Dr Fabio Arturo Iannotti
Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry, Naples, Italy.

Fabio Arturo Iannotti completed his Master's Degree in Biotechnology with top honors from the University of Naples 'Federico II' in 2006. He then earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the same institution in 2010. His doctoral research focused on investigating the role of voltage-gated Kv7 K+ channels in rare pediatric forms of drug-resistant epilepsy and other neurological disorders associated with brain ischemia and degeneration. A significant portion of this work was conducted during an internship at the University of California-Davis, USA from 2009 to 2010.
In 2011, Dr. Iannotti began his postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), National Council of Research (CNR), Italy. His research during this time pioneered the study of the role of endocannabinoids and plant-derived cannabinoids in rare forms of drug-resistant epilepsy and skeletal muscle disorders. Dr. Iannotti held visiting researcher positions at the University of Reading, UK in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014, he was appointed as a permanent Researcher at the ICB and assumed leadership of the cellular and molecular biology laboratories. In 2023, Dr. Iannotti was promoted to the position of Senior Researcher and qualified as a Full Professor of Pharmacology by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR).
Title: Gut microbiome in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Dr Sajjad Ahmad
Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK.

Dr Ahmad is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon with over 20 years’ experience. He has special expertise in corneal, eye surface diseases and cataract surgery. He was awarded a PhD in stem cell biology from Newcastle University in 2007 for his work on developing a novel stem cell therapy for corneal burns, which he is now successfully applying on patients who have lost their vision due to chemical burns. His mix of research and clinical experience has been vital to translate some of his laboratory research findings into the treatment of debilitating eye diseases of the cornea and the ocular surface. He is known as an expert in inflammatory eye diseases of the cornea and conjunctiva.
Title: Limbal Stem cells to manage corneal blindness.