Nominees: Board Of Trustees 2026
Message from the Chair
Please review the Nominees below.
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Nominees for ISHAS President-Elect
Stavros Garantziotis
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/NIH, Durham, NC, USA
I have spent the past 20 years studying the role of the hyaluronan matrix, primarily hyaluronan and inter-alpha-inhibitor proteins, in lung injury. My research includes in vitro, preclinical and clinical trials, showing the utility of inhaled high molecular weight hyaluronan in the treatment of lung diseases like COPD and pneumonia. More recently we have been excited to branch out into the role of hyaluronan in health- and lifespan.
I share the ISHAS Community’s passion for hyaluronan science, because of its central role in biology and its potential as a therapeutic. I have also enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships I have formed with great people I met through ISHAS, and I have cherished the opportunity to enhance my research by interacting with outstanding scientists on the ISHAS platform. I believe I am not alone in having this experience. Therefore, I feel that ever strengthening the ISHAS community is a worthwhile endeavor.
I have been active in ISHAS for several years as a Board member and, currently, as the Society’s Treasurer. My goal is to help the next generation of hyaluronan scientists via ISHAS leadership opportunities and seed research support; expand the ISHAS community via robust international membership; and ensure viability of our Society by fostering a sound financial foundation. My leadership style is inclusive and collaborative. I will be relying on the ISHAS Board’s advice and support, and solicit and encourage grass roots initiatives.
Aaron Petrey
University of Utah, Utah, USA
It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my nomination for consideration as President-Elect of the International Society for Hyaluronan Sciences (ISHAS). I believe that my professional background, prior service to the society, and commitment to its goals position me to contribute meaningfully to its continued success.
After completing my doctoral studies in 2012, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Carol de la Motte at the Cleveland Clinic. Since then, I have attended each of the society’s conferences since I began my postdoctoral training in 2013, and was fortunate to develop scientifically under the mentorship of Carol de la Motte, Ronald Midura, Mark Lauer, Vincent Hascall, and many others before opening my own independent lab in 2019. I have been and continue to be highly active in the society and HA continues to be a major pillar of my research program.
I have had the privilege of serving as a Trustee of ISHAS from 2021-2025, where I gained valuable experience in the governance, strategic planning, and operation of ISHAS.
I was fortunate to help organize the 11th conference in 2017 Cleveland, Ohio and more recently worked with Barbara Triggs-Raine, Anna Plaas, and Deva Chan to organize the scientific program for the 15th conference in St. Charles, Illinois.
These activities provided me with a deep understanding of the society’s structure, challenges, and opportunities.
I currently serve as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology & Immunology and the Associate Director of Molecular Medicine at the University of Utah. In my role as Associate Director, I oversee multidisciplinary research program that bridges basic, clinical, and translational research in one setting. My leadership in molecular medicine has required managing recruitment efforts, organizing administrative teams, securing resources, and advancing new projects, which is directly transferable to guiding ISHAS.
ISHAS has been instrumental in shaping my career, providing mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities that have enriched my professional journey. My candidacy is motivated by a desire to give back to the society and to ensure that future generations of scientists benefit from the same supportive environment.
In summary, my prior service as Trustee, current leadership as Associate Director of Molecular Medicine, and personal dedication to ISHAS’s mission provide a strong foundation for serving as President-Elect. I am eager to continue moving the society forward, honoring its legacy while seeking out new opportunities for growth of our society and scientific impact.
Ralf Richter
University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Prof Ralf Richter is an internationally recognised leader in the physical chemistry of biological systems, with a distinguished career dedicated to advancing the glycosciences and hyaluronan research. He has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches that integrate physics and chemistry with biology to tackle complex macromolecular biology questions related to hyaluronan. His research has revealed new insights into glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions, extracellular matrix organisation, and mechanisms underpinning immune cell migration and neuronal plasticity. Recent landmark studies include the discovery of a sliding interaction between hyaluronan and LYVE-1 and elucidation of cross-linking mechanisms stabilising neuronal coats.
