CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets

Dr. Cristoforo Comi received his M.D. degree from the University of Milan, Italy, board certification in Neurology, and Ph.D. degree in Molecular Medicine from the University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO). He is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Neurology at UPO, Novara, Italy. His area of expertise includes the molecular bases of Neurodegenerative and Neuro inflammatory diseases. His main research achievements are regarding the role of T-cell apoptosis in neuro inflammatory diseases and the study of proinflammatory genes and cytokines in neurodegenerative diseases. Current studies are concerned with the role of immunity and inflammation in chronic neurodegeneration, with a special focus on identifying biomarkers of disease progression.

Prof. Machado obtained his Ph.D. at Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Currently Prof. Machado is also of Post-Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Mental Health at Institute of Psychiatry of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), and of Professor of Post-Graduate Program of Physical Activity Sciences at Salgado de Oliveira University. He has published more than 190 scientific publications, one book and 15 book chapters. Prof. Machado is currently Editorial Board Member of CNS Neurological Disorders – Drug Targets, Clinical Practice and Epidemiology and Mental Health.

Dr. Petronilho has a degree in Chemistry and PhD in Biochemistry by Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil. Dr. Petronilho has a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Biochemistry Department (UFRGS), Brazil and at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA. Currently, she is a full professor in the Graduate Program in Health Sciences, University of South Santa Catarina (UNISUL), Brazil. Her research has identified the brain vulnerability after sepsis and its potentially mechanistic role in subsequent recovery using an animal model. In addition, Dr. Petronilho studies the new therapeutic targets for brain alterations after sepsis and she has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Alessandra Ammazzalorso obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, in 2001. Since 2004 she has been an Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry in the Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara. Her research interests include the synthesis and characterization of small molecules endowed with biological activity, mainly compounds targeting Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors. She is also involved in the identification of novel inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase, aromatase, and carbonic anhydrase.

Dr. Giulia Costa obtained her PhD in Toxicology from the University of Cagliari, Italy, in 2014. Since 2019 she has been an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari. Dr. Costa’s research involves the study of the neurotoxic and neuroinflammatory effects of amphetamine-related drugs, the development of new preclinical models of early-stage Parkinson’s disease, the study of the interactions between caffeine and other recreational psychostimulants, and the study of ultrasonic vocalizations in rodents.

Dr. Salvatore Cuzzocrea is full Professor of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Messina. He completed his graduation in Pharmacy and Medicine and became an Honorary Professor of Pharmacology in the University of Manchester (UK). Prof. Cuzzocrea has received a doctorate (PhD) in “Experimental Medicine” School of Medicine University of Messina. He has authored more than 600 publications including articles in peer reviewed international journals and scientific books. He has served as an Editor and referee for several international journals. He encompasses research activities with specific competences at international levels in the field of autoimmunity, inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders as well as drug development.

Arianna Di Stadio is a neuroscientist and otolaryngologist. She is an expert in correlation between sense disorders and neuro-inflammatory/neurodegenerative diseases. Her main research interest is to identify early signs of neuroinflammation monitoring hearing loss and hearing disorders, evaluate the effect of the loss of hearing ability on the brain and finally, figure out an early treatment for neuroinflammation. She is an associate professor in Otolaryngology at the University of Catania, and an honorary research associate at UCL Queen Square Neurology in London. She has an active international collaboration with the US, UK and other EU countries.

Prof. F.S. Giorgi graduated in Medicine from the University of Pisa and SSSUP Sant’Anna; then he obtained a PhD in Neuroscience and Neurologist Residency diploma in Pisa, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (New York). Throughout his whole scientific career, he has been studying the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders and epilepsy both in experimental models, and in patients. His interest in Alzheimer’s Disease is mainly focused on the role of subcortical nuclei in modulating neurodegeneration with an emphasis on novel disease biomarkers and precision medicine perspectives. He has authored more than 120 articles in peer-reviewed international Journals.

Yang Liu received the Ph.D. degree from Tongji University, Shanghai, China, in 2008. He is currently a Professor with the College of Mathematics and Computer Science, Zhejiang Normal University. His research interests include neural networks and logical systems. He is an Associate Editor of Neural Processing Letters (Springer). He was recognized by Clarivate Analytics as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2019.

Brandon Lucke-Wold graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Neuroscience and distinction in honors from Baylor University. He completed his MD/PhD, Master’s in Clinical and Translational Research, and the Global Health Track at West Virginia University School of Medicine. His research focuses were on traumatic brain injury, neurosurgical simulation, and stroke. At West Virginia University, he also served as a health coach for the Diabetes Prevention and Management program in Morgantown and Charleston, WV, which significantly improved health outcomes for participants. In addition to his research and public health projects, he is a co-founder of the biotechnology company Wright-Wold Scientific, the pharmaceutical company CTE cure, and was a science advocate on Capitol Hill through the Washington Fellows program. He has also served as a president of the WVU chapters for the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Neurosurgery Interest group, and Erlenmeyer Initiative Entrepreneur group. He was an active member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He is currently a member of the UF House Staff Council and Positive Culture Committee.

Dr. Naoki Tajiri embodies translational "bench to clinic" research in advancing stem cell and rehabilitation therapy for neurological disorders, specifically Neonatal White Matter Injury (NWMI), Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Clinically relevant animal models of human neurological disorders are used to test effectiveness and safety etc. His research focuses on animal models of neurological disorders to better understand the mechanisms of cell death and to develop treatment strategies in retarding the disease process. He has a broad background in regenerative medicine, with specific training and expertise in key research areas, specifically stem cell and rehabilitation therapy.

