Nihed Ben Halima | Biotechnology | Women Researcher Award

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Dr. Nihed Ben Halima | Biotechnology | Women Researcher Award

Nihed Ben Halima | University of Sfax | Tunisia

Dr. Nihed Ben Halima is a distinguished Doctor-Engineer in Biology with extensive expertise in biological engineering, plant enzymology, lipidomics, proteomics, and the valorization of oat (Avena sativa L.) biomolecules for food and nutraceutical applications. He earned his Ph.D. from the National School of Engineers of Sfax, Tunisia, in 2015, with a dissertation focusing on enzymes and oil from oat for biomolecular production. Dr. Ben Halima has accumulated significant academic and research experience, serving as a faculty member at the National School of Engineers of Sfax, the Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, and the Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sfax, where he taught courses in enzymology, biochemistry, histology, nutrition, and food sciences. His research portfolio encompasses international collaborations, including stays in France and Cameroon, and contributions to global projects such as high-rate algal ponds for wastewater treatment. He is a prolific author with over 22 peer-reviewed publications, 17 book chapters, and multiple books, totaling 1,172 citations by 1,134 documents and an h-index of 17. His work spans plant lipolytic enzymes, glycoside hydrolases, essential oils, and bioinformatic analyses, demonstrating a commitment to advancing sustainable biotechnological solutions. Dr. Ben Halima is also actively engaged in scientific reviewing and social networks, including Web of Science, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar, highlighting his influence in the global scientific community.

Profiles:  Scopus | Orcid | Research Gate 

Featured Publications

  • Ben Halima, N. (2020). Insight into cellulose-based nanomaterials – A pursuit of environmental remedies. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 163, 1480–1486.

  • Ben Halima, N. (2019). Unique sequence signatures in plant lipolytic enzymes. IGI Global.

  • Ben Halima, N. (2019). Analysis of glycoside hydrolases from oat (Avena sativa) seedling extract. Bioinformation, 15, 678–688.

  • Ben Halima, N. (2019). New insights into phospholipases in oat (Avena sativa) from bioinformatic analysis. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 133, 804–810.

Erika Calderon Medina | Earth | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Erika Calderon Medina | Earth | Best Researcher Award

Erika Calderon Medina | University of Leeds | United Kingdom 

Erika Elizabeth Calderon Medina is a senior geoscientist with over 16 years of combined industry and academic experience across Europe, Africa, and South America, specialising in 3D subsurface modelling, geomechanical analysis, seismic and petrophysical interpretation, and CO₂ storage assessment. Her PhD at Durham University (2024) advanced understanding of pore pressure evolution in basins such as the Gulf of Mexico, New Zealand, and West Africa through innovative thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling and geological reconstruction. She has held key roles at the University of Leeds, OMV Petrom in Romania, and Petrobras in Argentina and Ecuador, successfully leading multidisciplinary teams, enhancing reservoir development strategies, and improving hydrocarbon recovery. Erika has contributed to both exploration and mature field optimisation, delivering workflows that informed drilling, reservoir connectivity, and risk mitigation. Her research outputs are recorded on ORCID, reflecting impact across academic and industry domains. Fluent in English and Spanish, with additional proficiency in Portuguese and Japanese, she combines technical expertise with cross-cultural collaboration. Alongside her professional work, she remains engaged with emerging developments in energy transition, CO₂ storage, and subsurface risk reduction.

Profile:  Orcid 

Featured Publications

Calderon Medina, E. E., Obradors‐Prats, J., Aplin, A. C., Jones, S. J., Rouainia, M., & Crook, A. J. L. (2025). Modeling overpressure development and the mechanical behavior of sediments in a complex, tectonically active setting: East Coast Basin, New Zealand. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.

Obradors-Prats, J., Calderon Medina, E. E., Jones, S. J., Rouainia, M., Aplin, A. C., & Crook, A. J. L. (2023). Integrating petrophysical, geological and geomechanical modelling to assess stress states, overpressure development and compartmentalisation adjacent to a salt wall, Gulf of Mexico. Marine and Petroleum Geology.

Calderon Medina, E. E., Obradors-Prats, J., Aplin, A. C., Jones, S. J., Rouainia, M., & Crook, A. J. L. (2023, April 24). 1D hydro-geomechanical modelling of pore pressure on an active convergent margin: East Coast Basin, New Zealand. In Proceedings of the Offshore Technology Conference.

Calderon, E., & Gangatharan, G. (2015, June 1). Limitation of data in model generation – Zemeș Field, Romania. In Proceedings of the 77th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2015.

