Euroscicons meetings are packed with talks from speakers at the forefront of their research. Below is a selection of the people who have recently talked at our events. If you are interested in speaking at a euroscicon event, please contact charlotte.lawson@euroscicon.com who would be happy to discuss this with you

Dr Lyle Armstrong - Centre For Stem Cell Biology & developmental Genetics,University of Newcastle Upon Tyne , UK . Degree and PhD in chemistry. Worked in own contract research agency for 10 yrs developing diagnostic tools for biology then returned to academia 5 years ago to pursue more interesting research in stem cell biology. Worked at Durham University on development of blood cells from mouse embryonic stem cells before moving to Newcastle to work with human ES.

Dr Roger Ayling- Veterinary Laboratories Agency, UK - Veterinary microbiologist at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA). Experience includes determinative bacteriology, research and diagnosis of campylobacter, but for the past 10 years have been specialising in mycoplasma diagnosis and research. PhD gained at King's College London on the diagnosis and control of Mycoplasma bovis and Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides small colony in cattle. The work within the Mycoplasma Group is often diverse, including mycoplasmas from marine mammals, alpacas, ruminants and a range of avian species. Recent work has focussed on improved mycoplasma diagnosis and in vitro antimicrobial studies. More than 60 publications

Dr Michael Bailey, University of Bristol, UK Graduated from Bristol Veterinary School in 1979 and immediately began a PhD in immunity to parasite infections in horses at Cambridge, at a time when the new developments in human and mouse immunology were just beginning to be transferred to domestic animals. After his PhD, he began working on the way in which the mucosal immune system discriminates between harmless antigens (food and commensal flora) and pathogens and responds appropriately to each. This has involved development of reagents and approaches which make best use of the pig as a large, domestic monogastric.

Dr Andrew Baker – University of Glasgow Andrew graduated from the University of London in 1990 and then studied for his PhD with the Leukaemia Research Fund, graduating in 1994. He then joined the group led by Professor Andrew Newby and transferred to a lectureship at the University of Bristol to study adenovirus-mediated gene transfer. In 1999, Dr. Baker joined Professor Anna Dominiczak’s group here at the University of Glasgow . His main focus has been on the development of gene therapy. This included the generation of vectors that mediated overexpression of genes including TIMPs to inhibit vein graft neointimal thickening. He has also developed vectors with improved, and selective, gene delivery to vascular endothelial cells for improved efficacy in vivo.

Dr. Charalambos Antoniades - Athens, Greece, Qualified Athens University Medical School in 2000. PhD in Cardiology in Athens University in 2005, and post-doctoral Research Fellow in University of Oxford 2004-2007 . He has more than 170 presentations in International meetings/congresses, and ~80 full length publications in peer review journals.

Dr Simon Baker - School of Biological and Chemical Sciences Birkbeck University of London B.Sc. (Reading) Microbiology with Chemistry. Ph.D. (Warwick) Biological SciencesPostdoctoral: University of Groningen (The Netherlands/Royal Society/Prof Lubbert Dijkhuisen); University of Oxford, Dept Biochemistry (BBSRC/Prof Stuart Ferguson); University of Oxford, Dept Engineering (ABgene/BBSRC LINK/Prof Chris Knowles).Current appointments: Lecturer in Microbiology, Birkbeck, University of London & Consultant to ABgene. Research interests: QPCR (Funded by ABgene); directed evolution (BBSRC); biosurfactants (Govt. of Taiwan).

Dr Julian Beesley - Vice President Sales – Data and Instruments, LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc .Dr. Julian Beesley is currently the Vice President Sales – Data and Instruments at LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc (www.lifespanbiosciences.com). LifeSpan, a Seattle-based Molecular Pathology company specializing in immunohistochemistry in normal and diseased human tissues, is developing automated image capture and analysis facilities leading towards automated pathology for application to research, diagnosis and pre-clinical toxicology studies. ALIASTM is an image capture and analysis microscope with applications for screening immunohistochemical studies or screening for biomarkers. Prior to joining LifeSpan BioSciences, Inc. as a Director of Business Development in September 2000 Dr. Beesley was employed by Glaxo Wellcome and the Wellcome Research Laboratories.

Professor Stephen Bishop, Roslin Institute, UK . A principal investigator at Roslin Institute where he coordinate the programme "Genetics of host response to infectious disease". His specific research interests include disease genetics and epidemiology. Initially studied agriculture at Lincoln University in New Ze alan d , completed a PhD in genetics at Edinburgh University , and then undertook post-doctoral research in Germany and New Ze alan d before taking up the position at Roslin Institute. Currently he is also Special Professor at Nottingham University , and has been a Visiting Professor at Glasgow University Veterinary School.He has also advised FAO on their disease genetics policy.

Dr Ian Bricknell - Principal Scientist-Graduating from Reading University in 1986 (1st Class Hons, zoology) PhD Lancaster University 1990 "the ion transporting cells of Aquatic insects" I joined, the Marine laboratory in 1989 as a Higher Scientific Officer working on furunculosis vaccines. Over the past few years here I have been involved in research projects on the duration and magnitude of antibody responses of Atlantic salmon, Vaccination against sea lice, Improved vaccines for ERM, The developmental immunology of halibut and cod and the delivery of immuno-therapeutics to larval fish. Currently I am a Principal Scientist in the Aquaculture and Aquatic Animal Health team where I look after the immunological diagnostics group.

Mr David Blythe - Chief Biomedical Scientist, Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust From 1992 to current working as the Chief Biomedical Scientist in the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS). Specializing in the immunophenotyping of lymphomas and other haematological malignancies on formalin fixed paraffin and methyl methacrylate embedded tissue. Prevoius experience working in a routine diagnostic cellular pathology department, in Neuropathology, Electron microscopy, Molecular Biology and in the research laboratories.Currently an assessor for NEQAS on the Immunocytochemistry scheme and on the HTEQA CPT scheme.

Dr Marta Calatayud , Vall d´Hebron Hospitals, Ophthalmology department, Barcelona, Spain Consultant of Cornea and Ocular Surface Unit at Ophthalmology department, Vall d´Hebron Hospitals, Barcelona, Spain. Scientific Adviser of the Blood and Tissue Bank of Barcelona . Collaborates with Cornea and Ocular Surface Unit at IMO (Institut de Microcirurgia Ocular, Barcelona , Spain ). Working with Corneal Epithelial Stem cells from 2000 in colaboration with IMO and Blood and Tissue Bank

Dr David Campbell - University of Ulst. Dr David Campbell was awarded a BSc Hons degree in Biomedical Sciences by the University of Ulster in 1996. He completed a Masters degree in 1998 and was subsequently appointed as a research assistant within the School of Biomedical Sciences at UU where he undertook collaborative research with the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition studying the immune system of the cat. He went on to complete a PhD entitled "Age-associated changes to the feline immune system" before taking up his current post of Research Associate at the newly established Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, UU, in 2003. In addition to his work at UU Dr. Campbell has carried out research at WALTHAM , UK and at the University of Nevada, in the US

Mr B Castagner - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich . Undergraduate studies at Université de Montréal in Canada . During that time, Summer interships with Merk Frosst in Montreal and Clayton Heathcock at UC Berkeley. PhD in total synthesis with Prof. James Leighton at Columbia university, then went on for postdoc with Prof. Seeberger at ETH in Zurich .

