Bio
Prof. Dimiter Avtanski is Director of the Gerald J. Friedman Diabetes Institute Research Laboratory at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, Professor of Medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in Hempstead, New York, and Investigator at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York. He completed a research fellowship at the University of Leipzig, Germany, and earned his PhD from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Beth Israel Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Avtanski subsequently completed two postdoctoral fellowships at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, specializing in pediatric endocrinology and breast cancer oncology. His research explores the molecular links between obesity, diabetes, and breast cancer progression. Dr. Avtanski has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and he is editor of the Springer books “Obesity, Diabetes, and Inflammation—Clinical Perspectives” and “Adipose Tissue: Endocrine Functions, Health Implications, and Future Perspectives.” He serves as Associate Editor, Guest Editor, and Editorial Board Member for several leading journals and is an active mentor and organizer of scientific programs.

Talk
Presentation Title: Deciphering Brain Mechanisms in Obesity: Insights From Animal Models

Bio
Dr. Jitendra Kumar Sinha is the Chief Scientific Officer of GloNeuro, India, an organization dedicated to promoting brain awareness among the public and providing neuroscience consultancy for researchers and corporate R&D in brain-related products. With over eighteen years of preclinical research experience, Dr. Sinha has focused on the neurobiology of obesity, spinal cord injury, epilepsy, and neuro-oncology. He has conducted research at leading national and international institutions, including the University of New South Wales (Australia), University of Verona (Italy), the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Bangalore), and the CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Hyderabad). Dr. Sinha serves on the editorial boards of Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience and Matters and is a life member of several professional societies, including the Molecular and Cellular Cognition Society, Indian Academy of Neurosciences, Nutrition Society of India, Society for Neurochemistry India, and Society for Biological Chemists India. He has authored over 80 publications in respected international journals such as The Lancet and Neuroscience (with a cumulative impact factor exceeding 650), published 45 international book chapters, and is currently editing four international book titles. Dr. Sinha’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships, including nine from the International Brain Research Organization, as well as honors from the Japan Neuroscience Society, UNESCO, Society for Neuroscience (USA), International Society for Neurochemistry, FAONS, the Government of India, and the Korean Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis.

Talk
Presentation Title: Adipose Tissue and Aging: The Role of Nutrition

Bio
Jee Lee, MD, is a clinical physician who graduated from Ewha University Medical School in South Korea. She completed her internal medicine residency at Mount Vernon Hospital, NY, and furthered her expertise with a nutrition fellowship at Columbia University. Recently board-certified in Geriatric Medicine, Dr. Lee currently serves as a research fellow in the Endocrinology Division at Northwell Health, supported by a NY ECRIP grant.

Talk
Presentation Title: Linking Mitochondrial Genomics and Epigenetics to Inflammatory Metabolism With Precision Tools

Bio
Antonina Gospodinova, MD is a biomedical scientist with a robust academic foundation from the Medical University in Sofia, Bulgaria. She began her professional career as a biologist at a start-up, specializing in 3D bio-printing, where she spent two years cultivating her passion for scientific research. Dr. Gospodinova subsequently joined the Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, gaining in-depth experience in experimental biology over the course of a year. Currently, she is a second-year PhD student at the OMICs Technologies Lab within the institute under the supervision of Prof. Krassimira Todorova-Hayrabedyan, PhD, DSc. Her research focuses on the relationship between metabolic health and mitochondrial biology. Dr. Gospodinova is particularly passionate about nutrition, gut health, and metabolic inflammation.