Image

TWAS elected 63 new Fellows today. Among them are 40 men and 23 women (36.5% women), and 57 are from the global South.

Six new fellows hail from science- and technology-lagging countries (STLCs) identified by TWAS, two from Bangladesh, and one each from the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Nepal.

The remaining 57 Fellows are from Argentina (1); Australia (1); Botswana (1); Brazil (8); Canada (2); China (10); Taiwan, China (2); Cuba (2); Ecuador (1); Egypt (2); India (9); the Islamic Republic of Iran (2); Malaysia (5); Nigeria (1); Pakistan (1); Saudi Arabia (1); Singapore (1); South Africa (3); Thailand (1); the United States of America (2); and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1).

The Plurinational State of Bolivia, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand are all countries that have been underrepresented in TWAS membership.

The election of the new Fellows will be effective starting on 1 January 2026, bringing the total TWAS membership to 1493.

The new Fellows in the various scientific subject divisions are:

• 01. Agriculture, Nutrition & Food Systems Sciences
• 02. Biological Sciences
• 03. Medical & Health Sciences
• 04. Chemical Sciences
• 05. Engineering Sciences
• 06. Information and Data Sciences & Technologies
• 07. Earth, Climate and Environmental Sciences
• 08. Mathematical Sciences
• 09. Physics, Astronomy & Space Sciences
• 10. Economic & Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts

01. Agriculture, Nutrition & Food Systems Sciences

HUANG, Sanwen (China), Male. Principal investigator and professor, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen City, China. The nominee is a world leading scientist in the interdisciplinary field of genomics, molecular biology and plant breeding with over 170 academic publications and more than 30,000 citations. He creatively established the theory and technology systems of genome design breeding of hybrid potato and other important vegetable crops including tomato and cucumber. His team developed the first-generation variety of hybrid potato that has revolutionized breeding and reproduction of this world’s most important tuber crop. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has received several prestigious scientific awards including the 2026 TWAS Award in Agriculture, Nutrition & Food Systems Sciences, the State Natural Science Award of China, and the Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation.

SILVA-FILHO, Marcio (Brazil), Male. Full professor, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil. The nominee has made important contributions to understand plant-multitrophic interactions, conducting groundbreaking research that delves into the dynamics among plants, herbivore insects, and fungal pathogens from a holistic perspective. His pioneering investigations have elucidated how fungal phytopathogens manipulate sugarcane plants and their primary insect pest, Diatraea saccharalis, to accelerate their spread. This research has revolutionized our understanding of fungal infection mechanisms, challenging the traditional notion that caterpillar galleries were the primary transmission route. Silva-Filho's findings demonstrate that the fungus infiltrates plants through the insect vector, D. saccharalis. Infected plants emit volatile organic compounds that attract healthy female insects, perpetuating the infection cycle. These contributions have earned global acclaim due to impact on plant ecology and innovative approaches to comprehending and mitigating plant diseases. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and of the Academy of Sciences of the State of São Paulo, he has received the National Order of Scientific Merit by the Presidency of Brazil, and the Scientific and Technological Merit by the government of the State of São Paulo, among others.

SINGH, Narpinder (India), Male. Vice-chancellor, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), India. The nominee’s work has contributed significantly in explaining properties of starches from different sources. The knowledge generated is useful for both breeders and industry. He has also demonstrated the critical effects of heat stress during grain-filling stages on physicochemical and processing quality of different wheat and paddy rice varieties. His work linked greater breakage susceptibility of long grain Indica rice cultivars to the absence or least accumulation of glutelin type-D 1 protein in broken rice. He has also demonstrated the structure-function relationship in proteins of pulses and their possible applications in formulation of gluten-free and eggless products. He has also worked on metabolomic profiling of various cereal and legume crop as well as green grass to provide diverse information on the quality characteristics. His work provided comprehensive information on alterations in various metabolites as caused by environmental factors. Member of the Indian National Science Academy, and of the National Academy of Sciences, India, he has received the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the J. C. Bose National Fellowship, and Professor Krishna Sahai Bilgrami Memorial Medal by the Indian National Science Academy, among others.

SINGH, Zora (Australia), Male. Foundation Professor of horticultural science, Edith Cowan University, Australia. The nominee is a distinguished researcher, educator, and Fellow of leading horticultural science academies in India and the United States of America. His contributions to research, innovation, training, and capacity building in horticulture over three decades, particularly for developing countries, have earned him numerous international and national awards. With over three decades of impact, his research has advanced production, minimised postharvest losses in horticulture, and contributed to global food security. His work spans across universities and institutes in Australia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Italy, and India, securing $5.17 million in funding, and publishing 432 papers. He invented two ethylene antagonists, and developed technologies for the horticulture industry. He has led research collaborations and promoted sciences in developing nations, earning more than 9,914 citations (h-index 54, i10-index 169). Member of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (India), he has received the inaugural Australian Sikh Award for Excellence in Agriculture, the Mitsubishi Corporation Western Australia Innovator, and the Young Scientist Award by the Regional Office for Science and Technology for South and Central Asia (ROSTSCA) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), among others.

WONG, Mui Yun (Malaysia), Female. Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia. The nominee’s groundbreaking work includes discovering virulence factors involved in Ganoderma pathogenicity on oil palm and identifying resistance factors related to oil palm immunity leading to sustainable, non-chemical strategies to combat the notorious basal stem rot (BSR) disease. A fervent advocate of nature-based solutions in crop protection, she emphasizes microbiome strategies, botanical extracts, peptides, and innovative RNAi and CRISPR-Cas technologies. Member of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, a Fellow of the Asian PGPR (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria) Society for Sustainable Agriculture, and president of the Malaysian Chapter of the Asian PGPR Society. She has received the Distinguished Women in Agricultural Sciences Award and was awarded under the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Programme, among others. Her contributions continue to shape sustainable agricultural practices and offer hope for the future of crop protection.

02. Biological Sciences

ABDEL MONEIM, Ahmed (Egypt), Male. Distinguished professor of physiology and head of Zoology and Entomology Department, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt. With a career spanning over 20 years with over 200 publications, the nominee has established himself as a leading researcher in the fields of nanoscience, physiology, toxicology, and biomedical sciences, particularly focusing on the mechanisms underlying the effects of nanoparticles, medicinal plants, antioxidant molecules, and mesenchymal stem cells on chronic and neurodegenerative diseases. His publications cover several topics with the ultimate goal of improving human health and well-being. Throughout his career, Moneim has held several prestigious positions, including postdoctoral fellowships in Europe. Member of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and TWAS Young Affiliate Alumnus, his research has been widely recognized, earning him numerous awards and honors. Stanford University named him among the World’s Top 2% Scientists, and he has received multiple Helwan University awards for scientific excellence and research productivity.