Dr Brian Catchpole - Royal Veterinary College. Brian graduated from the RVC and spent 3 years in veterinary general practice. He returned to academia to study for a PhD in immunology at King’s College London. He was awarded a PhD in 1999 for his work on antigen presentation of cartilage proteins in arthritis. Brian returned to the RVC as a Research Fellow and then subsequently became Lecturer in Veterinary Immunology. His research interests include canine diabetes, immunopathogenesis of anal furunculosis and immunotherapy in canine malignant melanoma and mast cell tumours.

Dr Jian-Guo Chai - Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of Science, Technology & Medicine , UK . Educated in China (MD, 1981-86, MSc 1986-89) and further trained in Japan (PhD 1991-95), Dr Chai did his post-doc with Prof Robert Lechler (1995-00) and then with Prof Elizabeth Simpson (2000-2003). In 2003, he became the PI of a project grant funded by Cancer Research UK (2003-06). In 2006 Dr Chai was awarded a senior Cancer Research Fellowship (2006-12). He is interested in immunoregualtion-mediated by CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells in the context of transplantation and anti-tumour immunity.

Professor Michael Day- University of Bristol. Professor Michael Day qualified as a veterinary surgeon from Murdoch University ( Western Australia ) in 1982. After a period in small animal practice he returned to Murdoch to complete a Residency in Microbiology and Immunology, and a PhD involving collaborative research with the Royal Perth Hospital . Michael held postdoctoral positions in experimental immunology at the Universities of Bristol and Oxford , and in 1990 returned to Bristol where he is currently Professor of Veterinary Pathology and Director of Laboratory Diagnostic Services (Langford Veterinary Diagnostics ). His research interests cover experimental models of autoimmunity and a range of companion animal immune-mediated and infectious diseases. Michael has published widely in the field of immunopathology, is author of the textbook Clinical Immunology of the Dog and Cat and co-editor of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Haematology and Transfusion Medicine and the text Arthropod-Borne Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat . Michael is co-editor of the Journal of Comparative Pathology , and a member of the editorial board of Veterinary Dermatology and the Journal of Small Animal Practice . He has been the recipient of the BSAVA Amoroso Award for outstanding contribution to small animal studies (1999), the BSAVA Petsavers Award (2000 and 2006) and the RCVS Trust's G. Norman Hall Medal for outstanding research into animal diseases (2003).

Dr Catherine Derry - Science Communicator, UK. Trained as an immunolgist in London, starting with a PhD at the RPMS (now Imperial College) studying the T and B cell responses in a rare renal autoimmune disease Goodpasture's. This was followed by a postdoc. at NIMR, Mill Hill looking at novel ligands for the cell adhesion molecule L-selectin. Most recent post doc. position, at King's College, was focused on mucosal tolerance induction in rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, working part-time for Euroscicon and involved in science communication, both by writing and teaching various aspects of immunology and biology to lay and more specialised audiences.

Professor Anne Dickinson - University of Newcastle 20 years experience in transplant immunobiology. Professor of Marrow Transplant Biology

Mr Ian Dimmick, Institute of Genetics International centre for life, UK Previously a European Flow Cytometry applications specialist , now in charge of a busy analysis and sorting facility in Newcastle upon tyne

Professor Kurt Drickamer, Imperial College London. Kurt Drickamer received a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Harvard University . He did postdoctoral work with Robert Hill at Duke University and started studying the structure of glycan-binding receptors, a theme that he continues to pursue to this day. He has held academic positions at the University of Chicago , Columbia University and the University of Oxford and is currently Professor of Biochemistry at Imperial College London.

Dr. Stephen Dunham - University of Glasgow Veterinary research scientist qualified in Bristol in 1991. After completing PhD went back into the clinics for a brief spell but left to return to Os Jarrett’s lab in Glasgow University to Postdoc. Research interests include feline retroviruses, particularly the development of vaccines against FIV.

Professor Michael Dunn - University College Dublin. Mike Dunn is Professor of Biomedical Proteomics at the Conway Institute, University College Dublin, where he has a programme of proteomics research into cardiovascular disease, transplantation and neurological disease. The emphasis is on understanding molecular processes involved in disease and on identification of novel biomarkers of disease that can be developed as diagnostic markers and/or therapeutic targets. Mike is the current President of the British Society for Proteome Research. He has an extensive bibliography and has contributed to many texts in the area of gel electrophoretic and proteomics technologies and applications. Mike is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Proteomics.

Professor John Fabre – Guy’s, King’s & St Thomas ’ School of Medicine. After obtaining medical degrees and a PhD from the University of Melbourne , Professor Fabre moved to England on a 3 year Fellowship and pursued a career in the UK . Current research interests center on the use of synthetic peptides as DNA vectors, in the first instance for clinical application for the treatment of single gene disorders of the liver.

Professor Farzin Farzaneh - King's College London School of Medicine, UK. Chair in Molecular Medicine at King's College London. Studied Developmental Biology, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology at the Universities of Aberdeen (BSc 1976, MSc 1977) and Sussex (D.Phil. 1979). Joined King's College London in 1985, was appointed the founding head of Department of Molecular Medicine in 1993. Awarded a Personal Chair in Molecular Medicine in 1996 and in 1997 was elected to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists, and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture & Commerce in 1997. Currently serving on review panels, editorial boards and advisory panels on governmental and charitable research organisations.

Dr Dawn Farrar - Miltenyi Biotec Ltd. Following a degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Bradford she completed a PhD. In Molecular Microbiology at the University of Leeds . She moved to Miltenyi Biotec 5 years ago where she is currently involved in running the UK technical group.

Professor Ten Feizi is Director of the Glycosciences Laboratory at Imperial College. She is a graduate in medicine from London University . She carried out postdoctoral research at Rockefeller University and at Columbia Medical Center in New York . In 1973 she returned to London and established a programme of elucidation of the ligands of carbohydrate-recognizing proteins of the immune system. With her colleagues she developed the neoglycolipid technology as a means of singling out and micro-sequencing oligosaccharide ligands; this is now the basis of a state of the art oligosaccharide microarray platform for the study of protein-carbohydrate interactions of biomedical importance.

Professor Rob Field - University of East Anglia , UK , Ph.D. Glycosidase Inhibition Studies. University of East Anglia , 1989 (Haines) , PDRA, Penicillin Biosynthesis. University of Oxford , 1989-1991 (Baldwin) , PDRA, Chemical Glycobiology. University of Dundee, 1992-1994 ( Ferguson and Homans) , PDRA, Glycoside Chemistry. University of Alberta, 1994 (Hindsgaul) , Lecturer/Reader/Professor in Organic Chemistry - University of St Andrews, 1994/98/99 , Professor, Centre for Carbohydrate Chemistry - University of East Anglia, 2001- date , Adjunct Faculty Member, John Innes Centre, 2003- date . The Field group is diverse in its activities, which range from organic synthesis to mechanistic enzymology and chemical biology. The common theme that runs throughout is carbohydrates.

