papers and owns 35 U.S. Patents. He has trained over 130 scientists from 10 countries.Dr. Kim Has Been Elected To Two U.S. National Academies: The Institute Of Medicine in 1999 (As Of 2015 Changed To The National Academy Of Medicine) And The National Academy Of Engineering In 2003.

Sung Wan Kim research interest is biomaterials, drug and gene delivery

Gabriele Sadowski is full Professor for Thermodynamics. Her main fields of research are thermodynamics of biological and pharmaceutical systems. She has published about 150 papers, is Chair of the German Working Party of Thermodynamics and member of the German Academy of Technical Sciences. 2011, she received the prestigious Leibniz award.

Thermodynamics of Biological and Pharmaceutical systems.

Head of Biomaterials Dept. - INNOVENT e. V., Jena

Research and development on biodegradable polymers and composite materials (synthesis of resorbable polylactones and their copolymers, degradable polyurethanes, glycosaminoglycan chemistry, resorbable bioactive and drug-containing implant coatings, surgical adhesives and other in situ curable materials, degradable materials for rapid manufacturing)

Dr. Afouna received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics & Pharma. Tech., University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA & Al-Azhar University, Egypt. He spent up to 3-years as a post-doctoral & research scientist at Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas of Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, USA. He is a highly motivated scientist (teacher, researcher) with extensive expertise in development and optimization of nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, gel/hydrogel & self-nanoemulsifying transdermal, topical, ocular & oral drug delivery systems. Focusing upon development of effective, safe and stable anti-glaucoma, anti-diabetic, hypolipidimic, and antihypertension drugs with great emphasize upon the effects of absorption promoters and other formulation-related factors, the physicochemical properties and chirality, upon the pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics of the drug. Moreover, he has focused upon development of non-clinical methodologies to assessing the topical bio-efficacy of various antiviral agents. Dr. Afouna has outstanding teaching capabilities & research experiences in pharmaceutical sciences, development and management of several valuable scientific research projects. He has orally presented many of his work in various inter/national meetings. Furthermore, he has authored & coauthored numerous recent research articles, review articles and chapters of books and textbooks. He is a co-founder College of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he worked as Professor for more than 6-years. Currently, Dr. Afouna is the professor & chairman of department of pharmaceutics & pharmaceutical technology, college of pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, 2012 – Present.

Development and optimization of nanoemulsion, nanosuspension, gel/hydrogel & self-nanoemulsifying transdermal, topical, ocular & oral drug delivery systems. Focusing upon development of effective, safe and stable anti-glaucoma, anti-diabetic, hypolipidimic, and antihypertension drugs with great emphasize upon the effects of absorption promoters and other formulation-related factors, the physicochemical properties and chirality, upon the pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics of the drug.

Prof Billa obtained his BPharm degree in 1993 from the University of Punjab, Pakistan and PhD in 2000 at the University of Science, Malaysia. He was appointed as Lecturer at the International Medical University in 2001 and also the Chief Scientists of a Bioequivalence Laboratory. In 2005, he joined the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham. In 2006 he was appointed as Associate Dean for research of the Faculty of Science and Professor in 2015. Prof Billa has supervised several PhD students and published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. He also serves as Editorial board member in a number of European and American Journals.

His research interest is in formulation of nanoparticulate drug delivery and gastrointestinal transit monitoring.

Maha Aboul Ela, graduate of Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Alexandria, Egypt. Ph D in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacognosy) 1991, University of Alexandria-Egypt and Technical University of Berlin-Germany. She had done her Postdoctoral fellowship, from School of Pharmacy, University of London, UK. She is Member of the American Society of Pharmacognosy. She is also Member of the editorial board of many international scientifi c journals. Currently, she is head of department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon.She is Expert in QA in Higher Education. Research interest: Phytochemistry, Phytotherapy, discovering new drugs from natural sources and participation in drug development through applying different pharmaceutical approaches, more than 55 publications in the fi eld of phytochemistry, medicinal plants and phytotherapy.

Research interest: Phytochemistry, Phytotherapy, discovering new drugs from natural sources and participation in drug development through applying different pharmaceutical approaches, more than 55 publications in the fi eld of phytochemistry, medicinal plants and phytotherapy.

