Expositores
Prof. Leonard Foster
Dr. Leonard Foster is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Michael Smith Laboratories at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He grew up in McBride, BC and did his undergraduate studies at Simon Fraser University. He then moved to the University of Toronto to complete a doctoral degree in cell biology and biochemistry. From there he went to the University of Southern Denmark to study mass spectrometry and proteomics with Matthias Mann. In 2005 he took up his current position at UBC. Dr. Foster’s research interests revolve around the application of mass spectrometry-based proteomics to study host-pathogen interactions. He uses proteomics to understand, at a systems biology level, how human pathogens manipulate their host cells and how the cells, in turn, respond to infection. In particular, he has developed, with other collaborators at UBC, potential vaccines for Chlamydia and Salmonella bacteria. He is also known for his research in honey bees, particularly for understanding the mechanisms of disease resistance and using this knowledge to try to guide selective breeding in this important insect. In the twelve years that he has been an independent investigator at UBC, Dr. Foster has held the Canada Research Chair in Quantitative Proteomics, he has published 173 papers and he has trained more than thirty undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctoral fellows. He remains very active in outreach and extension and frequently engages the public on various aspects of human health, honey bees and biotechnology.
Prof. William de Castro Borges
Graduated as a pharmacist in 2000 by Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Received his PhD degree in Biochemistry in 2005 by the University of São Paulo, after concluding a doctoral internship sponsored by CAPES foundation in the Schistosomiasis Research Group led by Prof. R A Wilson at University of York/United Kingdom. From 2005 to 2007 concluded his post-doctoral fellowship, sponsored by BBSRC, under the supervision of Prof. R A Wilson in York. In late 2007, he was appointed as a proteomics expert at UFOP, where he currently coordinates a proteomics facility. His main research interests are proteomic analyses for understanding the biology and discovery of novel targets to be employed for vaccine formulation, diagnosis and biomarkers of infections caused by helminth and protozoan parasites.
Prof. Jorge González
Dr. Jorge González is Professor of Parasitology in the Department of Medical Technology at University of Antofagasta, in Chile. Received his Ph.D degree in Microbiology and Immunology by the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), under supervision of Prof. Nobuko Yoshida. After that, he obtained a fellowship from Pew Foundation to perform a postdoctoral training at New York University, under supervision of Prof. Víctor Nussenzweig.
His main research interests are the study of virulence of protozoan parasite such as Trypanosoma cruzi and Trichomonas vaginalis, using proteomic strategies. He is also interested to search novel chemotherapeutics and vaccine candidates.
Prof. Francisco Chávez
Dr. Francisco P. Chávez (University of Chile) is a microbiologist who studies two questions related with host-microbe interaction: First, how do pathogens cause disease? Second, how do hosts, such as humans, defend themselves against microbes? To address these fundamental questions, my laboratory (SysmicroLab) has a multidisciplinary approach that combine live cell with a systems biology. A major focus of the laboratory is the use of surrogate host models such as the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the zebrafish (Danio rerio). In recent years my laboratory has worked with human pathogens such as those of the genus Pseudomonas, Salmonella and Klebsiella and also with the fish pathogen Piscirickettsia salmonis. Finally, my laboratory is interested in developing novel antimicrobial to protect against bacterial infections.