Speaker

Dr. Jinzhong Lin is a Professor at Fudan University, where he leads the Fudan Center for mRNA Translational Research and the Shanghai Zhangjiang mRNA Innovation and Translation Center. He received his Ph.D. in Biophysics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and completed his postdoctoral training at Yale University with Nobel Laureate Thomas Steitz. Dr. Lin’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of mRNA translation. His group has established a fully reconstituted human in vitro translation system and combines biochemical, structural, and synthetic biology approaches to dissect how mRNA elements and translation factors regulate protein synthesis. These mechanistic insights form the foundation for rational mRNA design in therapeutics. Since returning to China in 2017, Dr. Lin has also played a leading role in mRNA drug development. He established the nation’s first academic mRNA drug development center and led the development of China’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, which completed Phase III clinical trials and received emergency use authorization. He has authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, advancing both fundamental RNA biology and its translational applications.

Dr. Lo received her Ph.D. in Clinical Oncology from The University of Hong Kong and pursued postdoctoral training under Professor Yusuke Nakamura at The University of Tokyo. She subsequently joined The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where she introduced the first 3D cell printer to the School of Biomedical Sciences and established the Biofabrication Center to advance research in tissue engineering and regenerative applications. In 2020, Dr. Lo joined Rohto Advanced Research Hong Kong to begin her career in stem cell therapy, contributing to the development of innovative approaches for regenerative medicine. She later relocated to Japan to join Rohto Pharmaceutical’s Pharmacological Evaluation Team, where she focuses on translational research, preclinical evaluation, and the development of mesenchymal stem cell–based clinical programs. Her work bridges academia and industry, with a strong emphasis on advancing regenerative medicine through both technological innovation and therapeutic application.

Prof. BLOCKI Anna Maria is an Associate Professor at the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM) and the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS), Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). She received her PhD from the National University of Singapore in January 2013. Following that, she joined the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) at the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) as a postdoctoral researcher until 2015. In November 2015, Prof. Blocki was able to secure a competitive postdoctoral fellowship from the Charité Universitätsklinikum Berlin, Germany. In February 2018, she joined SBS and iTERM at CUHK as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to a tenured Associated Professor position in 2024. Since the beginning of 2022, she is also a Principal Investigator at the Centre for Neuromusculoskeletal Restorative Medicine. Prof. Blocki’s research interests lie in the area of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) with particular emphasis on biomaterials, cell- and cell-derived product-based therapies for the treatment of noncommunicable diseases, such as ischemic diseases. In particular, she focuses on studying and tailoring cellular microenvironments such as the extracellular matrix (ECM) and develops bioactive therapeutics (e.g. biologics) for clinical application. Moreover, she utilizes her acquired expertise to engineer microphysiological systems, specifically involving microvasculature.

Niccolò Santi is the CEO of OROJIN. An Italian, born in Brazil and raised in Hong Kong, Niccolò has a diverse and international background. After completing his university education in the United Kingdom and China, he joined the multi-national conglomerate Swire and John Swire & Sons Management Programme, where he held various roles in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Niccolò later co-founded SV International, which has become an industry leader in luxury hotel supply, completing over 450 projects. He brings to OROJIN a wealth of management experience and entrepreneurial drive.

Dr. Piers Ingram is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Hummingbird Bioscience. Excited by the increasing pace of progress in systems biology and immunology, Piers co-founded the company in 2015 to better apply these advances to drug discovery and development. Prior to co-founding Hummingbird Bioscience, Piers spent 15 years in the biopharmaceutical industry in R&D consulting, commercial strategy and academia. Between 2013 and 2015, Piers was employed by Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY) as Head of Strategic Planning, South East Asia, and between 2011 and 2013 at Monitor Group (and then Monitor Deloitte) as a Manager in the Strategy Consulting practice. Between 2008 and 2010, Piers was first a Research Fellow and then acting Research Group Head at the Centre for Integrative Systems Biology, Imperial College London. Piers holds an MSci in Mathematics, an MSc in Bioinformatics and a PhD in Systems Biology from Imperial College London, and an MBA from INSEAD.

