David Vaudry, PhD, HDR (PRESIDENT of IRPS)
INSERM Researcher
University of Rouen
76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan
France
david.vaudry@univ-rouen.fr
David Vaudry joined the laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroendocrinology in 1996. He was awarded a PhD in 2000 from the University of Rouen and then conducted a postdoc at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda. In 2002, he was recruited as INSERM Researcher, and since 2008 he has been the head of the Inserm U1239 team ‘Neuropeptides, Neuronal death and Cell plasticity’. His project is focused on the functional evaluation of the genes and proteins regulated by peptides during brain development or in adult pathologies such as Parkinson and Stroke. David Vaudry is also scientific director of the PRIMACEN cell imaging platform (http://www.primacen.fr) and deputy director of the PISSARO proteomics platform. He has published 159 research papers referenced in PubMed (6023 citations according to ISI Web of KNOWLEDGETM, h-index 37) in the fields of Neuroscience and Cell Signalling in international journals, including Journal of Neurochemistry, Molecular Neurobiology, PNAS, Science and Pharmacological Reviews. From 2012 to 2015, he was General Secretary of the French Neuroendocrine Society. He is currently the coordinator of the LARC-Neuroscience Network (http://larc-neurosciences.org). In 2016, David Vaudry was organizer of the RegPep2016 in Rouen (http://regpep2016.fr).
Jean A. Boutin, PhD
Directeur de la Prospective, Institut de Recherches Internationnales SERVIERjean.boutin@servier.com
Jean A. Boutin graduated (Thèse d’Etat ès Sciences Biologiques) from the Université de Nancy (France) on drug metabolism (UGT). He did two postdoctoral training periods at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore) and at the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden). He was hired as protein chemist in Les Laboratoires SERVIER (LLS) in 1986. During the 30ish last years, Dr. Boutin moved from oncology to peptide research and then molecular & cellular pharmacology. Recently, LLS created a drug discovery platform that Dr. Boutin led until October, 1st, 2016. Since then, he is Directeur de la Prospective particularly in the technological areas associated with molecular pharmacology. These areas include, but are not limited to drug molecular modeling, ligand/protein biophysical interaction measurements, peptides-as-drugs, protein chemistry, stem cells, structural biology, chemogenetics, HTS, biologics…The main interests of Dr. Boutin are N-myristoyltransferase, melatonin, quinone reductase 2, MCH and autotaxin. He published about 250 scientific papers and book chapters.
Billy Chow
Professor, Chair of Endocrinology, School of Biological Sciences
Associate Dean, Development and External Relations, Faculty of Science
The university of Hong Kong
bkcc@hku.hk
My research focus is on class B GPCRs interactions with bioactive peptides involved in water and mineral balance, and implications in pathological conditions such as hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Another area of my research interests is to reveal the actions of class B ligand-receptor during early invertebrate/vertebrate evolution. I am the recipient of the Akira Arimura Young Investigator Award, the Grace Pickford Medal, and the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship.
Mario Delgado, PhD
Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina ”Lopez-Neyra”, CSIC
Avda. Conocimiento S/N
Parque Tecnologico Ciencias de la Salud
18100 Armilla – GRANADA
Spain
Tlf: 958181665
Fax: 958181632
http://www.ipb.csic.es
Mario Delgado is Full Professor of the Spanish National Research Council
(CSIC) and Director of the Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine
IPBLN-CSIC, Granada, Spain. His main research focus is on neuropeptides and
hormones with functions in the immune system with an emphasis on the design of
new therapies for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders and
on understanding the molecular base of the bidirectional communication that
exists between nervous system and immune system. Moreover, he found that
stem/stromal cells of adult tissues (fat and placenta) exert potent
immunoregulatory properties. His research generated more than 180
international publications (cited more than 11.000 times, H-index: 60 in WoK)
and 8 licensed international patents (highlighting the generation of the first
medicament authorized by EMA for its global commercialization based in
allogeneic cell therapy to treat patients with Crohn’s disease).
Inge Depoortere, PhD
Gut Peptide Research Group, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders
Leuven, Belgium
Inge.Depoortere@med.kuleuven.be
Inge Depoortere is Professor at the “Gut Peptide Research Lab” of the Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID) at the University of Leuven in Belgium. For several years, Inge Depoortere has investigated the effect and mechanism of gut peptide action (motilin, ghrelin) in the regulation of gastrointestinal motility and food intake under normal and pathological conditions. Currently, the main focus of her research is on the nutrient sensing mechanisms of endocrine cells in the gut.
