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Christopher Bell
Queen Mary University of London, UK
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
Christopher Bell gained his PhD in human genomics from Imperial College London, investigating genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes and obesity under the supervision of Prof. Philippe Froguel. His post-doctoral training was with Prof. Stephan Beck at the UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, where they pioneered the epigenomic analysis of common human disease. This included publishing some of the very first Epigenome-wide Association Studies (EWAS) as well as ground-breaking integrative analyses of the DNA methylome within common disease-associated loci. He subsequently furthered his epigenomics expertise interrogating the deeply-phenotyped TwinsUK cohort, with Prof. Tim Spector, at King’s College London, and then as an independent group leader at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit. He is a medical graduate of the University of Otago, New Zealand and, through training with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, in Sydney, gained his fellowship of genetic pathology.
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Mahantesh Biradar
Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
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Sidorela Dunolli
University Hospital Koço Gliozheni, Albania
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
Sidorela Dunolli is a Clinical Embryologist specializing in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), currently serving as Lead Embryologist at the Medical Reproduction Center of the “Koço Gliozheni” University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Tirana. She has a strong academic background in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Human Assisted Reproduction, complemented by advanced international training at IVI Valencia and CooperSurgical. From 2022 to 2023, she conducted a study comparing the accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI) and embryologists in embryo selection. Her expertise includes IVF, ICSI, embryo cryopreservation, and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A/PGT-M). She focuses on optimizing embryo assessment, selection, and preservation through evidence-based laboratory practices and high ethical standards. Actively engaged in continuous professional development, she regularly participates in scientific trainings and conferences, including those organized by ESHRE, aiming to improve clinical outcomes by combining data-driven precision with compassionate patient care. Her long-term interests include integrating genetic and clinical data to improve fertility treatments.
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Mario Falchi
King’s College London, UK
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
Mario is a Reader in Computational Medicine at King’s College London, and Head of Bioinformatics for the School of Life Course & Population Sciences. His interests lie in the development and application of statistical and computational genomics methods to disentangle the network of susceptibility factors – and their interactions – that lead to complex disease in humans, with a particular focus on metabolism, skin cancer, and renal diseases. Recently his team has been focusing on leveraging next generation sequencing technologies to assess the influence of rare and structural variants on complex traits, and on characterisation of the microbiome using metagenomics data to investigate the interplay between the gut microbiota and host metabolism.
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Pirro Hysi
King’s College London, UK
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
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Arta Lugaj
University of Tirana, Albania
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
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Ajda Pristavc
King’s College London, UK
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
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Ariol Rama
University of Tirana, Albania
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
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Bani Tamraz
University of California San Francisco, USA
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
My primary interest is identification of genetic determinants of drug response and translating that information into practical treatment strategies: Discovery to application. The MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (MWCCS), formerly The Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) cohort, a multi-center longitudinal observational cohort, currently provides the perfect laboratory for conducting pharmacogenomics (PGx) research. I have nested several PGx studies within WIHS, providing me with the opportunity to examine how PGx factors interact with other pharmacokinetic factors to determine drug exposure and treatment outcome. In particular, my work with WIHS has enabled me to examine PGx variations associated with ethnicity which is an understudied, but high priority area of research. Besides PGx studies in HIV, I have studies in the areas of pediatric bone marrow transplant, ophthalmology and in vitro fertilization. In addition to discovery work, I am leading projects with an overarching vision of creating the UCSF Health-School of Pharmacy service for translating known PGx findings into clinical practice. At present, I am completing CLIA-certification of a gene panel that can provide PGx guidance for the use of 42 medications in UCSF Health. Following CLIA validation, the clinical application will be launched first with lung transplant service to pre-emptively genotype patients wait listed for transplant and use PGx to guide tacrolimus dosing post- transplant. I am leading several spin off projects related to clinical application of PGx at UCSF: a cost-effectiveness analysis of PGx in transplant and development of clinical decision support (CDS) structure for delivering the PGx-based treatment recommendations to clinicians.
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Merita Xhetani
University of Tirana, Albania
Genetics and molecular biology Workshop
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