BHUIYAN, Md Taufiqur Rahman (Bangladesh), Male. Senior scientist, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Bangladesh. The nominee made wonderful progress in COVID-19 research, enteric infection and vaccination. He is an intelligent, dedicated laboratory scientist. He did the first population-based study on prevalence, seroprevalence, secondary attack rate in people affected by COVID-19 in Bangladesh as well as in South-East Asia. His studies guided to understand the transmission capability that could help to define mitigation and control measures, the estimation of the point prevalence of COVID-19 in Bangladesh, including the symptomatic and asymptomatic point prevalence. There was continuous interest of public health experts to understand and contextualize key drivers of COVID-19 transmission, anticipate future risks, and adopt preventive measures including vaccination to address these problems. In addition, his research is focusing on adaptive and humoral immune responses in enteric infection, and vaccination for developing good efficacious vaccines for young children in developing country settings. A member of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, he has received merit scholarships, and travel awards, among others.

HASSAN, Mohamad Ali (Malaysia), Male. Professor, Universiti Putra Malaysia. The nominee has more than 30 years of teaching and research experience. He has worked extensively on industrial biomass, bioenergy, and zero-emission international projects throughout his career, particularly with Kyushu Institute of Technology (Japan), and the palm oil industry. He has obtained international and industrial research and development funding and collaboration in setting up the Serdang Biomass Town and Biorefinery Complex in University Putra Malaysia campus. He has published more than 280 refereed journal papers, with more than 8,000 citations and Scopus h-index of 50. He has been elected as Fellow, Academy Science Malaysia, and a recipient of the Top Research Scientist Award. He also received the Malaysia Microbiology Award, Malaysia Research Scientist Award from Clarivate Analytics, and the Research Exchange Award from the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering. Currently, he is the chief editor for ASM Science Journal of Akademi Sains Malaysia.

PUJOL, Flor Helene (Venezuela), Female. Emeritus professor, Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Venezuela. The nominee has made outstanding contributions in the molecular epidemiology and evolution of several viruses of great relevance in public health in Venezuela and in the Latin American context. She was instrumental in establishing an advanced research laboratory in virology at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas—IVIC). Member of the Venezuelan Academy of Physics, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences, and of the Latin American Academy of Sciences, she has received the prize ‘Mujer de la Tierra’ (Woman of the Earth) by Avon Cosmetics, the Lorenzo Mendoza Fleury Award, and the Dr. Carlos Benaim Pinto Award of the Venezuelan Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, among others.

RÍOS TOUMA, Blanca Patricia (Ecuador), Female. Full professor, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador. The nominee has significantly advanced aquatic ecology in the Andes by describing new caddisfly species and genera, enhancing knowledge of freshwater biodiversity. Her key achievement is developing the Andean Biotic Index, now widely used across Latin America to assess stream ecological quality. She leads interdisciplinary projects studying pollution effects on tropical rivers and provides insights into stream restoration. Ríos Touma has influenced environmental policy by creating protocols for river health evaluation. Beyond academia, she has served as amicus curiae in landmark ‘rights of nature’ cases before Ecuador’s Constitutional Court, supporting environmental protection against polluting industries. She also advises citizen groups on river restoration, bridging science and policy for sustainable freshwater resource management in the Andes. She is a member of the Ecuadorian Academy of Sciences.

SHUKLA, Arun (India), Male. Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India. The nominee’s research carried out in India has made outstanding contributions toward the current understanding of activation, signaling, and regulation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), the largest class of drug targets in the human genome. His research findings have uncovered previously unknown paradigms of GPCR signaling and identified novel strategies to modulate GPCR functions for designing novel therapeutics with minimal side-effects. In addition, Shukla’s research endeavors had a significant impact on international research on membrane protein structural biology, and his advocacy at multiple levels for supporting the research on the structural biology of membrane proteins in India has been important in boosting funding and infrastructural support in this area. A member of the three Indian science academies, he has received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Biological Sciences, Senior Fellowship by Department of Biotechnology, Sun Pharma Research Award, and B.M. Birla Science Prize in Biology, among others.

SINGH, Anjana (Nepal), Female. Professor of microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. The nominee’s major contribution on contamination of arsenic in groundwater had a significant impact on public health in lowland regions of Nepal. She has focused her research in antimicrobial resistance which has been a breakthrough. A leading female researcher in surgical site infections in Nepal, she focused her research on anaerobic bacteria using molecular tools for the first time in her country, which had a positive impact on the patients. She plays a vital role in the development and promotion of science and technology in Nepal. A member of the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, she has received the Crown Prince Young Scientist Award; Education Award from the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal; and Long Distinguished Service Award from Tribhuvan University.

TSAY, Yi-Fang (Taiwan, China), Female. Distinguished research fellow, Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, China. The nominee, a world leader in plant nutrition research, is renowned for identifying the first nitrate transporter gene in plants, deciphering novel mechanisms underlying nitrate transport, and pioneering studies that demonstrate how transporters—now referred to as transceptors—can also function as sensors. Her research findings have significantly impacted plant biology research and are frequently cited in textbooks on plant physiology. Nitrogen fertilizer production consumes 1–2% global energy, however only 30–50% of this is utilized by crops, with the remaining nitrate left in the soil causing severe environmental issues. Therefore, Tsay’s research on nitrate transport and signaling in plants has provided crucial insights into nutrient cycling, informing strategies to enhance crop nitrogen utilization efficiency, a critical concern in sustainable agriculture. Member of the Academia Sinica and international member of the National Academy of Sciences, United States of America, she has received the TWAS Award in Biology (2024); Frontier Science Grant by the National Science Council, Taiwan, China several times, and CTCI Science and Technology Contribution Award by CTCI Foundation (formerly known as China Technical Consultants Incorporated), Taiwan, China, among others.

VASCONCELOS RIBEIRO, Ana Tereza (Brazil), Female. Head of Bioinformatics Laboratory, National Laboratory for Scientific Computing, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The nominee is a senior research scientist at the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing, where she established and currently coordinates the Bioinformatics Laboratory and the Computational Genomics Unit. Her area of expertise lies in bioinformatics, with a focus on the development of computational and mathematical methods for analyzing high-throughput sequencing data to address real-world challenges in genetics. Her work has broad applications in human and animal health, agriculture, environmental sciences, and biotechnology. She has mentored over 70 students, played a significant role in organizing and advancing the field of bioinformatics in Brazil and across Latin America, and authored 260 scientific articles. She was elected as a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences in 2022, scientist of the State of Rio de Janeiro in 2012 and awarded the Medal of Academic and Scientific Merit by the Brazilian Society of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.

