2^nd International Conference on Microbial Pathogenesis & Infectious Diseases June 25-26, 2018 Vancouver, Canada
(10 Plenary Forums, 2 Days, 1 Event)

Gregory A. Buck, Ph.D., is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He obtained his BS in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his MS and Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Washington-Seattle studying the toxinogenic bacteriophages of Corynebacterium diphtheria. He did postdoctoral research at the Institut Pasteur in Paris studying the genetics of antigenic variation in African Trypanosomes, and subsequently joined the faculty in the department of Microbiology and Immunology at VCU. He founded and directs VCU’s Nucleic Acids Research Facilities which maintains VCU’s Next Generation Sequencing infrastructure, and Center for High Performance Computing which provides research computing capacity to VCU’s investigators. He founded the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity in 2000 under the umbrella of VCU Life Sciences, and directed that unit until 2017. His recent work has focused on high throughput microbial genomics and metagenomics, with a focus on women’s health.

Microbiology and Immunology

B.S. 1979, University of Costa Rica, Costa Rica M.Sc. 1991, University of Guelph, Canada Ph.D. 1995, The University of Texas at Austin Postdoctoral fellow 1995, The University of Texas at Austin

Microbiology & Molecular Genetics

Dr. Donovan has long cultivated a particular interest in medical mycology. After completing her residency in Iran, she attended graduate school at the Gifu University, School of Medicine in Japan and obtained her Ph.D. Her research focus was in Candida albicans. Dr. Donovan developed specific training and expertise in protein purification, molecular biology and gene manipulation techniques. Her research focused on the identification of virulence factors and the interaction of the fungus with the human host. After securing a post- doctoral fellowship position at the Medical College of Ohio, Dr. Donovan shifted her research to Coccidioides immitis. She identified and purified urease protein and constructed a urease knock out strain of this fungus which demonstrated lesser virulence in an animal model. Her research showed promise for the development of a Coccidioides immitis vaccine. She then moved to the University of Cincinnati where her emphasis was involved with genetic manipulation of Histoplasma capsulatum and the fungal-host interaction in an animal model. In 2004, Dr. Donovan was given an opportunity to begin a residency in Internal Medicine and later completed an Infectious Disease fellowship with a focus in tropical medicine. That experience and her years as a practicing infectious diseases physician gave her a unique appreciation and understanding of the attention to detail required of a research scientist and the challenge treating patients with opportunistic fungal infections. Her greatest challenges are treating severely neutropenic patients and those with HIV/AIDS. Returning to her roots at the Valley fever Center for Excellence (VFCE), Dr. Donovan proposes to evaluate her observation that an earlier diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) can reduce both unnecessary tests and treatments, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. Additional benefits would include but not be limited to improving antibiotic stewardship, developing population management programs, and serving as a model to address other opportunistic infections.

As both a practicing physician and a research scientist, Dr. Donovan has long cultivated a particular interest in medical mycology. Her research focuses on the identification of virulence factors and the interaction of several fungi with the human host. Her goal is to identify and characterize regulatory mechanisms at a post-transcriptional level that have a crucial role in the development of Valley Fever in humans.

Ezendu Ariwa holds the position of Professor in Computer Science at University of Bedfordshire, UK, Department of Computer Science & Technology, with speciality in Practice in Computing. He is also a Visiting Professor at Gulf University, Bahrain, Visiting Professor in Engineering Sustainability and ICT, Anadolu University, Turkey, Visiting Professor, University of Lagos, Nigeria, Visiting Professor and Co-Director of the Centre of Excellence in Cloud Computing, IAMTECH University, Sierra Leone. He also holds the position of Director - Technical and Non-Executive Director and Research Professor for Enterprise Projects at Sun Bio IT Solutions Pvt. Ltd, India. He is also the Chair for the IEEE Consumer Electronics Chapter, UK & Republic of Ireland (UKRI). He is a Senior Member of Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (SMIEE); Chartered FELLOW of the British Computer Society (CITP, FBCS). He is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Green Computing (IJGC), Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Computing and Digital Systems (IJCDS), Journal of E-Technology. He is author of a number of books and more than 200 papers published in international journals and conference proceedings. He recently published a book on Green Technology Applications for Enterprise and Academic Innovation, 2014; Publisher: IGI Global, USA.

Computer Science & Technology

PhD, 2005, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX MS, 1999, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX BS, 1995, University of California, Riverside, CA

Internal Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology

Head of Microbiology Department, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University from 2008- 2014 & Chancellor of Islamic Azad University, Sarein Branch, Iran in 2008-2011, also Dean of Educational Affairs, Islamic Azad University in 2002-2004. Research Interest include Interaction between bacteria and protozoa in hosts, Human parasites, New methods for detecting protozoan infections, Proteomics, Identification of antigenic and predominant immunogenic proteins of bacteria & protozoa, Using medicinal plants in treatment of parasites infections

Interaction between bacteria and protozoa in hosts, Human parasites, New methods for detecting protozoan infections, Proteomics, Identification of antigenic and predominant immunogenic proteins of bacteria & protozoa, Using medicinal plants in treatment of parasites infections

Working as a Professor of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, at the University of Dhaka

Nucleic Acid Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Biomolecular Pharmacy, Biotechnology and Molecular Biology