Clinical Pediatrics and Research

Dr. Laida Restrepo is a Professor in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at Arizona State University, USA. Dr. Restrepo completed her Ph.D in the Speech-Language Pathology at University of Arizona in the year 1995 and M.A in Communication Disorders in Speech-Language Pathology at University of Massachusetts in the year 1986. Dr. Laida Restrepo's research is in the Bilingual Language and Literacy Laboratory is concerned with the development of best practices in assessment and intervention of children who speak Spanish as their native language or who are bilingual. In the Lab, we work on the identification of children with language disorders who speak Spanish or who are bilingual. This research focuses on the use of language sampling, dynamic assessment, parent and teacher interviews, structured language tasks, and the characterization of specific language impairment in children. In addition, they are investigating different types of interventions to improve reading comprehension and oral language skills in at risk Latino children.

Dr. John Dorland Rowlett is Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at St. Joseph-Candler Hospital, USA. He received his MD from University of Kentucky College of Lexington, BS in Pre-Medical Sciences from Eastern Kentucky University Richmond. He is Attending Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician in Memorial Hospital and Orange Park Hospital, Columbus Regional Medical Center, St-Joseph East Hospital. He is Professor of Pediatrics at Georgia Health Sciences University.

Dr. Bing Wang is a Professor and Head in the Department of Physiology and Nutrition at Charles Sturt University, Australia and Adjunct Professor in Faculty of Medicine at Xiamen University, China. She received her Medical degree from Tianjin Medical University, China and her Ph.D. in Nutritional Science from the University of Sydney Australia in the year 2001. Dr. Wang led Nutritional Neurodevelopment Research programs in academia and industry before joining Charles Sturt University in Dec 2012. Dr. Bing Wang research is focused on elucidating the molecular basis of how nutrient components alter metabolic responses important in neurodevelopment and cognitive function from fetus to late life, and in translating the basic science discoveries to human clinical trials and functional food development.

Dr. Falsaperla Raffaele is a Professor in the Department of Preventing and Social Paediatrics at University of Catania, Italy. Dr. Raffaele received his Ph.D. in Pediatric Sciences from University of Catania in 1999, his masters in Multidisciplinary diagnostics in Neuromuscular Diseases from University of Messina in 1997. His research interests include Epilepsy, degenerative diseases snc, inflammatory myopathies, muscular dystrophies, neurogenic dysphagia, hypotonia.

Dr. Zhihui Liu is a Scientist in the Department of Pediatric Oncology at National Cancer Institute, USA. Dr. Liu received his B.S. in biochemistry from Nanjing University in 1995, Ph.D. in Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2004. He won a NCI Director’s Intramural Innovation Award in 2010, Merit Award in Pediatric Oncology Branch Roundup in National Cancer Institute, 2011. Dr. Zhihui Liu research interests include cancer biology, molecular mechanisms involved in pediatric cancer tumorigenesis and progression, characterizing tumor suppressor genes in neuroblastoma (NB), identifiying chromosome 1p36 gene, CASZ1, is a tumor suppressor in NB, high-throughput screening of genetic and epigenetic alterations in neuroblastoma to identify novel tumor suppressors, oncogenes and therapeutic targets.

Dr. Antonio Sergio Petrilli is working as Associate Professor of Pediatric Oncology in Pediatrics Department at Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil. He is also working as Medical Director of Instituto de Oncologia Pediátrica (Pediatric Oncology Institute), GRAACC/UNIFESP. Dr Sergio is President of Hospital Infection Committee, Hospital A.C. Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil. He also worked in Pediatric Oncology at Memorial Hospital, New York, USA and M.D. Anderson Hospital, Texas University, USA. He received First Award Health-Medicine UNIBANCO, by Social Work Parceria Universidade - Comunidade: uma intervenção na área do câncer da criança e do adolescente.

Dr. Francesco Nappi is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Centre Cardiologique du Nord St Denis, France. He graduated as medical doctor at the University Federico II di Napoli in 1985. He was subsequently appointed as staff surgeon at the hospital La Pitie Salpetriere where obtained sub specializations in heart transplantation, pediatric and minimally invasive surgery. He has been working for several years in the field of cardiac surgery developing surgical expertise and research interests in both clinical and biological aspects of heart disease.

Dr. William Cho is a Biomedical Scientist in Queen Elizabeth Hospital. His main research interests have been focusing on cancer studies utilizing high-throughput technologies to discover biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, treatment prediction and prognostication. He is a Chartered Scientist granted by the Science Council (UK), a Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner (HK), Guest Professor of a number of Universities and a Fellow Member of several institutes, including the Institute of Biomedical Science (UK), Hong Kong Institute of Biomedical Science and Hong Kong Society for Molecular Diagnostic Sciences. Dr Cho has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers (Lancet Oncology, Clinical Cancer Research, Clinical Chemistry, Annual Oncology, etc) covering cancer biomarkers, proteomics, microRNAs, Chinese medicine and plenty of books including "MicroRNAs in cancer translational research", "An omics perspective on cancer research", "Supportive cancer care with Chinese medicine", etc. He serves as the editor-in-chief, editor and associate editor of a number of international medical journals. Dr Cho is also an international renowned grant reviewer of the Hope Funds for Cancer Research (USA), Cancer Research (UK), MRC Research Grant (UK), Health Research Board (Ireland), Science Foundation (Ireland), Istituto Toscano Tumori (Firenze), The Foundation Fournier-Majoie for Innovation (Brussels), National Medical Research Council (Singapore), The Medical Research Council (South Africa), and Academia Sinica Investigator Award (Taiwan), etc.

