Doron Lancet, PhD, Genetics Research
Doron Lancet pioneered genome research in Israel, and currently heads the Crown Human Genome Center at the Weizmann Institute, and the National Genome Knowledge Center of Israel’s Ministry of Science and Technology. In this capacity, he directs research programs involving discovery of human disease genes, DNA chip research and advanced technologies for exploring genetic variation. He is also actively involved in teaching bioinformatics and in initiating a Systems Biology effort at the Weizmann Institute. Prof. Lancet pioneered in the development of the world-famous database “GeneCards”, a compendium of all human genes and their annotations. More recently, he initiated an innovative program addressing computational models for the origins of life on earth. One of Lancet’s major research themes for the past 20 years has been the understanding of the senses of smell and taste, where he has contributed significantly to molecular genetic discoveries explaining how fragrances and flavors are perceived. From 1998 to 2001, he was co-founder and Chief Scientist of SenseIt Technologies, later DigiScents Israel, aiming at digital communication of odor information. Prof. Lancet wrote a science column in the major Israeli daily Haaretz, and continuously delivers public lectures on the future impact of the Genome Project.
Prof. Lancet has a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Immunology from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Following postdoctoral training at Harvard and Yale, Prof. Lancet joined the Weizmann Institute faculty in 1981, where he is currently Full Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics. He previously headed the Department of Membrane Research and Biophysics (1995-1997). He was awarded the Hestrin Prize in Israel, the Takasago Award in Japan, and the R.H. Wright Award in the USA. Prof. Lancet has been a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization since 1996. At the Weizmann Institute, he is the incumbent of the Ralph D. and Lois R. Silver Professorial Chair in Human Genomics.
Elon Pras, MD, Genetics Research
Elon Pras is the Director of the Institute of Human Genetics at the Sheva Medical
Center, Israel. The Institute is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and
it performs thousands of clinical diagnostic genetic testing each month. The Institute
is also highly dedicated to science and research. Prof. Pras graduated from medical
school at the Beer Sheba University in 1985. After completing residency in internal
medicine, he joined a four year a fellowship program in rheumatology and molecular
genetics at the National Institutes of Health. He continued with a second fellowship
in clinical genetics which he finished in 2001. Prof. Pras holds an associate professor
position at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University and is actively
involved in teaching medical, MSc and PhD students.
Prof. Pras is an expert in positional cloning, a technique which is used to identify genes that cause genetic diseases.
During the last 10 years he was involved in the identification of the genes that
cause familial Mediterranean fever, cystinuria, cardiac arrhythmias, familial cataract,
autosomal dominant hypotrichosis simplex and autosomal recessive monilethrix. The
last two diseases result in various forms of familial baldness and thus have helped
us understand more about the pathogenesis of hair growth and baldness.
Katsutoshi Yoshizato, PHD, Biophysicist/Biochemist
Katsutoshi Yoshizato is a Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University. Dr Yoshizato has had made his career of over 30 years in research delving into life and animal sciences. His research, among other notable work, has pioneered the induction of hair follicles both in follicular and afollicular skin and tissue regeneration.
Currently, Dr Yoshizato is also a visiting Professor of Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, a Doctor of Science Honoris Causa of Purdue University Indianapolis, a Cooperation Member of Science Council of Japan, and an Academic Adviser of Phoenixbio Co., Ltd.
Dr Yoshizato’s large body of published research has merited worldwide recognition. His work has been honored with the Zoological Society Prize from the Zoological Society of Japan (1986 & 1994), the Biomaterial Society Prize from the Biomaterial Society of Japan (1994), the Best Poster Awards from the European Hair Research Society (2000 & 2002), a Distinguished Discovery Recognition by the Minister of Science and Technology Agency (2000), Doctor of Science Honoris Causa of Purdue University Indianapolis (2002), a Cultural Prize from Chugoku Newspaper (2003), DMPK Editors' Award for the Most Excellent Article (2006), and Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University (2007).
Dr Yoshizato’s academic work within the last decade has been done as a Professor of Hiroshima University Faculty of Science from 1990-2007; the Vice-President of Hiroshima University from 2003-2005; the Chief Researcher of Yoshizato Project within the Ministry of Science, Culture, Education, and Sports of Japanese Government from 2002-2007; the Director of Tissue Regeneration Project in Hiroshima Regional Intensive Program from 1997-2002; and as the Director and Professor of Laboratory for Amphibian Biology at Hiroshima University from 1997-2000.
Dr Yoshizato received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from Tokyo University.
Nathan Vandergrift, PhD, Medical Statistics
Dr. Vandergrift is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Biostatistics at Duke
University.
Dr. Vandergrift is the Director of the Biostatistics Center as well as the principal statistician at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) where he works on, among other things, vaccine research for HIV/AIDS, drug-resistant TB, and pandemic influenza.
Prior to his role at the Duke University, Dr. Vandergrift was a Statistician and Research Scientist at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Vandergrift is recognized for developing large-scale statistical models of human behavior, epidemiology, development, and social activity. Dr. Vandergrift's many studies include research on the association between language and genetic disorders. In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Vandergrift has developed data warehousing and data mining models for Reader's Digest and American Express.
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