Mark Cronin is Professor of Predictive Toxicology at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. Internationally recognised for his expertise in non-animal, in silico chemical safety assessment, he has over 35 years of experience developing computational toxicology methods, particularly (Q)SARs and read-across techniques. His work includes QSAR modeling for aquatic toxicity and human health effects, employing methods from regression analysis to machine learning. Additionally, Cronin contributes significantly to areas such as quantifying Adverse Outcome Pathways (qAOPs), refining Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approaches, and developing structure-based screening tools for ecotoxicology and human health. He has participated in numerous EU projects, including CAESAR, COSMOS, eTRANSAFE, and RISK-HUNT3R.

Prof. Tony Velkcrov was awarded a BSc(Hons) in 1996, followed by an MBBS in Medicine at the University of Melbourne. He subsequently transitioned from clinical practice to research, earning a PhD from Monash University before moving into predominantly industry-based research roles at CSL and the US pharmaceutical company Rempex, supported by two consecutive NHMRC Industry Fellowships. Due to his unique career trajectory, Prof. Velkcrov maintains strong connections with leading clinicians, researchers, and global industry leaders in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors. Since completing his PhD, he has specialized in drug development, structure-activity relationships, and antibiotic pharmacology. Today, Prof. Velkcrov is internationally recognized for his expertise and advocacy in translational research, particularly in the commercialization of critical antimicrobial products designed to address bacterial 'superbugs.' He has established highly regarded research programs with a focus on polymyxins and is renowned for fostering successful collaborations between industry, academic institutions, and hospitals worldwide.

Associate Professor Mu Yuguang is a leading researcher at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Biological Sciences. His lab specialises in advanced biomolecular simulations, especially molecular dynamics studies of proteins, peptides (including folding, misfolding, amyloid formation), DNA/RNA, and CRISPR systems, often combining these with machine-learning techniques for drug discovery and protein–ligand binding prediction.

Dr. Sebastian Lobentanzer is a biomedical researcher and software engineer specializing in systems pharmacology and computational biology. Currently, he is a Principal Investigator at Helmholtz Munich, leading the Computational Biology Unit at the German Centre for Diabetes Research, focusing on making biomedical AI accessible and user-friendly. His work emphasizes integrating open-source computational tools and Large Language Models to facilitate biomedical research, demonstrated by his leadership of the BioCypher project, which automates biomedical knowledge management to advance AI-readiness in biology.

Dr. Jiawei Wang is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Bath, UK. Previously, he was a Marie Curie Fellow and an EMBO Non-Stipendiary Fellow at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), as well as a Junior Research Fellow at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge. With an interdisciplinary background in software engineering, computer science, and computational biology, his research focuses on integrating machine learning and deep learning with single-cell genomics, metagenomics, and bioimaging to better understand bacterial populations and embryonic development.

Dr. Diyuan Lu is a postdoctoral researcher at Helmholtz Munich, specializing in machine learning for computational biology and antimicrobial resistance. Her work focuses on patient representation learning from multi-omics data, with applications in drug response prediction and Helicobacter pylori resistance modeling. She develops interpretable, biology-guided AI models to uncover resistance mechanisms and inform treatment strategies. Her research spans cancer, infectious diseases, and neurology. During her PhD with Prof. Jochen Triesch (Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies), she developed deep learning models for early epilepsy diagnosis and staging of epileptogenesis using EEG data.

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Wicha leads the Clinical Pharmacy research group at the University of Hamburg, where his team focuses on optimizing anti-infective therapies. Their work integrates three key areas: quantitative bioanalysis to measure drug levels, advanced in vitro infection models to study efficacy, and pharmacometric modeling to simulate clinical outcomes. By combining these approaches, his team develops data-driven strategies for personalized dosing and creates model-informed software tools that translate this complex research directly into clinical practice.

Gauri Rao, PharmD, MS is associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the USC Mann School. She serves as the Director of the Quantitative Drug and Disease Modeling Center. An expert in quantitative modeling approaches, she leads a research program that focuses on employing a quantitative, “systems-based” approach to rationally design and optimize clinically relevant antibiotic dosing strategies to treat infections caused by highly resistant Gram-negative organisms. Dr. Rao completed her Doctor of Pharmacy and a Masters in Pharmacometrics at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacy, University at Buffalo. Between 2016-2023, Dr. Rao was a faculty member at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, where she served as Director of the UNC Fellowship Program.

