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

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

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

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

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