Hossein Bashari | Soil | Best Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hossein Bashari | Soil | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hossein Bashari, Isfahan University Of Technology, Iran

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hossein Bashari is a faculty member at the Natural Resources Department, Isfahan University of Technology, Iran. He specializes in rangeland and desert ecosystem management, with a strong focus on ecological modeling, Bayesian Belief Networks, and decision support systems for sustainable land use. Dr. Bashari earned his PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia, and has led numerous research projects on rangeland functionality, climate impact modeling, and habitat conservation. With a distinguished record of scientific publications and graduate supervision, he is recognized for advancing interdisciplinary approaches to natural resource management in arid and semi-arid environments.

Profile

Scopus

Summary:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hossein Bashari is a seasoned researcher with a strong academic foundation, interdisciplinary expertise, and a significant portfolio of published work in environmental and natural resource management. His unique focus on decision-support tools and ecological modeling for arid and semi-arid ecosystems addresses pressing environmental challenges. His teaching, supervision, and research leadership further reinforce his contribution to science and education.

🎓 Education

Dr. Hossein Bashari holds a PhD in Natural Resource Management from the University of Queensland, Australia, awarded in 2006. He earned his MSc in Range Management from Tehran University in 1998 and his BSc in Range Management and Watershed from Gorgan University in 1996. His doctoral research focused on developing processes and tools to support adaptive management in complex rangeland systems, while his master’s thesis investigated forage quality and its comparison with livestock feed requirements in different rangeland conditions.

💼Experience

Dr. Bashari is an Assistant Professor at the Natural Resources Faculty of Isfahan University of Technology, Iran. He has extensive academic and field experience in rangeland and desert ecosystem analysis, modeling, and management. He has supervised numerous graduate students and has actively participated in national and international conferences, presenting work on ecological modeling, land use change, and environmental impacts. His academic career is complemented by field research on plant ecology, soil analysis, habitat modeling, and the development of decision support systems.

🔬Research Focus

Dr. Bashari’s research primarily explores the application of Bayesian Belief Networks in natural resources and wildlife management. He focuses on modeling rangeland and desert ecosystems, developing diagnostic and predictive decision support systems, and assessing environmental changes using remote sensing and spatial analysis. His work integrates theoretical modeling with applied conservation and land use planning, particularly under conditions of climate change and ecological uncertainty.

🛠️Skills

Dr. Bashari possesses advanced expertise in ecological modeling, remote sensing, and the development of decision support tools using Bayesian Belief Networks. He is skilled in ecosystem function analysis, land condition assessment, GIS, and landscape function analysis. His academic strengths include designing and teaching courses on rangeland ecosystems, desert ecosystems, and plant identification. He demonstrates strong capabilities in research design, data analysis, interdisciplinary collaboration, and academic supervision.

🏆Awards

He received a scholarship from Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology for his PhD studies. He was awarded first place in the national MSc entrance examination for Range Management in 1997 and earned second runner-up for best student paper/poster at the 2006 Cutting Edge Conference hosted by the Australian Rangeland Society.

📚 Publications

Title: Developing habitat suitability models for the endangered plant species Kelussia odoratissima Mozaffarian using management data: Application of Bayesian belief network
Year: 2025
Journal: Environmental Challenges (Open Access)


Title: Extracted of polysaccharides from the roots of Eremurus persicus bioss plant / polyvinyl alcohol: Design and characterization of cellular scaffold for cell culture applications
Year: 2025
Journal: International Journal of Biological Macromolecules


Title: Prioritizing the Risk of Multiple Invasive Species in the Semiarid Rangelands of Iran: An Ecological Approach to Multicriteria Decision-Making
Year: 2025
Journal: Ecology and Evolution (Open Access)

Conclusion:

Dr. Hossein Bashari is highly suitable for the Best Researcher Award, particularly in domains related to environmental science, ecosystem modeling, and sustainable land management. His research is scientifically robust, methodologically advanced, and practically impactful. With minor enhancements in international collaboration and updated outputs, he stands out as a strong, well-rounded contender for this prestigious recognition.