Dr Daryl Fernandes, Ludger Ltd, Oxford , UK. Daryl has a passionate interest in glycotechnology. This began during his doctorate in the Dwek group at the University of Oxford. In 1989 he helped spin out Oxford GlycoSystems and later joined OGS as Process Development Manager and then Head of Analytical Services. In 1999 Daryl set up his own company - Ludger - to pursue his interests in biopharmaceutical glycosylation. The company has laboratories at the Culham Science Centre near Oxford where it conducts an active R&D programme on glycoprofiling systems used in the design and manufacture of therapeutic glycoproteins On the commercial side, Ludger provides glycoprofiling technology and services to ensure the safety and efficacy of biopharmaceuticals worldwide.

Dr Lesley Forrester, University of Edinburgh , UK . I obtained my PhD on the clonal analysis of the murine haematopoietic system at the University of Edinburgh . My main postdoctoral training was undertaken at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute in Toronto , Canada where I became interested in the use of embryonic stem (ES) cells to study haematopoiesis and in gene trapping strategies. On returning to the UK on an MRC senior fellowship I have established my own research group that now focusses on using ES cells to identify and analysed the function of novel genes in several developmental systems including haematopoietic and hepatic lineages.

Dr Oliver Garden - Imperial College , London . Oliver Garden received his BSc from King's College London, and his BVetMed from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). Following a year as an intern, he completed a four-year Wellcome Residency / PhD at the RVC in gastrointestinal immunology. Oliver then undertook a Wellcome Research Training Fellowship at the University of South Carolina Medical School, and a Residency in Small Animal Medicine, Cornell University . He returned to the UK in 2001 to a Wellcome Advanced Fellowship within the Department of Immunology, Imperial College London (ICL). Since August 2004, he has held a joint appointment at the RVC and ICL as a Senior Lecturer in Internal Medicine and Immunology.

Dr Jeremy Gillespie Gained a PhD from the Unversity of Bath in 1995 followed by 2 postdocs, the last one working on the Miochondrial Permeability Transition Pore at the University of Bristol . Decided to leave academia in 1999 and progressed to be European product manager for Invitrogen in Scotland .

Dr Stuart Haslam, Division of Molecular Biosciences, Imperial College London Dr. Haslam has 13 years experience of biological mass spectrometry. After obtaining his first degree and Ph.D from The University of Leeds he moved to Imperial College where in the mid 1990's. His research has encompassed the structural analysis of glycoconjugates from diverse biological origins ranging from bacteria to humans. He was appointed to a lectureship in 2002 and that year he was invited by the International Steering Committee of the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG) to serve as Director of its Analytical Glycotechnology Core. Dr. Haslam is also a member of the Steering Committee of the EuroCarbDB consortium which is funded by the European Commission 6th Framework Programme.

Professor Brian Henderson - Professor of Cell Biology - UCL Dental Institute, University College London Obtained PhD for a study of cell biology of rheumatoid arthritis and then did a postdoc at McGill University , Canada , studying thyroid disease. Came back to UK and spent 5 years investigating the immunology of cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis at King's College London. This was followed by 5 years in the Wellcome Foundation (now Glaxo-SmithKline) working on pharmacology of inflammation and one year as head of Immunopharmacology at Celltech (now UCB). Since 1990 have been at UCL Eastman Dental Institute working in cellular microbiology with an emphasis on the role of cell stress proteins as intercellular signaling molecules. Obtained PhD for a study of cell biology of rheumatoid arthritis and then did a postdoc at McGill University, Canada , studying thyroid disease. Came back to UK and spent 5 years investigating the immunology of cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis at King's College London. This was followed by 5 years in the Wellcome Foundation (now Glaxo-SmithKline) working on pharmacology of inflammation and one year as head of Immunopharmacology at Celltech (now UCB). Since 1990 have been at UCL Eastman Dental Institute working in cellular microbiology with an emphasis on the role of cell stress proteins as intercellular signaling molecules.

Dr Hossein Hosseinkhani - International Center for Young Scientists (ICYS), National Institute for Materials Sciences (NIMS), Japan Hossein Hosseinkhani, Ph.D., is a senior researcher at the International Center for Young Scientists (ICYS), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba , Japan . He has authored over 70 manuscripts and 100 abstracts. Dr. Hosseinkhani earned his Ph.D. from Kyoto University , Japan in 2002. His research focuses on design and development of hydrogels based on self-assembly of peptides for tissue engineering applications, stem cells therapy, and drug delivery.

Dr Will Howat - Cancer Research UK, Cambridge Research Institute. Will Howat graduated with a BSC (Hons) in Immunology & Pharmacology from the University of Strathclyde , before gaining a PhD in Pathology from the University of Southampton . After two post-doctoral positions in Southampton, he moved to the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge as the leader of Research & Development for the Atlas of Protein Expression project. He has recently moved to Cancer Research UK to head the Histopathology/ISH facility at the Cambridge Research Insititute.

Dr Denis Hudrisier - IPBS, CNRS & Paul Sabatier University , Toulouse France . He have been working for several years on the MHC-peptide-TCR interaction. More recently, he tried to understand how peptide-MHC complexes, normally present on the surface of APC, could be captured and internalized by T cells. His group showed that this was made possible by the process of trogocytosis (from the ancient greek trogo, to gnaw). This process consist in the capture of plasma membrane fragments of the APC by T cells. They are currently exploring the mechanisms of this process, its potential biological roles and how it could be exploited to identify and characterize reactive T and B cells in vitro and in vivo.

Mr Neil Humphreys, - University of Manchester, UK. 10 years within the Immunology research group at The University of Manchester. Currently investigating the role of inflammatory cytokines associated with chronic intestinal nematode infection.One year working for the agrochemical company SYNGENTA, investigating protein and chemical allergy.

Dr Carlo Iannicola - Molecular Application Spacialist, Ventana Medical Systems. Ph.D. in Molecular Biology University of Rome . Post Doc Fellowships at the University of California , San Francisco , and at Stanford University in Molecular Genetics and mouse models of human disease. Researcher at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. Application Scientist for the Bioinformatics firm DoubleTwist Inc. Molecular Applcation Specilalist for Ventana Medical Systems.

Dr Yoshifumi Itoh - Institute of Rheumatology , Imperial College London. Y. Itoh is a Senior Lecturer of Matrix Biology at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London. He received his PhD in 1996 from Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science based on the research he had done in Professor Hideaki Nagase’s lab at the University of Kansas Medical Center, USA since 1991. In 1997, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor (equivalent to Lecturer in UK ) in Professor Motoharu Seiki’s lab at University of Tokyo . He assumed his present position in 2001 and his research interests involve investigation of the mechanism of pericellular proteolysis in cell migration.

Professor Bharat Jassani - Professor of Oncological Pathology, Head of Histopathology Services , School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Department of Pathology. Head of Histopathology Services & Honorary Consultant in Histopathology and Professor of Oncological Pathology with specialization in Immunocytochemistry & Molecular Pathology. Educated and trained as both a scientist (undergraduate degeee in biochemistry followed by a Ph D in Experimental Pathology – Immunology) and a degree in medicine. Is recognized as an expert in research and diagnostic immunocytochemistry. Is also renowned for his work for the UKNEQAS especially in his capacity as their Breast Cancer Module Leader Recently promoted to Head of Department in Department of Pathology, School of Medicine , Cardiff University .

