Keynote Speakers 2024

Katja Kanninen, PhD, is a professor of cellular neurobiology at the A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences at University of Eastern Finland. For the research focus, Katja is interested in which cellular and molecular mechanisms are disturbed in Alzheimer’s disease, and how different environmental factors and lifestyles e.g., air pollution, viral infections and exercise affect them. Furthermore, finding ways to anticipate the development of Alzheimer’s disease and perhaps even to slow down its progression is an important goal for her research group.

Scientific carreer:

2023 - present Professor of Cellular Neurobiology, University of Eastern Finland

2018-2022 Associate Professor (Tenure track), University of Eastern Finland

2016–2018 Research Group Director, University of Eastern Finland

2014 Title of Docent in Neurobiology, University of Eastern Finland

2010 and 2012–2016 Postdoctoral Researcher and University Researcher positions, University of Eastern Finland

2010–2012 Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Melbourne

2009 PhD (Neurobiology), University of Kuopio, 2009

Stephanie Möllmert received her PhD in Physics from Technische Universität Dresden in 2017 under the supervision of Jochen Guck. She is currently a Senior Scientist in the Division of Cell Physics at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen, Germany, and serves as a project leader within the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center 1540 "Exploring Brain Mechanics." Her research focuses on investigating the physical properties of biological cells and tissues using Brillouin microscopy and AFM-based indentation. A key emphasis of her work is on linking mechanical properties to cell functions and exploring potential clinical applications.

Dr. Kirsten Bos heads the Molecular Paleopathology at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Jena, Germany. She is a physical anthropologist specializing in ancient DNA and infectious diseases.  Her work includes studying the evolutionary history of M. tuberculosis and exploring the relationship between ancient TB and modern strains affecting humans.

Scientific carreer:

2020 – present Group Leader, Molecular Palaeopathology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

2015-2020 Group Leader, Molecular Palaeopathology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History

2012- 2015 Postdoctoral researcher, University of Tübingen

2012 Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University

2004 Master of Arts, Department of Anthropology, McMaster University

2001 Honours Bachelor of Science “with distinction”, Specialized Honours Bio-medical Science, University of Guelph