Conference Program

Date: July 15-18, 2024

Location: Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus

Topoisomerases are nuclear enzymes that control the dynamic genome structures in all living organisms, regulating the winding of the DNA double helix and untangling DNA and RNA for cells to carry out the required functions for life. Many antibacterial and anticancer drugs listed as essential medicines by the World Health Organization focus on interfering with topoisomerase actions.

FIU faculty and students are collaborating with scientists from other research organizations to illuminate the details of topoisomerase mechanism of action, as well as identify (or design) novel small molecules that can target these enzymes in cancer or bacterial cells for the development of new medicines.

This international conference would provide a venue for outstanding scientists from across academia, government and industry to discuss new ideas and unpublished results at the very frontier of genome dynamics in biology and medicine.

Image of topoisomerase

Keynote Speakers

Image of Scott H. Kaufmann

Scott H. Kaufmann, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Kaufmann's Anticancer Drug Action Laboratory conducts research to study what happens when cancer cells are treated with targeted anti-cancer agents. His work with Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's Early Cancer Therapeutics Group has contributed to phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials for ovarian cancer, other solid tumors and acute leukemias.

Image of Wilma K. Olson

Wilma K. Olson, Ph.D.

Dr. Olson's research at Rutgers University combines a variety of computational approaches with new developments in polymer theory to understand the influence of chemical architecture on the conformation, properties and interactions of nucleic acids. Her work attempts to clarify the role of local structure and ligand binding on the overall folding of DNA and RNA.

Speakers

adela-gonzaacutelez-de-la-campa-headshot.jpg 

  Adela de la Campa

  Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain

benu-brata-das-headshot.jpg 

  Benu Brata Das

  Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, India

dmitry-ghilarov-headshot.jpg 

  Dmitry Ghilarov

  John Innes Center, UK 

joaquim-roca-headshot.jpg 

  Joaquim Roca

  Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spain

marc-drolet-headshot.jpg 

  Marc Drolet

  University of Montreal, Canada

maria-mills-headshot.jpg

  Maria  Mills

  University of Missouri, USA

mark-mitton-fry-headshot.jpg 

  Mark Mitton-Fry

  The Ohio State University, USA

olivier-sordet-headshot.jpg 

  Olivier Sordet

  Cancer Research Center of Toulouse, France

sarah-harris-headshot.jpg 

  Sarah Harris

  University of Leeds, UK

seychelle-vos-headshot.jpg

  Seychille Vos

  MIT, USA

tim-blower-headshot.jpg 

  Tim Blower

  Durham University, UK

Topics

multinucleated-cancer-cells.png

  • From genes to chromatin: genome-wide topology
  • Cellular response and repair processes for topoisomerase inhibition and adducts
  • Computational and artifical intelligence approaches to topoisomerases and topology
  • Structure and mechanism of topoisomerases
  • New breakthroughs in targeting topoisomerases to fight cancer
  • Topoisomerases in antibacterial therapy
  • Topoisomerases in neurological disorders
  • Interaction partners and regulation of topoisomerase activities

Pre-Conference Symposium

This pre-conference symposium will take place the day before the 2024 Topoisomerases in Biology and Medicine conference on July 14. It will provide a venue for early career researchers, such as graduate students and postdocs, to learn about networking, career options, and presenting their research. Registration is free and available to all early career researchers attending the main conference.

Chairs for Pre-Conference Symposium:

ian-morgan.jpg

 

 

   Ian Morgan

   NIH


 

 

 

chelsea-mann.jpeg

 

 

   Chelsea Mann

   Ohio State University

Organizers

  • Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh

    Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh
    Distinguished University Professor, Florida International University
     305-348-4956
     ytsedinh@fiu.edu
     AHC4 210

  • Dagmar Klostermeier

    Dagmar Klostermeier
    Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Münster

Co-Organizers

  • John L. Nitiss

    John L. Nitiss
    Professor of Pharmacology; Associate Head for Research; Assistant Dean for Research, University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Valerie Lamour

    Valerie Lamour
    Associate Professor, Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire, University of Strasbourg

Sponsors

               screenshot-65.png         sish_bsi_logo_blue_small.jpg

To sponsor this conference, follow this link