Dr. Joseph R. Kates obtained his PhD in Biochemical Sciences at Princeton University. At the age of 33 he was asked to be the founding Chairman of the Department of Microbiology in the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, New York. Under his guidance, that Department soon became a world-class center for molecular virology.
His outstanding scientific contributions included the first demonstration that viruses code for and carry their own polymerases in the virus particle.
This influenced the discovery of reverse transcriptase by Temin and Baltimore, that were awarded with Nobel Prize for this finding.
His laboratory also discovered the existence of poly-A on messenger RNA, the timing and semiconservative mode of DNA replication during meiosis, the proof that centrioles in eukaryotic cells do not arise from pre-existing centrioles but are generated de novo.
After some years at Scripps Clinic, in La Jolla, as Chairman of the Department of Cellular Biology, he joined Bayer Pharmaceuticals as a Director of Research, where he was a major player in the development of recombinant Factor-VIII for the treatment of hemophilia as well as other biotechnology product candidates.
His position interacted directly with top Bayer management and he became proficient in the strategic and tactical aspects of drug development.
He then worked as a top manager at the National Cancer Institute, where his work there laid the foundation for the current designation of this site as Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. He has recently cofounded and serves as head of the Scientific Advisory Board of Kangti Biomedical, a company based in Singapore.
Chairman
Chairman
Dr. Joseph R. Kates obtained his PhD in Biochemical Sciences at Princeton University. At the age of 33 he was asked to be the founding Chairman of the Department of Microbiology in the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, New York. Under his guidance, that Department soon became a world-class center for molecular virology.
His outstanding scientific contributions included the first demonstration that viruses code for and carry their own polymerases in the virus particle.
This influenced the discovery of reverse transcriptase in HIV by Temin and Baltimore.
His laboratory also discovered the existence of poly-A on messenger RNA, the timing and semiconservative mode of DNA replication during meiosis, the proof that centrioles in eukaryotic cells do not arise from pre-existing centrioles but are generated de novo.
After some years at Scripps Clinic, in La Jolla, as Chairman of the Department of Cellular Biology, he joined Bayer Pharmaceuticals as a Director of Research, where he was a major player in the development of recombinant Factor-VIII for the treatment of hemophilia as well as other biotechnology product candidates.
His position interacted directly with top Bayer management and he became proficient in the strategic and tactical aspects of drug development.
He then worked as a top manager at the National Cancer Institute, where his work there laid the foundation for the current designation of this site as Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. He has recently cofounded and serves as head of the Scientific Advisory Board of Kangti Biomedical, a company based in Singapore.
Dr. Gordon Whiteley spent more than 30 years in the medical diagnostics industry directing conception, development and FDA filing of more than 75 diagnostic tests and accompanying instrumentation. This included 510(k), PMA and licensed biological filings for a variety of infectious diseases, cancer biomarkers, steroid and hormone, therapeutic drugs and cardiac markers. Prior to that, Dr. Whiteley directed the clinical lab service in microbiology for MDS Health Group Ltd.
In Toronto, Dr. Whiteley joined Leidos Biomedical Research (formerly SAIC) in 2001 to evaluate mass spectrometry as a possible diagnostic test platform. Since 2008, Dr. Whiteley has directed the Antibody Characterization Lab for the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research. Dr. Whiteley graduated from the University of Toronto with a Ph.D. in microbiology.
Dr. Lawrence Banks graduated at Leeds University, UK, BSc Hons in Microbiology, in 1981 and he obtained his PhD in 1984.
He has worked in the Department of Microbiology at Leeds University.
He has a deep knowledge and a big experience in the study of HPV (Human Papillomavirus).
Since 1990, he is the Group Leader of the Tumour Virology Laboratory at ICGEB, Trieste, Italy, during which time the laboratory has become internationally renowned for its work on Human Papillomaviruses and their roles in the development of human malignancy.
Since 2019, Dr. Banks is the global General Director at the ICGEB.
Dr. Lawrence Banks graduated at Leeds University, UK, BSc Hons in Microbiology, in 1981 and he obtained his PhD in 1984.
He has worked in the Department of Microbiology at Leeds University.
He has a deep knowledge and a big experience in the study of HPV (Human Papillomavirus).
Since 1990, he is the Group Leader of the Tumour Virology Laboratory at ICGEB, Trieste, Italy, during which time the laboratory has become internationally renowned for its work on Human Papillomaviruses and their roles in the development of human malignancy.
Since 2019, Dr. Banks is the global General Director at the ICGEB.
Prof. Robert C. Gallo, MD, co-founder and director, The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Co-Founder and Scientific Director, Global Virus Network (GVN).
Dr. Gallo was previously at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for 30 years prior to co-founding IHV in 1996. In 1976, he and his co-workers discovered interleukin-2 (IL-2) followed by the discovery of the first human retroviruses, Human T Cell Leukemia Virus-1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2.
Dr. Gallo and his colleagues co-discovered HIV as the cause of AIDS and developed the HIV blood test.
Currently, he focuses on developing an HIV vaccine and viral oncology research.
Dr. Gallo has been awarded 35 honorary doctorates, is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine, and a member of the National Inventors Hall of Fame
After completing his Ph.D. and post doctoral training, Dr. Davide Zella joined the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. Subsequently he joined the Institute of Human Virology and the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Dr. Davide Zella has more than 25 years of experience in the field of microbiology/virology, immunology, cancer biology and molecular biology. He has more than 50 publications, including peer reviewed articles and books chapters. Early in his career Dr. Zella studied the interactions between IFN-alpha and the immuno-system, in particular the anti-proliferative ability of IFN-alpha, the regulation of chemokine receptors by Interferons, and mechanisms of intracellular replication of HIV.
More recently, the focus of Dr. Zella’s research has been the study of the interaction between components of the microbiota and human cells to unveil molecular mechanisms of cellular transformation caused by bacteria. In fact, beside the well-established association between H. Pilory and gastric cancer, many reports highlight the correlation between several components of the microbiota and cancer, and for this reason our group is interested in studying the link between cancerogenesis and bacteria, with particular attention to Mycoplasma.
After completing his Ph.D. and post doctoral training, Dr. Davide Zella joined the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. Subsequently he joined the Institute of Human Virology and the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Dr. Davide Zella has more than 25 years of experience in the field of microbiology/virology, immunology, cancer biology and molecular biology. He has more than 50 publications, including peer reviewed articles and books chapters. Early in his career Dr. Zella studied the interactions between IFN-alpha and the immuno-system, in particular the anti-proliferative ability of IFN-alpha, the regulation of chemokine receptors by Interferons, and mechanisms of intracellular replication of HIV.
More recently, the focus of Dr. Zella’s research has been the study of the interaction between components of the microbiota and human cells to unveil molecular mechanisms of cellular transformation caused by bacteria. In fact, beside the well-established association between H. Pilory and gastric cancer, many reports highlight the correlation between several components of the microbiota and cancer, and for this reason our group is interested in studying the link between cancerogenesis and bacteria, with particular attention to Mycoplasma.
