Prof. Bali Pulendran | Applied Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Bali Pulendran | Applied Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Professor at Stanford University, United States

Professional Profiles

Scopus

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🎓 Educational Background

Bali Pulendran laid the foundation for his illustrious career at Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, earning a BA (Honors) (1985–1988) under the mentorship of Professor Ron Laskey from the Department of Zoology. Prior to this, he excelled in his GCE Oxford & Cambridge “A” Levels at Reigate Grammar School, Surrey, England (1982–1984).

🔬 Postgraduate Training

Dr. Pulendran advanced his expertise as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Immunex Corporation, Seattle (1995–1998), where he collaborated with Drs. Charles Maliszewski and Eugene Maraskovsky. He completed his Ph.D. at The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, University of Melbourne (1991–1995), under the guidance of the esteemed Prof. Sir Gustav Nossal, contributing to groundbreaking immunological research.

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🏛️ Previous Academic and Professional Appointments

Dr. Bali Pulendran has held numerous esteemed positions throughout his illustrious academic career. From 2008 to 2017, he served as the Director of the Innate Immunity Program and held the prestigious title of Charles Howard Candler Professor in Pathology at Emory University, where he advanced groundbreaking research in immunology and vaccinology. Since 2005, he has been a Professor and Researcher at the Emory Vaccine Center, contributing significantly to the study of immune responses and vaccine development. Prior to this, he served as an Associate Professor from 2002 to 2004 and an Assistant Professor from 1999 to 2001 at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research in Dallas, Texas. These roles underscore Dr. Pulendran’s profound contributions to the fields of innate immunity, vaccine science, and immunological research, establishing him as a leader in his domain.

🧬 Research Interests

Dr. Pulendran’s research lies at the interface of immunology, vaccinology, virology, and systems biology, focusing on how the innate immune system senses pathogens and modulates the adaptive immune response to achieve protective immunity. His lab has pioneered multi-omics approaches to analyze immune responses to vaccination and infection in humans, uncovering molecular signatures that predict vaccine immunity.

Key discoveries include:

The influence of the microbiome on vaccine efficacy.

Roles of amino acid sensing and cholesterol metabolism in regulating dendritic cells and adaptive immunity.

Identifying pathways and receptors crucial for durable antibody responses and long-lived bone marrow plasma cells.

This knowledge has been instrumental in the design and testing of novel vaccine adjuvants, including vaccines against COVID-19.

Publications Top Noted📚 

“Induction of Tier 2 HIV-Neutralizing IgA Antibodies in Rhesus Macaques Vaccinated with BG505.664 SOSIP”

Authors: Smith, J.C., Arunachalam, P.S., Legere, T.H., Amara, R.R., Kozlowski, P.A.

Journal: Vaccines

Year: 2024

“IgM N-glycosylation correlates with COVID-19 severity and rate of complement deposition”

Authors: Haslund-Gourley, B.S., Woloszczuk, K., Hou, J., Sierra, B., Hughes, T.

Journal: Nature Communications

Year: 2024

“Acute and persistent responses after H5N1 vaccination in humans”

Authors: Apps, R., Biancotto, A., Candia, J., Schwartzberg, P.L., Tsang, J.S.

Journal: Cell Reports

Year: 2024

“Transforming vaccinology”

Authors: Rappuoli, R., Alter, G., Pulendran, B.

Journal: Cell

Year: 2024

“Elucidating allergic reaction mechanisms in response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in adults”

Authors: Shah, M.M., Layhadi, J.A., Hourcade, D.E., Pham, C.T.N., Nadeau, K.C.

Journal: Allergy: European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Year: 2024

Dr. Angélique Nicolas MESSI | Organic Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Angélique Nicolas MESSI | Organic Chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Doctorate at Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Yaoundé 1,  Cameroon

Professional Profiles

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🎓Education Background

Dr. Nicolas has a robust educational foundation in Organic Chemistry and Applied Chemistry. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon, specializing in biflavonoids and other chemical constituents from Ochna schweinfurthiana and Ochna rhizomatosa. Her research focused on isolation, structure elucidation, and bioassays of these compounds. She holds a Master’s Degree and Master’s I Degree from the University of Ngaoundere, Cameroon, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Chemistry from the same institution. Additionally, Dr. Nicolas completed a DEUG in Applied Chemistry and has an Advanced Level in Sciences and Mathematics from B.G.S Buea, Cameroon.

