Dr. Qiu, Sheng-Xiang is a Professor and the Director of the Natural Product Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery Program of South China Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He completed his undergraduate and M. S. degrees in China and received his PhD from University of Illinois at Chicago in the United States. Dr. Qiu led a research team to discover bioactive natural products from plants for the treatment of infectious diseases, immune disorders, cancer, diabetes, and hyperuricemia. His team applies advanced molecular and cell biology technologies, computational chemistry, and network pharmacology to decipher the mechanism of action of the active compounds from plants to tackle key issues in natural product-based drug discovery. After decades of hard work, Qiu’s team has made several groundbreaking achievements. They discovered that several xanthones in mangosteem and phloroglucinols in myrtle are novel antimicrobial agents against methicillin-resistant bacteria. They identified plant Pinosylvin monomethyl ether possessed strong antifungal activity against pathogenic fungi associated with aflatoxin B1 accumulation, likely a cause of the high incidence of liver cancer in China. They discovered Rhodomyrtone as the first plant-derived broad-spectrum antiviral chemical against SARS-CoV-2 by modulating host defense. They identified a stilbenoid as the first anti-HPV natural small molecule with dual function of blocking HPV infection and reversing HPV-induced cancerous transformation of cervical cells. Cajaninstilbene acid from pigeon pea was identified to be the first plant-derived AhR agonist with the potential to treat psoriasis. Dr. Qiu has published >200 papers in peer-reviewed journals and holds >30 patents.

Research Interest: Natural product medicinal Chemistry/chemical biology; Pharmacology; signaling transduction; Drug discovery.

Dr. Mohammad E. Barbati, MD received his medical degree at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Iran in 2008. From 2008 to 2012 he worked as the transplant coordinator in Organ Transplantation Center of Shahid Beheshti University. He continued his medical study with residency in vascular and endovascular surgery at the University of Aachen and obtained his board license in 2018. Dr. Barbati performs all aspects of vascular and endovascular surgery including complex chronic venous obstructive disease.

Research Interest: Venous diseases and treatments

Research Interest: Cardiovascular Imaging, in particular cardiac magnetic resonance, echocardiography and cardiac SPECT; cardiomyopathies; mitral valve prolapse; coronary microcirculation; prevention.

PUBLICATION LIST:

1. Cecere, A. Cipriani, M. De Lazzari, F. Graziano, G. Brunetti, G. De Conti, R. Motta, A. Ravagnin, G. Lorenzoni, D. Gregori, C. Basso, F. Tona, Y. Jin Lee, F. Nesta Delling, S. Iliceto, M. Perazzolo Marra. Left ventricular fibrosis in arrhythmic mitral valve prolapse: quantification and comparison of semi-automated techniques assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2023. doi: 10.1007/s10554-023-03006-6. Online ahead of print.  
2. S. Piaserico, E. Papadavid, A. Cecere, G. Orlando, K. Theodoropoulos, P. Katsimbri, G. Makavos, P. Rafouli-Stergiou, S. Iliceto, M. Alaibac, F. Tona, I. Ikonomidis. Coronary microvascular dysfunction in asymptomatic patients with severe psoriasis. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:19291936.e2.  
3. V. Pergola, G. Mattesi, E. Cozza, N. Pradegan, C. Tessari, CM Dellino, MT Savo, F. Amato, A. Cecere, M. Perazzolo Marra, F. Tona, AI Guaricci, G. De Conti, G. Gerosa, S. Iliceto, R. Motta. New non- invasive imaging technologies in cardiac transplant follow-up: acquired evidence and future options. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:2818.  
4. F. Tona, M. Vadori, G. Civieri, G. Masiero, L. Iop, G. Antonelli, M. Perazzolo Marra, F. Bianco, A. Cecere, G. Lorenzoni, N. Naumova, G. Bernava, D. Basso, M. Plebani, E. Cozzi, S. Iliceto. Association of autoantibodies targeting endothelin type-A receptors with no-reflow in STelevation myocardial infarction. Atherosclerosis 2023; 378:117179.  
5. M. De Lazzari, A. Cipriani, A. Cecere, A. Niero, M. De Gaspari, B. Giorgi, G. De Conti, R. Motta, S. Rizzo, F. Tona, L. Cacciavillani, G. Tarantini, G. Gerosa, C. Basso, S. Iliceto, M. Perazzolo Marra. Cardiac rupture in acute myocardial infarction: a cardiac magnetic resonance study. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2023; jead088. Online ahead of print.  
6. M. Maiello, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, P. Palmiero. Early diagnosis of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2023; 43:313-317.  
7. Cecere, PLM Kerkhof, G. Civieri, A. Angelini, A. Gambino, A. Fraiese, T. Bottio, E. Osto, G. Famoso, M. Fedrigo, E. Giacomin, G. Toscano, R. Montisci, S. Iliceto, G. Gerosa, F. Tona. Coronary flow evaluation in heart transplant patients compared to healthy controls documents the superiority of coronary flow velocity reserve companion as diagnostic and prognostic tool. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:887370.  
8. Cipriani, G. Mattesi, R. Bariani, A. Cecere, N. Martini, L. De Michieli, S. Da Pozzo, S. Corradin, G. De Conti, A. Zorzi, R. Motta, M. De Lazzari, B. Bauce, S. Iliceto, C. Basso, D. Corrado, M. Perazzolo Marra. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy:
9. evolving diagnostic perspectives. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:270-282.  
10. Porcari, M. Merlo, C. Baggio, G. Gagno, M. Cittar, G. Barbati, A. Paldino, M. Castrichini, G. Vitrella, L. Pagnan, A. Cannatà, A. Andreis, A. Cecere, A. Cipriani, A. Raafs, DI Bromage, S. Rosmini, P. Scott, D. Sado, G. Di Bella, G. Nucifora, M. Perazzolo Marra, S. Heymans, M. Imazio, G. Sinagra. Global longitudinal strain by CMR improves prognostic stratification in acute myocarditis presenting with normal LVEF. Eur J Clin Invest 2022; 52:e13815.  
11. G. Brunetti, F. Cardaioli, M. De Lazzari, A. Cipriani, A. Cecere, A. Cecchetto, A. Baritussio, R. Motta, G. De Conti, D. Corrado, G. Tarantini, S. Iliceto, M. Perazzolo Marra. Left ventricular thrombosis following apical myocardial infarction: might cardiac magnetic resonance strain analysis tell us something? Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11:e024704.  
12. M. Massussi, A. Cipriani, S. Meneghin, N. De la Cruz, A. Cecere, G. D'Amico, L. Cacciavillani, G. De Conti, R. Motta, G. Tarantini, A. Zorzi, S. Iliceto, M. De Lazzari, M. Perazzolo Marra. Prognostic value of left ventricular blood stasis in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A cardiac magnetic resonance study. Int J Cardiol 2022; 358:128-133.  
13. M. Maiello, A. Cecere, A. Zito, MM Ciccone, P. Palmiero. Low-dose aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women with type-2 diabetes: the prescriptive approach in the real world. Int J Prev Med 2021; 12:140.  
14. P. Palmiero, M. Maiello, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone. Metabolic syndrome and breast cancer: a dangerous association for postmenopausal women. Acta Biomed 2021; 92:e2021177.  
15. MF Faienza, P. Scicchitano, R. Lamparelli, P. Zaza, A. Cecere, G. Brunetti, F. Cortese, F. Valente, M. Delvecchio, P. Giordano, A. Zito, G. D'Amato, MM Ciccone. Vascular and myocardial function in young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus: insulin pump therapy versus multiple daily injections insulin regimen. Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2022; 130:415-422.  
16. P. Scicchitano, M. Tucci, G. Ricci, M. Gesualdo, S. Carbonara, G. Totaro, A. Cecere, R. Carbonara, F. Cortese, V. Loizzi, G. Cormio, E. Cicinelli, MM Ciccone. Vascular and cardiac prognostic determinants in patients with gynecological cancers: a six-year follow-up study. Appl.Sci. 2021,11,6091.  
17. V. Pergola, M. Previtero, A. Cecere, V. Storer, T. Castiello, A. Baritussio, G. Cabrelle, D. Mele, R. Motta, AP Caforio, S. Iliceto, M. Perazzolo Marra. Clinical value and time course of pericoronary fat inflammation in patients with angiographically nonobstructive coronaries: a preliminary report. J Clin Med 2021; 10:1786.  
18. M. Principi, P. Scicchitano, S. Carparelli, R. Nitti, R. Ruggieri, MC Bellino, A. Cecere, F. Manca, A. Di Leo, MM Ciccone. Influence of systemic manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases on endothelial function and cardiovascular risk. Minerva Med 2022; 113:291-299.  
19. M. Maiello, A. Zito, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, P. Palmiero. Chest pain and palpitations in postmenopausal women with mitral valve prolapse, is there a gastroesophageal origin? Intern Med J 2022; 52:848-852.  
20. G. De Pergola, R. Zupo, L. Lampignano, S. Paradiso, I. Murro, N. Bartolomeo, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, G. Giannelli, V. Triggiani. Effects of a low carb diet and whey proteins on anthropometric, hematochemical and cardiovascular parameters in subjects with obesity. Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2020; 20:1719-1725.  
21. P. Scicchitano, M. Tucci, MC Bellino, F. Cortese, A. Cecere, M. De Palo, F. Massari, P. Caldarola, F. Silvestris, MM Ciccone. The impairment in kidney function in the oral anticoagulation era. A pathophysiological insight. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2021; 35:505-519.  
22. P. Palmiero, M. Maiello, A. Cecere, F. Sozzi, F. Pelliccia, V. Antoncecchi, E. Antoncecchi, U. Rizzo, M. Campaniello, MM Ciccone. Increased arterial stiffness diagnosis by echocardiography: an expert opinion of the Itlian Chapter of the International Society for Cardiovascular Ultrasound. World Heart Journal 2020; Vol. 12, Fasc. 2, (2020): 101-108.  
23. P. Palmiero, M. Maiello, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, RB Singh. Environmental and social determinants of cardiovascular health. World Heart Journal 2020; Vol. 12, Fasc. 2,(2020): 159167.
24. M. Maiello, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, P. Palmiero. Left atrial enlargement prevalence in normotensive, normoglycemic, obese, postmenopausal women and its correlation with left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic function. An echocardiographic real world observational study. World Heart Journal 2019; 11:329.  
25. F. Cortese, A. Cecere, AM Cortese, A. Andriani, L. Truncellito, F. Valente, P. Giordano, MM Ciccone. Vascular, cardiac and renal target organ damage associated to arterial hypertension: which noninvasive tools for detection? J Hum Hypertens. 2020; 34:420-431.  
26. F. D’Ascenzi, C Sciaccaluga, M. Cameli, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, S. Di Francesco, A. Ganau, E.Imbalzano, R. Liga, P. Palermo, P. Palmiero, G. Parati, R. Pedrinelli, P. Scicchitano, A. Zito, AV Mattioli. When should cardiovascular prevention begin? The importance of antenatal, perinatal and primordial prevention. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2019; 2047487319893832.  
27. M. Pepe, AS Bortone, A. Giordano, A. Cecere, O. Burattini, PL Nestola, G. Patti, O. Di Cillo, N. Signore, C. Forleo, S. Favale. Cardiogenic shock following acute myocardial infarction: what's new? Shock 2020; 53:391-399.  
28. Cafaro, A. Cecere, R. Ruggieri, E. Iorio, F. Giardinelli, MM Ciccone, V. Casamassima, M. Grimaldi, T. Langialonga, M. Pepe. Life-threatening acute myocardial infarction due to left main dissection during radiofrequency transcatheter ablation of atrial tachycardia. Cardiol J. 2019;26:196-197.  
29. P. Palmiero, A. Zito, M. Maiello, A. Cecere, AV Mattioli, R. Pedrinelli, P. Scicchitano, MM Ciccone. Primary prevention of cardiovascular risk in octogenarians by risk factors control. Curr Hypertens Rev. 2019; 15:78-84.  
30. G. De Pergola, R. Zupo, A. Cecere, N. Bartolomeo, V. Triggiani, S. Paradiso, L. Lampignano, F. Silvestris, M.M. Ciccone. Platelet number is negatively and independently associated with carotid intima-media thickness in apparently healthy overweight/obese subjects. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2018; 28:1217-1221.  
31. M. Pepe, A. Cecere, P. D'Alessandro, F. Fumarola, M.M. Ciccone, A. Marchese, AI Guaricci, A. Giordano, AS Bortone, S. Favale. Massive stent thrombosis during active ulcerative colitis: the tricky balance between manifest hemorrhagic and concealed thrombotic risk. Clin Exp Med. 2018; 18:481-485.  
32. M. Pepe, F. Giardinelli, A. Cafaro, F. Masi, EP Navarese, A. Tito, F. Resta, A. Cecere, M.M. Ciccone, S. Favale. Fractional flow reserve and intravascular scan as part of the coronary fistulas diagnostic process: Future perspectives. Cardiol J. 2018; 25:414-415.  
33. M. Pepe, D. Zanna, A. Cafaro, A. Marchese, F. Addabbo, EP Navarese, M. Napodano, A. Cecere, F. Resta, V. Paradies, AS Bortone, S. Favale. Role of plasma glucose level on myocardial perfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients. J Diabetes Complications. 2018; 32:764- 769.  
34. M. Pepe, E. De Cillis, T. Acquaviva, A. Cecere, P. D'Alessandro, A. Giordano, MM Ciccone, AS Bortone. Percutaneous edge-to-edge transcatheter mitral valve repair: current indications and future perspectives. Surg Technol Int. 2018; 32:201-207.  
35. F. Cortese, G. Calculli, M. Gesualdo, A. Cecere, A. Zito, F. De Vito, R. Carbonara, S. Carbonara, AM Cortese, MM Ciccone. Idarucizumab: what should we know? Curr Drug Targets. 2018; 19:81-88.  
36. M. Maiello, A. Zito, A. Cecere, MM Ciccone, P. Palmiero. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in normotensive postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cardiol J. 2017; 24: 51-56.  
37. M. Pepe, A. Cecere, M. Napodano, MM Ciccone, F. Bartolomucci, EP Navarese, F. Iacovelli, D. Zanna, M. Mele. How to approach a spontaneous coronary artery dissection: an up-to-date. Interv Cardiol J 2017, 3:1.
38. F. Bartolomucci, A. Cecere, EP Navarese, F. Iacovelli, A. Cafaro, MM Ciccone, M. Pepe. Giant cardiac fibroma in a completely asymptomatic teenager. J Clin Exp Cardiolog 2016; 7:469.  
39. Cecere, G. Riccioni, N. Sforza, R. Marano, G. Guglielmi. Coronary artery calcium score and coronary computed tomography angiography for patients with asymptomatic polyvascular (non-coronary) atherosclerosis. Singapore Med J. 2016; 58:528-534.  
40. Conte, A. Cecere, G. Guglielmi, N. Napoli. Letter to the Editor: "GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment increases bone formation and prevents bone loss in weight-reduced obese women" by Iepsen E.W., et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015; 100: L92-93.  
41. Pedone, F. F. Rossi, A. Cecere, L. Costanzo, R. Antonelli Incalzi. Efficacy of a physician-led multiparametric telemonitoring system in very old adults with heart failure. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015; 63:1175-1180.  
42. P. Scicchitano, F. Cortese, G. Ricci, S. Carbonara, M. Moncelli, M. Iacoviello, A. Cecere, M. Gesualdo, A. Zito, P. Caldarola, D. Scrutinio, R. Lagioia, G. Riccioni, MM Ciccone. Ivabradine, coronary artery disease, and heart failure: beyond rhythm control. Drug Design, Development and Therapy 2014; 8: 689–700.  
43. MM Ciccone, P. Scicchitano, M. Cameli, A. Cecere, F. Cortese, I. Dentamaro, F. Gentile, M. Gesualdo, M. Maiello, P. Modesti, M. L. Muiesan, S. Novo, P. Palmiero, P. S. Saba, A. Zito, A. V. Mattioli and R. Pedrinelli, on behalf of the Working Group on Hypertension, Prevention & Rehabilitation of the Società Italiana di Cardiologia. Endothelial function in pre-diabetes, diabetes and diabetic cardiomyopathy: a review. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism 2014; 5:364.  
44. AI Galeandro, P. Scicchitano, A. Zito, C. Galeandro, M. Gesualdo, F. Ciciarello, A. Cecere, A. Marzullo, V. Contursi, A. Annicchiarico, MM Ciccone. A three-dimensional electronic report of a venous echo color Doppler of the lower limbs: MEVeC®. Vascular Health and Risk Management 2014; 10:549- 555.

Research Interest: Minimal invasive techniques for advanced coronary, peripheral and vascular interventions, Stem cell therapy for heart failure, Use of Biodegradable filters for DVT and PE, Development of catheters and devices for transcatheter aortic valve replacements.

Research Interest: Vascular Medicine and Endothelial Stem Cell Regulation

Research Interest: Aortic surgery, Totally arterial myocardial revascularization, Ecmo (San Gerardo cardiac ECMO program coordinator, ELSO Registry membership), Mitral valve repair, Minimized extracorporeal circulation (MECC).

Research Interest: Maternal fetal medicine,Prenatal diagnosis,Intrauterine growth restrictions and cardiovascular changes,Fetal echocardiography,Fetal programming,Fetal anemia,Preterm deliveries.

Research Interest: Myocardial infarction, aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm.