MDPI World Hepatitis Day Webinar 2026 Session 1

Senior Research Associate, Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council (IFC-CNR), Pisa Italy;
Prof. Dr. Bonina is a Research Fellow, Assistant and Associate Professor at Gastroenterology Department, University Hospital of Turin, Italy (1975-97), a Visiting Scientist at NIAID-NIH, Bethesda MD, USA (1979-81), a Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit director at University Hospital of Pisa, Italy (1997-2001), a Chief Scientific Officer at Foundation “Ca Granda” IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan, Italy (2001-10), and a General Medicine 2, Liver and Digestive Disease director, University Hospital of Pisa, Italy (2010-16). His major scientific achievements include the following: development of the 1st method for serum HBV-DNA detection and characterization of HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (Hepatology1981;1:386; Viruses2022;14(8):1691). Hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) particle characterization in human serum (Hepatology1981;1:127); Infection and Immunity1984;43:1000). Identification of the 2 hepatitis Delta antigen (HDAg) proteins (J.Virol.1986;58:945). Definition of HBV replication role of in HDV pathogenesis (Hepatology1991;13:413). Contribution to the original detection of serum anti-HCV and HCV-RNA (Science1989;244:362; Lancet1990;335:1; PNAS USA 1992;89:2247). The 1st Phase 1 study of anti-HCV vaccine in humans: J Viral Hepat. 2014 Jul;21(7):458-65.

Virology Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém do Pará - Brazil;
Prof. Dr. Neris Martins Feitosa is a Biochemical Pharmacist with a master's and PhD in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents from the Federal University of Pará. She is an Associate Professor of Virology and a faculty member of the Graduate Program in Biology of Infectious and Parasitic Agents at the Institute of Biological Sciences of UFPA (CAPES 6). She supervises Master's and PhD students. Her research focuses on virology, investigating aspects of HIV-1, viral hepatitis, HHV-8, HTLV, COVID-19, and inflammatory response markers. She works in the research groups Basic and Applied Virology, Basic Immunology, Epidemiological Surveillance of STIs in the Brazilian Amazon, and Bioanthropology in the context of human health in the Brazilian Amazon. She is a member of the State Committee for Investigation and Control of HIV/AIDS Mortality of the Pará State Department of Public Health (SESPA) and works in the national laboratory monitoring network for people living with HIV/AIDS in the state of Pará.