Gunatilaka (PhD and DIC 1970-74, Imperial College, London) is professor and director of the Natural Products Center, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, U. of Arizona (UA). His was previously: Academic visitor, Imperial College, London; research associate at Stanford, USA; professor and head, Dept. of Chem., U. of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka; visiting professor and Snr. research scientist at Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State U., USA. His awards include: Bikaji Framji Kahn Gold Medal for Academic Excellence, U. of Ceylon; Inst. of Chem. (Ceylon) Gold Medal; Sri Lanka President's Gold Medal for Scientific Achievement, UA Asian American Assoc. Outstanding Faculty Award, and UA Leading Edge Researcher Award for innovative research. He is a fellow of the Natl .Acad. of Sciences, Sri Lanka. He has published +250 peer-reviewed papers and delivered +100 invited lectures in 18 countries.

Hussain (PhD, Stanford, 1969) is President's Dist Chair in Engr and Science, and Snr Adv to the President, Texas Tech Univ (TTU), Mech Engr Dept. He was post-doc at Johns Hopkins, then moved to U. of Houston (UH) in 1971, where he became Prof (76), Dist Univ Prof (85), Cullen Dist Chair (89) before moving to TTU in 2013. His honours include: Eckhart Prize for Outstandg Dissertation, Stanford; Freeman Scholar and Fluids Engr Awards of Amer Soc of Mech Engr (ASME); Fluid Dyn Prize of Amer Phys Soc (APS); Fluid Dyn Award of Amer Inst of Aero and Astro (AIAA); Sigma Xi, Farfel, and other Research Excell Awards of UH; Gold Medal, Bangladesh Soc of Mech Engrs; and Inst of Engrs Bangladesh Medal. He is a Fellow of APS, ASME and AIAA; member of Natl Acad of Engr, Bangladesh Acad of Sci, and Johns Hopkins Soc of Scholars; Hon Prof of Peking Univ and Dean of Houston Methodist Research Institute.

Iaccarino obtained his MD at the Univ. of Naples (1962) and H. C. in Biology (1999) at the Univ. of Viterbo. Post Doc at Stanford Univ., visiting Prof. at Sussex Univ. Director of the International Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Naples (1985-1993) and Director of the Institute of Molecular Genetics, Alghero (1994). Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences at UNESCO (1996-2000), where he organised several intergovernmental conferences, including the World Conference on Science (Hungary, 1999). Member of the Italian Evaluation committees for Research in Biology, Medicine and Biotechnology and of the evaluation boards of several international organisations (European Commission, EMBO, Human Frontier Science Program, and the British Council). Member of the EMBO Council and of the Council of ICSU, the International Council for Science.

Kumar, Anil (PhD, IIT, Kanpur, 1969) is NASI-Senior Scientist Platinum Jubilee fellow, Indian Inst. of Science (IISc), Bangalore. He was postdoc, Georgia Tech., 19anilnmr@physics.iisc.ernet.in69-70; UNC at Chapel Hill, 1970-72; and ETH, Zurich, 1973-76, with R. Ernst (Nobel Pr., Chem. 1991). He joined the faculty at IISc in 1977, and served as chair., Dept. of Physics and convener, NMR Facility. He did sabbaticals at ETH Zurich, 1979-80, with K. Wüthrich (Nobel Pr., Chem., 2002), and UNC Chapel Hill, 1989-90. He is a fellow, Indian Acad. of Sciences, 1987; Natl. Acad. of Sciences, India (NASI), 1989; Indian Natl. Science Acad., 1991 and Intl. Soc. for Magnetic Resonance, 2009. He is the recipient of Sir CV Raman Award, UGC; Platinum Jubilee Lecture Award, Indian Science Congress; MSIL Chair, IISc; INSA Lecture Award; FICCI Award; Alumni Award, IISc; Goyal Prize; DAE-Raja Ramanna Prize Lecture, JNCASR; and JC Ghosh Award.

