Stephanie Coronado | Plant Ecology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Stephanie Coronado | Plant Ecology | Best Researcher Award

University of South Florida | United States

Stephanie M. Coronado is a postdoctoral fellow in the Geography and Environmental Science Program at the University of South Florida, where she began her appointment. She earned her PhD in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz (2013). Her research centers on ant–plant mutualisms, canopy ecology, tropical agroforestry and herbivore-community assembly — for example exploring how keystone ant species shape arboreal ant diversity and how plant–ant mutualists influence caterpillar communities. She has published peer-reviewed articles in journals such as Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution and Biotropica, and has additional manuscripts in preparation for submission to high-impact journals. Her research contributions include investigations of species-pool effects, ontogeny of mutualistic ant-plants, and agroecological biodiversity patterns. Recognized for her work with awards such as the Outstanding Graduate Student Assistant Award (University of Nevada, Reno, 2024) and the Diana Hadley-Lynch Scholarship (2023-24), she also contributes as a peer-reviewer for multiple ecology and entomology journals. In her ongoing career she aims to deepen our mechanistic understanding of how biotic interactions drive diversity patterns under global change.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Coronado, S. M., López-Muñoz, R., Morris, J. R., & Jiménez-Soto, E. (2025). A keystone ant species drives patterns of arboreal ant diversity in the canopy of a tropical coffee agroforest. Myrmecological News.

Coronado, S. M., Vincent, A. G., Pozos, F. H., Espinoza Siezar, L. A., & Pringle, E. G. (2025). Challenges in the early ontogeny of a mutualistic plant: Resource availability and plant defense in juvenile Cecropia ant-plants. Biotropica.

Villamarín-Cortez, S., Hankin, L., Coronado, S. M., Macdonald, J., & Noriega, J. A. (2022). Diversity and distribution patterns of Ecuador’s dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae). Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.

Kristen McNamara | Plant Stress Physiology | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Kristen McNamara | Plant Stress Physiology | Best Researcher Award

Southern Rural Water | Australia

Kristen McNamara is an environmental scientist and climate change professional with extensive experience in natural resource management, conservation, and policy implementation. She holds a Master of Environment from The University of Melbourne, where she focused on climate adaptation, mitigation, ecosystem restoration, and circular economy principles, and a Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) with Honors from The University of Queensland. Currently serving as Climate Change & Environment Lead at Southern Rural Water, Kristen has led initiatives to achieve net-zero emissions, developed the company’s Climate Adaptation Plan under the Climate Change Act (2017), and facilitated multi-unit committees to drive climate action. Her international experience includes serving as a youth delegate at UNFCCC COP25, coordinating coral reef and turtle conservation projects in Malaysia, and engaging in community-led environmental programs across Australia. Kristen’s research interests span climate policy, water resource management, blue carbon ecosystems, and sustainable agricultural practices. She has published multiple papers in environmental science and conservation. Recognized for leadership and innovation, she has received awards including the Dean of Science Leadership Award, the Our Catchments, Our Communities Women in Leadership Grant, and various marine conservation prizes. Kristen continues to advance sustainable environmental solutions while mentoring future leaders in climate action.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publication

McNamara, K., Greet, J., Mole, B., & Jones, C. S. (2025). Livestock grazing and dense willow shading negatively impact instream plant growth. River Research and Applications.

Seyed Reza Fani | Plant Pathology | Plant Disease Control Innovation

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seyed Reza Fani | Plant Pathology | Plant Disease Control Innovation

Plant Protection Research Department, Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Yazd | Iran

Dr. Seyed Reza Fani is an Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology at the Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Yazd, Iran. He holds a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch of Tehran, completed in 2013. His doctoral research focused on utilizing atoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates to control aflatoxin contamination in pistachio nuts. Dr. Fani’s professional journey includes roles as a researcher and expert in plant pathology laboratories within the Iranian Plant Protection Organization and the Agriculture Organization of Sistan-Baluchistan province. His research interests encompass mycotoxin management, biological control agents, and integrated pest management strategies. He has contributed to over 5 H- index, with more than 95 citations. His work has been presented at various international conferences, including the MYCOKEY International Conference and the International Mycotoxin Conference. Dr. Fani’s expertise is instrumental in advancing sustainable agricultural practices in Iran.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Fani, S. R., Nouri Gharansaraei, S., Rezaee, S., Mohammadi-Moghadam, M., Zamanizadeh, H. R., & Shahbazi, S. (2025, December). Gamma-induced Trichoderma guizhouense mutants: Enhanced biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in cucumbers and improved environmental stress tolerance. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection.

