José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt – Network Science- Top Researcher Award

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José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt – Network Science- Top Researcher Award

Assoc Prof Dr. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt distinguished academic and researcher in the field Network science.

🌐 Professional Profile

Educations📚📚📚

Dr. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of the Andes in Merida. He then pursued a Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he contributed to an international research project. He earned his PhD in Neurobiology at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa under the mentorship of Lamberto Maffei and continued there as a Postdoctoral fellow. His postdoctoral work extended to the NEST laboratory.

Research Interests

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt’s research interests encompass:

  1. Neuronal Interfaces: Developing devices to substitute damaged tissues in the nervous system.
  2. Optogenetics and Neuronal Plasticity: Investigating mechanisms underlying sensory perception and behavior.
  3. Retinal Circuitries: Studying physiological and pathological conditions in the retina.

Publications and Academic Contributions

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt has published 34 scientific manuscripts in esteemed peer-reviewed journals, with 29 indexed in PubMed, including Science, Nature Neuroscience, and Nature Nanotechnology. He has edited one neuroscience book, authored four book chapters, and co-invented four patents. His work has garnered over 3400 citations, an H-index of 22 on Google Scholar, and an average impact factor per manuscript of 13.06.

Teaching and Mentorship

He has supervised over 35 Master’s thesis students in Neuroscience and Biotechnology. Dr. Maya-Vetencourt is a member of the Italian Society of Neuroscience (SINS), the American Society of Neuroscience (SfN), and the Italian Physiological Society (SIF). He serves as an associate review editor for “Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience” and “Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience”.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2017, Dr. Maya-Vetencourt received two prestigious “Young Investigator” awards: one from the Italian Physiological Society in Pavia and another from the Federation of European Physiological Societies in Vienna.

Pioneering Research

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt pioneered approaches to reactivate juvenile-like plasticity in the adult visual system (Nat Neurosc 2007; Science 2008). He explored chromatin susceptibility mechanisms for reinstating plasticity in the adult brain (Eur J Neurosci 2011). At IIT, he set up an electrophysiology lab to apply photovoltaic interfaces in rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa, leading to the development of a fully organic prosthetic device for subretinal implantation in RCS rats (Nat Mat 2017). This research demonstrated significant recovery of light sensitivity and visual acuity, accompanied by increased metabolic activity in the visual cortex.

Current Projects

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt is currently working on adapting surgical implant procedures for pig models to evaluate biocompatibility and visual function recovery (Front Bioeng Biotech 2020). He is also developing innovative “liquid” retinal prostheses to address age-related macular degeneration (Nat Nanotech 2020a, 2020b).

Future Directions

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt continues to advance the field of neuroscience by developing novel, biocompatible, and cost-effective solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients with degenerative blindness.

 

 

