Sabrina Moriom Elias is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Life Sciences at the Independent University, Bangladesh. Her teaching focuses on genomics, bioinformatics, biostatistics and plant biotechnology. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. She earned a PhD focusing plant genomics and quantitative genetics from the University of Dhaka. Her research interests are focused on functional genomics studies using gene editing and cloning technologies for development of climate-resilient crops. She worked as a postdoctoral fellow in a continuation of the PhD project and was chosen for the Beachell Borlaug International Scholar impact award from Bayer in 2020. She worked as a researcher in National Jute genome project, Plant Biotechnology Laboratory at Australian National University, as a guest faculty in University of Dhaka, and cBLAST—an online bioinformatics course platform. She is a member of the Global Young Academy and current Secretary of the National Young Academy of Bangladesh.

Carla Eloisa Fernández Espinoza is a Bolivian biologist specializing in freshwater ecology, with a focus on plankton dynamics and high-altitude Andean lakes. Since 2018, she has been a researcher at the Unit of Limnology and Aquatic Resources at the Higher University of San Simón (Universidad Mayor de San Simón, UMSS), Bolivia. She earned her PhD in aquatic resources engineering from Lund University, Sweden, in 2018, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). Her doctoral research explored the adaptive strategies of daphnids to ultraviolet radiation. Additionally, she holds a Master in environmental sciences, a Diploma in ecology and environment, and a Bachelor in biology, all from UMSS. Her research explores the relationship between plankton dynamics and water quality in extreme environments. For her scientific contributions, she has been awarded with the 2022 Marie Curie Award from the National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia, the 2022 TOYP Cochabamba-Bolivia Award for Leadership and Academic Achievements, and has been selected to represent Bolivia at the 2022 UNESCO-Al Fozan International Prize for the Promotion of Young Scientists.

Diego Marques is a professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. At the same university, he teaches elementary and advanced courses on number theory for undergraduate and graduate students. He earned a Bachelor in Mathematics and a Master in Mathematics from the Federal University of Ceara, Brazil, and his PhD in mathematics from the University of Brasilia. Then, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, in Canada. With over a decade of experience, Marques has supervised more than ten doctoral theses, focusing mainly on transcendental number theory and its techniques. His research interests include transcendental number theory, the arithmetic behaviour of transcendental functions, Diophantine approximation, Diophantine equations, recurrence sequences, and elementary number theory. In 2010, for his contributions to research, he was bestowed the Young Researcher Award from the Federal District Research Support Foundation, in the Federal District, Brazil. In the same year, he was elected as the youngest affiliated member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, strengthening his position in the academic community.

Koloko Brice Landry is a senior lecturer in molecular biology at the University Institute of Technology, University of Douala, Cameroon, where he earned his BSc and MSc degrees in animal biology. He received his PhD in molecular biology at the Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Pakistan, under the CEMB-TWAS Postgraduate Fellowship (2016–2020). In 2017, he received the Elsevier Foundation–TWAS Sustainability Case Studies Competition Prize. For his achievements as a young promising scientist, TWAS nominated him to attend the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (in physiology and medicine) in 2023, in Germany. In 2024, he was awarded a fellowship offered by the Committee for International Cooperation and Development from the University of Pavia, Italy. He recently received the 2024 TWAS-DFG Cooperative Visits Programme award from TWAS and DFG (German Research Foundation) to pursue a research collaboration in Germany. His research interests cover the molecular and therapeutic aspects of chronic liver diseases, including viral hepatitis, steatosis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, using plant-based natural compounds.

Nathalie Casanova-Morales is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, Adolfo Ibáñez University in Santiago, Chile since 2020. She is specializing in experimental physics with an interdisciplinary approach, playing a pivotal role in establishing the local Interdisciplinary Physics Laboratory, easing and promoting access to physics tools from different areas. She holds a bachelor's degree in applied physics from the University of Santiago, Chile and a degree in engineering physics, both from the same institution. In 2012, she obtained a PhD from the University of Montpellier, France. She has implemented her academic competencies by working in several postdoctoral positions in Chile. Through the application of an interdisciplinary lens to physics, biology, and chemistry, she leverages her experimental expertise to employ physics techniques and innovative processes. This enables her to comprehend crucial parameters in bioprocesses within an interdisciplinary framework. Committed to expanding her expertise, she concentrates on biophysics, microbiology, parasitology, nanotechnology, and biochemistry, all disciplines that are vital for interdisciplinary research.