Dr. Yousef Alomi, Head of General Administration of Pharmaceutical Care Administration, and Head of National Drug Information Center, MOH Saudi Arabia Dr. Alomi is a product of King Saud University confirmed with the degree of Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the year 1992. After six-years of higher study, he earned his Master of Clinical Pharmacy from the same university in the 1998. He is an affiliated clinical instructor of Purdue University in the USA. He is adjunct assistant professor of King Saud University college of Pharmacy. Dr. Alomi was a member of Pharmacy Board at Saudi commission for health Specialties for 1998-2002 and 2008-2012 and Head of Pharmacy Accreditation committee in 2010-2012. He was team member of establishing 1st Pharmacy Residency Program in Saudi Arabia . In the year 2005 he obtained Board Certification of Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS). In the year 2008, he obtained his diploma in business administration from American University in Egypt in 2007, and he obtained a Board Certification of Nutrition Support Pharmacy (BCNSP) in 2009. Dr. Alomi worked as clinical pharmacist in critical care area and nutrition support. He is He is establish and implement several programs at MOH Hospitals at first time; Clinical Pharmacy Program, Medication Safety Program, Pain Management Program, Anticoagulation Program and Pharmacy Infection Control, including 30 Adult and 20 Pediatrics Clinical Pharmacy Program; he is the founder of Mass Gathering Pharmaceutical Care in Saudi Arabia He became a member of advisory board of the Arab Pharmaceutical Journal in 2010. He became as Pharmacy Board Member of Saudi Commission of Health Care Specialities 2010-2013. He had several research in clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy practice published in ACCP and ISPOR conferences, He had several presentations in the clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice at several conference in and outside Saudi Arabia.

Pharmaceutics and Novel Drug Delivery, Clinical Pharmacy, Practice Pharmacy

B. B. Barik has completed his Ph.D. in 1993 from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. He is the Professor in the department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, KSA. Earlier he worked as professor and head in the Univ Dept of Pharm Sci, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, India and College of Pharmaceutical Sci, Berhampur, Odisha. He has published more than 50 papers in reputed journals and presented more than 100 papers in national and international conferences. He is serving as reviewer and editorial board member of reputed journals.

Novel Drug Delivery and Pharmaceutics

Luisa Fiandra has completed her PhD and postdoctoral studies from the Department of Biology of the University of Milan (Unimi), working in the field of transport physiology with a specific interest in permeability processes through intact epithelia and cell membranes. From 2010 to 2015 Luisa Fiandra has been a senior researcher at L. Sacco Hospital (Milan), where she contributed establish the Nanomedicine Unit, and scientific coordinator of the NanoMeDia Project, funded by Regione Lombardia (Italy). Today, LF is carrying out her research activity, mainly focused on the delivery of nanoformulated drugs across biological barriers, for the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco” of Unimi.

Nanomedicine, nanoformulation of drugs for breast cancer diagnosis and therapy and delivery of nanoformulated drugs across biological barriers.

Serena Mazzucchelli, PhD, research associate at the University of Milan. She received her bachelor degree in Biological Sciences in 2004, degree in Biology in 2006 and PhD in Biological Sciences in 2009 at the Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences (University of Milan-Bicocca-Italy). From 2009 to 2012 she has a post-doc fellowship at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco” (University of Milan-Italy). From 2012 to 2015 she is researcher at the “L. Sacco” University Hospital. Today, SM is carrying out her research activity focused on the development of nanodevices for diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer at the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco” (University of Milan).

Biochemistry, nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. SM research activity is focused on the study of nanoparticle interaction with tumor cells aimed at the development of nanodevices for diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer.

Dr. Janis Gravitis gained his PhD and DocSci from the the fomer USSR Academy of Science. Author and co-author of more than 300 scientific publications. Visiting Professor at the United Nations University, Institute of Advanced Studies, Tokyo, Japan, 1996–2000 Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science Foreign Member of the International Research Centre for Sustainable Materials (Tokyo) Head of the Laboratory of Biomass Eco-Efficient Conversation, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry - recently.

Wood Chemistry, Biomass Eco-Efficient Conversation, Green Chemistry

1978 and 1999 has completed his Ph.D and D.Sci. at the ages of 33 and 54 years from Zelinsky Instiute of Organic Chemistry, Moscow, Russia and Durmishidze Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Tbilisi, Georgia, respectively. 2006 up to date he is the head of laboratory of plant biopolymers at the Tbilisi State Medical University Institute of Pharmacochemistry. 1996 and 2002 he has been a visiting scientist at Utrecht University (faculty of pharmacy), The Netherlands, by University Scholarship and The Netherlands organization for scientific research (NWO) Scholarship Scientific Program, respectively. He has published more than 80 papers in reputed journals.

Biochemistry, biotechnology,biopolymers, Pharmacochemistry and pharmacy

Maia Merlani has completed her PhD at the age of 27 years from Tbilisi State University. She is Senior Research Scientist at Tbilisi State Medical University and at the same time holds a position of an associate professor at Caucasian International University. Her field of interest is a chemistry and synthesis of natural compounds. She is the author of more than 45 papers in reputed journals and presentations at 55 international scientific conferences. She was granted Georgian Presidential scholarship for young scientists (1997), NATO scholarship (2002) and Matstumae International foundation scholarship (2013).

