Speakers
Meet the Speakers – BSMB 2025 Autumn Meeting
We are excited to welcome a distinguished lineup of researchers and innovators to the BSMB 2025 Autumn Meeting. Join us to hear from leading experts in matrix biology, omics, and translational research as they share cutting-edge insights and emerging trends in the field. Stay tuned for more updates as we approach the event.
Dr. Alexandra Naba
Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago
Dr. Naba is renowned for pioneering the use of proteomics and bioinformatics to systematically analyze extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, leading to the definition of the "matrisome" concept.
​
She founded the Matrisome Project and MatrisomeDB, two key resources advancing ECM research by providing methods, reagents, and data to the scientific community.
Her contributions have earned her numerous prestigious honors, including the Junior Investigator Award from the American Society for Matrix Biology and the Rupert Timpl Award from the International Society for Matrix Biology (ISMB).
Dr. Valerio Izzi
Associate Professor of Bioinformatics & Group Leader at the University of Oulu in Finland
Prof Izzi, as the head of IzziLab, his research focuses on developing accessible tools to empower the matrix biology community, enabling easy access, querying, and analysis of matrisomics data in health and disease, particularly in cancer.
​
Prof. Izzi also serves as Chair of the Finnish Society for Matrix Biology and Vice-President of the ISMB.
Dr. Sarah Snelling
Associate Professor at the University of Oxford
Dr. Snelling is the Section Head in Inflammation and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Oxford.
Sarah also leads the Musculoskeletal Biological Network of the Human Cell Atlas. Sarah’s research focusses on delivering cellular maps in musculoskeletal health, development and disease. Ultimately this work aims to provide metrics to improve mechanistic understanding and treatment evaluation in osteoarthritis and tendinopathy.
Prof. Melanie Bailey
Professor of Analytical Science at the University of Surrey & Director of the Wolfson Centre of Excellence for Bioanalytical Science
Prof. Bailey brings together expertise in “omics,” biomarker discovery, and imaging, including SEISMIC, a cutting-edge BBSRC national facility for spatially resolved single and sub-cellular “omics.” The Centre also houses advanced instrumentation for multimodal imaging at the UK National Ion Beam Centre, as well as capabilities in bulk metabolomics, proteomics, and metallomics.
Prof. Irit Sagi
Professor at the Weizmann Institute and the incumbent of the Maurizio Pontecorvo Professorial Chair
Prof. Sagi develops and applies unique, multidisciplinary, and biophysical approaches to investigate the molecular processes of tissue and ECM remodelling.
Prof. Sagi has had more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, is a member of the International Board of Directors of Future Fund for promoting Israel-Germany relations, and a member of the UK Israel Science Council. She received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Patras in Greece in 2022. Prof. Sagi was also featured on Forbes’ #powerwomen 2023 list.
Dr. Emily Noёl
Senior Lecturer at the University of Sheffield, UK
Dr. Noёl established her laboratory in 2016 with the support of a British Heart Foundation Fellowship. Her research focuses on uncovering the mechanisms that drive heart development during embryogenesis, particularly how the embryonic heart tube undergoes regionalized morphogenetic changes to form a fully functional heart.
Her team employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining live imaging, morphometric analysis, and targeted genome editing, using zebrafish as a model organism.
Prof. Cathy Merry
Professor of Stem Cell Glycobiology at the University of Nottingham
Prof. Merry developed a novel method for the sequence analysis of heparan sulphate and an ongoing passion for glycobiology. Her Stem Cell Glycobiology Group is working to understand the role of glycosaminoglycans (complex sugars) in stem cell biology and to exploit this knowledge in the design of biomaterials and other therapeutics.
Dr. Alexander Eckersley
Lecturer at the University of Manchester
Dr. Eckersley's lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms and consequences of ECM damage in ageing and disease and the role of cell-signaling matrix fragments (matrikines) in tissue degeneration and repair.
His lab develops new proteomic mass spectrometry approaches and bioinformatic software tools for spatial and structural proteomics. This includes the invention and development of “peptide location fingerprinting”, capable of identifying damaged and modified proteins in complex biological samples.
Dr. Rens de Groot
BHF Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellow at the Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London
Dr de Groot is renowned for his expertise in the ADAMTS family of enzymes, which play a crucial role in cardiovascular diseases. His research primarily focuses on the enzyme ADAMTS7, which is significant in the context of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.
Dr. Suneel Apte
Group Leader at the Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Apte has served two terms as Editor with the Journal of Biological Chemistry and is currently an Editor of Matrix Biology and Matrix Biology Plus.
​
After defining the roles of many newly discovered proteases in mammalian embryonic development, the Apte Lab investigates proteolysis in different forms of arthritis and cardiovascular disorders such as heart failure and aortic aneurysms.
His objective is to identify new disease pathways, biomarkers and drugs and develop a comprehensive framework for understanding proteolysis across organs and disease ecosystems