Fani, S. R., & Moradi, M. (2025, May 15). An overview of pistachio gummosis: A comprehensive analysis. Tropical Plant Pathology.

Nouri Gharansaraei, S., Fani, S. R., Rezaee, S., Mohammadi-Moghadam, M., Zamanizadeh, H. R., & Shahbazi, S. (2025, March 27). Gamma-induced Trichoderma guizhouense mutants: Enhanced biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in cucumbers and improved environmental stress tolerance.

Kazemi, A., Sedaghati, E., Fani, S. R., Moradi, M., & Nadi, M. (2023). Effect of sulfur on toxigenic Aspergillus flavus in vitro. Journal of Nuts.

Mohammadi-Moghadam, M., Fani, S. R., Ghasemi, M., & Aldaghi, M. (2023). Population density of Aspergillus section Flavi and aflatoxin content in different types of pistachio nuts. Journal of Chemical Health Risks.

Yang Hu | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Yang Hu | Sustainable Agriculture | Best Researcher Award

Central South University of Forestry and Technology | China

Hu Yang is a researcher specializing in artificial intelligence applications in agriculture and forestry, currently with the Artificial Intelligence Application Research Institute at Central South University of Forestry and Technology. With a focus on multi-modal data fusion, computer vision, and deep learning, Hu has contributed to over 10 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, The Plant Journal, Information Fusion, and European Journal of Agronomy, with several manuscripts under revision or review. His work has achieved a total of 5documents, over 13 citations, and an h-index of 2, reflecting a strong influence in AI-driven plant disease recognition, image segmentation, and data augmentation techniques. Hu has led multiple projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation and university-level innovation programs, including multimodal agricultural and forestry disease assessment systems and forest area road crack detection using reinforcement learning. His research interests include multi-modal machine learning, image-based disease detection, precision agriculture, and smart forestry monitoring. Recognized with numerous awards such as the National Scholarship (2025) and Outstanding Graduate (2024), Hu continues to advance AI frameworks that bridge cutting-edge computational methods with practical applications, aiming to improve crop health, sustainable forestry, and environmental protection through intelligent, data-driven solutions.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publication

Mendes, L. de C., et al. (2025). AMF: A multi-modal framework for crop leaf diseases segmentation. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.

Syed Inzimam Ul Haq | Plant Physiology | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Syed Inzimam Ul Haq | Plant Physiology | Best Researcher Award

Masaryk University, Czech Republic

Dr. Syed Inzimam Ul Haq is a passionate plant physiologist and PhD candidate at Masaryk University, Czechia, specializing in the analysis of photosynthetic activity using advanced biophysical methods such as in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence and spectral reflectance. With over 3 peer-reviewed publications and a strong research portfolio, he has an h-index of 1, over 13 citations. He holds an M.Phil. and BS in Botany from Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan, and currently serves as a part-time cooperating staff member at the Department of Experimental Biology, Masaryk University. He has previously worked as a Lab Assistant and a Biology Teacher in Pakistan. His research interests include plant stress physiology, chlorophyll fluorescence, nanotechnology, CRISPR genome editing, and sustainable agriculture. He has presented his work at national and international conferences and mentored multiple undergraduate and postgraduate students. Notable projects include studies on the phytoremediation potential of crops and the physiological adaptation of plants under space-mimicking environments like Antarctic regolith. With a consistent Q1 publication record and international collaborations, Dr. Haq is committed to advancing knowledge in plant science and making impactful contributions to global agricultural sustainability.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Haq, S. I. U., Hájek, J., & Barták, M. (2025). From Antarctic regolith to lunar greenhouses: Mechanistic insights into Brassica rapa Photosystem II dynamics for sustainable space agriculture. Life Sciences in Space Research.

Haq, S. I. U., Tariq, F., Sama, N. U., Jamal, H., & Mohamed, I. H. (2025). Role of autophagy in plant growth and adaptation to salt stress. Planta, 261, 49.

Ullah, Z., Haq, S. I. U., Ullah, A., Asghar, M. A., Seleiman, M. F., Saleem, K., Zeng, F., Sama, N. U., Kamran, K., & Ahmad, S. (2024). Effect of green synthesized silver nanoparticles on growth and biochemical profile of Pearl millet under NaCl stress. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 1–20.