Dr. Yuhong Cao received her B.S. in chemistry from Linfield College, OR, USA (2011). She conducts graduate work on the development of a nondestructive nanostraw system for longitudinal living cell sampling with Prof. Nicholas Melosh at the Stanford University, CA, USA and got her Ph.D in materials science and engineering (2018). She pursued her postdoctoral training on T cell engineering by applying CRISPR-Cas technology with Prof. Peidong Yang in partnership with Prof. Jennifer Doudna at the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA and then returned to Stanford University for her second postdoctoral training with Prof. Steven Chu. She returned to Beijing, China where she joined the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, CAS as a professor and principal investigator.

Dr. Jianxun Wang is a Ph.D. graduate and postdoctoral researcher from the University of California, San Diego, a Second-Class Professor and doctoral supervisor at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Chief Scientist of Shenzhen Cell Valley Biomedicine Co., Ltd. A former student of U.S. National Academy of Sciences members Michael G. Rosenfeld and Christopher K. Glass, Dr. Wang is an epigenetics expert focused on enhancing T-cell tumor recognition and killing capabilities through epigenetic modifications, achieving breakthroughs in CAR-T therapy for solid tumors. As a senior scientist at Sorrento Therapeutics, he pioneered CAR-T cGMP development from scratch, accumulating extensive experience in industrial-scale production of cell therapies. Recognized as a world-class expert in constructing viral vectors including retroviruses and lentiviruses, Dr. Wang has established cutting-edge standards for cellular therapy production.

Dr. Chengbin Wu is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of EpimAb Biotherapeutics Inc., an innovative, clinical-stage biologics company focusing on developing next generation antibody-based therapies for oncology and other areas of high unmet medical needs. Dr. Wu has over 20 years of experience in discovery, development, and technological innovation in the antibody field, and he is a world renowned expert in bispecific antibody technologies and therapeutic development. Dr. Wu has built a distinguished career in the biopharmaceutical industry, taking on different leadership responsibilities in different parts of the world. Previously he was Chief Scientific Officer and President of R&D at Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Co., a leading China-based biopharmaceutical company. Before that he was the Senior Vice President Biologics at Shanghai ChemPartner, where he established a comprehensive antibody R&D platform. Prior to returning to China, Dr. Wu was a Volwiler Associate Fellow at Abbott Laboratories, where he led several novel biologics projects from concept to regulatory filing. Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Georgia in the US, and postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School with a grant from the Cancer Research Institute.

Ms. Cynthia Chen serves as Chairman and Executive Chairman of Pulnovo Medical, the first Chinese cardiovascular medical device company to be included in international guidelines. She provides China with the first globally approved cardiac interventional treatment for patients with heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Ms. Chen previously worked at the World Health Organization headquarters in Switzerland and at Medtronic. She has been named twice to Forbes Asia and Forbes China Under 30, and twice to Hurun Under 30 China Entrepreneurs. She is also listed in Forbes China’s Top 100 Global Chinese Elite and 36Kr’s Most Noteworthy Female Entrepreneurs. She was selected for the United Nations-European and Central European Outstanding Technology Entrepreneurship Program and was recognized as a “Technology Leader” by the Suzhou Industrial Park.

Ms. Chen holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from Emory University, a master’s degree in healthcare policy analysis and management from Columbia University, and an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Dr. Shawn Lee founded Chinese Peptides Company in 2001, leading an international-standard team to achieve significant breakthroughs in peptide R&D and industrialization. In 1989, Dr. Lee co-founded American Peptide Company in Silicon Valley, where he served as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all aspects of the company’s operations. In 2005, he founded CPC Scientific Inc. in Silicon Valley, and has served as its CEO ever since.

Dr. Lee is an outstanding peptide expert with over 30 years of experience, having propelled the clinical development and industrialization of over a hundred peptide drugs. He possesses extensive experience in complex peptide modification and synthesis, international regulations, peptide drug industrialization, and the creation of novel peptide drugs. Dr. Lee previously served as Vice Chairman and Director of Xinbang Pharmaceutical. (002390) from 2015 to 2020, and was a co-founder of Lake Ventures from 2017 to 2021. He is also a visiting professor at the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in the United States. In 2024, Dr. Li was appointed President of the CPC Innovation Technology Research Institute (CITRI).

Dr. Lee received his Ph.D. in Science from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1989, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. He also holds an MBA from IMD business school of Switzerland and an EMBA from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, and was recognized as a Centennial PUMC-First Scholar in Medicine and Health Industry.