Illana Gozes, Professor
The Lily and Avraham Gildor Chair for the Investigation of Growth Factors
Head, the Dr. Diana and Zelman Elton (Elbaum) Laboratory for Molecular Neuroendocrinology
Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry
Sackler Faculty of Medicine
The Adams Super Center for Brain Studies and Sagol School of Neuroscience,
Tel Aviv University
Israel
Chief Scientific Officer at Coronis Neurosciences
Ness Ziona, Israel
Professor Illana Gozes, BSc, Tel Aviv University, PhD, Weizmann Institute, Israel, postdoc. MIT and Salk Institute, USA, Senior Scientist/Associate Professor, Weizmann Institute, Fogarty Scholar, NIH, USA, currently, Professor for Clinical Biochemistry at Tel Aviv University (mentoring numerous students). She published >300 papers in neuroscience and is the inventor of numerous patents including CP201(NAP, davunetide), a clinical drug candidate targeted at the rare disease indication, the ADNP syndrome (founded Allon Therapeutics and currently Chief Scientific Officer at Coronis Neurosciences). Professor Gozes discovered ADNP, an essential protein for brain formation implicated in autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. CP201 is a snippet of ADNP, enhancing ADNP’s protective activity. Prof. Gozes won many awards of excellence (including Tel Aviv University’s Vice President Award, Olson Prize, Julodan Prize, Teva Prize, Neufeld Award, Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) fellowship, Humboldt Award, Landau Prize for Life Achievements, 2013). Importantly, she is the Champion of Hope – Science International -2016, Global Genes. She is also the Ex-President of the Israel Society for Neuroscience, served on the Governing Committee and the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University, currently serving on the Council of the European Society for Neurochemistry, the Israeli Ministry of Education, Council of Higher Education and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience.
Hitoshi Hashimoto, PhD
Professor, Osaka University
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871
Japan
hasimoto@phs.osaka-u.ac.jp
Hitoshi Hashimoto, PhD, is Professor of Lab of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Grad Sch of Pharmaceutical Sci; Center for Child Mental Development; Inst for Datability Science; & Inst for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Japan.
He graduated from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University in 1987 and continued his PhD thesis and received the degree of PhD from Kyoto University in 1993. In 1991, he became Research Associate at Osaka University and had an opportunity to clone the PACAP receptor which is abundantly expressed in the brain. He then provided evidence for psychiatric implication of the signal. In 2010, he was appointed as Professor at Osaka University.
He is currently investigating fundamental neurological mechanisms underpinning psychiatric disorders using whole-brain imaging system with a high definition which he has recently established.
Karl-Heinz Herzig, MD
Professor at the Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine,
Aapistie 7, Finland
karl-heinz.herzig@oulu.fi
The team’s research interest is the control of homeostasis via peptides. Understanding the communication of this organ cross talk might decipher the molecular mechanisms in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity/metabolic syndrome.
Barbara Kofler
b.kofler@salk.at
Barbara Kofler is professor at the research program for receptor biochemistry and tumor metabolism. In the last twenty years her major research interest has been to elucidate the pleiotropic functions of the galanin peptide system, mainly in the periphery. She has identified alarin, a splice product of the galanin-like peptide gene as a novel (neuro)regulatory peptide with effects on feeding behavior, thermoregulation as well as neurogenic inflammation in the skin. In recent years her team moved from in vitro studies to in vivo models mainly resembling inflammatory diseases, regeneration and obesity. To elucidate possible therapeutic applications of galanin peptides galanin receptor knock out animals as well as receptor specific agonists and antagonists are used in the various animal model systems.
Chris Pemberton, M.Sc. (Hons I), PhD
Christchurch Heart Institute
University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
chris.pemberton@otago.ac.nz
Chris Pemberton is Research Associate Professor at the University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand, and a senior member of the Christchurch Heart Institute. He is also Chief Scientific Officer of Upstream Medical Technologies, a cardiac biomarker company. His research interests lie in the discovery of new clinical and research biomarkers, their potential translation to clinical use and the identification of novel biological effects of peptides using ex vivo and in vivo models. Main areas of interest include the natriuretic peptides, troponins, ghrelin and terminal markers of the immune system.