📝🔬Publications📝🔬

  • 1. Edoardo Porzano, Benedetta Borghi, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt. 2024.
    Environmental enrichment as an innovative therapeutic approach to treat neurodegenerative
    blindness (in preparation)
    2. Edoardo Porzano, Dominga Lapi, Benedetta Borghi, Silvia Marracci, Melecchi Alberto,
    Giovanni Casini, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt. 2024. Enriched environment
    enhances visual responses of the inner retina in early-stage retinitis pigmentosa (in
    preparation)
    3. Dmytro Shmal, Giulia Mantero, Thomas Floss, Fabio Benfenati, José Fernando MayaVetencourt. 2024. Restoring vision in adult amblyopia by enhancing plasticity through
    deletion of the transcriptional repressor REST. iScience 27(4): 109507. IF 5.8
    4. Ilaria Piano, Arianna Votta, Patrizia Colucci, Francesca Corsi, Sara Vitolo, Chiara Cerri, Dario
    Puppi, Michele Lai, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Massimiliano Leigheb, Chiara
    Gabellini, Elisabetta Ferraro. 2023. Anti-inflammatory reprogramming of microglia cells by
    metabolic modulators to counteract neurodegeneration: a new role for Ranolazine. Scientific
    Reports 13: 20138. IF 5.13
    5. Simona Francia, Stefano Di Marco, Mattia Lorenzo DiFrancesco, Davide Ferrari, Dmytro
    Shmal, Alessio Cavalli, Grazia Pertile, Marcella Attanasio, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Giovanni Manfredi, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati, Elisabetta Colombo.
    2023. P3HT-Graphene device for the restoration of visual properties in a model of retinitis
    pigmentosa. Advanced Materials Technologies 8: 2201467. IF 8.86
    6. Domenico Ventrella*, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt*, Alberto Elmi, Francesca Barone,
    Camilla Aniballi, Luisa Vera Muscatello, Maurizio Mete, Grazia Pertile, Fabio Benfenati, Maria
    Laura Bacci. 2022. The p-ERG spatial acuity in the biomedical pig under physiological
    conditions. Scientific Reports 12: 15479. IF 5.13
    7. Simona Francia, Dmytro Shmal, Stefano Di Marco, Greta Chiaravalli, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Giulia Mantero, Caterina Michetti, Sara Cupini, Giovanni Manfredi, Mattia
    Lorenzo DiFrancesco, Anna Rocchi, Sara Perotto, Marcella Attanasio, Riccardo Sacco, Silvia
    Bisti, Maurizio Mete, Grazia Pertile, Guglielmo Lanzani, Elisabetta Colombo, Fabio Benfenati.
    2022. Light induced charge generation in polymeric nanoparticles restores vision in
    advanced-stage retinitis pigmentosa rats. Nature Communications 13: 3677. IF 17.69
    8. Miguel Skirzewski, Stéphane Molotchnikoff, Luis F Hernandez, José Fernando MayaVetencourt. 2022. Multisensory integration: is medial prefrontal cortex signaling relevant for
    the treatment of higher-order visual dysfunctions? Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
    14: 806376. IF 5.63
    9. Stefano di Marco, Mattia Di Francesco, Elisabetta Colombo, Giovanni Manfredi, José
    Fernando Maya- Vetencourt, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Modulation of
    neuronal firing: what role can nanotechnology play? Nanomedicine 8: 579141. IF 4.7
    10. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Stefano Di Marco, Maurizio Mete, Mattia Di Paolo,
    Francesca Barone, Domenico Ventrella, Giovanni Manfredi, Silvia Bisti, Guglielmo Lanzani,
    Grazia Pertile, Maria Laura Bacci, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Biocompatibility of a polymeric
    subretinal prosthesis in the domestic pig. Frontiers in Bioengineering and
    Biotechnology 8: 1188. IF 6.06
    11. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Giovanni Manfredi, Maurizio Mete, Elisabetta Colombo,
    Mattia Bramini, Mattia DiFrancesco, Dmytro Shmal, Cyril Eleftheriou, Francesca Di Maria,
    Vanessa Cossu, Laura Emionite, Flavia Ticconi, Cecilia Marini, Gianmario Sambuceti, Grazia
    Pertile, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Subretinal semiconducting polymer
    nanoparticles fully rescue vision in a rat model of retinal dystrophy. Nature
    Nanotechnology 15: 698. IF 40.5
    12. DiFrancesco Mattia, Elisabetta Colombo, Ermanno Papaleo, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Giovanni Manfredi, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. A hybrid P3HTGraphene interface for efficient photostimulation of neurons. Carbon 162: 308. IF 11.3
    13. Francesca Barone, Luisa Vera Muscatello, Domenico Ventrella, Alberto Elmi, Noemi
    Romagnoli, Luciana Mandrioli, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Cristiano Bombardi,
    Maurizio Mete, Giuseppe Sarli, Fabio Benfenati, Grazia Pertile, Maria Laura Bacci. 2020. The
    porcine iodoacetic acid model of retinal degeneration: morpho-functional characterization of
    the visual system. Experimental Eye Research 193 107979. IF 3.77
    14. Mattia DiFrancesco, Francesco Lodola, Elisabetta Colombo, Luca Maragliano, Giuseppe M.
    Paternò, Mattia Bramini, Simone Cimò, Letizia Collela, Daniele Fazzi, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Chiara Bertarelli, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Neuronal firing
    modulation by a membrane-targeted photoswitch. Nature Nanotechnology 15(4): 296. IF
    40.5
    15. Stéphane Molotchnikoff, Vishal Bharmauria, Nayan Chanauria, Lyes Bachatene, José
    Fernando Maya- Vetencourt. 2019. The function of connectomes in encoding sensory
    stimuli. Progress in Neurobiology 101659. IF 14.16
    16. Luisa Vera Muscatello, Francesca Barone, Domenico Ventrella, Alberto Elmi, Luciana
    Mandrioli, Noemi Romagnoli, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Cristiano Bombardi,
    Maurizio Mete, Giuseppe Sarli, Fabio Benfenati, Grazia Pertile, Maria Laura Bacci. 2019.
    Retinal features in iodoacetic-treated biomedical pigs as a model for photoreceptor disorders.
    Journal of Comparative Pathology 166: 103. IF N.A.
    17. Francesca Barone, Eleonora Nannoni, Alberto Elmi, Domenico Ventrella, Marika Vitali,
    Giovanna Martelli, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Fabio Benfenati, Maria Laura Bacci.
    2018. Behavioral assessment of vision in pigs. Journal of the American Association for
    Laboratory Animal Science 57(4): 350. IF 1.34

