Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval Cristoforo Silvestri received a Bachelor’s degree in Genetics from York University in Toronto in 1998, and pursued graduate studies at the Institute of Medical Sciences of the University of Toronto where he received his PhD in 2009. From 2009 to 2014, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council in Italy on endocannabinoids (and related compounds) and phytocannabinoids in obesity and associated metabolic disorders. Since 2017, Dr. Silvestri has been an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Université Laval. Furthermore, he holds the Sentinel North partnership research chair on the gut microbiome-endocannabinoid system as an integrator of extreme environmental influences on bioenergetics. Dr. Silvestri has extensive experience in collaborating with world-renowned pharmaceutical industries in the field of intestinal microbiota and endocannabinoids. He has also been involved in a number of collaborations with institutes associated with Université Laval (i.e. INAF and CERVO) on projects ranging from neuronal development and behaviour to the metabolic benefits of probiotics. His laboratory is located at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute and focuses on the molecular and cellular actions of the endocannabinoid system on metabolism.
Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies and Media, Macquarie University Chris Muller is a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies and Media at Macquarie University, Sydney.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Christopher Rozell attended the University of Michigan, receiving a B.S.E. in Computer Engineering and a B.F.A. in Performing Arts Technology (Music Technology) in 2000. He attended graduate school at Rice University, receiving the M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Following graduate school, he joined the Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley as a postdoctoral research fellow in 2007. He joined the Georgia Tech faculty in July 2008, where he is affiliated with the Center for Signal and Information Processing. Dr. Rozell's research interests focus on the intersection of computational neuroscience and signal processing. One branch of this work aims to understand how neural systems organize and process sensory information, drawing on modern engineering ideas to develop improved data analysis tools and theoretical models. The other branch of this work uses recent insight into neural information processing to develop new and efficient approaches to difficult data analysis tasks.
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Food Science, Framingham State University Dr. Frazier is the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in Biochemistry from Florida International University. Her research has focused on the application of human scent forensics in subject identification.
Professor Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Caron E. Gentry is the Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Design, and Social Sciences at Northumbria University. Prior to joining Northumbria she was a professor in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews and served as Head of School. Her main research area focuses on gender and terrorism. Her books include (with Laura Sjoberg) Mothers, Monsters, Whores (Zed 2007), (with Laura Sjoberg) Beyond Mothers, Monsters, Whores (Zed 2015), and Disordered Violence (Edinburgh University Press 2020). Her work is published in numerous journals and edited volumes. Additionally, Professor Gentry works on feminist political theology, particularly on querying what feminist Christian realism can be in International Relations. Her books in this area include Offering Hospitality (University of Notre Dame Press 2013) and This American Moment (Oxford University Press 2018). She is currently looking at the meaning of hope and what it offers to current socio-political dilemmas.
Clinical Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota Dr. Charmeka Newton is a fully licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the School Counseling Program in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of North Dakota. Dr. Newton is also the owner of Legacy Mental Health Services, PLLC. She has over 10 years of experience in clinical, academic, and community settings, including teaching experience at both undergraduate and graduate levels of higher education. Her areas of expertise include multicultural counseling, research methods, tests and measurement, career counseling, and clinical supervision of master’s-level counseling practitioners and students. In addition to her clinical and teaching expertise, Dr. Newton is also a member of the Michigan Board of Psychology, appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She is a sought after psychology expert featured in prominent magazines and newscasts, recently featured on the June 2020 broadcast of West Michigan Woman, where she discussed how to have difficult conversations with your family about race. She is also co-author of the soon to be released book, Black Lives Are Beautiful: 50 Tools to Heal from Trauma and Promote Positive Racial Identity, published through Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC., as well as co-author of the peer-reviewed article, “Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavior Therapy as a Model to Address Internalized Racism Among African American Clients,” published in the April 2022 issue of the Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Education: • PhD, Counseling Psychology, Western Michigan University, 2009 • MA, Community Psychology & Social Change, Pennsylvania State University, 2004 • BA, Psychology and Communications, University of Michigan, Dearborn, 2002 Awards: • Michigan Psychological Association, 2022 Distinguished Psychologist Award • West Michigan Woman Brilliance Award Finalist, 2020 Professional Appointments: • Michigan Board of Psychology, December 2019-Present Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer Media Appearances: • “How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race With Your Family,” West Michigan Woman Broadcast, Grand Rapids, MI, June 2020 • “Managing Your Emotional Health During a Pandemic,” WOODTV, Grand Rapids, MI, May 2020 • “When to End a Toxic Friendship,” West Michigan Woman, January 28, 2019, https://westmichiganwoman.com/relationships/2278-when-to-end-a-toxic-friendship Recent Publications: Steele, J. M., & Newton, C. S. (2022). Culturally adapted cognitive behavior therapy as a model to address internalized racism among African American clients. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 44(2), 98-116.