Aysen Davraz | Earth | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Aysen Davraz | Earth | Best Researcher Award

Aysen Davraz | Suleyman Demirel University | Turkey

Prof. Dr. Aysen Davraz is a distinguished hydrogeologist with an extensive academic and research portfolio that spans over three decades. Born on November 17, 1970, she earned her BSc, MSc, and PhD in Geological Engineering and has steadily advanced through academic ranks, becoming a full professor in 2016. With a prolific research output of 45 indexed documents, her work has garnered 2,323 citations across 2,059 citing documents, demonstrating her broad influence in the fields of hydrogeochemistry, geothermal systems, groundwater sustainability, climate change impacts, and water resource management. Her scholarly impact is further reflected in an impressive h-index of 20, highlighting both productivity and sustained citation relevance. She has supervised numerous master’s and doctoral theses, contributed chapters to international books, authored a scientific monograph, and actively participated in 25 research projects as director or investigator. Prof. Davraz has published widely in leading SCI and SCI-Expanded journals and presented her findings at international conferences through 28 full papers and 14 abstracts. She also holds leadership roles as President of the Association of Hydrogeological Engineers and Water Resources Research and is an active member of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, reinforcing her standing as a globally recognized expert in groundwater science and environmental geosciences.

Profiles:  Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

  • Davraz, A., Nalbantçılar, M. T., İştin, A. E., Kadırhan, G., & Çelik, S. (2025). Hydrogeochemistry properties of thermal waters and health risk assessment in Şırnak geothermal fields (Turkey). Carbonates and Evaporites. 

  • Şener, E., & Davraz, A. (2025). Future drought projections with CMIP6 in Eğirdir Lake basin (Türkiye). Natural Hazards. 

  • Davraz, A., & Aksever, F. (2025). Geochemical processes in groundwater chemistry: A case study. Carbonates and Evaporites. 

  • Şener, E., & Davraz, A. (2025). Prediction of future drought characteristics over the Southwest Turkey using CMIP6 models. Pure and Applied Geophysics.

  • İştin, A. E., Kadırhan, G., Çelik, S., Nalbantçılar, M. T., & Davraz, A. (2025). Evaluation of thermal tourism potential of Şırnak. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism. 

  • Şener, E., & Davraz, A. (2024). Comparison of drought indices in the analysis of temporal and spatial changes of climatic drought events: A case study in the Eğirdir Lake basin (Isparta/Turkey). Natural Hazards.

Upma Bhatt | Agricultural | Young Scientist Award

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Dr. Upma Bhatt | Agricultural | Young Scientist Award

Upma Bhatt | Case Western Reserve University | India

Dr. Upma Bhatt is a dedicated Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Plant Physiology and Stress Biology at IIT Delhi under the DBT-RA program, recognized for her outstanding contributions to abiotic stress research, chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, and desiccation tolerance mechanisms in plants. With a strong academic foundation culminating in a Ph.D. in Botany from Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MLSU), Udaipur, she has built an impressive research portfolio comprising 22 publications, 249 citations, and an h-index of 9, reflecting her growing influence in the field of plant science. Her expertise spans plant stress physiology under drought, salinity, and submergence conditions; photosynthetic efficiency analysis using advanced JIP-test and Triple JIP techniques; and developmental studies on embryo physiology and seed priming. Dr. Bhatt’s commitment to sustainable plant biotechnology and nanoparticle phytotoxicity studies further enhances the applied relevance of her work. She has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Best Researcher and Young Scientist Awards, underscoring her excellence in innovative plant research. With a passion for developmental physiology and collaborative research, Dr. Bhatt continues to explore the intricate mechanisms underlying plant adaptation and resilience, contributing significantly to advancing stress biology and agricultural sustainability.

Profile:  Scopus

Featured Publications

Bhatt, U.,(2025). Veterinary medicines: An emerging threat to soil, water, and plants. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution.

Bhatt, U.,(2025). Impact of synthetic and herbal dyes on photosynthesis and ROS scavenging enzyme activities in Spirodela polyrhiza. Scientific Reports.

