Carlos Alberto Pastore | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Carlos Alberto Pastore | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Heart Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas of FMUSP | Brazil

Prof. Carlos Alberto Pastore is a distinguished cardiologist and researcher from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, internationally recognized for his pioneering work in electrocardiology and vectorcardiography. As a Professor and Medical Collaborator at the Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), he has significantly advanced diagnostic methods for cardiac electrical diseases, cardiac mapping, and non-invasive electrocardiographic techniques. His research specializes in surface electrocardiographic mapping, high-resolution ECG, microalternans of the T wave (mTWA), and vectorcardiographic analysis of ventricular activation and repolarization abnormalities. Prof. Carlos Alberto Pastore has played a vital role in refining diagnostic criteria for arrhythmogenic disorders, ventricular hypertrophy, and cardiac resynchronization therapy, and he has applied artificial neural networks and machine learning in ECG-based cardiopathy detection in collaboration with the Federal University of Technology of Paraná (UTFPR). At InCor – Heart Institute (Hospital das Clínicas, FMUSP), he has held major roles including Director of the Clinical Unit of Resting Electrocardiography, Medical Director of Telemedicine, and Vice-President of the Zerbini Foundation, contributing to translational cardiology and digital health innovation. He also served as President (2013–2015) of the International Society of Electrocardiology (ISE) and is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC). According to Scopus (Author ID: 7006635654), Prof. Carlos Alberto Pastore has authored 53 scientific publications, received 1,014 citations from 948 documents, and holds an h-index of 12. His research has appeared in leading journals including the Journal of Electrocardiology, Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology, Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, and JACC, making him one of Brazil’s leading authorities in clinical electrocardiology and cardiovascular diagnostics.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | ORCID | ResearchGate

Featured Publications

• de Luna, A. B., Brugada, J., Baranchuk, A., Borggrefe, M., Breithardt, G., & Pastore, C. A. (2012). Current electrocardiographic criteria for diagnosis of Brugada pattern: A consensus report. Journal of Electrocardiology, 45(5), 433–442.* https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2012.06.004

• de Luna, A. B., Platonov, P., Cosio, F. G., Cygankiewicz, I., Pastore, C., Baranowski, R., … & Spodick, D. (2012). Interatrial blocks: A separate entity from left atrial enlargement: A consensus report. Journal of Electrocardiology, 45(5), 445–451.* https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelectrocard.2012.06.008

• Pastore, C. A., Pinho, J. A., Pinho, C., Samesima, N., Pereira Filho, H. G., & Mansur, A. P., et al. (2016). III Diretrizes da Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia sobre análise e emissão de laudos eletrocardiográficos. Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, 106(4 Suppl 1), 1–23.* https://doi.org/10.5935/abc.20160054

• Santos, I. S., Goulart, A. C., Brandão, R. M., Santos, R. C. O., Bittencourt, M. S., Sitnik, D., … & Pastore, C. A. (2015). One-year mortality after an acute coronary event and its clinical predictors: The ERICO study. Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, 105(1), 53–64.* https://doi.org/10.5935/abc.20150049

• Digby, G. C., Kukla, P., Zhan, Z. Q., Pastore, C. A., Piotrowicz, R., Schapachnik, E., … & Baranchuk, A. (2015). The value of electrocardiographic abnormalities in the prognosis of pulmonary embolism: A consensus paper. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology, 20(3), 207–223.* https://doi.org/10.1111/anec.12235

Zhiliang Xu | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Zhiliang Xu | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Wannan Medical College | China

Prof. Zhiliang Xu, affiliated with Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China, is a distinguished molecular biologist and epigenetics researcher whose work focuses on histone ubiquitination, chromatin remodeling, and their implications in neurological disorders, cancer, gametogenesis, and cellular reprogramming. He earned his Ph.D. from the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017. According to Scopus, Prof. Zhiliang Xu has authored 11 publications, which have been cited 34 times, and he holds an h-index of 4, demonstrating the impact of his research in the scientific community. His seminal studies elucidated the role of H2B ubiquitination in chromatin relaxation during meiosis and cellular reprogramming, published in journals such as Nucleic Acids Research (2016), Cell Proliferation (2021), and Reproduction (2017). His recent work on neuronal repair, gut-liver axis regulation in diabetes, and genomic approaches to thalassemia has been featured in FASEB Journal (2025), Annals of Hematology (2025), and Neuroscience Letters (2025). Prof. Zhiliang Xu leads multiple high-impact national and provincial research projects, serves as a peer reviewer for journals including Scientific Reports and Neurochemical Research, and evaluates theses for graduate and doctoral candidates. Recognized with the 2021 National Maternal and Child Health Science and Technology Award (First Prize), the 2022 Guangzhou High-level Talent Award, and the 2024 Outstanding Young Talent honor in Anhui Province, Prof. Zhiliang Xu continues to advance fundamental understanding of chromatin biology and epigenetic regulation, exemplifying excellence, mentorship, and translational scientific impact, making him an outstanding candidate for the Best Researcher Award.