As Vice President for Basic Research at ISHAS (since 2020) Ralf has chaired the Awards Committee, facilitated new prizes to recognise research excellence and emerging talent, and co-led initiatives fostering academia-industry collaboration through research grants and scholarships. He is a founding member of the UK Proteoglycan and Glycosaminoglycan Network, and his leadership in organising international conferences and training networks, including most recently the GLYCOCALYX Horizon Europe Doctoral Network, reflects his commitment to shaping the future of hyaluronan and the wider glycosciences.
ISHAS is exemplary as scientific society that successfully integrates basic, clinical and applied sciences. As President-Elect, Ralf will champion hyaluronan science that transcends disciplines, from biology and medicine to chemistry, materials and (his home turf) physics. He is committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment that empowers the next generation of hyaluronan researchers.
Nominees for ISHAS Secretary
Vivien Coulson-Thomas
University of Houston, Texas, USA
Dr. Vivien J. Coulson-Thomas (PhD) is an Associate Professor in Vision Sciences at the College of Optometry, University of Houston (UH). For the past 20 years her research has focused on understanding the physiological role of hyaluronan (HA) in development, homeostasis and pathology. Dr. Coulson- Thomas moved to UH in 2016 and started up a lab focused on studying the role of HA in the ocular surface. A major project in her lab involves establishing the role of HA in supporting limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs), including characterizing the composition of the HA-rich limbal stem cell niche (HA), characterizing the mechanism by which HA regulates the LESCs, and developing HA based therapies for treating limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). Another major project in her lab is studying how the HA rich matrix surrounding the lipid producing Meibomian glands (MGs) located within our eyelids is necessary for maintaining healthy glands throughout life, and how a loss in the HA with aging triggers MG atrophy and dry eye disease. Her lab also uses the African spiny mouse model to study the process of scarless corneal wound healing. She currently has two R01s from NEI-NIH to specifically study the role of HA in the ocular surface.
Over the years Dr. Coulson- Thomas has earned various highly prestigious awards for her achievements in the area of hyaluronan sciences, including the JBC/Herb Tabor Young Investigator Award from the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 2014, the British Society of Matrix Biology Young Investigator Award in 2015, the award for excellence in Research, scholarship and creative activity at the Assistant Professor level from the University of Houston in 2022, and the Endre Balazs and Janet Denlinger Award from the International Society for Hyaluronan Sciences (ISHAS) in 2023. Dr. Coulson- Thomas has produced well over 60 peer-reviewed publications, most of which are related to her work on HA. Dr. Coulson- Thomas has served on the organizing committee for various major conferences, including for ARVO, which is the largest meeting in the area of eye research, and sits on the editorial board of various major journals, including Proteoglycans, The Ocular Surface, translational vision science and technology (TVST), and Scientific Reports.
Dr. Coulson- Thomas currently serves as a member of the ISHAS Board of Trustees since 2024. Her interests in serving as secretary of ISHAS are to continue serving the HA community, continue the outstanding work of the current and prior leadership in promoting the ISHAS mission, help to promote our society and increase membership, and to promote basic, clinical, and applied HA research and the investigators at all stages of their careers.
Ed Harris
University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Dr. Edward Harris earned a PhD in cell biology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in 2001 and, soon after, joined the laboratory of Dr. Paul Weigel. In Paul’s lab, he cloned and characterized the human Stab2/HARE receptor and how it binds multiple ligands including HA, heparin and chondroitin sulfates. In 2010, he was hired as an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska and acquired several R01 grants from NIH to investigate how Stab2/HARE interacts with antisense oligos and synthetic heparins as well as modified HA constructs. He was promoted to full professor in 2020 and currently operates a laboratory with 3 graduate and 6 undergraduate students. He has been affiliated with ISHAS since his first conference presentation in 2004.
Nominees for ISHAS VP Applied Sciences
Gilles Bos
Syrhatech, Geneva, Switzerland
I am interested in joining the ISHAS Board because hyaluronan has been the common thread of my professional life for more than three decades. My career has been dedicated to translating HA science into safe, effective injectable medical devices used daily in aesthetic, musculoskeletal and ophthalmology practices. Serving on the Board, and in particular in the Applied Sciences domain, would allow me to give back to the community that has generated much of the science on which my work has relied, and to help strengthen the dialogue between basic research, clinicians and industry.
From a contribution standpoint, I would bring the perspective of an entrepreneur and CDMO leader who has taken multiple HA-based products from early development to international markets. I am used to working at the interface between formulation scientists, clinicians, regulatory bodies and commercial teams. I believe this experience can help ISHAS when shaping conference programmes, fostering academia–industry collaborations, and thinking about how the Society can best support the translation of new HA science into clinical benefit. I am also keen to contribute to mentorship activities for early-career researchers by sharing practical insight into industrial development, quality, regulatory pathways and long-term product life-cycle management.
My experience is strongly aligned with HA applied sciences. I co-founded and led Anteis, a company focused on HA dermal fillers and other injectable medical devices later acquired by Merz, and founded Aptissen, developing HA-based orthobiologic solutions for musculoskeletal disorders. More recently, as Founder and CEO of Syrhatech, a Swiss–French CDMO dedicated to hyaluronan-based injectables, I oversee strategy, industrial deployment and a portfolio of cross-linked and non-cross-linked HA hydrogels, sometimes in association with active pharmaceutical ingredients. Across these roles I have been involved in the conception, development and scale-up of several marketed HA products, working closely with experts from academia and clinical practice.
In addition, I have served on the boards of several medtech companies and on the board of a technology incubator, which has given me experience with governance, long-term strategic planning and the evaluation of innovative health technologies. I am used to working in international, multidisciplinary environments and to building consensus between diverse stakeholders.
If elected, I would aim to be an active and reliable Board member, focused on reinforcing the bridge between fundamental HA research and real-world applications, and on ensuring that ISHAS continues to be the reference forum where scientists, clinicians and industry can work together to advance the field.
Nadine Nagy
Stanford University & Halo Biosciences, California, USA
Dr. Nadine Nagy is a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine with over 15 years of experience leading pioneering research in immunology, regulatory T cell biology, and Type 1 Diabetes. Dr. Nagy’s work bridges basic and translational science, focusing on the immunological mechanisms underlying autoimmune diseases and the role of the extracellular matrix molecule hyaluronan (HA) in disease pathogenesis. In a notable example of bench-to-bedside translation, Dr. Nagy has spearheaded the development and clinical evaluation of 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU), an inhibitor of HA synthesis, from in vitro studies to animal models and to two completed clinical trials at Stanford. Dr. Nagy brings broad expertise in biology, pharmacology, and human immunology, as well as leadership in experimental design, preclinical models, and clinical research. In 2019, Dr. Nagy cofounded Halo Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a mission to create first-in-class, disease-modifying therapies for the treatment of inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. Honors include the ISHAS 2025 Endre Balazs and Janet Denlinger Award, a track record of service on scientific boards, and editorial appointments. Dr. Nagy’s extensive experience, commitment to innovation, and collaborative leadership make her ideally suited to contribute to ISHAS’s scientific direction and translational mission.
Alyssa Panitch
Georgia Tech & Emory University, Georgia, USA
Dr. Alyssa Panitch received Bachelor’s degrees from Smith College in Biochemistry and from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Chemical Engineering. She completed her Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and University of Zurich. Since July, 2022 she has served as the Wallace H. Coulter Department Chair in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. Dr. Panitch specializes in biopolymer design and controlled release. Her research interests include the design and synthesis of glycosaminoglycan-based biomaterials, including hyaluronan-based materials, for drug delivery and the development of biomimetic therapeutics for vascular, cartilage, dermal, neural and fibrotic diseases. She has co-found four companies based on technologies developed in her laboratory. Several of the compounds have entered human clinical trials. She is a member and Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers and the National Academy of Inventors.
Nominees for ISHAS Board of Trustees (Four OPEN POSITIONS)
Helena Azevedo
University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Helena Azevedo is a Group Leader and ERA Chair in Molecular Bioengineering at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S) from the University of Porto in Portugal. Helena became interested in hyaluronan (HA) around 2006 when she started exploring HA as anionic macromolecule with the view of developing novel supramolecular biomaterials. In the process of knowing more about this unique glycosaminoglycan, she became fascinated by this “extracellular glue” and “highly ironic acid” polymer. In her first HA meeting in 2013, she had the opportunity to see the authors of the papers she avidly read. Her interest in HA sciences has grown and she attended all biennial HA conferences from 2013 to 2025, presented short talks and co-chaired a session at the 2023 meeting, and brought group members to these conferences. She has been member of ISHAS since 2010 and will be hosting the 16th ISHAS Conference (HA 2027) in Porto, actively participating in the Society’s initiatives.
Helena utilizes HA as macromolecular brick to make biomaterials from the bottom-up and has been pioneer in using rationally designed synthetic peptides, or identified by phage display, for the supramolecular crosslinking/binding of native HA, producing 3D and 2D HA-rich environments to investigate its role on cellular responses. She has published several research papers in the biomaterials field where HA is an essential building block and a recent review (2024) on “Bioengineered hyaluronan hydrogels for the delivery of molecular and cellular therapies”, disseminating the science of hyaluronan across the biomaterial’s community, to local groups and to under- and post-graduate students.
Helena has learnt immensely within the ISHAS and feels it is time to give back to the society by standing as a candidate to join the ISHAS Board of Trustees and potentially contributing to the Society’s mission. Helena has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) since 2017 and served as appointed Member of the Materials Chemistry Division Council (RSC) from 2021 to 2024. She is also Member of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) and European Society for Biomaterials (ESB). With experience of working in multidisciplinary and international research environments, and in the organization of scientific events and special editions, Helena will bring expertise in HA-based biomaterials and diversity to serve in the ISHAS Board of Trustees. She will work with other Board Members to strengthen and expand the society, through disseminating initiatives for advancing knowledge in HA sciences and bringing other professional groups and enterprises to join the ISHAS.
Web Pages:
https://www.i3s.up.pt/research-group.php?groupid=203
Publication details and other academic information can be found at:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5470-1844
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oYco2kcAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Deva Chan
Purdue University, Indiana, USA
I am currently an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering (by Courtesy) at Purdue University. My interest in seeking a position as a Trustee on the International Society of Hyaluronan Sciences (ISHAS) Board stems from a longstanding commitment to studying hyaluronan in the context of biomedical engineering, biomechanics, and mechanobiology. I have participated in ISHAS since I was a postdoctoral research fellow and have attended both in-person and virtual ISHAS conferences. I also served as a Conference Co-Chair for the 2025 ISHAS meeting in St. Charles, IL, USA. My past participation at multiple levels signifies my readiness to transition into a broader leadership role and reflects my dedication to advancing hyaluronan sciences and the Society.
My potential contributions as an ISHAS Board member encompass several key facets:
- Engineering Perspective on Hyaluronan Sciences: My interest in and understanding of hyaluronan has developed over years of research in biomedical engineering, particularly in musculoskeletal biomechanics and mechanobiology. This unique perspective lends me insight into the latest developments and challenges at the interface of engineering and hyaluronan and contributes to the diversity of the Board in guiding ISHAS programming, initiatives, and strategic decisions.
- Experience in Conference Planning: My involvement in planning the 2025 ISHAS conference – in addition to prior experience from making the local arrangements for a larger engineering conference – underscores my organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to coordinate multifaceted events. This experience equips me with invaluable knowledge to provide guidance and support in future endeavors, ensuring the continued success – scientifically and fiscally – of ISHAS events. This experience will be valuable to the Board and the organizers of future events.
- Leadership, Engagement, and Strategic Vision: My progression within the society from an attendee as a postdoctoral researcher to actively engaging in conference planning reflects my evolving leadership and engagement with ISHAS and the scientific community more broadly. I am eager to grow beyond my active participation in conferences and contribute to the exchange of knowledge and ideas within the hyaluronan sciences community through society leadership.
As a Board member, I hope to work closely with the more experienced members of our society’s leadership and offer strategic insights and direction, leveraging my accumulated experiences to shape ISHAS’s initiatives and future growth.
In summary, my interest in joining the ISHAS Board arises from my interdisciplinary experience in biomedical engineering and hyaluronan sciences, previous and current active engagement, and passion for advancing our knowledge and applications of hyaluronan. I would be honored and excited to have the opportunity to drive ISHAS forward and foster its continued success as a member of the Board of Trustees.
Adam Hall
Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA
Adam Hall received his training in physics and materials sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he performed dissertation research under Sean Washburn focusing on nanoelectromechanical systems incorporating individual nanomaterials. He then spent three years as a postdoctoral researcher at Technische Universitat Delft in the Netherlands, where he worked in the field of single-molecule biophysics under Cees Dekker. From 2010-13, he was an Assistant Professor of Nanoscience at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Greensboro, NC, where he earned awards for both his research activities and teaching. He joined the faculty of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences in August of 2013 as an Assistant Professor in the Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2021. He is currently a co-leader of the P41-funded Center for BioModular Multi-Scale Systems for Precision Medicine with collaborators at Kansas University and Louisiana State university and serves as the Assistant Director of Translational Research for the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (including NCI, NIGMS, NIBIB, and NHGRI), DoD, BARDA, 3M, and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
He first became interested in studying hyaluronan in 2017 when he started working with Paul DeAngelis and Ellie Rahbar on a project that would eventually lead to the establishment of solid-state nanopore technology for HA size analysis. Since that time, his lab has improved and optimized the nanopore platform and its supporting technologies and collaborated with >25 groups worldwide to leverage the methodology in diverse studies. ISHAS activities are always a highlight for him and he would be excited to contribute more to the society and its continuing success.
Jessica Kwok
University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Jessica Kwok works at the interface of glycoscience and neuroscience, exploring how extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules shape brain function. Her research has defined the critical role of hyaluronan synthases in coordinating the glycosaminoglycan-rich ECM structures known as perineuronal nets (PNNs) on neuronal surfaces. This discovery, together with broader work on ECM assembly and the influence of PNNs on neuroplasticity, has generated significant interest in the role of hyaluronan within the central nervous system.
Currently, her research focus is on understanding how HA-rich ECM assemblies modulate the biophysical properties of neurons and on developing strategies to harness these mechanisms for enhancing neuroplasticity and repair.
An active ISHAS member since 2018, Jessica has contributed short talks at Florence (2015) and Cardiff (2019), and was honoured to speak at the ISHAS Meeting in Chicago (2025). Beyond ISHAS, she actively engages widely with both glycoscience and neuroscience communities, serving on advisory boards and committees including the International Neurotrauma Society (2019- ), the International Spinal Research trust (2021-), and the European Society of Neurochemistry (2019-). She has organised major international and national meetings in proteoglycan biology and neurochemistry, including the 89th Harden Conference on Proteoglycans – “Matrix Master Regulators” (Surrey, UK, September 2023), two UK Proteoglycan and Glycosaminoglycan meetings as main organiser, and two European neurobiology meetings, in the last five years. She has recently led and successfully secured a UK-wide collaborative network grant, bringing together proteoglycan and glycosaminoglycan research groups from more than 15 UK universities to foster interdisciplinary partnerships and accelerate ECM-focused discoveries. This initiative demonstrates her ability to unite diverse scientific communities and deliver strategic funding to advance the field.
If elected, Jessica aims to build stronger links between ISHAS and ECM scientists in neuroscience, and to expand engagement with researchers across Asia. Drawing on her heritage and established collaborations, she is uniquely positioned to foster partnerships and increase the reach of ISHAS across the globe, particularly Asia. Hyaluronan plays diverse roles, from brain development and neuroplasticity to chronic inflammation in neurodegeneration, yet its study in the nervous system remains underrepresented. Jessica will work to raise awareness of HA’s importance in neuroscience, encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, and promote the adoption of HA research tools in related ECM studies. This approach will not only attract new members but also create a sustainable environment for advancing HA research in the nervous system.
Akankshi Munjal
Duke University, North Carolina, USA
Akankshi Munjal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Duke University, where she leads the Principles of Tissue Morphogenesis Lab. Her research investigates how hyaluronan-rich extracellular matrices, mechanotransduction feedback loops, and tissue geometry drive semicircular canal morphogenesis in the zebrafish inner ear. Her lab integrates quantitative live imaging, CRISPR-based genetics, spatial and single-cell transcriptomics, and mechanical modeling to connect ECM regulation with robust organ formation. Akankshi presented findings from her lab at the ISHAS 2025 meeting and recently joined the community. Her group has several ongoing projects that explore diverse roles of hyaluronan in tissue morphogenesis. They recently published work demonstrating how the hyaluronan-binding proteoglycan Versican regulates HA density and hydration during epithelial budding. They have also preprinted a manuscript describing a mechano-chemical feedback mechanism in which hyaluronate pressure activates Yap signaling to drive tissue remodeling. A third project identifies a role for cAMP signaling and downstream nuclear receptor transcription factors in downregulating HA synthesis during morphogenesis. Akankshi is committed to growing interdisciplinary interactions that connect HA biology with cell, developmental, and mechanical biology. She would be honored to serve on the ISHAS Board of Trustees.
