Jia is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a professor, and an endocrinologist. She works in the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, as director of the Shanghai Diabetes Institute and of the Proactive Healthcare Institute, at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She focuses on the prediction, prognosis, and care of diabetes and related metabolic disorders. She has revealed the prevalence of diabetes and its complications in China, identified diabetes-susceptible genes in Chinese, established reference values of CGM, discovered the associations of FGF21 with NAFLD in humans, innovated AI screening systems on diabetic retinopathy, and developed a diabetes integrated care model with digital medicine. She has published over 300 original articles in journals, including BMJ, Nat Med, Nat Metab, Cell Metab, Sci Transl Med, Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol, Diabetes Care and Diabetes. She has received the Xiaoren Pan Distinguished Research Award for Epidemiology of Diabetes in Asia, the Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Science and Technology, and the National Science and Technology Progress Award.

Khan, a leading figure in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, boasts a remarkable career marked by prestigious accolades and ground breaking research. He holds a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Karachi. He has received many awards, including Gold Medals from the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and recognition from Elsevier Publishers. His contributions to science have been acknowledged nationally with civil awards and Research Productivity Awards from the Pakistan Council for Science & Technology. Khan's establishment of a cutting-edge laboratory at the University of Karachi's International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences reflects his dedication to advancing research. Noteworthy achievements include pioneering work on enzyme inhibitors against diabetes, peptic ulcers, and leishmaniasis. He has advanced microwave-assisted synthetic chemistry in Pakistan, simplifying complex reactions. Khan's mentorship of young scholars and publication record demonstrates his commitment to fostering scientific excellence. With over 900 research papers published in reputable journals, his impact on medicinal chemistry is profound and far-reaching.

Kubota got his PhD in chemistry from the University of Campinas (Unicamp), Brazil, in 1993. He was a lecturer at São Paulo State University and moved to the Unicamp in 1994 as an assistant professor, becoming a full professor in 2009. He was the coordinator of the Central Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry at Unicamp (2002–2008), the research coordinator (2008-2014), and the director (2014–2018) of the Institute of Chemistry at Unicamp. Since 2008, he has coordinated the National Institute on Science and Technology in Bioanalytics. He became a member of the São Paulo State Academy of Science in 2007, the Brazilian Academy of Science in 2010, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2014. He received several awards and honours, including the São Paulo State Governor Invention of the Year in 2000, the Zeferino Vaz Academic Recognition Award in 2004 and 2023, the National Order of Scientific Merit from the Brazilian Presidency Commander Class in 2011, and the Grã-Cruz level in 2018, and the Rheinboldt-Hauptmann Prize in 2023. He is a member of the editorial board of several journals like Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, ChemElectroChem, and others.

Lopes-Cendes is a physician who earned her medical degree at UNICAMP, Brazil. She completed her specialty training in pediatrics before obtaining her Master of Science and PhD in neuroscience at McGill University, Canada. Her research focuses on neurogenetics, specifically epilepsies, with a keen interest in the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease. Using advanced multi-omics techniques, her team is renowned for its expertise in next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics analysis of complex genomic data, non-coding RNAs, and single-cell methodologies. For her scientific achievements, Lopes-Cendes has received numerous awards and distinctions including membership in the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and TWAS. She founded the Brazilian Initiative on Precision Medicine (www.bipmed.org), launching Latin America's first public genomic database, and contributing to the development of LatinGen (www.latingen.org), a platform for sharing genetic and genomic information in the region. These projects have laid the groundwork for adopting genomic testing in Brazil. Beyond her research, she is an attending physician at UNICAMP University Hospital.

Mosyakin is the director of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine), as well as the head of the Vascular Plants Department. Since September 2011, he hes been the president of the Ukrainian Botanical Society; head of the plants subcommittee of the National Commission on the Red Data Book of Ukraine; editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian Botanical Journal; member of the editorial boards of Botanica (Lithuania), Biodiversity Research and Conservation (Poland), and other botanical periodicals. He is a corresponding member of the NAS of Ukraine (2012), holds a Doctor of Sciences degree in biological sciences (2003) from M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, and has been a professor of botany since 2006. He was awarded by NAS Ukraine “For Professional Achievements” (2011) and “For Scientific Achievements” (2021). The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine bestowed him for his educational achievements with the Petro Mohyla (2008) and Sofia Rusova (2005) awards. His main research interests include plant taxonomy, biogeography and ecology, botanical nomenclature, biodiversity conservation, and science education.