03. Medical & Health Sciences

CHEONG, Sok Ching (Malaysia), Female. Deputy chief scientific officer, Cancer Research Malaysia. The nominee has made significant contributions in developing unique and rare cancer models, and the understanding of head and neck cancers resulting in the development of novel therapeutic approaches. She leads multi-disciplinary teams to develop an artificial intelligence-powered application (App) for early detection of oral cancer thus closing the care gap for communities at risk. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the International Academy of Oral Oncology. She has received international awards including the IAOP President’s Award by the International Association of Oral Pathologists (IAOP), L’Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science Award, TWAS Medal Lecture and the ASEAN–US Science Prize for Women 2022. She is the inaugural co-chair of TWAS Young Affiliates Network and elected TWAS Young Affiliate in 2012.

FAROMBI, Ebenezer Olatunde (Nigeria), Male. Professor, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The nominee’s research endeavor has elucidated the molecular mechanisms of the chemopreventive role of Garcinia kola seeds commonly consumed in West Africa, leading to the patenting of four novel compounds. relevant in disease conditions such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Member of Nigerian Academy of Science, African Academy of Sciences; Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Academy of Toxicological Sciences, United States of America (USA); he has been awarded as Lady Bank-Anthony Cancer Research Fellow; Global Senior Toxicology Scholar by the Society of Toxicology (USA); and three times top-rated toxicologist in Nigeria by Stanford University ranking of global scientists.

GARCIA-RIVERA, Dagmar (Cuba), Female. General vice-president of research and development, Finlay Vaccine Institute, Havana, Cuba. The nominee is a distinguished scientist and leader in the vaccine field. With a PhD in immunopharmacology (2006), she has dedicated her research to preventive vaccines against infectious diseases. As research director (2014–2021) and now general vice-president of RandD at the Finlay Vaccine Institute in Cuba, she has spearheaded projects, including pneumococcal, meningococcal, and typhoid conjugate vaccines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a pivotal role in developing the SOBERANA 02 and SOBERANA Plus vaccines. Author of over 70 peer-reviewed papers, including 27 since 2020, she is a titular member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and has represented Cuba in World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) meetings. Recognized by The Lancet Regional Health – Americas (2024) for her passion and resilience, her work has profoundly impacted global public health.

HUANG, Xiaojun (China), Male. Chairman, Peking University Institute of Hematology, Beijing, China. The nominee established a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) / anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) based haploidentical protocol, which was named ‘Beijing Protocol’ by international counterparts. The ‘Beijing Protocol’ terminated the worldwide problem of donor shortage and promoted the rapid growth of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation around the world. Currently, the G-CSF/ATG-based protocol has been used in more than 210 centers in China and also many transplant centers in other countries from Asia and Europe. As the academic leader in the field of hematology from China, Huang is currently the director of the National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases, the leader of Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the chairman of Hematologist Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association (CMDA) and the director of China Marrow Donor Program (CMDP). A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and French National Academy of Medicine, he has received the Distinguished Service Award, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research; International Collaboration Award, International Academy for Clinical Hematology; and Guang Hua Engineering Science and Technology Award of China; among others.

MAHTAB, Mamun Al (Bangladesh), Male. Professor and head, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh. The nominee’s major scientific accomplishments include (i) the discovery of a novel therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B with a finite duration of administration and prevention of progression of liver disease; (ii) clinical trials of a locally discovered SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine candidate in rhesus macaque and humans; (iii) characterization of acute and chronic liver failure, including definition, diagnosis, management, and prognosis; (iv) discovery of a non-invasive method based on DNA methylation of circulating tumor DNA, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T-cells for hepatocellular carcinoma; (v) development of autologous hemopoietic stem cell transplantation through trans-arterial and trans-venous routes for patients with cirrhosis of the liver; (vi) development of plasma exchange therapy for patients with liver failure; and (vii) exploration of the utility of local herbs in management of fatty liver. A member of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, he has received the Gold Medal and Award by Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, and Primary Care & Rural Health Bangladesh Award, among others.

NARDI, Antonio Egidio (Brazil), Male. Full professor, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The nominee is the founder and coordinator of the Panic and Respiration Laboratory and the Resistant Depression Outpatient Clinic at the Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He is a leader in scientific production on panic disorder, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and resistant depression. From 1998 to 2022, he was coordinator of the Postgraduate Programme in Psychiatry and Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and is now Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine. Nardi received government grants as principal investigator, he has trained more than a hundred young researchers in Brazil and South America, and has supervised 16 postdoctoral students, 38 doctoral theses and 38 master's theses. Editor-in-chief of the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, he participated in several research advisory committees of Brazilian public bodies, such as government research support agencies. He has an h-index of 49 in Thomson Reuters Web of Science and of 64 in Google Scholar. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Science; National Academy of Medicine, Brazil; Brazilian Academy of Military Medicine; Brazilian Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine; and Fides et Ratio Academy, Brazil.

PRINCE, Sharon (South Africa), Female. Professor in human biology and deputy dean of research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, University of Cape Town, South Africa. The nominee has made major contributions towards the identification and characterization of novel therapeutic interventions and drug targets for the treatment of cancer. A member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, she has received the South African Medical Research Council Gold Medal in recognition of research excellence, the National Research Foundation of South Africa Hamilton Naki Award, and was elected to the University of Cape Town College of Fellows. She serves on the editorial boards of numerous accredited international scientific journals and national and international scientific review boards. She is frequently invited to give lectures at international conferences.

REZAEI, Nima (Islamic Republic of Iran), Male. Full professor, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. The nominee published more than 1,500 scientific papers with more than 100,000 citations. He edited more than 100 international text-books. He is the founder of Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN) with more than 27,000 members all over the world, and more than 600 top scientists and 20 Nobel Laureates among its advisory board members. He received several awards, e.g., Razi Medical Festival, Avicenna Festival, and Young Investigator Award of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Some other scientific accomplishments are: Distinctive Researcher in Basic Sciences in the 12^th, 18^th, and 30^th Razi Research Festivals on Medical Sciences; Distinctive Editor and Young Researcher in the 10^th, and 13^th Avicenna Festivals, respectively; recipient of several grants from international societies (European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, European Respiratory Society, European Hematology Association, European Society for Immunodeficiencies, International Union of Immunological Societies, Clinical Immunology Society). He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

SONGSIVILAI, Sirirurg (Thailand), Male. Chairman, National Commission on Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand. The nominee is a distinguished scientist and influential science administrator in South-East Asia. A pioneering molecular biologist and immunologist, he advanced genomics research on infectious diseases unique to the region, particularly viral hepatitis and melioidosis. His groundbreaking work on genomic variations led to discovery of a new hepatitis C subtype, and defined the causative pathogen in melioidosis as a new prototype strain. His innovations in antibody engineering, biomolecular target discovery, and nanotechnology significantly impacted diagnosis and treatment. He currently serves as chairman of the National Commission on Science, Research, and Innovation in Thailand, overseeing national policy and funding, while playing a key role in international collaborations. Member of Royal Society of Thailand, Thai Academy of Science of Technology and Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, his numerous accolades include Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Young Scientist and Technologist Award, and National Outstanding Technologist Award.

