Carmen Jerónimo, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (Portugal)

Prof. Carmen Jerónimo is the Director of the IPO Porto Research Center and Head of the Cancer Biology and Epigenetics Group at the Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto) and serves as a Guest Full Professor in Pathology and Molecular Genetics at the University of Porto (UP), where she also oversees the MSC in Oncology program. She completed her BSc in Biology, MSc in Oncology, PhD in Biomedical Sciences, and Habilitation for a Full Professorship in Pathology and Molecular Genetics at UP, with her PhD conducted at Johns Hopkins University focusing on genetic and epigenetic alterations in prostate cancer. Since establishing her independent research group at IPO Porto in 2008, Prof. Jerónimo's work has centered on understanding the epigenome of tumor cells, identifying epigenetic changes pivotal in cancer, and developing targeted epigenetic biomarkers and therapies. She has mentored numerous PhD and master's students, holds a patent related to bladder cancer detection, and participates in major international projects, including those funded by the EU. Prof. Jerónimo is also actively involved in various scientific communities, being Chair of the section in Urological Research (ESUR) of the European Association of Urology (EAU) and President of the Portuguese Association for Cancer Research (ASPIC), also holding roles such as section editor for Clinical Epigenetics and Frontiers in Frontiers in Genetics and Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology and contributing extensively to scientific literature with over 250 publications in renowned journals.

Nathan McClenagan, Centre National de la RechercheScientifique (CNRS) of Bordeaux (France)

Dr. Nathan McClenaghan is a Research Director at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), based at the University of Bordeaux (Habilitation 2007). He obtained a Ph.D. at Queen's University of Belfast (U.K.) under the supervision of Prof. A. P. de Silva (supramolecular photochemistry, 2000). Before joining the CNRS in 2003, he carried out postdoctoral training in inorganic photochemistry (with S. Campagna, University of Messina, 2000-2001), and in Bordeaux on self-assembled fullerenes (2002-2003). His current research focuses primarily on photochemical / photophysical processes in designer synthetic supramolecular architectures. He is currently vice-president of the French chemical society Supramolecular Chemistry Group & the French Photochemistry Group.

Nako Nakatsuka, Laboratory of Chemical Nanotechnology of Lausanne (Switzerland)

Dr. Nako Nakatsuka is a tenure track assistant professor at the Neuro-X Institute at EPFL. She leads the Laboratory of Chemical Nanotechnology (CHEMINA). The CHEMINA lab is focused on pioneering translational technologies that impact human health. Our multidisciplinary team works at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, and neuroscience, to develop practical and innovative strategies to support patients who suffer from brain disorders. Nako was raised in Tokyo, Japan and moved to the U.S.A. for her Bachelor’s in Chemistry at Fordham University (Bronx, NY) and pursued her Ph.D. at UCLA (Los Angeles, CA). Upon receiving the ETH Zürich postdoctoral fellowship, she moved to Switzerland and remained as a senior scientist. For her independent work at ETH Zürich, she was named an MIT Under 35 Pioneer in 2021, received the iCanX Young Scientist award in 2022, and the ACS Nano Lectureship award and Prix Zonta in 2023. Nako is also passionate about social justice, outreach, and education. She has received numerous awards for teaching and has also illustrated a children’s chemistry book: “A is for Atom: ABCs for Aspiring Chemists” to inspire the next generation of chemists. 

Wei Gao, California Institute of Technology (United States of America)

Dr. Wei Gao is an Assistant Professor of Medical Engineering, Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar, and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator at the California Institute of Technology. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in 2014, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley from 2014 to 2017. He is serving as an Associate Editor for Science Advances, npj Flexible Electronics, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, and Sensors & Diagnostics. His achievements have garnered a number of awards and honors, such as NSF Career Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, IAMBE Early Career Award, Sloan Research Fellowship, Pittsburgh Conference Achievement Award, IEEE EMBS Early Career Achievement Award, IEEE Sensor Council Technical Achievement Award, Falling Walls Breakthrough of the Year 2023 in Engineering and Technology, 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35, ACS DIC Young Investigator Award, and Materials Today Rising Star Award. He is also recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist, a Highly Cited Researcher (Web of Science), and is a member of the Global Young Academy. His research interests encompass a wide range of areas including wearable sensors, bioelectronics, flexible electronics, and micro/nanorobotics.