Nadeem is a tenured professor in the Mathematics Department at Quaid-i-Azam University. He is an outstanding researcher and teacher, skilled in administrative duties. His research areas include peristaltic motion, blood flow through stenosis arteries, computational techniques, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, stretching and shrinking phenomena, stagnation flows, and analytical techniques to solve highly nonlinear differential equations. The main area of Nadeem's work is applied mathematics. He has considered highly nonlinear physical problems of applied nature obtaining their exact, analytical, and numerical solutions. He is an expert in analytical and numerical techniques. Nadeem has published more than 750 research papers in international journals of high impact factor. His impact factor is greater than 2,000 and his citations are over 30,000. He has received many awards including Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, Salam Prize, Best Young Researcher, Best Teacher, PAS Gold Medal, Raziuddin Gold Medal, PCST Awards, TWAS Young Affiliate, Fellow Pakistan Academy of Sciences, and Obada Prize, and has supervised 35 PhD and 140 Master of Philosophy Graduates.

Nagendra is the director of the School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Azim Premji University, in Bangalore, India. Her research covers forest conservation and urban sustainability. Her interdisciplinary work on forests combines remote sensing, biodiversity and institutional analysis, to elucidate the pattern-process link in human-dominated tropics. Her urban research spotlights city commons and ecosystems, to determine the resilience and wellbeing of the poor in the global South. Her awards include an honorary doctorate from Utrecht University in 2025, the 2009 US National Academy of Sciences Cozzarelli Prize, 2013 Elinor Ostrom Senior Scholar award, and 2017 Clarivate Web of Science award. She is a well-known public speaker and writer, whose books include Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future; Cities and Canopies: Trees of Indian Cities; Shades of Blue: Connecting the Drops in India’s Cities, and Bangalore Detectives Club series. She was a lead author of IPCC AR5, and is on the scientific committee of the Future Earth Program for Ecosystem Change and Society, and the Advisory Board of WRI Ross Cities, Future Earth Urban KAN, and EIT Climate KIC.

Okereke is a professor of global climate governance and public policy at the School of Policy Studies, University of Bristol, UK. He is a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and a senior academic visitor at the University of Oxford. He was previously the director of the Center for Climate Change in Alex Ekuweme Federal University, Nigeria, co-director of the Center for Climate and Justice, and co-director of the Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship Programme, both at the University of Reading. He also served as the director of the Center for Climate Change and Development at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, at the University of Oxford. A globally recognized leading scholar on global climate governance and international development, Okereke was the coordinating lead author of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, Working Group 3.

Okoh holds a PhD in microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, with over 30 years of experience in the university system. He was the head of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, South Africa for seven years, leader of the Water Research Niche Area, deputy dean, and acting dean, as well as director of a research centre of excellence of the South African Medical Research Council, University of Fort Hare, South Africa. His research interests regard applied and environmental microbiology. He has published over 500 journal articles and graduated 59 PhD and 70 Master’s students. He is a recipient of the Gold Scientific Achievement Award of the South African Medical Research Council, amongst others. He also served as the president of the South Africa Society for Microbiology (2011–2013) and is a member of the board of trustees of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria and a Fellow of seven national and international societies and academies. In the recent World Scientist and University ranking 2025, in the discipline microbiology, Okoh was ranked #1 in the University of Fort Hare, #2 in South Africa and Africa, and #125 globally.

Ouknine is a full professor of mathematics at Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco. His work focuses on probability theory and stochastic calculus. He has published more than 167 scientific articles in reputed international peer-reviewed journals such as Annals of Probability, Annals of Applied Probability, Stochastic Processes and their Applications, Electronic Journal of Probability, Electronic Communications in Probability, and Journal of Theoretical Probability. He has been a referee and co-editor of several scientific journals ranking high at the international level. He is also one of the initiators of international meetings in stochastic analysis and probability theory as well as several training schools in stochastic process theory in Morocco. He has been a resident member of the Hassan II Academy of Science and Technology, in Morocco, since 2006.

