Dr Alini graduated in Chemistry from the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) in 1983. Since then he has been involved in connective tissue research, starting from his Ph.D. research work, done at the Laboratory of Cellular Pathology in Locarno (Switzerland), which focused on the isolation and characterization of proteoglycans extracted from both normal human mammary gland and carcinomas thereof. In September 1988, he joined the Joint Diseases Laboratory (under Dr. A. R. Poole's direction) at the Shriners Hospital in Montreal to work on quantitative and qualitative changes in extracellular matrix proteins (particularly proteoglycans and collagens) of the growth plate tissue before and at the time of cartilage matrix calcification during endochondral bone formation. In January 1995, he was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery of the McGill University (Chair Prof. M. Aebi) and head of the Biochemistry Unit of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, working to develop new biological approaches to treating intervertebral disc damage. Since July 2000, he is in charge of the Musculoskeletal Regeneration Program at the AO Research Institute (Davos, Switzerland), focusing on cartilage, bone and intervertebral disc tissue engineering. Since September 2009 is also the Vice-Director of the same Research Institute. Mauro Alini sur Google Scholar

Dr Barritault graduated in Math and Physics, completed his Ph.D. in biochemistry in Paris University. Post doctoral in molecular immunology at Pasteur Institute and NYU as NIH Fogarty Fellow he joined INSERM unit in Paris as developmental biologist. He made the first description and patents of FGF extracted from retina in 1979 and 82 as skin and cornea healing agent, became full professor at Paris East University in 1985, founded and directed a CNRS Laboratory on cell and tissue regeneration until 2003. He is now President of OTR3, Emeritus Professor and author in over 200 publications and 29 patents.

Dr. Galipeau is a Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology & Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine and is Co-Director of the Winship Cancer Institute Tumor Immunology-Immunotherapy initiative and has been named a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar. Dr. Jacques Galipeau obtained his Medical Degree from the University of Montreal in 1988 and completed specialty training in internal medicine at the McGill-affiliated Jewish General Hospital. He went on to the Tufts-affiliated New England Medical Center in Boston for three years of subspecialty training in Hematology and Oncology followed by a two-year scientific fellowship in gene Therapy at St-Jude Children's research hospital in Memphis Tennessee. In his 12 year career at McGill University starting in 1997, he initiated and developed a research program in cell and immunotherapy of catastrophic illnesses including cancer, immune and cardiovascular disease. He relocated to Emory University in October 2009 where he established the Emory Personalized Immunotherapy Center [EPIC] whose mission is to develop evidence-based and innovative personalized cell therapies for immune and malignant disorders.

Dr. Rial-Sebbag graduated in health law (Faculty of Bordeaux), and obtained her Ph.D in Health Law at University Paul Sabatier Toulouse. She is working since 2000 at the INSERM Unit 1027 in Toulouse (Epidemiology and public health analysis: risks, chronic diseases and handicaps) in the team Genomics, biotherapy and public health:interdisciplinary approach (Dir: Anne Cambon-Thomsen) as a permanent researcher in health law and bioethics. She is an Associate lecturer in bio-law and bioethics at the University of Medicine in Toulouse (Purpan). She is involved in several research projects at National, European and International level, on the topics of biobanking, innovative therapies, biomedical research involving human beings and direct-to-consumer genetic tests. She is responsible for several teaching and educational sessions especially on the ethical and legal aspects of biomedical research involving human or patients' rights regarding biobanking. She is currently developing a research on the Governance of Research in biotechnology and the role played by normative approaches at national and European level.

Dr. Duncan Stewart is a pioneering Canadian cardiovascular researcher who is recognized for his many important discoveries in blood vessel biology, as well as his dedication to translating these discoveries into benefits for patients and society. After beginning his career in academic cardiology at McGill University in Montreal, he moved to Toronto as Head of Cardiology at St. Michael's Hospital and later became Director of the Division of Cardiology, and Executive Director of the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine at the University of Toronto. He was recruited to lead the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) in 2007.
Dr. Stewart has made a number of seminal discoveries elucidating the importance of endothelial factors in health and disease, notably the role of the nitric oxide system in angiogenesis and of endothelin-1 in pulmonary hypertension. He is a leader in developing cell and gene based therapies for cardiovascular disease. He led the first Canadian clinical trial to test an angiogenic gene therapy - using VEGF to try to stimulate heart repair in people who had suffered heart attacks.
Dr. Stewart is spearheading the world's first clinical trial of a gene-enhanced cell therapy for pulmonary hypertension, using endothelial progenitor cells engineered to over-express the endothelial nitric oxide synthase. He has also launched the first enhanced progenitor cell therapy trial for post heart attack repair, and is leading a Canadian effort to initiate the world's first trial of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. He is also involved in a clinical trial that will assess whether mesenchymal stromal stem cells can improve outcomes for patients with septic shock.
Dr. Stewart has published more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has received a number of distinctions and prizes, including the Dexter Man Chair of Cardiology and Research Achievement Award of the University of Toronto, and the Research Achievement Award of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Throughout his career, Dr. Stewart has demonstrated leadership in bringing diverse groups of clinicians and scientists together to put Canada on the world stage for translational cardiovascular and regenerative medicine research.
As well as serving as CEO and Scientific Director of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Dr. Stewart is a senior scientist in OHRI's Regenerative Medicine Program and holds the Evelyne and Rowell Laishley Chair. He is Vice-President of Research at The Ottawa Hospital and a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.