MEET OUR STEERING COMMITTEE

Expert in tumor immunology and biomarkers

Dr. Barbara Seliger is Director of the Institute for Medical Immunology of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

As part of her basic research, she focusses on tumour immunology and tumour biology issues, as well as the identification of candidate biomarkers that can potentially be used as diagnostic, prognostic markers, for testing the response to therapeutic measures or even as therapeutically useful target structures.

In the translational research area, she runs various research and immunomonitoring projects, including international projects, some of which are closely linked to clinical studies. The focus of this ongoing work is primarily on the effect and development of resistance to targeted therapeutics and their effect on immune cell subpopulations.

Expert in bioactives development

Dr. Ludger Wessjohann is Director of the Department of Bioorganic Chemistry at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry (IPB) in Halle (Germany), and holds the Chair of Natural Product Chemistry of the Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg.

He focuses on the discovery, synthesis and application of natural products and bioactive derivatives. He is member of many boards and commissions, including the 2019 “Misión de Sabios” (Wise Men Mission) for Science, Education and Development of the Colombian government (for the fields bioeconomy, biotechnology and environment).

Dr. Wessjohann has received numerous scholarships, prizes and honors, including the Microsoft IT Founders Award, and is a foreign member of the Brazilian Academy of Science. Altogether he has formed some 100 master, diploma and PhD students, has ca. 600 publications with an h-index of 68, i10 >300. He has contributed to 35 patent families and founded 7 start-up companies in scientific IT (e.g. OntoChem GmbH) and drug development.

Expert in virology, epidemiology, public health, molecular biology and emerging viruses in Latin America

Dr. Andrés Moreira Soto is a veterinary medical professional with a PhD in Medicine with an emphasis in virology from the University of Bonn, Germany. He works at the Charité Hospital in Berlin and is professor of tropical diseases at the University of Costa Rica and the National University of Costa Rica.

He wrote one of the first publications in Central America detecting coronaviruses in bats. His research focuses on emerging diseases in Latin America, and he has vast experience in the development of diagnostic methods and epidemiology of diseases such as Zika, Yellow Fever, Chikungunya and viral hepatitis, among others.

Dr. Moreira Soto’s work includes field studies, diagnostic validation, and molecular and serological epidemiology. During the SARS-CoV-2 virus epidemic, he focused on diagnostic establishment in tropical areas, including Latin America and Africa. ​He has been part of several international pandemic prevention and control missions.

Expert in microbial ecology and microorganism evolution

Dr. Ana Elena Escalante is director of the Institute of Ecology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a researcher at the National Laboratory of Sustainability Sciences (LANCIS).

She focuses on the study of diversity and evolution of microorganisms in natural communities and in microbial consortia in bioreactors. At LANCIS, she has expanded her vision and research projects towards sustainability problems, with emphasis on aspects of impact on public policy for the sustainable management of ecosystems.

Dr. Escalante is also a reviewer and associate editor of scientific journals in ecology and evolution of microorganisms. Her research has been funded by different agencies (UC-Mexus, NSF, PAPIIT, CONACyT). Her work and career have been recognized with diverse awards, including the L’Oréal-UNESCo-AMC award for women in science (2012).