Paskari Odoi | Science Integration | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Paskari Odoi | Science Integration | Best Researcher Award

Paskari Odoi | Makerere University | Uganda

Dr. Paskari Odoi is an emerging Ugandan scholar and Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Makerere University, with a strong research focus on medical anthropology and public health. He holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and is currently pursuing a PhD in Medical Anthropology at Makerere University. His growing academic influence is reflected in 4 published documents, 5 citations, and an h-index of 1, indicating his early yet impactful contributions to social and health sciences research. Dr. Odoi has co-authored significant studies such as ethnographic analyses on schistosomiasis perceptions and barriers to mass drug administration, published in high-impact journals like BMC Public Health and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. His research integrates sociocultural insights with public health strategies to address persistent tropical diseases in Ugandan communities. A recipient of prestigious awards such as the Erasmus+ Mobility Scholarship and the FibroScHot PhD Scholarship (Makerere–Cambridge collaboration), he actively participates in international scientific conferences and peer reviews for leading journals. Through his teaching, field research, and scholarly engagements, Dr. Odoi continues to build a strong foundation for impactful academic and applied social research in health, inequality, and development.

Profile:  Scopus

Featured Publications

Anyolitho, M. K., Neema, S., Odoi, P., Adriko, M., Vennervald, B. J., Tukahebwa, E. M., & Wilson, S. (2025). Community insights into societal causes of and solutions for schistosomiasis transmission in Lake Albert fishing villages: A participatory approach. Health and Place

Saliha Ahmad | Soil-Plant | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Saliha Ahmad | Soil-Plant | Best Researcher Award

Saliha Ahmad | Case Western Reserve University | United States

Dr. Saliha Ahmad, a PhD candidate in Biology at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio), is an emerging researcher specializing in plant–microbe interactions, microbial ecology, and sustainable agriculture. Her scientific contributions focus on unraveling the mechanisms through which beneficial microbes enhance plant tolerance to environmental stress, combining molecular biology, bioinformatics, and field-based ecological approaches. She has co-authored 3 peer-reviewed publications, which have collectively received 125 citations across 123 documents, resulting in an h-index of 3—reflecting her growing impact in microbial and environmental sciences. Dr. Ahmad’s publications in high-quality journals such as Plant and Soil, Frontiers in Plant Science, and Environmental Science and Pollution Research explore microbial detoxification, biosorption, and plant–soil–microbe interactions. She is currently leading an innovative project supported by the Research Foundation of the American Rhododendron Society, aimed at developing microbiome-based bioinoculants (“Yogurt for your Plants”). Her strong command of molecular techniques, sequencing data analysis in R, and experimental design, coupled with awards like the Greer Memorial Conference Award (2024) and Oglebay Research Fund, highlight her excellence and potential as a future leader in sustainable plant–microbiome research.

Profile:  Scopus

Featured Publications

Ali, B., Hafeez, A., Ahmad, S., Javed, M. A., et al. (2022). Bacillus thuringiensis PM25 ameliorates oxidative damage of salinity stress in maize via regulating growth, leaf pigments, antioxidant defense system, and stress-responsive gene expression. Frontiers in Plant Science.

Lakshmikanthan P | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Lakshmikanthan P | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Lakshmikanthan P | Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Fourth Paradigm Institute | India

Dr. Lakshmikanthan P, Senior Scientist at CSIR-4PI, Bangalore, and Assistant Professor at AcSIR, is a distinguished environmental engineer and researcher with a strong academic and professional background. His research focuses on greenhouse gas measurement, climate change modeling, solid waste management, and sustainability engineering, contributing significantly to environmental forecasting and urban health risk assessment. He has published 25 peer-reviewed journal papers, along with several conference papers, technical articles, and book chapters, reflecting a consistent research output and collaborative engagement in the scientific community. His scholarly influence is underscored by 331 citations received from 291 documents, establishing a solid foundation of academic recognition. With an h-index of 11, Dr. Lakshmikanthan demonstrates both the quality and impact of his scientific contributions, particularly in waste management and landfill engineering. His pioneering work on landfill fire prevention, bioreactor performance, and methane estimation has guided practical advancements in environmental protection. As an active mentor, he supervises multiple Ph.D. and master’s students, nurturing the next generation of environmental researchers. Through his interdisciplinary expertise and impactful publications, Dr. Lakshmikanthan continues to advance sustainable solutions addressing critical challenges in environmental systems.

Profile:  Scopus

Featured Publications

Santhosh, L. G., & Lakshmikanthan, P. (2024, July 14). Quantification of methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfill using Land GEM model.