Alexandre Mahougnon Aurel ZOUMMAN | Soil Biology | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Alexandre Mahougnon Aurel ZOUMMAN | Soil Biology | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Alexandre Mahougnon Aurel, Zoumman, Cheikh Anta Diop University , Senegal

Mr. Alexandre Mahougnon Aurel Zoumman is a Ph.D. researcher in Plant Biology at Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal, specializing in plant and microbial biotechnologies. With over seven years of experience in scientific research, project management, and international cooperation, he focuses on climate change adaptation, sustainable food systems, and environmental biotechnology. He is also an experienced bilingual trainer and youth leader, actively engaged in climate advocacy and capacity-building across Africa.

Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Summary:

Mr. Alexandre Mahougnon Aurel Zoumman is a promising early-career researcher whose work bridges academic rigor and real-world application. He demonstrates leadership in science, project coordination, and community training. His research tackles globally significant challenges in agriculture and climate resilience, and he plays a vital role in youth-led environmental advocacy and education.

🎓 Education

Alexandre Mahougnon Aurel Zoumman is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Plant Biology with a specialization in Plant, Microbial Biotechnologies, and Plant Breeding at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. He holds a Master’s degree in Plant Biology with a focus on Plant and Microbial Biotechnologies from the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin, completed between 2018 and 2020. His academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Natural Sciences, specializing in Genetics, Biotechnologies, and Natural Resources, earned from 2012 to 2015.

💼Experience

Zoumman is a seasoned project manager and researcher with over seven years of experience in leading scientific research initiatives, coordinating international projects, and designing innovative solutions in biotechnology and environmental science. From 2022 to the present, he has served as a bilingual trainer for the African Students and Alumni Forum (ASAF), delivering leadership and project management workshops in French and English. Between 2020 and 2021, at CIRAD under the LMI IESOL/LEMSAT collaboration, he managed molecular research on tropical soils and agroecosystems, focusing on nature-based solutions for soil salinization. Prior to that, at IRD’s LMI LAPSE/LCM program from 2019 to 2020, he contributed to research on enhancing legume-rhizobacteria symbiosis as part of the ANR SymEffectors project. His early career included teaching Life and Earth Sciences in Benin’s secondary schools from 2017 to 2018.

🔬Research Focus

Zoumman’s research centers on the application of microbial biotechnologies in agriculture, climate change adaptation, and sustainable food systems. His scientific contributions include a 2021 publication in Scientific Reports on the identification of type III effectors in Bradyrhizobium vignae and their influence on symbiosis with Vigna species. More recently, in 2025, he co-authored a study published in the International Journal of Plant Biology exploring microbial diversity in forest litter-based fermented bioproducts and their effect on tomato growth in Senegal.

🛠️Skills

He is proficient in project leadership and management, encompassing strategic planning, financial oversight, impact evaluation, and team coordination. His research expertise includes molecular biology, microbiology, plant and soil biotechnology, ecology, and climate change adaptation. He is also experienced in designing and implementing bilingual training programs, facilitating cross-cultural communication, and building institutional capacities. Zoumman is highly skilled in digital tools and platforms such as JIRA, Trello, QGIS, R, KOBOCOLLECT, ODK, Amplifix, SerialCloner, and WordPress. Multilingual in French, English, Fon, Mahi, and Goun, he also possesses intermediate proficiency in Mina.

🏆Awards

His academic and professional efforts have earned him several prestigious awards. In 2021, he was recognized as a Youth African Climate Finance Fellow. He received the Orange Knowledge Program award in 2024 and was granted a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) scholarship for his Ph.D. in 2022. Earlier, in 2018, he was a recipient of the Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme scholarship for his Master’s degree.

📚 Publications

Title:
Publisher Correction: Identification of type III effectors modulating the symbiotic properties of Bradyrhizobium vignae strain ORS3257 with various Vigna species
Year:
2021
Authors:
Pongpan Songwattana, Clémence Chaintreuil, Jenjira Wongdee, Neung Teaumroong, Eric Giraud, et al.
Journal:
Scientific Reports

Conclusion:

Mr. Zoumman is a strong candidate for the Research for Best Researcher Award. His combination of scientific innovation, international collaboration, leadership in climate and agricultural research, and commitment to societal impact through training and advocacy makes him a role model for early-career researchers in Africa and beyond. With further growth in research impact metrics and innovation output, he has the potential to become a global leader in his field.

