Pena is professor of biochemistry at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Brazil, where he graduated in medicine in 1970. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in pediatrics in 1975 and obtained his PhD in human genetics at the University of Manitoba in 1977. He is member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and received the Great-Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit of Brazil in 2006. is currently a member of the National Council of Science and Technnology of Brazil. Among other honours, he was awarded the 2007 TWAS Prize in Medical Sciences. He was president of the Brazilian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and member of the Council of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO). He created and directs the Danilo Pena Foundation, which grants scholarships to poor students with high intellectual potential.

Rech has been a scientist at EMBRAPA Recursos Geneticos e Biotecnologia, Brazil, since 1981. He obtained his PhD in 1989 at the University of Nottingham, England. He is recognized by his studies on the recombinant DNA technology and its application for development of processes and products with economic and social impacts. His work focuses on the molecular and biochemical mechanisms that governt several types of protein-conformational expression. His awards include: Prize Estado de Sao Paulo Governator; Embrapa Prize for Research Excellence; Commander of the Order of National Scientific Merit, Brazil; and Fellow of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Reis is Prof. of Political Sociology at the Federal U. of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). She obtained her BA (sociology) and MA (political science) in Brazil and her PhD (political science) from MIT. She has been visiting professor at several universities including UC San Diego, Columbia U., MIT, and the Ludwig Maximilian Universität, Munich. She chairs the Interdisciplinary Res. Network on Inequality (NIED) at UFRJ. She is former president of the Natl. Ass. for the Social Sciences. (ANPOCS); former secretary general of Brazilian Sociological Society; she has also served in the Executive Committee of both the International Political Science Association (1988-1994) and the International Sociological Association (2006-2010), and was vice-president of the International Science Council (2018-2021).

Savino was graduated in Biological Sciences at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (1974), got his MSc degree in Histology and Embryology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (1979), PhD degree in Cell and Tissue Biology at the University of São Paulo (1982), and had a post-doc training in Cellular Immunology at Necker Hospital, Paris (1983-1985). Presently, he is full researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences; Editor-in-Chief of the journal NeuroImmunoModulation and Associated Editor of Frontiers in Immunology. He received international awards, namely the title of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques (France), Doctor Honoris causa by Sorbonne Université (France), the Luis Federico Leloir Medal (Argentinian government), Guest of Honor (National University of Rosário, Argentina) and Eduardo Charreau Award (Argentinian Government). His research is focused in cellular immunology, with emphasis in cell migration in the hemopoietic system; neuroimmune interactions; cell therapy and immunotherapy in neuromuscular diseases.

Sial is full professor (retired, 2012; Emeritus Professor, 2016) in the Department of Geology, Federal U. of Pernambuco, Brazil (UFPE). He obtained his PhD from UC Davis (1974) and did postdoctoral work at the U. of Texas at Austin (1977-78), U. of Georgia at Athens (entire 1983, entire 1988) and U. of Wisconsin (2001). He also trained in Portugal, Canada, Japan and Scotland. He founded a Laboratory for Stable Isotope Studies at UFPE, only one in South America with facilities to analyze O isotopes from silicates, and pioneered the use of isotope stratigraphy in S. America. He has received several honours including: Silver Hammer and José Bonifacio Golden Medals (Brazilian Geological Society); Centennial Medal, Engineering School, UFPE; National Order of Scientific Merit commendator and Grao Cruz classes (by President of Brazil decree); special foreign member, Society of Resource Geology, Japan; and foreign member, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Lisbon Academy of Sciences, Portugal.

Silva is prof. of biochemistry at the Federal Univ. of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), dir. of the Jiri Jonas Natl. Center of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and scientific dir. of the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. His research interest revolves around the understanding of biological recognition processes, especially how proteins correctly fold, misfold into species involved in neurodegenerative diseases, and form supramolecular complexes, such as virus particles. His work has opened new vistas for the use of pressure perturbations in the field of protein folding, structure and dynamics. He was nominated fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, member of the Brazilian Acad. of Sciences. His honours include: Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit (Great-Cross), TWAS Prize in Biology and the FCW Prize in General Science from Fundação Conrado Wessel.