Riffat Rahim | Soil Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Riffat Rahim | Soil Science | Best Researcher Award

University of Leipzig | Germany

Dr. Riffat Rahim is an accomplished soil scientist with a strong research portfolio and international experience across Germany, Canada, and Pakistan. She has contributed significantly to soil chemistry, rhizosphere processes, mucilage dynamics, salinity management, and phosphorus behavior in calcareous soils. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences from Forschungszentrum Jülich and the University of Bonn, a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Soil Science from Bahauddin Zakariya University. She has authored 4 scientific documents, accumulated 40 citations, and holds an h-index of 4, reflecting the visibility and impact of her publications. Her work spans experimental studies, pore-scale simulations, and field-relevant investigations, with research outputs published and additional manuscripts under review. She has presented at major platforms such as the EGU General Assembly, World Congress of Soil Science, DBG Germany conferences, and international workshops on spectroscopy and bioeconomy. Professionally, she serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Rostock and has held roles as a Visiting Scientist, Doctoral Researcher, and Research Assistant in leading institutions. Her technical mastery includes XANES, GC, HPLC, tomography, atomic absorption, and advanced data analysis using Python, R, and Origin. She is multilingual and experienced in laboratory management, project execution, and scientific communication.

Profile:  Scopus

Featured Publications

Nazir, M. J., Hussain, M. M., Albasher, G., Iqbal, B., Khan, K. A., Rahim, R., Li, G., & Du, D. (2024). Glucose input profit soil organic carbon mineralization and nitrogen dynamics in relation to nitrogen-amended soils. Journal of Environmental Management.

Gelase Nkurunziza | Agricultural | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Gelase Nkurunziza | Agricultural | Best Researcher Award

Makerere University  | Burundi

Gelase Nkurunziza is a dedicated agricultural researcher and plant breeder with strong expertise in maize improvement and biotechnology, currently pursuing a PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology at Makerere University, Uganda, where he has been enrolled since March 2022. He holds an MSc in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems from Makerere University (2017) and a BSc in Agronomy from the University of Burundi (2008). He further enhanced his skills in molecular biology through a competitive ABCF Fellowship at the BecA ILRI Hub in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2018, focusing on molecular breeding in maize. Professionally, Nkurunziza has extensive experience in maize research, beginning his career as a researcher in the maize program at ISABU, Gisozi Research Station, Burundi (2008–2013), before advancing to maize plant breeder and research activity coordinator at ISABU from 2016 to 2018. His work has contributed significantly to maize breeding strategies, addressing challenges in seed systems and improving crop productivity. Proficient in English and French, with good skills in speaking, writing, reading, and understanding, he bridges international research collaborations effectively. With a clear focus on applying plant breeding innovations to enhance food security, Nkurunziza continues to build a career dedicated to advancing sustainable agriculture in Africa.

Profile:  Orcid

Featured Publications

Genome-wide association study of biological nitrogen fixation traits in mini-core cowpea germplasm

Identifying Optimal Lines for Enhanced Symbiotic Performance in a Mini‐Core Collection of Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]

Genetic and Environmental Effects on Nodulation and Yield Among Selected Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp) Genotypes in Uganda

Performance and inheritance of yield and maize streak virus disease resistance in white maize and yellow conversions

Stability in performance of normal and nutritionally enhanced highland maize hybrid genotypes in Eastern Africa

Nahla Hemdan | Soil Water | Best Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nahla Hemdan | Soil Water | Best Researcher Award

National Research Center | Egypt 

Dr. Nahla A. Hemdan, an Egyptian researcher specializing in soil and water sciences, irrigation systems, and sustainable agriculture, has significantly contributed to advancing eco-friendly farming practices and soil management strategies. She earned her Ph.D. in Irrigation Systems from Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany, and her M.Sc. in Soil Sciences from Assiut University, Egypt . Her research integrates modern irrigation technologies, soil amendments, and organic–mineral resources to address challenges of salinity, water scarcity, and soil degradation, with practical applications for crops such as olives, jojoba, flax, lupine, and Valencia oranges. She has authored impactful publications, including works on biochar, compost, nano-fertilizers, vermicompost, saline soil reclamation, and AquaCrop modeling, which are widely recognized in international journals such as Water, Future of Food: Journal of Food, Agriculture & Society, and Current Science International. Beyond research, she has actively participated in international internships in China and India, training programs on climate change, molecular modeling, and data analysis, as well as organizing workshops and conferences on sustainable agriculture and water management. Her academic influence is reflected in her h-index of 3, 3 scientific documents, and 13 citations, highlighting her growing impact in the fields of soil fertility, irrigation technology, and sustainable land use.

Profiles:  Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

“Reclamation and Improvement of Saline Soils Using Organo–Mineral Resources, Treated Saline Water, and Drip Irrigation”