Hui Cao | Soil Biology | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Hui Cao | Soil Biology | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Hui Cao, Nanjing Agricultural University, China

Hui Cao is a Professor at Nanjing Agricultural University, China, specializing in soil microbial diversity and its ecological functions. He holds a Ph.D. in Soil Science from the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on microbial community structure, carbon and nitrogen cycling, and microbial interactions in agricultural soils. Dr. Cao has led several national research projects and published extensively in international journals. He also serves as Deputy Director of the Soil Ecological Professional Committee of the Soil Science Society of China.

Profile

Scopus

Summary:

Mr. Hui Cao is a seasoned soil microbiologist with a prolific research career focused on microbial ecology, sustainable agriculture, and environmental safety. His publications, funded projects, patents, and leadership roles reflect a strong commitment to research excellence. His work is multidisciplinary, collaborative, and geared toward solving real-world problems in agriculture and environmental science.

🎓 Education

Hui Cao earned his Ph.D. in Soil Science from the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, between 1998 and 2001. Prior to that, he obtained his M.S. in Soil Science from Nanjing Agricultural University in 1998, following a B.S. in Geography from Anhui Normal University in 1991.

💼Experience

Hui Cao is currently a Professor at Nanjing Agricultural University, a position he has held since December 2012. His work encompasses both teaching and research. From 2006 to 2012, he served as an Associate Professor at the same university. His early career included a postdoctoral fellowship at Nanjing Agricultural University from 2002 to 2006, as well as a research assistant role at the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences from 2001 to 2002.

🔬Research Focus

Mr. Cao has led or participated in numerous research projects funded by national and provincial bodies. Notably, he is involved in projects exploring the metabolic functions of dark carbon dioxide bacteria driven by redox processes in paddy soils, bio-depolymerisation of plastics, and tillage and fertilization technologies for coastal farmlands. He has published widely in respected journals such as Microbiome, The ISME Journal, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, and Journal of Hazardous Materials, with over 40 publications between 2017 and 2025.

🛠️Skills

Hui Cao’s research primarily centers on soil microbial diversity and its ecological functions. He has extensive expertise in microbial community analysis, carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil systems, myxobacterial predation mechanisms, and microbial-mediated biodegradation. His work also covers soil amendment effects on microbial networks, plastic-degrading bacteria, and environmental microbiology in both agricultural and urban contexts.

🏆Awards

Hui Cao has been recognized for his contributions to the field through multiple patents, including methods for detecting Salmonella and E. coli in soil and identifying plant growth-promoting bacteria. From 2016 to 2025, he has served as the Deputy Director of the Soil Ecological Professional Committee under the Soil Science Society of China.

📚 Publications

Title: Abundant taxa enhanced stability of fungal communities according to reduced nitrogen fertilization
Year: 2025
Authors: Han H., Zhang B., Liu H., Cao H., Wang F.
Journal: Soil and Tillage Research

Title: Reapplication of glyphosate mitigates fitness costs for soil bacterial communities
Year: 2025
Authors: Liu H., Zhang C., Zhang B., Han H., Cao H.
Journal: Journal of Environmental Management

Title: Discovery of a polyester polyurethane-degrading bacterium from a coastal mudflat and identification of its degrading enzyme
Year: 2025
Authors: Zhang L., Cao K., Liu H., Cui Z., Cao H.
Journal: Journal of Hazardous Materials

Title: Sex, health status and habitat alter the community composition and assembly processes of symbiotic bacteria in captive frogs
Year: 2024
Authors: Liu S., Imad S., Hussain S., Yu X., Cao H.
Journal: BMC Microbiology

Title: Spatiotemporal evolution and assembly processes of ammonia-oxidizing prokaryotic communities in 1,000-year-old coastal reclaimed soils
Year: 2024
Authors: Hussain S., Yin Y., Liu S., Cao H., Wang F.
Journal: Pedosphere

Title: Competitive relationships due to similar nutrient preferences reshape soil bacterial metacommunities
Year: 2024
Authors: Han H., Liu H., Zhang B., Li C., Cao H.
Journal: Science of the Total Environment

Conclusion:

Mr. Hui Cao is highly suitable for the Best Researcher Award. His sustained research output, innovative contributions, and leadership in soil microbiology make him a compelling candidate. Strengthening his international collaborations and visibility through awards and outreach would further solidify his position as a leading researcher in his field.

