International Conference on Retroviruses and Novel Drugs June 08-09, 2015 Chicago, Illinois, USA

Karin Moelling was born in Northern Germany, trained as a physicist specialized in Nuclear Physics. She was trained at Berkeley, University of California, in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. She took her PhD at the Max-Planck-Institute for Virology at Tübingen, Germany, and her Habilitation at the University of Giessen in Biophysics. She worked at the Robert Koch-Institute in Berlin, the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. In 1993 she became Director and Professor of the Institute for Medical Virology at the University of Zurich and Head of the Viral Diagnostics Department of the University Hospital, which she increased 15-fold. She had to retire there and is still affiliated with the University of Zurich and the Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. She was Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study at Berlin 2008/2009 and became Vice President of the Fellow Club.

Viruses, in particular retroviruses, and cancer, from molecular mechanisms to drug design. Replication of HIV, discovery of the retroviral RNase H, development of antiretroviral mechanisms driving HIV into suicide, and various oncogenes such as identification of Myc and Myb as nuclear transcription factors, and discovery of the Mil/Raf kinase as retroviral oncogene. Interest in signal transduction in normal and tumor cells, gene regulation, cell-cycle, transcription factors, PDZ domains, scaffold proteins, oncogenes in leukemias, lymphomas, cancer, gene medicine/therapy, vaccines, HIV/AIDS, Influenza, viruses in immune-suppression, antiviral drug design, silencing by siDNA. biotechnology, non-coding RNA, endogenous viruses, evolution of viruses.

Specialty: Viral Oncology Awards Research Career Award National Research Council of Argentina Damon Runyon Fund Fellowship Member National Academy of Medicine, Argentina
Outstanding Women in Science Award AWIS Metropolitan N.Y Fellow New York Academy of Sciences Membership Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

The main research of this laboratory concerns molecular mechanisms of viral pathogenesis. Fifteen percent of human cancers are associated with or caused by viruses. We are investigating if a virus similar to the mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) is involved in human breast cancer pathogenesis. We have found viral sequences similar to MMTV in 38% of the human breast cancers tested. They were expressed as RNA and proteins. A complete proviral structure has been detected with the characteristics of a replicative competent virus. Recently, we isolated and characterized a beta retrovirus from primary cultures of human breast cancer cells. The retrovirus is able to infect epithelial and lymphocytic human cells. Its potential for malignant transformation is being investigated. Epidemiological studies on breast cancer and retroviral incidence are also carried out by analyzing samples from different geographical locations. The transcriptional profile of breast cancer cells carrying the virus was also investigated. Together, these studies will help to determine if a retrovirus is involved in human breast cancer pathogenesis.

Dr. Shan Cen is a Professor and Head of Immunology Division at the Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Pekin Union Medical College, China, Project director, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital Canada, Adjunct Assistant Professor Department of Microbiology, McGill University, Canada, Adjunct Faculty member Department of Medicine McGill University, Canada. He received his PhD degree in Microbiology from Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine in 1994. He has completed his MS in Microbiological Medicine, Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, China, and he has also completed BSc from the Department of Microbiology, Shandong University, China. Dr Shan Cen has been serving as a reviewer for reputed journals including J Biol Chem J Virol PlosOne Virology Retrovirology for years.

Virus-host interaction, Host restriction factor, Viral assembly, Reverse transcription, Novel antiviral target, Establishment and validation of drug screening assay, HIV, HCV, Influenza, EV71.

Dr. Mansky is Professor and Director of the Institute for Molecular Virology, University of Minnesota. He received his PhD degree in Molecular Virology from Iowa State University and was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Howard Temin at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Cell and molecular biology of HIV and HTLV; HIV drug resistance; HTLV particle assembly and release; Evolution of emerging viruses

Dr. Lindsay Hughes is a behavioral scientist with 10 years of progressive experience in research, design, proposal development, and implementation of evidence-based health science studies and interventions using effective, strategic, and culturally sensitive human communication and information technologies to improve health outcomes through increased access and adherence to medical interventions. She has developed various models to measure patient outcomes at the individual, dyadic, and community levels, and has designed innovative dissemination and data capture tools using eHealth and mHealth platforms.

Dr. Hughes has extensive experience managing concurrent diverse, multi-faceted domestic and international OR portfolios in various capacities (including PI, AI, and Advisor); partnering with clinical and laboratory scientists; and capacity building and mentorship of junior staff and scientists as well as local and indigenous organizations to improve scientific acumen, and leverage resources to develop strategic partnerships with governments, ministries, and private-sector partners. She has worked with various funders (e.g., USAID, CIDA, CDC, NIH, DOD, WRAIR, BMGF, HRA Pharma) and has a track record of developing, facilitating, and improving relationships with clients and stakeholders. She is skilled at quantitative and qualitative methods; regulatory strategy design; scientific, consulting, and technical writing; and translation of data for diverse audiences.