Simis is emeritus full prof., Federal U. of Pernambuco, Brazil, and presently a FAPESP Vis. Sen. Researcher at ICMC-USP. He is First Class research grant recipient from the Brazilian Research Council. He earned his PhD from Queen's U., Canada. In Brazil, he was prof. at IMPA in Rio de Janeiro until 1980. He was president of the Brazilian Mathematical Society and has been member on several occasions of international commissions of the IMU and TWAS. He has been director of 3 workshops in his field at the ICTP. He is a recipient of the Natl. Medal Grã-Cruz for Scientific Merit, Min. of Science and Technology, and was a JS Guggenheim Fellow. He has been awarded other fellowships from the Max-Planck-Institut, Japan Soc. for Promotion of Science and the Istituto Nazionale di Alta Matematica. He is a member of the Brazilian Acad. of Sciences and serves on several committees in Brazil. His mathematical work concerns the interlaciing of commutative algebra and algebraic geometry.

Teixeira (MD) is full professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). He obtained his PhD in 1994 at the National Heart and Lung Institute, University of London. He was president of the Brazilian Society of Pharmacology (SBFTE, 2011-2014), Brazilian Society of Inflammation (SBIN, 2018-2020), Member of the Brazilian Academy of Science (currently vice-President responsible for Regions Minas Gerais and Center-west) and Commander of the National Order of Scientific Merit. He is currently Vice President of the International Association of Inflammation Societies (IAIS, 2023-). Teixeira demonstrated the crucial role of the microbiota and microbial-derived products in controlling inflammatory and behavioural responses, and the relevance of inflammation in mediating tissue damage and lethality during infectious diseases, especially arboviral infections. This knowledge has led to mechanistic molecular studies which have led to new targets for anti-inflammatory drug development. Special focus is given to molecules which bind and block the function of 7-TM chemotactic receptors and induce the resolution of inflammation.

Teixeira graduated in biological sciences, and obtained a MS degree in molecular biology at University of Brasília (1986). She received her PhD in Biochemistry in 1990 from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and did postdoctoral training on molecular parasitology at the University of Iowa, in the US. In 1997, she became an Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where she became a Full Professor in 2013. In 2005, she was awarded an international grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She acted as Vice-Head and Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Immunology at UFMG and President of the Brazilian Society of Protozoology (SBPz). She also acted as Head of the Centre for Vaccine Technology at UFMG (CTVacinas) where she is currently Vice-Director. For more than 30 years, she has studied genome, gene expression and host-parasites interactions involving Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania species with the aim of developing new treatments and methods to control Chagas disease and leishmaniasis.

Tenenblat obtained her MSc (1969) at the Univ. of Michigan and PhD (1972) at the Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada, Rio de Janeiro. She has served in various capacities at the Univ. de Brasilia, Brazilian Mathematical Society, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology (Brazil) and other organizations and committees. She is professor emeritus of mathematics at the Univ. de Brasilia. An expert in differential geometry, she has advanced understanding of the interaction between differential geometry and partial differential equations. With S.S. Chern and other collaborators, she helped develop the classification of systems of differential equations that describe pseudo-spherical surfaces. Her membership includes: Brazilian Mathematical Society; American Mathematical Society; Brazilian Academy of Science; and Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science. She received the Comendador de Ordem Nacional do Merito Cientifico from the President of Brazil in 1996.

Ticianelli obtained his BSc degree in 1976 and his PhD in 1985 in Physical Chemistry at University of São Paulo. He developed his full academic carrier at the Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos (IQSC) and in November 2003 reached the category of Full Professor. Ticianelli was head of the Department of Physical Chemistry of Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos for four years and the Director of this Institute from 2006 to 2010. He is member of the São Paulo Academy of Science and of the Brazilian Academy of Science. He collaborated in the writing of two textbooks in the Electrochemistry area. Publication of scientific research includes 220 scientific papers in journals listed in several indexing platforms. He has given several plenary conferences and has presented tenths of invited lectures and keynotes in national/international scientific meetings. He has acted as advisor for over 50 MSc and PhD theses in the Post-Graduation programmes at the Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos. He is an expert in fuel cells, particularly the proton exchange membrane alkaline and solid oxide systems.