Nafiseh Kakhani | Soil Mapping | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Nafiseh Kakhani | Soil Mapping | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Nafiseh Kakhani, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany

Dr. Nafiseh Kakhani is a researcher and lecturer at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany, specializing in Earth observation, remote sensing, and machine learning. She holds a PhD in Remote Sensing Engineering from K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, where she focused on spectral-spatial classification of high-resolution multispectral images. Her research interests include AI-driven geospatial analysis, explainable machine learning, digital soil mapping, and land cover classification. She has extensive experience in deep learning, computer vision, and statistical modeling for environmental applications. Dr. Kakhani has received prestigious awards, including the Best Poster Award at the 2023 IEEE IADF-GRSS School, and has published widely in her field.

Profile

Scopus

Summary:

Dr. Kakhani is a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award due to her innovative contributions to explainable AI applications in soil science. Her interdisciplinary research and ability to integrate AI-driven approaches into environmental studies make her work highly relevant and impactful. She has contributed significantly to understanding soil organic carbon dynamics, a crucial factor in climate change mitigation and sustainable agriculture.

🎓 Education

Nafiseh Kakhani holds a PhD in Remote Sensing Engineering from K N Toosi University of Technology in Tehran, Iran, where she specialized in spectral-spatial classification of high-resolution multispectral images using segmentation methods. She completed her MSc in Remote Sensing Engineering from the same university, focusing on integrating neural networks and fuzzy systems to improve classification methods in hyperspectral images. She earned her BSc in Geomatics and Geodesy Engineering from the University of Isfahan, where she developed a statistical classification method for Multi-Beam Echo Sounder data.

💼Experience

She is currently an Earth Observation and Machine Learning Scientist at The LandBanking Group GmbH in Munich, where she applies machine learning techniques to environmental monitoring and land assessment. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Tübingen, where she conducted research in remote sensing and taught courses on deep learning, photogrammetry, and the fundamentals of remote sensing. She has also worked at the Iranian Space Agency, focusing on remote sensing sensor calibration and spectral library preparation. Additionally, she has mentored Master’s students in GIS, remote sensing, and machine learning and has been a guest speaker at international workshops and conferences.

🔬Research Focus

Her research focuses on computer vision for Earth observation, explainable machine learning, deep learning, statistical machine learning, pattern recognition, and Earth system science. She has worked extensively on AI-driven geospatial analysis, digital soil mapping, land cover classification, and the development of deep learning frameworks for remote sensing applications.

🛠️Skills

She is proficient in Python, using libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit-learn, as well as MATLAB and JavaScript for Google Earth Engine applications. She has expertise in geospatial software, including ArcGIS, QGIS, ENVI, ERDAS IMAGINE, and Agisoft Metashape. She is experienced in cloud computing platforms such as Google Cloud, AWS, and Tübingen ML Cloud, enabling her to process large-scale remote sensing datasets efficiently.

🏆Awards

She received the Best Poster Award at the 2023 IEEE IADF-GRSS School for her work on SoilNet, a spatio-temporal deep learning framework for digital soil mapping. She was a top-ranked graduate student in both her MSc and BSc programs and was admitted to her MSc without an entrance exam, a privilege reserved for exceptional students in Iran.

📚 Publications

Publication: Towards Explainable AI: Interpreting Soil Organic Carbon Prediction Models Using a Learning-Based Explanation Method

Authors: N. Kakhani, R.T. Mehrjardi, D. Omarzadeh, U. Heiden, T.J. Scholten

Journal: European Journal of Soil Science

Year: 2025

Conclusion:

Dr. Nafiseh Kakhani is a highly suitable candidate for the Best Researcher Award. While there is always room for further growth, her expertise and achievements in applying AI to soil science place her among the leading researchers in this field.