Dr. Wu received his PhD in Neuroscience from Wuhan Tongji Medical University, China, in 1997 and completed his training in the fields of epilepsy and ion channel physiology during his postdoctoral work. Following a Research Assistant Professor position at Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, he joined Wuhan University of Technology in 2018. He is presently a Professor of Neuropharmacology. His research focus is on targeting ion channels and transporters in the brain for the treatment of CNS and neurological disorders, such as ischemia, migraine and epilepsy.

Dr Nady Braidy is a neuroscientist with a Ph.D. degree that was awarded to him in 2011 from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. Dr. Braidy has international recognition in the field of Alzheimer research and specializes in neural cell therapeutics. Dr. Braidy also holds a graduate certificate in research management (with distinction), Diploma in innovation management (with distinction), M.S. degree in pharmacy, University of Sydney, and B.S. degree in medical science (class I honors in pharmacology and physiology with distinction) University of New South Wales. Dr. Braidy has published over 80 peer-reviewed research papers, 5 book chapters, and 2 books and is an inventor in 1 accepted international patent.

Dr. Luo obtained a Medical Doctor (M.D.) from Chinese Medical University, Shenyang and got a doctoral (Ph.D) in Neurology from Huashan Hospital of Fudan University. Currently Dr. Luo is a Professor in Department of Neurology of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University and director of Cerebrovascular Diseases Research Institute of Capital Medical University. Dr. Luo also a Chairman of neurological committee of Beijing Association of traditional Chinese medicine and Western Medicine. She has published more than 180 scientific publications.

Dr. Kevin Murnane is an Assistant Professor at the Mercer University College of Pharmacy. He received a B.S. in Biology and Psychology from the University of Georgia and a PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University. His research group is focused on the etiology and treatment of disorders of the central nervous system. Areas of special emphasis include autism, substance abuse, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The Murnane group directly or through collaboration uses techniques such as computational chemistry, medicinal chemistry, drug formulation, cell biology, molecular biology, electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, behavioral pharmacology, operant conditioning, and neuroimaging.

Maurizio Pompili, M.D, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Suicidology as part of the Faculty of Medicine and Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, where he received his M.D. degree, where he trained in Psychiatry (both summa cum laude) and where he has doctoral degree in Experimental and Clinical Neurosciences. He is the Director of the Suicide Prevention Center at Sant’Andrea Hospital in Rome. He was also part of the Community at McLean Hospital – Harvard Medical School, USA where he received a fellowship in psychiatry. He is the Director of Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Sapienza University of Rome He is the recipient of the American Association of Suicidology’s 2008 Shneidman Award for “Outstanding contributions in research in suicidology”. He is the Vice-President of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and member of the International Academy for Suicide Research and the American Association of Suicidology.

I am a professor of General Pathology and Immunology at “G.d’Annunzio” University Chieti- Pescara, Italy. I received my Biological Sciences degree from “Alma Mater Studiorum” University of Bologna, Italy and my PhD In Experimental Medicine from “La Sapenza”, University of Rome, Italy. I have authored of 140 peer-reviewed pubblication and 3 book chapter in neuroimmunology, inflammatory diseases and cytokines. My current research deals with the modulation of nonneuronal anti-inflammatory pathway of cholinergic system in peripheral blood cells, with particular focus on its role in neurodegenerative diseases.

Seyed Khosrow Tayebati Was born in 1961. He is the Associate Professor of Human Anatomy at School of Pharmacy of Camerino University in Italy. Professor Tayebati is Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Pisa. During his post-doc period, using suitable animal models, he studied different neurotransmitter systems, brain morphological features, effects of hypertension on different cerebral areas and their microvascular system both in normal ageing and in neurodegenerative diseases. Professor Tayebati has a particular interest in drug development and therapy of mild cognitive impairment and vascular dementia. He has authored or co-authored over 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as chapters in books, etc.

Dr. Eleonora Aronica is full professor of Neuropathology at the University of Amsterdam’s Faculty of Medicine (AMC-UvA). She obtained her doctorate cum laude at the UvA in 1993 after studying medicine at the University of Catania (Italy), where she completed her studies as a neurologist. She leads a research group focused on translational research into Epilepsy and aiming to understand the pathogenesis, epileptogenesis and pharmacoresistance. Her scientific honours include the Michael Prize (2011) for epilepsy research. She has published more than 400 peer-reviewed articles. She is member of the ILAE Task Force on FCD and international European consortia.

Dr. Bitto got her MD from the University of Messina, Italy and the Ph.D. from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Currently Dr Bitto has a tenure track in Pharmacology at the University of Messina. She has published over 150 papers and is a named inventor of 2 international patents.

