Announcements

Conference: Plant Biology Europe 2025

Organization: The Federation of the European Societies of Plant Biology (FESPB) and the Hungarian Society for Plant Biology

Date: 25–28 June 2025

Place: Budapest, Hungary

MDPI journals will be attending Plant Biology Europe 2025 as exhibitors. This meeting will be held at the Budapest Congress Center, Budapest, Hungary, from 25 to 28 June 2025.

The 24th Congress of FESPB will cover both traditional and emerging topics of plant biology across multiple disciplines and scales during the four-day program.

Among the many issues addressed during the meeting, particular emphasis will be placed on challenges caused by climate change since many of these are significant plant stress factors. We are convinced that plant science is green science, and our research can contribute significantly to solving the problems and mitigating the consequences of our changing environment, as well as helping adapt to it.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Plants;
• Agronomy;
• International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB);
• Current Issues in Molecular Biology (CIMB);
• Horticulturae;
• Epigenomes;
• Genes;
• Proteomes;
• Antioxidants;
• J — Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal;
• Diversity;
• BioTech;
• Cells.

If you will be attending this conference, please feel free to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Cells 2024 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Cells (ISSN: 2073-4409) Editorial Board and editorial team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Cells. It is due to their efforts that the high quality and quick turnaround of the journal are maintained.

First Prize (one winner):

• CHF 500, a voucher to cover applicable article processing charges (valid for one year);
• An electronic certificate.
  

Winner:
Prof. Dr. Ana Claudia Carreira
¹ University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil;
² Federal University of ABC, Santo André, Brazil.
Research interests: human and animal biotechnology; anatomy; biochemistry and cell therapy; molecular biology and cell biology; analysis of stem cell secretome signaling; gene cloning; genomic editing (CRISPR-Cas9); regulation by microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs; 3D cultivation; production of proteins using different recombinant systems (bacteria, yeast, insect, and mammalian cells), with the additional aim of achieving the functionalization of biomaterials and decellularized extracellular matrices

Second Prize (two winners):

• A voucher to cover applicable article processing charges (valid for one year);
• An electronic certificate.
  

Winners:
Dr. Siyu Shen
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Research interests: bone biology; osteoporosis; osteoarthritis; hematopoiesis; neutrophil; bioengineering; tissue engineering; crosstalk; cell death; liver biology; sports medicine; orthopedics

Dr. Enrico Bracco
¹ University of Turin, Turin, Italy;
² Istituto Nazionale Ricerca Metrologica, Turin, Italy.
Research interests: signal transduction; G-protein; GPCR; ubiquitin; peroxisome; lipid; Dictyostelium

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Cells 2024 Young Investigator Award is Dr. Xianjue Ma.

Dr. Xianjue Ma is an Associate Professor of the School of Life Sciences at Westlake University, Zhejiang, China. Dr. Ma has been working on genetics for more than a decade, focusing on dissecting the molecular mechanisms of signaling transduction and cell communication during tumorigenesis, using Drosophila (fruit fly) cell lines and mouse models by combining genetics with the single-cell technique, developmental biology, cell biology, and biochemistry. Dr. Ma received his bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from Tongji University in 2009 and 2014, respectively. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Medicine of Johns Hopkins University (HHMI) (2014–2015), USA, and Yale University (HHMI) (2015–2019), USA. Dr. Ma has been working as a Principal Investigator at the School of Life Sciences of Westlake University since June 2019. This is an outstanding achievement in today’s competitive environment. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Xianjue Ma on his outstanding achievements.

As the awardee, Dr. Ma will receive an honorarium of CHF 2000, a voucher to fully cover the article processing fees valid for one year in Cells after peer-review, and an electronic certificate.

We would like to thank all the nominators from various fields of study for their participation and all the Award Committee Members for their evaluation of the many excellent nominations.

This year, World Down Syndrome Day will be celebrated on 21 March 2025. Each year, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 children are born with this chromosome disorder. In 2025, we call for people around the world to “end the stereotypes”.