Pant earned his PhD from Jeonbuk National University, South Korea, in 2011. He is a pioneering chemist of Nepal and made a significant contribution towards fabricating advanced polymer and ceramic nanomaterials that have potential applications in the biomedical field and environmental remediation. His research on nanotechnology for the fabrication of hierarchical nanomembrane and nanoparticles using top-down and bottom-up approaches has greatly enhanced global knowledge in the field of advanced nanomaterials. He has been teaching and doing research for three decades, becoming a leader in the materials science and engineering discipline. Pant has published 88 SCI/SCIE-ranked journal articles and has 5,400 citations with h-index=43. He has more than 100 conference proceedings and non-ranked journal publications and is the author of 14 books and book chapters in chemistry and materials science. He is the editor of four SCI/SCIE journals and the reviewer of about 60 ranked journals. Currently, Pant is working as vice-chancellor of Far Western University, Nepal.

Parisi is a theoretical physicist born in 1948, and a former student of the Italian physicist Nicola Cabibbo. From 2018–2021 he was president of the Accademia dei Lincei, and now is a member of various academies including the American Philosophical Society. In 2021 he received the Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems from atomic to planetary scales." He carried out his research activities at the Frascati National Laboratories, first as a fellow of the CNR (1971–1973) and later as an INFN researcher (1973–1981). During this time he spent long periods abroad at Columbia University, IHES, ENS. In February 1981, he was appointed full professor of theoretical physics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, a position that he held until 1992. Since 1992, he has been an emeritus professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza. His contributions cover many areas of theoretical physics, including particle physics, statistical mechanics, fluid dynamics, condensed matter physics, and scientific computer constructions. He has also published some papers on neural networks, the immune system, and starling flight.

Rios-Neto is a visiting professor in the applied economics graduate programme at the Federal University of Ouro Preto. From April 2021 to December 2022, he served as the president of the Brazilian National Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), and from May 2019 to March 2021 he was the director of surveys at IBGE. A member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, he was a distinguished Lemann Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2015–2016). In 2015, he retired as a full professor of demography at CEDEPLAR-UFMG, where he served from 1980. In 2010, he received the Brazilian Federal Government Medal of Scientific Merit, and in 2006 he was appointed as Tinker Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. From 2004–2011 he was president of the National Committee on Population and Development, and from 1999–2002 he was president of the Brazilian Population Association. From 1996–2000, he served as graduate training director in demography at CEDEPLAR. In 1996, he carried out postdoctoral research in demography at the University of Texas, Austin. He earned his PhD in demography from the University of California at Berkeley.

Salit is a professor (Grade A) of composite materials at the Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). He earned a BEng in mechanical engineering at University of Newcastle, Australia, a Master of Science in engineering design at Loughborough University (UK), and a PhD in material engineering at De Montfort University (UK). He is a professional engineer, and Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers International, Academy of Sciences Malaysia, The World Academy of Sciences, International Academy of Bionic Science, International Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance, International Society for Development and Sustainability, Plastic & Rubber Institute Malaysia, Malaysian Scientific Association, and Institute of Material Malaysia. He is an honorary member of the Asian Polymer Association and founding chairman and honorary member of the Society of Sugar Palm Development & Industry, Malaysia. He was the recipient of a TWAS Award in engineering sciences, and of the William Johnson International Gold Medal.

Sekaran, Research Associate at UCSI Hospital, is a Fellow of the Academy of Science Malaysia (since 2017) and of the Royal Society of Pathologists, London (since 2019). Her main expertise is in infectious diseases, with more than 270 published papers, over 6,000 WoS citations, and a h-index of 42. To date, 24 Masters and 23 PhDs have graduated under her supervision. The main areas of investigation are on Dengue and other infectious organisms. She has received multiple awards for kits developed, owns more than 20 patents, and was awarded Woman Bioinnovator of the year (2008) and 'Anugerah Innovasi Negara 2009 for Molecular Diagnostics of Dengue Infections'. She investigates the effects of diabetes and obesity on severe dengue, setting up serological assays to differentiate flaviviruses and vaccine development. Recently, she ventured into stem cells for regenerative medicine. She directed the WHO collaborating centre (2003–2007), a member of the faculty committee for postgraduate degrees, counsellor and coordinator for various degree programmes. Sekaran was also the head of the virology diagnostic laboratory at the University Malaya Medical Centre (2001–2007).

Professor Kadambot Siddique obtained his PhD in 1985 from The University of Western Australia. Currently Hackett Professor of Agriculture Chair, and Director, The UWA Australia Institute of Agriculture. He is Fellows of The World Academy of Sciences, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, African Academy of Sciences, Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Agriculture Institute of Australia and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He was designated by United Nations FAO as special ambassador for the International Year of Pulses 2016. Highly Cited Researcher in 2019-2023 in Agricultural Sciences and double Hi Ci in 2021-2023 in Agricultural Sciences and Plant & Animal Science (Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics). Professor Siddique is the recipient of national and international awards. In 2025 was bestowed Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by Kerala Agricultural University, India and 2024 Crawford Fund Medal in recognition of considerable and continued contribution to international agricultural research through the Crawford Fund’s programs and related activities. Awarded Western Australian Scientist of the Year 2023.

