Bio
Dr. Brindusa Alina Petre is an Associate Professor at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iaşi and the head of the Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at the TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional Institute of Oncology, Iaşi. Dr. Petre returned to Romania in 2012 after receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Konstanz in Germany and completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis in the United States. Dr. Petre's current research interests include peptide and protein biochemistry, peptide synthesis, mass spectrometry in conjunction with immunological affinity methods, and the development of new enzymatic substrates for rare lysosomal diseases. With a deep commitment to education and research, Dr. Petre brings knowledge and expertise to the scientific development landscape in Romania and the global arena of biochemistry and mass spectrometry.

Talk
Targeted Proteomics for Discovery of Protein Biomarkers in Human Plasma for Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Bio
Dr. Margrét Thorsteinsdóttir is a Professor in Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland, and she is the founder and R&D Director of ArcticMass Ltd., Reykjavik, Iceland. Dr. Thorsteinsdóttir received her Ph.D. from Uppsala University, Sweden, in 1998. From 2000 to 2009, she was the managing director of Bioanalytical Laboratories at deCODE Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland. She has extensive experience developing analytical methods for metabolite profiling and quantifying clinical biomarkers in various biofluids utilizing chemometrics, aiming to improve patient clinical management toward personalized patient care. Her current research interest includes studies of lipid metabolism in cancer cells and profiling plasma-derived biomarkers for early detection of BRCA-related breast cancer. She is responsible for implementing clinical mass spectrometry to support diagnostics and therapeutic drug monitoring in collaboration with ArcticMass and the Landspitali University Hospital, Reykjavik, Iceland, focusing on multi-omics integrated processes for early detection of various diseases. She is one of the founders of Females in Mass Spectrometry (FeMS), a vice-leader of the working group clinical significance and applications of (epi)lipidomics in the pan-European network, EpiLipidNET, and vice-chair of the Nordic Metabolomics Society.

Talk
Phosphoproteomic Analysis of Breast Cancer-Derived Exosomes Reveals Disease-Specific Phosphorylated Enzymes

Bio
Maxim Berezovski is a Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry at the University of Ottawa in Canada. He received a Ph.D. from York University (Canada) in 2005 and did an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto (Canada). In 2009, he moved to the University of Ottawa (Canada) as an Assistant Professor. Before academia, he was the CEO of a pharmaceutical company for six years. Maxim currently leads the Laboratory of Molecular Diagnostics and supervises the Proteomic Mass Spectrometry Core Facility at uOttawa. Maxim’s research focuses on bioanalytical chemistry, biological mass spectrometry, and molecular diagnostics. His lab develops analytical methods for studying biomolecular interactions with capillary electrophoresis and mass spectrometry, discovers protein biomarkers of extracellular vesicles, and makes aptamer-based sensors for tumor cells, viruses, and exosomes.

Talk
Mass Spectrometry-based Approaches for Advancing Cancer Research

Bio
With a rich academic background and a trajectory marked by academic achievements, Dr. Costel C. Darie has made substantial contributions to biochemistry and proteomics. Holding a BS and MS in Biochemistry from “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University in Iasi, Romania, Dr. Darie pursued a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at “Albert Ludwigs” Universitaet Freiburg, Germany, followed by impactful postdoctoral studies at New York University Medical Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, NY. In 2009, Dr. Darie embarked on an academic journey at Clarkson University, starting as an Assistant Professor and ascending to Full Professor. Over the years, Dr. Darie has mentored and guided more than 120 lab members, fostering a dynamic and collaborative research environment. Dr. Darie's laboratory's research focuses on pioneering work in proteomics investigations of various bodily fluids, including sera, saliva, and breast milk. The overarching goal is the identification of biomarker signatures that serve as key indicators for disease detection, progression, or the presence of disorders. This groundbreaking research aligns with the pursuit of personalized patient care, striving for advancements in clinical management.