🔬Professional Skills

Dr. Messi Angelique Nicolas is an expert in chromatographic techniques such as Column, Flash, Reverse Phase, MPLC, HPLC, and Preparative TLC. She possesses strong knowledge in spectroscopic methods like NMR, IR, LC-MS, GC-MS, and HRESIMS. With extensive experience in project management and team leadership, she is skilled in reaction optimization and conformational analysis. Dr. Nicolas has a solid understanding of GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and laboratory safety requirements. Her research also delves into the synthesis of bioactive compounds and their isolation from medicinal plants. She is fluent in both French and English, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Dr. Nicolas has also taught at the university level and is proficient in Microsoft Office tools, Chemdraw, and other relevant software.

🔬💡Research Areas

Dr. Nicolas’ research lies at the intersection of pharmaceutical and natural products chemistry. Her focus is on neuroinflammation, neuroprotective effects, anticancer, antimalarial, and anti-HIV/AIDS properties (especially against multiple-drug-resistant strains). She investigates the neurochemistry of purified compounds from higher plants and synthetic organic compounds. Her work aims to uncover novel therapeutic agents for a range of diseases and disorders.

🌱🔬Research Interests

Her research interests include drug discovery from natural products, particularly flavonoids, biflavonoids, and bioguided isolation. Dr. Nicolas is dedicated to the synthesis of bioactive natural products from medicinal plants, developing bioassays for screening plant extracts and isolated compounds. She also applies advanced 1D and 2D NMR techniques in drug discovery and chemotaxonomy, advancing the field of natural product chemistry.

🏆🌍Academic Awards & Fellowships

Dr. Messi Angelique Nicolas has been honored with several prestigious awards and fellowships throughout her career. Notably, she was selected for a Research Visit at the University of Free State, South Africa, from January to May 2023, where she furthered her research. In addition, Dr. Nicolas was awarded a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, during the 2020-2021 period, under the Young Researchers’ Fellowship program. This opportunity allowed her to collaborate on cutting-edge research and expand her academic expertise. Her dedication to scientific excellence is also recognized through the TWAS (The World Academy of Science) Fellowship, which provided financial support for her work in chemistry (UNESCO FR: 3240277733). Earlier in her career, Dr. Nicolas received a PhD Research Fellowship at the University of Free State, South Africa, from January to May 2015, which allowed her to complete significant portions of her doctoral research. These awards reflect her commitment to advancing the field of natural product chemistry and pharmaceutical research.

Publications Top Noted📝

Rhizomatoflavonoid D and Other Flavonoids from the Twigs of Ochna Rhizomatosa as a Potential Inhibitor of HIV-1

Authors: Messi, A.N., Tsakem, B., Akongwi, M., Ngo Mbing, J., Pegnyemb, D.E.

Journal: Chemistry Africa

Year: 2024

Biflavonoid Methylchamaejasmin and Khaya grandifoliola Extract Inhibit NLRP3 Inflammasome in THP-1 Cell Model of Neuroinflammation

Authors: Owona, B.A., Mary, A., Messi, A.N., Moundipa, P.F., Heneka, M.T.

Journal: Molecular Neurobiology

Year: 2024

In Vitro and In Silico Potential Inhibitory Effects of New Biflavonoids from Ochna Rhizomatosa on HIV-1 Integrase and Plasmodium falciparum

Authors: Messi, A.N., Bonnet, S.L., Owona, B.A., Pegnyemb, D.E., Bochet, C.G.

Journal: Pharmaceutics

Year: 2022

Phytochemical Study of Aqueous Extract of Ochna schweinfurthiana F. Hoffm Powder Bark and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory, Cytotoxic, and Genotoxic Properties

Authors: Djova, S.V., Nyegue, M.A., Messi, A.N., Afagnigni, A.D., Etoa, F.-X.

Journal: Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Year: 2019

Phenolic Compounds from the Roots of Ochna schweinfurthiana and Their Antioxidant and Antiplasmodial Activities

Authors: Messi, A.N., Ngo Mbing, J., Ndongo, J.T., Frédérich, M., Pegnyemb, D.E.

Journal: Phytochemistry Letters

Year: 2016