Aiming at improving the quality of life of people with Down syndrome and propelling the scientific development in this field, we would like to recommend some related articles, Special Issues, and journals in MDPI as suitable communication platforms for you. We believe that sharing research like this can help raise awareness of Down syndrome.

“When Language Is Not Enough: How to Explain ToM Abilities of Individuals with Williams Syndrome and Down Syndrome”
by Claire Touchet, Régis Pochon and Laure Ibernon
Disabilities 2025, 5(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities5010004

“Assessing Uveitis Risk following Pediatric Down Syndrome Diagnosis: A TriNetX Database Study”
by Alan Y. Hsu, Yu-Hsun Wang, Chun-Ju Lin, You-Ling Li, Ning-Yi Hsia, Chun-Ting Lai, Hou-Ting Kuo, Huan-Sheng Chen, Yi-Yu Tsai and James Cheng-Chung Wei
Medicina 2024, 60(5), 710; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60050710

“Impact of Resistance Training on Body Composition and Physical Function in Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis”
by Hou-Ting Kuo, Ting-Hsu Lee, Li-An Su, Li-Yun Wu, Ping-Yan Mao and Ciao-Ci Yang
Diagnostics 2024, 14(23), 2620; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics14232620

“The Role of Tau Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease and Down Syndrome”
by Ann-Charlotte Granholm and Eric D. Hamlett
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(5), 1338; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13051338

“Astrocytic Alterations and Dysfunction in Down Syndrome: Focus on Neurogenesis, Synaptogenesis, and Neural Circuits Formation”
by Beatrice Uguagliati and Mariagrazia Grilli
Cells 2024, 13(24), 2037; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells13242037

“Lipid Profile, Eating Habit, and Physical Activity in Children with Down Syndrome: A Prospective Study”
by Luca Pecoraro, Melissa Zadra, Francesco Cavallin, Silvana Lauriola, Giorgio Piacentini and Angelo Pietrobelli
Diseases 2024, 12(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12040068

“Impact of Physical Activity on Autonomy and Quality of Life in Individuals with Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review”
by Antonio Muñoz-Llerena, Laura Ladrón-de-Guevara, Daniel Medina-Rebollo and Virginia Alcaraz-Rodríguez
Healthcare 2024, 12(2), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12020181

“Health Checks for People with Down Syndrome: A Pooled Analysis of Three Randomized Controlled Trials”
by Robert S. Ware, Catherine Franklin, Lyn McPherson and Nicholas G. Lennox
Disabilities 2024, 4(1), 101-110; https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities4010007

“DNMT3B rs2424913 as a Risk Factor for Congenital Heart Defects in Down Syndrome”
by Dijana Majstorović, Anita Barišić, Ivana Babić Božović, Iva Bilić Čače, Neven Čače, Mauro Štifanić and Jadranka Vraneković
Genes 2023, 14(3), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14030576

“Stress Responses in Down Syndrome Neurodegeneration: State of the Art and Therapeutic Molecules”
by Lanzillotta, Chiara, and Fabio Di Domenico
Biomolecules 2021, 11(2), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11020266

“Role of 3-Mercaptopyruvate Sulfurtransferase in the Regulation of Proliferation and Cellular Bioenergetics in Human Down Syndrome Fibroblasts”
by Panagaki, Theodora, Elisa B. Randi, and Csaba Szabo
Biomolecules 2020, 10(4), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10040653

“The Care Economy and Disability Inclusion”	“Fragile X Syndrome and Fragile X Premutation Associated Conditions”
“Physical Activity, Exercise, and Sport in People with Disabilities: Strategies for Health Promotion”	“Cellular and Molecular Alterations in the Down Syndrome Brain: A Starting Point for the Design of Therapeutic Approaches”

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

Cells (ISSN: 2073-4409) is pleased to add the following 57 researchers to the 2025 Early Career Editorial Board and congratulate them on becoming part of the Cells community!

