board members esmb 2026-2027

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PRESIDENT
GIOVANNA ROMANO
Giovanna Romano is senior researcher at of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, in the Eco-sustainable Marine Biotechnology department (www.szn.it). She graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of Naples Federico II. Current research interest is the identification and exploitation of diatom-derived natural compounds for the development of new products for pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical applications, with a special attention on the study of pathways involved in the biosynthesis of valuable molecules.She was involved in several Italian and EU projects focusing on drug discovery from marine microalgae.
Dr. Romano is partner in the SZN-CNR spin-off company BioSEArch srl, founded in 2016 for the development of new pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical compounds from marine microalgae.  https://www.biosearchsrl.com/

PAST PRESIDENT
tiago H. silva

Tiago is Senior Researcher at 3B’s Research Group, ICVS/3B’s Associate Laboratory – University of Minho (Portugal), being coordinator of Marine Inspired Biomaterials research area. He has a PhD in Chemistry (2006) at Faculty of Sciences – University of Porto (Portugal), being visiting researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland) in 2003. He has more than 11 years of experience in valorization of marine resources and by-products, leading his team to the establishment
of methodologies for the production of biopolymers from marine resources and derived by-products and further use them on the development of biomaterials for tissue regeneration. Marine biomimetics is also being explored, looking into particular features and phenomena of marine invertebrates as inspiration for the design of innovative biomedical applications.

treasurer
jean-pascal berge

Jean-Pascal holds a PhD and a HdR (autorisation to conduct research) in marine biology and is involved in marine biotechnology since 27 years. He is a senior scientist, President of BioThot and has a broad expertise in bioprocessing, biorefinery and biomass conversion into marketable products. He acts as an expert for the European Commission and FAO. He has built up a very large international network of scientific and technical partners and clients. He is author of more than 50 A1 publications on sustainable development issues and has trained 16 PhD candidates and over 40 Master students in these practices.

ELECTED BOARD MEMBER
concetta maria messina

Concetta is PhD in aquaculture and quality of fish, Associate professor in aquatic production from fishery and aquaculture at University of Palermo (Italy) and in green biotechnology and intelligent mariculture at the international master course on marine biotechnology at University of Brest (France). In the last decade she was coordinator and local unit supervisor of many National and International research projects related to the domain of blue-growth, to the sustainable use of marine resources, to their valorization by a biotechnological approach. She has active international collaborations, thanks to the projects and also to the Erasmus network and international teaching experiences. She is co-author of scientific papers and books chapters related to the domain of aquaculture and marine biotechnology, component of the Editorial Board of the journal Marine Biotechnology and Aquaculture International (Springer), scientific board member of the Italian association for the study of microalgae (AISAM) and of Italian Society of Experimental Biology (SIBS 1925).

elected board member
renata denaro

Renata Denaro is a Researcher at the Water Research Institute of the National Research Council and Professor of Marine Microbial Biotechnology at the University of Tor Vergata (Rome). She hold a PhD Ph.D in Biochemical and Biomolecular Sciences. Her work experience is on marine biotechnology, focusing on bioremediation based on bacteria able to degrade hydrocarbons and plastic in marine environment. Products from marine bacteria (eg. siderophore) are as well objects of her study. Renata was involved in many national and international research projects and also in the ERANET Marine Biotechnology. Currently, she is member of the working group on Marine Biotechnology of the ERANET BlueBio Cofund. She is author of more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and 10 book chapters, she is co-inventor of a patent for industrial invention (process + apparatus).

elected board member
​jUAN JOSE' gALLARDO rODRIGUEZ

Juan José Gallardo Rodríguez serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Almería, where he is a member of the Marine Microalgae Biotechnology research group (BIO-173). After completing his PhD in Bioprocess Engineering, his work has focused on practical challenges within the field, including the optimization of microalgal bioprocesses, the analysis of life cycles, and the development of sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. Committed to the broader scientific community, he contributes as an Associate Editor for Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts (Springer Nature) and participates in the EABA’s LCA Task Force, supporting efforts to improve the life cycle assessment of algal value chains. With a background that includes leading various research projects and contributing to over 60 peer-reviewed studies, he remains dedicated to advancing the role of microalgal biotechnology in the transition toward a circular bioeconomy.

elected board member
​DINA SIMES

Dina Simes is  Associate Professor at the , Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, University of Algarve, Group Leader Functional Biochemistry and Proteomics, Center of Marine Sciences (CCMAR) and CEO Genogla Diagnostics, CCMAR UAlg, Faro, Universidade do Algarve.  She holds a Ph.D in Chemistry/Biochemistry. awarded by the University of Algarve. Her research focuses on vitamin K-dependent proteins associated with mineralization (cardiovascular, skin and cartilage) as potential biomarkers for ectopic calcification and chronic inflammatory-related diseases as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and osteoarthritis (OA). She is interested in marine bioactive molecules with potential application in the biomedical field. 

