Ammar Saleh Abdullah Omar is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Thamar University, Dhamar City, Yemen. He earned an MSc (2008) and a PhD (2019) in molecular histopathology, both from the University of Al- Neelain, Sudan. Ammar S.A. Omar has considerable experience as a lecturer: from 2009-2012 he lectured at Arwa Queen University, in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, and at Al-Yemenia University, in the Faculty of Health Science. At the same time, and until 2014 he lectured - among others - at Al-Hekmai University, Al-Saeeda University and Thamar University. From 2011 until 2014 he was the head of the medical laboratory department, Al-Nasser University. He has participated in several conferences and workshops in molecular biology, stem cells and regenerative medicine and breast cancer management. He co-authored several scientific papers, including one on the detection of 57 novel mutations in breast cancer-causing genes.

Thao Thi Phuong Nguyen is an accomplished early-career researcher with expertise in mental health, psychology, artificial intelligence in medicine, and stem cell research. She is a researcher at the Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology, College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Vietnam. Dr. Thao earned her medical degree in preventive medicine from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2014, followed by a master’s degree in medicine and a PhD in public health from Hanoi Medical University. Selected to be a member of the InterAcademy Partnership’s Young Physician Leaders programme in 2024, she is recognised for her leadership and dedication to advancing science and health equity. Her pioneering work bridges public health and technology, driving progress in mental health research while fostering innovation and international collaboration.

Otabek Khakimov is an associate professor at the Laboratory of Algebra and its applications at the Institute of Mathematics named after V.I. Romanovskii in Uzbekistan. At the same institute he is a secretary of scientific seminar under scientific council on the awarding of scientific degrees. Khakimov is an editor of the electronic journal Bulletin of the Institute of Mathematics in Uzbekistan. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematical sciences from the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, also in Uzbekistan. He earned a PhD in physical and mathematical sciences from The Supreme Attestation Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan based on the decision of the scientific council at the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. He also earned a Doctor of Science (the next degree after PhD in Uzbekistan) in physical and mathematical sciences from the Institute of Mathematics named after V.I. Romanovskii, in Uzbekistan. His research interests are in the theory of dynamical systems, probability theory and stochastic processes, non-Archimedean analysis and mathematical physics.

Susana Arrechea works at New Sun Road, a Californian start-up incubated at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB), where she develops solar electrification and connectivity projects for rural Guatemala. She is the Project Director of the Digital Community Centres Stellar Ixq-Saq´e, funded by the US Agency for International Development-Microsoft. She holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering earned at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC). She received a scholarship from Fundación Carolina, which allowed her to earn a Master of Science and a PhD degree in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology from the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, in Spain. She described more than 14 new organic molecules derived from porphyrins with applications in solar devices. In 2015, she was a Visiting Researcher at UCB, under the Fulbright NEXUS Program aimed at generating renewable energy. From 2016–2020, she was a Research Professor at USAC. In 2017, she won the Galardón de Guatemaltecos Ilustres award and received the TWAS Fellowships for Research and Advanced Training. In 2020, she won the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World.

Alexander Birbrair received his bachelor’s degree in biomedicine from Santa Cruz State University in Brazil. He completed his PhD in neuroscience at the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Then, he joined as a postdoc in stem cell biology at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York. His laboratory is interested in understanding how the cellular components of different tissues function and control disease progression. His group explores the roles of specific cell populations in the tissue microenvironment by using state-of-the-art techniques. In 2018, Alexander was elected affiliate member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and, in 2019, he was elected member of the Global Young Academy, and in 2021, he was elected affiliate member of TWAS. He is the Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of Current Tissue Microenvironment Reports, and Associate Editor of Molecular Biotechnology. Alexander also serves on the editorial boards of several other international journals.

Dr Blair is a policy adviser for S&T and R&D, applying her expertise and skills in academia and government to assist various triple helix R&D organisations for the advancement of research and innovation, knowledge management, S&T education, and international cooperation. She is an interdisciplinary professional with degrees in Environmental Studies & Anthropology (B.A., St. Lawrence University), Environmental sciences (MSc, University of Arkansas), Freshwater Systems Science (MSc, University of Glasgow), and Earth Sciences (PhD, University of Glasgow). Her PhD research was to describe and model the behaviour of microplastics in fresh- and wastewater systems and to inform policy, publishing her original work in three peer-reviewed journals before the end of her PhD. She has worked as Chief Science Officer creating the R&D Unit and developing institutional processes for the Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation in Honduras; and later, was Adviser for S&T for the Government of Honduras. Currently, she is Policy Officer for the Scottish Government's Hydro Nation Strategy and also guest editor for a special issue on microplastics pollution in the journal Frontiers.