	Name: Dr. Carmine Siniscalchi Institutional email: csiniscalchi84@gmail.com Affiliation: Parma University Hospital, Parma, Italy Research interests: internal medicine; coagulation; statins; venous thromboembolism; pulmonary embolism; deep vein thrombosis; clotting factors; cardiovascular risk factors
	Name: Dr. Liberalis Debraj Boila Institutional email: lboila@fredhutch.org Affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA Homepage: https://research.fredhutch.org/kugel/en/lab-members.html Research interests: cancer biology; epigenetics; leukemia; hematology; liver cancer
	Name: Dr. Dongheon Lee Institutional email: dongheon.lee@duke.edu Affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA Homepage: https://pratt.duke.edu/people/dongheon-lee-ph-d/ Research interests: mathematical modeling; systems and synthetic biology; biomolecular phase separation
	Name: Dr. Sayantani Sinha Institutional email: ssinha2@fredhutch.org Affiliation: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA Homepage: https://www.stanleyleelab.com/team Research interests: hematopoiesis; acute myeloid leukemia; myelodysplastic syndromes; bone marrow microenvironment; epigenetics and splicing
	Name: Dr. Chiara Di Berardino Institutional email: cdiberardino@unite.it Affiliation: Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy Research interests: assisted reproductive technologies; gamete biology; ovarian folliculogenesis; reproductive tissue engineering; cell culture; cell physiology
	Name: Dr. Raffaele Pellegrino Institutional email: raffaele.pellegrino@unicampania.it Affiliation: Department of Precision Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138, Naples, Italy Homepage: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5074-230X Research interests: inflammatory bowel diseases; Crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; inflammation; nutraceuticals; digestive endoscopy; large language models
	Name: Dr. Angelo Canciello Institutional email: acanciello@unite.it Affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Technology for Food, Agricultural and Environment, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy Homepage: https://www.unite.it/UniTE/Docente/Doc/acanciello Research interests: cell biology; epithelial–mesenchymal transition; stem cells; cancer biology; regenerative medicine; immunomodulation
	Name: Dr. Paulina Adamska Institutional email: paulina.adamska@gumed.edu.pl Affiliation: Division of Oral Surgery, Medical University of Gdańsk, 7 Dębinki Street, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland Homepage: https://dentysta-gdansk.com/en/lekarz/paulina-adamska-2/ Research interests: oral surgery; maxillo-facial surgery; dentistry; dental implants; dental pulp stem cells; growth factors
	Name: Dr. Avik Dutta Institutional email: avik.dutta@nih.gov Affiliation: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Bethesda, MD, USA Homepage: https://avikdutta1988.wixsite.com/resume Research interests: immunotherapy; immunology; cancer; hematology; epigenetics; T cell development
	Name: Dr. Alessandra Ferraresi Institutional email: alessandra.ferraresi@med.uniupo.it Affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale “A. Avogadro”, Via Solaroli 17, 28100 Novara, Italy Homepage: https://upobook.uniupo.it/alessandra.ferraresi@med Research interests: cancer; autophagy; tumor microenvironment; cell metabolism; metastasis; tumor dormancy; nutraceuticals; nanomedicine; 3D models
	Name: Dr. Yuhua Wei Institutional email: yuhua19@uab.edu Affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA Homepage: https://sites.uab.edu/jayzhanglab/yuhuawei/ Research interests: cardiovascular research; cardiomyocytes; regeneration; heart failure
	Name: Dr. Erica Pranzini Institutional email: erica.pranzini@unifi.it Affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy Homepage: https://cercachi.unifi.it/p-doc2-0-0-A-3f2b3d2d382f2b-0.html Research interests: cancer metabolism; tumor microenvironment; anticancer therapy resistance
	Name: Dr. Clemens Gögele Institutional email: clemens.goegele@pmu.ac.at Affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg and Salzburg, General Hospital Nuremberg, 90419 Nuremberg, Germany Homepage: https://www.pmu.ac.at/en/forschung-innovation/institute-zentren-und-programme/universitaetszentrum-fuer-anatomie-und-zellbiologie/team-contact Research interests: ligament/tendon; cartilage; tissue engineering and reconstruction
	Name: Dr. Rosario Amato Institutional email: rosario.amato@unipi.it Affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56127 Pisa, Italy Research interests: retina; neurodegeneration; microvascular alterations; angiogenesis; hyperglycemia; hypoxia; oxidative stress; retinal ganglion cells; beta adrenoceptors; thyroid hormones
	Name: Dr. Valentina Ricciardi Institutional email: valentinaricciardi@cnr.it Affiliation: Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council, 90146 Palermo, Italy Research interests: biotechnology; genomics; crops; molecular biology; breeding
	Name: Dr. Erin M. Harberts Institutional email: eharberts@towson.edu Affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, USA Homepage: https://www.towson.edu/fcsm/departments/biology/facultystaff/erin-harberts.html Research interests: immunology; toll-like receptors; adjuvants; lipopolysaccharide
	Name: Dr. Guglielmo Puccio Institutional email: guglielmo.puccio@cnr.it Affiliation: Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council (CNR), Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy Homepage: https://www.cnr.it/sigla/genericdownload/Curriculum%20Vitae%20Puccio%20Guglielmo.pdf?nodeRef=de47e8a2-f368-4602-b886-16cded74c449;1.0 Research interests: bioinformatics; plant genetics; nitrogen use efficiency; abiotic stress
	Name: Dr. Zenia Kaul Institutional email: zenia.kaul@nih.gov Affiliation: Laboratory of Immune System Biology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA Research interests: immunology; metabolism; signaling; allergy; mouse models; cell biology
	Name: Dr. Jacopo Pizzicannella Institutional email: jacopo.pizzicannella@unich.it Affiliation: Department of Engineering and Geology, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, Viale Pindaro, 42, 65127 Pescara, Italy Homepage: https://www.unich.it/ugov/person/2998 Research interests: regenerative medicine; stem cells; biomaterials; extracellular vesicles; exosomes; cardiac regeneration; cardiomyocytes
	Name: Dr. Xiaoqing Wang Institutional email: xiaoqing.wang@louisville.edu Affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA Homepage: https://sites.google.com/view/xiaoqing-wang-uofl Research interests: molecular biology; developmental toxicology; epigenetic regulation; CRISPR/Cas9 technology; human embryonic stem cells; cell techniques; high-throughput omics; artificial intelligence; machine learning and deep learning; computational toxicology; zebrafish models
	Name: Dr. Dandan Wang Institutional email: dwang2@versiti.org Affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunotherapy, Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA Homepage: https://versiti.org/versiti-blood-research-institute/our-investigators/subramaniam-malarkannan Research interests: Immunology; NK cells; transcription factors; immuneoncology; scRNA-seq; ATAC-seq; CUT&Tag-seq
	Name: Dr. Lizhong Liu Institutional email: liulizhong@westlake.edu.cn Affiliation: Stem Cell and Embryonic Development Lab, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China Homepage: https://en.westlake.edu.cn/faculty/lizhong-liu.html Research interests: stem cell and developmental biology
	Name: Dr. Jia Huang Institutional email: Jia.Huang@UTSouthwestern.edu Affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA Homepage: https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/wu-jun-lab/people Research interests: stem cells; organ regeneration; gene editing
	Name: Dr. Li Nie Institutional email: nieli@nbu.edu.cn Affiliation: School of Marine Sciences, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China Homepage: https://scholar.google.com/citations?nl=&user=rYCeQjcAAAAJ; https://zhaosheng.eol.cn/11646/tutors/index/daoshidetail?school_id=461&m_id=36628&ds_id=20614 Research interests: developmental and comparative immunology
	Name: Dr. Ilaria D’Agostino Institutional email: ilaria.dagostino@unipi.it Affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy Homepage: https://unimap.unipi.it/cercapersone/dettaglio.php?ri=184516&template=dettaglio.tpl Research interests: medicinal chemistry; organic synthesis; antimicrobial; anticancer; carbonic anhydrase; aldehyde dehydrogenase; guanidine
	Name: Dr. Alessia Varone Institutional email: alessia.varone@cnr.it Affiliation:  Institute of Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology “G. Salvatore”, National Research Council, Naples, Italy Homepage: https://www.su.ieos.cnr.it/alessia-varone.html Research interests: signaling; post-translational modifications; cancer; cell invasion; cell motility; lipid signaling; glycerophosphoinositols
	Name: Dr. Marisa M. Merino Institutional email: marisa.merino@liverpool.ac.uk Affiliation: Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK Homepage: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/people/marisa-merino Research interests: cell competition; morphogens; scaling, growth; cell death; tumours; shape and size
	Name: Dr. Mei Yu Institutional email: micmyu@nus.edu.sg Affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National University of Singapore, Singapore Homepage: https://discovery.nus.edu.sg/7220-yu-mei/about Research interests: cancer immunology