SWAMINATHAN, Soumya (India), Female. Chairperson, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, India. The nominee is a global expert in tuberculosis and HIV research, contributing significantly to public health and policy. Member of the National Academy of Medicine (United States of America), the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), and all major Indian science academies, she has received the Yashwantrao Chavan National Award and the Kochon Prize from Stop TB Partnership, among others.

THABANE, Lehana (Canada), Male. For more than three decades, Thabane has been a globally recognised scholar, educator, and clinical trial statistician, whose exceptional contributions have fundamentally transformed the methodology of clinical trials with lasting and far-reaching impact. His pioneering work in developing innovative statistical methods and trial designs — such as pilot and feasibility trials, as well as platform trials for COVID-19 — continues to drive significant advancements in healthcare, both in Canada and globally. His leadership in these areas has become a cornerstone of modern clinical research, facilitating critical medical and behavioural breakthroughs on a global scale.

TIRADO, Noemi Sandra (Plurinational State of Bolivia), Female. Emeritus professor and researcher, head of Genotoxicology Unit at Genetics Institute, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, Plurinational State of Bolivia. The nominee investigates the impact of exposure to arsenic and lithium on genetic stability in humans in Bolivia. Her most significant finding was the absence of arsenic genotoxicity. She has found evidence that natural selection favored certain traits in Andean populations from the Bolivian Altiplano and the Argentine Puna, and adaptation to life at high altitudes. Member of the Bolivian science academy, she is the president of the Latin American Association of Mutagenesis, Carcinogenesis and Environmental Teratogenesis; member of the executive committee of the International Association of Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomic Societies; full member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World; member of Bolivian Society of Mutagenesis, Carcinogenesis and Environment Teratogenesis; and member of Bolivian Society of Genetics.

04. Chemical Sciences

AMIN IBRAHIM SHENDI, Amal (Egypt), Female. Professor of polymers technology/nanotechnology, National Research Centre, Egypt. The nominee's scientific achievements are mostly applied ones whether with respect to her applied and industry related research in polymers technology and nanotechnology, or international societal driven science-based outreach. Her research interests are in preparation of new functional polymeric materials via different methods as Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) and Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition (iCVD), and using their (nano)composites in versatile applications as in manufacturing of eco-friendly materials, construction industries, biomedical applications, packaging, curing of agricultural wastes, electrical and optical applications, water treatment, etc. She is also involved in international activities related to sustainable development goals, science diplomacy and advice, and communication, innovation, and entrepreneurship. She was the founder of Egyptian and Global Young Academy, selected as TWAS Young Affiliate (2010–2014) she is now alumna and member of TWAS Young Affiliates Network. She is an International Science Council Fellow, founding chair for Women in Science Without Borders initiative, and for Science for Humanity global society. She has received the Exceptional Women of Peace Award, and Women for Africa Foundation Award, among others.

ANAND, Ruchi (India), Female. Institute chair professor of chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India. The nominee is nominated for unraveling structure-function relationships of enzymes and harnessing this knowledge to design and build novel sensors for xenobiotics in water as well as decoding the origins of antibiotic drug resistance. A member of the Indian Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Sciences of India, she has received the A.V. Rama Rao Foundation Lecture Award at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, and the National Women Bioscientist Award by the Department of Biotechnology, India, among others.

EDDAOUDI, Mohamed (Saudi Arabia), Male. Distinguished professor of chemistry, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. For the nominee’s mastery in the design of materials and the study of their properties in carbon capture, energy-intensive separations, gas storage, energy storage, and catalysis. Eddaoudi is a visionary leader in the strategic design of functional materials for the sustainable development of our society, who has been instrumental in discovering metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). He has expanded the original discovery to assemble MOFs into networks with tunable functionalities. His research has been impactful for it covers materials design and their industrial employment in climate applications. His work encompasses the design of new materials essential to the sustainable development of society in the field of energy and environment, addressing current and emerging global challenges worldwide. Specifically, he has been instrumental in making materials of superior performance in carbon capture from air. Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and member of Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World, he has received the Kuwait Prize (Chemistry); Alamarai Prize; and Abdul Hameed Shoman Prize for Arab Researchers, topic 'Renewable Energy', among others.

GARCIA RIVERA, Daniel (Cuba), Male. Professor of chemistry, University of Havana, Cuba. Garcia Rivera is an internationally recognized scientist in biomolecular and medicinal chemistry. He directs a research and innovation laboratory that works in cooperation with the Cuban biotechnology industry to develop new cancer therapies and vaccines. He is the Cuban Director of a German-Latin American Center for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention for the development of vaccine technologies, gene delivery systems, adjuvants, and antimicrobial drugs. He has supervised 14 doctoral theses and 23 master's theses in peptide and protein chemistry, natural product synthesis, and vaccine development. He has published more than 130 scientific articles in top-tier international journals, with more than 5,000 citations. He is the co-developer of the COVID-19 vaccine SOBERANA. A member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, he has received eight Annual Cuban Academy Awards, the Carlos Finlay National Medal of Scientific Research, and the National Chemistry Award, among others.

HEMMATEENEJAD, Bahram (Islamic Republic of Iran), Male. Professor, Chemistry Department, Sharif University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran. As a scholarship holder of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the nominee has visited various research institutes and universities in Germany. He has won many national and international awards such as international Razi Festival Award, Iranian Chemical Society Analytical Chemistry Award, and Elsevier Chemolab Award. He runs a laboratory for the development and application of various chemometric methods in the chemical disciplines of bioanalytical chemistry, chemo-biological interactions, computer-aided drug design and colorimetric sensors. He is currently very active in the development of paper-based analytical sensors. He is associate editor of the Journal of the Iran Chemical Society and author of 275 research papers and reviews. With an h-index of 53 (Google Scholar) and 47 (Scopus), his name has appeared in the top 2% of scientists for five consecutive years. He is a member of the Iranian Academy of Sciences and was appointed as a TWAS Young Affiliate.