Eric Djomo Nana is a Senior Researcher/Assistant Professor and Head of the Wildlife Research Unit at the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development in Cameroon. He is also currently a Research fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a Master of Science in environmental impact assessment from the University of Dschang in Cameroon and a Taught Masters in Parasitology from the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon. He earned a PhD in ecology from Charles University in Prague, in the Czech Republic. His research interests are in wild meat use and trade and how that affect threatened species, local livelihoods, and facilitate spill over of highly pathogenic viruses. He has published several articles in peer-reviewed impact factor journals and has won several research grants and awards. He is an affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences since 2021. He is the current President of Cameroon's chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology. He is also an adjunct professor at the Higher Institute of Environmental Science in Yaounde, Cameroon.

I grew up in a small village in Yemen. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in physics from Cairo University (Egypt) in 2004 and then worked for the National Atomic Energy Commission (Sana'a-Yemen) in 2005. Then I received my Master and PhD in Theoretical Nuclear Physics from Cairo University (Egypt) in 2009 and 2014, respectively. My research interests are focused on deepening our understanding of nuclear reaction theories. I am interested in scattering, breakup, and reactions of exotic nuclei. In addition, I am working on the energy and mass dependencies of the microscopic optical and dynamical potentials. Permanently, since 2010, I am working at Taiz University (Yemen). In 2018-2020, Philadelphia University (Jordan) hosted my fellowship awarded from the Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF). In 2020-2022, I was a researcher at Heavy Ion Laboratory, University of Warsaw (Poland) funded by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA). Currently, I am a research fellow at the Nuclear Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, the University of Manchester (UK), funded by the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara).

Dr. Gomaa Ali is an Associate Prof. at University of Khorfakkan (UAE) and Al-Azhar University (Egypt). He has 17 years of experience working in the research areas of materials science, humidity sensing, graphene, supercapacitors, water treatment, and recycling. He was awarded his Ph.D. from UMP, Malaysia. He is the recipient of some national and international prizes and awards (1. TWAS-AREP (2018), 2. ARSCO Award 2022, 3. MKF-BUE excellence award, BUE (2024), 4. Individuals Award from ASRT, 2021, 5. Obada International Prize (2021), 6. Arab Water Council Award 2022, 7. Gold Medal (Archimedes, Russia, 2014), 8. Green Technology Award (CITREX, Malaysia, 2015), 8. Gold Medal (BIS, UK, 2015). He has been included in Stanford University’s List of the World’s Top 2% of Scientists. He has published over 175 articles and 30 book chapters. So far, he has over 8500 citations and an h-index of 56. He is an Editor of many WoS journals. He is a member of international scientific societies, including TWAS, AAS, ACS, and RSC. He is an Editor of some handbooks, “Waste Recycling Technologies for Nanomaterials Manufacturing” Springer, 2021, Handbook of Biodegradable Materials” Springer, 2022, etc.

Al-Qadhi received her PhD degree with a major in oral biology from Cairo University, Egypt, and her research focuses on tissue regeneration using stem cells derived from oral tissues and evidence-based dentistry, a rare achievement for a woman from Yemen. Her master's project was about the effect of Khat extract on the oral tissues, as the habit of Khat chewing is a major health and social problem in Yemen. She has published several scientific articles in international journals. She received several awards, including the academic distinction for the highest-ranked undergraduate students, and a postgraduate scholarship from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Yemen. She was selected as a TechWomen emerging leader representing her country in the USA in 2014. She had worked as an assistant lecturer at the University of Science and Technology in Yemen. Now, she is looking to pursue her scientific journey as a researcher in stem cells and tissue regeneration in a safe environment where she can improve her technical skills, gain knowledge, and make a positive impact on her community as well as the host institute.

Sasitorn Srisawadi is a senior researcher at the National Metal and Materials Technology Centre (MTEC), one of the research centers of the National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand. She earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. She won a scholarship from the Thai Government to further her education and received her Master of Science and PhD from North Carolina State University, US, working on additive manufacturing and rapid tooling. In 2011, she joined MTEC where she works at additive manufacturing, or three-dimensional (3D) printing, production process optimization, and composite material fabrication. Her excellent track records include several high profile peer-reviewed publications and patent applications in the areas of her expertise, which encompass the new process of 3D printing for natural rubber and metal matrix composites. In recognition of her contribution in promoting the role of young scientists, she was appointed as a co-Chair of the Thai Young Scientists Academy (2019–2021) and was selected as a Young Leader Fellow at the Annual Meeting, Science and Technology in Society forum (2019).

Mohammed Almahfali from Yemen is currently a researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, Sweden. He holds a PhD (2014) in modern Arabic literature, Arabic Language and Literature Department, Faculty of Art, Cairo University (Egypt). From 2017 to 2019 he worked as a researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Lund University, thanks to a fellowship received from the Institute of International Education, Scholar Rescue Fund SRF-IIE. In 2015 he served as the head of the Arabic Language Department, with the College of Education, Hadhramout University, Socotra Island, and was an assistant professor of modern literature and criticism. Almahfali authored and co-authored four books and more than 10 peer-reviewed scientific papers. His research interests include discourse analysis, capacity-building in higher education, and sustainable post-conflict recovery strategies to address the challenges in Yemen for the coming years. Particularly noteworthy is his dissemination activity: he is a regular contributor to the Arabi Website, where he deals with socio-political themes, human rights issues and war-related problems.