Parodi is Superior Investigator of the National Research Council (Argentina) and was president of the Fundacion Instituto Leloir (2005-2012). After his PhD work at the University of Buenos Aires and postdoctoral training at the Institut Pasteur in Paris and Duke University he returned to Argentina. Since then, he has been professor of Biochemistry at the University of Buenos Aires and Career Investigator of the National Research Council. He was a Howard Hughes International Research Scholar (1997-2011) and is a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). His membership includes: American Academy of Microbiology; Brazilian Academy of Sciences; Latin American Academy of Sciences; National Academy of Sciences (Argentina); and the National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (Argentina).

After retirement from WHO on 1st July 2014, Touré is researcher in medical entomology and professor of cell biology and genetics at the Faculty of Medicine and Odonto-stomatology (FMOS) of Bamako, Mali. He was the disease vector research Manager for WHO/TDR from June 2001-June 2014. Before joining TDR, he was a researcher in medical entomology and professor of cell biology and genetics at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy (FMPOS), Bamako, Mali; director general of the National Research Council (CNRST) of Mali; and head of the Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), FMPOS. He holds a PhD (1985) in life sciences (vector population ecological genetics) from Université de Droit, d'Economie et des Sciences d'Aix-Marseille III, France. His honours include: Etoile d'argent du Mérite National du Mali avec effigie Abeille. He was a member of several WHO and WHO/TDR steering committees and technical advisory committees of research institutes in Mali and West Africa.

Agarwal is professor at the Texas A&M U.. He was educated at Banaras Hindu U., India, and the U. of Rochester where he obtained his PhD in 1969. He retired from Oklahoma State U where he held the regents professorship and Noble Foundation chair. His previous positions include dist. scientist and director of the Physical Res. Lab. in Ahmedabad; Indian Natl. Science Acad. Albert Einstein research professor; and professor (1977-95), School of Physics, U. of Hyderabad. His awards include Bhatnagar Award; Max Born Award of the Optical Soc. of America; GD Birla award; RD Birla award; Humboldt Research award, Eminent Faculty award of Oklahoma State U and TWAS Physics Prize. His fellowships include: The Royal Society, UK; 3 science academies of India; American Physical Soc.; Optical Soc. of America. He is also the recipient of honorary doctorates. He is the author of nearly 700 research publications, edited books and monographs. His recent text book "quantum optics" was published by the Cambridge University Press. He is an authority in quantum optics as well in nano photonics and plasmonics.

Ahmad (PhD, OSU) is Principal Investigator of Biosaline Research Projects since retiring as Professor of Botany and Dean, Faculty of Sciences, U. of Karachi. He has been awarded certificates of appreciation for research from the USDA in 1987; US AID, 1990; BOSTID-Natl. Acad. of Sciences, USA, 1994, CSIRO Australia, 1996 and Univ. of Karachi. He was president of the Pakistan Botanical Society from 1968-1970; Regional Director of Halophyte Biotechnology Center, U. of Delaware, 1995; and member of the Expert Committee for Establishment of the Intl. Center of Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in Dubai, UAE, up to 1990. He is currently a member of the Pakistan Acad. of Sciences and was elected as Secretary and Vice-President of PAS, Sind Chapter (2000-2004). He has been presented a shield for achievements and contribution in the field of Botany by faculty members of the U. of Karachi, 2014. He was most recently awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 6th International and 15th National Botanical Conference at Sardar Bahadur Khan University of Quetta (2017). His research work is concerned mostly with afforestation and agriculture at sandy deserts using saline water in irrigation.

Chan is professor emeritus, McGill Univ., Canada, and visiting disting. chair prof., Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ., China. His previous positions include: Professor, chair, dean and vice principal, McGill Univ., and visiting prof., Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg. He has gained international respect for his contributions to the use of organosilicon reagents, organoindium reagents in aqueous media and ionic liquids, in the synthesis of a variety of organic compounds, including allene oxides, bridgehead alkenes, sclerin, tetra-hydrocannabinol, functionalised decalins, sex pheromones, muscarine, N-acetylneuraminic acid and epigallocatechin gallate. His honours include: Hon. res. prof., Inst. of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, China; Merck, Sharpe and Dohme Award, Chemical Inst. of Canada; Senior Killam Fellow, Canada Council; and R. Lemieux Award, Canadian Society of Chemistry. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Chuchani is most known for his important research in homogeneous, unimolecular gas phase pyrolysis or elimination of organic molecules and, in particular, about their mechanisms. Through this work, he has provided highly reliable data and a number of challenging problems to quantum chemistry, reaction kinetics, and organic reactivity. Conceptually, his research has broadened the area of mechanistic organic chemistry to the gas phase, where it can be connected to gas phase ion chemistry. He is emeritus professor in Chemistry, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC) in Caracas, Venezuela. He has received several international and national awards, including Venezuela's Premio Nacional de Ciencia, and is a member of many scientific academies and societies.

