Chulhee ChoiProfessor and Chair, BioMedical Imaging Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), President, ILIAS Biologics Incorporated Chulhee Choi is Professor of Department of Bio and Brain Engineering at KAIST in South Korea. In addition, he is a scientific founder and CEO of ILIAS Biologics Incorporated, a company dedicated for development of exosome-based novel therapeutics. His group has been studying cell signaling involved in cell death and proliferation in inflammatory conditions and various malignant cancers. Dr. Choi’s group has also focused on development of novel biomedical imaging tools such as dynamic ICG fluorescence imaging for deep tissue perfusion and novel optical technology using femtosecond ultrashort pulsed lasers for modulation of biological functions. Recently, his team has demonstrated that optogenetic engineering of exosome producing cells can be applied for intracellular delivery of bioactive proteins with therapeutic potentials. His group is now pursuing research and development for clinically available exosome-based therapeutics. He is a graduate of Yonsei University College of Medicine, where he received his MD and PhD. |
Niek DekkerPrincipal Scientist, Discovery Sciences, AstraZeneca Trained as a biochemist with a PhD in enzymology and postdoctoral experience on molecular biology and structural biology. Expertise on structure-function relationships for enzymes embedded in the biological membrane. Working in drug discovery at AstraZeneca since 2000 in various managerial and project roles. Currently associate director biochemical assay development delivering assays for drug screening, and leading the activities around extracellular vesicles for drug delivery at AstraZeneca. Co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications. |
Yong Song GhoProfessor, Pohang University of Science And Technology (POSTECH) Dr. Yong Song Gho is a biochemist and full professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in Pohang, Republic of Korea. Since 2000, his study is focused on the extracellular vesicles (also called exosomes and microvesicles) derived from mammalian cells and bacteria. His more recent goals are translational researches on exosome-mimetics for the development of vaccines and drug delivery system against cancer and bacterial infection. His group recently opened a free web-based database, ‘EVpedia (http://evpedia.info)’ to trigger the advancement in systemic and comprehensive studies of the extracellular vesicles. |
Sai Kiang LimResearch Director, Institute of Medical Biology, A*STAR Dr Sai-Kiang Lim graduated with B.Sc (Hons), NUS. PhD SUNY at Buffalo and did post-doctoral training Columbia University. She led independent research groups at NUMI, NUS (1996-2001), Genome Institute of Singapore (2002-2007) and then Institute of Medical Biology (2007-present). The current research interest in her lab is the study of extracellular vesicles (EVs) for the development of therapeutics and diagnostics as well as artificial lipid membrane vesicles. |
Dominique PV de KleijnProfessor Experimental Vascular Surgery, Professor Netherlands Heart Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands Prof. Dr. Dominique PV de Kleijn is molecular biologist and chemist and professor of Exp. Vascular Surgery at UMC Utrecht and professor at the Netherlands Heart Institute. From 2012 to 2016, he was Research Professor of Surgery at NUS/NUHS and preclinical director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute (CVRI) Singapore. He was until 2016 professor of Cardiovascular Immunology and co-chair of Experimental Cardiology at UMC Utrecht. Since 1997 he is coordinating cardiovascular research from basic science, animal myocardial infarction and atherosclerotic studies (pig and sheep) towards clinical biobanking studies. His research interests are: The innate immune system in cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis & Biomarkers predictive for primary & secondary events with a focus on plasma extracellular vesicles. He has more then 275 publications and a H-factor of 78. |
