Speakers
Professor Yufeng Jane Tseng received her B.S. degree in Pharmacy from National Taiwan University in 1997, and Ph.D. degree in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2002. Prof. Tseng worked as a postdoctoral research associate at UIC in 2003 and 2004 and then moved to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Institutes of Health in 2005 as an IRTA Research Fellow. Dr. Tseng joined the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering of National Taiwan University in 2006 and holds a joint appointment at the Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University. She is currently a professor at the Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics, and Bioinformatics, the Department of Computer Science and Information, and the School of Pharmacy. Prof. Tseng is the founder and the Principal Investigator of the Metabolomics Core Laboratory at the Genomics Center. She is currently the Director of the Drug Research Center and also associate director of Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center of National Taiwan University.
Her research interests include AI-assisted Drug Design/Discovery, and Metabolomics. Prof. Tseng’s specialty in AI-assisted drug design and discovery has made fast discovery and showed promising clinical results for novel CNS and cardiovascular drug developments. Prof. Tseng’s extraordinary effort in drug discovery also recently resulted in three prestigious awards: Taiwan National Bio-Innovation Award (2016), Novartis Venture Fund Mentorship Grantee (only two cases in 2016), and NTU EECS Academic Merit Award (2017). She is also the recipients of many international awards including IBM Faculty Award (USA, 2015), and Ching Kang Foundation Young Investigator Award and Drug Repurposing Innovation Award from TWi Pharmaceutical Foundation (2016, and 2015, Taiwan). She has been organizing the drug discovery symposiums at America Chemical Society (ACS) National Meetings since 2009. Her recent global efforts including TDT – Teach, Discovery, Treat initiatives for treating neglected diseases. TDT initiative was awarded by the ACS IPG innovation fund in 2012. In 2013, TDT was awarded with ACS Chemluminary award for its global effort combating neglected diseases.
Dr. Akihiro Shimosaka involved in the research and development of EPO, G-CSF and TPO from discovery research to clinical development. All those growth factors were new biologics when we developed. There was no regulation on the sue of mammalian cells for drug manufacturing. We had to establish standard for the production of EPO using Chinese hamster ovary cell. Discovery of α-galactosyl ceramide needed study on the role of NKT cells. α-galactosyl ceramide is the first small molecule which bind to receptor. This molecule is specifically bind to CD1d. for the development of DC therapy, there was no standard for the cellular therapy in US and Japan. We had to propose again standard for such therapy. Exosome clinical study was also the first case of exosome in clinical study. Involved in the activity of ISCT from the start of this society. Now still working for the Asian Cellular Therapy Organization for the development of cellular therapy in Asia in collaboration among academy, industry and regulatory agency for the patients.
Professor Farrugia is an internationally recognised authority in the manufacture, clinical development and regulatory oversight of biotherapies and diagnostics. His thirty years of experience in practically every sector associated with blood and tissue-derived biotherapies combined with a constantly high throughput in the peer reviewed literature have been key factors in his achievements in industry, government and academia. He has extensive international involvement in agencies such as the World Health Organisation, the Council of Europe, many patient groups and professional societies. He is constantly in demand as a speaker in international conferences, teaches and supervises students in two universities and serves as a referee and on the editorial boards of several journals. Professor Farrugia has held senior positions in government and the health care industry for the past twenty years, being a key decision maker in most of that time.
His current role has him consulting for a range of clients in ALMAR Therapeutics, a company he formed when he left the Australian government’s public service in 2008. He provides major contractual services to the international commercial plasma protein industry, developing strategic policy options to improve access to essential therapies worldwide. He continues to advise governments on regulatory and health care policy related to the provision and assessment of biotherapies. He contributes to international developments to these areas through advocacy for patient groups and support for agencies such as the World Health Organisation.
Dr. Koh received his medical degree in Singapore and all of his subsequent haematology training (MRCP, FRCPath) in London. He hols several joint positions. Dr. Koh is the director of the stem cell transplant programme at St George's Hospital and is also the medical director of the cell therapy facility in Singapore, actively engaging in translational trails with other academic groups.
