Naomi Chayen is Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Imperial College London and Head of the Crystallization Group in Computational and Systems Medicine. She specializes in crystallization of biological macromolecules, in particular, designing practical methodology (including high-throughput nanoscale experiments) for producing crystals of medical and industrial interest. Several of her outputs are commercialised (e.g. Naomi’s Nucleant; Chayen Reddy MIP). She has also sent experiments into Space with NASA, the European and Russian Space Agencies and the International Space Station. Naomi received several awards among them an Innovator of the Year Prize and Women of Outstanding Achievement for Innovation and Entrepreneurship commendation.

Kenneth J Shea is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of California, Irvine. Professor Shea’s research interests are in polymer and materials chemistry and nanotechnology, particularly at the nano-bio interface.  He has mentored over 175 graduate, postdoctoral and visiting scientists at the University of California. Professor Shea and his students have published over 300 manuscripts, presented 175 papers at various scientific meetings and symposia. He has been awarded 9 US Patents and has given over 325 invited and plenary lectures at international symposia, academic and industrial institutions.

Toshifumi Takeuchi received his Ph.D. degree in 1984 from Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama, Japan. Since 2003, he has been a full professor of Kobe University. Prior to that, he was an assistant professor at Nihon University, a post-doctoral fellow at University of Delaware and University of Hawaii at Manoa, an associate professor in Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, and a full professor of Hiroshima City University. His research interests include design and synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers and their analytical and biomedical applications.