Toma is prof., Inst. of Chem., U. of Sao Paulo, Brazil. He obtained his PhD in 1974 in a program sponsored by the US Natl. Acad. of Sci. and the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas, Brazil, under J. M. Malin and H. Taube, and postdoc, CALTECH (1979). His publ. include 360 papers and reviews in intl. j., with +6700 citations, 13 books, 25 patents. He has been responsible for the Supramolecular NanotechLab, and is head of the USP Center on Nanotech. and Nanosci.. He has advised over 60 PhD and MS theses. His honours include: Henrich-Rheinboldt Prize, 1987; TWAS Chem. Prize, 1996; Simao Mathias Medal, 1997; Guggenheim Fellow Awd., 1999; Fritz-Feigl Prize, 2001; Abrafati-Petrobras Prize, 1996; Grã-Cruz Medal, Braz. Pres. of Republic, 2006; Innovation Prize from Petrobras, 2011; Innovation Prize, Braz. Chem. Soc., 2012, Jabuti Literature Prize, 2014. He is member of the Braz. Acad. of Sci., and IUPAC.

Trindade Lima has been the Minister of Health of Brazil since January 2023. From 2017 to 2022 she was President of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). From 2011–2016 she was Vice-President of Education, Information and Communication of Fiocruz. She holds a PhD in Sociology and a master’s degree in political science. She is a Senior Researcher at Fiocruz’s Casa de Oswaldo Cruz, and a Professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. She is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and has authored books and articles with an emphasis on Brazilian social thinking, history of ideas in public health, and the Brazilian processes of construction of the National State. She established a Fiocruz Strategy on 2030 Agenda, which incorporates the UN document into its strategic development and work programme in all fields. She has coordinated the Fiocruz institutional efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is a member of the Lancet COVID-19 Committee, and co-chaired the Economic Recovery Steering Group of the UN Research Roadmap for the recovery of COVID-19. She was awarded in September 2021 the degree of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor of France.

Ugarte (PhD, 1990, Université Paris-Sud) is professor, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Campinas, Brazil. His activities have been related to the experimental study of structural and electronic properties of nanoscale systems (nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, etc.), using high spatial resolution techniques associated with electron microscopy. He designed and implemented the Brazilian Electron Microscopy Facility, which was opened in 1999; this microscopy lab was the seed to the subsequent creation of the Brazilian National Nanotechnology Lab in 2011. His prizes include Latsis Prize, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland; Guggenheim Fellowship, USA; Scopus Prize, Brazil; TWAS Prize in Physics. His is a member of the Brazilian science academy.

Val has been investigating environmental adaptations of fish of the Amazon, their use for food security, and fish farming for the last 40 years. He contributed to personnel training in the Amazon and headed the National Institute for Amazonian Research for 8 years. He is an accredited professor at the Graduate School of the University of Laval, Canada, and in local schools. He maintains intense international collaboration and is member of the Canadian Society of Zoology, the American Fisheries Society, the Society for Experimental Biology (UK) and of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, acting as its Vice-President for the Amazon. He was awarded: Commendation of the National Order of Scientific Merit (Class Commander, 2002, and Grand Cross Class, 2013), American Fisheries Society's Excellence Award (2004); Grand Order of Legislative Merit of the State of Amazonas (2008); Citizenship award of the Amazonas State (2015); and the prestigious Anísio Teixeira Prize for Higher Education (2016).

Van Sluys (PhD in genetics and microbiology, 1989) is a full professor at the Universidade de São Paulo. Her research focuses on plant-microbe interaction relevant to agriculture and the natural environment, emphasizing genome evolution and how transposable elements may account for genetic diversity. She contributed to spreading biotechnology and genomics in Brazil and supervised over 50 students working in the field, now based in Brazil or abroad. Among other activities, she also contributed to organizing the Plant Molecular Biology research community in Brazil. She published over 100 papers, attended scientific meetings as a speaker, and organized multiple symposia and conferences. Van Sluys served as life-science adjunct panel member at FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) for 15 years, and at the Brazilian Research Council (CNPq) for 4 years. She also served on several international evaluation research panels, including the National Academies, USA. Van Sluys has been a member of the São Paulo Academy of Sciences since 2015, served at the National Council for the Economic Development (2016–2018), and was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Sciences in 2016.