Haq, S. I. U., Zheng, D., Feng, N., Jiang, X., Qiao, F., He, J. S., & Qiu, Q. S. (2022). Progresses of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in forage crops. Journal of Plant Physiology, 179, 153860.

Xie, Y., Haq, S. I. U., Jiang, X., Zheng, D., Feng, N., Wang, W., He, J.-S., & Qiu, Q. S. (2022). Plant genome editing: CRISPR, base editing, prime editing, and beyond. Grassland Research, 1–10.

 

Pommaret Jean-Francois | Mathematical Physics | Lifetime Achievement Award

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Prof. Pommaret Jean-Francois | Mathematical Physics | Lifetime Achievement Award

CERMICS/ENPC | France

Jean-François Pommaret is a French mathematician and mathematical physicist, now Emeritus Researcher at École des Ponts ParisTech (CERMICS), whose work bridges differential geometry, partial differential equations, algebraic analysis, and gauge / gravity theory. He graduated from École Polytechnique and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (X64) and obtained further training in mathematics and theoretical physics (Paris VI).  His research interests include the formal theory of partial differential equations, Lie pseudogroups, differential sequences (Janet, Spencer), homological algebra, differential modules, gauge theory, and the mathematical foundations of general relativity and gravitational waves. In particular, he has advanced the idea that the Einstein equations cannot be parametrized analogously to Maxwell’s equations, and he applies double duality and extension modules in differential homological algebra to reexamine the structure of the Riemann, Ricci, and Weyl tensors in various dimensions. His contributions also revisit classical elasticity (Cosserat theory), conformal geometry, and the interplay of gauge theory and gravitation. Throughout his career, he has promoted computational and algorithmic approaches (e.g. via Pommaret bases) to problems in differential algebra and mathematical physics. He is known for provocative claims about the (non)existence of gravitational waves from a rigorous mathematical standpoint, prompting debate and further study in the mathematical physics community.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Pommaret, J.-F. (2025, September 30). Differential Galois theory and Hopf algebras for Lie pseudogroups. Axioms, 14(10), 729.

Pommaret, J.-F. (2025, September 24). Electromagnetism and gravitation: A conformal jigsaw puzzle. Journal of Modern Physics.

Pommaret, J.-F. (2025, March). Why black holes cannot exist? Open Access Government.

Pommaret, J.-F. (2025, March 26). From differential sequences to black holes. Journal of Modern Physics.

Pommaret, J.-F. (2024, December). From computer algebra to gravitational waves. Journal of Applied Mathematics,

Shabeer Ahmad Dar | Plant Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Shabeer Ahmad Dar | Plant Biotechnology | Best Researcher Award

CSIR-IIIM | India

Dr. Shabeer Ahmad Dar is an accomplished plant biotechnologist with a Ph.D. in Plant Tissue Culture and Mutagenesis from the University of Kashmir, India, and currently serves as a Research Associate focusing on tissue culture, mutagenesis, and genetic transformation for improving medicinal and ornamental plants. With experience as a contractual lecturer and assistant professor, he has led and contributed to multiple projects in micropropagation, in vitro mutagenesis, secondary metabolite production, and plant conservation biology. His work has resulted in several high-impact journal publications, including studies on Atropa acuminata (In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant), callus induction, antioxidant profiling, and ethnomedicinal surveys. He has accumulated about 58 citations and holds an h-index of 3. He earned a Young Scientist Award in Plant Sciences in 2022. His research interests lie at the interface of plant biotechnology, synthetic biology, stress physiology, mutagenesis, and conservation of endangered medicinal germplasm. He also mentors junior researchers and promotes collaborative, interdisciplinary research. In future, he aims to expand transgenic approaches, metabolic engineering, and sustainable production of bioactive compounds while continuing efforts in plant conservation and capacity building in biotechnology.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Dar, S. A., Nawchoo, I. A., Tyub, S., & Kamili, A. N. (2022). In vitro culture and biochemical and antioxidant potential of the critically endangered medicinal plant Atropa acuminata Royle ex Lindl of Kashmir Himalaya. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant.

Dar, S. A., Nawchoo, I. A., Tyub, S., & Kamili, A. N. (2021). Effect of plant growth regulators on in vitro induction and maintenance of callus from leaf and root explants of Atropa acuminata Royle ex Lindl. Biotechnology Reports, 31, e00688.

