Immunopharmacology and Inflammation

Carlo Riccardi is full professor of Pharmacology at the Perugia University Medical School, Italy, and currently the Director of the Department of Medicine. Prof. Riccardi completed both his Pharmacy and Medical degrees at the University of Perugia, and a period as a Research Associate, at the Department of Pathology, State University of New York at Buffalo. He was also Guest Visitor in the Laboratory of Immunodiagnosis, N.C.I., N.I.H., in Bethesda, Maryland. His field of research is the immunopharmacology, with a particular focus on the molecular mechanisms of action of glucocorticoids in inflammation and the mechanisms regulating the lymphocyte activation, growth and differentiation. These studies have been the subject of more than 270 publications in international journals. He participated to numerous congresses and meetings worldwide as invited speaker and/or chairman for his competences in Pharmacology, Inflammation and Immunology, Glucocorticoids, Apoptosis, Cell Growth Regulation, GILZ and GITR. He is member of the Editorial Board and referee of many international scientific Journals. He is also member of many scientific societies, such as International Association of Inflammation Societies, IUPHAR, and Italian Society of Pharmacology, of which he has been President. Throughout his career, he has obtained several grants to develop and work in the research field of pharmacology.

Francesca Levi-Schaffer is a Professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine. She holds the Isaac and Myrna Kaye Chair in Immunopharmacology. Prof. Levi-Schaffer was born in Italy and completed her PharmD degree at the University of Milano, her PhD degree in Immunology at the Weizmann Institute, Israel, and her post-doctorate at Harvard Medical School. Prof. Levi-Schaffer has published 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 83 reviews and editorials and 25 book chapters. She has two patents and one provisional patent. She is Chairperson of the National Committee of IUPHAR representing the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, was instrumental in the establishment of an Immunopharmacology Section in the IUPHAR and currently serves as its first Chairperson. She is a member of the Israeli Ministry of Health Committee for Human Experimentation of New Drugs; a Councilor and member of the IUPHAR Executive Committee; member of the Board, treasurer (2016-18), and Secretary General (2018-20) of World Allergy Organization; and Council member of Collegium Internationale Allergologicum.

Prof. Levi-Schaffer's expertise is in immunopharmacology of allergy focusing on mast cells and eosinophils, their activating and inhibitory receptors, their cross-talk for a better prophylaxis/treatment of allergic diseases.

Ekaterini Tiligada graduated from University College Cardiff, UK, received her PhD from University of Wales College of Medicine, UK. She subsequently joined the Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, where she is currently Professor of Experimental Pharmacology and coordinates the Immunopharmacology group.

During the last 25 years she has focused her research on inflammatory and immune-related processes, with particular interest in the functional role of histamine and histamine receptors in human pathophysiology. Her other areas of interest include the cellular stress response and drug hypersensitivity reactions. She has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and 10 book chapters. She has an extensive experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental students and in training and supervising young researchers. She is currently Council Officer of the European Histamine Research Society, Treasurer of the IUPHAR Immunopharmacology Section and Observer in the Rheumatology-Immunology Working Party of the European Medicines Agency.