10th International Conference on
Midwifery and Nurse Practitioners

Dr. Kenneth Blum is a researcher who studies neuropsychopharmacology, genetics, neuropsychiatry, nutritional genetics, and pharmacogenetics. He is well known for his research on the genetic basis of alcoholism, including a landmark study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1990. His work has received several scientific awards and recognition. Dr. Blum is currently an Adjunct Full Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Florida College of Medicine and the McKnight Brain Institute in Gainesville, Florida. He previously worked in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Earlier, he was a Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. There, he also served as Chief of the Divisions of Addictive Diseases and Substance and Alcohol Misuse and directed the Laboratory of Pharmacogenetics until his retirement in 1995. From 1995 to 2008, Dr. Blum was the Chief Scientific Officer of Salugen Inc., a company focused on personalized health and wellness. He is currently the Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer of LifeGen Inc., a company that develops evidence-based nutrigenomic products and research.

Dr. Kenneth Blum's research focuses on the genetics of alcoholism, neuropsychiatry, genetics, nutritional genetics, and pharmacogenetics. His work aims to improve the understanding of addiction and develop personalized approaches for its prevention and treatment.

Dr. Paula Gregory is a Professor in the Departments of Genetics and Cell Biology & Anatomy and serves as the Director of the Office of Faculty Development at the School of Medicine. She is originally from Mississippi and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi. She completed her Ph.D. in cancer cytogenetics at Tulane University and later received postdoctoral training with Dr. Bill Brinkley at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Gregory has received several honors for her contributions, including the NHGRI Award of Merit (1994), NIH Director's Award (1997), NIH Award of Merit (1998), and the Champions of the James Award (2000). In addition, she serves on several School of Medicine committees, including those related to women's affairs, faculty development, research, student promotions, and junior faculty mentoring.

Dr. Paula Gregory's research interests include biology, cell biology, genetics, cancer cytogenetics, and molecular biology. Her work focuses on understanding the genetic and cellular mechanisms involved in cancer and other biological processes.

Dr. Lance A. Liotta is the Co-Director of the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM). In 2005, he co-founded CAPMM with Dr. Emanuel F. Petricoin III. The center focuses on improving early disease detection, developing personalized treatments, and advancing precision medicine. Although its main research area is cancer, the center also works on diagnostics and therapies for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, liver disorders, eye diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and infectious diseases.

Dr. Lance A. Liotta's research interests include biomedical science, nanoscience, proteomics, molecular medicine, cancer research, and personalized medicine. His work focuses on improving disease diagnosis and developing targeted therapies.

Dr. Yanmin Yang is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at the Stanford School of Medicine, USA. She is also a member of Stanford Bio-X and the Child Health Research Institute. Dr. Yang has published around 17 research articles in national and international scientific journals related to neurology and neuroscience.

Dr. Yanmin Yang's research focuses on the neuronal cytoskeleton, including microfilaments, neurofilaments, and microtubules, which are essential for maintaining neuron structure, intracellular transport, and normal brain function. Her work aims to understand how cytoskeletal proteins support the structure and function of neurons and how their disruption contributes to neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and Alzheimer's disease. Her research uses cellular and molecular biology techniques, including cell culture, protein interaction studies, transfection assays, yeast two-hybrid screening, and genetically modified mouse models.

Dr. Li Luo is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine within the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico. She has published numerous research articles in national and international scientific journals, contributing to the fields of epidemiology, biostatistics, and preventive medicine.

Dr. Li Luo's research focuses on statistical genetics, genomics, genetic epidemiology, functional data analysis, and methods for handling high-dimensional data. Her work involves developing statistical approaches for genome-wide association studies, analyzing genetic and environmental factors involved in complex diseases, and studying genetic variations using next-generation sequencing data. Dr. Luo is also involved in developing statistical methods to identify rare genetic variants linked to diseases while accounting for factors such as population differences. She collaborates with researchers to study genetic factors associated with cancer risk and patient outcomes, including melanoma, leukemia, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and ovarian cancer.

Dr. Barry J. Byrne is the Director of the UF Powell Gene Therapy Center and a Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Genetics & Microbiology at the University of Florida. He also serves as Associate Chair of Pediatrics. His research focuses on understanding inherited heart and skeletal muscle disorders and developing gene therapy approaches for their treatment. Dr. Byrne's laboratory studies neuromuscular diseases, particularly Pompe disease, which causes weakness in skeletal and cardiac muscles. His team uses adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to deliver corrective genes and restore muscle function in disease models. They are also developing advanced gene therapy strategies using modified AAV vectors and tissue-specific promoters to improve targeted gene delivery. These approaches are being investigated in clinical studies to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of gene therapy for muscle diseases.

Dr. Barry J. Byrne's research interests include gene therapy using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors for cardiovascular and skeletal muscle diseases, cell-based therapies for heart disorders, and treatments for muscular dystrophies such as Pompe disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).