Priyanka Sasmal | Molecular Biology | Young Scientist Award

Ms. Priyanka Sasmal | Molecular Biology | Young Scientist Award

Harvard Medical School | United States

Priyanka Sasmal is a doctoral researcher in cell and molecular biology with advanced training in genetics and microbiology. She is pursuing a PhD focused on understanding molecular motor function during mitosis, with emphasis on spindle dynamics and chromosome segregation. Her research experience spans yeast, mammalian systems, synthetic biology, and microfluidics, integrating advanced imaging, protein engineering, and genome editing approaches. She has contributed to peer-reviewed research and international scientific conferences. Recipient of competitive international and national fellowships, her work advances fundamental insights into cytoskeletal regulation and genome stability, supporting future research in cell biology and cancer-related mechanisms.

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Featured Publications

Chimeras of Kinesin-6 and Kinesin-14 Reveal Head–Neck–Tail Domain Functions and Dysfunctions That Lead to Aneuploidy in Fission Yeast – bioRxiv, 2024

Authors: P. Sasmal; M. Miyazaki; F. Carlier-Grynkorn; P.T. Tran


Mitotic Kinesin Motors: Insights on Domain Functions

– Sorbonne Université, 2025Author: P. Sasmal

Amel Latifi | Quantitative Research | Research Excellence Award

Prof. Amel Latifi | Quantitative Research | Research Excellence Award

Aix-Marseille Université-CNRS | France

Amel Latifi is a Professor of Microbiology at Aix-Marseille University, where he leads the research team focused on Differentiation, Evolution, and Adaptation in Cyanobacteria and directs the Master programs in Microbiology. He earned his PhD in Cellular Biology with a specialization in Microbiology in 1996, investigating mechanisms regulating virulence factor production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following postdoctoral research in Lausanne and academic appointments in Grenoble and Marseille, he established a research program centered on gene regulation, cell differentiation, and stress-response mechanisms in cyanobacteria, with additional contributions to bacterial genetics, oxidative-stress responses, and biohydrogen production. Over his career, he has coordinated multiple funded research projects, including FunDate, Otolhyd, and Cyanhy, advancing understanding of prokaryotic signaling and metabolism. His extensive publication record reflects long-standing collaborations in microbial genomics, environmental microbiology, and synthetic biology. Latifi has served in elected roles within national academic committees and university governance, contributing to scientific training and educational policy. His work has supported advancements in sustainable biotechnology, microbial physiology, and cyanobacterial metabolism. Overall, his career integrates fundamental microbial science with applied research aimed at environmental and energy-related challenges.

Profiles : Orcid | Scopus

Featured Publications

Independence of a Marine Unicellular Diazotroph to the Presence of NO₃⁻, Microorganisms, 2021 — S. Rabouille, B. Randall, A. Talec, P. Raimbault, T. Blasco, A. Latifi, A. Oschlies

Stress Signaling in Cyanobacteria: A Mechanistic Overview, Life, 2020 — R. Rachedi, M. Foglino, A. Latifi

 

Shinobu Hirayama | Healthcare Data Analysis | Research Excellence Award

Ms. Shinobu Hirayama | Healthcare Data Analysis | Research Excellence Award

Meiji Pharmaceutical University | Japan

Shinobu Hirayama is a Japanese clinical microbiology researcher and pharmacist whose work focuses on antimicrobial stewardship, antimicrobial resistance, and clinical infectious diseases. She holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy from Meiji Pharmaceutical University (1997) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Microbiology. With long-standing experience at Toho University Omori Medical Centre—most recently as Assistant Director of the Department of Pharmacy—she has contributed extensively to infection control and antimicrobial management. Her research portfolio includes peer-reviewed publications on carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, antimicrobial dosing metrics, vancomycin-associated kidney injury, and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 and Clostridioides difficile. She has presented her work at major national and international conferences, including APSMM. Hirayama’s scholarly output includes 5 peer-reviewed documents, cited by 122 documents, with an h-index of 2, reflecting her growing impact in clinical microbiology and antimicrobial stewardship research. She received the Encouragement Award from the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy (2016) for developing a novel evaluation method for carbapenem stewardship. Her current work aims to refine antimicrobial and antifungal stewardship practices to improve patient outcomes and limit resistance development.

Profile : Scopus

Featured Publications

Ohtani, M., Yokoo, T., Miyazaki, T., Yasuda, H., Nishikawa, E., Tomida, M., Tsukada, M., Sato, E., Hirayama, S., Murakami, H., Yoshizawa, S., Matsumoto, T., & Tateda, K.
“Clinical efficacy of casirivimab and imdevimab in preventing COVID-19 in the Omicron BA.5 subvariant epidemic: a retrospective study” in Journal of Pharmaceutical Health Care and Sciences, 11(1): 94.

Hirayama, S., Otani, M., Murakami, H., Sakamoto, M., Tateda, K., Matsumoto, T., & Sugita, T. “Association between antimicrobial use and the detection rates of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales: long-term surveillance results from a single centre” in Infection Prevention in Practice, In Press.

Ohtani, M., Yoshizawa, S., Miyazaki, T., Kumade, E., Hirayama, S., Sakamoto, M., Murakami, H., Maeda, T., Ishii, Y., Matsumoto, T., & Tateda, K. “Clinical efficacy of therapeutic agents for Clostridioides difficile infection based on four severity classifications” in Japanese Journal of Infectious Diseases, 77(5): 281–284.

Uekusa, S., Hanai, Y., Hirayama, S., Yokoo, T., Hasegawa, T., Shimoyama, K., Kusano, A., Nishizawa, K., Matsumoto, T., & Matsuo, K. “Vancomycin hydrochloride as a risk factor for acute kidney injury: a retrospective study” in Pharmacology, 108(5): 444–450.