Dr. Samira Eissazadeh is a Pharmacologist with a strong background in Cellular and Molecular Biology. During her PhD at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, she investigated the role of Endoglin (ENG), a TGF-β co-receptor involved in angiogenesis, in liver sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction. Her research focused on ENG-related signaling in hepatic impairment and on the therapeutic potential of the anti-ENG monoclonal antibody Carotuximab (TRC105) in experimental models of cholestasis and metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Her findings highlighted ENG as a promising target for reducing liver inflammation and fibrosis, opening new avenues for translational research and leading to publications in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Eissazadeh received the prestigious Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Award of the Czech Republic (2025) in the doctoral category, recognizing exceptional accomplishments in research, experimental development, and innovation. She currently works as a Scientist at Terasom Ltd. in Prague, contributing to exosome-based diagnostics and cancer immunotherapies.

Since 2022, Prof. Markus Hecht has been Director of the Clinic for Radiation Therapy and Radio-Oncology at Saarland University Hospital and W3 Professor of Radiation Oncology at Saarland University. He specializes in head-and-neck cancer and radio-immunotherapy, studying how local irradiation reshapes tumor immunity and influences responses to checkpoint inhibitors. His group’s recent IMPORTANCE / KEYNOTE-717 work suggests that irradiating one metastatic site can boost the overall effectiveness of pembrolizumab in metastatic head-and-neck cancer without adding major toxicity. His lecture will also cover findings from long-term collaborations with Rainer Fietkau and Udo S. Gaipl (FAU Erlangen–Nürnberg/University Hospital in Erlangen).

Assoc. Prof. Jan Křivánek leads the Dental Development and Regeneration Research Group at the Department of Histology and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University in Brno. His lab investigates several fundamental research topics, including the stem-cell dynamics and plasticity, regeneration and healing of teeth and bones, tissue micropatterning and others. Recently, his team developed the BEE-ST method, enabling the quantification of hard-tissue development, growth and remodelling (published in Science Advances), for which he received the MUNI Scientist Award 2023. The most recent work (Lavicky et al., JDR, 2025) shows that activating a defined set of transcription factors can program stem cells toward the odontoblast lineage, outlining new translational avenues for dentin regeneration. He integrates developmental biology with regenerative dentistry and leads nationally funded projects on mechanosensing, stem-cell niche adaptation and dental healing with clear clinical relevance.