Dr. Arvind Sehgal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at Monash University, Australia and Associate Professor in neonatal consultant at Monash Children's Hospital. He completed a Fellowship in Neonatal Cardiology at University College Hospital, London, UK and The Integrated Neonatal Perinatal Fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Sehgal joined as a neonatologist in 2007 and has functional echocardiography in critical care as his clinical and research interest. Dr. Seghal organises the biennial Monash Cardiovascular Symposium and has lead 'Topic Symposia' and Echocardiography workshops at international conferences. He has more than 80 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and recently completed his PhD under the Department of Paediatrics, Monash University. Dr. Arvind Sehgal's research interests are neonatal-cardiovascular medicine.

Dr. Marcelo Volpon, MD, PhD is a consultant pediatric neurosurgeon working at the University Hospital of Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Brazil, which is one of the top Pediatric Neurosurgery institutions in the country. His areas of expertise include all aspects of Pediatric Neurosurgery, notably hydrocephalus, epilepsy, oncology, spinal dysraphism and the surgical treatment of spasticity. He obtained his medical degree from Ribeirao Preto Medical School, USP, where he also completed his residency in General and Pediatric Neurosurgery. He then undertook fellowships in the United Kingdom, at Birmingham Children's Hospital and the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London. He has also obtained a PhD in Clinical Surgery at Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, studying experimental hydrocephalus. He has several papers published in peer-reviewed journals as well as presentations in renowned Neurosurgical meetings around the world. He is a member of the International and European Societies for Pediatric Neurosurgery and the Brazilian and British Societies of Neurosurgery. His research interest include Epilepsy surgery, Genetics of epilepsies, Molecular biology of clinical and experimental hydrocephalus, Craniosynostoses and congenital malformations and Chiari malformations.

Dr. Petru Liuba is a Senior Consultant, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor of Paediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology; Director of Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization in Pediatric Heart Centre at Lund University and Skane University Hospital, Sweden. He received his Ph.D in Medical Sciences at Lund University in 2002, Licentiate of Medicine (MD) in 1995. Dr. Liuba received Sanofi-Aventis Award for Research on Cardiometabolic Disease in the year 2008.

Dr. Ho-Chang Kuo is working as Director of 'Kawasaki Disease Center' of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. He is also working as an attending pediatrician, physician scientist and associate Professor at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taiwan. Dr. Kuo graduated from National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan with a M.D. degree in 1999 and PhD degree from Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science at Chang Gung University, Taiwan in 2011. My research interesting was mainly focus on Kawasaki disease. He had published more than 110 peer-reviewed SCI journal papers including 2 Nature Genetics (2011 and 2012), 1 Circulation Research, 1 Arthritis and Rheumatology, 2 Allergy and 65 Kawasaki disease papers. He is ranked as 1st Top Expert of Kawasaki disease in Asia by Expertscape.com.

Dr. Khue Vu Nguyen is currently Full Project Scientist in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA. He has studied at University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France: B.S. in Biochemistry, M.S. in Molecular Biology, Ph.D. in Macromolecular Physical Chemistry, Ph.D. in Physical Sciences (Doctorat d'Etat es Sciences Physiques). Dr. Nguyen has worked as Scientist in different French and U.S. Research Institutions and Companies. He is author and co-author of numerous publications and holder of many patents. Dr. Nguyen is listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, etc. He is member of different academic organizations such as American Society for Microbiology, American Chemical Society. Dr. Nguyen is invited reviewer and editorial board of different scientific journals. He is Scientist Reviewer for grant proposals of the Metabolic Disease Two (MB-2) of the Peer Review Medical Research Program (PRMRP) for the U.S. Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Dr. Khue Vu Nguyen Current research interest includes genetic diseases, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, Molecular Biology, Enzymology and cancer.

Dr. Jinhong Zhu is an Associate Professor, Vice Director in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, China. Dr. Zhu received her Ph.D. in the Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, USA in 2009, M.S in the Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, USA, 2005. Dr. Jinhong was honoured by (Union for International Cancer Control-Chinese Anti-Cancer Association) Chinese Fellowship (2015), First-place abstract Award, the Sino-US Oncology symposium, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China in 2015. Her research interests include development of targeted therapy for non small cell lung cancer and genetic susceptibility to thoracic tumors.