This year’s edition will feature prominent speakers from leading institutions located in various parts of the globe. Monitor our social media (Instagram, Linked In) or this page to stay updated on lecturers and themes for ICOCIMS 2025 edition.
Keynote Lectures
Lecture 1:
“Bioprinting as a catalyst for personalized bioactive devices” by Prof. Michele Conti (Ph.D.)
Prof. Michele Conti is currently a Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Pavia. He was the recipient of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Research Grant in 2016 and serves as the President of the Italian Chapter of the European Society of Biomechanics (ESB-ITA). He conducted advanced research on computational fluid dynamics of carotid arteries at the University of California, San Diego (USA) and has been actively involved in numerous international collaborations.
Prof. Conti is a reviewer for several leading peer-reviewed journals, including “Journal of Biomechanics”, “Medical Engineering & Physics”, and “Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering”. He has also served as a project reviewer for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He is the co-founder of P4P srl, a biomedical start-up company focused on innovation in personalized medicine and computational biomechanics.
Lecture 2:
“Inhaled Biologics: The Breath of Innovation in Drug Delivery” by Prof. Eride Quarta (Ph.D.)
Prof. Eride Quarta is an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Parma. She obtained her Ph.D. through a joint program with the University of Alberta (Canada), strengthening her international research profile.
Her work has been recognized with several awards, including Best Poster Award at the European Federation for Pharmaceutical Sciences Annual Meeting (2019, Frankfurt), and multiple Travel Grants for scientific events at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Groningen.
She was selected to participate in international innovation programs, such as the Business Match USMAC Silicon Valley Program (2019) and the Talent Open Innovation PhD Program (2020, Italy). Her research focuses on the design and development of innovative drug delivery systems, including micro- and nano-scale formulations using particle engineering technologies (e.g., spray drying, lyophilization, crystallization), with applications in repurposing orphan drugs and inhalable therapies.
Lecture 3:
“The language of Pain” by Prof. Roberto Casale (M.D., Ph.D.)
Prof. Roberto Casale is a neurologist, anesthesiologist, and expert in pain medicine, with a Ph.D. in Advanced Rehabilitation Technologies from the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He currently serves as Scientific Director of OPUSmedica, an Italian organization dedicated to fighting and relieving chronic pain of any type and origin.
Prof. Casale as extensive experience in clinical neurophysiology and rehabilitation. He is a member of several international scientific societies, including the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and the European Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ESPRM).
His scientific interests focus on the neurological diagnosis of pain, rehabilitation of chronic disabling pain, and the neurophysiology of nociception, with special emphasis on neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and non-pharmacological pain management strategies. Prof. Casale has been actively involved in European research networks and international educational activities in the field of pain medicine.
ICOCIMS 2024 speakers:
Prof. Francesca Ferraro, M.D., Ph.D.
Medical degree from the University of Parma (Italy) in 2004, followed by a hematology residency at the same institution in 2008. Joined Harvard Stem Cell Institute (USA) as a Visiting PhD Researcher from 2009 to 2012, contributing to stem cell mobilization strategies now in clinical trials. Certified by ECFMG to practice medicine in the USA in 2012, completed an Internal Medicine residency at Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia, USA) in 2016, and a Hematology-Oncology fellowship at Washington University (St. Louis, USA) in 2018. Served as an Instructor of Medicine and postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Timothy Ley’s lab from 2018 to 2021, specializing in the genetics and epigenetics of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University, leading a research lab focused on modeling AML-associated mutations in mice to identify mutation-specific vulnerabilities for personalized chemotherapy approaches. NIH-funded investigator with multiple national and international recognitions, including SPORE grants and ASH Scholar Award.
Prof. Chia-Hua Kuo, Ph.D., F.A.C.S.M. (ORCID: 0000-0002-1731-4984)
Dr. Chia-Hua Kuo is honored as a Distinguished Professor at the University of Taipei in Taiwan and serves as a Visiting Research Professor at the University of Parma, Italy in 2024. He received his interdisciplinary PhD in Exercise Physiology, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997. At the University of Taipei, Dr. Kuo has held leadership positions including Dean for Research and Development and Dean of the College of Kinesiology.
He has contributed as a Scientific Reviewer/Advisor from 2021 to 2023 for the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd research grant (LDI) under the International Academy of Sport Science & Technology (AISTS) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Dr. Kuo has also served as President (2015-2018) of the International Society for Adaptive Medicine (ISAM) and currently serves as Honorary President (since 2023) of the Asian Nutrition Society for Sports & Health (ANSSH). Dr. Kuo has published > 250 peer-reviewed journal articles with > 4200 citations. His recent work has established our understanding of the immune mechanisms underlying the senolytic effects of exercise in human skeletal muscle.