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

Delfina Hlashwayo is a faculty member and researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), in Mozambique. She holds a Bachelor of Science in biology and health and a Master of Science in food safety, both from UEM. Hlashwayo earned a PhD in biosciences and public health from UEM, receiving the distinction 'excellent' for her thesis. Her research focuses on public health and One Health approaches. Passionate about science diplomacy, she collaborates with international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Hlashwayo is an experienced consultant for the European Commission and has been an academic editor for the Public Library of Science (PLOS) since 2022. In recognition of her contributions to science and development, Hlashwayo was a joint winner of the 2024 Policy and Deliberation Challenge at the UN World Food Forum, and was named a Fellow of the 2024 UN Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship. In 2022, she received the Rising Star Award for emerging HIV investigators from the San Diego Center for AIDS Research.

Samamalee Upekshi Kankanamge is a senior lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. With the same university, she held the head of the department position (2018–2021) in pharmacy. She holds a bachelor's degree in pharmacy (first-class honours) and a master's degree in industrial analytical chemistry, earned at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka, where she is currently pursuing her PhD in pharmaceutical science. Her research explores the potential therapeutic benefits of natural compounds and traditional remedies, looking for new compounds, formulations, or delivery systems for medications. She has a record of 42 research publications including 10 original articles, 7 review articles, and 25 conference papers. She won twice the title of best oral presentation awards for her PhD research findings, at the International Research Conference in Health Sciences (USJ) and Lincoln International Multidisciplinary Conference, Lincoln University College, Malaysia, in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

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

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

Zainun Mustafa is an early-career faculty member at the Fakulti Sains dan Matematik, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia. She holds a Bachelor of Science (with honours) in biology with education and earned her PhD in science education from Universiti Sains Malaysia. With almost a decade of experience teaching in government schools, Zainun also has held research-related interim roles at the Centre for Science and Environmental Studies, and at the Institute of Islamic Understanding, as a research officer at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Regional Centre of Expertise for Education for Sustainable Development, and at the National Child Development and Research Centre. Zainun served as a specialist in intergovernmental institutions, where she trained educators across Southeast Asia and the Global South. Besides serving as the education unit fellow at the Centre of Biodiversity and Conservation, Zainun is an early-career scholar for the programme 'Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in ASEAN/Southeast Asia'. Her contributions to training and research in science education have been supported by grants from Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Thao Thi Phuong Nguyen is an accomplished early-career researcher with expertise in mental health, psychology, artificial intelligence in medicine, and stem cell research. She is a researcher at the Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology, College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Vietnam. Dr. Thao earned her medical degree in preventive medicine from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2014, followed by a master’s degree in medicine and a PhD in public health from Hanoi Medical University. Selected to be a member of the InterAcademy Partnership’s Young Physician Leaders programme in 2024, she is recognised for her leadership and dedication to advancing science and health equity. Her pioneering work bridges public health and technology, driving progress in mental health research while fostering innovation and international collaboration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paul Kuman is a researcher and lead consultant at the Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG), where he conducts research, and teaches marine geosciences, climate, and environmental sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry at UPNG, and a Master of Environment Advanced majoring in environmental protection at Griffith University, Australia. His PhD research is in Marine Geoscience with the University of Queensland, Australia. He is involved in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and Climate Experiment program initiated by the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences . He investigates marine sedimentary components and their impact on climate reconstruction in the Bismarck Sea. He is developing program and courses about chemical oceanography and paleoclimate studies to be taught at UPNG, providing technical advisory services to various organizations, including the Government of PNG newly established Ocean Office on strategic development plans, and policy formulation in coastal and deep-sea governance and management. He received the Australian Award and EU Scholarship award in 2014 and 2017, respectively.

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

New is an associate professor with the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM). She obtained a Bachelor of Science (Hon.) in industrial chemistry from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and earned her PhD degree from the National University of Singapore. She then worked as a research scientist at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*Star, Singapore before taking up her current job at UNM. Her main research interest is in developing DNA-based nanosensors to detect different analytes, such as cancer biomarkers and viral DNA. With computational aid, her group designs DNA probes using simulation algorithm, and then tests them at the bench. Such an approach has reduced random ill-attempts and overall costs, easing sensors customization for different types of targets. She was a Highly Commended Finalist of Women of the Future Southeast Asia, Science, Technology & Digital Category (2020), and received the L’Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship for Women in Science (2021). New is a Young Scientist Network-Academy Science Malaysia affiliate, a member of the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry and of the Committee of Royal Society of Chemistry Malaysia Chapter.

Lydia Rhyman earned her PhD in computational chemistry (2013) from the University of Mauritius, where she is currently a research fellow in the Computational Chemistry Group. Her research interests lie in the use of computational chemistry methods, as a tool that provides insights into chemical systems at molecular levels, to complement experimental results and to solve chemistry-related problems that cannot be assessed at the experimental level. One such example is the characterization of molecular structures and the elucidation of reaction mechanisms. She actively promotes computational chemistry in Africa, as well as science education among girls in secondary schools and at tertiary level. She organises capacity-building activities to encourage students to orient their research toward tackling issues that the African continent is facing. She raises awareness of responsible research practices and integrity. She is an affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences, a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), the Global Young Academy, and the Commonwealth Chemistry Early Career Network Committee representing the African region.

Cristina Romero-Rodríguez is a professor and head of the Department of Chemical Biology, at the National University of Asunción (UNA), in Paraguay, where she is also an assistant professor of biochemistry. She obtained a degree in biochemistry from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences (UNA). Then she earned a Master of Science in cellular, molecular, and genetic biotechnology, and a PhD in biosciences and agrifood sciences both from the University of Cordoba, Spain. Her research interests are in biological science and focus on the study of plant-microorganism interaction that she investigates through biochemical and proteomic approaches. Romero-Rodríguez is an active member of the National Incentive Program for Researchers of the National Council of Science and Technology of Paraguay. In the last five years, she has participated in seven financed projects (three as principal investigator), which allowed the development of a master's thesis, and the building of capabilities to develop doctoral programs in biological sciences in Paraguay. She serves as an associated editor for Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology and is a member of the editorial board of other national journals.

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

Halima Twabi is an associate professor of statistics at the Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Malawi. She holds a Bachelor of Science in statistics, as well as a Master of Science and a PhD, both in biostatistics from the University of Malawi. She studies causal inference for observational data, multivariate statistics, longitudinal and survival analysis, and statistical modelling and analysis of social and health data. Her recent work involves developing causal inference methods for non-experimental studies with multiple outcomes. In 2020, she received the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Young Talent Award for her work on applying causal inference to maternal and child health. In 2023, she was nominated treasurer of the International Biometric Society Sub-Saharan Africa Network, and treasurer of the IBS Malawi region. She is a founding member of the Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics network in Malawi, and collaborates on the project "Strengthen Modelling and Analytics Capacity and Ecosystem for Women’s Health" funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

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

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