Chemistry and synthesis of natural compounds

Radovan Buffa has completed his PhD in 2002 from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia and postdoctoral studies from ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Last 7 years he is the head of the Department of Chemical modification in the Contipro Pharma Company, Czech Republic. He has published more than 15 papers in reputed journals and he is author/co-author of more than 20 patents.

Chemistry and Pharmacy

Daniel T Gryko obtained his PhD from the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1997, under the supervision of Prof. J. Jurczak. After a Postdoctoral stay with Prof. J. Lindsey at North Carolina State University (1998–2000), he started his independent career in Poland. He became Full Professor in 2008. The same year he received the Society of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines Young Investigator Award. His current research interests are focused on the synthesis of various functional dyes as well as on two-photon absorption, artificial photosynthesis, excited-state intramolecular proton transfer and fluorescence probes.

Organic Chemistry

Halina Abramczyk has completed his PhD from Technical University of Łódź, Poland, postdoctoral studies from Bielefeld University, Germany, and habilitation from Technical University of Łódź. She is the director of Laboratory of Laser Molecular Spectroscopy, Łódź University of Technology. He has published more than 190 papers in reputed journals, 7 books or chapters in books and has been serving as an editorial board member of Journal of Molecular Liquids. She has received a number of awards including the Marie Curie Excellence Chair, Fulbright, DAAD. She is a President of Polish Fulbright Alumni Association. She was a head of Marie Curie Excellence Chair, Max Born Institute, Berlin, Germany.

Laser Molecular Spectroscopy and Molecular Liquids

Ionel I Mangalagiu is a Professor in department of Organic Chemistry at “Al.I.Cuza” University of Iasi, Romania

Biologically active molecules, Chemosensors and Organic Chemistry

Dr. Feng is an expert in biochemistry and biophysics of metalloproteins. His laboratory is known for its use of multidisciplinary approaches to study molecular mechanisms of metalloproteins in medicine and toxicology. The laboratory is active in the use of cutting-edge approaches across the broad fields of chemistry, biochemistry, physics and chemical biology (including laser flash photolysis, pulsed EPR, computational chemistry and site-directed mutagenesis). The goal is to understand what the function of a biological relevant metal site is, how it goes about to achieve its function, and what factors dictate its function. His current primary research focus is on regulation mechanism of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a flavo-hemoprotein responsible for biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a ubiquitous signaling and effector molecule in mammalian cell biology. Recent studies of NOS proteins by Dr. Feng demonstrate that domain motions and interdomain docking play an important role in NOS isoform function by modulating key electron transfer processes. Molecular mechanisms of NOS regulation, once fully understood, are potentially key targets for development of selective new pharmaceuticals for treating a wide range of diseases that currently lack effective treatments. Dr. Feng has published more than 70 scientific manuscripts, is an active NIH reviewer and also serves as referee for NSF, AHA, the French National Research Agency and the Italian Ministry of Health.

Biochemistry, Biophysics and toxicology

Marc Le Borgne has completed his PhD at the age of 31 years from Nantes Atlantic University after Pharmacy studies (6 years). He is the director of EA 4446 B2C, a research group dedicated to Drug Design and Structural Optimization. He has published more than 61 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry (2009-2012) and Current Bioactive Compounds (2008). He gave some invited lectures abroad (Saarbrück, Oslo, Tromsø, Bergen, Debrecen, Sacramento, Helsinki, Oulu). He is developing bioactive small molecules (e.g. kinases and CYP inhibitors).

Drug Design and Structural Optimization.

Linghai Xie is a Professor of Organic/Polymer Materials Chemistry at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (NUPT). He obtained his PhD from Fudan University in June 2006. After this, he joined Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (NUPT) and become a leader of the center for molecular systms & organic devices (CMSOD). He won the “NSFC Award” for Excellent Young Scholar in 2013. His research activities focus on Molecular Installing Technology (MIT), Attractor-Repulsor Theory (ART), Polygrid Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors, Organic Electrets for Memories and Memristors. He has published more than 130 papers in reputed journals and has been cited more than 1700 times.

Organic Chemistry, Polymer Chemistry, Materials Chemistry

Violina T Angelova has completed his PhD in 2004 from Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Sofia, Bulgaria. She is an Assistant Professor of Medical University of Sofia, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Chemistry. She has published more than 15 papers in reputed journals.

Organic Chemistry, Pharmacy

Silvia Antonia Brandán is a Faculty Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, in Inorganic Chemistry Institute, University National of Tucumán (UNT), Tucumán, Argentina. She is Graduated in Chemistry (UNT); Chemical Engineer (UNT); PhD in Chemistry (UNT); Post-Doctorate in Alicante University, Spain. She is the Titular Professor of General Chemistry and Director of the Inorganic Chemistry Institute. She is the Editor Journal of Molecular Structure.

Biochemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Pharmacy