J. Andres MELENDEZ

(Albany, NY, USA)

Dr. Melendez is an Empire Innovation Professor and Associate Head of the Nanobioscience Constellation at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Colleges of Nanoscale Science & Engineering.  He earned his B. Sc. in Marine Science & Biology at the University of Tampa which was followed by an M. Sc. in Biomedical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he was indoctrinated into the field of free radical biology.  He then transitioned to the State University of New York at Albany where he received a Ph. D. in molecular biology and evaluated how reactive oxygen species contribute to inflammatory disease processes.  He completed Post-doctoral training at Georgetown University and Albany Medical College where he studied inflammatory processes that accompany oxygen toxicity and post-partum uterine involution, respectively.  His focus is on understanding the free radical signals that control metastatic disease progression, aging and infectious disease processes.  He is an Associate Editor of the bionanoscience section of Experimental Biology and Medicine and on the Editorial Board of Free Radical Biology & Medicine and The FASEB Journal.  Dr. Melendez has received numerous awards and served on many review and advisory boards for the government, academic institutions, scientific societies and companies.  He will discuss how oxidant responsive TRP channels play a fundamental role in regulating the senescence program.