Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine University of Wisconsin-Madison United States of America;Dr. Ksenija Bernau is an Assistant Professor in Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and specializes in developing targeted, translatable molecular imaging probes for lung disease. Her research combines expertise in molecular biology, targeted peptides, and in vivo imaging to enable real-time disease assessment and guide targeted therapeutic decision-making.

Linda and Bipin Doshi Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Missouri University of Science and Technology;Dr. Mostafa Yazdi is an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and his M.Sc. in Polymer Engineering, focusing on the development of innovative polymeric nanocomposites. With a strong background in engineering and a specialization in nanotechnology and biomaterials, he conducted research at the Helmerich Advanced Technology Research Center at Oklahoma State University, where he developed biodegradable scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration. Dr. Yazdi received his Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Utah, where his research explored how the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles influence protein corona composition, cellular uptake, toxicity, and genomic alterations. He subsequently completed his postdoctoral training, focused on developing advanced drug delivery systems to improve the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. At Missouri S&T, Dr. Yazdi leads the Advanced Immunoengineering for Translational Medicine Laboratory. His research mission is to modulate the tissue microenvironment through innovative drug and gene delivery systems to enhance cancer immunotherapy and tissue regeneration, with the ultimate goal of translating these technologies into clinical applications.

Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, USA;Dr. Marshall Scott Padilla is currently an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and an incoming Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Sarafan ChEM-H Institute Scholar at Stanford University, where he studies how the molecular and supramolecular design of lipid nanoparticles controls the delivery of RNA to specific cells. He earned his B.S. in chemistry from the College of William & Mary and his Ph.D. in chemical biology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.