de la Cruz is A-1 researcher, Centro Atómico Bariloche-CNEA (retired since 2007), and hon. prof. of physics, Instituto Balseiro. After his PhD (1968) at the Instituto Balseiro (Universidad de Cuyo), he did postdoctoral work at Brown Univ. He returned to Bariloche, Argentina, in 1971, where he has been professor and researcher at the Centro Atómico and Instituto Balseiro for 36 years. His awards include: Teófilo Isnardi, Academia de Ciencias; Chevalier des Palmes Academic, France; Ricardo Gans, Universidad de la Plata; Premio Konex Platino, Fundacion Konex; and Premio Fundación Bunge Born a la Ciencia, 2004. He is fellow of APS and IOP; member, Academia Nacional de Ciencias and Academia de Ciencias Físicas y Naturales, Argentina; and foreign member, US National Academy of Sciences. Premio Houssay en Física 2010 He has been advisor of 23 PhD students and over 30 master students in physics.

Kim is professor of Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. He has held a variety of academic and research positions including: Fulbright Fellow (1962); Guggenheim fellow (1985-86); and visiting professorships at Beijing University (1982), University of Paris (1986), and Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2011- ), and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (2016- ). He has also received many awards including: Earnest O. Lawrence Award, USA (1987); Princess Takamatsu Cancer Foundation Award, Japan (1989); Ho-Am Prize in Science, Samsung foundation, Korea (1994); Korean Academy of Science and Technology Prize (2000); and Legacy Laureate Award, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (2005). He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences; fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Korean National Academy of Sciences; and fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology.

Lehn, at the University of Strasbourg, France, is Professor at the Institute of Advanced Study, Chair of Chemistry of Complex Systems, and Hemeritus Professor. He is also Honorary Professor at the Collège de France, Paris, where he has been since 1979. From 1970 to 1979, he was Professor of Chemistry at the Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg. In 1987, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, together with Donald Cram and Charles J. Pedersen, for his studies on the chemical basis of molecular recognition, which also plays a fundamental role in biological processes. His work led to the definition of a new field of chemistry, which he defined as 'supramolecular' chemistry and deals with the complex entities formed by the association of two or more chemical species held together by non-covalent inter-molecular forces. He is author of more than 990 scientific publications and is a member of many academies, institutions and several industrial bodies. He received numerous international honours and awards.

Malik was educated at Government College, Lahore, Pakistan, and the U. of Aston, Birmingham, UK (PhD, 1970). He is currently Dist. Natl. Prof. (Biotechnology) and Dean Postgraduate Studies, Forman Christian College U., Lahore. He was Member, Pakistan Planning Comm., and Secretary, Natl. Comm. on Biotech.. Previously he worked as snr. scientific officer, Nuclear Inst. for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad; Principal Scientific Officer, NIAB; Chief Scientific Officer, Natl. Inst. of Biotech. and Genetic Eng. (NIGBE); Chief Scientist and DG NIBGE and NIAB; Chairman, Pakistan Agriculture Res. Council; and Mmember (biosciences), PAEC. His awards include: Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, 1988; Sitara-e-Imtiaz, 1998; Hilal-e-Imtiaz, 2004; Gold Medal, Pakistan Acad. of Sci., 1996; and ISESCO Prize in Biology, 1997. He is a fellow of the Pakistan Acad. of Sciences.

Prof. Mehmet Öztürk completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University (Turkey) and his PhD at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Paris XI University (France). He become Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School (USA), Research Director at INSERM (France) and Professor at Bilkent University (Turkey). His seminal research work is on genetic causes of human cancer, including inherited and carcinogen-induced genetic mutations causing childhood cancers and liver cancer, respectively. His high impact research, including over 100 articles, referenced more than 9100 times (H-factor: 44), and nearly 10 patents, have made him a world known scientist. Prof. Öztürk was presented with the ‘Cecile Cerveux Cancer Award’ in France. He also received ‘Golden Mortar Award’ and ‘TÜBİTAK-TWAS Science Award’ in Turkey. The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics that he created at Bilkent University received ‘Vehbi Koç Award’. Prof. Öztürk is an elected member to several science academies including EMBO, TWAS and Turkish Academy of Sciences.