Viana is professor of mathematics at IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, where he has been a researcher since his doctorate in 1990. He has written over eighty research papers and books, covering several topics of dynamical systems and ergodic theory, and supervised thirty six doctoral students. He was plenary speaker, International Congress of Mathematicians, Berlin, 1998; invited speaker, ICM, Zurich, 1994; plenary speaker, International Congress of Mathematical Physics, Paris, 1994; plenary speaker, Latin American Congress of Mathematicians, Córdoba, 2012. He was awarded the TWAS Award in Mathematics; Latin American Mathematical Union Award; Grand Croix of Scientific Merit, President of Brazil; Ramanujan Prize, ICTP/IMU; Grand Prix Scientifique Louis D. Institut de France. He is member of the Brazilian, Portuguese and Chilean Academies of Sciences, and was the Scientific Coordinator of the Latin American Mathematical Union (UMALCA), the president of the Brazilian Mathematical Society and a vice-president of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). He is the director of IMPA and the head organizer of the International Congress of Mathematicians ICM 2018.

Victora (MD, 1976, Rio Grande do Sul; PhD, 1983, London) is Emeritus Professor, Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil; past-president, International Epidemiological Association; member, Brazilian Academy of Science. He holds honorary faculty appointments at Harvard, Oxford and Johns Hopkins Universities, and an Honoris Causa Doctorate from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. His prizes include the Gairdner Global Health Award (Canada); Carlos Slim Prize (Mexico); Conrado Wessel Prize (Brazil); and National Order of Merit Medals in Medicine and in Science (Brazil). He has conducted extensive research in maternal and child health and nutrition, birth cohort studies, inequalities in health, and on the evaluation of the impact of major global health programs in a large number of countries. He coordinates the International Center for Equity in Health, which produces disaggregated analyses of indicators on women’s and children’s health and nutrition for the World Health Organization, Unicef and other international agencies. He has over 650 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the editorial boards of several journals, including The Lancet.

Villa is an Associate Professor at the Department of Radiology and Oncology of the Faculdade de Medicina of the Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and Head of the Innovation in Cancer Research of the Center for Translational Research in Oncology of the Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), São Paulo, Brazil. She graduated in Biological Sciences, USP and has a PhD in Sciences from the Institute of Chemistry of USP (1978). She was a researcher at the São Paulo branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research from 1983 to 2011, and was its director from 2006 to 2010. She is a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. In 2018 she received the Biology Prize from The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in Trieste, Italy. Her research involves studies about human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, anogenital cancer, head and neck cancer, HPV infections in women and men, prophylactic HPV vaccines. As of end-2019, she had published 334 scientific articles (h-index: WOS 60). She made more than 500 presentations as invited speaker in meetings throughout the world. She has mentored 13 MSc, 20 PhD students and 8 Pos-Doctoral fellows.

Wyse (PhD, 1995, Porto Alegre, Brazil) is full professor of Biochemistry of the Institute of Basic Health Sciences at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Her prizes include CAPES-Elsevier Award 2014, Pesquisador Gaúcho Award 2018 from the State Research Foundation and Scientist of the Year 2020 Award from International Achievements Research Center, USA. Her research work is focused on the neurotoxic mechanisms of homocysteine and neurometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as on neurobiology of menopause and neuroprotection, encompassing multiple experimental approach ranging from neurochemistry to behavior. Her studies have contributed to the understanding of biomolecule damage in hyperhomocysteinemic and homocystinuric patients and show potential to improve medical practice. She has published more than 400 scientific papers and has advised more than 70 masters and PhDs. Convinced that access to science and education are pillars to citizenship, she has launched a social project for underprivileged children of the public school system from the outskirts of her town, Porto Alegre. She published a book of poetry.

Zanotto holds a PhD in Glass Technology from Sheffield University, UK (1982). He is a professor of Materials Science and Engineering and director of the Center for Research, Technology and Education in Glass at UFSCar. He is interested in fundamental studies of glass crystallization and development of glass-ceramics with improved functionalities. He has published about 400 original and review papers, 30 book chapters, 2 books and deposited 29 patents. He is an editor of the Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, and board member of nine other scientific journals. He is a member of the World Academy of Ceramics, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, the São Paulo State Academy of Sciences, The National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the SGT (UK), American Ceramic Society, Brazilian Ceramic Society, and TWAS. He has received over 50 awards, including the Brazilian Order of Scientific Merit, Grã-Cruz, A^3 Prize, TWAS Engineering Prize, and six important glass research awards: Zachariasen Award 1990, Gottardi Prize 1993, George W. Morey Award 2012, A. Cooper Lecture, Turner Lecture and S. Schooles Lecture. Zanotto is in the Council of seven research institutions.

