East Carolina University, Brody Medical School, USA
Calogero Caruso
University of Palermo
Italy
Calogero Caruso, MD. Formerly full professor of General Pathology, is Professor Emeritus of the University of Palermo. He was Coordinator of the PhD course in Molecular Medicine and Biotechnology. He directed the Immunopathology Laboratory and the Transfusion Medicine Unit of the Paolo Giaccone University Hospital. He is the author of 381 scientific papers with a total of 12995 citations, mainly on topics of immunogenetics and immunopathology, immunosenescence, aging and longevity. Founder and Editor of Immunity & Aging from 2004 to 2018; he is currently Academic Editor of PlosOne, Mediators of Inflammation, International Journal of Molecular Sciences. He recently edited the book “Centenarians. An example of Positive Biology" for Springer Nature, and with Prof. Giuseppina Candore he edited for Elsevier the book "Human Aging: From Cellular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies" to be published in May. Coordinator of an Italian national project on Centenaries and longevity (2017-2020), with Prof. Giuseppina Candore he is responsible for the local unit of the European project “Improved Vaccination Strategies for Older Adults”.
Rachel Roper
East Carolina University, Brody Medical School
USA
Dr. Roper is a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at East Carolina University (ECU) in the Brody School of Medicine. She received her B.S. from Texas A & M University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry where she received the M.A. Hare Research Excellence Award. She received her post-doctoral training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Lab of Viral Disease and was awarded an NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence. She has worked on poxvirus virulence genes, genomics, and vaccines, including oncolytic viruses and has been cited more than 7,000 times. She is an inventor on SARS Coronavirus and poxvirus patents. Dr. Roper has received funding from foundations, industry, the US NIH and National Science Foundation and has served on national and international grant panels, Editorial Boards and is Chair of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) poxvirus section. She is a member of the National Academy of Inventors, an ECU Woman of Distinction, and recipient of the School of Medicine Women’s Advocacy Award and ECU Faculty Senate Extraordinary Service Award. She is a Chair of the Global Virus Network Monkeypox Task Force and serves on the American Society for Microbiology Inclusive Diversity with Equity, Access, and Accountability (IDEAA) Committee of the Board.
