Robin Couch is a research scientist who is investigating the development of new therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Couch is currently evaluating the effectiveness of neuroprotection, which involves the use of neurotrophins, or molecules naturally produced by resident cells in the brain, to defend the brain cells from death. This includes nerve growth factor which is a specific neurotrophin that binds to brain cells and promotes their survival. His other research interests include isoprene biosynthesis, personalized medicine and anti-cholesterol therapeutics.

Gillevet has been the lead scientist at the Environmental Biocomplexity and Ecology group at George Mason University since 1996. This group focuses on using state-of-the-art molecular techniques to study problems in molecular environmental sciences and genomic evolution. Gillevet is also the director of Mason’s new MicroBiome Analysis Center where he and his team of researchers are studying bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa within the human body. The effect of these organisms on human health will be a major focus of research at the center where investigators will explore microbial imbalances on or within the gut, mouth, respiratory tract and urinary and reproductive systems.

Prior to joining Mason, Gillevet was the technical director of the University of Illinois’ Center for Prokaryotic Genome Analysis from 1988 to 1990 and served as the director of Harvard University’s Harvard Genome Laboratory from 1990 to 1993. He established an integrated fluorescent sequencing facility at the National Center for Human Genome Research from 1993 to 1996. Gillevet holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Manitoba. His research interests include molecular environmental biology, molecular evolution, genomics, Crohn’s Disease, and bioinformatics.

One of the first scientists to investigate the process of tumor invasion and metastasis at the molecular level, Liotta has invented technologies in the fields of diagnostics, immunoassays, microdissection, and proteomics that have been used to make broad discoveries in genomics, functional genetics, and tissue proteomics. Prior to joining George Mason University, he served as chief of the Laboratory of Pathology at the National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research and as deputy director for Intramural Research at the National Institutes of Health. Liotta earned a medical degree and a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. His research contributions have generated 90 issued patents and more than 600 articles in peer-reviewed publications. Included among Liotta’s numerous awards for cancer research are three Public Health Service Commissioned Corps medals, the Arthur S. Fleming Award, the Warner Lambert/Parke Davis Award, the Rhoads Memorial Award, the Milken Family Foundation Award for Basic Research, the Lila Gruber Cancer Research Award, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Medallion, and the Maud L. Menten Lecture Award. In addition, he is the recipient of the National Institutes of Health Award of Merit, the Cotlove Research Award, the Ballantyne Distinguished Lectureship Research Award, and the Philip Levine Award for Outstanding Research.

Liotta and Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine Co-director Emanuel F. Petricoin III, who are internationally recognized for their pioneering research in proteomics and molecular medicine, co-founded the George Mason University Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine in 2005. They currently are exploring their recent discovery of an archive of protein fragments in the blood that are biomarker candidates for breast, ovarian, and lung cancers. Their immediate goals are to validate these potential biomarkers in clinical trials to determine their feasibility in the diagnosis of cancer prior to metastasis, and to analyze molecular pathways in diseased tissue to determine individualized and targeted treatments for patients. The team also is investigating the development and use of nanotechnology to synergize with proteomic tools for new types of biosensors, nanoparticles for biomarker discovery, and nanoelectronics. Liotta and Petricoin have more than 20 patents pending in the areas of cancer theranostics, biomarkers, and related technologies.

Raja Parasuraman is a world-renowned researcher of cognitive neuroscience and human performance in human-machine systems. Parasuraman is known for developing the field of neuroergonomics, which he defines as the study of brain and behavior at work. He has conducted many studies using information-processing paradigms, event-related brain potentials and functional brain imaging both in normal populations and in relation to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. He has investigated the roles of human attention, memory and vigilance in automated and robotic systems as well as the molecular genetics of cognition, specifically attention and working memory. Parasuraman has authored several books related to his neuroscience research including The Psychology of Vigilance, Varieties of Attention, Event-Related Brain Potentials, Automation and Human Performance, The Attentive Brain, and Neuroergonomics: The Brain at Work.