Fabio Blandini obtained his MD degree in 1986 and specialized in neurology (1990) and biochemistry (2001). He is currently Scientific Director of the IRCCS Mondino Foundation, National Institute of Neurology - a research hospital funded by the Italian Ministry of Health - and full professor of pharmacology within the Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences of the University of Pavia. He is currently chair of the Pan-European Committee of the International Brain Research organization and member of the European Brain Council. His main research interests include the pathogenesis, pathophysiology and therapeutics of neurodegenerative diseases, with a specific focus on Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Caraci graduated MD in 2001, in Catania University (Catania, Italy) and he got his PhD degree in Neuropharmacology, in 2009.In June 2011 he was appointed Assistant Professor in Pharmacology at University of Catania and Visiting Professor at University of Bordeaux in February-March 2016 as winner of the Visiting Scholar Grant 2016. He has published more than 80 papers in peer reviewed journals and he is also Associate Editor of Frontiers in Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery. Dr. Caraci has worked in the field of drug discovery in depression and Alzheimer’s disease with the aim to identify new pharmacological targets. Dr. Caraci has been studying the physiology and pharmacology of TGF-ß1 and its role in the pathophysiology of cognitive dysfunction in AD.

Dr. Simone Carradori obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). Currently, he is assistant professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Department of Pharmacy of “G. D’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara (Italy). The scientific activity is mainly focused on design, synthesis and characterization of novel synthetic and natural derivatives with potential biological activity and is documented from about 98 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and one patent.

Dr. Choudary obtained a doctorate degree (Ph.D.) in microbiology and biochemistry from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He also holds a M.Sc. (Hons.) degree of Bombay University in Botany, with Mycology & Plant Pathology major. Dr. Choudary currently is a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine in the University of California Davis School of Medicine. He is co-author of 80 papers and 50 patent applications, with 10 patents granted. Professor Choudary is currently an editor of this journal (CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets, CNSNDDT), published by Bentham Science Publishers.

Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo is a Director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council (ICB-CNR) in Naples, Italy, and coordinator of the Endocannabinoid Research Group in the Naples region. He was awarded a ChemD from the University of Naples in 1983, and a PhD in Biochemistry and molecular pharmacology from Imperial College in London in 1988. He is co-author of over 640 articles published in peer-reviewed journals (H index 109 according to Scopus). In 2014- 2016 he has been listed among the Highly Cited Researchers (top 1% in the world) in all scientific disciplines, according to Thomson Reuters (www.highlycited.com). He has been the recipient of numerous research grants and awards, including: a Human Frontier Science Program research grant to study the biosynthesis, metabolism, and structure-activity relationships of anandamide; a Merkator Fellowship for Foreign Scientists by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinshaft; the Mechoulam Award for “his outstanding contributions to cannabinoid research”; the Luigi Tartufari award for Chemistry from the Italian Academy of Sciences (Accademia dei Lincei); the “Ester Fride Award for Basic Science” from the International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines. In October 2014 he was awarded the International Award “Guido Dorso” for Research, and in May 2016 the Medal of the Italian Accademia delle Scienze, or of the XL, for Physical and Natural Sciences.

Dr. Christian Felder received a BS in Chemistry from the College of William and Mary, and his PhD in Biochemistry from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He is currently a Research Fellow in the Neuroscience Division at Eli Lilly & Co. in Indianapolis where he leads a drug development research lab focused on neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. He is also the program Director for the external Lilly Innovation Fellowship Awards program (LIFA) and internal Lilly Research Labs post doc program. Dr. Felder has published over 130 scientific articles, reviews and book chapters and has had numerous invitations to speak at universities and international scientific conferences.

Prof. Rubens J Gagliardi is currently Full Professor of Neurology at Santa Casa of São Paulo Medical School, where he graduated in Medicine in 1972. Master's in Neurology by University of São Paulo (1980) and PhD in Neurology by University of São Paulo (1988). Current president of Sao Paulo Neurological Association and former president of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology and the Brazilian Stroke Society. He has experience in Medicine, focusing on Neurology, acting mainly on the following subjects: stroke and cerebrovascular disease (physiopatology, prevention, diagnostic and acute treatment). He has participated in several clinical trials as a PI or National Coordinator. He has published neurological books and many original papers and reviews in high-quality journals and often is indicated as a reviewer by famous publishers.

Dr. Huile Gao received his PhD in Pharmaceutics from School of Pharmacy, Fudan University in 2013 under the supervision of Prof. Xinguo Jiang. Then he joined the West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University as an Instructor in July 2013 and was promoted to an Associate Professor in July 2014. Dr. Gao’s research interests focus on the design, synthesis, characterization and evaluation of stimuli responsive nanomaterials for drug and imaging probe delivery to improve treatment and diagnosis of human diseases especially tumor and brain diseases. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles with an H-index of 28.

Ms. Yanqin Gao hold a B.S. in Chemistry from the Nanjing University in China. Currently Currently Ms. Gao is of the State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology at Fudan University. She has published more than 90 scientific publications. Prof. Gao has been a regular reviewer for more than 20 prominent peer reviewed journals, including .

Professor Manuel Graeber MD PhD FRCPath is a neuropathologist and the Barnet-Cropper Chair and Director of Brain Tumour Research at the University of Sydney. Following a position as staff member at the Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry in Munich, Germany, he spent three years as a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. From 1992 to1999 he returned to Munich where he headed a molecular neuropathology laboratory first at the University of Munich and then at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology. In 2000, Manuel Graeber founded the University Department of Neuropathology at Imperial College London. He decided to close down the Department for ethical reasons related to brain banking and won a whistle-blowing case in 2008 with funding and support from the British Medical Association.

Dr. Aldric Hama is Study Director at Hamamatsu Pharma Research, Inc., Hamamatsu, Japan. He obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) from the University of Illinois at Chicago, majoring in Anatomy and Cell Biology with a minor in Neuroscience. Dr. Hama’s main interests include the mechanism of chronic pain, development of preclinical in vivo models of chronic pain and the drug discovery process for analgesics.

Dr. Sadayuki Hashioka is an associate professor of Department of Psychiatry, Shimane University, Izumo, Japan. He received his MD in 1998 from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan. After four years of clinical work as a psychiatrist, he received his PhD in 2006 from the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. His thesis was on the relationship between the aggregation state of beta amyloid protein and microglial activation. He subsequently obtained five-year training as a postdoctoral fellow under Drs. Edith and Patrick McGeer at the Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Under the supervision of those pioneers in the field of neuroinflammation. He is currently an editorial board member of this journal, also an associate editor for “Frontiers in Neuroscience” and a regional editor for “Central Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry”. His recent research is focused on neuroinflammation associated with chronic glial activation and their neurotoxicity not only in neurodegenerative diseases, but also in psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Lucian Hritcu received his Ph.D. in Animal Physiology from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania in 2006. Currently he is Professor of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania. Dr. Hritcu’s research interests focus on the impact and mechanisms by which some herbal-based extracts and isolated compounds influence the learning and memory processes using animal models of neurodegenerative diseases (toxicological and pharmacological models). He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles with an H-index of 28.

Dr. Natasha Irrera obtained a PhD in Biomedical, Clinical and Experimental Sciences at University of Messina, Italy. Currently, Dr. Irrera is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina. Her main scientific interests are inflammatory pathways, tissue remodeling and cell death mechanisms, mechanism of action of drugs and nutraceuticals, neuropharmacology. Dr. Natasha Irrera has authored about 100 scientific papers in international journals.

Dr. Juan Miguel Jimenez Andrade, has a degree in pharmacology (1995- 1999) graduated from University of Puebla with Cum Laude recognition. Ended his master’s degree (2000-2002) and PhD (2003-2005) Pharmacological Sciences in the External Section of Pharmacology at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, did a pre-doctoral stay (2002) at Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas and a post-doc as a professor of the Neurosystems Center and Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently working as a complete time teacher, in charge of the Pharmacology Laboratory at Autonomous University of Tamaulipas, Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Dr. Juan Miguel Jimenez Andrade has an extensive experience along his career, with many publications (55) in diverse Science Journals achieving great audience with every published article.

Prof. Peng Lei is a Principal Investigator at the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China. He received his PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2012 and did his Post-doc training in Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health before returning to Sichuan. Prof Lei has authored 47 publications including papers in Nature Medicine and Molecular Psychiatry, as well as two patents. He discovered the involvement of tau protein in metal hemostasis and its implications in neurological disorders, and currently focuses on the physiological functions of tau protein and its pathological consequences in brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and ischemic stroke.

Hui-Jie Li is an Associate Professor at the Key Lab of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009. His research area focuses on investigations in clinical trial and interventions for cognitive disorders, and he is also interested to seek the neuroimaging biomarkers of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s dementia. He has published more than 40 scientific papers and has served as associate editor for Frontiers in Neuroscience and reviewer for more than 20 peer-review journals.

Dr. Massa obtained an M.D. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Rochester, and completed a Residency in Neurology and post-doctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco. He is currently a Principal Investigator and Staff Physician at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Professor of Neurology at UCSF. He has had a long-standing interest in structural aspects of molecular and cellular binding interactions, and founded the Laboratory for Computational Neurochemistry and Drug Discovery at the SFVAMC. Current research interests include small molecules that modulate neurotrophin receptor systems and their therapeutic applications.

Dr. Melis studied Pharmacy at the University of Palermo and received a Doctoral (PhD) training in Neuroscience at the University of Cagliari, Italy. Dr. Melis performed postdoctoral training with Prof. Antonello Bonci at the Gallo Clinic and Research Center/UCSF, USA (2000-2002). Currently, Dr. Melis is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences (Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology) in Cagliari. She has published more than 60 scientific publications and collaborates in the editorial board of ‘CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets’ since 2013.

Dr. Mocchetti has a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Milan, Italy. Dr. Mocchetti is currently Professor and Vice-Chair of Neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC. He has published more than 130 scientific publications and is a named inventor of 1 issued U.S. patent. Dr. Mocchetti was the past president of the Neurotoxicity Society and is currently on the editorial board of four journals.

Flavio Moroni obtained his M.D. degree and then the title of specialist in Toxicology and in Anesthesiology from the University of Florence, Italy. After a few years of post-doctoral training at NIMH, Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington D.C. (USA), he became full Professor of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty, University of Florence and Director of the Clinical Unit in Toxicology, Careggi University Hospital.Dr. Moroni is now Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at University of Florence. Scientific contribution have been given in the field of excitatory neurotransmission, neurotoxicity and clinical toxicology with approximately 250 referred papers and several approved patents in this field. Original neuroprotectant agents able to reduce brain damage in animal stroke and toxicity models have been described and developed. Clinical protocols for the treatments of acute and chronic intoxication have been described and validated (Mushroom poisoning; Cyanide poisoning; Drugs of abuse).