HUNG, Shang-Cheng (Taiwan, China), Male. Distinguished professor, Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, China. The nominee stands as a pioneering and internationally recognized leader in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. His groundbreaking contributions include the development of the regioselective, orthogonal one-pot protection strategy for synthesizing custom-designed sugar building blocks, alongside the stereoselective one-pot assembly of oligosaccharides. These innovative methodologies have revolutionized the field by offering efficient, practical solutions to long-standing synthetic challenges. Most notably, they have made it possible to access and investigate complex carbohydrates that were previously beyond reach — particularly cell-surface glycosaminoglycans — thereby enabling the detailed study of their specific interactions with a wide range of proteins. Hung’s work has not only deepened our understanding of carbohydrate function at the molecular level but also opened new avenues for therapeutic discovery targeting diseases associated with carbohydrate recognition. Member of the Academia Sinica, he has received the 21st Research Grant Award, Mizutani Foundation for Glycoscience, Japan; David Ginsburg Memorial Lectureship, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; and Future Tech Award, National Science and Technology Council; among others.

MPIANA, Pius Tshimankinda (the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Male. Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry and Industry, University of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). The nominee is among the world specialists of medicinal plants used against sickle cell disease. To this end, he has isolated several molecules with anti-sickling activity. Some of these molecules have been patented (World Intellectual Property Organization patent, United States of America patent and South African patent). He has developed a phytomedicine and a nutraceutical against sickle cell disease. He is involved in several scientific collaborations, particularly in water pollution and sanitation. Mpiana published more than 400 papers and has an h-index of 45 (Google Scholar) with 6,874 citations of his that have allowed him to be ranked at the top of Congolese researchers according to AD ranking since 2022. A member of the Congolese Academy of Science, he has received several TWAS research grants, the Diploma and Medal of Scientific Merit of DR Congo, the African Prize for Liberty and Development, and the Diploma of Honor and Excellence of DR Congo, among others.

ROSSI, Liane Marcia (Brazil), Female. Full professor, University of São Paulo, Brazil. The nominee's groundbreaking contributions to the field of sustainable catalysts in the last 20 years include the development of selective catalysts for oxidation, hydrogenation, and CO₂ valorization. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Science, she has been awarded the King Carl XVI Gustafs Professorship in Environmental Science for 2023–24.

YOUSUF, Sammer (Pakistan), Female. Professor, H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Pakistan. The nominee is a promising young researcher known for her original contributions in the field of structural organic and natural product chemistry. She has published over 250 research publications in leading international journals (Google Scholar citations exceeding 3,100, h-index 28). Her discovery of anti-leishmanial constituents from a local medicinal plant is an excellent example of basic to translational research (United States of America Patent 8,287,921 B1). She is also the pioneer of crystal engineering in Pakistan, and established the first crystal-engineering lab at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences. In 2019, she was part of the Pakistan Hub of the project “A Global Network for Tropical Neglected Diseases (NTD)”, funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund, and managed by Durham University, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK). Based on outstanding scientific findings in the fields of leishmaniasis, NTD was nominated by Durham University and short listed for the 2023 Medical Research Council Impact Prize, UK. A member of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, she was selected as a TWAS Young Affiliate (2013), and she received the TWAS Regional Prize for Young Scientists, and the Al-Haj Molvi-Riazudin Gold Medal for securing first position with her Master of Science, among others.

ZHANG, Suojiang (China), Male. Professor, director of Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), president of Henan University, China. The nominee is a leading scientist in ionic liquids (ILs) and green chemical engineering. He has published over 700 papers in Chemical Reviews, Nature Communications, Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials, AIChE Journal, Chemical Engineering Journal, etc., with 40,543 citations and an h-index of 97, 11 books, and 8 chapters. He holds 291 patents, including 6 United States of America/Japan patents. He has developed over 10 IL-based green technologies with successful industrial applications, such as the world's first 200,000 t/a IL-catalyzed CO₂ to dimethyl carbonate industry plant. He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has received the TWAS Award in Chemistry, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Science and Technology Progress Award, and the 2^nd Class Award for National Natural Science of China. As head of the CAS–TWAS Centre of Excellence for Green Technology and the International Green Technology Alliance, he has cultivated over 50 graduate students from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, etc., contributing greatly to exchanges and cooperation with developing countries.

05. Engineering Sciences

DUAN, Huiling (China), Female. Dean, College of Engineering, Peking University, China. The nominee is internationally recognized in the field of interface mechanics and solid mechanics. With her strong aim to combine theoretical and application-oriented research, she has developed new multiscale/multiphase continuum mechanics theories and methods of interface mechanics, including micromechanical framework with interface effects and mechanism of flow control mediated by slip boundary. Her works have promoted the development of continuum mechanics and led to numerous following studies on interface mechanics. Her collaboration with aerospace, civil industry, and vehicle engineering has resulted in a substantial impact on industrial applications. She received the State Natural Science Award of China, Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, etc., and was elected Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

GOVINDARAJAN, Rama (India), Female. Senior professor and dean academic, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India. The nominee has made significant contributions to fluid dynamics, deriving fundamental equations and making minimal models. She transformed our understanding of caustics in vortical suspension flows, with which she showed how turbulent a cloud needs to be, to produce rain. Her work gives analytical solutions of the famous Maxey–Riley equations for small particles in flow, with consequences for plankton sedimentation. She showed that tiny variations of fluid viscosity can radically alter flow stability. She showed that the standard Boussinesq approximation for mild density variations is not valid near strong vortices. She is Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of India (where she was a council member), and the American Physical Society (where she serves on a Fellowship Committee). Govindarajana is the first woman to win the Bhatnagar Prize in Engineering Sciences of the Government of India. She has received the Alumna Award both from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and from Indian Institute of Science.

LIU, Changsheng (China), Male. Professor, and president, Shanghai University, China. The nominee was the first to propose the new concept of 'materiobiology', and found a few novel effects of materiobiology. He has developed a series of osteoinductive products, which have been extensively applied in more than 1,000 hospitals for 500,000 patients, achieving excellent therapeutic efficacy. He has 24,755 citations and an h-index of 79 in Google Scholar. A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he has received the Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement Award, the Global Biomaterials Leadership Award, and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Award for Scientific and Technological Innovation, among others.

MITRAGOTRI, Samir Suresh (the United States of America), Male. Hiller professor of bioengineering, and Hansjorg Wyss professor of biologically inspired engineering, Harvard University, the United States of America (USA). The nominee is a pioneer in the field of drug delivery and an entrepreneur. He has advanced fundamental understanding of biological barriers of the human body such as skin, mucosal membranes, blood-brain barrier, and the immune system, and he has trained over 140 students and postdocs. He is also an inventor of more than 300 patents on materials and technologies that have helped overcome biological barriers to enable new methods for delivering drugs. Mitragotri's inventions have paved the way for products for treating diabetes, obesity, cancer, dermatological diseases, neurological disorders, hemorrhage and infections. He has translated his inventions into clinical technologies and commercial products through 14 startups. Mitragotri has made deeply impactful contributions at the interface of research, education, commercialization, and patient impact. Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, National Academy of Inventors, American Association of Advancement of Science — all in the USA — and foreign Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering, he has received Reilly Lectureship by University of Notre Dame, AAPS Distinguished Scientist Award by American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Kam Family Lecture by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Michael Abbott Lecture by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Tommy Hewett Lecture by Oklahoma University, among others.

