Bob Arthur Lubamba, PhD., is Director of In-Vitro Toxicology at Iontox, Michigan (USA), CEO of SciBioix Consulting, Durham (USA) and Director of Mentorship program at STEM DRC Initiative (USA, DR Congo).
Dr. Lubamba earned his Ph.D. and Masters of Science (both in Pharmacology) from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels (Belgium), and a Bachelor’s degree in Physiology, Biomolecular and Therapeutics from the Université François Rabelais, Tours (France). He further developed his skill set as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill working on Pulmonary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Dr. Lubamba worked as an independent consultant in toxicology and microfluidics-related issues in the Research Triangle Park, Durham (USA). He has had extensive Research academic experience and Leadership experience.
Dr. Lubamba’s research has focused on drug development, drug discovery, toxicology, immunology and inflammatory mechanisms in lung and liver Diseases. He has an extensive experience in translational research, respiratory diseases modeling systems and pathophysiology. He has been the Principal Investigator on many funded grants that aim to understand lung diseases and drug development. He is author of multiple journal articles and book chapter.
Dr. Lubamba is a member of European Respiratory Society, The American Heart Association, Society for Mucosal Immunology, Journal Reviewer for International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Immunology National Academy of Medicine, and a recipient of the Belgium Royal Academy of medicine award (Albert-Pierre – Jean DUSTIN (2003-2007)) for his work on Novel Approaches for Potential Therapy of Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Lubamba was selected among researchers from 28 states (USA) and three countries to speak about his research on Electronic Cigarette at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts (USA). An active and committed leader with expertise in building, coaching and driving teams.
Karine Ndjoko Ioset is a circulating brain between Switzerland, Germany and DR Congo. She is a Professor of analytical chemistry at the University of Lubumbashi and General Manager of the Excellence Scholarship Program named BEBUC (Bourse d’Excellence Bringmann aux Universités Congolaises), a partnership involving the University of Würzburg (Germany), 16 Congolese universities and 9 schools (http://www.foerderverein-uni-kinshasa.de/). She earned her MSc and PhD degrees in Switzerland, from the Universities of Neuchâtel and Lausanne, respectively. She accomplished a post-doctorate stay in Copenhagen (Denmark). She specialized in nuclear magnetic resonance, hyphenated and separation techniques applied to natural products chemistry. She has led the Analytical Service of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) for twelve years. At this position, she brought analytical solutions to international companies (Novartis, Nestlé, Boerhinger Ingelheim and more), supervised MSc and PhD works, and taught hyphenated techniques to students from all over the world. She holds 50 publications, two book chapters and two scientific prizes (Alfred Vogel Award and Swiss Chemical Society). At the University of Lubumbashi, she teaches since 2015 and contributes in building a new curriculum in chemistry. Since 2009, Karine Ndjoko Ioset has invested her academic and research expertise to implement a platform with innovative practices and policies enabling BEBUC scholars to build their curricula and become young skillful professors of tomorrow urgently needed in DRC. The renewal of the over-aging Congolese academic staff is the main objective of BEBUC. Karine Ndjoko Ioset has brought ideas to actions and political awareness on the fundamental necessity to sustain higher education through South-South partnership, to construct Africa-relevant research projects, to support young people, women in particular. As a female scientist, she inspires girls and women to pursue a career in STEM. She organizes woman seminars to guide them in their career, to overcome the barriers, to boost their visibility and to foster their leadership. With ca. 190 young academics, 34% of women and the first 8 already nominated professors in the Congo, BEBUC forms a kinship of scientists evolving at universities all around the world. BEBUC fosters women inclusion, nurtures excellence, integrity, leadership, and international cooperation.