Profile: Scopus | ORCID

Featured Publications

1. Shi, L., Yan, X., Xia, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhu, X., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). Beyond transfusions and transplants: Genomic innovations rewriting the narrative of thalassemia. Annals of Hematology.

2. Zhang, Y., Wang, J., Huang, S., Liu, M., Zhao, Y., Xu, Z., & Zhu, X. (2025). Electroacupuncture preconditioning alleviates cortical neuronal injury in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by rebalancing HES1 and NF-κB expression. Neuroreport.

3. Yan, X., Shi, L., Zhu, X., Zhao, J., Zhao, Y., Luo, J., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). From microbial homeostasis to systemic pathogenesis: A narrative review on gut flora’s role in neuropsychiatric, metabolic, and cancer disorders. Journal of Inflammation Research.

4. Huang, S., Lu, Y., Fang, W., Huang, Y., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). Neurodegenerative diseases and neuroinflammation-induced apoptosis. Open Life Sciences.

5. Li, Q., Zhang, L., Sun, Y., Du, Z., Xu, S., Wang, X., Wei, S., Tao, Y., Li, B., Jiang, J., Di, G., Huang, Y., & Xu, Z. (2025). p53 modulates the gut-liver axis via PI3K/AKT/Wnt signaling pathways in type 2 diabetes. FASEB Journal.

6. Li, Q., Yan, X., Zhao, Y., Xu, Z., & Zhu, X. (2025). Paeonol mitigates chronic stress-induced amygdalar neuronal damage through glycogen synthase kinase-3β/calcineurin axis regulation of synaptic plasticity. Neuroreport.

7. Zhu, X., Zhang, Y., Yan, X., Zhao, Y., Shi, L., Sun, Z., Meng, K., Zong, Y., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). Paeonol facilitates the repair of neuronal damage in the mPFC caused by chronic stress via the Rho GTPases-cofilin1 signaling pathway. Neuroscience Letters, 138329.

Andrej Sirek | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Andrej Sirek | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

University Hospital Basel | Switzerland

Dr. Andrej Sirek is a dedicated Pathology Resident at the University Hospital Basel, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, where he is actively shaping his career at the intersection of clinical diagnostics and medical research. With his educational foundation built in leading European institutions, Dr. Andrej Sirek has developed a strong grounding in medical genetics, histopathology, and laboratory sciences, which now supports his dual role as both clinician and researcher. His residency provides him with exposure to complex pathology cases while also allowing him to engage in research that seeks to bridge genetic profiling and diagnostic pathology, with the long-term aim of contributing to precision medicine and early disease detection. Currently, he has completed one research project and is progressing with another, both expected to yield indexed publications in the near future. Despite being at an early stage of his academic career, his commitment to innovation in pathology has already been recognized with a nomination for the Best Researcher Award. He maintains active membership in several professional organizations, including SGPATH, ÖGPATH, SGZ, and ESP, which strengthens his global collaborations and engagement with the wider pathology community. While he has yet to publish peer-reviewed articles, his ongoing research demonstrates his potential to make impactful contributions to the field. His academic and professional journey underscores the promise of a new generation of clinician-scientists who integrate advanced diagnostic techniques with research innovation to improve patient care. Dr. Andrej Sirek’s trajectory highlights his dedication, scholarly potential, and commitment to excellence in pathology and medical genetics.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications

Dr. Andrej Sirek has contributed to impactful research in pathology, focusing on diagnostic innovations, tumor biology, and clinicopathological correlations. Key recent publications include:

Sirek, A., Hench, I. B., Hench, J., Alborelli, I., Gross, M. W., Jakscha, J., Schaller, P., Nagel, G., Baumhoer, D., & Tzankov, A. (2025). Recurrent clonal radiotherapy-associated fibroepithelial polyp of the pharynx: Do low grade radiogenic stromal tumours exist? Case report.

Sobottka, B., Vetter, V., Banaei-Esfahani, A., Nowak, M., Lorch, A., Sirek, A., Mertz, K. D., Brunelli, M., Berthold, D., de Leval, L., et al. (2024). Immune phenotype-genotype associations in primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma and matched metastatic tissue.