Professor Shah Faruque works in the School of Life Sciences at Independent University Bangladesh (IUB). Previously he was a Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology in BRAC University. He was also the director of the Genomics Centre at International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), and formerly director of the Centre for Food and Waterborne Diseases in icddr,b. He maintained a research team in Life Sciences for over two decades, and while staying in Bangladesh conducted cutting edge research. He obtained research grants from prestigious institutions including the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Harvard Medical School, USAID, Swedish International Development Agency, and the Wellcome Trust. Prof. Faruque obtained BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Biochemistry from Dhaka University, and a PhD. in Molecular Biology from the University of Reading in the UK. Prof. Faruque has authored numerous original research papers, reviews, and book chapters, and has edited a number of text books. His works have been published in top ranking international journals, including Nature, PNAS and Lancet. He was awarded the TWAS Prize in Medical Sciences in 2005.

Gamboa Vilela (PhD, 2008, Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, and University of Maastricht, The Netherlands) is professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Science and Philosophy (FACIEN), Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), and member of the Institute of Tropical Medicine Alexander Von Humboldt (IMTAvH-UPCH). She is director of the Malaria Laboratory, belonging to both FACIEN and IMTAvH-UPCH. Her group carries out multidisciplinary studies on the dynamics of malaria transmission in the Peruvian Amazon with over 90 articles published, and more than 40 under and postgraduate students who have graduated with a thesis within her group. She has been a member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) since 1996. She received the L’Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship in 2003, the OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Award for Latin America & Caribbean (2013), and the L'Oréal-UNESCO-CONCYTEC-ANC National Award For Women in Science - Peru in 2015. She is a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and since 2013 she has also been a member of the Peruvian National Academy of Sciences (ANC).

Garruto is prof. of biomedical anthropology and neurosciences and Dir. of the Biospecimen Archive Facility, State Univ. of New York, Binghamton. He received his PhD from Penn State Univ. and joined the Natl. Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1973 as a research scientist. He has done fieldwork in Asia, the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, and Latin America. His honours include: Commendation Guam Legislature, 1987; Alumni Fellow, Penn State Univ., 1987; NIH Directors Award, 1993; Gorjanovic-Krambergeri Medal, Croatian Anthropological Society, 2000; Burroughs-Welcome Foundation Visiting Professorship, Basic Medical Sciences, 2001; Franz Boas Distinguished Achievement Award, Human Biology Assoc., 2005; National Honor Plaque of Panama, National Secretariat for Science,Technology and Innovation, 2011. He is a member of the US Natl. Acad. of Sciences and a fellow of AAAS.

Gaye is Professor of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar; Director of the Malaria Research and Capacity Development Programme in West and Central Africa; Coordinator of the Network for Malaria Surveillance in West and Central Africa; a member of the Senegalese Academy of Sciences and Techniques, and a member of Malaria Consortium's Board of Trustees. He was: Head of the Department of Parasitology; Coordinator of the PhD training in human biology and pathology; Scientific Adviser on Malaria in WHO Regional Office for Africa, and a member of WHO headquaters' Expert Panel on Malaria Management; Malaria Technical Advisor at the Gates Foundation; and Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Health, Senegal, for many years. Gaye has coordinated research on malaria and several parasitic diseases in Africa, as the seasonal malaria chemoprevention, and the use of antimalarial and diagnostics tests at community level. He is a founding member of the West Africa Roll Back Malaria Network. He received the Senegal Presidential Award for Science in 2012, and International Distinguished Fellow by American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 2021.

Gevers is emeritus professor of Medical Biochemistry, U. of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. He qualified in medicine at UCT (1960); was a Rhodes Scholar, Oxford U. (DPhil, 1966) under Sir Hans Krebs, and research associate of Fritz Lipmann, Rockefeller U. He was pres., exec. officer and gen. sec., Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); senior deputy vice-chancellor, UCT. He directed MRC Research Units, universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town, and established the Inst. of Infectious Disease and Mol. Medicine at UCT. Honours include: 3 hon. doctorates; Wellcome Gold Medal for Medical Research; Gold Medals, South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MRC, Southern Afr. Assoc. for the Adv. of Science, and ASSAf. He was inducted into the Natl. Order of Mapungubwe in Silver in 2008. He is a member of 3 science academies and life fellow, UCT.

