Linking individual stress to societal and planetary health

Professor of Surgery, Immunology, Computational and Systems Biology, Bioengineering, Communications Science and Disorders, and Clinical and Translational Science
University of Pittsburgh, USA

Prof. Yoram Vodovotz's groundbreaking work navigates the intricate matrix of computational and systems biology approaches to inflammation in multiple disease states, such as sepsis/trauma, wound healing, chronic inflammatory diseases, and cancer. As Director of the Center for Inflammation and Regeneration Modeling at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, he leads this work with the ultimate goal of rational inflammation reprogramming.

Yoram is a co-founder and past President of the Society for Complex Acute Illness, and a co-founder of Immunetrics, Inc., a company commercializing mathematical modeling work.

Past President
American College of Lifestyle Medicine, USA

A specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine, Dr David L. Katz is the President and Founder of the non-profit True Health Initiative and Chief Medical Officer of Tangelo. With expertise in nutrition, preventive medicine, and epidemiology he has dedicated his career to advocating for a longer, healthy life highlighting the health benefits of a plant-based diet, and its anti-inflammatory effects.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, co-author of How to Eat – a 2021 IACP Awards finalist – and has an extensive media portfolio having written for the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.

Professor of Neurophysics
Radboud University, Netherlands

Prof Paul Verschure is a neuroengineering expert striving to find a unified theory of mind, brain, and body using synthetic methods such as brain modeling, robotics, and virtual reality characters to test and apply this theory and develop cognitive technologies to improve quality of life.

He is a project consultant for the European Commission championing neuroinformatics within research frameworks. He has won several awards, including the 2022 European Innovation Council Award.

Professor of Mathematical Sciences
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, USA

Prof Julia Arciero’s research in applied mathematics involves the development and analysis of ordinary and partial differential equation models of physiological phenomena including blood flow regulation, the immune response, inflammation, and cell migration.

She is currently collaborating with Prof Yoram Vodovotz to develop two mathematical models that incorporate the effects of the inflammatory response to bacterial sepsis and to stress and lifestyle interventions – offering new ways to understand and tackle these health concerns.

Professor of Human Development
The Pennsylvania State University, USA

As a life-span developmental psychologist, Professor David Almeida examines the effects of biological and self-reported indicators of stress on health, with particular interest in ageing. He is the creator of the Daily Inventory of Stressful Experiences – a revolutionary way to look at life stressors and improve our understanding of the impacts stress has on our lives.

David’s current research priorities include (MIDUS) – the biggest study in the U.S. tracking people's daily activities and health over time, and QUINCE – exploring innovative ways to understand how daily stress affects sleep and physical activity.

Professor of Surgery, Psychiatry, and Psychology
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA

Prof Jennifer Steel’s research explores how mind and behavior affect disease progression, with a focus on how the body's biology and genes determine this. Jennifer is Director of the Center for Excellence in Behavioral Medicine, and Professor of Surgery, Psychiatry, and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Her research interests include the formulation of collaborative care interventions to manage cancer-related symptoms, to improve the quality of life for cancer patients. She is a Fellow of the Society for Behavioral Medicine.