Singhal earned her PhD in 1990 from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India, where she is now a professor. She received fellowships from the Indian National Science Academy, Indian National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences India, International Bioprocessing Association, and Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India). She was a member of scientific panels and working groups, FSSAI, Government of India, and a member of the subject expert committee of national bodies of the Government of India, including BIRAC, DST, UGC, DBT, and TDB. She is a project evaluator for the European Science Foundation, was an associate editor with Carbohydrate Polymers, and is an associate editor with Sustainable Food Technology. She was a chairperson, Research Council, CSIR-CFTRI, and is a former member of the Research Council, CSIR-NIIST. She is a subject expert with the National Board of Accreditation and works in interdisciplinary areas encompassing chemical sciences, in particular, food chemistry, biological sciences, and engineering sciences, where she works with separation techniques, using supercritical carbon dioxide and chromatography.

Souza Filho was born in 1975, in Jucás, Brazil, and received his doctorate in physics from the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2001. In 2000, he joined the group of Prof. Mildred Dresselhaus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a PhD visiting student, where he worked on single carbon nanotube resonance Raman spectroscopy. He has authored and co-authored about 270 papers in refereed international journals including review articles, book chapters, and books. He is currently a full professor of physics at the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil. He was one of the recipients of the 2009 Sômiya Prize awarded by the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) and elected fellow of the Brazilian Academy of Science in 2018. His main research interests are the electronic and optical properties of nanomaterials with emphasis on carbon nanostructures.

Strumia is an emeritus professor of chemistry, Faculty of National University of Córdoba, and superior investigator of CONICET, ARGENTINA. Strumia has directed fifteen doctoral and four master's theses and has more than 165 scientific international publications in the field of polymer and dendritic chemistry. Her main research interest are the synthesis and chemical modification to obtain new functional materials or hybrid nanomaterials with specific application properties. She was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2019. During her scientific career she has received important awards such as: INNOVAR 2007 (Mention in the Applied Chemistry area), INNOVAR 2010 (Mention in the Technology Linkage and Transfer category) of the National Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the National Ministry of Economy and Production; Award for Scientific Career on the Day of Women and Girls in Science awarded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Province of Córdoba (2022); Konex 2023 Award in Science and Technology: Diploma of Merit (September 2023) and Konex Platinum Award (October 2023) in the area of Organic Chemistry.

Tang obtained his Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Peking University in 1984, and his PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Leeds, in 1989. From 2015 to 2019, he was the vice-president and provost at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). From 2019 to 2024, he served as the president of Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC). Professor Tang was widely known for his expertise in the fields of computational mathematics and computational fluid dynamics. In recent years, his research has been focusing on adaptive grid methods, high-order methods for PDEs, and numerical methods for phase-field equations. Tang is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, and a TWAS Fellow. He is also a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. In 2018, he was asked to deliver an invited lecture at the International Congress of Mathematicians.

Tayalati, a high-energy physicist, earned his PhD from the University Mohammed First in Morocco. He contributed significantly to the ANTARES collaboration, focusing on neutrino telescope deployment and the search for exotic particles. For over two decades, Tayalati focused on the ATLAS collaboration, he played a key role in the construction of the Liquid Argon Presampler and contributed to ground-breaking research on light-by-light scattering. By building collaborations with the KM3NeT neutrino telescope and the ATLAS High Granularity Timing Detector, Tayalati showcased Morocco's role in cutting-edge particle physics. Recognized as an honorary fellow of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, he received the Fulbright fellowship (2011), the Kuwait AFESD fellowship (2021), and the TWAS-AREP award (2022). In 2021, he was honoured with the prestigious Mustafa Prize for his significant contribution to physics research and scientific development. With his leadership and expertise, Tayalati continues to shape the landscape of particle physics research, driving towards a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of the Universe.

