Shan Ping Yu | Neuroscience | Lifetime Achievement Award

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Prof. Dr. Shan Ping Yu | Neuroscience | Lifetime Achievement Award 

Endowed Full Professor | Emory University | United States

Shan Ping Yu is an internationally recognized neuroscientist and Endowed Full Professor at Emory University School of Medicine, known for pioneering research in excitotoxicity, neuroprotection, and neural regeneration. With extensive training spanning premier institutions in China and the United States, he has advanced fundamental understanding of neuronal injury mechanisms, focusing on ionic and molecular pathways involving voltage-gated and ligand-gated channels in apoptotic and necrotic cell death. His laboratory has led groundbreaking innovations including preconditioning strategies to enhance survival and reparative potential of transplanted stem cells, the development of optochemogenetics for precision control of cellular functions, direct reprogramming of glioblastoma cells into neurons as a transformative anti-cancer strategy, and elucidation of inflammatory mechanisms linking early-life pain to neurodevelopmental disturbances. His work has significantly contributed to novel interventions in ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and neuropsychiatric-related cognitive deficits. He has secured sustained funding from national research agencies and veterans’ research programs, and contributed as principal investigator or key collaborator on numerous basic, translational, and interventional neuroscience projects. His publication record in leading peer-reviewed journals, high citation impact, and invited presentations at global scientific forums underscore sustained scholarly excellence. He has held leadership roles in national and international committees, including service for major federal funding agencies, advancing scientific priorities and peer-review standards in neurological research. Beyond scientific discovery, he has demonstrated strong commitment to research training and workforce development, mentoring a large cohort of clinical, graduate, and postdoctoral scholars who have progressed to influential roles in academia and biomedicine. His contributions have been recognized through multiple competitive honors and inclusion in media outlets spotlighting high-impact scientific advances. Through integrated basic and translational neuroscience, Shan Ping Yu continues to drive innovations with profound implications for brain repair, neurodegenerative disease treatment, and improved quality of life for patients worldwide. He has 13686 citations from 194 documents with an h-index of 62.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Hu, X., Yu, S. P., Fraser, J. L., Lu, Z., Ogle, M. E., Wang, J. A., & Wei, L. (2008). Transplantation of hypoxia-preconditioned mesenchymal stem cells improves infarcted heart function via enhanced survival of implanted cells and angiogenesis. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

2. Yu, S. P., Yeh, C. H., Sensi, S. L., Gwag, B. J., Canzoniero, L. M. T., Farhangrazi, Z. S., et al. (1997). Mediation of neuronal apoptosis by enhancement of outward potassium current. Science.

3. Sensi, S. L., Canzoniero, L. M. T., Yu, S. P., Ying, H. S., Koh, J. Y., Kerchner, G. A., et al. (1997). Measurement of intracellular free zinc in living cortical neurons: Routes of entry. Journal of Neuroscience.

4. Dugan, L. L., Gabrielsen, J. K., Shan, P. Y., Lin, T. S., & Choi, D. W. (1996). Buckminsterfullerenol free radical scavengers reduce excitotoxic and apoptotic death of cultured cortical neurons. Neurobiology of Disease.

5. Zhang, Z., Song, M., Liu, X., Kang, S. S., Kwon, I. S., Duong, D. M., Seyfried, N. T., et al. (2014). Cleavage of tau by asparagine endopeptidase mediates the neurofibrillary pathology in Alzheimer’s disease. Nature Medicine,

Leticia Peris | Neuroscience | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Leticia Peris | Neuroscience | Best Researcher Award 

Inserm researcher | Grenoble Institut of Neurosciences | France

Dr. Leticia Peris is a distinguished neuroscientist and cell biologist whose research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms that regulate the neuronal cytoskeleton and its dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. She serves as an Inserm Research Scientist at the Grenoble Institute of Neurosciences (UGA–INSERM U1216, France), where her work has significantly advanced the understanding of tubulin post-translational modifications and their role in neuronal morphogenesis, synaptic integrity, and neurodegeneration. Dr. Peris made pioneering contributions by identifying the tubulin carboxypeptidases VASH1/2–SVBP complex and elucidating their importance in neuronal organization and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her research further demonstrated how dysregulated tubulin modifications contribute to synaptic degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease and revealed new mechanisms of L-Dopa–induced synaptotoxicity in Parkinson’s disease. With an extensive record of publications in high-impact journals, international collaborations, and innovative patents, her work bridges fundamental neuroscience and translational medicine. She actively collaborates with leading researchers across France, Argentina, Germany, and the United States, including teams at Columbia University, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Humboldt University. A member of several international scientific societies and editorial boards, Dr. Peris is also deeply engaged in ethical and ecological initiatives promoting responsible and sustainable scientific practices. Her ongoing projects aim to rejuvenate neuronal cytoskeleton function as a therapeutic strategy against neurodegeneration, making her a leading voice in cellular neurobiology and a key contributor to the global fight against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. She has 2741 citations from 36 documents with an h-index of 24.

