I am a Professor of Cardiovascular Immunology at the University of Glasgow (UK), based within the School of Infection & Immunity. I also serve as the School’s International Lead and Director of the ARUA/Guild Africa-Europe Centre of Excellence in Non-Communicable Diseases and Multimorbidity. Additionally, I hold an adjunct appointment as Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Naples Federico II (Italy). I am an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, the British Pharmacological Society, and the European Society of Cardiology. My leadership roles include serving as Vice-President and Chair of the Engagement Committee of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS); Chair of the Immunopharmacology Committee and Vice-Chair of the Basic and Translational Section of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR); and Chair of the Translational Research Medical Review Panel for Heart Research UK (HRUK). I am also a Nucleus Member of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Groups on Atherosclerosis & Vascular Biology and Cellular Biology of the Heart, and a member of the Executive Committee of the British Atherosclerosis Society (BAS). Additionally, I serve as Vice-Chair of the Immunotherapy Committee of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), a member of the Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Grant Panel for the Chief Scientist Office (CSO), and a collaborator on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project. In the editorial sphere, I am Deputy Editor of Cardiovascular Research and Associate Editor of Pharmacological Research. My research is driven by a longstanding interest in the role of the immune system in cardiovascular diseases. I conduct both basic and clinical investigations aimed at elucidating and targeting immune and inflammatory mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis, hypertension, and heart failure, with a dedicated focus on cardiovascular disease in Africa. I have authored over 140 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as Nature Genetics, Nature Reviews Immunology, Nature Reviews Cardiology, The Lancet Global Health, Immunity, European Heart Journal, Circulation, and Circulation Research.

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.

Professor Grant Drummond is a pharmacologist and vascular biologist with over 30 years’ experience in research and tertiary education. He holds senior leadership roles at La Trobe University, including Co-Director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research, and Associate Dean (Research Partnerships) in the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment. His research investigates the roles of oxidative stress and immune mechanisms in hypertension and its complications, including kidney disease, heart failure, atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm. Professor Drummond has authored more than 190 publications, which have collectively received over 19,800 citations. His work has been continuously funded by the NHMRC and the Heart Foundation of Australia for more than two decades.

Marianne Haug is a PhD candidate at the Cardiovascular Research Center, Örebro University, Sweden. Her research focuses on vascular inflammation and thrombo-inflammation, with an emphasis on pharmacological strategies targeting inflammatory signaling in cardiovascular disease. Using translational experimental models, her work evaluates novel immunomodulatory therapies relevant to vascular pathology. At WCP2026, she presents a pharmacological evaluation of the novel IL-1R1 antagonist Isunakinra in suppressing endothelial inflammation.

Susan Leung is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy of the University of Hong Kong. She obtained her BSc in Pharmacology from the University of Bristol, and PhD in cardiovascular pharmacology from the University of Hong Kong. Following receipt of the Croucher Foundation Fellowship, she undertook post-doctoral training at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She was Research Assistant Professor and then Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on examining the vascular tone regulatory signaling under physiological and pathological conditions, and the effects of different pharmacological agents on vascular responses. She has published more than 70 original articles, and has written several reviews on the signaling pathways underlying the regulation of vascular tone. She is one of the founding members of the Asian Society for Vascular Biology. Currently, she is an Executive Committee Member of Hong Kong Pharmacology Society, and a Council member of the Institute of Cardiovascular Science and Medicine. She has been actively involved in the organization of over ten international meetings, and is a co-director for the Croucher Summer Courses held in Hong Kong on “Arterial Aging”.