Gonzales has been professor for 42 years of the Faculty of Sciences and Philosophy of the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia (1979-2021) with a wide and recognized scientific career at national and international level from 1977 to the present day. Physician and biologist by profession, he is the first Doctor of Science at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia (1985) and also holds a PhD in Medicine (1999) with a post-doctorate at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia (1987-1988). He is an Academic of Number at both the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. During his 44 years of scientific life, he has devoted himself to research on the endocrine aspects of adaptation to high altitude, in particular to the hormonal mechanisms that regulate erythropoiesis. In Peru, residents above 2000m account for 30% of the Peruvian population. Gonzales is the author of 355 scientific publications, including 12 books and 14 book chapters. He has received 72 national and international awards during his scientific career. He is a referee of more than 60 international journals. He has advised 30 Bachelor's, 19 Master's and 8 Doctor´s thesis.

Gray is President/CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, Research Professor in Paediatrics at the University of the Witwatersrand, and Member (Professor) in the Vaccine & Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, in Seattle. A Medical Doctor, specialising in Paediatrics, she started her research career in the field of preventing mother to child transmission of HIV-1 (PMTCT). She was awarded a Fogarty Fellowship to study clinical epidemiology at Cornell and Columbia Universities (1999), enabling her to broaden her investigative interests to include: clinical trial design; vaccine. She developed her research in post-natal transmission, focusing on breast-feeding, infant survival and post-exposure prophylaxis. Gray collaborated in multi-country efforts to find short-course and affordable antiretroviral interventions for PMTCT. She co-founded with James McIntyre the Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU) at Baragwanath Hospital, which is now a world-renowned research unit focused on HIV prevention and treatment with grants awarded through competitive international processes from the NIH, USAID, amongst others, amounting to over R120 million pa.

Guillen is currently Biomedical Research Director at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana. He received his Bachelor in Science degree in Chemistry and his Master in Chemistry in 1986 in Odessa I.I. Mechnikov National University, and his PhD degree in Biological Sciences in 1995 from Havana University. He joined the CIGB in 1986. For more than 25 years, he was supervisor of several projects related to prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine developments on hepatitis, dengue, meningitis, pertussis, cancer and COVID as well as drug development against infectious diseases, cancer, cardio protection, neuro-protection and wound healing. Guillen is a Senior Researcher at CIGB, Full Professor at the Havana University and Latino American School of Medicine, Distinguished Professor-at-Large at the University of Science and Technology of China and has been a Member of the Cuban Academy of Science since 2012. He is also member of several scientific societies, editorial boards and advisory committees. He has published 226 scientific papers and holds 56 patents. He has been honored with 52 National Awards for Scientific Results from the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Hong is the head of (Hong Tao) Acadamician’s Lab, Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC; director, Inst. of Biology and Biotech., Beijing Jiaotong University; professor, Peking Union Medical College; and member, Chinese Academy of Engineering, 1995. His contributions include: 1) discovery of the Adult Diarrhoea Rotavirus (ADRV), which has been genetically characterized and classified to be the unique human group B rotavirus; 2) discovery of the morphology and identification of Hantavirus; and 3) pioneering study on Prion diseases in China. His 18 awards include the Meritous Service Award and WHO National Nature Science Awards. His memberships include: Chinese Society of Microbiology; Chinese Medical Association; American Society of Virology; Intl. Soc. of Electron Microscopy; and president, Public Health and Medicine, Pacific Science Association.

Huang (M.S, 1986, Zhejiang University, China) is Academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Fellow Honoris Causa, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist.She is working in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University; she was the president, International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai; Director, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Diseases; Director, Institute of Embryo-Fetal Original Adult Disease Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine; Chair Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Distinguished Professor, Zhejiang University; Honorary Professor, Hong Kong University; Visiting Professor, the University of Adelaide. She was awarded the National Science and technology progress award, China. She is the Chief scientist of National 973 Program, National 12th Five-Year Plan for Science and Technology Support Project, National 863 Program, National Key Research and Development Program of China, International Cooperation Project of China and Canada (National Natural Science Foundation of China).

Hung, PhD, is president for China Medical University and chancellor for China Medical University - Asia University System in Taichung, Taiwan. He was vice-president for basic research and professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas. Hung is a basic scientist with a keen translational vision and especially his recent research effort has significantly contributed to understanding the biology of cancer and to developing combinational cancer therapies to overcome resistance. Up to date, Hung has published more than 600 peer-reviewed articles, of which over 160 were published in journals with impact factor 10 or above. His lifetime h-index reaches to 163 (Google Scholar). He is one of the members of the selection committee for Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science category, and is one of the founding editorial members for Cancer Cell (2002–2020). He serves as member, Molecular Cell Advisory Board (2020–present); senior editor, Cancer Research (2018–2021); editor-in-chief, American Journal for Cancer Research (AJCR) (2015–2017; 2020–present); editor, Cancer and Metastasis Reviews (2018–present).

Nancy Ip is currently the President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and is also The Morningside Professor of Life Science and the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at HKUST. She received her PhD degree in Pharmacology from Harvard University, after which she held the position of Senior Staff Scientist at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in New York. Since joining HKUST in 1993, she has served as the Vice-President for Research and Development, Dean of Science, Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute, and Head of the Department of Biochemistry. Ip is world-renowned for her significant contributions to the field of neuroscience. Her outstanding research has resulted in 328 scientific papers and 70 patents. She has been elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and received numerous awards and honors including the National Natural Science Awards, the L’OREAL-UNESCO for Women in Science Award and the 10 Science Stars of China by Nature.

Prof. Emerita Datuk Dr. Asma Ismail is a woman of many firsts. She was the first female Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia,the country’s first female Director-General of Higher Education, first female President of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and the first woman to be the National Science Advisor to the country. She has a BSc (Biology) from the University of Nevada Reno (UNR), USA, M.A. (Microbiology) from Indiana University, USA and a Ph.D (Cellular and Molecular Biology) from UNR. She was also awarded Honorary Doctoral Degrees from the University of Glasgow, Keele University and Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS). She was elected to the Academy of Sciences Malaysia in 2003, The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) in 2010 and The Islamic World Academy of Sciences in 2016. Asma has 16 patents and commercialized world-wide the rapid diagnostic test for typhoid called TYPHIDOT. She received numerous awards including the National Academic Laureate, the most prestigious national award to a Malaysian academic in 2022.

Jaye (DVM, PhD) is a Professor of Global Health Education and Researcher Leadership at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK, and Head of Research Training and Career Development at the Medical Research Council (MRC), The Gambia Unit at LSHTM. He was HIV Immunology Group Leader at MRC (1998–2018) and Interim Head of the Viral Diseases Program (2008). He headed the MRC West Africa HIV Collaboration Platform from 2010–2015 based at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal. He coordinated two major capacity building network programs (WANETAM & WAPHIR) for the West African region for multi-centre clinical trial collaboration in HIV, TB and Malaria. He is a member of the MRC Leadership Board. He received professional recognition awards: Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation Leadership Award (2007); Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (2015); MRC Director’s Award for Inspirational Research Leader (2013); Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Science and Technology Award for outstanding contribution in the field of Viral Immunology and Research Training (2017); LSHTM Directors award for Excellence and Innovation in Developing Students as Researchers.

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.

Kabir earned his MSc in biochemistry in 1983 from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB), University of Dhaka (DU), Bangladesh and his PhD in nutritional biochemistry in 1990 from the Laboratory of Nutrition, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University, Japan. He then held a postdoctoral position under a joint fellowship with the United Nations University and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) at the National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan (April 1994-April 1995). He was a professor at BMB, DU from December 1997 to January 2023, when he retired. Previously he was associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Life Sciences, Kuwait University, Kuwait (September 2004–June 2009, on leave from DU); associate professor, BMB, DU (December 1991–December 1997); assistant professor, BMB, DU (April 1990–December 1991); and lecturer, BMB, DU (April 1984–March 1990). He was a visiting scientist as a JSPS Fellow at Tohoku University, Japan (December 2003–May 2004); and at Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Karlsruhe, Germany (August 1998–March 1999).