Professor Richard Jones, University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science UK Most of his working life was spent in the Veterinary School at Liverpool , which is internationally recognized for its research on poultry diseases.He teaches infectious diseases and his main research interests have been infectious bronchitis, avian pneumovirus infections, infectious laryngotracheitis and avian reovirus infections. He has published widely on these diseases and has had numerous invitations to speak overseas.

Mr Stephen Jones - European Commercial Manager, DakoCytomation Denmark A/S. Following 4 years of co-coordinating drug trials for Roche, Ciba-Geigy, Amgen and MSD amongst others, moved into the realms of diagnostics. Started working for DAKO back in 1998 as a Sales Representative in the UK , moving on to Product Specialist and Product Manager roles before embarking on a 4 month secondment to our head-quarters in Denmark in late 2003. Given a new position within Global Marketing and is now responsible for both existing and future pathology instruments for DakoCytomation worldwide.

Dr Peter Johnson – Ohio University. Dr. Johnson received a B.Sc. in Biochemistry at Sheffield , and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Birmingham under the supervision of Professor S.V. Perry, FRS. The subject of the dissertation was the protein chemistry of the muscle protein actin. Following a post-doctoral position at the University of Alberta , Dr. Johnson accepted a Lectureship at Glasgow University , and then subsequently returned to the University of Alberta . In 1976, Dr. Johnson took a position at Ohio University where he has since remained. His principal interests are oxidative stress and cellular mechanisms for attenuation of oxidative damage.

Dr Pete Kaiser, Head of the Avian Genomics group at the Institute for Animal Health , UK Pete Kaiser leads the Avian Genomics group at the Institute for Animal Health. The focus of the group is on maximising the utility of the chicken genome, through its exploitation, to improve understanding of host-pathogen interactions and disease resistance mechanisms. His specific research interests include avian cytokines and chemokines, defensins, dendritic cell biology and mapping disease resistance genes. Pete is chairman of the Comparative and Veterinary Immunology Affinity Group (CVIG) of the BSI, a member of the Council of the Association for Veterinary teaching and Research Work (AVTRW) and an Editorial Advisory Board member of Developmental and Comparative Immunology.

Dr Paul Kellam - University College London , UK Interested in virology arises from his Microbiology degree at Reading University and PhD investigating HIV drug resistance at the Wellcome Foundation laboratories and Imperial College . In 1996 he joined Professor Weiss's laboratory in the Institute of Cancer Research as a CRC research fellow and moved to UCL in 1999. In 2002 his group moved into new laboratories at UCL where he is now a Reader in Host & Pathogen Interactions. His research aims are to explore how host and pathogen gene functions and gene expression programs are integrated during disease and effective host responses to infection.

Dr. Anja Kolb-Kokocinski - The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge , UK - PhD German Cancer Research Center, Division of Molecular Genome Analysis / Prof. Annemarie Poustka, Postdoc German Cancer Research Center, Postdoc Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Division of Embryo Gene Expression Patterns / Dr. David Tannahill

Dr Juha Kononen - Chief Scientific Officer, Beecher Instruments. After receiving an MD degree at the University of Tampere Medical School, Finland, he earned Ph.D degree in neurobiology at the same institution. Dr. Kononen received post-doctoral training in cancer genetics at the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. Key accomplishments of his post-doctoral training included molecular cloning and characterization of gene amplification target genes in breast cancer, and invention and development of tissue microarray technology that facilitates molecular profiling of cancer specimens. Currently, Dr. Kononen is developing high-throupghput technologies to facilitate application of genomic and proteomic data in clinical medicine.

Dr Maria Krestyaninova - Medical Informatics coordinator, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), UK . Dr. Maria Krestyaninova -European Bioinformatics Institute - was awarded a PhD degree in Applied Mathematics and Physics at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology ( Russia ). In 2001 Dr. Krestyaninova joined the Sequence database group led by Dr. Rolf Apweiler in the European Bioinformatics Institute, where she worked on the optimisation of dataflows of manually-added sequence annotation, on the development of data quality standards and on semi-automated and automated error rate control procedures. In April 2005 she was appointed as a coordinator of the MolPAGE Informatics project in the Microarray Informatics group, EBI, led by Dr. Alvis Brazma. Her present work is focused on the data warehousing, cross-platform data integration and development of the reporting requirements for the biomedical studies.

Dr Charlotte Lawson is a Lecturer in Basic Veterinary Sciences at The Royal Veterinary College ( University of London ) and is part of the Cardiovascular and Inflammation Biology Research Group there. After graduating from Wye College she did a PhD at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology followed by a post-doc at Harefield Hospital in the Transplant Immunology group. Her interests include the study of leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions, the role of the endothelium in immune responses, and the influence of shear stress on endothelial cell immune function. She is also interested in formation of anti-endothelial cell antibodies, both in human and veterinary species.

Becki Lawson - Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London. Becki Lawson graduated from Cambridge University in 1997 and began work at the RSPCA WestHatch Wildlife Hospital . After graduating from the MSc in Wild Animal Health she worked with the Wildlife Information Network on their UK Wildlife First Aid and Care module. Her recent work has focused on UK wildlife population health studies through disease investigation, including the UK seal distemper outbreak in 2002 at the Institute of Zoology (IoZ) and at the Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre, involving otters, bats, and raptors. She is now back at the IoZ in her role as co-ordinator of the Garden Bird Health initiative .

Dr Giovanna Lombardi - King's College School of Medicine, UK . She obtained my degrees (BSc and PhD) in Rome working on the regulation of human T cell responses to Candida albicans. In 1987 she moved to London . During the first few years she elucidated the molecular basis of allorecognition of MHC molecules. In more recent years she has focused on the understanding of the mechanisms involved in peripheral tolerance. Recently, she was involved in the discovery of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in the humans. Two years ago she moved to KCL from Imperial College and is now studying the phenotype and function of Tregs and the use of alloantigen-specific Tregs for immunotherapy in transplantation. Recently she also developed an interest in the differentiation, function and manipulation of human dendritic cells.

Mr Brian McClintock - Aperio Technologies - B.Sc. Joint Hons. Biochemistry and Physiology F.I.B.M.S, Professional career of over 25 years dedicated to Healthcare, with Aperio Technologies since 2004

Dr Carla Mellough, Durham University, UK . I undertook my PhD in Perth at the University of Western Australia with Professor Alan Harvey. This work looked at repairing the degenerative retina by the transplantation of neural stem cells and progenitor cells into rodent eyes affected by retinal ganglion cell depletion. I am currently a Research Associate at the University of Durham , working with Dr Stefan Przyborski. My recent work takes advantage of the stem cell populations which reside within the adult brain and works towards the encouragement of the endogenous repair of the adult central nervous system, pertaining especially to functional recovery following stroke.

Professor Andrew Miller – Imperial College London. Prof Andrew David Miller is both Professor of Organic Chemistry& Chemical Biology at Imperial College London (UK) and founding Director of the Imperial College Genetic Therapies Centre (GTC). He graduated from Bristol University in 1984 with a BSc degree in Chemistry, performed his PhD thesis research at the University of Cambridge (UK), and then carried out postdoctoral research at Harvard University (USA). Since 1990, Prof Miller has been a member of academic staff in the Chemistry Department of Imperial College London ( UK ) pioneering research into synthetic non-viral vector systems for gene therapy, the chemistry of stress and the proteomic code. In his career, he has received several awards and fellowships, and authored nearly 150 papers, reviews, book chapters and patent applications to date. Prof Miller has also co-founded two GTC spin-out companies, Proteom Ltd in September 1999 and IC-Vec Ltd in December 2001.

Dr. Alexandra Milsom - Wales Heart Research Institute, University of Cardiff, UK, Achieved a PhD in 2003 from the University of Wales School of Medicine investigating vascular NO metabolism in health and cardiovascular disease. This work received the NO society Young Scientist Award. Moved to Boston , USA for a postdoctoral position under Joseph Loscalzo and Martin Feelisch at the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute and in 2006 returned to the UK to continue the research at the Wales Heart Research Institute, Cardiff University .

Mrs T Morton, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Vienna , Austria Tatjana Morton was born in 1980 in Vienna , Austria . She attended to University of Vienna and graduated from Biochemistry in the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Experimantal and Clinical Traumatology in Vienna . Since May 2006 she is doing there the PhD in the Tissue Engineereing field.

Dr Peter Mouritzen - Exiqon A/S. Dr Peter Mouritzen, has a M.Sc. and PhD. in molecular genetics. He has held Post Doc positions at Carlsberg Research Laboratory, Risø National Laboratory, and at the Australian National University in Canberra . Since 2000, Peter Mouritzen has worked as Project Manager in the Danish biotech company Exiqon. Apart from being the owner of patent for Locked Nucleic Acids (LNA) – a high affinity DNA analogue, Exiqon also holds patents on Anthraquinone immobilization chemistry and the A-Quencher. Peter Mouritzen is now manager in the Dept. for New Technology Development.

Dr Megan Mowbray - The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, A dermatology specialist registrar currently spending two and a half years in full time clinical research. With my supervisor Dr Richard Weller my main interest is the role of NO in cutaneous physiology. All our work over recent years has been tailored towards investigating the role of NO in vivo in humans. Our main focuses are: the development of physiologically relevent NO donors, quantification of NO stores in human skin, the effect of UVR on NO stores, the role of urea cycle enzymes in NO physiology and the role of NO in UV induced apoptosis and DNA damage/repair

Dr Paula Murphy- Trinity College Dublin. Degree in Science (Genetics) from Trinity College Dublin (1986). Doctorate from University of Edinburgh for work carried out on Hox gene characterization and hindbrain segmental expression with Dr. RE Hill (1991). EMBO post-doctoral fellowship to work with Prof. Giulio Cossu in Rome on myogenesis (1991-1993). Human Frontiers Science Program post-doctoral fellowship to work with Dr. P. Charnay in Paris on hindbrain

Prof. Diane Newell, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Surrey, Diane has worked on foodborne diseases since 1980, first in the PHLS and then the VLA. She currently works within the Food and Environmental Safety Programme and also holds honorary posts as Visiting Professor at the Universities of Bristol and Utrecht . Her areas of research interest include the pathogenesis, detection and control of foodborne pathogens in particular campylobacters. In 2004 Diane also became Project Director the EU-funded Network of Excellence, MED-VET-NET. This network integrates European research on zoonoses and co-ordinates the research efforts of over 300 public health and veterinary scientists from 10 countries. She also co-ordinates EUUS-SAFEFOOD, developing collaboration between food-borne zoonoses research networks in Europe and USA .

Dr Alasdair Nisbet - Moredun Research Institute. Since 2004 a research scientist in the Parasitology Division, Moredun Research Institute, UK working on the exploitation of host immune responses in vaccine development against both ecto and endo-parasites of livestock. Prior to that I was a Project Leader employed by Genetic Technologies Group Pty Ltd and The Department of Veterinary Science, University of Melbourne, Australia investigating "Gender-specific gene expression and the control of parasitic nematodes" for 3 years. This followed a 7-year period at the University of Aberdeen as a postdoctoral research fellow investigating novel approaches to control invertebrate pests and parasites

Dr Harry Noyes - University of Liverpool , UK Started in science late after a period of work in Central America stimulated my interest in tropical health. PhD at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine was on looking for associations between strains of Leishmania parasites and the type of disease that they caused. There appeared to be no association between the parasite genotype and disease and host differences seemed to be far more important than parasite differences. Since then I have been working with Professor Kemp on the identification of genes associated with response to infection with T. congolense in cattle and mice. This project has been running for nearly 20 years and has identified regions (QTL) of the mouse and cattle genomes that seem to be associated with disease. We have recently been using microarrays and resequencing to identify hot candidate genes that might underlie these QTL.

Professor Ian Sargent - University of Oxford, UK. Ian Sargent is Professor of Reproductive Science in the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford and was Scientific Director of the Oxford Fertility Unit for nearly 20 years. He is a reproductive immunologist with interests ranging from the expression of immunoregulatory molecules by human pre-implantation embryos, through trophoblast biology and MHC expression to the immunology of pre-eclampsia. He is a member of "EMBIC" (a European Network of Excellence (www.embic.org) within the 6th Framework Programme of the European Union (LSHM-CT-2004-512040) which is investigating the immunology of implantation.

Professor Sharma Prabhakar - Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock , TX , USA . Professor Prabhakar is a nephrologist trained in India and the US . His research interests include pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy focused on the role of nitric oxide and oxidative stress. His studies were published in prestigious journals including American Journal of Physiology and Kidney International. His current work involves characterizing nephropathy in a novel rodent model of metabolic syndrome. He has authored over 70 publications including 10 book chapters. He is a member of several professional organizations in the US and Europe, a recipient of the prestigious Endowed chair from the University Medical Center and is the Chairman of American Federation of Medical Research.

Dr Sonia Quaratino, MD PhD, is a Reader of Immunology at the University of Southampton since 2002. Before, she was the recipient of a Wellcome Trust Career Development Award at Imperial College . She has a long standing interest in the field of autoimmunity and chronic inflammatory diseases, both in human and mouse. Her research group has unravelled some of the mechanisms involved in the activation and tolerance induction of self-reactive T cells.

Dr Marie-Hélène Pinard-Van Der Laan - Dr. Pinard-van der Laan received a Ph.D degree in Animal Genetics from the Wageningen University (NL) in 1992, working on a selection experiment for immune response in the chicken, Marek's disease and Major Histocompatibility Complex. She joined the French INRA where she initiated two projects in avian immunogenetics: a novel selection experiment on immune responses and a program aiming at identifying genetic markers of resistance to a parasitic disease in the chicken (coccidiosis ). Since 2005, she is coordinating EADGENE, a European Network of Excellence with 13 European partners (European Animal Disease Genomics Network of Excellence for Animal Health and Food Safety Network).

