Adriano Aguzzi, Ph.D.

Adriano Aguzzi is an internationally renowned neuropathologist whose groundbreaking work has illuminated the molecular and cellular mechanisms of prion diseases. He is the Director of the Institute of Neuropathology at the University of Zurich, where he has pioneered the application of functional genomics to neurodegeneration. His lab’s recent innovations include genome-wide CRISPR screens to dissect the prion life cycle and uncover modifiers of prion uptake, toxicity, and replication.

Apostolos Beloukas, Ph.D.

Apostolos Beloukas is an Associate Professor in Molecular Microbiology and Virology, Director of the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology laboratory at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Head of the National Reference AIDS center of Southern Greece, at the University of West Attica. He is interested in infectious diseases with a particular interest in viral infections, and the use of advanced molecular and epidemiological tools for diagnosing, monitoring, and tracking viruses and their relevant epidemics.

Petros Bozidis, Ph.D.

Petros Bozidis is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ioannina, Greece. His research expertise encompasses virology, microbiology, and molecular biology, with a particular focus on human cytomegalovirus, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, and cell culture techniques. Dr. Bozidis has contributed to over 37 publications, accumulating more than 980 citations, reflecting the impact of his work in the scientific community.

Katerina Chlichlia, Ph.D.

Katerina Chlichlia is a Professor of Molecular Immunobiology in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Democritus University of Thrace. She specializes in Tumor Immunology and Cancer Therapy, and her ongoing research involves designing, constructing, and applying DNA vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy. Recently, her interests have expanded to include the design and application of bioactive nanoparticles for cancer prevention and therapy.

Chrysostomos Dovas, Ph.D.

Chrysostomos Dovas is a Professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. He specializes in molecular microbiology and animal virology, focusing on molecular diagnostic techniques, virus evolution, and emerging disease surveillance.

Yannis Karakasiliotis, Ph.D.

Yannis Karakasiliotis is an Associate Professor of Medical Biology at the Medical School of Democritus University of Thrace in Alexandroupolis, Greece. His research interests include molecular biology and virology, with a focus on virus-host interactions and molecular diagnostics. He has contributed to several publications, reflecting his active engagement in the scientific community. In addition to his research endeavors, he has experience as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute and the Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming."

Christine Kottaridi, Ph.D.

Christine Kottaridi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics, Development, and Molecular Biology at the School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. She specializes in molecular diagnostics, cell culture, PCR, flow cytometry, bioinformatics, cancer research, evolutionary biology, infectious diseases, phylogenetic analysis, and epidemiology and public health, and she ​has co-authored 64 publications, reflecting her active engagement in the scientific community.

Gus Kousoulas, Ph.D.

Gus Kousoulas is a distinguished Professor of Virology and Biotechnology at the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine. He serves as the Head of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences and Director of the Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine. He holds adjunct appointments in the Department of Biological Sciences at LSU and the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, and his ​research focuses on the molecular biology and pathogenesis of herpes simplex viruses (HSV) and bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1).

Andrew Lucas, Ph.D.

Andrew Lucas is a Senior Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia in Perth. He has broad experience in studying immunity in both Humans and animal models, focusing on chemokines, drug allergy, regenerative medicine, transplant biology, and, most recently, as Laboratory Lead in Human clinical trials testing the effect of reduced plastic exposure on human health.

Michaela Lucas, M.D./Ph.D.

​Michaela Lucas is a Clinical Immunologist/Allergist and Immunopathologist and Clinician-Scientist with conjoint appointments with Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Pathwest, the Perth Children’s Hospital, and The University of Western Australia, where she leads a multi-disciplinary team of clinical and basic science researchers, microsurgeons and technicians, at the Immunology and Transplantation Lab. Her research interests and expertise span T cell immunology including the pathogenesis of T cell mediated drug allergies, anti-viral T cell responses, vaccine development, and most recently understanding the role of inflammation in the development of adaptive immunity in organ transplantation.