Taylor earned his PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA in 1999. He is a professor of climate science and dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the Mona Campus of The University of the West Indies (UWI). He is a fellow of the Caribbean Academy of Science, and the co-director of the Climate Studies Group, Mona (CSGM), which is a center of regional thought and expertise in climate change science for small islands and the wider Caribbean. He has served on several national and regional (Caribbean) committees and advisory boards related to climate change science and its impacts on the Caribbean. Most recently, he was appointed to the climate change advisory board of the Government of Jamaica. He is a coordinating lead author for chapter 3 of the special report on 1.5 degrees of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He has received the Silver Musgrave Medal for Science from the Institute of Jamaica and is the 2019 ANSA Caribbean Laureate for Excellence in Science.

Toledo, a Bolivian biologist who earned a PhD in 2010 from Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands, is a professor, researcher, and laboratory coordinator in the Biology Department at Gabriel René Moreno University in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. She held the position of botanist in the BOLFOR project, research coordinator in the Bolivian Institute of Forest Research, and executive director at Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History. Toledo studied the vegetation diversity and structure, and the plants used by indigenous peoples in the Bolivian lowlands. From her participation in several projects, she obtained many publications, including book chapters, books, and scientific papers. She also presented results at (inter)national congresses and has made contributions to human resource development by supervising graduate students and training local people. She was chief editor of the Journal of the Bolivian Botany Society and the Kempffiana Journal. Currently, Marisol Toledo is a member of the Academy of Sciences of Bolivia; National Advisory Committee of the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund; and in international research networks ( RAINFOR, 2ndForests).

Toledo Filho is a full professor of materials and structures at Coppe-Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (PEC/COPPE/UFRJ), Brazil. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, of the National Academy of Engineering, Researcher 1A with the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and a senior scientist of the Carlos Chagas Foundation (FAPERJ), Rio de Janeiro State. He is the CEO of the Science Park of UFRJ, head of the Sustainability Center for Research and Education on Environmental Friendly Materials and Technologies (NUMATS) of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, member of the INBAR construction task force and vice-president of the Brazilian Society for Non-Conventional Materials (ABMTENC). He has conducted extensive research on sustainable materials for construction, decarbonisation of the construction industry, vegetable fibre-reinforced cement composites, bamboo materials characterization, and structural use, cement replacement by bioashes and the use of waste materials in the construction industry.

Tyagi joined the Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1986 through the BARC Training School. He obtained his PhD in 1992, then did postdoctoral research at Max Planck Institute, Stuttgart, Germany (1995–96). Presently, he is Dean and Senior professor at HBNI, Mumbai; and Adjunct Professor at ICT, Mumbai. His research interests are in nanomaterials, and also functional, metastable, and hybrid materials. He has published about 700 papers in international journals and 19 books and supervised 45 students for their PhD. He has received many prestigious awards including the DAE-Homi Bhabha Science and Technology Award, MRSI Medal; MRSI-ICSC Materials Science Senior Award; MRSI-CNR Rao Prize in Advanced Materials; CRSI Bronze Medal; CRSI-CNR Rao National Prize in Chemical Sciences; CRSI-Silver Medal; Rajib Goyal Prize in Chemical Sciences; Metallurgist of the Year award from Ministry of Steel, GoI; National Prize in Solid State and Materials Chemistry; ISCA Acharya PC Ray Memorial Award and NETZSCH – ITAS Award by Indian Thermal Analysis Society, Lifetime Achievement Awards (02) and Vigyan Shri award from Government of India.

Wonkam is a professor of genetic medicine, and director of the McKusick-Nathans Institute and Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, US. He is also director of GeneMAP (Genetic Medicine of African Populations), and immediate past-deputy dean of research at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. After an MD training with the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon, he has completed a doctorate in medical sciences (cell biology) at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and a PhD in human genetics at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Wonkam also trained as a medical geneticist in genetic medicine at the University of Geneva. His scientific results are reflected in more than 230 peer-reviewed publications. His research focuses on genetic and genomic variations in the African population with a focus on 1) Genomics modifiers of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD); 2) Genetics of hearing Impairment, and 3) Ethical, Equity, and Educational Issues in Genetic Medicine Research. Wonkam is president of the African Society of Human Genetics.