Dr Frederique Ponchel - University of Leeds, UK. Recently appointed academic senior research fellow (Mesenchymal stem cell differentiation)· 5 years as an arc career development fellow (role of T-cells in rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis)· 2 years senior postdoctoral position (T-cell anergy)in York · 3 years EC postdoctoral positionin Paris, PhD in 1994

Dr Stefan Przyborski, School of Biological and Biomedical Science, Durham University, UK - As part of his postdoctoral training, Dr Przyborski worked at the Jackson Laboratory (USA) and in Professor Andrews laboratory ( University of Sheffield ) where he developed his interest in stem cell biology and developmental neuroscience. He subsequently established an independent research programme at Durham University where he developed technology to produce populations of neural derivatives from human stem cells. These systems are currently being used to investigate the mechanisms of how cells commit toward the neural lineage and how to specify the formation of certain neural subtypes during cell differentiation. A significant amount of effort has been devoted toward validating these culture-based models to ensure that they provide appropriate and informative data in a manner that closely resembles the behaviour of cells in vivo. Current work, for example, examines physical factors that are often taken for granted during cell culture, including the topography on which cells grow and the concentration of oxygen in the culture medium. Both of these factors have been found to markedly influence cell differentiation in vitro. These cell systems are also proving useful to identify biomarkers to track the behaviour of neural cells in both health and disease and the development of novel growth reagents. Some of the technology emanating from Dr Przyborski's laboratory currently being commercialised through the University spin-out company, ReInnervate.

Dr Mark Rees -Vision BioSystems Ltd, UK, Studied at Newcasle University, 1992- BscHons Biochemistry, 1993- Msc Industrial microbiology, 1997- PhD molecular biology/microbiology. The development of an expression system for the production of Bacillus Anthracis protective antigen,1998 - Joined Novocastra as a Research Associate in the department of molecular biology, 2000 - Senior Research Associate, 2002- Deputy molecular biology manager responsible for the supervision of a team of molecular biogists in antigen production, 2003- Novocastra was aquired by VisionBiosytems, 2005- Acting manager of molecular biology

Dr. Anthony Rhodes - Senior Lecturer in Cellular Pathology, Centre for Research in Biomedicine, UWE Bristol , UK - Graduate in Cell Bilogy, Masters in Medical Molecuar Biology and PhD in Pathology, focusing on the immunohistochemical demonstration of estrogen receptors (ER) in breast cancer. UK NEQAS Manager/Senior Chief Biomedical Scientist, from 1992-2003. Published widely on the standardisation of IHC assays for ER and HER2. Members of various working parties to include; The American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO) and College of American Pathologists Assessment on HER2 Testing, Membership of European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Pathobiology Group (www.eortc.be/), EORTC & United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) Joint Working Party on Standardisation and Quality Control for Immunocytochemistry, United States NCI and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) working party on HER-2/neu reference materials for immunocytochemistry, the IBMS & Royal College of Pathologists Working Party developing diplomas in expert and extended practice for immunocytochemistry.

Dr Jitka Rudolfova, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Czech Republic. Graduated from Charles University Prague in 2003 (biology) and completed their PhD in parasitology entitled "Systematics of European bird schistosomes focused on the genera Trichobilharzia and Gigantobilharzia". Their work is focused on systematics and life cycles of bird schistosomes.

Professor Jean Pierre Salles- University Hospital , Children Hospital, France Born in 1956 MD in 1981, PhD in 1992. University of Toulouse. Fellow in the unit directed by Prof. E.A Van Der Veen at the Free University Hospital in Amsterdam in 1993-94.(expression of growth hormone receptor by osteoblasts). Assistant-Professor of biochemistry in 1994-2002, full professor of Paediatrics since 2002, specialised in endocrinology and bone diseases. Involved in lipid biochemistry since 1990, studies related to the bioactivity of lipid mediators. Interested in the effect of lysolipids on bone cells and growth plate differentiation. Team coordinator of a group in INSERM Unit 563 since 10999 (lipid mediators and cell biology)

Dr Eric F.P.M. Schoenmakers - Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences, The Netherlands. M.Sc. (Molecular Biology, Genetics, Immunology) University of Nijmegen , The Netherlands , 1989, Ph.D. Medical Sciences (Human Genetics, Molecular Oncology) University of Leuven , Belgium , 1995, (Medical) Faculty member, University of Nijmegen , 2000, Current research focus:Molecular (cyto)genetics of Cancer and Hereditary diseases. Dr. Schoenmakers is co-author of over 100 international peer-reviewed papers, chairman of the Dutch Cancer Society for Tumorcelbiology, and has been member of several international review commitees, as well as reviewer for various national granting organisations and international journals.

Dr Andy Scutt, University of Sheffield - PhD, London 1987. Started as Research Technician, School of Pharmacy , London (1978). Research Assistant at Institute of Dental Surgery (1981); Post Docs at St. Geroge's Hospital (1987) & Royal Veterinary College (1988) London and Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung, Braunschweig , Germany (1989). Group Leader, Osteoporosis Group, Schering AG, Berlin (1992). Senior Lecturer & Leader of the Bone Formation Group, University of Sheffield Medical School (1995). Moved to Tissue Engineering in 2002 to take up Senior Lectureship in Tissue Engineering and Sports Medicine.

Dr Chris Secombes, University of Liverpool , UK Chris has studied fish immunology for nearly 30 years, and has a special interest in cytokine evolution. He heads the School of Biological Sciences at Aberdeen and the Scottish Fish Immunology Research Centre, linking expertise at the University and the Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen with the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling . His team is currently elucidating the cytokine network in fish, and developing functional genomics approaches to study gene expression in vaccinated and infected fish. He is also President of the International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology, and is helping plan their tenth Congress in Charleston next July.

Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich , Switzerland . Peter H. Seeberger received his Vordiplom in 1989 from the Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, where he studied chemistry as a Bavarian government fellow. In 1990 he moved as a Fulbright scholar to the University of Colorado where he earned his Ph.D. in biochemistry under the guidance of Marvin H. Caruthers in 1995. After a postdoctoral fellowship with Samuel J. Danishefsky he became Assistant Professor at MIT in 1998 and was promoted to Firmenich Associate Professor of Chemistry with tenure in 2002. In 2003 he assumed a position as Professor for Organic Chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich , Switzerland and a position as Affiliate Professor at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla , CA where he is currently directing research programs with about 30 coworkers.

Dr Yvonne Spencer - Head of Histopathology, Veterinary Laboratories Agency, An Executive Agency of Defra. Joined the VLA Pathology Department 21 years ago as a junior scientist, gained applied biology & cellular pathology technical qualifications, then first class BSc(Hons) in immunology. Currently Head of Histopathology with team of 40 including technicians, research scientists and veterinary pathologists. Specialist in veterinary immunohistochemistry, its development and application in diagnosis and disease pathogenesis of notifiable and endemic diseases of farmed livestock. Personal research focus for the past 15 years has been immunohistochemical detection of PrP in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies.

Dr Caroline Smith - University of Westminster , UK , 08/05-current Senior lecturer University of Westminster , 01/01-07/05- Postdoctural Research Fellow, University College London with Prof Patrick valance. 10/97-12/00-PhD with Prof Steven Gross, Cornell University Medical College New York . PhD awarded in collaboration University of Surrey, 1993-1997 BSc (Hons) Medical Biochemistry, University of Surrey

Professor Paul J Smith - Wales College of Medicine, Biology, Life and Health Sciences, Cardiff University. Professor Smith has been active in the fields of DNA repair, drug development, cytometry and imaging technologies for more than 25 years. His current research focuses on the cell cycle and anticancer drugs, imaging technologies and mathematical modeling of complex biological systems. He was a senior scientist with the UK Medical Research Council in Cambridge before being appointed to the Chair of Cancer Biology at Cardiff University in 1995. He a co-founder and director of the fluorescent probe technology spin-out company Biostatus Ltd. He leads the UK Optical Biochips Consortium exploring chip-based cytometry systems.