Professor of Neurology, Senior Neurologist, Chairman of the Neurosciences Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu” Cluj-Napoca, President of the Romanian Society of Neurology, President of the Society for the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Romania, secretary of its Cluj Branch. He is also member of 13 scientific international societies (being member of the American Neurological Association (ANA) - Fellow of ANA (FANA) since 2012) and 7 national ones, being part of the executive board of most of these societies. Professor Dafin F. Muresanu is a specialist in Leadership and Management of Research and Health Care Systems (specialization in Management and Leadership, Arthur Anderson Institute, Illinois, USA, 1998 and several international courses and training stages in Neurology, research, management and leadership). Professor Dafin F.

Dr. Antonio Nardi is full professor of Psychiatry at Medical School, Institute of Psychiatry, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is also a member of the Brazilian National Academy of Medicine, International Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is the founder and director of the Laboratory of Panic & Respiration of the Institute of Psychiatry - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro). Dr. Antonio Nardi is an Editor-in-Chief of the Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria (Thomson Reuters Web of Science - impact factor = 2.181), Jornal Brasileiro de Psiquiatria (Scielo) and associate editor of numerous Brazilian and international scientific journals. He has published more than 500 scientific articles, over 75 book chapters, 9 published books and organizer of 12 books.

Dr. Yukihiro Ohno obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Pharmacology/Physiology from Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine, in 1987. Dr. Ohno currently works as a Professor of pharmacology at the Osaka University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka, Japan. His major research fields are neuropharmacology, especially the research on novel medications for schizophrenia, anxiety-depression, Parkinson's disease, and epilepsy. He also serves as an Editor in several scientific journals (e.g., CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets, Front. Pharmacol., J. Pharmacol. Sci., Ther. Targets Neurol Dis.).

Dr Papaleo obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Neuropharmacology at the University of Padova, Italy. He also spent 4 research year at the University of Bordeaux, France and then moved as postdoctorate fellow in USA at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda for other 5 years.Currently Dr. Papaleo is group leader and senior researcher at the Neuroscience and Brain Technologies department of the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy. He is also an Adjunct Faculty Investigator at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development. Baltimore, MD, USA. He has published more than 150 scientific publications and is a named inventor of 60 issued U.S patents. Dr. Papaleo is first or last author and corresponding author of more than 30 publications in renewed international journals.

Dr Jun Peng is a Full Professor and the Chair of the Dept. of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Central South University, China. He focuses on the role of endogenous substances in cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. He is particularly interested in the correlation between oxidative stress and cardio-cerebrovascular injury and drug therapy. Dr Jun Peng has published more than 100 papers in well-reputed international journals.

Dr. Marie-Claude Potier obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Neuropharmacology from the University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris. She also holds a PharmD from the University of Pharmacy, Paris. Currently Dr. Potier is team leader at the Brain and Spine Institute (ICM) at the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris on Alzheimer’s disease and prions diseases. Het main topics of interest are on Alzheimer’s disease and the role of lipids and ApoE, and Down syndrome. She has published more than 110 publications and is a named inventor of 5 issued U.S and European patents.

Dr. Rocha obtained a doctorate (PhD) in Psychology from the University of Porto ,Portugal. Currently Dr. Rocha is a professor at the Porto Polytechnic - Health School and an invited professor for the MSc Program in Psychology - Mental Health and Psychosocial Rehabilitation at the University of Porto . He is also senior associated researcher at the Rehabilitation Lab of P. Porto - Health School. Dr. Rocha has published more than 60 scientific publications in the fields of psychiatric rehabilitation, cognitive training and neuromodulation.

Dr. Réus obtained degree in Biology and doctorate (Ph.D.) in Health Sciences from University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNESC), Brazil (2007 and 2011). Dr. Réus completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at UNESC, Brazil (2014) and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, USA (2015). Currently, Dr. Réus is an assistant Professor at UNESC, Brazil. Dr. Réus works on behavior and neurochemical alterations of psychiatric disorders focusing on animal models of mood disorders, mainly major depressive disorders (MDD). In addition, Dr. Réus studies the relation between glutamatergic system and MDD, and new therapeutic targets for MDD treatment. Dr. Réus has authored more than 90 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Réus was awarded with “For Women in Science from ABC/L ́Oreal/UNESCO” and “Samuel Gershon Awards for Junior Investigators from International Society for Bipolar Disorders”. Currently Dr. Réus is an editorial board member of CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets.

Dr. Abel Santamaría obtained a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) and a Master degree as well, both in Physiological Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Currently, Dr. Santamaría is Senior Researcher in the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Mexico. He has published more than 100 scientific publications.

Gianluca Serafini’s major research interests include: neurobiology, neuroimaging of suicidal behavior, major affective disorders, psychopharmacology, and neuroplasticity. He is an active researcher, being the author of more than 166 publications and scientific contributions (author of more than 120 articles in peer reviewed international and national Journals, author of approximately 40 book chapters, author of more than 35 abstract/posters in peer reviewed international Journals). He actually serves as a reviewer for 126 peer-reviewed international Journals, and he is Editorial/Advisory Board Member of approximately 40 peer-reviewed international Journals collectively.

Dr. Shah obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Toxicology from Hamdard University, New Delhi and postdoctoral trainings at The University of Louisville, Louisville KY and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. Currently, Dr. Shah is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH. The focus of Dr. Shah’s research is to investigate target and drug development for ischemic and hemorrhagic brain injury. Dr. Shah has published more than 52 scientific publications and trained a number of graduate and undergraduate students.Dr. Shah is currently in the editorial board of this journal (CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets), published by Bentham Science Publishers.