Erika Pinter, MD, PhD, DSc, FBPhS
Full professor, Head, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy
University of Pecs
12 Szigeti str. Pecs, Hungary
erika.pinter@aok.pte.hu
Erika Pinter the Head of Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Pecs, Hungary. She graduated as a medical doctor in 1985, got her PhD in 1996 and was awarded a DSc in 2006. Her scientific interests are the neuro-immuno-pharmacology and inflammation, especially the role of capsaicin-sensitive sensory nerves and TRP channels in neuro-immune interactions. She works on the development of sst4 selective somatostatin analogues. Erika Pinter has published more than 200 papers and got 4285 citations according to Google Scholar (h-index 38). She organized the “Neuropeptides 2010” Meeting in Pecs. She is the President of the European Neuropeptide Club since 2010 and the member of the Editorial Board of “Neuropeptides”. She is the General Secretary of the Hungarian Physiological Society (http://www.physoc.hu/en).
Joseph R. Pisegna, MD
Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology,
VA Greater Los Angeles HCS, USA
jpisegna@ucla.edu
My research interests are focused on understanding the pharmacology, physiology and signal transduction processes for gastrointestinal hormones and their receptors. We have a strong interest in the role of VIP and PACAP in regulating metabolism and obesity.
Seiji Shioda, PhD
Professor of Peptide Drug Innovation,
Global Research Center for Innovative Life Science,
Hoshi University, Tokyo, Japan
shioda@hoshi.ac.jp
Seiji Shioda’s main research focus is on neuropeptides with functions in the brain as well as peripheral organs with an emphasis on the design of new therapies for the treatment of dry syndromes as well as brain and spinal cord disorders.
Yvette Taché, PhD
Department of Medicine, UCLA,
Los Angeles, CA , USA
ytache@mednet.ucla.edu
Dr. Taché, Ph.D. is a Professor of Medicine, and co-Director of the Center of the Neurobiology of Stress at the UCLA Digestive Disease Division. Her field of expertise is in the role peptides in brain-gut interactions as it relates to the pathophysiology of stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity, gastrointestinal motility, post-operative ileus and regulation of feeding behavior. Using functional, pharmacological, neuroanatomical and molecular approaches in rodents her group made pioneering observations that established the physiological role of several brain peptides in the regulation of vagal outflow to the stomach. These data demonstrated the effects of the peptides on both gastric and colonic function as well as feeding behavior. The work also established an important role for brain and intestinal corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) receptors in the gut responses to stress. These findings have important implications to preclinical models of irritable bowel syndrome and the ultimate treatment of this disease. She has received several awards for her scientific contributions including the Middleton Award and Research Career Scientist Award from the Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development Department of Veterans Affairs, the Legion of Honor from the French government and the Outstanding Women in Science Award from the American Gastroenterology Association.
Andrea Varro, MD, PhD
Professor of Physiology
Molecular and Cellular Physiology
Institute of Translational Medicine
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
University of Liverpool
Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
avarro@liverpool.ac.uk
Andrea Varro MD, PhD, Professor of Physiology in the Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool. Graduated in medicine from the University of Szeged, Hungary and awarded a PhD, funded by the Hungarian Academy of Science, by the Semmelweiss University of Budapest, Hungary, in 1985. She has a permanent appointment at the University since 1992. She has long standing research interests in progastrin and its derivatives, Helicobacter pylori infection, and preneoplastic changes in the stomach. Her more recent research interests focuses on the interactions between epithelial and mesenchymal cells of the gastrointestinal tract, especially in the tumour microenvironment. She has published more than 160 scientific papers and was awarded a Hetenyi Geza medal for her outstanding contribution to translational research in the field of gastroenterology.
Nils Wierup, PhD, Associate Professor
Senior lecturer
Lund University
Jan Waldenströms gata 35
21428, Malmö, Sweden
Nils.wierup@med.lu.se
Nils Wierup, Senior lecturer and Associate Professor at Lund University, Sweden defended his these at Lund University in 2005. During his PhD-studies on novel islet hormones he discovered the ghrelin cell as a new islet cell type and established the function of the type 2 diabetes (T2D)-regulated islet hormone CART. Since 2011 Wierup has been studying the mechanistic basis for how gastric bypass surgery causes remission of T2D. Thanks to several clinical studies and development of two experimental RYGB models he has described the immediate impact of RYGB on metabolism without confounding influence from body weight and food intake.
A current focus is to use single cell RNA sequencing to dissect the deranged transcriptomic characteristics of T2D in human islets and intestinal mucosa from organ donors and morbidly obese patients subjected to RYGB, a model of reversing T2D. He has published >100 research papers (5874 citations, h-index: 40). Wierup is group leader for Neuroendocrine Cell Biology since 2009. Editorial advisory board member of Peptides journal since 2014. Board member of the Lund University Diabetes Centre http://www.ludc.lu.se/lund-university-diabetes-centre and member of the executive steering committee for EXODIAB.
International Society for Bioactive Peptides 