Samamalee Upekshi Kankanamge is a senior lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. With the same university, she held the head of the department position (2018–2021) in pharmacy. She holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy (first-class honours) and a master's degree in industrial analytical chemistry, earned at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka, where she is currently pursuing her PhD in pharmaceutical science. Her research explores the potential therapeutic benefits of natural compounds and traditional remedies, looking for new compounds, formulations, or delivery systems for medications. She has a record of 42 research publications including 10 original articles, 7 review articles, and 25 conference papers. She won twice the title of best oral presentation awards for her PhD research findings, at the International Research Conference in Health Sciences (USJ) and Lincoln International Multidisciplinary Conference, Lincoln University College, Malaysia, in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Oluwafemi Ayodeji Adebo is Vice Dean: Global Engagement and Professor of Food Technology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), South Africa, where he also directs the Centre for Innovative Food Research (CIFR). His research focuses on sustainable food processing, fermentation, food metabolomics, and 3D food printing to enhance nutrition, food security, and health. Listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University, he has published over 140 journal articles, 29 book chapters, and 2 books (with other books titles in progress), and holds a patent on 3D food printing. Prof. Adebo has secured over ZAR 20 million in research funding and received numerous awards, including the Institute of Food Technologists Emerging Leader Award, NRF Emerging Researcher of the Year, and UJ’s Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Award. A TWAS Young Affiliate and Member of the South African Young Academy of Science, he serves on editorial boards of leading journals, has delivered keynote talks globally, and actively drives strategic partnerships that advance science and innovation worldwide.

Mary Donnabelle Balela is a full professor at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the University of the Philippines (UP). She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from UP in 2004, a master’s degree in materials engineering from the Universiti Sains Malaysia in 2008, and a PhD in materials science and engineering from Kyoto University in 2011. She leads the Sustainable Electronic Materials Group, which develops low-cost advanced functional materials for applications in electronics, the environment, and energy. She recently received the 2020 Encouragement Award, which is part of the Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award, for her work on developing customizable sorbents based on kapok fibers. She is the runner-up in the 2019 ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women, 2019 Department of Science Outstanding Research and Development Awardee for Applied Research for her work on silver-based flexible electronic devices.

Rinlee Butch Cervera is a Professor and Head of the Energy Storage and Conversion Materials Research Laboratory at the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD). He is the current Program Director of the Energy Engineering Graduate Program (UPD) and the current Editor-in-Chief of the Philippine Engineering Journal. He received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and PhD all in materials engineering from UPD, Universiti Sains Malaysia, and the University of Tokyo, Japan, respectively. His research interests are in energy-related materials and devices such as lithium-based batteries, fuel cells and electrolysis cells, waste-to-energy, and renewable energy applications. In recognition of his achievements, he received several awards such as the 2018 Outstanding Young Scientist from the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines; the 2018 Professional Degree Awardee for Materials Engineering by the UP Alumni Engineers; University of the Philippines Scientist I for the period 2019–2021; and the 2021 Outstanding Engineering Professor from the College of Engineering, UPD.

Cristina Romero-Rodríguez is a professor and head of the Department of Chemical Biology, at the National University of Asunción (UNA), in Paraguay, where she is also an assistant professor of biochemistry. She obtained a degree in biochemistry from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (UNA). Then she earned a Master of Science in cellular, molecular, and genetic biotechnology, and a PhD in biosciences and agrifood sciences both from the University of Cordoba, Spain. Her research interests are in biological science and focus on the study of plant-microorganism interaction that she investigates through biochemical and proteomic approaches. Romero-Rodríguez is an active member of the National Incentive Program for Researchers of the National Council of Science and Technology of Paraguay. In the last five years, she has participated in seven financed projects (three as principal investigator), which allowed the development of a master's thesis, and the building of capabilities to develop doctoral programs in biological sciences in Paraguay. She serves as an associated editor for Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology and is a member of the editorial board of other national journals.

Paul Kuman is a researcher and lead consultant at the Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), where he conducts research, and teaches marine geosciences, climate, and environmental sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry at UPNG, and a Master of Environment Advanced majoring in environmental protection at Griffith University, Australia. His PhD research is in Marine Geoscience with the University of Queensland, Australia. He is involved in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and Climate Experiment program initiated by the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences . He investigates marine sedimentary components and their impact on climate reconstruction in the Bismarck Sea. He is developing program and courses about chemical oceanography and paleoclimate studies to be taught at UPNG, providing technical advisory services to various organizations, including the Government of PNG newly established Ocean Office on strategic development plans, and policy formulation in coastal and deep-sea governance and management. He received the Australian Award and EU Scholarship award in 2014 and 2017, respectively.