MUDALI, U. Kamachi (India), Male. Vice-chancellor, Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), India.The nominee is an internationally recognized materials scientist-cum-technologist with outstanding contributions in corrosion science and engineering, and coating technologies. He has conceived, developed, and demonstrated nitrogen-containing stainless steels with high corrosion resistance in Indian fast breeder reactor applications. He has developed amorphous Ti and Zr alloys with high corrosion resistance in bulk and coating forms by establishing casting facility for bulk metallic glasses. He has developed self-healing superhydrophobic coatings based on silanes on Ti, stainless steel, Cr-Mo steel with corrosion, and biofouling resistances for marine atmosphere. The hallmarks of his work are originality, innovation, and direct application in the nuclear industry. He has made immense contributions in science education and awareness, and has an impressive scintometric (citations: 12,800, h-index 54, i-10 index 305). Member of the Indian National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences, India; Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers; Indian Chemical Society; he has received the Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award, S. K. Sheshadri Memorial Mascot Award, and ONGC Excellence and Meritorious Awards in Corrosion, among others.

RAMESH, Singh (Malaysia), Male. Deputy vice-chancellor, and senior professor, University of Malaya, Malaysia. The nominee is renowned for his pioneering work in utilizing biogenic waste materials to develop sustainable bioceramics for clinical use. He has also contributed significantly in research across various interdisciplinary fields related to materials and mechanical engineering. Honored as one of the top 2% scientists globally by Stanford University, he holds fellowships from the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, Institution of Mechanical Engineers (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), and Institution of Engineers Australia. Ramesh's remarkable contributions have earned him more than 100 accolades such as the Japan Intellectual Property Association Best Biotechnology Award, and Asian Invention Excellence Award, among others. He actively contributes to research and academia in various positions of authority, while also serving as an industry consultant and distinguished professor in China.

ROSEI, Federico (Canada), Male. Chair of industrial chemistry, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy. The nominee has reported numerous breakthrough achievements, working on several different classes of materials. He pioneered the synthesis and characterization of novel materials systems, also integrating them in optoelectronic devices. In particular, he designed and realized various cases of core/shell Quantum Dots (QDs), in which he varied the structure to fine-tune the properties. Integrating these QDs in solar technologies, he reported record values of performance. His efforts in education and research transcend geographical and disciplinary boundaries. Through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair he established in Canada in 2014, he assembled a network of over 50 researchers from 22 countries in the Global South, through which he trained hundreds of students and organized dozens of symposia and schools. Member of Royal Society of Canada, European Academy of Science, Canadian Academy of Engineering, World Academy of Art and Science, Academia Europaea, European Academy of Science and Art, African Academy of Sciences, Mexican Academy of Engineering, ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts, and Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, he has received Nanotechnology Award from American Vacuum Society, Guggenheim Fellowship, Brimacombe Medal from the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, Khwarizmi International Award, and Knight, Order of Quebec 2023, among others.

WOAFO, Paul (Cameroon), Male. Full professor, and director, Laboratory of Modelling and Simulation in Engineering, Biomimetics and Prototypes, University of Yaounde 1, Cameroon. The nominee is known for seminal contributions in the domains of applied physics including: Determination of the propagation and statistical characteristics of very short topological solitons (domain walls, adatoms) considering discreteness effects, lattices coupling and long range interactions; theoretical and experimental study of new (micro)electromechanical systems with nonlinear components from electronic, electrical and magnetic origins to optimize the actuation processes and energy harvesting; theoretical and experimental development of new methods for chaos cryptography; development of new models of bio-inspired components for health assistance (reflectionless arterial prosthesis and artificial ventricle); and modelling, theoretical and experimental study of new devices for appropriate development (sand/iron home filters and filtering beds, mechatronic bread oven). Member of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences, and American Physical Society, he received TWAS Prize for Young Scientists, Associate Member of Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Italy), 2020 IUPAP Medal for Outstanding Contributions to the Enhancement of Physics in Developing Countries from C13 commission 'Physics for Development' of International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, and Distinguished Service Award (2020) by the Cameroon Academy of Sciences for multiple services to the Academy.

06. Information and Data Sciences & Technologies

LUDERMIR, Teresa Bernarda (Brazil), Female. Full professor, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. The nominee is a pioneering researcher in machine learning, recognized for her groundbreaking contributions to neural networks. She developed novel automated machine learning algorithms that simultaneously learn neural network weights and architectures. Her work demonstrated the equivalence between Weightless Neural Network Models (WNNM) and classical computing, proposing a Turing machine implementation within WNNM. She also introduced quantum neural networks and hybrid time series forecasting methods. Her optimization techniques have been applied to real-world problems, such as gas leak detection in the oil industry, wine classification, wind power forecasting, and water quality recognition. She is a member of the Brazilian Academies of Sciences, a Fellow of Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association, and she has received the Brazilian National Order of Scientific Merit.

MEYER, Thomas Andreas (South Africa), Male. Professor of computer science and CAIR–UCT (Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research–University of Cape Town) research chair in artificial intelligence, University of Cape Town, South Africa. The nominee is a Member of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the Academy of Science of South Africa, and elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences. He is one of only three South African computer scientists to have been awarded an A rating by the National Research Foundation (South Africa), and is the co-director of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research, the South African national flagship programme for artificial intelligence research and postgraduate training.

07. Earth, Climate and Environmental Sciences

ASRAT, Asfawossen Kassaye (Botswana), Male. Professor, Botswana International University of Science and Technology. The nominee’s research spans a wide spectrum of the Earth sciences, and his original research contributed to the understanding of mafic-felsic magma interactions during the construction of shallow level calc-alkaline plutons, and his original contributions are still widely cited. Asfawossen’s work evolved towards using stable isotopes in various archives and he pioneered high resolution speleothem paleoclimate research in eastern Africa, and he remains a leading expert in the field in Africa. Asfawossen has been leading and co-leading several successful lake drilling projects in Ethiopia during the last two decades which contributed to the understanding of the impact of climate variability on human evolution, expansion and innovation. Asfawossen is a leading expert in paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Quaternary in eastern Africa. Member of the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, African Academy of Sciences, and TWAS Young Affiliate (2012–2016), he has received Best Research Excellence Awards from Addis Ababa University, among others.