Dar, S. A., Gulzar, N., Lone, I. M., & Mohammad, H. B. (2020). Ethnomedicinal plants used by tribal community of district Pulwama with special reference to Tehsil Tral, Jammu and Kashmir–India. International Research Journal of Plant Sciences, 11(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.14303/irjps.2020.005

Dar, S. A., Nawchoo, I. A., Tyub, S., & Kamili, A. N. (2021). An updated overview of Atropa acuminata Royle ex Lindl: A critically endangered medicinal plant of Kashmir Himalaya. Research and Reviews: Journal of Botanical Sciences.

Dar, S. A., Nawchoo, I. A., Tyub, S., & Kamili, A. N. (2020). Plant cell cultures: Important methods for production of secondary metabolites. Journal of Research and Development.

Faizah Urooj | Plant Pathology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Faizah Urooj | Plant Pathology | Best Researcher Award

Department of botany | Pakistan

Dr. Faizah Urooj is a plant pathology researcher with an h-index of 10, 220 total citations, and over 17documents indexed in Scopus. She earned her M.Phil/Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Karachi (2012–2019), focusing on biocontrol potential of endophytic Penicillium spp. against root-rotting fungi and root-knot nematodes, and holds a B.S. (4-year) in Botany (2011) where she studied lead effects on seed germination. Currently, she is a Teaching Associate (since June 2025) in the Department of Botany, University of Karachi, after serving as Visiting Assistant Professor (Feb–Jun 2025) at the same institution, as well as previously (Jan–Jun 2022) at Federal Urdu University, and as an Assistant Professor / IPFP-Fellow (Dec 2020–Dec 2021). She is Associate Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Earth Management (JSEM). Her research interests include plant–microbe interactions, endophytic fungi, seaweed biostimulants, systemic resistance induction, molecular profiling (GC-MS, gene expression), and biological disease control. She has secured funding as Principal Investigator for an HEC-SRGP project on sunflower systemic resistance enhancement via fungi and seaweed. She has completed training such as the National Faculty Development Program (2020) and Project Management fundamentals (2021). Her contributions earned recognition in national capacity-building programs. In conclusion, Dr. Urooj is an active researcher and educator advancing sustainable phytopathology and biocontrol strategies in Pakistan.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Urooj, F., Azam, M., Riaz, S., Farhat, H., & Sohail, N. (2025). Elucidation of the anti-phytopathogenic and hepatoprotective potentials of Halimeda tuna*: A comprehensive phytochemical assessment using GC–MS profiling with emphasis on its bioefficacy against root rot disease.

Urooj, F., Riaz, S., Ummulbaneen, Nawaz, F. M., & Gul, S. (2025). Carbon sequestration potential of woody vegetation in public institutions: A case study of University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan. Global NEST Journal.

Urooj, F., Farhat, H., & Riaz, S. (2025). Biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi and seaweed (Padina pavonica) against root rotting fungi in sunflower. Journal of Horticultural Science and Technology.

Urooj, F., Farhat, H., Riaz, S., Azam, M., & Sohail, N. (2025). Evaluation of combined application of endophytic fungi and Melanothamnus afaqhussaini against phytopathogens in Helianthus annuus L. In M. F. Nawaz, S. Gul, & Z. S. Siddiqui (Eds.), Climate change mitigation and environmental amelioration through plants and other sustainable practices.

Urooj, F., Farhat, H., Riaz, S., & Azam, M. (2024). Combined role of endophytic fungi and seaweeds in induction of systemic resistance in sunflower against root rotting fungi, and GC–MS profiling of mycelium of Penicillium citrinum. Pakistan Journal of Botany.

Debashree Borthakur | Plant Microbiology | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Debashree Borthakur | Plant Microbiology | Best Researcher Award

