Atangana is Full Professor at the Institute for Groundwater Studies, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. His research interests are, but not limited to, fractional calculus and applications, numerical and analytical methods, and modeling. He is the author of more than 270 research papers and five books in top tier journals of applied mathematics and groundwater modeling. He is the founder of numerous mathematical operators, for example fractional differential and integral operators with singular and nonlocal kernels (Atangana-Baleanu derivatives and integral), fractal-fractional calculus, piecewise calculus, and some numerical methods. He serves as Editor in top tier journals in various fields of study. He has been invited as plenary, keynote speaker in more than 30 international conferences. He has graduated more than 21 masters and 10 PhD students and has supervised several postdoctoral researchers from different countries. He was elected Highly Cited Mathematician in 2019, Highly Cited Mathematician with Crossfield Impact in 2020, and Highly Cited Mathematician in 2021. He is a recipient of the Obada Prize 2020, the TWAS-Hamdan Award 2020 and many others.

Mbacham is a Titular Professor of Public Health Biotechnology. He obtained a Doctorat de Specialité in Molecular Parasitology from the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon (1989), and a PhD in Tropical Public Health from Harvard, USA (1997). His research focuses on host and pathogen genomics and the interaction between communicable and non-communicable diseases at the University of Yaoundé I. He has served in leadership positions in many national and international programmes. He has developed a philosophical approach to Professionalizing Planning Actions in Science & Technology Education & University-based Research (Pro-P.A.S.T.E.U.R.) that integrates platforms for bioscience, physical sciences and research-uptake. He won the 2017 TWAS Regional Prizes in Public Understanding and Popularization of Science for sub-Saharan Africa. He was elected Chair of the Programme Management Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency-AFRA programme of 41 African member states (2015–2021). He has supervised some 95 graduates and 25 PhD students with more than 180 publications. He founded the Fobang Institutes for Innovations in Science and Technology (FINISTECH), Cameroon.