Dr. Rita YH Huang holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology from the National Taiwan University and received her postdoctoral training in Stem Cell Biology at Academia Sinica and Saint Louis University, USA. She currently is the Distinguished Professor and Director of International PhD Program for Cell Therapy and Regeneration Medicine at Taipei Medical University (TMU IPCTRM) and TMU Research Center for Cell Therapy and Regeneration Medicine (TMU CCTRM). Prof. Huang has an established track record in the study of stem cell biology, pathology, and cell therapy, particularly in the areas of embryonic pluripotency regulation, systemic safety cell therapy product development, cancer stemness, and immune cell cancer therapy. She has published many high impact works in top-ranking journals of Stem Cell Reports, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, and American Journal Gastroenterology. Prof. Huang received awards of 2015 Outstanding Young Scientist Research Grant, Ministry of Science Technology (MOST), Executive Yuan, Taiwan and the 2016 Outstanding Basic Research Award for Cancer Medicine of Dr. Da-Cheng Tung, The Chinese Oncology Society (COS), Taiwan. She leads the cell therapy research/clinical trial group at TMU and is active in promoting stem cell research/cell therapy in Taiwan. She has held Executive Director Position in Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research (TSSCR) and Taiwan Association for Cell Therapy (TACT). Prof. Huang is also honorable to join the Committee Board of Regeneration Medicine and Cell Therapy, Taiwan TFDA/MOHW to help the cell therapy regulation and project review since 2014, and was invited to be the review board of more than 20 international top-ranking journals.
Dr. Tang has entered the regulatory science field since 2010, firstly in the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) then in the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE). TFDA is the competent authority in charge of food, drugs, controlled drugs, medical equipment and cosmetics related management in Taiwan; CDE was established by Department of Health (DOH, now Ministry of Health and Welfare, MOHW) in 1998, to assist the technical evaluation for market approval of drugs and medical devices.
Since joining in the regulatory science filed, Dr. Tang has been involved in various projects. She is an experienced reviewer in evaluating market authorization application of both medical devices and drugs, also clinical trial protocols of all phases. A major part of her work at present is to provide scientific advice to domestic biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies, non-government organization and research institutes, assist government agencies such as the Ministry of Economic Affairs in evaluating biopharmaceutical industry development programs and budget, and give advice to government agencies for formulating policy and laws related to biopharmaceutical industry and trade. Besides, she is frequently invited as a speaker in different specialized topics, like clinical trial protocol design, clinical trial regulations, adverse event reporting during clinical trials, etc.
Dr. Jonas Wang is CEO/Chairman of StemCyte International Ltd (SIL). Before joining SIL, he was a Partner of Sycamore Ventures responsible for life sciences and biotechnology investments in 2002-2014.
Before joining Sycamore Ventures, Jonas was Vice President of Research and Technology at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products and a Corporate Director of J&J Drug Delivery Technology Resource Center (TRC), responsible for new product technology, patent strategy, competitive intelligence, and new measurement methodology for skin and hair care franchise. Prior to that, he was an Associate Director of Basic Pharmaceutics, the Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. In 2001, he had participated at the Congressional Business Summit in Washington, D. C., leading a business group exploring emerging markets potential in America. Jonas has over 35 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D management and business development. He is a seasoned versatile executive with experience in start-ups, big Pharma, medical devices, and biotechnology firms. He is experienced with strong Scientific/Regulatory and Business Management background in both pharmaceutical and biotech field. He is expert in developing pharmaceutical patents, business and financial Strategies. He has extensive business contacts in both pharma and biotech field.
During his career with J&J, he was a member of J&J Consumer Product Worldwide L&A Committee and the key driver for acquisition of Neutrogena and ROC. He has published extensively in drug delivery technology and received several major awards in his field, including the Johnson Medal, the highest technical achievement award at J&J, for one of his inventions: anti-wrinkle cream. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni awards from the National Defense Medical Center and College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa. Jonas developed more than 10 core technologies, and filed more than 30 business-related patents.
Jonas received his Ph.D. in Physical Pharmacy from College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, USA in 1982 and B.S. Pharmacy degree from National Defense Medical Center in Taiwan, Republic of China.
Dr. Yasumichi Hitoshi received MD at Kumamoto University School of Medicine in 1987 and his Ph.D. in Immunology from Kumamoto University in 1991. >15 year experience with heading oncology and metabolism researches (Target identification and validation, and preclinical development of small molecule therapeutics) as a research director and a VP at Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Involved in the IND filling process of multiple drugs. Dr. Yasumichi Hitoshi joined Thyas Co. Ltd. in 2017.
Dr. Kuo received a Ph.D. degree in Reproductive genetics at the King’s College London in 2001, followed by his post-doctoral research at the Oregon National Primate Research Center where he was appointed as an ONPRC staff scientist in 2003. He is currently a Research fellow at the Stem Cell Program of Academia Sinica. Dr. Kuo’s main research interests focus on understanding the interplay between early patterning and genetic regulators in directing generation of pluripotent cells and embryonic germ layers. His laboratory is currently using human pluripotent stem cells, including human ES and iPS cells, as a developmental model or source of defined cell populations for basic or clinic purpose. Specifically, His research focus on 1. Functional roles of the non-colinear RNAs in pluripotency, reprogramming, and differentiation. 2. The molecular basis of human pluripotent stem cell cortical differentiation and patterning. 3. Human iPSC as therapeutic platforms for neurodegenerative diseases.