Dr. Siklós holds a Masters in Physics and obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Biophysics from the Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Siklós also holds a D. Sci. from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Currently Dr. Siklós is the head of the Molecular Neurobiology Research Unit of the Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary. He has published more than 70 scientific publications. Dr. Siklós is currently an editorial board member of this journal (CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets), published by Bentham Science Publishers.

Prof. Surya Pratap Singh is the Head of Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He has keen interest in the application of traditional medicines for efficient management of neurological disorders in general and Parkinson's disease in particular.

Dr. Skolnick is the Director, Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH. He served as Chief Scientific Officer (2001-2009) and President (2007-2009) of DOV Pharmaceutical, Inc. Dr. Skolnick was a Lilly Research Fellow (Neuroscience) at Lilly Research Laboratories (1997-2000). Prior to this, he served as Chief, Laboratory of Neuroscience, at the NIH from 1986-1997. He has twice been awarded the Doctor of Science, . Dr. Skolnick has co authored more than 550 articles. The Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) has named him to the elite group of “Highly Cited” authors.

Graduated cum laude in Medicine, he got residency in both Neurology and Clinical Pharmacology. Currently, he is full professor of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy at the Medical School of SAPIENZA University of Rome. He is author of more than 165 publications in high impacted international journals and of a number of books in the field of neuropsychopharmacology and neurobiology. He is member of the editorial board of many prestigious international journals. Prof. Steardo has carried out part of his research activity in US at NIH, at the Harvard Medical School and in U.K. at the Department of Neurophysiology – Oxford University, as visiting scientist. He has been NIH consultant and member of the WHO - World Psychiatry Association Task Force. Moreover, Prof. Steardo he is permanent member of Academia Europea.

Dr. Túnez obtained a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Medicine by Biochemistry area from the University of Cordoba, Spain. Dr. Túnez also holds a Master in Health Science Research Methodology from University of Cordoba, Spain; and an intensive course in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation from Harvard Medical School. Currently Dr. Túnez is also a full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Nursing from University of Cordoba. He has published more than 120 scientific publications.Dr. Túnez is currently Vicechancellor for personnel of the University of Cordoba, Spain.

Dr Claudio Viegas Jr. received his PhD Thesis on Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry (2003) and a Postdoctoral period (2003-2006) in Medicinal Chemistry from the Institute of Chemistry of the State University of São Paulo. Currently, he is an Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry at the Institute of Chemistry of the Federal University of Alfenas. Dr Viegas-Jr. is a fellow of the Brazilian Society of Chemistry and member of the Research Staff of National Institute of Science and Technology for Drugs and Medicines’ Program. His research interests include the design, synthesis and evaluation of innovative drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease), CNS disorders (schizophrenia, epilepsy), neglected diseases (leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis), neuropathic and central pain and inflammation. Dr Viegas-Jr. has published over 65 peer-reviewed manuscripts and reviewed several articles in these areas.

Prof. Li Volti graduated from the school of Medicine and obtained a doctorate (PhD) in Pediatrics at the University of Catania, Italy. Currently Prof. Li Volti is Associate Professor at the school of Medicine of the University of Catania and he is also chairman of the Department of the EuroMediterranean Institute of Science and Technology of Palermo (Italy). He has published more than 150 scientific publications and serves as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. He is also Associate Editor of Frontiers in Pharmacology and member of the editorial board of PlosOne and Medicine.

Dr Yun Wang obtained his PhD in Physiology from the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom. Dr Wang currently serves as a professor and principle investigator in the Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He has published more than 50 scientific papers in neurophysiology and neuropharmacology area.

Associate professor, Associate chief physician in Deparment of Neurology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China; President of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital, 392 Hongkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, China. My research utilizes molecular and cell biology technologies to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease and dystonia, and develop potential treatment alternatives for PD and dytonia in cellular, Caenorhabditis elegans, mice and rats models, and translate them in to clinical patients.

Dr. Chang-Guo Zhan is an Endowed Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Director of Molecular Modeling and Biopharmaceutical Center, and Director of Chemoinformatics and Drug Design Core of the Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Innovation in the College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky. With main interest in drug discovery and development, Dr. Zhan has had >380 peer-reviewed publications and >50 patents/patent applications. He was elected AAPS Fellow in 2010 and has received a number of national awards, e.g. 2005 Emerging Computational Technology Prize (ACS Division of Computers in Chemistry) and 2016 Research Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development Interface (AAPS).

Dr. Zhang obtained a doctorate (M.D.) from the Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou, China, and a doctorate (Ph.D.) in Neurosurgery from the Fudan University, Shanghai, China.Currently Dr. Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Neurology in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He has published about 60 scientific publications. Dr. Zhang is currently a member of editorial board of this journal (CNS & Neurological Disorders-Drug Targets), published by Bentham Science Publishers.

Prof. Dr. ZHANG Xiangnan received his Ph.D degree in Neuropharmacology from Zhejiang University, China. His research interests focus on the autophagy process during cerebral ischemia. In particular, his group has been looking for the underlying mechanisms of mitochondria autophagy in ischemic brains and translating the knowledge into potential drug targets for stroke therapy. He teaches Pharmacology for undergraduate students and Neuropharmacology for graduate students.