	Name: Dr. Shahla Shojaei Institutional email: shahla.shojaei@umanitoba.ca, shojaeis2019@gmail.com Affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada Research interests: glioblastoma; lipid metabolism; cell stress; microfluidic model
	Name: Dr. Francesco Gubinelli Institutional email: Francesco.Gubinelli@mail03.med.uni-muenchen.de Affiliation: Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany Homepage: https://www.biochemie.abi.med.uni-muenchen.de/about/staff/scientists/gubinelli/index.html Research interests: neuroscience; neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson; cell therapy; regenerative medicine; in vivo modelling; in vitro modelling
	Name: Dr. Wei Huang E-mail: huangwe@ucmail.uc.edu Affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati,  Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA Homepage: https://www.huangwelab.com/ Research interests: heart failure; cardiomyopathy, mitochondria-centered communication
	Name: Dr. Amir Barzegar Behrooz Institutional emails: am.barzegar.behrooz@gmail.com/ amir.barzegarbehrooz@umanitoba.ca Affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada Homepage: https://amirbarzegarbehrooz.faculty.bio/ Research interests: cancer biology; cancer metabolism; glioblastoma; cancer omics
	Name: Dr. Maria Villiou Institutional email: villioum@mpip-mainz.mpg.de; villiouma@gmail.com Affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P), Mainz, Germany Homepage: https://www.mpip-mainz.mpg.de/901223/Villiou Research interests: cell biology; biophysics; biomaterial; stem cells; biofabrication
	Name: Dr. Yajin Zhao Institutional email: Yajin.zhao@uhn.ca; zhaoyajinyy@163.com Affiliation: Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada Research interests: lung transplantation
	Name: Dr. Eleni Tsakiri Institutional email: etsakiri@med.uoa.gr Affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece Homepage: http://scholar.uoa.gr/palikarask/labmembers Research interests: ageing; neurodegeneration; protein aggregates; tau; proteostasis; mitochondria
	Name: Dr. Muhammad Nauman Arshad Institutional email: marshad@wesleyan.edu; marsha03@tufts.edu Affiliation: School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA Homepage: https://medicine.tufts.edu/people/staff/muhammad-nauman-arshad Research interests: neurodevelopmental disorders; autism; KCC2; epilepsy; adult neurogenesis; hippocampus; GABA; neuroanatomy; EEG; neural regeneration
	Name: Dr. Taxiarchis Katsinelos Institutional email: katsinelos@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk Affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK Homepage: https://neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/member/tk537/ Research interests: protein aggregation; neurodegeneration; Alzheimer’s disease; prion-like replication; tau
	Name: Dr. Syed Adeel H. Zaidi Institutional email: syezaidi@augusta.edu Affiliation: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, GA 30912, USA Homepage: https://www.augusta.edu/centers/vbc/caldwell-lab.php Research interests: optic neuropathy; ocular hypertension; ischemic retinopathy; retinal neovascularization; neurodegeneration; neuroinflammation
	Name: Dr. Martina Kunkl Institutional email: martina.kunkl@uniroma1.it Affiliation: Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy Homepage: https://research.uniroma1.it/en/researcher/f36947d665df9980a733a7a88e730ab6e47fd7f4747d4bbc09cfa6c6 Research interests: immunology; T cells; CD4+; CD8+; T cell signaling; multiple sclerosis; tumor immunology
	Name: Dr. Maria Chatziathanasiadou Institutional email: m.chatziathanasiadou@imperial.ac.uk, m.chatziathanasiadou@gmail.com Affiliation: Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, UK Research interests: immunology; T cells; CD4+; CD8+; T cell signaling; multiple sclerosis; tumor immunology
	Name: Dr. Bignog Yohan Institutional email: yohan.bignon@inserm.fr Affiliation: INSERM Unit 1242, University of Rennes, Centre Eugène Marquis, Rennes, France Homepage: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7237-8158 Research interests: renal physiology; renal metabolism; renal rhythmicity; endoplasmic reticulum stress; inflammatory bowel diseases; gut rhythmicity
	Name: Dalal Bakhos-Douaihy Institutional email: dalal.douaihy@gmail.com Affiliation: Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris, F-75006 Paris, France Research interests: renal co-transporters; endoplasmic reticulum stress; molecular and cell biology; hypoxia and cellular adaptation; post-translational regulation; rare kidney diseases; epithelial transport mechanisms
