Hanan Samir Ebrahim | Plant Biotechnology | Women Researcher Award

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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hanan Samir Ebrahim | Plant Biotechnology | Women Researcher Award

National Research Centere | Egypt

Hanan S. Ebrahim is an Associate Professor in the Plant Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Centre (NRC), Cairo, Egypt. She earned her BSc in Chemistry–Botany from Cairo University, an MSc in plant regeneration and transformation, and a PhD in molecular and physiological studies on salt-stress tolerance. With progressive experience from Assistant Researcher to Associate Professor, her research focuses on plant tissue culture, genetic transformation, metabolic engineering, nano-biotechnology, secondary metabolite production, and genome editing. She has led and contributed to numerous national projects, supervised postgraduate research, reviewed scientific journals, and published extensively, advancing sustainable plant biotechnology and bioactive compound production.

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Featured Publications

Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández | plant science | Excellence in Research award

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Prof. Dr. Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández | plant science | Excellence in Research award

Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena | Spain

Ginés Benito Martínez Hernández is a Senior Lecturer at the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT), where he also serves in the Agricultural Engineering Department. He earned a PhD in Advanced Techniques in Agricultural and Food Research and Development from UPCT in 2012, following his MSc and technical engineering degree in food and agricultural industries. He has completed advanced international training in postharvest technology and food microbiology through programs in the USA, Italy, and the Netherlands. His research focuses on nanotechnology-driven solutions for food preservation, including active packaging, nanoencapsulation of plant bioactive compounds, natural antioxidants, food safety, and shelf-life improvement. Dr. Martínez Hernández has authored 105 scientific publications, including 88 JCR-indexed papers—70 in Q1 journals—along with book chapters and Acta Horticulturae contributions. His works have received 3360 citations from 105 documents, with an h-index of 34, demonstrating his strong scientific influence. He holds multiple patents and has led and contributed to numerous European, national, and industry-funded research projects. As a mentor, he has supervised PhD and postgraduate students who now contribute to research and innovation sectors. His work bridges academic excellence, industrial collaboration, and societal benefit through safer, high-quality, and more sustainable food systems.

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Featured Publications

Martínez-Hernández, G. B., Navarro-Martínez, A., & López-Gómez, A. (2025). Carnauba wax enriched with encapsulated plant essential oils into native β-cyclodextrins as an innovative wax coating on citrus fruits. Industrial Crops and Products.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Saura-Martínez, J., Taboada-Rodríguez, A., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Gómez, A., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). Influence of industrial processing of artichoke and by-products on the bioactive and nutritional compounds. Food Engineering Reviews.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Avilés, F. J., Juárez-Marín, M., Saura-Martínez, J., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). New artichoke flours with high content of bioactive compounds. Applied Sciences.

Tortosa-Díaz, L., Martínez-Hernández, G. B., López-Avilés, F. J., Juárez-Marín, M., Saura-Martínez, J., & Marín-Iniesta, F. (2025). New artichoke flours with high content of bioactive products.

Nieto, G., Martínez-Zamora, L., Peñalver, R., Marín-Iniesta, F., Taboada-Rodríguez, A., López-Gómez, A., & Martínez-Hernández, G. B. (2024). Applications of plant bioactive compounds as replacers of synthetic additives in the food industry. Foods,

Sonia Malik | Plant Biotechnology | Excellence in Plant Tissue Culture

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Prof. Dr. Sonia Malik | Plant Biotechnology | Excellence in Plant Tissue Culture

