Tran Chau My Thanh | Neuroscience | Young Scientist Award

Dr. Tran Chau My Thanh | Neuroscience | Young Scientist Award

Dr. Tran Chau My Thanh, a dedicated researcher at Duy Tan University, Vietnam 🇻🇳, holds a medical degree and Ph.D. from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy 🎓. Her work bridges the gap between clinical medicine and molecular biology 🧬. With a strong passion for translational research, she focuses on using bioinformatics and genomic tools for early diagnosis and targeted therapy development for diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders 💉. Through CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA networks, she aims to revolutionize patient-specific treatment pathways 🚀. Her extensive lab experience, scholarly publications, and ongoing innovations make her a promising leader in biomedical science 🏅.

Profile

Education 🎓

Dr. Thanh earned her Medical Degree (M.D.) from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy 🏥 and went on to complete her Doctorate (Ph.D.) in the same prestigious institution 🎓. Her education was deeply rooted in both clinical and research training, equipping her with a comprehensive understanding of human health and disease 🧠. Throughout her academic journey, she focused on genomics, molecular medicine, and biotechnology 🔬. The rigorous curriculum and hands-on exposure in advanced labs trained her in modern diagnostic tools and therapeutic innovations ⚙️. She also mastered computational biology and molecular interactions, forming a solid foundation for her groundbreaking work in RNA regulation and gene editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 🧪.

Experience 👨‍🏫

Dr. Thanh brings rich experience as a medical doctor and academic at Duy Tan University 🏫. Her research career spans multiple roles in molecular diagnostics, bioinformatics, and therapeutic innovation 🧬. She has led studies on disease biomarkers, participated in international collaborations 🌐, and worked extensively with cell lines, recombinant DNA, and next-gen sequencing data 🔍. Her proficiency in wet lab and dry lab environments empowers her to integrate experimental biology with computational modeling 🧫💻. Alongside mentoring students and publishing SCI-indexed research, she contributes to translational medicine by connecting bench science to bedside applications, helping advance precision medicine for critical illnesses 💡.

Awards & Recognitions 🏅

Dr. Thanh is a nominee for the Young Scientist Award by the International Cognitive Scientist Awards 🧠🏆. Her impactful work on circular RNAs, miRNAs, and disease biomarker networks has garnered international recognition 🌍. She’s been acknowledged in high-impact journals for discoveries related to coronary heart disease and cancer diagnostics 📖. Her scholarly articles are indexed in SCI and Scopus, and she continues to influence the biomedical community through conference presentations, peer reviews, and academic collaborations 🤝. As a rising figure in molecular biology, her research promises transformative outcomes for early disease detection and targeted therapies 🧬✨.

Research Interests 🔬

Dr. Thanh’s research explores circRNA/miRNA/mRNA interactions, protein-protein networks, and gene function analysis 🧬🧠. She is driven by the quest to discover novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of complex diseases such as cancer, stroke, and diabetes 💊. Her focus includes CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, molecular docking, and simulations for drug discovery and target validation 💻🧪. She also builds interaction networks to map LncRNA/CircRNA/miRNA/gene/protein-drug relationships, contributing to personalized medicine approaches 🎯. Through bioinformatics, she decodes gene expression dynamics and immune infiltrations to enable efficient diagnostics and therapeutics 💡. Her ultimate goal is to bridge computational biology with translational research for global health improvement 🌐💚.

Publications 

1. Hsa_circRNA_0000284 acts as a ceRNA to participate in coronary heart disease progression
by sponging miRNA-338-3p via regulating the expression of ETS1
2. Identification of hsa_circ_0001445 of a novel circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network as
potential biomarker for coronary heart disease
3. Potential diagnostic value of serum microRNAs for 19 cancer types: a meta-analysis of
bioinformatics data

Elsa Pittaras | Neuroscience | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Elsa Pittaras | Neuroscience | Women Researcher Award

Elsa Pittaras is a Basic Life Research Scientist at Stanford University, specializing in neuroscience, cognition, and sleep research. With expertise in molecular biology, neuroanatomy, pharmacology, and behavior, she has extensively studied decision-making processes in mice. Her research has contributed significantly to understanding sleep deprivation’s effects on cognition and memory in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease models. She has published multiple papers as both first and last author, showcasing her leadership in neuroscience. Elsa’s goal is to advance research on mood disorders, cognition, and neurochemistry, aspiring to become an independent researcher in the U.S. 🇺🇸🔬🧠

Profile

Education 🎓

Elsa Pittaras earned a B.S. in Physiology from the University of Caen (2010), an M.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Paris Sud and ENS Cachan (2012), and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Neuro-PSI and the Biomedical Research Unit of the French Army (2016). Her multidisciplinary foundation in biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics from Châtelet, Douai (2009) laid the groundwork for her neuroscience expertise. Throughout her education, she focused on decision-making, sleep deprivation, and neurochemical mechanisms in cognition. 🧠📚🎓

Experience 👨‍🏫

Elsa Pittaras has been a Basic Life Research Scientist at Stanford University since 2022, focusing on cognitive enhancement in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease models. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford (2017-2022), investigating sleep and circadian rhythms’ effects on memory. Previously, she conducted research at the Biomedical Research Unit of the French Army (2016-2017) and completed her Ph.D. at Neuro-PSI. Her career includes internships in neuroscience at Neuro-PSI (2011-2012) and clinical observations at CHU Caen (2010). 🏛️🧬🧪

Research Interests 🔬

Elsa’s research explores decision-making, memory, and sleep in neurodevelopmental disorders. She pioneered the Mouse Gambling Task, revealing individual decision-making strategies. Her Ph.D. identified neurochemical markers of decision-making behaviors and the effects of sleep deprivation. At Stanford, she investigates sleep’s impact on cognition in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s models, aiming to improve memory and sleep quality through pharmacological interventions. Her work bridges behavioral neuroscience with neurochemistry to enhance cognitive function. 🧠💡🛌

Awards & Recognitions 🏅

Elsa has received prestigious grants, including the Jerome Lejeune Research Grants (2019, 2020), the Fyssen Foundation Research Grant (2017), and travel awards for conferences such as T21RS (2021) and Advances in Sleep and Circadian Science (2019). She was also recognized by the French Society for Research and Sleep Medicine (2014) and received a European Neuroscience Federation travel award (2016). 🏅

Publications 

  • Selectively Blocking Small Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels Improves Cognition in Aged Mice.

  • Short-term γ-aminobutyric acid antagonist treatment improves long-term sleep quality, memory, and decision-making in a Down syndrome mouse model

  • Behavioral and Neuronal Characterizations, across Ages, of the TgSwDI Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.

  • Inter-individual differences in cognitive tasks: focusing on the shaping of decision-making strategies

  • Handling, task complexity, time-of-day, and sleep deprivation as dynamic modulators of recognition memory in mice

  • Enhancing sleep after training improves memory in down syndrome model mice