Jorge Kalil is Professor of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Director, Immunology Laboratory, Heart Institute, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo; Adjunct Professor at the GWU, USA; Coordinator, iii-Institute for Investigative Immunology; Former Director, Butantan Institute; Past President, International Union of Immunological Societies. Graduated in Medicine, Doctor of Science in Human Biology, University of Paris VII, in Jean Dausset’s laboratory (Nobel Prize 1980 for HLA). He was Visiting Professor, Stanford School of Medicine, and International Scholar, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He studies the mechanisms of immune recognition and distinction of self and no self, with over 550 publications (ISI) and several patents. He is member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Grand Cross of the Brazilian National Order of Scientific Merit, Chevalier of the National Order of Merit of France, Doctor Honoris causa by Sorbonne Universités and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. He represents Brazil in the ICGEB.

Karunaweera is the chair, senior professor of parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka and honorary visiting fellow at the School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA. Trained as a medical parasitologist she has extensive teaching and research experience in tropical diseases, with special emphases on vector-borne diseases. Elected Fellow of National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka, she is the first Sri Lankan elected as an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and as a Distinguished International Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. She received several research grant awards, both international and local, including Tropical Medicine Research Centre Award, by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, US. Fellowship awards received include Harvard University’s Senior Research Scholar Award (2005/6); Fulbright Advanced Research and Lecturing Award (2005). She is the founder president of Sri Lanka National Chapter of Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) and current president of Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists.

Kayanja is chancellor of Gulu University in Uganda. Doubly qualified in veterinary and human medicine, he attended undergraduate courses at the Universities of London and Oxford, was a postdoctoral researcher at the Nuffied Orthopaedic Unit, University of Oxford, and obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. He has received an honorary causa doctorate and was a gold medalist of the Royal College Medical Association. He was also awarded The Commendeur de l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the Republic of France and the Science Research Excellence Award of the Republic of Uganda. He is a member of the African Academy of Sciences and the Uganda National Academy of Sciences. Research interests: Mammalian reproduction; the vascular role in osteogenesis; Zoonotic diseases; Ecology and the Environment.

Graduated in Medicine in 1953. From 1957 to 1985, worked at the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto-USP. From 1985 to 2010: chaired the Hypertension Unit, Heart Institute of the Medical School of the University of São Paulo (InCor-FMUSP). His main research field is experimental and clinical hypertension, especially the neurogenic mechanism. From 1993 to 2007: President of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. From 1998 to 2002: Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology in Developing Countries (COSTED) of the International Council of Science. From 2000 to 2003: co-chairman of the InterAcademy Pannel-IAP, representing Brazil at the Executive Committee of the InterAcademy Council-IAC (2000-2010), and the Inter-Academy Medical Panel (2010-).He is currently the director for International Relations of the Medical School of the University of São Paulo, member of the National Council of Science and Technology, and the Vice-President of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).

Krishnaswamy is EX- director, Natl. Inst. of Nutrition, Hyderabad, and past president, Nutrition Society of India (NSI). Her work on the prevention of cancer by turmeric highlights the role of malnutrition in cancer and on antimutagens and anticarcinogens in Indian diets. Her awards include: Dr. VN Patwardhan Prize; Dr. Kamala Menon Medical Res. Award, Internal Medicine; Shakuntala amir chand ward; Basant Devi Amirchand ,all 4 of ICMR, Glaxo oration, INSA; Chopra, IPS; BC Guha, IASc; Sita Mahalakshmi Memorial Orations; Best Medical Person Award, AP Akademi of Sciences; SG Srikantia Memorial Lecture Award, NSI; ASTC-Eminent Women Scientist Award; Cert. of Excellence, Indian Medical Assoc.; and Dr. Rajammal P. Devadas Annual Oration Award, Avinashilingam Deemed Univ., Honoured as eminent pharmacologist by IPS,Ramachandran oration of NFI She is fellow of several academies including IUNS.In 2022, she received the"living legend "from IUNS.

