Dr. Carol Feghali-Bostwick is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Kitty Trask Holt and SmartState Endowed Chair for Scleroderma Research. Dr. Feghali-Bostwick’s research has focused on mechanisms mediating the development and resolution of fibrosis in disorders such as Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Her research has resulted in the identification of novel pro- fibrotic and anti-fibrotic factors. Her research team led the initial gene expression profiling of SSc lung tissues, identified novel autoantibodies associated with SSc-associated interstitial lung disease, and contributed to a better understanding of fibroblast biology in fibrosis. Dr. Feghali-Bostwick has authored and co-authored over 180 original manuscripts and several patents. In addition to research, Dr. Feghali-Bostwick is actively engaged in mentoring junior investigators. She established a national Early Career Investigator mentoring program as well as an entrepreneurship training and coaching program. Dr. Feghali-Bostwick has received numerous awards for her research, service, and commitment to mentoring, and was elected to the National Academy of Inventors.

Dr. Jessica L. Chitty is a Senior Postdoctoral Research Officer at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, where she works in the Matrix and Metastasis Lab. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Sussex and completed her PhD at the University of Queensland, where she investigated novel drug targets in fungal pathogens within the fungal pathogenesis laboratory. Since joining the Garvan Institute in 2017, Dr. Chitty has focused on understanding and targeting the fibrotic tumour microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Her research explores the role of copper-dependent enzymes in driving tumour fibrosis and resistance to therapy. She has led preclinical studies on a novel pan-LOX inhibitor, SNT-5505, demonstrating its ability to reduce tumour stiffness, limit cancer cell invasion, and improve survival in mouse models of PDAC. Dr. Chitty has received several early-career awards, including the Matrix Biology ANZ Paper of the Year. She is also the Chief Investigator on a Cancer Council NSW project grant, supporting the advancement of anti-stromal therapies that target copper-dependent pathways in pancreatic cancer.

Dr Joel Coffie is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University, Australia, within the Drug Discovery Biology theme. He is part of the Cardiac GPCR Biology Lab, where he undertakes investigations into G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling. Joel holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and later pursued a master’s degree in pharmacology at the Tianjin University of Chinese Medicine in China. He later completed his PhD in 2024 at Monash University. His PhD research centred on “decoding the GPCR signalling fingerprints in human cardiac fibroblasts to identify novel therapeutic targets for effective treatment of cardiac fibrosis in heart failure.” Under the supervision of A/Prof Lauren May, Dr Simon Foster and Prof Paul White, he interrogated how GPCR-mediated signalling events — such as cAMP accumulation — respond to fibrotic stimuli in cardiac fibroblasts. His work sought to address the critical gap in therapeutic options for cardiac fibrosis, a key driver of heart failure progression. He has expertise in GPCR signalling and gene expression assays, (phospho)proteomics analysis etc. He has expertise working with immortalised, primary, and iPSC-derived cell lines. At present, Joel applies his expertise in GPCR biology, human cell assays and drug-target validation to inform the early stages of drug discovery: identifying and characterising potential drug targets, signalling pathways and potential modulators that could ameliorate fibrotic remodelling in the heart.