Dr. C. Caruso graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She obtained her doctorate degree (Ph.D) in Physiological Sciences at the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires. Recently, the National Research Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations of Argentina accepted her as a principal investigator. In addition, she is a chief of instructors of Histology in the School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires. Her main research interest is protective mechanisms in neurodegenerative processes induced by glial cells taking into account regional differences. She has several international publications in neuropharmacology and cellular neurosciences.

Dr Yong Cheng obtained his PhD in Physiology from Peking University, China. Currently, he serves as a Professor and Director in the Center on Translational Neuroscience, Minzu University of China, China. Dr Cheng is author and co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in the area of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression and schizophrenia.

Dr Ashok K Datusalia obtained his PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology from NIPER S.A.S. Nagar INDIA. Currently, he serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Raebareli, INDIA. Dr Ashok has authored and co-authored many peer-reviewed articles in the area of diabetes, drug discovery, neuropharmacology and neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease PTSD and depression.

Dr. N Kumar is working as an Assistant Professor (SG) at Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, India. I have published two book chapters, 60 publications with total citations-547, H-index-15, cumulative impact factor-90.694 in various peer reviewed journals. I have delivered talks at several scientific platform and received awards for research contributions. With 10 years of teaching experience, I am guiding and co-guiding 12 PhD students. As a researcher, I have experience of research associate, Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on various company and government-sponsored projects worth more than 10 million rupees (INR).

Dr. Rituraj Niranjan is currently working as Scientist-C in the area of immune system associated disorders. He is engaged in the different immune system associated disorders like, allergy, fibrosis, acute kidney failure, neuroinflammation, nanoparticle-based drug delivery system. Dr. Rituraj Niranjan work focuses on the role of Interleukin-15 (IL-15) in the gastrointestinal disorders. He has done his Ph.D. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, in the area of neuropharmacology working at the central drug Research institute (CDRI), Lucknow, India. He completed his first post doc from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA and then did his second post doc from Cincinnati Children Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Dr. Singh has an experience of 14.5 years in industry, research and teaching. He is working as an Assistant Dean (Pharm D) & HOD (Pharmacology) at Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab. He is engaged with projects on interception of nicotine, morphine, alcohol dependence, ischemia, diabetic neuropathy, nephropathy toxicology, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and stem cell research studies and handles affiliation formalities with the director’s office. He has also attended UGC networking courses and various preclinical & clinical research training programs. He has more than 105 research publications (International) with 661 citations and 25-book chapters, 4 books and 21 patents filed under his name. He has attended more than 60 national and international conferences and has guided thesis for 50 M. Pharm students and supervising 8 Ph. D candidates. He is a reviewer for various highly reputed international journals. He is also a member secretary of CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals) and In charge of Animal house facility at Chitkara College of pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab. He is also Member Secretary for institutional human ethical committee registered with Department of Health Research and CDSCO New Delhi.

Dr Ya-Yun Wang received a PhD degree in Studies on the mechanism of nociception and antinociception from the Department of Anatomy & K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China. Currently, she is a Professor and Director of the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Preclinical Medicine Education the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China. Also, she is a Principle investigator of Specific Lab for Mitochondrial Plasticity Underlying Nervous System Diseases. Besides, due to her outstanding contributions, she has won several awards in her research field. She has also published several articles, book chapters and abstracts in several distinguished journals.

Prof. Sawsan A Zaitone received her PhD degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology in 2007 and got her Professor degree in 2019. She has specialized in the pharmacology of neurodegenerative disease and drug adverse effects. She has international publications in respective journals in the field of neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology and other related disciplines. Prof. Sawsan participated in many national and international conferences and she is a reviewer in many ISI journals.

Dr Pooja Chawla is working as a Professor and the head at the Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, ISF College of Pharmacy Moga, India. She has nearly 13 years of experience in the research, discovery and development of biologically active pharmaceuticals. Dr Chawla holds a PhD degree in Medicinal Chemistry and has published 3 books and more than 40 papers in national/international journals. She is currently serving as a reviewer for international journals of repute. She also presented a poster at FIP in 2011 and CTDDR in 2013 and delivered an oral talk at the World Chemistry Congress, Dubai 2019. She has guided 47 post-graduate projects, and her research team involves 3 master and 2 doctoral research scholars.

Dr. Fabiola De Marchi received her M.D. degree from the University of Piemonte Orientale (UNIUPO), Novara, Italy in 2013. He further pursued the board certification in neurology from the same University in 2019. She is a Ph.D. student in Medical Sciences and Biotechnology at UNIUPO. She completed her research fellowship (2018-2019) from the Healey Center for ALS at Mass General Hospital, Boston, US. She currently works at the Tertiary Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Centre at Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Novara, Italy. Her expertise includes the molecular bases of neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular focus on the ALS-FTD spectrum. Her main research achievements are regarding the biomarker discovery for diagnosis and prognosis of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the role of immunity and neuroinflammation. She is also actively engaged in therapeutic clinical research, mainly focused on the clinical trials for ALS therapy development with drugs and stem cells.

Dr. Hoxha is a researcher and lecturer of pharmacology at the Catholic University ‘Our Lady of Good Counsel’, Tirana, Albania. She graduated in pharmacy (Summa cum Laude), and obtained her PhD in pharmacology at the Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan. Her area of research is focused mainly on arachidonic acid metabolites and their role in different in- flammatory diseases. Dr. Hoxha attended a post-doctorate at the University of Granada, Spain, and recently she obtained a research award from the Austrian Academy of Science. In 2019, she was elected as a national delegate of the ERS (European Respiratory Society).

Dr. Mohammad Amjad Kamal is a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at the King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. He is leading a highly productive global collaborative research team based on “Novel Global Community Educational Foundation”, Australia. Dr. Kamal did biochemical research in the field of Alzheimer’s disease, Type 2 diabetes and leukemia and has culminated in more than 600 publications in the internationally reputed journals. Dr. Kamal migrated to Australia in 1998 and was awarded a prestigious U2000 Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2000 by the University of Sydney, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences. Amongst numerous projects, Dr. Kamal also collaborated on the “Linkage of Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes” at the University of Technology, Sydney. Moreover, he is serving as a regional/guest editor of several reputed scientific journals such as Seminars in Cancer Biology and Neuroscience Biobehaviour Reviews. He is also serving as a Visiting Professor at the West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China and Department of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University, Bangladesh.

Dr. Rituraj Niranjan is currently working as a Scientist-C in the area of immune system associated disorders. He is engaged in the different immune system associated disorders like, allergy, fibrosis, acute kidney failure, neuroinflammation, nanoparticle-based drug delivery system. Dr. Rituraj Niranjan work focuses on the role of Interleukin-15 (IL-15) in the gastrointestinal disorders. He has done his Ph.D. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi in the area of neuropharmacology working at the central drug Research institute (CDRI), Lucknow, India. He completed his first post doc from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA and then did his second post doc from Cincinnati Children Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Aruna Sharma did MD, PhD from Varanasi, India, is a Swedish Citizen and Secretary of Research International Experimental Central Nervous System (CNS) injury & Repair (IECNSIR). She is currently working at Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, Sweden. She is a qualified experimental Neuropathologist who received training from Karl Marx University Leipzig, Institute of Neurobiology (1987-1988); Semmelweis University Medical School, Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, Budapest, Hungary (1988-1989), Free University Berlin, Germany (1989-1991) and Neuropathology Institute Uppsala (1992-1995). Her main interest is focused on Indian and Chinese Medicinal drugs and their effects on the Central Nervous System Function, toxicology, neurorepair and neuroprotection and their neurotoxicological profiles. Dr. Sharma received prestigious awards. She has published over 140 original research papers in Reputed Neuroscience Journals with an H-index = 22 as of today.

Hari Shanker Sharma, Director of Research (International Experimental Central Nervous System Injury & Repair, IECNSIR), University Hospital, Uppsala University is Professor of Neurobiology (MRC), Docent in Neuroanatomy (UU) and is currently affiliated with Department of Surgical Sciences, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden. His current research on nanobiotechnology is supported by European Aerospace Research and Development (EOARD), London, UK and US Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, OH, USA. Dr. Sharma published over 400 research papers (H-index 43), and serving editor of Progress in Brain research series and International review of Neurobiology.

Dr. Drozdstoy Stoyanov holds currently the academic position of Full Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology and Scientific Secretary of the Research Institute at Medical University, Plovdiv. He is Vice Chair of Philosophy SIG, Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK, Visiting Fellow in the University of Pittsburgh, USA (2009), International Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (2018), Guest Lecturer in the Universities of Copenhagen (2015), Vienna (2017) and Bergen (2018).He published more than 180 scholarly papers, including five monographs and three textbooks. Dr. Stoyanov is Associate Editor of Frontiers in Psychiatry and the European Journal of Person Centered Health Care; Editorial Board member of Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, Dialogues in Philosophy, Mental and Neurosciences, International Journal for Person Centered Medicine, and others. Ad hoc reviewer in Molecular Neurobiology, Human Brain Mapping, Journal of Affective Disorders, The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, Biotechnology and Biotechnological Equipment.

Giacomo Tondo received his M.D. degree in 2011 from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy, and specialized in Neurology in 2018 from the University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy. In 2018, he was granted the Research Training Fellowship of the European Academy of Neurology, carried out at the Neurodegeneration Imaging Group, King's College London, UK. He is completing his Ph.D. Program in Cognitive Neuroscience from the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. He currently works as a referring Neurologist in the Centre for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia at the S. Andrea Hospital, Vercelli, Italy. His scientific activity is mainly focused on neurodegenerative dementia, neuroimaging and neuropsychology in cognitive disorders, and on the role of neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases.

Prof. Kun Xiong is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology at the School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University. His research interests include the regulatory mechanisms of neuronal death, including apoptosis and necroptosis in brain disorders and glaucoma. Prof. Kun Xiong earned his Bachelor of Medicine (Clinical Medicine) and PhD degrees in human anatomy at Central South University. He has worked as a visiting scholar at the Department of Anatomy in the School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, US. Notably, Prof. Kun Xiong’s research has been funded by more than 10 foundations, including 4 National Natural Science Foundations of China. He has authored 60 manuscripts. He has also served as a reviewer for multiple international journals and as an editorial member for several journals (Medicine and Neural Regeneration Research, etc.).

Dr. Hong Zhang received his Ph.D. degree in formulaology from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in May 2005. He joined the Second Military Medical University as a lecturer in June 2005 and became an associate professor in 2009. He moved to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine as an associate professor in August, 2018. Currently his research interests are focused on the anti-cancer activity, target and compatibility mechanism for Chinese medicines and natural products.