Prof. Dr. Xiyun Yan (CAS Engineering Laboratory for Nanozyme, Institute of Biophysics Chinese Academy of Sciences) is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, focusing on precision cancer treatment. She introduced the concept of "Nanozyme" and used nano-materials as enzyme mimics to create new methods for tumor diagnosis and nanozyme-strip for rapid local detection of infectious diseases. She has also established the standard for determining nanozyme catalytic activity, founded Nanozyme Academic Subgroup of Biophysical Society of China and developed world's first nanozyme product. Dr. Yan's original research on nanozyme has paved the way for the emergence of the interdisciplinary field of nanozymes, bridging the disciplines of enzymology, chemistry, materials science, biology, and medicine. Now, more than 1,000 nanozymes have been reported by 490 laboratories across 40 countries. The significance of nanozymes has been acknowledged by Clarivate, which designated it as a "key hot frontier" in 2022. Additionally, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recognized Nanozyme as one of the top ten new technologies in 2022.

Agrawal is dean of the Center for BioSciences and Health Research, Trivedi School of Biosciences, Ashoka University (India), and a former director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, a national laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. After completing his medical education at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, he further trained in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (US), earning a PhD in physiology from Delhi University. His primary research is in respiratory biology, with other interests in a new vision of health and healthcare seen through the lenses of emerging technologies. He serves on numerous national and global advisory groups, most recently chairing the World Health Organization technical advisory group for viral evolution. He received the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Prize in 2014, the Sun Pharma Foundation award in 2020, and is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Science, Indian Academy of Science, and the National Academy of Medical Sciences.

Professor Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad, Director of the Bioenergy and Biodiversity Research Center at Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan, is a globally recognized plant scientist ranked among the top 1% of scientists worldwide. His pioneering research in Agro-Biodiversity, biotechnology, and sustainable biomass energy is reflected in over 1,000 peer-reviewed publications and 60 international books, earning more than 26,000 citations with an H-index of 80+. An accomplished mentor to 48 postdoctoral/PhD scholars and 185 graduates, Dr. Ahmad holds prestigious fellowships with The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS), and the World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies (WSSET). His international impact includes advisory roles with IPBES, IUCN, and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, alongside elite honors such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences PIFI award, Honorary Professorships in China and Uzbekistan, and the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's highest civil award for scientific excellence.

Ali is the honorary chief scientist and advisor of the Pothikrit Institute of Health Studies (PIHS) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the chair of Pothikrit Foundation, a PIHS parent nonprofit organisation working for socioeconomic development and liberal cultural environment. He earned his PhD in 1990 from Uppsala University, Sweden. He was a professor of medical biochemistry and cell biology in institutes at Dhaka University, vice-chancellor at Bangladesh University of Health Sciences, president of the Bangladesh Society of Medical Biochemists, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Endocrine Society, a public health advisor of the government during COVID-19 pandemic, and a reviewer-designer of the 4th and 5th health sector programmes. As a short-term consultant, he has served various organizations like WHO, UNICEF, and USID. He is now an expert member of the Primary Health Care Forum of WHO-SEARO, and a distinguished visiting scientist of COMSTECH-OIC. He has been honoured by organizations like the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Islamic World Academy of Sciences, Indian Public Health Association, and Indian Association for the Study of Asian Traditional Medicine.

Aris is a senior professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His research focuses on hydrochemistry, environmental chemistry, and environmental forensics—with special emphasis on the development of analytical methods and the identification, behaviour, remediation, and health implications of metals and emerging pollutants in the environment. In recognition of his contributions, he has received numerous awards, including Malaysia Scopus Research Excellence Awards (Groundbreaking Contributions) 2024 and Malaysia Winner for ASPIRE - APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research, and Education (2022, 2019). His pioneering work has shaped environmental policies and guidelines both at national and international level, in areas related to water quality, public health, and environmental forensics. Zaharin leads multidisciplinary research initiatives and environmental translational research, working closely with policymakers to turn scientific findings into outcomes through public engagement. He also serves actively as an advisor, chair, and member of various governmental and private-sector committees at local and international levels.

Aziz is a professor at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University—which he chaired from 2016–2021, and the head of MARC Bioscience Research Laboratories in Giza, Egypt. From 2021–2024, he has directed the Microbiology and Immunology Research Programme at the Children’s Cancer Hospital of Egypt. In 2005, he received his PhD in microbiology and immunology from the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center in Memphis, and carried out postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago, San Diego State University, and UCSD (2008–2013). He collaborates with the Argonne National Laboratory. His research spans microbiology and immunology, genomics of microbial pathogens and phages, and microbiomics. He is a pioneer of pharmacomicrobiomics, a discipline that studies drug-microbiome interactions. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles, a book, nine book sections, and is maintaining two bioinformatics databases. His work has been nationally and internationally acknowledged through awards from TWAS, COMSTECH, and Shoman Awards. He is ranked among the 1% most productive authors in the SCOPUS database (based on c-score).