Kwok, MD, PhD, graduated at University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. After residency in dermatology and postdoctoral training at Washington University School of Medicine, USA, he joined its faculty in 1993. He was Distinguished Fellow and Director of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Academia Sinica from 2017-2023, and Henry Bachrach Distinguished Professor at University of California San Francisco from 2002-2024. Kwok’s research focused on developing tools and strategies to study the human genome and the role of human variation in common diseases. He holds several patents on genomic analysis tools and played key roles in many large consortia, including the SNP Consortium, the International HapMap Project, the NSIGHT Consortium, and the CSER Consortium. He led the Taiwan Precision Medicine Initiative, where a reference database with genetic profiles and clinical data of 500,000 people was built to improve health through disease risk prediction and tailored heath management guidelines. Kwok is a Fellow of the AAAS and the recipient of the 2022 Chen Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Human Genetic and Genomic Research by the Human Genome Organization.

Dr. Laurencin is the University Professor of the University of Connecticut (the 8th in history). He is the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering. He did his B.S.E. degree in Chemical Engineering at Princeton, his M.D. from Harvard Medical School (Magna Cum Laude) and his PhD from M.I.T.. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering in the U.S.. He is an elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Sciences. the Indian National Academy of Engineering, and an Academician and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He has been honored three times by U.S. Presidents. He received the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award from President Bill Clinton and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama. He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the United States' highest honor for technological achievement in ceremonies at the White House.

Leke Gana Fomban Rose is Professor of Immunology and Parasitology, Fellow, Cameroon Academy of Sciences, Chair Board of Directors of the National Medical Research Institute, IMPM, Vice President of the Scientific Committee of Cameroon First Lady’s Research Centre (CIRCB). Until March 2013, she was Head of Department, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, and Director of the Biotechnology Centre. She was 2014 Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lecturer, University of Ghana and awarded Doctor Honoris Causa. One of six women awarded the 2011 African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award for Women, received the 2012 award for Excellence in Science from The Cameroon Professional Society (CPS), elected International Honorary Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, ASTMH, 2015. Has and still serves as consultant on many WHO committees. Chair of the African Regional commission for Polio eradication, member of the Global Commission. Was Vice-Chair of the (TERG),The Global Fund, is Chair of the MIM Secretariat Initiator of HIGHER Women Cameroon, a consortium of women researchers, she works to empower and mentor young female scientists.

Limonta-Vidal is Regional Director of the Internatonal Science Council (ISC) Reg. Off. for Lat. Am. and the Caribbean. He was head of biotechnology and science adviser, Natl. Inst. of Haematology, Cuba and prof., Medical U. of Havana. He was the founder director general of both the Centre for Biological Research, Cuba (1982-86) and the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cuba (1986-99) and founder of the Centres for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, provinces of Camaguey (1989) and Sancti Spiritus (1990). His honours include: two Dr. (h.c.), Universidad Central, Ecuador and Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico; 2 Medals Comendador Merito Cientifico, Brazil; 3 medals, Natl. Sciences Trade Union, Cuba; member, editorial board, 7 scientific journals; member, 13 natl. and intl. scientific and medical associations; and fellow, Caribbean Acad. of Sciences and Cuban Acad. of Sciences. Member of teh academy of Sciences of The Caribbean (since 2000) of the World Academy of Science (TWAS, since 1995). In the last 28th TWAS General Assambly Meeting in Trieste, Italy, Prof. Manuel Limonta was elected Vice President of TWAS for the period 2019 - 2031.

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.

Shabir Madhi (MD, PhD) is Dean of Health Sciences and Professor of Vaccinology at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also Director of the South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit (Wits-VIDA) and co-director of the African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE). He is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (2012) and Royal Society of South Africa (2016). He is past-president of the World Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases; and past Director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. He is recipient of the European Society for Infectious Diseases Young Investigators Award (2006), National Science and Technology Forum: TW Kambule Award (2009), National Research Foundation: Transformation of the Science Cohort (2010), South African Medical Research Council: Life Time Achievement Award (Platinum Medal; 2013) and European and Developing Countries Clinical Trial Partnership award for Scientific Leadership (2016); Academy of Science South Africa (ASSAf) Gold Medal (2021) and National Science and Technology Forum Life Time Award (2022).