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Dehua Pei
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio State University

Cyclic CPPs

Abstract

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Bio

Dehua Pei obtained his B.S. Degree in Chemistry from Wuhan University, China in 1986 and his Ph.D. Degree in organic chemistry from University of California, Berkeley in 1991, working under the direction of Peter G. Schultz. After a postdoctoral stint with Christopher T. Walsh at Harvard Medical School, he joined the faculty at OSU in 1995 as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2001 and to Professor in 2004.

Michael Ruff
President, Creative Bio-Peptides

To Be Announced...

Company Description

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Bio

Dr. Ruff is co-inventor of the Company’s peptide portfolio with over twenty year’s experience in drug development related to peptides and peptide receptors. His specialty areas include immunology, virology, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. He previously served as the Chief Scientific Officer of RAPID Pharmaceuticals, AG and was an Associate Professor, Georgetown University Medical School. He has authored numerous scientific research articles and patents on the Company’s therapeutic peptides, and has an international reputation in the areas of anti-viral and immune-modifying peptides that block inflammation, pain, and neurodegeneration.

Reto Stöcklin
President & CEO, Atheris

Venom Evolution, Function, and Biomedical Applications

Abstract

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Bio

Reto Stöcklin is a scientific entrepreneur driven by innovation. He obtained his doctoral degree in medical biochemistry in the laboratories of Prof. Robin Offord in the Faculty of Medicine of Geneva in 1994. He excels in peptide chemistry, protein engineering, mass spectrometry, proteomics and bioinformatics. Reto innovated techniques of pharmacokinetics and metabolic studies of polypeptides by mass spectrometry. In parallel, he initiated toxinology studies and venom-based drug discovery programmes, created a unique database on venomous animals and their venoms, and subsequently pioneered peptide discovery and lead optimisation algorithms.

Dr Stöcklin leads Atheris SA, a research-driven biotech company he founded in Geneva back in 1995. Reto is also founder of FunZyme BioTechnologies SA, a biotech company created in 2005 that paved the way to the foundation of Amyra Biotech AG early 2013 that develops an enzyme-based therapy for the treatment of celiac disease (gluten intolerance) in which he acts as member of the board. He also is co-founder and board member of HiQScreen SàRL (high-throughput screening robots and services) and co-founded Activen SA (cosmetic ingredients). Back in 2000 he co-founded Swiss Proteomics Society, and in 2003 he pioneered the « Venomics Initiative ».

Reto has teaching functions in Geneva, Sion and Paris and he assisted the authorities for the classification of the Marquesas Islands to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Reto is member of the board of deputies of the Swiss “Helvetia-Patria Genossenschaft” and is organiser of the “Natural Peptides to Drugs - NP2D” international congress in Zermatt. He is also highly active as a consultant for several international institutions and companies. Over the past decade, he got deeply involved in marine biology and organised several scientific exploration missions around the world in which he took part, also as a scientific diver.