Panza former Professor of seismology (University of Trieste) and the Head of Structure and Non-Linear Dynamics of the Earth (SAND) group (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy. His scientific activity deals with integrated analysis of the structure and dynamics of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system; the integrated approach to modelling of seismic waves; and the earthquake-prone lineaments and premonitory seismicity patterns. He received Gutenberg Medal in 2000, doctorate h.c. in physics from University of Bucharest, Romania, in 2002; medal of honour by the Earth Sciences Committee of the Central European Initiative, in 2004; commemorative medal from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology in 2009; honour of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2015, International AGU award 2018 among others. Panza is an honorary professor at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and at the Institute of Geophysics of the China Earthquake Administration; and elected member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and of the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL, both in Italy, and of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Zakri is presently the Chairman of Atri Advisory, a consultancy company advising governments, regional bodies and international organisations on science and technology for sustainable development, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Other current positions include being pro-chancellor, Multimedia University (MMU);pro-chancellor, Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI); Vice-Chair, Governing Council of the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries (Turkey); member of the Scientific Advisory Board to the President of the Islamic Development Bank (Jeddah) (IsDB), and member, Governing Board, Science and Technology for Society Forum (Kyoto). He was also recently appointed the Ambassador and Science Adviser to the Campaign for Nature led by Wyss Foundation and National Geographic Society. Previously, he was the science advisor to the Prime Minister for Malaysia (2010-2018). Recipient of numerous awards include recently; Zayed International Prize for the Environment (2014); the Academy of Science of South Africa Distinguish Visiting Scholar Award (2015); Merdeka Award for the environment category (2015); Midori Price for Biodiversity Award (2018).

Chakravorty was educated in Kolkata at Mitra Inst., Scottish Church College, U. College of Sc. (PhD 1961), and at MIT and Harvard. He is emeritus prof. of IACS, Dept. of Inorganic Chem., Indian Ass. for the Cultivation of Sc., Kolkata, where he also served as prof. and head. He was also prof. and head, Dept. of Chem., Indian Inst. of Tech., Kanpur. His awards and honours include: SS Bhatnagar Prize; TWAS Award in Chem.; DSc (h.c.); TR Seshadri, Acharya JC Ghosh, RC Mehrotra, CRSI Gold and ICS Gold Medals; INSA Golden Jubilee Research Professorship; JNCASR Hidustan Lever Research Professorship, Tata Chemicals Platinum Jubilee Distinguished Emeritus Professorship; fellowships of Indian Acad. of Scs. and INSA. He has been on the editorial boards of major journals and publications including Inorg. Chem., Dalton Trans., Inorg. Chim. Acta and Comprehensive Coord Chem (2nd edition).

Das studied at the University of Queensland, Australia, where he obtained his BSc (Hons.) in Chemistry in 1965, Dip Ed in 1966 and PhD in 1969. He was previously: Foundation Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Malaya (UM) (1980-98); Head, Chemistry Department, UM (1987-90); Dean, Faculty of Science, UM (1990-98); Senior Professor & Director of Advanced Materials Characterization Allied Laboratories, UM (1998-99); Founding Vice-chancellor, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science & Technology University (2001-2007) and Founding Vice-chancellor, QUEST International University Perak ( 2007-2013). His awards include the National Science Award, 1988-89; the Gold Medal Award, Institute of Chemistry, Malaysia, 1993 and the Malaysian Scholarly Publications Council-Ministry of Education Award for his 2014 book "Tin in Applications: Meeting the green challenge". Now in a retired capacity, he volunteers his services as Emeritus Professor (UM), Senior Fellow or Academician (Academy of Sciences Malaysia), and Vice-President of the Malaysian Research & Development Organization (an NGO). In 2005, he was honored with the civil award of 'Dato Setia Di-Raja Kedah' from the State of Kedah.