BALASUBRAMANIAN, Rajasekhar (Singapore), Male. Full professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore. The nominee has made transformative contributions to the field of atmospheric chemistry, developing innovative measurement techniques and providing insights into the environmental and health impacts of airborne particles/aerosols. He is widely recognized for initiating new directions in aerosol research. He has addressed some of the most challenging questions in aerosol science in a highly complex urban environment. His most remarkable contribution is the elucidation of the impact of wildfire emissions on urban air quality in South-East Asia with the use of source apportionment techniques and chemical transport models. In addition to outstanding research, Balasubramanian has provided key guidance to policy makers addressing air quality. His far-reaching public outreach and sustainability education work have made him a distinguished academic. Elected member of the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry — which is part of the Singapore National Academy of Sciences — and Environmental Engineering Society of Singapore, he has received several research awards: ACCESS Award by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States of America), Alan Berman Research Publication Award by United States of America Department of the Navy, Research Project of the Year, and Sustainable Technology and Energy Awards both by Institution of Chemical Engineers (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), among others.

CARDIA SIMÕES, Jefferson (Brazil), Male. Full professor of glaciology and polar geography, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The nominee has made significant contributions to the science of ice cores and is one of the most distinguished Latin-American glaciologists. His achievements include reconstructing acid pollution in Svalbard ice cores and detecting arsenic and uranium pollution in Antarctic ice. He introduced glaciological science in Brazil, created the first national centre for polar research and led several international scientific expeditions to Antarctica and the Andes. His international leadership was recognised by his election (2016) and re-election (2020) to the vice-presidency of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR/ISC). He is a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Science and a recipient of the National Order of Scientific Merit from the Brazilian Presidency of the Republic.

DI, Qingyun (China), Female. Research professor, and director, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. The nominee has devoted herself to the theoretical advancements, technological innovations, and field applications of electromagnetic geophysics for high-resolution investigations of deep resources and regional geology. She is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); president of the Chinese Geophysical Society; director of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, CAS; dean of the College of Earth and Planetary Sciences at University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. She has won the Outstanding Science and Technology Achievement Prize of CAS (2015), Second Class National Science and Technology Progress Award of China (2019), the Gold Medal of China Patent Award (2021), as well as several other important awards.

FANG, Xiaomin (China), Male. Professor, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Tibet uplift has exerted great effects on both topography and global/regional environments. Centered on this scientific question, the nominee has made systematic innovative achievements. He opened up the field of paleomagnetic chronology onto the Cenozoic basins of the Tibetan Plateau and established high-resolution Cenozoic chronologic sequences on the north-east and central plateau. He created a bio-paleoaltimeter method and revealed the histories of rapid uplift and geomorphic formation pattern in key areas of the plateau. Fang elucidated the effects and mechanisms of plateau uplift on the regional environment and global climate. His research achievements have been widely recognized by international colleagues, he published 330 papers in journals included in the Scientific Citation Index (including Science, Science Advances, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature, and Nature Reviews Earth & Environment), was ranked as the highly cited Chinese researchers in the Elsevier ranking, a top 2% global scientist, and a top 1,000 high-impact world scientist in climate change, and selected as academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he has received the National Science Award, Second Class, China, twice; and the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars, China, among others.

KUMAR, Prakash (India), Male. Director, National Geophysical Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India. The nominee has made outstanding contributions in devising numerous innovative methodologies aimed at elucidating sub-surface structures, including imaging the lithosphere and characterizing the asthenosphere in diverse geological regimes worldwide using converted shear-wave methods. He is internationally renowned for: i) Imaging the lithosphere and determining the thickness of the thin Indian lithosphere vis-à-vis various Gondwana fragments that explain the fast drift of the Indian lithosphere during the Cretaceous period; ii) Understanding the normal ocean plate in the Pacific and its relation to the thermal evolution; iii) Elucidating the mode of conversion of Indian and Asian plates along the Himalayan arc; iv) application of novel artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms to address key geoscientific issues such as denoising seismological data and conducting physics-based inversion for sub-surface imaging and reservoir studies. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI), he has received the CSIR Young Scientist Award, Krishnan Medal, National Geoscience Award by the Ministry of Mines, and Anni Talwani Memorial Prize, among others.

08. Mathematical Sciences

BAO, Gang (China), Male. Chair professor, School of Mathematical Sciences, Zhejiang University, China. The nominee is a leading expert in applied and computational mathematics, especially known for his fundamental contributions to inverse problems, wave propagation, and deep learning methods for Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). His work has advanced the stability analysis for inverse problems in wave propagation, developed novel frameworks for high-wavenumber scattering problems, and pioneered hybrid models for nano-optics. Bao’s introduction of the weak adversarial network has made a profound impact on deep learning methods for solving PDEs and inverse problems. His research bridges mathematics with applications, addressing critical challenges in seismic imaging, computational electromagnetics, and optical device design. Bao’s innovative approaches have had a lasting impact on both the mathematical community and applied sciences, offering transformative insights and solutions to complex real-world problems. A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he has received the National Prize of Natural Sciences, Zhejiang Province Distinguished Scholar, and Feng Kang Prize for Scientific Computing, among others.

DE FIGUEIREDO, Celina Miraglia Herrera (Brazil), Female. Full professor, Systems Engineering and Computer Science Programme, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE), Brazil. The focus of the nominee’s research is the Millennium Prize problem P versus NP, the central problem in computational complexity, exploring the complexity frontier through the classification of challenging problems into polynomial or NP-complete, having contributed to different topics in theoretical computer science. Her research contributions are on aspects of graph structure and perfection, and on graph colourings and partitions, mostly investigated from the perspective of algorithms and complexity. She regularly works on new areas, in both theory and applications, including bioinformatics and exploring the future of computing through quantum computing. She has successfully advanced her fields of expertise by solving long standing problems. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, she has received the 50 years of COPPE award, and was the first woman to receive the Award for Academic Merit by COPPE/UFRJ, among others.

NGO, Bao Chau (the United States of America), Male. Professor, Department chair, Chicago University, the United States of America; and Scientific Director, Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, Viet Nam. The nominee gave a brilliant proof of Fundamental Lemma. His achievement, which lies at the crossroads between algebraic geometry, group theory and automorphic forms, is leading to many striking advances in the Langlands programme as well as the subjects linked with it. Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, French Academy of Sciences, American Mathematics Society, and honorary member of London Mathematical Society, he was awarded the Fields Medal in 2010, and received the Maurice Audin Mathematics Prize, the Oberwolfach Prize by Oberwolfach Foundation, and the Germain Prize by the French Academy of Sciences, among others.