Anna Maria Papini
Professor, University of Florence

To Be Announced

Abstract

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Bio

Anna Maria Papini is a bioorganic chemist expert in peptide and protein chemistry and biology. She completed an International PhD in bioorganic chemistry in 1990, under the supervision of Prof. Luis Moroder of the Max Planck Institut fuer Biochemie. In 1991 she founded the first Laboratory of peptide chemistry at the University of Florence starting peptide-based translational research. She is Professor of bioorganic chemistry of the Italian and French Universities and she is Laureate of the “Chaire d’Excellence” 2009-2014 of the French “Agence Nationale de la Recherche” (unique in chemistry out of 16). In recognition of her outstanding contribution to peptide science in 2008 she was the recipient of the Leonidas Zervas Award of the European Peptide Society and of the 1st Dimitrios Theodoropoulos Memorial Award of the Hellenic Peptide Society. In 2008 she started the French-Italian Interdepartmental Laboratory of Peptide & Protein Chemistry & Biology (www.peptlab.eu) that she coordinates, associating the Departments of Chemistry, Neurosciences & Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Florence and the Laboratory of Chemical Biology of the Université Paris-Seine – UMR CNRS/UPSud/UPSaclay 8076 BioCIS – Biomolécules : Conception, Isolement et Synthèse. Since 2013 she founded and is the director of the platform PeptLab@UCP of the Université Paris-Seine, with the mission to support SMEs involved in peptide-based projects. For the period 2011-2020, she has been nominated Treasurer and Member of the Executive Committee of The European Peptide Society. In 2015 she was one of the founders of the Italian Peptide Society and since 2017 she has been member of the scientific committee. Since 2013 she is Coordinator of the International Affairs and Erasmus Program of the School of Sciences of the University of Florence. She has been elected vice-chair of the 2014 Gordon Research Conference on Chemistry and Biology of Peptides, Edition “Peptide Science in the Era of Synthetic Biology" and co-chair with Phil E. Dawson of the 2016 Edition “Crossing Barriers by Peptide Science for Health and Wellness”. She has been nominated Chair of 14th International Peptide Symposium – 37th European Peptide Symposium that will be held in Florence (Italy) on August 28-September 2, 2022. She is cofounder of the spin-off companies of the University of Florence EspiKem Srl launched in 2003 and Apotech in 2016, since 2017 founder and scientific coordinator of PeptFarm “Laboratorio congiunto Università di Firenze – Impresa” joining PeptLab and Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici, F.I.S. Italy to develop large-scale synthesis of peptide-drugs, and of the start-up Toscana Biomarkers Srl (2007-2014), whose mission was R&D of peptide-based diagnostics of autoimmune diseases. For that she got in 2009 the Frost & Sullivan Excellence in Research Award in the European autoimmune disease diagnostics market & the Vespucci Award of the Regione Toscana for the perspectives of development of the company aimed to research and production of innovative diagnostic methodologies for autoimmune diseases, i.e., multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. She is author of 251 peer-reviewed articles: 143 articles in peer reviewed scientific journals and 108 articles in peer reviewed books. She is coauthor of 10 filed patents. She has been invited to present 116 lectures in International Symposia, Universities and Research Centers. 52 oral & 242 poster communications were selected for presentations in international symposia. Moreover she was invited to present 10 lectures aimed to technology transfer in the global space of R&D (2 in extra-European countries and 8 in Europe).

Annelise Barron
Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University

To Be Announced...

Abstract

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Bio

Annelise E. Barron is the W.M. Keck Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University.

The overall theme of the Barron lab is the study and biomimicry of natural host defense peptides (antimicrobial peptides). We study the molecular biophysics and mechanisms of LL-37—a centrally important human host defense peptide—and its involvement in Alzheimer's dementia (via LL-37 dysregulation and degradation by pathogen virulence factors): Alzheimer's dementia can be caused by (or at least, can be accompanied by) cerebral infections, a phenomenon now receiving renewed attention given recent discoveries. We are also working to develop biostable mimics of LL-37 as new therapeutics that can combat the problem of antibiotic-resistant infections. Finally, we are working to mimic lung surfactant proteins that can facilitate the delivery of therapeutics to the lungs, to treat bacterial and viral pneumonia, or treat acute lung injury.

Dr. Barron was trained as a chemical engineer at the University of Washington (B.S.) and U.C. Berkeley (Ph.D.), and was a Pharmaceutical Chemistry postdoc with Prof. Ken A. Dill (UCSF) and Dr. Ronald N. Zuckermann (Chiron Corp.). She has served on the faculty at Stanford since 2007, and prior to that, served on the Chemical & Biological Engineering faculty of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL for 10 years (1997-2007). Dr. Barron has been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers (PECASE), the Beckman Young Investigator Award, and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, among other awards. Dr. Barron was the youngest scientist ever to serve on the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Director of the NIH, under Dr. Elias Zerhouni. She has more than 150 publications and a current H-index of 45 (Web of Science, All Databases), and serves on the advisory boards of several biotechnology companies.

Hiroaki Suga
Professor, University of Tokyo

To Be Announced...

Abstract

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Bio

Hiroaki Suga is a Professor of the Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science in the University of Tokyo. He was born in Okayama City, Japan in 1963. He received his Bachelor of Engineering (1986) and Master of Engineering (1989) from Okayama University under supervision of Prof. S. Torii, and Ph. D. in Chemistry (1994) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under supervision of Prof. S. Masamune.