Mr Simon Smith - Regional Manager, Commercial Operations, Applied Imaging International Ltd. Education (until 1992) - BSc (Hons) in Experimental Pathology. Scientific career (1992-1995) - Clinical Scientist – Cytogenetics, Commercial career (1995 to date) – Various roles in medical/scientific imaging instrumentation companies.

Mr Johannes Stanta - Inst. of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge . Graduated in 2005 with a Diploma (masters) Degree from University of Technology in Graz in Austria with distinction. Started PhD in October 2005 at the University of Cambridge at the Institute of Biotehcnology . Under the supervision of Sabine Bahn and Chris Lowe.

Professor Michael Stear, University of Glasgow , Scotland . Genetics degree from Aberdeen, PhD from Edinburgh 1980 then 5 years in Australia, 4 years in the US and 18 months in Norway before moving to Glasgow 16 years ago. Interested in parasitology, genetics, immunology and bioinformatics.

Professor Freda Stevenson -University of Southampton, UK. Prof. Stevenson gained a BSc degree with First Class Honours in Chemistry and Physiology at the University of Manchester . She obtained an MSc degree in the Department of Biochemistry. She then obtained a DPhil degree from the University of Oxford . In 1990, she was admitted to Membership of the Royal College of Pathologists, and the Fellowship was conferred in 1995. She has also been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences , which includes the leaders in medical science in the UK . She is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the development of gene-based (DNA) vaccines as a treatment for cancer . She is also an expert in using immunogenetics to understand human B-cell malignancies, and this has revealed important prognostic information for patients with leukaemia.

Dr David Sugden - King’s College London, Division of Reproductive Health, Endocrinology & Development. 1st degree in Pharmacology from Leeds University;Completed a PhD while working in the pharmaceutical industry (Roche 6 years)MRC Post-doctoral position at Imperial College Dept. of BiochemistryVisiting Fellow (1981-83) then Visiting Associate (1983-86) in the Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA Returned to the UK in 1986 to take up a Royal Society University Research Fellowship at King’s College London in the Physiology Department.Appointed to Lectureship at King’s in 1994, promoted to Reader in 2003

Dr Andy Sutfliffe - Procognia Ltd, UK Andy Sutcliffe graduated from Liverpool University in Microbial biotechnology. After a brief spell at Unilver research he did his Ph.D at CRC institute for Cancer Studies at Birmingham University then joined Amersham Bioscinces promoting their 2D-DIGE technology. Currently he is working for Procognia Ltd based in Maidenhead where he promotes the use of functional protien arrays for use in drug discovery and the glycomonitoring technology for use in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Dr David Tannahill - The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. Dr. Tannahill is a new Investigator (faculty level appointment since 2003) at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge where he leads the Embryo Gene Expression Pattern team. Previously, he held a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in the Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge (1993-2003). His earlier post-doctoral work was in the Imperial Cancer Research Fund’s Developmental Biology Unit, University of Oxford (1989-1992), and in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harvard University where he held an SERC/NATO fellowship (1987-1989). He holds a first class honours degree in molecular biology from the University of Glasgow (1983) and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (1987). His main scientific interests concern mesoderm and neural patterning in early vertebrate embryos.

Dr Nigel Temperton - MRC/UCL Centre for Medical Molecular Virology. Nigel Temperton obtained his BSc from University College London (1990), MSc (1992) and PhD (1999) from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. His first postdoctoral position was with Vince Emery (UCL Royal Free Campus) working on DNA vaccines against CMV. In his second postdoctoral position with Robin Weiss (UCL) he studied SARS-CoV neutralization. He is currently a Principal Investigator in Robin Weiss's group funded by the MRC to study neutralizing antibody responses to avian influenza viruses. His research interests lie in emerging viruses, viral neutralization and retroviral vectors.

Dr Jim Thorn Degree in Microbiology from Queen Mary College at the University of London . PhD in Medicine from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, University of London studying molecular genetics of coronary artery disease. Post doctoral research fellow at the University of Kent at Canterbury studying the molecular basis of nucleoside transport in mammalian systems. Joined Beckman Coulter in 1998, specializing in Genetic Analysis products. Moved to lead the European Applications Support Team for Genome Lab and Proteome Lab products in 2004

Mrs Barbara A Totty - Histopathology Manager, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, Chair IBMS/RCPath Joint Working Group looking at Advanced Practice in Immunohistochemistry, Working towards a Professional Doctorate (DBMS) - project is called "Introducing Professional Change in Histopathology" 35 years experience working in histopathology in the NHS. Currently Histopathology Manager at Addenbrooke's Hospital handling 35,000 surgical samples per year. Carrying out a Workforce Review in Histopathology looking at new ways of working and incorporating Continuous Flow Working and Specialised Working.

Professor Jerry Turnbull - Professor of Biochemistry, University of Liverpool , UK , Jeremy received his Ph.D. in Glycobiology at Manchester University in 1990 working with Professor John Gallagher on mapping and sequencing the structure of heparan sulfate. He then continued his studies with Prof. Gallagher as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, working on heparan sulfate-protein interactions (especially fibroblast growth factors) and the development of saccharide sequencing techniques. In 1996 he was awarded a prestigious Senior Research Fellowship by the Medical Research Council and moved to Birmingham University . In 2003 Dr Turnbull moved to Liverpool University to a Chair in Biochemistry. His research has focussed on the structure-function relationships of heparan sulfate in biological contexts, especially in neural development and disease. His lab has also continued to develop innovative strategies for studying heparan sulfate structure function including sequencing techniques, semi-synthetic saccharide libraries and saccharide microarrays.

Dr Claus-W. von der Lieth, DKFZ - German Cancer Research Center , Heidelberg, Germany . Chemist by education, Diploma in Chemistry, University of Hannover, PhD in physical inorganic chemistry, University of Heidelberg, working in several areas of computational chemistry, molecular modelling and structural biology, main focus since the 90s on the development of glyco-related databases and informatics for glycobiology, Coordinator of the EUROCarbDB project, a design studies related to the development of distributed, Web-based European Carbohydrate Databases, Co-Chair of the Human Disease Glycomics/Proteome Initiative (HGPI), Participating investigator of the US consortium for functional glycomics.

Dr. Alan Wallace - AstraZeneca , UK . Studied Medical Biochemistry at Birmingham before moving to UMIST where his PhD on cAMP phosphodiesterases was supervised by Miles Houslay. After a period as a post-doc back in Birmingham he moved to Fisons in Loughborough (now AstraZeneca). Here he has worked on a wide range of projects, including a multinational search for novel NO synthase inhibitors, targetting several major diseases - involving research sites in the UK , USA , Sweden and Canada - and a collaboration with the structural biology group of John Tainer and Libby Getzoff at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego .

Dr Xiao-nong Wang - Newcastle University , UK. Obtained PhD in transplantation Immuobiology from Newcastle University , UK . Main research interest has been patient and disease related translational research, positioned at the laboratory/clinic interface. Main research activities are focused on:? Immunobiological mechanisms of transplantation related complications - in particular graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) ? Exploitation of novel reagents, including somatic stem cells, in therapeutic interventions ? Immunogenicity and immunomodulatory roles of newly defined stem cell populations. Expertise: Haematopoietic Stem, Cell Biology, Transplantation Immunobiology

Dr Gary Warnes - Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Queen Mary's College, London University. Interest in flow cytometry started at St. Mary's in 1986, analysing T-cell subsets. Then set up a new flow cytometric T-cell subset service at St.Thomas' Hospital. Completed a PhD investigating the immunosuppression of HIV-ve haemophiliacs at St.Thomas' Hospital. Post-doctoral position investigated the regulation of Tissue Factor expression by immune costimulatory molecules in sepsis. Then ran the Flow & Imaging Core Facilities at the MRC Clinical Science Centre at Hammersmith Hospital . Worked with Derek Davies at Cancer Research UK and now running the new Flow Cytometry & Imaging facilities at the Institute of Cell & Molecular Science, Queens Mary's College.

Dr Nicholas Warrick - University of Oxford, UK. As an undergraduate Nick studied Neuroscience at the University of Sussex where his enthusiasm and interest in the physiological and pathophysiological roles of nitric oxide was stimulated during his final year honours research project. He subsequently examined the role of nitric oxide on the limited survival of grafted dopaminergic neurons following neural transplantation as a therapy for Parkinson's disease. He currently work in the Department of Cardiovascular medicine, University of Oxford ,examining the role of the co-factor, tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), on the enzymatic uncoupling of nitric oxide synthase.

Dr Anthony Warford, Sanger Institute, Anthony (Tony) Warford completed his Ph.D on the recovery and analysis of DNA from fixed tissue at the University of Leicester in 2000. Working in the National Health Service for 20 years then 10 years in the commercial sector he has focused on implementing technology developments in Cellular Pathology. This has included the introduction of diagnostic immunohistochemical methods, the design and production of oligonucleotide probes for in situ hybridisation and the supervision and interpretation of tissue cross reactivity studies of potential therapeutic antibodies. Concurrently he has championed quality assurance programmes in histopathology and the automation of immunohistochemistry. As leader of the immunohistochemistry group working in the Atlas of Protein Expression Project at the Sanger Institute he has been responsible for the introduction of automated methods for the immunohistochemistry, image capture and analysis of recombinant antibodies applied to tissue microarray, section and cell preparations.

Dr Dominic Wells - Dr. Dominic (Nic) Wells qualified from Cambridge University as a veterinary surgeon in 1984. After several years in mixed general practice in Nottinghamshire he moved to the University of Wyoming to study comparative exercise physiology, writing his PhD on hummingbird flight energetics. He returned to the UK in 1990 as a temporary then full lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College . In 1995 he moved to the Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School , now part of the Medical Faculty of Imperial College London. Since 1990 he has worked on transgenic mice and the development of treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Dr Kenneth Wester - Depts. of Surgical Sciences and Genetics & Pathology, Uppsala University, Sweden Working in the field of histo-pathology since 1984. Mainly with focus on prognostic and diagnostic markers for urological cancer. Immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixated, paraffin-embedded tissues have been extensively used in these clinical studies, aiming towards an improved prediction of cancer behaviour. Doctoral thesis, Quantitative Immunohistochemistry in tissue sections, was published 1999. The last four years responsible for approval and validation of antibodies produced in the HPA-program (www.proteinatlas.org).

Dr Paul Wheeler - Guava Technologies Inc, UK. BSc Biochemistr, PhD Tranplantation Immunology , Sales General Lab Equipment , Product Specialist Flow Cytometry , UK Sales Manager Guava Technologies , European Director Guava Technologies

Prof. Paul Winyard - Peninsula Medical School , Universities of Exeter and Plymouth . Paul G. Winyard is Professor of Experimental Medicine in the Peninsula Medical School (PMS) (since 2002), having previously held the title at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Since moving to Exeter , he has established a popular bimonthly Oxidative Stress Research Forum. Paul's research interests centre on the role of oxidative/nitrosative stress in human chronic inflammatory diseases. In particular, he has focused his research on the translation of novel therapeutic strategies and free radical assays using physico-chemical methods to pre-clinical and early-phase clinical studies.

Dr Susan Wilson - Head of the Histochemistry Research Unit, Infection, Inflammation & Repair, Southampton General Hospital . Susan Wilson initially trained as a Biomedical Scientist in histopathology within the NHS. After gaining her Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences in Cellular Pathology, she took a position at the University of Southampton where she studied for a PhD in Mucosal Inflammation. Susan has over 20 years experience in histopathology and now heads the Histochemistry Research Unit (www.hru.soton.ac.uk). This Unit offers histopathology support to research and clinical trails being conducted within the School of Medicine at the University of Southampton and to a number of National, European and International collaborators.

Prof. Paul Winyard - Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Paul G. Winyard is Professor of Experimental Medicine in the Peninsula Medical School (PMS) (since 2002), having previously held the title at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Since moving to Exeter , he has established a popular bimonthly Oxidative Stress Research Forum. Paul's research interests centre on the role of oxidative/nitrosative stress in human chronic inflammatory diseases. In particular, he has focused his research on the translation of novel therapeutic strategies and free radical assays using physico-chemical methods to pre-clinical and early-phase clinical studies.

Dr Gordon Wiseman - RHM Technology Ltd. Graduated in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with a Ph.D. in Microbiological Chemistry from the same University. Studied the biosynthesis of Penicillin and Cephalosporin at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at Oxford University before investigating the changes that occur at the surface of cells during malignancy. Now Senior Research Associate for a major UK food manufacturer, responsible for the creation and scientific maintenance of their accredited molecular diagnostics laboratory. Project manages a wide variety of DNA-based research projects including several for the Food Standards Agency. Awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 1997 to study the effect of geographical origin on morphology of durum wheat.

Christopher Womack, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Cheshire. Qualified MB BS University of London in 1978, Pathology Training in Manchester and Nottingham, Principal Clinical Histopathologist, Cancer Discovery Medicine, AstraZeneca since Feb 2006. Designated Individual under Human Tissue Act 2004 for Alderley Park , Previously consultant in histopathology and cytopathology at Peterborough District Hospital , 1986 - 2006, Co-founder and medical lead of the Research Tissue Bank at Peterborough , established in 1996. Co-author of related papers, abstracts and presentations, Chair of the Eastern Regional Council of the Royal College of Pathologists 2001-2004. Past President British Association for Tissue Banking.

Dr. Xueji Zhang-World Precision Instruments Inc, Sarasota , Florida , USA . Dr. Xueji Zhang currently is Sr. Vice President at World Precision Instruments, Inc. and Coutesy Professor in Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida . He is also Associate Editor of "Frontiers in Bioscience" and editorial member of " Sensors" and medical Science Monitor" respectively. He has authored over 70 papers, one book "Electrochemical Sensors Biosensors, and Their Biomedical Applications", and 10 patents. He has invited to give more than 40 plenary and invited lectures in international conferences and universties over 20 countries.