Moraes R., biologist (PhD, 1996, Aarhus University) is director, professor and researcher, Herbario Nacional and Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz; editor in chief of Ecology in Bolivia journal; member of the Bolivian science academy; focal point for Bolivia in the Women for Science Program of the InterAmerican Association of Science Academies. She documented flora and vegetation in the lowlands of Bolivia and has specialized in the study of native palms of Bolivia. Her prizes include 2006 Jubilee Award from the International Foundation for Science; 2016 Procer Pedro Domingo Murillo in the Degree of Civic Honor of the Municipal Council of La Paz; 2017 Grand Master in the Adela Zamudio degree, Chamber of Deputies. She published 18 edited books; 44 chapters; 61 articles; 23 prologues, editorials and other publications; among others. Starting in 2021 Dr. Moraes was appointed for president of the Bolivian Academy of Sciences.

Rada got her BSc in biochemistry and pharmacy from Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Bolivia, and she holds a master's degree in public health with major in epidemiology. She is Researcher at the Cytogenetics Unit, Genetics Institute, Medicine School, UMSA and a Professor, Assistant Professor, and Guest Professor in several national and international courses. She was a member of the Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Council for Science (RCLAC ICSU) and Past-President of the Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Council of Science (RCLAC ISC). She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia, focal point for Bolivia in the Women for Science programme of the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences, member of the Latin American Network of Biological Dosimetry, member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World, member of the Bolivian Genetics Society. She has published a book chapter and several scientific articles. Her main research topics are: human genetics, cytogenetics, epidemiology of genetic diseases, and biological dosimetry.

Jean-Pierre EZIN is Emeritus Professor of mathematics of Université d'Abomey-Calavi. He held doctorat d'Etat in Geometric Analysis at Université Lille I, France. He has been Professor at Université Nationale, Bénin since 1982 ; senior lecturer at Université Lille I (1973-1982). He has been researcher at Abdus Salam ICTP,Trieste, Italy (1986-1988).He also was Commissioner of Economic Community of West African States for Education,Science and Culture from 2014-2016 and Commissioner of African Union for Human Resource,Science and Technology from 2008-2013. He is Founding Director of Institut de Mathématiques et de Sciences Physiques, Bénin from1988-2008. In between he was Recteur Université Nationale, Bénin (1990-1992).As other implications, he was member of Board of Council Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) of NSF, USA, and of Board of Council International Science Programme (ISP), Sweden from 2010-2013 and from 2011-2015 Chairperson of Agence Inter-établissement de Recherche pour le Développement (AIRD),France. He is initiator and founding member of Bénin Academy of Science. In 2014 he was honored by TWAS special Award " for building science capacity in Africa".

Mahouton Norbert Hounkonnou is a full Professor of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin. His works deal with noncommutative and nonlinear mathematics, and complexity. He authors books. He serves as a member or associate editor of editorial boards for renowned book series and journals in mathematics and mathematical physics. He supervised 37 PhD and 40 M. Sc. students from various continents. He was awarded a series of recognitions for the excellency of his works such as the Prize of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in 1996, the Tokyo University of Science President Award in 2015, and the 2016 World Academy of Sciences C. N. R. Rao Prize for Scientific Research "for his incisive work on noncommutative and nonlinear mathematics and his contributions to world-class mathematics education ";. He is the President of the Network of African Science Academies, former President of the Benin National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. His membership extends to African Academy of Sciences, Academy of Science of South Africa, Académie Hassan II des Sciences et Techniques du Maroc, InterAcademy Partnership Advisory Committee, etc.

Em. Prof. Baron Marc Van Montagu (PhD, Organic Chemistry/Biochemistry, Ghent) is Chairman of the VIB - Intl. Plant Biotechnology Outreach and Pres. of PRRI. He discovered, with J. Schell, the Ti-plasmid and invented the Agrobacterium transformation technology, now used worldwide to produce GM plants. He made major contributions on fundamental plant sciences and on biotech agriculture, such as GM plants resistant to insects or tolerant to more environmentally friendly herbicides. He was Founding Member and Member of the Board of Directors of the biotech companies Plant Genetic System (PGS) and CropDesign, spin-offs from his laboratory. He has received numerous honours, including the Japan prize (1998), and the World Food Prize (2013). He is member of seven scientific academies worldwide, and Goodwill Ambassador for Agribusiness at UNIDO. He has produced +1000 publications, h-index 125.