	Name: Dr. Puja Sohal Institutional email: sohalpuja01@gmail.com Affiliation: National Institute of Environmental health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA Homepage: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/atniehs/labs/iidl/pi/cell-bio/staff Research interests: inflammation; immunology; cell biology; sarcoidosis; polycystic kidney disease; infectious diseases
	Name: Dr. Aida Shomali Institutional email: aida71.shomali@gmail.com Affiliation: Institute of plant and environmental science, Nitra, Slovakia Research interests: photosynthesis; photobiology; photoreceptors; controlled-environment agriculture
	Name: Dr. Giusi Alberti Institutional email: giusi.alberti@unipa.it Affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy Homepage: https://siaionline.it/sedi/universita-degli-studi-di-palermo/ Research interests: histology; cell biology; anatomy
	Name: Dr. Junnan Li Institutional email: jli373@jhu.edu Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA Homepage: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7422-076 Research interests: intra- and extracellular signaling; neurodegenerative diseases
	Name: Dr Hannah Bolland Institutional email: h.bolland@surrey.ac.uk Affiliation: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Surrey GU2 7XH, UK Homepage: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/hannah-bolland Research interests: tumour hypoxia; tumour metabolism; angiogenesis; unfolded protein response; DNA damagae response; ionising radiation; pre-clinical validation of drugs; small molecules; pro-drugs; cell signaling; lipid; RNA binding proteins
	Name: Dr. Jonathan Paul Lambert Institutional email: jonathan.lambert@unipd.it Affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35122 Padova, Italy Homepage: https://www.unipd.it/en/msca-lambert-mitoformsinhf Research interests: mitochondria; calcium signaling; dynamics; metabolism; cardiovascular biology; membrane transporter; ischemia reperfusion injury
	Name: Dr. Michela Carraro Institutional email: michela.carraro@unipd.it Affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy Homepage: https://economia.unipd.it/sites/economia.unipd.it/files/CV%20Michela%20Carraro.pdf Research interests: mitochondria; bioenergetics; permeability transition; ATP synthase; calcium
	Name: Dr. Panthipa Suwannakot Institutional email: pan.suwannakot@lh.org.au Affiliation: Arto Hardy Family Biomedical Innovation Hub, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia Homepage: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hvET-mkAAAAJ&hl=en Research interests: biomaterials; 3D bioprinting; cancer research; molecular analysis and drug resistance
	Name: Dr. Siddhesh Aras Institutional email: saras@wayne.edu Affiliation: Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA Homepage: https://www.aras-lab.com/ Research interests: mitochondria; inflammation; cell signaling; cancer; transcription; neurodegeneration
	Name: Dr. Satoko Shinjo Institutional email: satoko.shinjo@unipd.it Affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Homepage: https://www.unipd.it/en/yr-soe-shinjo Research interests: cell biology; organelle biology; membrane contact sites
	Name: Dr. Tiziano Mazza Institutional email: tiziano.mazza@unical.it Affiliation: Department DiBEST, Unit of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy Research interests: proteoliposome; membrane proteins; protein purification; cryo-EM
	Name: Dr. Arathyram Ramachandra Kurup Sasikala Institutional email: a.ramachandrakurupsasikala@bradford.ac.uk Affiliation: Centre for Pharmaceutical Engineering Science, School of Pharmacy and Medical, Sciences University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK Homepage: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/aramachandrakurupsasikala/ Research interests: biomaterials; cancer; therapeutics; tissue engineering; nanomedicine
	Name: Dr. Sneha Swaroop Institutional email: S.Swaroop@bradford.ac.uk Affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, Science School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK Homepage: https://www.bradford.ac.uk/staff/sswaroop/ Research interests: cancer stem cells (CSCs); targeted therapies; stem cell pathways; endocrine disrupting chemicals
	Name: Dr. Mudasir Ahmad Khanday Institutional email: mkhanday@bidmc.harvard.edu Affiliation: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA Homepage: https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/mudasir-ahmad-khanday Research interests: neuroscience; sleep
	Name: Dr. Qin-Wei Wu Institutional email: qinwei.wu@unibas.ch; qwwu@ahu.edu.cn Affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China Homepage: https://microbiome.ahu.edu.cn/2023/0324/c19410a303358/page.htm Research interests: neurobiology; developmental biology