After three years of post-doctoral work with Prof. J. W. Szostak in Massachusetts General Hospital, he was appointed as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry in the State University of New York at Buffalo (1997) and promoted to the tenured Associate Professor (2002). In 2003, he moved to the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology in the University of Tokyo as an Associate Professor, and soon after he was promoted to Full Professor. In 2010, he changed his affiliation to the Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science.

His research interests are in the field of bioorganic chemistry, chemical biology and biotechnology related to RNA, translation, and peptides. He is also a founder of PeptiDream Inc. Tokyo, a publicly traded company, which has many partnerships with pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

James Tam
Professor, Nanyang Technological University

To Be Announced...

Abstract

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Bio

James P. Tam was the founding dean and the founding director of biological research center of the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Currently, he is the Lee Wee Nam Professor and Director of the Synzyme and Natural Products Center.

He received his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA and held appointments as Associate Professor at The Rockefeller University, USA (1982-1991), Professor at Vanderbilt University, USA (1991-2004) and The Scripps Research Institute, USA (2004-2008). His research work focuses on the discovery, design and development of therapeutics, particularly orally active biologics.

Professor Tam has published more than 330 papers in these areas of research. For his contribution in peptide sciences, he has received the Cathay Award by the Chinese Peptide Society (CPS), Vincent du Vigneaud Award, the Rao Makineni Award, the Merrifield Award by the American Peptide Society (APS), the Ralph F. Hirschmann Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Akabori Memorial Award by the Japanese Peptide Society (JPS), and the Josef Rudinger Memorial Lecture Award by the European Peptide Society (EPS). He was elected as Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science in 2018. He was elected as Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science in 2018.

In addition to his scientific research, he has also been active in the peptide community. Besides serving on many editorial boards, he organizes international peptide and protein symposia and was a co-founder of the past ten International Chinese Peptide Symposia. He received the Cathay Award from the Chinese Peptide Society, China in 1996. He was also honored as Honorary Professor at Peking University and Peking Union Medical College.​​​​​​​​

Dale Boger
Richard and Alice Cramer Professor of Chemistry, Scripps Research Institute

To Be Announced...

Abstract

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Bio

Born in 1953 and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas, Dale Boger received his BSc in Chemistry from the University of Kansas (1975, with highest distinction and honors in chemistry) and PhD in Chemistry from Harvard University (1980) under the direction of E. J. Corey and supported by a NSF fellowship. He returned to the University of Kansas as a member of the faculty in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry (1979-1985), moved to the Department of Chemistry at Purdue University (1985-1991), and joined the faculty in the newly created Department of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute (1991-present) as the Richard and Alice Cramer Professor of Chemistry. Since 2012, he has served as the Chairman for the Department of Chemistry. Professor Boger is internationally recognized for his work in organic synthesis, heterocyclic chemistry, natural products total synthesis and biological evaluation, synthetic methodology development, and medicinal chemistry, and has made seminal contributions to improving glycopeptide antibiotics and the understanding of DNA-drug interactions of naturally occurring antitumor-antibiotics. He has served as the Editor-in-Chief for Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters since its launch (1990) and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences.

Stewart Low
Chief Scientific Officer, Novosteo

To Be Announced...

Abstract

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Bio

Stewart Low is a creative Bioengineer with a diverse laboratory and educational background in a range of subjects from Molecular Biology and Immunology to Organic Synthesis and Drug Delivery, Stewart is able to meld his backgrounds and creative thinking into innovative yet pragmatic ideas.

Jim Ballance
Vice President, Research & Scientific Affairs, PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals

Long-Acting Gel and Clinical Data

Abstract

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Bio

Jim has more than 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, in both small biotechnology and large pharmaceutical companies, specializing in early stage research, product development, cGMP manufacturing, technology transfer and the management of intellectual property. He has led the development of drug products from conception through process development and scale-up to manufacturing, and has extensive business development experience with large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Prior to PhaseBio, Jim was Vice President, Technology Development at BioRexis Pharmaceutical and Director of Business Development at Aventis Behring. Jim invented albumin fusion proteins while at Delta Biotechnology in the United Kingdom, where he was head of research and development. Jim received a BSc in applied biology from the University of Wales and a PhD in fungal molecular genetics from the University of Bristol.