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Jeffery L. Coffer is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Texas Christian University, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1990. With a principal focus on silicon nanostructures for drug delivery and “smart” biomedical applications, his research group has investigated a variety of therapeutic targets using these platforms, including structures with anticancer, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory relevance. Composites comprising nanostructured Si and biocompatible polymers with utility for tissue engineering are also of interest to him. Coffer has authored more than 180 refereed publications, three patents, and numerous book chapters and received multiple awards, including the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Teacher–Scholar and the Wilfred T. Doherty Award for Research from the American Chemical Society.

Bio
Frédérique Cunin is director of research of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) in Montpellier, France. Her research focuses on the elaboration of biocompatible porous silicon nanostructures for application in nanomedicine. This includes targeted anticancer therapies, gene- and cell-based therapies, and tissue engineering. Her activity particularly focuses on material synthesis methods, the control of the morphology and texture of the material, and the development of new surface chemical treatments for biofunctionalization. Her research is also on the comprehension and exploitation of the electronic and optical properties of nanostructured silicon. In 2015, she co-founded the French Society of Porous SemiConductors and Oxides (SCOPe). She received the Chercheur d’Avenir prize from the Region Occitanie in 2015, and she was awarded the ACS/SCF Franco-American Lectureship Prize in 2019.

Research Keywords
Nanoparticle-Supported

Bio
Dr. Chiappini is Senior Lecturer in Nanomaterials and Biointerfaces at King’s College London. His research combines nanotechnology, bioengineering, and cell biology to develop nanomaterials for advanced therapies and spatial biology. He has developed new approaches for topical gene therapy to the eye and skin for the treatment of inherited diseases; advanced regenerative medicine for periodontal disease; and new approaches for longitudinal sampling in spatial biology. His research has been funded by the ERC Starting Grant, UKRI, CureEB, and Fight for Sight. In 2021, Dr. Chiappini was recognized as an emerging biomaterial scientist by the Royal Society of Chemistry. He was a Marie Curie Fellow and Newton International Fellow at Imperial College London from 2011 until 2016, and holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Chiappini has authored more than 50 publications with over 7000 citations and 4 international patents.

Research Keywords
Biointerface Blending Nanotechnology, Bioengineering and Cell Biology to Develop Functional Materials that Direct Cell Behaviour