Bansal earned his PhD in 1988 from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), India, and carried out his postdoctorate at Harvard University (US), in 1992. He is adjunct professor at the Centre for Crop and Food Innovation, Murdoch University, in Perth, Australia, and serves on the board of directors of the Global Plant Council, the board of trustees of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, and the research advisory council of IARI, New Delhi. He is the first recipient of the Norman Borlaug Chair, in 2010. He served as elected secretary of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India from 2021 to 2023, as the director of the premier ICAR institute, National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Government of India, New Delhi from 2010–2016, and as elected vice-chair from Asia for the 15th regular session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (2013–2015). He played a visionary and key role in formulating the World Bank project on National Agricultural Higher Education, which has been implemented across 75 agricultural universities in the country, since 2017.

Bello Pérez has a strong academic foundation in computer science, complemented by doctoral studies in mathematics. A member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, Bello Pérez serves as a faculty member in the Department of Computer Sciences, where they lead the PhD Programme in computer sciences and informatics. He teaches courses in artificial intelligence (AI) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and has authored over 300 scientific papers published in national and international journals, as well as several books. Their ongoing research focuses on advancing the field of AI, with current interests focused on explainable AI (XAI), responsible AI, and other emerging AI methodologies.

Belouchrani received the engineering degree from the Ecole Nationale Polytechnique (ENP), Algiers, Algeria (1991), a Master of Science degree in signal processing from the Grenoble Institute of Technology, France (1992), and a PhD in signal and image processing from Télécom Paris, France (1995). He was a postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley, US (1995–1996) and a research associate at Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, US (1996–1997). At ENP, he served as an associate professor (1998–2005), and as a full professor since 2006. He is among the pioneers to propel the field of blind source separation. He led the work on non-stationary signals impinging on antenna arrays by introducing new concepts. A founding member of the Algerian Academy of Science and Technology in 2015, he is among the world's top 2% scientists, according to Stanford University. He received a fellowship from the US National Academy of Sciences to conduct research at Brown University, Rhode Island, US, in 2016. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers since 2020. He was elected as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences in 2023.

Besada Pérez is a professor and coordinator of master's degree courses in mass spectrometry, biochemistry and proteomics at University of Havana and the Technological University Jose Antonio Echeverria. He earned a PhD in 1995 from the University of Havana, with a thesis on Characterization of recombinant proteins by mass spectrometry. Recently, he was involved in the characterization of the Cuban COVID-19 vaccines. He has organized international meetings, courses and workshops in Cuba. He collaborates with laboratories in Europe, Asia and South America, has co-authored more than 100 publications, and is the owner of more than 10 patents. His work has also supported projects at major Cuban biotechnological institutions like the Centre for Neurosciences of Cuba, National Centre for Scientific Research, National Centre for Bioproducts, University of Havana, Centre for Engineering and Industrial Development, Institute of Pharmacy and Food, and Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Development. He has been awarded almost 15 times by the Cuban Academy of Science, and has received the Carlos J. Finlay Medal (2016), Order Lázaro Peña (first level) and the Hombres de Ciencia Medal.

Bin Abdul Rahman is a senior professor of chemistry at Universiti Putra Malaysia, who was appointed as a distinguished visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his PhD in catalysis chemistry (at Southampton University) and was a post-doctoral Fellow in structural biology (Edinburgh University). He has secured more than 32 million Malaysian Ringgit worth of research grants worldwide in biocatalysis, computational chemistry and nanodelivery. Additionally he has published more than 300 papers, presented over 450 papers, graduated more than 80 postgraduates. To his credit he also more than 25 patents and more than 100 awards. He has received recognitions as a young scientist from international bodies and was named the Face of Science at Malaysia for his contribution to engaging youth in science. He was the founding chairman of the Malaysian Young Scientists Network and held positions like deanship and directorship at various institutions. He is currently the chair of ISTIC-UNESCO governing board, and coordinates and mentors in professional academic training, and in STEM and sustainability outreach activities nationwide and globally.