Chenglai Wu is a professor with the International Centre for Climate and Environment Sciences at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He also serves as a graduate student supervisor at the University of CAS. He earned a Bachelor of Science in atmospheric science from Nanjing University, China, and a PhD in meteorology from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CAS) and the University of CAS. His research focuses on the development and application of earth system models by improving the dust emission, aerosol processes and aerosol-climate interactions, as well as adopting models for climate prediction and future projection to mitigate the impact of climate change and meteorological disasters. He is one of the key developers of the Chinese Academy of Sciences earth system model. In 2022, he was awarded as a young talent in computational geosciences by the Tsinghua University–Inspur Group. He has published more than 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Jiajun Xu is the associate professor and principal investigator of the Public Development Finance Research Programme at Peking University, China. Xu earned a PhD from the University of Oxford, and master's and bachelor’s degrees from Tsinghua University. Her research focuses on public development finance, ageing finance, and global governance. She is the initiator of the first global database on public development financial institutions worldwide, and has published her original research in peer-reviewed journals. In recognition of her intellectual contributions to finance and development, she was invited to join the Executive Committee of the Finance in Common Summit as well as the International Commission of Experts on Financing for Development at the United Nations. She serves at the editorial board of the leading journal World Development. Her academic monograph Beyond US Hegemony in International Development was published by Cambridge University Press in 2017. The book won the 8th Peikang Chang Development Economics Outstanding Achievement Award in 2020, and was listed by the Bretton Woods Project’s selection of the best books on the World Bank and IMF from 2016.

Lobna Said is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Microelectronics System Design Master Program at Nile University in Egypt. At the same university, she teaches electric circuits and electronics courses. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in electronics and electrical communication from Cairo University, Egypt. She earned a PhD in electronics and electrical communication from Cairo University, Egypt. Her research interests are interdisciplinary, including modelling, optimization, linear and nonlinear circuits and systems, and chaos theory. In recognition of her contributions to science and development, Said was a winner of the 2019 State Encouragement Award for Engineering Science. In 2019 and 2020, she was the recipient of Dr. Hazem Ezzat Prize for the Outstanding Researcher. In 2020 and 2021, Her name was in the top 2 percent of scientists according to the Stanford Report. In 2021, she was awarded the IEEE Outstanding Branch Counsellor & Branch Chapter Advisor Award.

Elías Peraza has been the Technological and Educational Prospective Manager of Salvadoran Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, since 2022. He conducts studies in science, technology and innovation (STI), prioritizing those of interest to the education system, including emerging technologies. He graduated in business administration from the University of El Salvador in 2010 and earned a master’s degree in business management for innovation and internationalization from the University of Basque Country, Spain, in 2011. In 2019, Peraza received a PhD in economics with cum laude distinction from Universities of Burgos, Valladolid and Salamanca, Spain. He studied both his master’s and doctorate thanks to scholarships from the European Union. Peraza has published academic and diffusion articles about systems of innovation, STI policies, business innovation behaviour, and economic policy. He has participated in more than 15 international conferences, the most recent: Globelics 2023 (virtual) and "Nobel Prize Dialogue Rio and São Paulo 2024" (in person). As for awards, he received the Central American Rubén Darío Award for Academic Excellence in 2009.

Tesfay Gebremariam Tesfahannes is an associate professor and PhD program coordinator at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences. He is also the community engagement coordinator for the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Arbaminch University, Ethiopia. At the same university, he teaches quantum states of light, advanced quantum optics, quantum information, and more. In 2018, he earned a PhD degree in theoretical physics from Dalian University of Technology in China. His research interests are in quantum optomechanics—the quantum features of optomechanical systems, including quantum entanglement and continuous-variable quantum information processing. In February 2020, he was awarded a letter of recognition from the Winter College on Optics: Quantum Photonics and Information at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy. In 2021, he won a letter of recognition from the Ethiopian Physical Society Annual Conference. In 2022, he received a letter of appreciation from the Ethiopian Physics Society for his participation in the North America Summer School Program.