ELECTED BOARD MEMBER
MARINA POZZOLINI

Marina Pozzolini is Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at the Department of Earth, environmental and Life Sciences (DiSTAV), University of Genoa (Italy). She hold a PhD in Biochemistry. She is responsible for the course in Marine Biotechnology within the master’s degree in marine biology and Ecology and is a member of the Teaching Board of the PhD Programme in Marine Science and Technology. Her work lies in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology of marine invertebrates. Her main research lines include marine collagen and collagen-derived biomaterials for biomedical applications; sponge primary cell cultures and in vitro models; and cnidarian venom research (venomics) for drug discovery. Her research activity is strongly application-oriented and consolidated through participation in numerous competitive national and European research projects. She is the author of numerous publications in international peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, and co-author of several industrial patents. She is a member of various scientific societies, including the Italian Society of Biochemistry and Biomolecular Sciences (SIB) and the Italian Society of Biophysics and Molecular Biology (SIBBM). https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6867-3816

secretary
Chiara lauritano

Chiara Lauritano is senior researcher at the Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnologies of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Italy). She graduated in Health Biotechnology in 2006, got a master in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in 2008, a PhD in Animal Biology at the University of Calabria (Italy) in 2011, and gained experiences in the field of chemical ecology and marine biotechnology in France, Sweden, Norway and United Kingdom. She participated in two oceanographic campaigns, one in the Mediterranean Sea and another in Antarctica. She is author of over 100 articles in international scientific journals. Her particular interest is on the bioprospecting of marine microalgae, focusing on the discovery of marine extracts/compounds for possible industrial applications, genome/transcriptome-mining and epigenetic regulation for possible enzyme applicability for human or environmental health. She is member of various Italian and international scientific societies and currently an elected member of the plankton committee of the Italian Society of Marine Biology. https://lauritanolab.wixsite.com/lauritanolab

YOUNG RESEARCHER REPRESENTATIVE
​YOLANDA SORIANO JEREZ

Yolanda Soriano Jerez hold a PhD obtained in 2024 under an international co-supervision scheme in Biotechnology and Industrial Bioprocesses from the University of Almería (Spain) and in Chemistry from the University of Toulon (France). She got a postdoctoral position at Eindhoven University of Technology (The Netherlands) and since April 2025 she is principal investigator of an ANID FONDECYT Postdoctoral Project funded under the Chilean National Research Plan.  Yolanda served as a member of the Scientific and Organising Committee of the 5th International Conference of Young Marine Researchers (Huelva, Spain, 2025). Her research focuses on antifouling solutions for photobioreactors. She holds one granted patent (P202430249).

industry representative
jean-paul cadoret

Jean-Paul is Managing Director of the private Marine Biotech Company Greensea. With a Master degree in Marine Biology and a PhD in Applied Molecular Biology. HDR at University of Nantes. Since 1988, he has been successively Researcher, Team leader, Lab Director and Unit Director in the governmental Institute IFREMER (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea). Author of 70 publications and 7 patents. Co-Founder of the company Algenics, its specialities in the general frame of marine biotechnology focus on the physiology/biotechnological valorization of microalgae.

university of Brest representative
Claire hellio

Claire currently holds a chair of marine chemical ecology at the University of Brest. Her main field of research focuses on a biomimetic approach and biotechnology for the development of new antifouling paints and the discovery of new bioactive compounds. She has participated to several EU projects in these areas. As an academic, Claire is actively involved in Erasmus exchanges promotion for UG and PG students.

University of Brest holds the official address of ESMB, and as such has a permanent chair at the board.

publisher's representative
victoria ferrara

Victoria has a degree in English Literature from Queens College, New York and has been involved in scientific publishing for nearly 30 years.  After starting her career working as an Editorial Assistant for the American Thoracic Society, she joined SpringerNature in 1994 and was appointed Senior Editor in the Medicine & Life Science journals division in 2005.  Her responsibilities have included launching a number of new Clinical Medicine titles and developing a global audience for those publications. Victoria’s publishing portfolio currently includes a number of proprietary and society-owned Aquatic and Polar Science journals in both hybrid and open access format.  Victoria is based at the SpringerNature US headquarters in downtown Manhattan.

The official journal of ESMB is Marine Biotechnology, published by Springer. This publisher has a permanent seat at the board of ESMB. ​

honorary member of the board
torger børresen

Torger has for many years been a member of ESMB, and has research interests in converting marine biomass to food, feed and other products. His general background is biochemistry and aquatic food. He has served on several working groups on Marine Biotechnology, of which can be mentioned the European Marine Board-ESF ad hoc group for drafting Position Paper 15 ‘Marine Biotechnology: A new vision and strategy for Europe’. Recently, he also participated in the preparation of ‘Marine Biotechnology Strategic Research and Innovation Roadmap’, published by ERA-NET MarineBiotech

honorary member of the board
grant burgess

Grant currently holds the Chair of Marine Biotechnology at Newcastle University. He is Founding Editor of the journal “Marine Biotechnology” and has research interests in marine microbial ecology, drug discovery, and in understanding how bacterial biofilms can be removed. Grant has worked with the ESMB for many years and currently works to promote the Society and its activities with countries outside Europe.