Profiles:  Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Zorgniotti, A., Sharma, A., Ramirez-Rios, S., Sanyal, C., Aleman, M., Ditamo, Y., Moutin, M. J., Bisig, C. G., & Peris, L. (2024). L-Dopa incorporation into tubulin alters microtubule dynamics and reduces dendritic spine invasion and synapse maintenance [Preprint].

2. Konietzny, A., Han, Y., Popp, Y., van Bommel, B., Sharma, A., Delagrange, P., Arbez, N., Moutin, M. J., Peris, L., & Mikhaylova, M. (2024). Efficient axonal transport of endolysosomes relies on the balanced ratio of microtubule tyrosination and detyrosination. Journal of Cell Science.

3. Konietzny, A., Peris, L., Han, Y., Popp, Y., van Bommel, B., Sharma, A., Delagrange, P., Arbez, N., Moutin, M. J., & Mikhaylova, M. (2023). Efficient axonal trafficking of endolysosomes depends on the balanced ratio of microtubule tyrosination and detyrosination [Preprint].

4. Peris, L. (2022). Crosstalk between acetylation and the tyrosination/detyrosination cycle of α-tubulin in Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.

5. Peris, L. (2022). Tubulin tyrosination regulates synaptic function and is disrupted in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain: A Journal of Neurology.

Dr. Leticia Peris’s research advances global neuroscience by uncovering cellular mechanisms that drive neurodegenerative diseases, paving the way for innovative therapeutic strategies. Her work bridges fundamental biology and translational medicine, contributing to improved brain health and societal well-being worldwide.

javad Fahanik babaei | Neuroscience | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. javad Fahanik babaei | Neuroscience | Best Researcher Award

Faculty member | Tehran University of Medical Sciences | Iran

Dr. Javad Fahanik Babaei is an accomplished Iranian physiologist currently affiliated with the Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran, Iran. He earned his Ph.D. in Physiology by research from the same institution in 2018, following an M.Sc. in Developmental Biology (2005) and a B.Sc. in Botany (2003). His extensive research focuses on neurophysiology, electrophysiology, mitochondrial bioenergetics, neurodegeneration, and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Dr. Babaei has contributed significantly to the understanding of ion channels, synaptic plasticity, and mitochondrial function, with over 40 peer-reviewed publications in prestigious journals such as Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA), Metabolic Brain Disease, Neurophysiology, Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy, and Scientific Reports. His studies on the electrophysiological and biochemical effects of compounds like trigonelline, apigenin, and riluzole in experimental models of neurodegenerative and epileptic disorders have been widely recognized. Beyond research, he has served as a referee for the Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal (2017–2019) and has been a committee member for national physiology and neuroscience congresses in Iran. Dr. Babaei has also contributed to academia as a translator of several foundational physiology and histology textbooks, including Bern and Levy Physiology. His distinguished work in neuroscience and physiology has positioned him as a key contributor to advancing experimental neurobiology in Iran, particularly in the areas of mitochondrial physiology, electrophysiological methodologies, and translational neuroscience research. He has 627 citations from 66 documents with an h-index of 13.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Erratum to “Cognitive impairments induced by repeated sevoflurane exposure during pre-adolescence in adult male and female rats: Involvement of biochemical, histological and neuroplasticity approaches.” (2023). Journal of Cellular and Molecular Anesthesia.

2. Sex-specific behavioral impairments and neuronal alterations in Wistar rats following repeated sevoflurane exposure during developmental stages. (2025). Neurological Research.

3. Protective effects of licofelone on scopolamine-induced spatial learning and memory impairment by enhancing parkin-dependent mitophagy and promotion of neural regeneration in adult mice. (2024). European Journal of Pharmacology.

4. 40 Hz light preserves synaptic plasticity and mitochondrial function in Alzheimer’s disease model. (2024). Scientific Reports.

5. Fasudil attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive impairment in C57BL/6 mice through anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects: Possible role of aquaporin-4. (2024). IBRO Neuroscience Reports.