Noushin Arfatahery is a dynamic researcher and advocate with a Doctor of Biology (PhD) from Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Charité University. She also holds a Master’s in Food Microbiology and a Bachelor’s in Medical Science from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Her research focuses on aquaculture, microbiology, antibiotic resistance, and sustainable seafood production. She conducted advanced research on the symbiotic interactions of oysters and sea cucumbers during a fellowship at Vancouver Island University, Canada, with a focus on sustainable aquaculture. She presented her work at major international conferences, including the IAFP 2024 in the USA. Dr. Arfatahery was a John Maddox Prize nominee (2017–2019) and a 2022 Aquaculture Award finalist for environmental impact. She is a member of Aquaculture Europe and has published extensively on sustainable aquaculture and seafood safety. Her multidisciplinary expertise and advocacy for women in STEM and food sustainability make her a key contributor to advancing global scientific collaboration.

Paula Echeverría-Galindo is a scientific researcher at the Institute of Organic Biogeochemistry in Geo-Systems (OBG), RWTH Aachen University, Germany. She earned a magna cum laude recognition for her PhD degree in natural sciences from TU Braunschweig, Germany. Paula holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, and a master’s degree in Limnology and Marine Sciences from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She has over 10 years of experience as a teacher of biology, geosciences and climate change. Her research interests are in climate change and its impact on aquatic communities. Paula is focusing on modern ecology and paleolimnological reconstructions, using multiple aquatic microorganisms, sedimentology and geochemical approaches to understand how the systems adapt and respond to global warming. Her research work has been carried out in the neotropics and on the Tibetan Plateau. She was awarded with a grant to expand her research in the neotropics examining paleolimnological data from volcanic lakes in Guatemala. She has been involved in activities related to gender equality and scientific outreach.

Mary Amoako (nee Adjepong) is a lecturer and dietician with the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in Kumasi, Ghana. At KNUST, she teaches metabolism in health and diseases, nutrition through the human life cycle, and nutrition in emergencies. She holds a Bachelor of Sciences in biochemistry and biotechnology and a Master of Philosophy in human nutrition and dietetics, both from KNUST. She earned a PhD in human nutrition from Michigan State University, East Lansing (US) and a professional certification as a registered dietician with the Allied Health Professions Council, Ghana. She is interested in global nutrition, dietetics, child and maternal nutrition. She received the Borlaug Higher Education in Agricultural Research Development (2014), and the Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (2016), both from USAID. She is an early-career fellow of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World. In 2023, she received the L'ORÉAL-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Award, for Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities Sustainable Development Goals grant.

María Eugenia Cabrera Catalán is a professor with the School of Physical Sciences and Mathematics and a member of the Institute of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC), in Guatemala City. She earned a bachelor's degree in physics from USAC, and a diploma in High Energy Physics from The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, in Trieste, Italy. She earned a PhD degree in physics from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and with the Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Her research interests are in particle physics. She studies theory and phenomenology of physics beyond the Standard Model, collider phenomenology, theory and phenomenology of dark matter searches. In recognition of her contribution to science, Cabrera Catalán was awarded the 2021 OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards in Physical Sciences for the Latin American and the Caribbean Region. She is a founding member of the Central American Network of High Energy Physics and Scientific Computing.

Mónica Mazariegos is a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) Research Center for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. She obtained a Doctor of Science degree in population nutrition from the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico. She was recently recognized as a Global Health Fellow by the Vanderbilt-Emory-Cornell-Duke Global Health Fellowship Consortium, and as a 2023 Young Scientist Researcher by the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences. With over 12 years of experience in nutritional epidemiology, she specializes in the identification and analysis of health challenges from a life-course perspective, applying complex longitudinal data analysis and multilevel approaches in population health. Her research focuses on the epidemiology of all forms of malnutrition, the design and evaluation of nutrition and health policies, maternal and child health, pregnancy and reproductive health across the life-course, and the social and urban determinants of obesity and diabetes. Mazariegos has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications and continues to contribute to evidence-based solutions for improving the population's health.

Fernando Zorto is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Research Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Faculty of Engineering at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). At UNAH, he teaches heat transfer, design projects, and research methods to engineers. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from UNAH and a Master of Science in project management from the Central American Technological University, also in Honduras. He is a PhD candidate in design, manufacturing, and managing industrial projects with Valencia Polytechnic University, in Spain. His research interests include atmospheric water harvesting, innovative projects, and aerospace systems. Since 2017, he has led the first satellite project in Honduras. He received the Honour of Merit of Engineering of the Pan-American Confederation of Mechanical, Electrical, and Other Fields of Engineering. In 2017, Zorto won the Best Essay about UNAH Scientific Research and Research Management at the XI Conference of Scientific Research UNAH.

