Keynote Speakers 2018 – BSRT Symposium

	Fabrisia Ambrosio \| University of Pittsburgh Prof. Ambrosio's research has the long-term goal of developing regenerative rehabilitation approaches to improve the skeletal muscle healing and functional recovery. Her laboratory uses murine and human models to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which targeted and specific mechano-transductive signals can be used to enhance donor and/or host stem cell functionality.
	Thomas Bjarnsholt \| University of Copenhagen Prof. Bjarnsholt studies the role of bacterial and fungal biofilms in chronic infections in vitro, in animal models and using ex vivo material from chronic infections. One of his main interests is how bacteria initiate biofilms in the human body and why the immune defence seems to fail both, during the initial infection and later in the chronic infection. Questions addressed in his research are: What is the prevalence of bacteria and fungus on implants in general and what is the activity of the microbes in chronic infections and which species are present? He also seeks to develop tools and methods to enable fast diagnosis of these infections for better treatment and possible prevention.
	Georgios Kararigas \| Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Prof. Kararigas’s primary research interests include mechanisms of sex differences in cardiovascular (patho)physiology, hormonal effects in the heart, gene expression and regulation. In particular, he focuses on the analysis of heart-specific regulatory functions of oestrogen using a combination of computational and genome-wide methods, in vitro and in vivo models, as well as animal- and human-derived material, to study the effects of sex on these. His goal is the development of novel therapies for heart failure.
	Daniel J. Kelly \| Trinity College Dublin Prof. Kelly’s lab is pioneering the use of adult stem cells isolated from synovial joints combined with bioreactors to mechanically stimulate these cells to tissue engineer functional cartilage grafts. They are also developing single stage therapies for articular cartilage regeneration that combine biomimetic scaffolds with freshly isolated stromal cells sourced from patients in-clinic.
	Jonathan Kimmelmann \| McGill University Montréal Prof. Kimmelman's research centers on the ethical, social, and policy challenges in testing novel medical technologies in human beings ("translational clinical research"). Current projects are investigating risk, prediction, validity, and knowledge value across the trajectory of drug development. Another set of projects is pursuing alternative frameworks and understandings concerning the role and content of clinical research ethics.
	Sabine Middendorp \| University Medical Center Utrecht Prof. Middendorp’s research focuses on the use of patient-specific intestinal organoids for diagnostic purposes and to elucidate pathophysiology of disease. By performing functional studies in organoids, her lab works on testing and developing personalized medicine for individual patients.
	Graziella Pellegrini \| Centre for Regenerative Medicine "Stefano Ferrari" Modena Prof. Pellegrini developed Holoclar®, a novel treatment for eye burns based on ex vivo expanded autologous human corneal epithelial cells containing stem cells. Holoclar® is one of the few advanced therapy medicinal products to have been granted marketing authorization and is the first containing stem cells. This product is manufactured according to the guideline of good manufacturing practice of the European Commission and is supported by robust clinical safety and efficacy data.
	Leif Sander \| Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Dr. Sander’s group studies the complex interactions between several pathogens and the immune system. Detection of bacterial viability, which is the quintessential basis for infectivity, triggers robust immune responses. These findings exemplify the immune system’s inherent capacity to carefully scale the microbial threat and, consequently, immune responses are tailored to the microbial threat level. The goal is to decipher the various risk assessment mechanisms and their impact on immunity. Deeper insight into these pathways will aid in the design of novel vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases.
	Tatiana Sandoval Guzmán \| Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden Dr. Sandoval Guzmán’s research goal is to build an understanding of regeneration of the vertebral limb in response to injury. Exploring differences and similarities between the axolotl, an organism with high regenerative potential, and mammals, with no appendage regeneration, key components that promote or restrict regeneration shall be identified. Interaction of tissue types could thereby be the key for a successful therapeutic approach.

	Fabrisia Ambrosio \| University of Pittsburgh Prof. Ambrosio's research has the long-term goal of developing regenerative rehabilitation approaches to improve the skeletal muscle healing and functional recovery. Her laboratory uses murine and human models to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which targeted and specific mechano-transductive signals can be used to enhance donor and/or host stem cell functionality.
	Thomas Bjarnsholt \| University of Copenhagen Prof. Bjarnsholt studies the role of bacterial and fungal biofilms in chronic infections in vitro, in animal models and using ex vivo material from chronic infections. One of his main interests is how bacteria initiate biofilms in the human body and why the immune defence seems to fail both, during the initial infection and later in the chronic infection. Questions addressed in his research are: What is the prevalence of bacteria and fungus on implants in general and what is the activity of the microbes in chronic infections and which species are present? He also seeks to develop tools and methods to enable fast diagnosis of these infections for better treatment and possible prevention.
	Georgios Kararigas \| Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Prof. Kararigas’s primary research interests include mechanisms of sex differences in cardiovascular (patho)physiology, hormonal effects in the heart, gene expression and regulation. In particular, he focuses on the analysis of heart-specific regulatory functions of oestrogen using a combination of computational and genome-wide methods, in vitro and in vivo models, as well as animal- and human-derived material, to study the effects of sex on these. His goal is the development of novel therapies for heart failure.
	Daniel J. Kelly \| Trinity College Dublin Prof. Kelly’s lab is pioneering the use of adult stem cells isolated from synovial joints combined with bioreactors to mechanically stimulate these cells to tissue engineer functional cartilage grafts. They are also developing single stage therapies for articular cartilage regeneration that combine biomimetic scaffolds with freshly isolated stromal cells sourced from patients in-clinic.
	Jonathan Kimmelmann \| McGill University Montréal Prof. Kimmelman's research centers on the ethical, social, and policy challenges in testing novel medical technologies in human beings ("translational clinical research"). Current projects are investigating risk, prediction, validity, and knowledge value across the trajectory of drug development. Another set of projects is pursuing alternative frameworks and understandings concerning the role and content of clinical research ethics.
	Sabine Middendorp \| University Medical Center Utrecht Prof. Middendorp’s research focuses on the use of patient-specific intestinal organoids for diagnostic purposes and to elucidate pathophysiology of disease. By performing functional studies in organoids, her lab works on testing and developing personalized medicine for individual patients.
	Graziella Pellegrini \| Centre for Regenerative Medicine "Stefano Ferrari" Modena Prof. Pellegrini developed Holoclar®, a novel treatment for eye burns based on ex vivo expanded autologous human corneal epithelial cells containing stem cells. Holoclar® is one of the few advanced therapy medicinal products to have been granted marketing authorization and is the first containing stem cells. This product is manufactured according to the guideline of good manufacturing practice of the European Commission and is supported by robust clinical safety and efficacy data.
	Leif Sander \| Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Dr. Sander’s group studies the complex interactions between several pathogens and the immune system. Detection of bacterial viability, which is the quintessential basis for infectivity, triggers robust immune responses. These findings exemplify the immune system’s inherent capacity to carefully scale the microbial threat and, consequently, immune responses are tailored to the microbial threat level. The goal is to decipher the various risk assessment mechanisms and their impact on immunity. Deeper insight into these pathways will aid in the design of novel vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases.
	Tatiana Sandoval Guzmán \| Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden Dr. Sandoval Guzmán’s research goal is to build an understanding of regeneration of the vertebral limb in response to injury. Exploring differences and similarities between the axolotl, an organism with high regenerative potential, and mammals, with no appendage regeneration, key components that promote or restrict regeneration shall be identified. Interaction of tissue types could thereby be the key for a successful therapeutic approach.