Workshop 6: Innovative Approaches to Harnessing Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Cardiovascular Health
Tracks
Track 2
Sunday, July 12, 2026 |
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM |
Details
Cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases are intricately linked and pose an increasing threat to global health. Traditionally, medicinal plants and animals have been utilised in Asia and South America for the prevention and treatment of these disorders, representing rich repositories of potential lead compounds that may elucidate novel therapeutic mechanisms.
Our workshop presents a comprehensive framework for natural product-based drug discovery, encompassing the entire process from chemical isolation and initial screening to clinical translation. We explore innovative methods throughout the drug discovery pipeline with traditional medicinal knowledge and modern scientific techniques. Our approach spans from chemical modifications for enhanced efficacy and advanced natural product chemistry to drug target identification and in vivo modelling of cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
This integrated strategy not only accelerates the development of natural product-based therapeutics but also fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among experts in analytical chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical research, offering new avenues for effective treatments.
Speaker
Prof Ke-Wu Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University
Development of novel chemical biology methods for the natural product target identification
Biography
Prof. Ke-Wu Zeng is currently working in School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China. He mainly focusses on the pharmacological target identification of bioactive natural products. In recent years, Zeng’s laboratory has employed chemical biology strategies to develop novel molecular probes, thereby identifying direct molecular targets for over 20 natural products and elucidating their potential immunomodulatory and neuroprotective mechanisms. Moreover, Zeng has published about 130 research papers in PNAS, Sci Adv, Adv Sci, ACS Cent Sci, etc. His researches have been reported by NSFC and ScienceNet, and selected as China’s Top Ten Medical Advances for 2017. Moreover, Zeng has managed 12 national projects such as NSFC, NKRDP, international research cooperation programs, and obtained 10 patents with authorization. Currently, Zeng is taking on the positions of academic duties in World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies and Chinese pharmacological society.
Dr Chengxue Helena Qin
Monash University
Advancing Immune-Vascular Health Through Innovative Natural Product-Based Strategies
Biography
Laboratory Head in Cardiovascular Pharmacology at Monash University, currently holding the prestigious positions of National Heart Foundation Future Fellow and Monash Talent Accelerator Fellow. Upon completing her PhD at the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics and the School of Chemistry (University of Melbourne), Dr. Qin advanced her career with a post-doctoral position at the Baker Institute in 2011. Recognizing her talent and leadership, she was subsequently recruited to establish her independent laboratory within the Drug Discovery Biology Theme at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2019. Previously, she served as an MRFF REDI Industry Fellow and Baker Fellow. Dr. Qin also plays an integral role on the Board of Directors of the Australasian Pharmacologists and Toxicology Society, the Global Academic Drug Discovery Consortium, and the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance Emerging Leader (Industry Engagement portfolio).
Dr. Qin is an emerging leader in translational pharmacology, driven by a visionary pursuit to develop "pro-resolving medicines" for the treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases, one of the leading causes of death globally. Her research team is dedicated to pioneering innovative "pro-resolving" therapies, primarily focusing on advancing the pro-resolving GPCRs (e.g. FPR2) R&D program to bridge scientific discoveries with impactful clinical solutions. Dr. Qin's expertise spans molecular and integrative pharmacology, rational drug design, and the intricacies of commercialization.
Her scholarly contributions have been featured in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Cardiovascular Research, Circulation, British Journal of Pharmacology, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and Pharmacology & Therapeutics etc. Dr. Qin has secured substantial research funding from prestigious organizations including the National Health and Medical Research Council, National Heart Foundation, National Drug Discovery Centre, Diabetes Australia, CASS Foundation, Therapeutic Innovation Australia, JDRF etc.
Dr. Qin's outstanding leadership and scholarly achievements have been duly recognized through the receipt of over 20 prestigious awards, including the Hypertension Australia Mid-Career Award (2023), Monash Talent Accelerator Fellow (2023), MRFF-Industry Fellow (2021), Future Research Leader (2020), and the Asian Australian Leadership Award (Basic Scientist, 2019), among others.
Session chair
Anna, Wai San Cheang
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau
Haifa Qiao
Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine
