François Féron
Professor François Féron is an internationally recognised expert on the olfactory neurogenesis. He is currently the leader of the team « Olfactory plasticity and brain repair » at Jean Roche Institute, in Marseille. His continuing interest is in olfactory neurogenesis, the production of new nerve cells in the nose, using this as a window on the nervous system in humans. This has led to new insights into the nervous system development in schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease and autism. Human nasal olfactory stem cells have also been successfully used in rodent models of amnesia. Professor Féron was co‐PI of the first Phase I/IIa clinical trial of autologous transplantation of olfactory ensheathing cells in human paraplegia. He is currently Professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Marseille and is in charge of supervising clinical trials dedicated to repair the nervous system at the Cell Therapy Centre of La Conception Hospital, in Marseille. He is also Research Consultant at Griffith University and University of Queensland, in Brisbane (Australia).

John (Jack) Kessler MD:
Education:
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey A.B. 1967
Cornell University Medical College
New York, New York M.D. 1971

Academic Appointments
::Current
Chairman, Davee Department of Neurology
Northwestern University Medical School 2000-
Davee Professor of Stem Cell Biology
Northwestern University Medical School 2000-
Director, Feinberg Clinical Neuroscience Institute
Northwestern University Medical School 2000-
Director, Northwestern University Stem Cell Institute 2005-
::Previous
Chairman of Neurology
Jacobi-North Bronx Medical Network 1998-2000
Vice Chairman, Department of Neurology 1989-2000
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience
Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1987-2000
Treasurer and Director, North Bronx Medical Network 1998-2000
Director of the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research
in Mental Retardation and Human Development 1993-1998
Chief of Service, Neurology Jacobi Medical Center 1990-1998
Associate Director of the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research in Mental Retardation and Human Development 1984-1993
Associate Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine 1983-1987
Associate Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center 1982-1983
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center 1978-1982

(see the complete CV on Speakers Section)

Filip Lim:
Currently holds the post as Professor of Microbiology in the Department of Molecular Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). Studied Biological Sciences, obtaining a doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Post-doctorate studies at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Heidelberg) and at Harvard University (Children’s Hospital, Boston). His laboratory currently consists of two post doctorates, a technician, a doctorate candidate and a Master’s student. His team is developing HSV-1 amplicon vectors, using these and other viral vectors to investigate the mechanisms of pathology and of reparation in the nervous system. They currently have two principal lines of research: neural cells of human olfactory mucus for cellular therapy and cellular models derived from patients; gene therapy in Friedreich’s ataxia in close collaboration with the laboratories of  Javier Díaz-Nido (CBMSO, Madrid) and of Richard Wade-Martins (Oxford University, United Kingdoms).

Mª Teresa Moreno-Flores:
Obtained degree (1985) and PhD (1988) in Biological Sciences from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Carried out her doctoral thesis in the Ramón y Cajal Hospital. Subsequently, did a post-doctorate residency in the Instituto Cajal in Madrid and in the Max-Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Munich. Upon her return to Spain, joined the Center of Molecular Biology “Severo Ochoa” (CBMSO). Has 22 years of experience in the field of Neurobiology with specialization in the study of cellular and molecular processes involving injury and regeneration of the central nervous system. Her actual interest is focused on the study of the Olfactory Ensheathing Glial Cell as mediator of axonal regeneration in the in vitro models (ganglionic neurons of adult retina) and in vivo (spinal cord injuries). Has collaborated closely with Filip Lim’s team in research and development of populations of reversibly immortalized human Olfactory Ensheathing Glial Cell for clinical use.

Xavier Navarro:
Xavier Navarro received the M.D. degree in 1978 and the Ph.D. in Medicine in 1985 from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. He completed his speciality training in Neurology at the University of Barcelona, and in Neurophysiology at the University of Minnesota while holding a Fulbright fellowship (1986-1988). He is since 1999 full Professor of Physiology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. From 1989 he is leading the research group on Neuroplasticity and Regeneration of the Institute of Neurosciences. He serves also as scientific advisor of the Institute Guttmann for Neurorehabilitation. His research interests are focused on axonal regeneration, functional restitution after neural injuries, neuroprostheses, spinal cord injury, and peripheral neuropathies. He has published more than 180 articles in these areas of the neurosciences.