Assam Don Bosco University | India

Dr. Debashree Borthakur is a research scholar in Microbiology at Tripura University, with a strong foundation in microbial biotechnology and environmental microbiology. She holds a Master’s degree in Microbiology from Bangalore University and ranked 5th in her university. With a CSIR-NET qualification (AIR-31), her research work focuses on microbial applications in health, environment, and biotechnology, including screening of aroma-producing microbes, microbial remediation of plastic toxicity, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. She has authored several research articles and has two national patents filed—on an OCR pen and a deep convolutional neural network model for colon cancer detection. With an h-index of 3, 5 Scopus-indexed documents, and over 12 citations, her contributions are growing steadily in the scientific community. She has served as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals and technical program committee (TPC) member for reputed international conferences like CSNT, IEEE TALE, and CICN. Her work has been recognized with awards such as the National Biotech Youth Award and General Proficiency Award. Actively engaged in academic seminars, FDPs, and national/international conferences, she bridges interdisciplinary knowledge in life sciences and engineering. Her research integrates innovation, microbiology, and AI, aiming for impactful solutions in health, agriculture, and sustainability.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Borthakur, D. (2024). Screening and Characterization of Aroma and Flavour Producing Bacteria and Yeast from Traditional Fermented Food and Beverages of Northeast India. Proceedings of the International Conference on Communications, Electronics and Digital Technologies (NICEDT).

Borthakur, D. (2023). Evaluation of Tea Rhizospheric Microbes in Promoting Seed Germination and Plant Growth – An Alternative Strategy Using Biofertilizer. Proceedings of the International Conference on Modern Trendz in Microbiology.

Borthakur, D. (2022). Bioprospectation of Plant-Associated Endophytes in Plastic Degradation. Proceedings of the International Conference at NIT Jalandhar.

Borthakur, D. (2022). Microbial Pathogenesis and Recent Advances in Diagnosis of Omicron. Proceedings of the International Conference by Palamuru University.

Borthakur, D. (2020). Microremediation: A Natural Technology Towards Remediation of Plastic Toxicity. Proceedings of BIOINVENTION’20 – Advances in Biosciences.

Urjashi Bhattacharya | Agronomic Practices | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Urjashi Bhattacharya | Agronomic Practices | Best Researcher Award

The Neotia University | India

Dr. U. Bhattacharya is an agronomy scholar and educator with a doctoral degree specializing in conservation agriculture, climate-smart farming, and integrated nutrient management. Over four years as a university research scholar, she has conducted intensive research on rice–pulse cropping systems, focusing on enhancing ecosystem services (soil, air, and water) in the Gangetic Plains through sustainable agronomic practices. Her M.Sc. work examined the effects of nitrogen levels on a heat-tolerant potato variety, while her Ph.D. thesis explored the management of rice followed by lentil under conservation tillage and varying nutrient doses. She participated in the SRFSI project (in collaboration with ACIAR) in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, gaining experience in resilient farming system intensification. Dr. Bhattacharya is proficient in experiment planning, statistical analysis, instrument handling, and scientific communication, and has presented her research at several national and international seminars on soil health, sustainable agriculture, agrochemicals, climate resilience, and biodiversity. She has published multiple peer-reviewed papers in crop science and agronomy, holds an h-index of 4 with six publications and 294 citations, and has received certificates of excellence in peer review along with a design patent for a portable crop diagnostic spectrometer. Passionate about advancing agricultural education and research, she aspires to excel as a faculty member in plant science academia, inspiring students through innovative teaching and pursuing high-impact interdisciplinary research in sustainable agriculture.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Bhattacharya, U., & Sarkar, S. (2018). Conservation agriculture: A climate-smart approach to achieve zero hunger. Current Advances in Agricultural Sciences, 18(2), 78–83.

Bhattacharya, U., Saha, A., & Saha, A. (2019). Response of heat tolerant variety (Kufri Surya) of potato (Solanum tuberosum) under different levels of nitrogen. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 37(1), 1–7.

Bhattacharya, U., Sarkar, S., & Dewanjee, S. (2019). Bio-efficacy evaluation of oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC for controlling weeds in potato crop. Journal of Crop and Weed, 15(3), 201–208.

Maitra, S., Hossain, A., Brestic, M., Skalicky, M., Ondrisik, P., Gitari, H., Brahmachari, K., Shankar, T., Bhadra, P., Palai, J. B., Jena, J., Bhattacharya, U., Duvvada, S. K., Lalichetti, S., & Sairam, M. (2021). Intercropping—A low input agricultural strategy for food and environmental security. Agronomy, 11(2), 1–28.

Bhattacharya, U., Naskar, M. K., Venugopalan, V. K., Sarkar, S., Bandopadhyay, P., Maitra, S., Gaber, A., Alsuhaibani, A. M., & Hossain, A. (2023). Implications of minimum tillage and integrated nutrient management on yield and soil health of rice-lentil cropping system – being a resource conservation technology. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7, Article 1225986.