09. Physics, Astronomy & Space Sciences

CRISPINO, Luís Carlos Bassalo (Brazil), Male. Full professor, and head of the Graduate Physics Programme, Federal University of Pará, Brazil. The nominee is a prominent scientist in the Brazilian Amazon, having been the protagonist in the creation of the first doctorate program in physics in the entire Amazon region, which constitutes more than half of the Brazilian territory. He is the founder and leader of the research group ‘Grav@zon - Gravity @ Amazonia’, with significant national and international insertion. He is co-author of more than 130 scientific publications in well-known scientific journals, including Nature Physics, Nature Astronomy, Reviews of Modern Physics, and Physical Review Letters. He has participated as a guest editor and referee in well-known international journals. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, he is a leading figure not only in the area of physics, but he also stands out in history of science and technology, and scientific outreach, for which he has been recognized with significant Brazilian awards.

GLEDHILL, Irvy Marian Archibald (South Africa), Female. Visiting adjunct professor of flow physics, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. The nominee is an applied computational physicist, and has worked in aerodynamics for 30 years. She worked on magnetic plasma confinement at the University of California, Los Angeles, and at Stanford University (United States of America), constructed a plasma simulation on a massively parallel processor of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for space shuttle physics. Returning to South Africa, she moved into the field of computational fluid dynamics in aeronautics at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She actively sought collaborations, providing physics insight across scientific and engineering domains. She has worked on methane explosions in coal mines, molecular modelling for treatment of HIV and tuberculosis, and quantifying storm damage to ocean breakwaters. She has a strong commitment and service record to gender and science, and to improving the work environment for both women and men. A member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, she has received the CSIR Aeronautic Systems Excellence Award for Contribution to Diversity, and the Career Achievement Award, Defence, Peace, Safety and Security Operational Unit by CSIR, among others.

MINDLIN, Gabriel (Argentina), Male. Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Over the past two decades and more, the nominee has made fundamental contributions to the study of birdsong through imaginative experiments and deep theoretical insights. He has led research that has had a major impact in uncovering the physical process of avian vocalization and the role that it plays in evolution. The discovery that some bird species rehearse songs during sleep, uncovering the neural mechanism underlying the activation of birdsong, using methods of deep learning to synthesise new songs and reconstruct old ones are some of his most important research contributions. His work displays great originality and represents the finest and most useful applications of dynamical systems theory, with far-reaching implications and unexpected ramifications in both physics and biology. Member of the Academy of Latin American Sciences, and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he has received De Robertis Awards from the Secretariat of Science and Technology of Argentina, the ICTP Arthur Taylor Winfree Award, and the 2023 Konex Award in Information Sciences and Artificial intelligence, among others.

MOHANTY, Ajit Kumar (India), Male. Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, India. The nominee is an internationally acclaimed nuclear physicist with significant contributions to experimental and theoretical high-energy physics. He has extensively studied high-energy heavy-ion collisions as part of the PHENIX experiment in the United States of America, and at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland, and led the Indian collaboration and participation in the Large Hadron Collider experiment at CERN. As chairman at the Atomic Energy Commission, India, he is leading national programmes on energy, health, agriculture and water security. His contributions include setting up the national cancer grid (NCG-Vishwam) for global and national cancer control and treatment. He plays an important role in providing facilities and support to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, and several developing countries. He was instrumental in setting up the Major Atmospheric Cerenkov Experiment (MACE) gamma-ray telescope at Hanle, India, the largest imaging Cherenkov telescope in Asia. A member of the National Academy of Science, India, and Indian National Academy of Engineering, he has received a Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) from Ravenshaw University, Amity University (2024), and Kalinga Institute (2023), among others. He was bestowed with Homi Bhabha Award for Science and Technology by DAE, Young Scientist Award by the Indian National Science Academy, and Young Physicist Award by the Indian Physical Society.

RAO, Sumathi (India), Female. ICTS endowed senior professor, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, India. The nominee has made significant contributions to transport phenomena in quantum wires and edge states of the quantum Hall system, including edge reconstruction and spin-dependent edges. She and her collaborators pioneered the work on junctions of three or more quantum wires, which are the basic elements for building networks of quantum wires. In the field of Majorana physics, she has looked for signatures of Majorana-bound states in different geometries, including the effects of edge reconstruction. From her early work on uncovering a topological Ward identity in non-abelian Chern-Simons theories, and on the classification of all dimension-six operators that could contribute to new physics, she has continued to make relevant and interesting contributions to transport in topological insulators and superconductors, Weyl semimetals and Dirac materials like graphene and silicene. She has also worked hard to improve the global underrepresentation of women in physics. Member of National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad, and Indian Academy of Sciences, she has been selected as an outstanding referee by the American Physical Society, and as divisional associate editor of Physical Review Letters. She is an elected Fellow of the American Physics Society.

ZHAO, Gang (China), Male. Chairman of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Science Committee, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. The nominee has made significant contributions to stellar abundance research, leading efforts to study the first generation of supermassive and extremely metal-poor stars, tracing galactic mergers and accretion history, and exploring lithium's origin and evolution. He led the team discovering China's first exoplanets using the 2.16-m telescope, and initiated laboratory astrophysics collaborations with physicists. These endeavors have advanced our understanding of the universe’s chemical enrichment and stellar evolution. A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he has received the Second Prize of the National Natural Science Awards, the Qiu Shi Outstanding Scientific Team Award, and the Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievement Award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

10. Economic & Social Sciences, Humanities & Arts

KWAN, Mei-Po (China), Female. Professor of geography and resource management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China.The nominee has made groundbreaking contributions to research on geographic information science, environmental health, human mobility, and transport and health issues in cities. She discovered the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP) and the neighborhood effect averaging problem (NEAP), which are now globally recognized as fundamental problems in geographic, social science, and health research. Kwan is a pioneer and a leading researcher in deploying real-time GPS tracking and mobile sensing to collect high-resolution, individual-level data to mitigate the UGCoP and the NEAP. Her work has inspired much new mobility-based research in health geography, public health, urban studies, and sociology on a wide range of topics including individual exposure to air pollution, noise, traffic congestion, green space, social environments, and ethnic/racial segregation. She has received the James R. Anderson Medal of Honor in Applied Geography by the American Association of Geographers (AAG), AAG Wilbanks Prize for Transformational Research in Geography, and is elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of Academy of Social Sciences (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), among others.

OOI, Keng Boon (Malaysia), Male. Distinguished professor, Graduate Business School, UCSI University, Malaysia. The nominee is a distinguished scholar in industrial management and information systems, renowned for his significant contributions to industrial management, mobile technologies, and information systems. He and his team made history as the first from Malaysia to publish in the Harvard Data Science Review, an achievement recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records. Named among the World’s Highly Cited Researchers (Clarivate Analytics) in 2023, he has received many prestigious awards, including the Malaysia Scopus Research Excellence Award (2024), presented by Malaysia’s Ministry of Higher Education in collaboration with Elsevier, and the Malaysia Research Star Award (2018). A Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, he bridges academia and industry through impactful research.