Dr. Botgros is an Infectious Diseases specialist that holds the position of Senior Scientific Officer in the Department of Public Health Threats at the European Medicines Agency. He worked as an ID clinician for 10 years before joining the Agency in 2009 as Scientific Administrator in the Paediatric team. From there he moved to the Anti-infectives and Vaccines team where he worked with the efficacy and safety-related pre- and post-authorisation aspects of centralised marketing authorisation applications for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Since March 2020 he is a member of the Health Threats team. His main interests are with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral medicines and with AMR. He is a member of the EMA Emergency Task Force (ETF).

Assoc. Prof. Xiaojie Wu is an expert in early clinical research of innovative drugs and clinical pharmacology research, having participated in over 160 clinical trials. She holds degrees from Zhejiang University, the University of Aberdeen, and Fudan University, and completed additional training at Harvard Medical School. She has held visiting and secondment roles at institutions including Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, the NMPA’s Center for Drug Evaluation, and China’s Office of Human Genetic Resources. Wu also serves on several professional committees and is an active member of multiple pharmacology societies.

Dr. Yaxin Fan received her Ph.D. from Fudan University and undertook a visiting scholarship at the University of Manchester. She currently serves as a pharmacist and research fellow at the Institute of Antibiotics, Huashan Hospital, specialising in therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis of antimicrobial agents. Her work includes developing analytical methods for antimicrobial quantification, conducting clinical studies, and performing pharmaceutical quality assessments. Dr. Yaxin Fan focuses on implementing model-informed precision dosing to optimise personalised regimens for infected patients.

Dr. Amy Cheung is a seasoned professional in quantitative science with a strong background in clinical pharmacology and PKPD modeling. As the Vice President and Europe/APAC Lead at Certara, she is at the forefront of advancing pediatric and maternal health through innovative drug development strategies. With a PhD from The University of Manchester, Amy has extensive experience in biostatistics, drug metabolism, and clinical trials, making her a key player in the pharmaceutical consulting industry. Her leadership roles in various high-profile projects demonstrate her ability to manage cross-functional teams effectively. Amy has received notable recognition, including the Iq Recognition Award in Clinical Pharmacology, reflecting her contributions to the field. Outside of her corporate responsibilities, she actively participates as a guest editor for reputable journals, showcasing her commitment to advancing scientific knowledge. Her diverse expertise positions her as a thought leader in the intersection of science and technology in healthcare.

Dr. Nicholas Smith is an Assistant Professor within the Division of Clinical and Translational Therapeutics in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Dr. Smith’s research program focuses on the clinical translation of novel anti-infectives. Recently, Dr. Smith’s lab was awarded a $3.6M 5-year R01 to develop the underlying PK/PD translational tools to develop bacteriophage therapeutics to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Smith also serves as co-investigator on three additional R01-funded projects which focus on treatment optimization questions to combat extensively drug resistant gram negatives using translational in vitro, in vivo, and in silico approaches. Dr. Smith research program is also heavily invested in the mathematical modeling of other complex anti-infective and immune modulatory agents, including broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies, tacrolimus, and mycophenolic acid.

Prof. Kai Yang is a professor at the School of Physical Science & Technology, Soochow University, where he leads the Soft Condensed Matter Physics & Interdisciplinary Research Center. His research focuses on the theoretical and computational study of soft matter and biophysics, with emphasis on polymers, colloids, complex fluids, glassy dynamics, and active matter. His work bridges fundamental physics with interdisciplinary applications across materials science and biology.

Associate Professor Marco Fondi conducts research in systems and computational biology. His group uses systems microbiology to explore both fundamental and applied scientific questions, such as the complex interactions between bacteria and food, cellular aggregation, quorum sensing, the influence of DNA replication on gene regulation and cellular metabolism, and antibiotic resistance. By integrating experimental work with mathematical modeling, his research aims to uncover the strategies that living organisms employ to adapt to and exploit natural environments.

Patrick Müller is Professor of Developmental Biology at the University of Konstanz, Affiliate Member of the Excellence Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, and co-founder of EmbryoNet AI Technologies. After doctoral and postdoctoral work at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry and Harvard University, he worked as Professor and Max Planck Research Group Leader in Tübingen. His research group uses a systems biology approach to understand self-organizing processes during development and disease. Research in his lab is funded by the ERC Consolidator Grant ACE-OF-SPACE and the ERC Proof of Concept Grant EmbryoNet-AI.