Penelope Mavromara, Ph.D.

Penelope Mavromara was a Professor and head of the Biochemistry and Molecular Virology Laboratory in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Democritus University of Thrace. Before this position, she served as a Research Director and Head of the Molecular Virology Laboratory at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, a Lab that she established in 1990. Her research interests encompass molecular virology and vaccine development. She has co-developed curricula and engaged in collaborative research projects focusing mainly on HSV-1, HPV, and HCV viruses in partnership with the Pasteur Institute Network and other European Laboratories.

Lefteris Michailidis, Ph.D.

Lefteris Michailidis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, where he leads a multidisciplinary laboratory dedicated to understanding virus-host interactions, particularly those involving hepatitis B virus (HBV). His research employs biochemical, cell-based, and in vivo methods to explore antiviral mechanisms and develop eradication strategies.

Konstantinos Mimidis, M.D./Ph.D.

Konstantinos Mimidis is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at the Democritus University of Thrace. He received his medical degree from the Catholic University of Louvain and completed his PhD at the University of Patras. He has pursued advanced clinical and research training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, and the Catholic University of Leuven. His research focuses on gastrointestinal motility, functional dyspepsia, inflammatory bowel disease, viral hepatitis, pancreatitis, and cirrhosis. 

Maria Panopoulou, M.D./Ph.D.

Maria Panopoulou is a Professor of Microbiology and Head of the Laboratory of Medical Microbiology at the Medical School of Democritus University of Thrace in Greece. With over two decades of clinical and academic experience, she has played a leading role in the education and training of medical students, residents, and postgraduate scholars in microbiology, mycobacteriology, immunology, and parasitology. Her research focuses on microbial identification, antimicrobial resistance, and molecular diagnostics, and she actively contributes to postgraduate programs and supervises numerous MSc and PhD students.

Nina Papavasilliou, Ph.D.

Nina Papavasiliou is a prominent immunologist and the head of the Division of Immune Diversity at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Rockefeller University, where she previously led the Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology. Throughout her career, Dr. Papavasiliou has made significant contributions to understanding DNA and RNA editing mechanisms, particularly in the context of immune diversity.

Charles M. Rice, Ph.D.

Charles M. Rice is an esteemed virologist, who currently leads the Laboratory of Virology and Infectious Disease at Rockefeller University, renowned for his pivotal contributions to understanding and combating hepatitis C virus infections. ​In recognition of his seminal contributions to virology, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020, sharing the honor with Harvey J. Alter and Michael Houghton for their collective work in identifying the hepatitis C virus. ​His pioneering work continues to influence the fields of virology and infectious disease, offering hope for effective treatments and vaccines against viral pathogens.

Stefan Sarafianos, Ph.D.

Stefan Sarafianos is a distinguished professor and Nahmias-Schinazi Chair in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. He also serves as the Associate Director of the Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology and Co-Director of the Center for ViroScience and Cure. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of viral enzymes, particularly those of HIV, HBV, HCV, and SARS-CoV-2, aiming to develop novel antiviral therapies.

Bruce Torbett, Ph.D.

Bruce Torbett is a distinguished professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and serves as the associate director of the Center for Immunity and Immunotherapies at Seattle Children's Research Institute. He also co-directs the NIH-funded Behavior of HIV in Viral Environments (B-HIVE) Center, a collaborative effort involving 31 researchers across 15 institutions focused on studying HIV at multiple levels. ​His ongoing work continues to significantly contribute to our understanding of HIV biology and the development of new therapeutic strategies.

Eliza Tsitoura, Ph.D.

Eliza Tsitoura is a researcher at the University of Crete, and her research primarily focuses on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), with particular interest in the roles of herpes simplex virus infections, vaccine development, and pulmonary fibrosis. ​In addition to her research on autophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction, she has contributed to studies on the NLRP3/Caspase-1 inflammasome activation in alveolar macrophages of lung cancer patients, offering insights that could inform future therapeutic strategies