Bio
Prof. Dr. Stefano Bacci (Orcid number: 0000-0002-3651-229X) is a Professor of Cytology and Histology and Developmental Biology at the University of Florence and resided, during his training, at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston (MA), USA. His main research concerns the understanding of the cellular mechanisms involved during wound healing in relation to the type of treatment used, including photodynamic therapy. He is the author of over 100 articles in his research area, including high-impact publications.

Talk
From Photons to Pathways: Decoding Photobiomodulation in Wound Healing

Bio
Prof. Dr. Nicolette Houreld is currently a Professor and the DST-NRF SARChI Deputy Chairholder: Laser Applications in Health in the Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg. Her research interests lie in the areas of photobiomodulation and diabetic wound healing, where she investigates the molecular and cellular effects of photobiomodulation and laser tissue interaction, and is also involved in clinical studies on the effects of photobiomodulation for the healing of diabetic ulcers. She is currently a C1 NRF-rated scientist with over 130 peer-reviewed accredited research articles and conference proceedings, and a Scopus H-index of 35 (4080 citations). Nicolette has supervised several postgraduate students (18 masters, 11 doctorate, and 7 post-doctoral research fellows) and has secured external research grants and reviews for several international journals. She serves on various research-related university and science council committees, where she is the Chair of the Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee and the president of the World Association for photobiomoduLation Therapy (WALT).

Talk
Photodynamic Therapy to Disrupt Tumor Stemness and Boost Innate Immunity in Head and Neck Cancer

Bio
Dr. Maria Fernanda Setúbal Destro Rodrigues holds a degree in Dentistry from São Paulo State University (UNESP, 2004), a master’s in Oral Pathology from the University of Campinas (UNICAMP, 2008), and a PhD in Oral Pathology from the University of São Paulo (USP, 2011). She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at USP with a scholarship to work at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. Since 2017, she has been a faculty member of the postgraduate Program in Medicine-Biophotonics at Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE). In 2023, she was a visiting researcher at the Cancer Sciences School, University of Southampton (UK). Her research focuses on pathology and molecular oncology, with an emphasis on basic and translational studies in oral squamous cell carcinoma, molecular biology, cell culture, 3D models, cancer-associated fibroblasts, cancer immunology, photobiomodulation, and photodynamic therapy.

Talk
Neuroimmunomodulation in Chronic Wounds After the Treatment with Photodynamic Therapy

Bio
Prof. Dr. Stefano Bacci is a Professor of Cytology and Histology and Developmental Biology at the University of Florence and has resided, during his training, at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston (MA), USA. His main research concerns the understanding of the cellular mechanisms involved during wound healing in relation to the type of treatment used, including photodynamic therapy. He is the author of over 100 articles in his research area, including high-impact publications.