Speakers

Heather Zar, MD

Heather Zar is Professor & Chair, Department of Paediatrics & Child Health at Red Cross Childrens Hospital and Director, SA-MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa. Her work, focused on childhood pneumonia and tuberculosis, has had global impact on strategies for diagnosis, prevention and treatment. A key advocate for child health in Africa and globally, she’s served as President of the Pan African Thoracic Society, past president of the Forum of International Respiratory Societies, and in an advisory capacity to the WHO and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She received the World Lung Health award from the American Thoracic Society in 2014 and the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Laureate for Africa/Arabia in 2018.

 

Moshe Biton, PhD

I'm a senior scientist at the Biological Regulation department in the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. My lab aims to decipher the gut gene regulatory networks of immune-epithelial interactions, particularly intestinal stem and immune cells crosstalk. Our group investigates the role of immune regulation of epithelial stem cells and explores the role of epithelial cells in shaping mucosal immunity. We utilize single-cell genomics, genetics, and computational methods to uncover new immune-related mechanisms and their biological function in organoids, mouse, and human samples.

 

Scott Randell, PhD

Dr. Randell is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Dept. of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (UNC), with a joint appointment in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and an Adjunct Appointment in the Dept. of Cell Biology at Duke University. He obtained a Ph.D. in Toxicology and Experimental Pathology from Johns Hopkins University and did a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University studying lung developmental biology. He was a Senior Staff Fellow at NIEHS where he developed further expertise in airway epithelial cell biology and lung stem cells.  He has over 165 total peer-reviewed publications, reviews, book chapters and a book editorship.  He is on the Editorial Board of two leading lung journals and is an active peer reviewer for journals, NIH and numerous national and international granting organizations.  He has served on American Thoracic Society Committees and has organized and spoken at many national and international meetings.  Dr. Randell directs the UNC Marsico Lung Institute/Cystic Fibrosis Center Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture Core, a nationally and internationally recognized resource, whose services are sought for collaboration, contract research, and training by academics, non-profit organizations, biotech and the pharmaceutical industry.  His research focuses on lung epithelial stem cells, regulation of lung cell proliferation and differentiation, lung innate immunity, cystic fibrosis and in vitro models.  Recent work is focused on surmounting the challenges of cell therapy for cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases.

 

Matthew Goddeeris, PhD

Matthew (Matt) Goddeeris is a drug discovery scientist with 13 years of experience working across the rare disease therapeutic landscape. As the Vice President of Research at Eloxx Pharmaceuticals, Matt uses his background in in Cell and Developmental Biology to explore the Eloxx Library of read-through molecules to identify compounds with properties suitable for indications with high unmet need. Eloxx is currently conducting a pair of Phase 2 clinical trials with its lead molecule, ELX-02, in individuals with nonsense-mediated cystic fibrosis.

Matt earned his PhD from Duke University in Cell and Developmental Biology with a research focus on cardiac development and malformation. Subsequently, Matt conducted postdoctoral training with Kevin Campbell (HHMI/University of Iowa) investigating the underpinnings of rare forms of muscular dystrophy. This research resulted in multiple first-author papers in high-profile journals, including Nature. At a small biotech company named Mitobridge, and later the Pharmaceutical Company Astellas, Matt led biology efforts on small molecule programs directed at improving mitochondrial function in rare muscle and metabolic disorders. Matt joined Eloxx in 2018 and is located at the Waltham, Massachusetts office.

 

Jane C. Davies, MD

Jane C. Davies is a British physician who is Professor of Paediatric Respirology at Imperial College School of Medicine. She is an Honorary Consultant at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

Davies joined the National Heart and Lung Institute in 1999, where she has specialised in cystic fibrosis. Davies has been involved with the UK CF Gene Therapy Consortium since it was established in 2002. Davies worked on the development of Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene therapy. She led the first trials of CFTR modulators in young children. She conducts bronchoscopic assays and electrophysiological measurements.

Davies investigates cystic fibrosis. She was involved with a major UK trial of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis.

Davies leads the Strategic Research Centre for Pseudomonas Infection in Cystic Fibrosis at Imperial College London, one of few centres supported by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.. Davies is part of the European CF Society Clinical Trials Network. She was involved in the design of the clinical trial, as well as validation of outcome measures. She works on the use of nasal potential difference to diagnose atypical cystic fibrosis.