I am Joshua, a graduate student of the Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases doctoral programme at the Medical University of Graz, Austria. My interest in Neurodegenerative diseases got developed during my master's programme when l researched on Prion diseases or Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), a family of rare but fatal neurodegenerative disease that affect both animals and human beings. For my doctoral dissertation, l am investigating Activating Low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP-1) at the blood brain barrier and the combinational effects of Type 2 Diabetes and post-translational modification of the amyloid beta peptides on the pathophysiology and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). My research interests includes pathophysiology and immunobiology of Neurodegenerative diseases, cross talk between metabolic dysfunctions and dementia and dietary life style changes as a modifiable risk factor in the pathophysiology of AD and related dementia. In my leisure time, l communicate science via my social media platforms (@babalolaadekun1 on twitter and www.linkedin.com/in/joshuababalola on Linkedin).

Tomislav Babić, MD, PhD is a Vice President, Neuroscience Franchise, Worldwide Clinical Trials Inc. Dr. Babić is responsible for the scientific and medical leadership of neurology clinical research initiatives undertaken in the international arena. His responsibilities encompass aspects of hypothesis generation and testing, and include protocol/strategic program design and development, as well as assistance in the analysis and clinical interpretation or results for all phases of clinical development. Prior to join Worldwide Clinical Trials he was a therapeutic leader in inVentiv Health Clinical neurology medical and scientific affairs, when he has created several protocols for randomized controlled trials in population with early and advanced Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and neuropathies. He has designed a few program development plans in advanced Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease and provided consultancy service. He was a member of two advisory boards in Parkinson’s disease programs. In summary he was Therapeutic area leader in more than 200 studies phase II and III in neurodegeneretive disorders. Dr. Babić was principal investigator in more than 60 phase II and III clinical trials in neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy and stroke. He was also a member of a substantial number of program development boards providing neurological and neuropharmacological input for several CNS indications. He is board certified neurologist, with MA degree in Clinical pharmacology. He is author of more than 70 peer reviewed articles and books in neurodegenerative disorders.

Bachelor and Master's degree from Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich) Since 2021 doctoral student at ETHZ at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Schlieren, Zürich

I am a PhD candidate at Lund University studying immune reactions in Parkinson's disease (PD) in the Translational Neurogenetics Unit lead by Dr. Maria Swanberg. More specifically I study the effects on antigen presentation capacity and how it affects susceptibility and progression of PD and the interplay between the innate and adaptive immune system using an in vivo rat model of PD.

Rinie Bajracharya is a final year PhD candidate at the Queensland Brain Institute housed within the University of Queensland, Australia. She has a keen interest in antibody therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. During her PhD, she studied tau-specific immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of tauopathies. Currently, she is investigating the use of low intensity focused ultrasound as a method to enhance the delivery of these antibodies across the blood-brain barrier.

I am a junior neurologist interested in neurodegenerative diseases and Global Health. Besides my home city, Barcelona, I have developed my formation in three other international settings, which has allowed me to have a wider perspective of Healthcare. I strongly believe clinical care and investigation are complementary, and I would like to continue developing both in my professional career. I am also interested in literature and acting, and I have recently completed a three year long course in theatrical performance and interpretation.

My research interest is to understand the structural basis of prion function of different proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. I completed my Ph.D. in biophysical chemistry from Bose Institute, India under the supervision of Prof. KP Das in 2014. My first postdoc was at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, where I worked with Dr. Niv Papo to develop de novo protein-based aggregation inhibitors using directed evolution technology. In 2018, I joined Prof. Stanley Prusiner’s lab in UCSF as a postdoc to investigate the structural basis of tau prions present in different animal models using electron cryo-microscopy. Currently, I am working as a postdoc with Prof. Claudio Soto at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. My primary focus is to investigate the structures of the seed competent alpha-synuclein aggregates present in synucleinopathy patient brains and biofluids. In my leisure time, I am an avid bird photographer. I also like to spend time with my family.

I am a neuroscience PhD student with a background in psychology. I am currently affiliated with the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital Cologne. The main objective of my research work is the investigation of structural, functional, and molecular mechanisms that underlie Parkinson’s disease. Specifically, I am striving to gain a deeper understanding of the motivational component of motor control. To address my research questions, I am using a mix of behavioral measurements as well as neuroimaging methods such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Robin has been involved in the development of monoclonal antibodies for over 25 years. At Elan, she headed the group that developed both the murine version of Tysabri® (natalizumab) for multiple sclerosis and bapineuzumab for Alzheimer’s Disease. At Prothena Biosciences Inc., a biotechnology company focused on discovery and development of novel antibodies for the potential treatment of a broad range of diseases that involve protein mis-folding or cell adhesion, her laboratory developed the antibodies currently in clinical trials for light-chain (AL) amyloidosis and Parkinson’s Disease. In addition, Robin holds several patents and patent applications in assay methods for Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Immunogenicity monitoring. Robin is currently Senior Director Antibody and Assay Development at Prothena Biosciences Inc. She is responsible for evaluating two dual Aβ-tau vaccines for AD, targeting clearance of pathogenic Aβ and inhibition of tau neuronal cell-to-cell transmission, across multiple animal species, as well as developing and characterizing a C-terminal α-synuclein vaccine for treatment and prevention of Parkinson’s Disease and other synucleinopathies.