Prabhat K. Singh is an associate professor with the Radiation and Photochemistry Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India. He received his PhD from Homi Bhabha National Institute (2011) and pursued his postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania, US. His current research interests include ultrafast spectroscopy, supramolecular chemistry, and the use of self-assembled materials to design optical sensors for bio-sensing and chemo-sensing applications. He was honoured with the Young Scientist Award by the Department of Atomic Energy, India (2013), and by the National Academy of Science, India (2017). He served as a member of the Indian National Young Academy of Science (2017–2021) and the National Academy of Sciences, India (2017). He was a Young Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2017–2020) and, since 2023, is a fellow of Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, India. He is also a member of the German Global Young Academy (2020). He has been selected as a Fellow of the Indian Chemical Society and Associate Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy for the year 2023 and has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Biology(UK).

Mohammed Kadhom is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Alkarkh University of Science in Baghdad, Iraq. He teaches courses on water and air pollution, basics in environmental pollution, and environmental awareness. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Baghdad, and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia, US. Kadhom's research and contributions encompass chemical and environmental engineering, with a focus on water treatment, desalination, adsorption, thin films, and nanomaterials. He served as a guest editor with three journals and participated as a reviewer with others. In 2016, he earned a certificate of merit from the American Chemical Society, securing various grants during his presence at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In 2021, he was awarded the Green Chemistry Summer School grant from the Green Sciences for Sustainable Development Foundation, Venice, Italy, receiving the best poster award. For his research achievements, he was awarded the Top Researcher Golden Medal (2024) from Alain University, Iraq for his scientific production.

Johan David Reyes Chavez is a PhD student at University College Cork in Ireland and a Climate and Innovation Officer at Fundación Ayuda en Acción, Honduras. His research interests are in conservation management, plant biodiversity, biogeographical patters, climate change, and public policy. In recognition of his contributions to the Honduran biodiversity and climate change studies, he was awarded the 2022 Ten Outstanding Young Person award by Junior Chamber International – Honduras in the category of scientific advancements and technology. An Oxford and Cambridge journal author, he has been published in many journals in his field, including Journal of Biogeography, Journal of Tropical Ecology, Plant Ecology, Phytotaxa and Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.

I am Dr. Ghanya Al-Naqeb an Associated Professor of Nutritional Sciences, (Nutrigenomics), a national of Yemen, I have a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences (Nutrigenomics) from University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia 2009. as well as a M.Sc. in Nutritional Biochemistry from Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia in 2005, and Nutrition degree, from the University of Damascus, Syria, in 1998. Currently am a senior scientist in the University of Pavia Italy in the Laboratory of Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine. My research so far is focusing on preclinical investigation on the role of herbal plants, nutrients, functional foods and nutraceuticals in disease prevention (in the area of obesity, oxidative stress, type 2 diabetes, anti-inflammation and cancer) in addition to addressing their toxicology and safety profile. My research experience spans a wide range of methodologies and technologies in green extraction, in vitro and in vivo research, molecular biology research, toxicology, and protein expression. I have gained my scientific experiences from different advanced laboratories in Malaysia.

Ahlam Zaid Alkilani, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at Zarqa University, Jordan. She earned her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Jordan and her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Technology from Queen’s University Belfast, UK. An expert in polymeric and nanoparticle-based transdermal drug delivery systems, she has authored numerous high-impact publications, achieving an H-index of 20 and ~3,000 citations. Her pioneering work has earned prestigious honors, including the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Award (Levant Region) in 2024 and selection to the TWAS Young Affiliates Program (2023–2028). She has also received Best Poster Awards at leading international conferences. Through her leadership, research, and mentorship, Dr. Alkilani is advancing pharmaceutical innovation and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

Suhair Sunoqrot is an Associate Professor of Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine at Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan’s (ZUJ) Faculty of Pharmacy. She holds a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Jordan in 2007, and a PhD in Biopharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2013. Her research focuses on the development of nanoscale solutions to tackle delivery challenges of poorly water-soluble drug candidates, with special interest in the valorization of plant polyphenols both as therapeutic agents and as nanomaterial building blocks. She has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in reputable journals and currently holds the highest number of citations across ZUJ and the highest H-index at the Faculty of Pharmacy. Notably, she was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Daniel Turnberg Fellow at King’s College London. She received the PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC Green Chemistry for Life Award and the TWAS Prize for Young Scientists from Jordan in 2018. She is currently the only Jordanian member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) (2019-) and a TWAS Young Affiliate (2021-).