Wei Zhang – Digital algorithms – Best Researcher Award

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Wei Zhang – Digital algorithms – Best Researcher Award

Dr. Wei Zhang distinguished academic and researcher in the field Digital algorithms. Zhang Wei and Liu Hui have collaborated on several scholarly articles addressing rural economic issues in China. In their 2020 publication in “Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences,” they examined the “Problems and Countermeasures in the Development of Rural Collective Economy,” using Fenyi County, Jiangxi Province as a case study. This article, found in volume 48, issue 21, pages 28-33, discusses specific challenges faced by rural economies and proposes various strategies for improvement.

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

From September 2016 to June 2019, he pursued his Bachelor of Marketing at Hefei University of Technology. He continued his studies at Hunan Agricultural University, where he earned a Master of Agricultural and Forestry Economics and Management, completing the program in June 2021. Building on his academic achievements, he began his PhD in Capability Economic Management at the same university in September 2021, with an expected completion date of June 2025.

Research Experience

Zhang Wei and Liu Hui have collaborated on several scholarly articles addressing rural economic issues in China. In their 2020 publication in “Jiangsu Agricultural Sciences,” they examined the “Problems and Countermeasures in the Development of Rural Collective Economy,” using Fenyi County, Jiangxi Province as a case study. This article, found in volume 48, issue 21, pages 28-33, discusses specific challenges faced by rural economies and proposes various strategies for improvement. Following this, in 2022, they published an article in “Price Theory and Practice,” where they analyzed the effectiveness of reforms in the rural collective property rights system from the perspective of farmer participation. This research, featured in the March 2022 issue on pages 169-172 and 205, was underpinned by a survey of 315 farmer households across Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, offering valuable insights into the impact of these reforms on rural communities.

Project experience

He hosted the 2023 Hunan Provincial Postgraduate Research Innovation Project Key Project, CX20230730, which focused on the Research on the Contract and Performance of Farmland Infrastructure Governance under Endowment Heterogeneity. He also played a significant role in contributing to several major research projects. He participated in writing a major project for the Hunan Provincial Social Science Fund, numbered 23ZWA14, which involved researching the Current Situation and Countermeasures of Rural Collective Economic Development in Hunan Province. Additionally, he contributed to the general project of the Hunan Provincial Social Science Fund, 21YBA079, which examined the governance mechanism and performance of high-standard farmland in the context of food and ecological security. His research contributions extended to the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation’s general project, 2023JJ30312, focusing on the mechanism and performance of digital technology in empowering farmland water conservancy facilities. Moreover, he was involved in writing for a project under the Hunan Provincial Development and Reform Commission that researched coordinated food and ecological security in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River plain, considering “resources-factors-policies.”

Personal honor

He achieved notable recognition in various academic competitions and forums. At the 2021 Modern Agricultural Development Forum and the First “World Agriculture” Workshop in the context of “Dual Cycles,” he won the second prize in the paper competition. His research excellence continued into the following year when he won the first prize for outstanding paper at the 2022 Hunan Rural Economics Association Annual Meeting. Additionally, he received the award for the second “Economic Management Quantitative Research Methods” Excellent Paper at the School of Economics, Hunan Agricultural University. He also actively participated in advanced training sessions, including the “Jiangsu Province Applied Economic Research Methodology” workshop organized by the Economics Graduate Education Steering Committee of Jiangsu Province and the School of Economics and Management of Nanjing Agricultural University, where he earned the title of qualified student. Furthermore, he attended the “2021 Summer Econometrics and Scientific Research Methods Lecture Series” at the School of Statistics and Mathematics of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, also achieving the status of qualified student.

 

📝🔬Publications📝🔬