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.

We had the pleasure of meeting her online and had a discussion in which we learned more about her background, views, and interests.

The following is a brief interview with Dr. Aleksandra Twarda-Clapa:

1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?  
I am an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Molecular and Industrial Biotechnology, Lodz University of Technology in Poland. My scientific interests focus on protein-protein/protein-ligand interactions, as well as molecular and structural biology. Since 2020, I have been the principal investigator of the SONATINA project entitled “Chasing the HARE: characterization of the binding mechanism of new and unexplored ligands of the hyaluronic acid receptor, stabilin-2”, and financed by the National Science Centre, Poland.

2. Could you introduce your current research direction and progress?
My current research focuses on the human hyaluronic acid receptor, stabilin-2 (HARE/Stab2). This protein is involved in many physiological processes (e.g., removal of harmful substances from the bloodstream, such as the AGEs: advanced glycation end products) and pathological processes (e.g., diabetes, cancer). This receptor can potentially be used in precise drug delivery to cells, and the aim of the SONATINA project is, among others, to determine the three-dimensional structures of protein fragments. 

3. Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations in this research field?
One of the remaining biggest challenges in my field is obtaining high amounts of pure protein preparations that can then be crystallized. This brings us to the next bottleneck, i.e., the crystallization process.
Concerning breakthrough innovations in structural biology, it is definitely the development of the cryoEM method for the determination of three-dimensional structures of biomolecules.

4. What appealed to you about Cells that made you want to submit your paper? And how was your experience submitting to Cells?
I had to find a journal that would accept such a broad review manuscript. The short time from submission to decision was another factor. The submission process is, in my opinion, user-friendly.

5. Do you have any advice for aspiring young researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields?
Do not give up easily; often, the most important results appear in the end. I would also like to encourage young mothers who took a break to give birth and raise their children to return to their scientific careers, despite the difficulties.

We would like to congratulate Dr. Aleksandra Twarda-Cłapa on winning the Cells 2022 Best Paper Award!

Cancer impacts millions of lives worldwide, yet each person’s journey with the disease is uniquely their own. World Cancer Day reminds us that while the disease impacts individuals differently, our shared strength, innovation, and focus on holistic care bring us closer to a future where cancer no longer dictates lives. Every experience, challenge, and success story contribute to the broader fight against cancer, demonstrating the resilience and hope that unite us all. As we continue to make strides through innovative research, treatment advancements, and global collaboration, it is essential to recognize both the diversity of stories and our common goal of overcoming cancer together.

In observance of this day, we invite you to explore the following resources that delve into the field of cancer and the cutting-edge advancements shaping its care. By prioritizing people-centered treatment where patients’ voices and needs guide care, we can ensure personalized attention for all. It is our hope to foster a deeper understanding of the impact of cancer and encourage meaningful action to support patients, caregivers, and researchers in their pursuit of a world free from cancer’s hold. Together, we can inspire action and work toward a cancer-free future.

“Rare Variants of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans: Clinical, Histologic, and Molecular Features and Diagnostic Pitfalls”
by Celestine M. Trinidad, Sintawat Wangsiricharoen, Victor G. Prieto and Phyu P. Aung
Dermatopathology 2023, 10(1), 54–62; https://doi.org/10.3390/dermatopathology10010008

“Nitrogen Containing Heterocycles as Anticancer Agents: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective”
by Adarsh Kumar, Ankit Kumar Singh, Harshwardhan Singh, Veena Vijayan, Deepak Kumar, Jashwanth Naik, Suresh Thareja, Jagat Pal Yadav, Prateek Pathak, Maria Grishina et al.
Pharmaceuticals 2023, 16(2), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16020299

“Artificial Intelligence in Brain Tumor Imaging: A Step toward Personalized Medicine”
by Maurizio Cè, Giovanni Irmici, Chiara Foschini, Giulia Maria Danesini, Lydia Viviana Falsitta, Maria Lina Serio, Andrea Fontana, Carlo Martinenghi, Giancarlo Oliva and Michaela Cellina
Curr. Oncol. 2023, 30(3), 2673–2701; https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol30030203

“Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment Options and Limitations: Future Outlook”
by Onyinyechi Obidiro, Gantumur Battogtokh and Emmanuel O. Akala
Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(7), 1796; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071796

“Biomarkers in Breast Cancer: An Old Story with a New End”
by Lyvia Neves Rebello Alves, Débora Dummer Meira, Luiza Poppe Merigueti, Matheus Correia Casotti, Diego do Prado Ventorim, Jucimara Ferreira Figueiredo Almeida, Valdemir Pereira de Sousa, Marllon Cindra Sant’Ana, Rahna Gonçalves Coutinho da Cruz, Luana Santos Louro et al.
Genes 2023, 14(7), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14071364

“Could Microbiome Be the Common Co-Denominator between Type 2 Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer?”
by Marin Golčić and Andrej Belančić
Diabetology 2023, 4(4), 553–559; https://doi.org/10.3390/diabetology4040049

“Targeting Solute Carrier Transporters (SLCs) as a Therapeutic Target in Different Cancers”
by Ravi Bharadwaj, Swati Jaiswal, Erandi E. Velarde de la Cruz and Ritesh P. Thakare
Diseases 2024, 12(3), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12030063

“Significance of TP53, CDKN2A, SMAD4 and KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer”
by Dimitrios Stefanoudakis, Maximos Frountzas, Dimitrios Schizas, Nikolaos V. Michalopoulos, Alexandra Drakaki and Konstantinos G. Toutouzas
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(4), 2827–2844; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46040177

“Metformin: From Diabetes to Cancer—Unveiling Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies”
by Emilia Amengual-Cladera, Pere Miquel Morla-Barcelo, Andrea Morán-Costoya, Jorge Sastre-Serra, Daniel Gabriel Pons, Adamo Valle, Pilar Roca and Mercedes Nadal-Serrano
Biology 2024, 13(5), 302; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13050302

“Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Fundamental Mechanisms, Current Status and Future Directions”
by Abdullah Younis and John Gribben
Immuno 2024, 4(3), 186–210; https://doi.org/10.3390/immuno4030013

“Breast Cancer Screening among African Immigrants in the United States: An Integrative Review of Barriers, Facilitators, and Interventions”
by Julian I. Rauch, Joseph Daniels, Alyssa Robillard and Rodney P. Joseph
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(8), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21081004

“Predicting Leukoplakia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Interpretable Machine Learning: A Retrospective Analysis”
by Salem Shamsul Alam, Saif Ahmed, Taseef Hasan Farook and James Dudley
Oral 2024, 4(3), 386–404; https://doi.org/10.3390/oral4030032