Boldrin Zanoni is a full professor at the Institute of Chemistry, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, Brazil. She earned her master’s degree and PhD in chemical sciences from the University of São Paulo in 1985 and 1989, respectively, specializing in environmental electrochemistry. She completed her postdoctoral fellowships in chemistry at the University of Loughborough, UK (1992–1994), and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, US (2002), and was an academic visitor at Oxford University, in 2008. From 2010 to 2018, she served as an advisor for research development at UNESP. She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the Brazilian Academy of the State of São Paulo. Since 2021, she has served as vice-president for graduate studies at UNESP. Throughout her career, she has received numerous awards and honours that confirm her outstanding contributions to chemistry. Her scientific expertise includes the detection and treatment of micropollutants and CO₂ reduction. To date, she has supervised more than 75 master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral researchers, and has published 321 papers, 5 books, and 14 book chapters.

Carlini earned her PhD from the Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil, in 1985. She was appointed professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and was a PI at the Brain Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul. After retiring in 2012, she worked as an invited professor at UFRGS and nowadays, at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre. Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (2009) and a research productivity fellow of the Brazilian CNPq, Carlini was a pioneer in describing the non-enzymatic properties of ureases, such as their insecticidal, antifungal activities and pro-inflammatory, neurotoxic effects in rodents. Now, she studies how the ureases produced by Helicobacter pylori and Proteus mirabilis might contribute to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. She has refereed for more than 60 international journals, and S&T funding agencies. She was member of the editorial board of Toxicon for 20 years, and section editor of the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research. In 2020, she became a guest editor and joined the Editorial Board of Current Neuropharmacology.

Chakravortty is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, India. Dipshikha received her PhD from the DBT-National Center of Cell, Pune in 1999. She worked at Aichi University, Japan, and later received a Humboldt Fellowship to work at Friedrich Alexander University, Germany. Her research focuses on molecular pathogenesis, infectious diseases, vaccine development and novel delivery systems. She has received many awards, including Prof. Rustom Choksi Award for Excellence in Research in Science/Engineering, DAE Outstanding Investigator award, Astra Chair Professorship, DBT-National Bioscience Award, NASI-Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee award, Tata Innovation Fellowship, P.A. Kurup Endowment Award by the Society of Biological Chemists (India), Yogmaya Devi Award for Research in Biomedical Science for outstanding work, S.K Chatterjee Award of IIT. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Science, India, Indian National Science Academy, Delhi, and Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore. To date, she has mentored 28 PhD students, who are now reputed faculty members.

Chaudhuri is a K.N. Bajaj chair professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He earned his Bachelor of Technology in electronics and communication engineering at IIT Kharagpur (1985), his Master of Science at the University of Calgar (1987) and his PhD (1990), both in electrical engineering, at the University of California, San Diego. For his research excellence, he has received major national awards including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Swarnajayanti Fellowship, J.C. Bose National Fellowship, G.D. Birla Award and the NASI-Reliance Award. Chaudhuri was honoured with the title of TUM Ambassador by Technical University Munich, Germany. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Science India, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (US). He has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and UCSD. He has received a Doctor of Science degree (honoris causa) by Burdwan University. His areas of research include computer vision, machine learning and computational haptics.

Dajani is currently a Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a professor of molecular biology at the Hashemite University, in Jordan. Her area of expertise is epigenetics and biomarkers of trauma among refugees. Through her leadership, she has introduced national and regional stem cell laws and presided over numerous scientific boards and United Nations councils, most recently as the president of the Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World. She has held visiting professor positions at Harvard, Yale, MIT, Jepson School of Leadership and Cambridge, and is an advocate for building indigenous research capabilities in the developing world, and for creating a mentoring programme to support women scholars in STEM that was recognized by the National Academy of Sciences. Rana is a social entrepreneur and a global thought leader. She is the founder of We Love Reading, a grassroots initiative to create changemakers in underserved communities by fostering a lifelong love of reading. A recipient of the UNESCO International Literacy Prize, We Love Reading has established more than 8,000 locally run libraries in over 70 countries.

Dellagostin obtained his PhD in 1995, from the University of Surrey (UK), and is now full professor of biotechnology at the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil. His research focuses on the development of recombinant vaccines and biotechnological innovations for the prevention of infectious diseases in animals. He has trained numerous Master of Science and PhD students and led high-impact research projects. He is currently president of the Research Foundation of the State of Rio Grande do Sul and chair of the board of directors of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Management. He served two terms as president of the Brazilian National Council of State Research Funding Agencies, where he played a leading role in shaping public policy for science, technology and innovation in Brazil. He has represented Brazil in international scientific partnerships and serves on advisory boards and evaluation committees nationally and abroad. In 2018, he was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Science for his contributions to science and policy in Latin America.