Chiara Schiraldi
University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
Chiara Schiraldi, Ph.D., holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering at University Federico II of Naples, and a PhD in the School of Medicine at the Second University of Naples. She was appointed full Professor in Biochemistry in 2018, at University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” School of Medicine, in the Department of Experimental Medicine. She is in charge for the “Great Equipment” Lab of the Department, she is also part of BIOTEKNET, the regional competence center in Industrial Biotechnology (a nonprofit organization between the diverse Universities and research centers in the region).
Dr Schiraldi sits in the elective Scientific board of the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and in the Administrative Board of Campania Bioscience Technological District. Her lab is broadly interested in hyaluronan sciences. Her research has been mainly focused on HA and HA related molecules since 2005.In particular, she has been PI in projects regarding the biotechnological manufacturing of HA, and Hyaluronan derivatives. In addition, the group has expertise in characterization activities related to glycosaminoglycans, as purified by animal tissues, of from fermentation processes, within biotechnological production and also in the development of their applicative formulations (in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, orthopaedics, olphtalmic dermoaesthetic fields).
More recently the research has also focused on the functional role of hyaluronan of specific sizes, as characterized by SEC-TDA analyses, and obtained through novel controlled degradative approaches. The potential anti-inflammatory role of HA, the molecular mechanisms associated to ECM remodeling in cancer progression and metastasis, with specific interest in larynx cancer. The aim is a deeper understanding of ECM in solid tumors, with improved bioanalytical methods, towards a better mimicking of the tumor microenvironment to obtain improved in vitro models, for pharmaceuticals studies. Dr Schiraldi is co-inventor of international patents of interest for Hyaluronan stabilization and application, and also of chondroitin and chondroitin sulfate with determined patterns.
Dr Schiraldi has served as guest editor on a special issue on glycosaminoglycans, in International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and is in the editorial board of Frontiers in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, journal often dealing with HA bioactivity and applications. Dr Schiraldi has attended in person or online (during SARS-CoV2 pandemic) all but one of the ISHAS conferences since the one in Florence (2015). Considering the ISHAS scientific community, and the more experienced members inspiring scientists, with whom it’s interesting to share experimental advances and discuss future perspective, Dr. Schiraldi hopes to be considered as a candidate to the Board of Trustees, and will be very honored to be more engaged into the ISHAS supportive boards and contribute to the activities of our community.
Jonathan Sleeman
University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
Jonathan Sleeman studied Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge, UK, and received his PhD in 1992 from the University of Cambridge. He subsequently received an EMBO Long Term Fellowship and a Marie Curie Stipendium from the European Union to support postdoctoral work at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (now Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)), Germany. Appointments as a group leader, deputy institute director and acting Chair of Genetics at this institution followed. In 2008, he took up the position of Professor of Microvascular Biology and Pathobiology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, while remaining affiliated with KIT, and has laboratories at both KIT and the Medical Faculty Mannheim of the University of Heidelberg. At the international level, Dr. Sleeman has coordinated the European Union-funded multi-centre projects BRECOSM and TuMIC, and is past President of the Metastasis Research Society. Throughout his career, Dr Sleeman’s research has encompassed studies on hyaluronic acid, mainly in the context of tumor growth and metastasis. During his postdoc he investigated the HA binding properties of CD44 variant proteins and their relevance for metastasis. As an independent group leader, he turned his attention to understanding the production and function of small HA oligosaccharides in the context of cancer. Most recently, his focus has been on understanding the molecular basis and functional role of the hyaluronidase activity of CEMIP, as well as the development of inhibitors to block this activity.