Baba Farid Group of Institutions | India

Dr. Sonia Malik, Ph.D. in Plant Biotechnology, is an accomplished researcher and academic leader currently serving as Professor and Dean of Research and Development at the Baba Farid Group of Institutions, India. She has produced more than 65 research publications (documents), which have collectively received over 1660 citations and earned her a strong h-index of 23, demonstrating her significant global scientific impact. Dr. Malik earned her PhD from the CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology & Guru Nanak Dev University in 2009, specializing in in vitro culture systems and secondary metabolite production. She has held prestigious research and teaching positions in India, Brazil, Australia, the UK, the Czech Republic, France, and South America, contributing to major projects in plant metabolic engineering, hairy root cultures, hydroponic and aeroponic systems, phytochemical profiling, and nanoparticle-mediated elicitation. Her research focuses on the biotechnological production of high-value bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. She has received notable awards, including the Fellow Award from the Society for Plant Research (2025), along with competitive grants and fellowships from FAPESP, FAPEMA, and CNPq. Dr. Malik continues to advance interdisciplinary scientific progress worldwide through her roles as an editor, reviewer, symposium organizer, and invited speaker.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Jacinto, C., Javed, Y., Lavorato, G., Tarraga, W. A., Conde, B. I. C., Orozco, J. M., Picco, A. S., Garcia, J., Dias, C. S. B., Malik, S., et al. (2025). Biotransformation and biological fate of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical research and clinical applications. Nanoscale Advances.

Luz, T. R. S. A., Serejo, A. P. M., Moraes, M. B. C., Oliveira, J. A. R. N., Heena, Kumaraguru, G., Shanmugam, G., Malik, S., Amaral, F. M. M., & Coutinho, D. F. (2025). Essential oils to treat insomnia: Clinical-based studies. In Essential Oil-Bearing Plants.

Jacinto, C., Silva, W. F., Garcia, J., Zaragosa, G. P., Ilem, C. N. D., Sales, T. O., Santos, H. D. A., Conde, B. I. C., Barbosa, H. P., Malik, S., et al. (2025). Nanoparticles-based image-guided thermal therapy and temperature feedback. Journal of Materials Chemistry B.

Malik, S., Salvatore, M. M., Bauchet, L., Bruat, M., Roubinet, B., Carpin, S., Andolfi, A., Cimmino, A., Landemarre, L., Masi, M., et al. (2025, November). Hydroponic cultivation technique in Populus nigra (L.) for the sustainable production of root metabolites with antimicrobial and prebiotic potential for skin microbiota. Industrial Crops and Products.

Heena, Sharma, P., Shaveta, Sharma, D., Pawan, R., Coutinho, D. F., Arroo, R., & Malik, S. (2025, June 20). Exploring the bioactive components of Stevia essential oil and their versatile applications in the food, cosmetic, and agricultural domains. Chemistry & Biodiversity.

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.

Zelna Booth | Plant Microbiology | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Zelna Booth | Plant Microbiology | Best Researcher Award

University of the Witwatersrand | South Africa

Author Profile

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👩‍⚕️ Summary

Zelna Booth is a passionate academic lecturer and registered pharmacist at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. With a strong foundation in pharmacy and a research focus on traditional medicinal plants and antimicrobial interactions, she champions integrative healthcare approaches. Having completed her PhD on the interaction of traditional medicines with conventional antimicrobials, she aims to bridge indigenous knowledge systems with modern pharmaceutical sciences to improve patient outcomes.

🎓 Education

Zelna obtained her Bachelor of Pharmacy (with distinction) in 2011, followed by a Master of Pharmacy (also with distinction) in 2014. Her academic journey culminated in a PhD, with a dissertation focused on the prevalence and antimicrobial interactions of traditional medicine in South African hospitals. Her academic rigor reflects a deep commitment to healthcare innovation rooted in cultural relevance and scientific validation.

💼 Professional Experience

Currently a lecturer in the Division of Pharmacy Practice, Zelna actively mentors postgraduate students, leads research projects, and engages in curriculum development. She has contributed to academia through local and international presentations, authorship in reputable journals, and consultancy roles such as the PharmApprentice initiative with Aspen Pharmacare. Her leadership includes academic representation on the PSSA Southern Gauteng committee.

📚 Academic Citations

With a Scopus h-index of 2 and Author ID: 56152911800, Zelna has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and a book chapter on natural products combating antimicrobial resistance. She is also an active reviewer for respected journals like the South African Pharmaceutical Journal and Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

🛠️ Technical Skills

Her expertise spans pharmaceutical microbiology, pharmacognosy, antimicrobial resistance, toxicity assays, and in vitro combination interaction studies. She is adept at integrative medicine research and applying laboratory insights to clinical and public health frameworks.

👩‍🏫 Teaching Experience

Zelna has supervised 12 postgraduate students to successful degree completion and has presented research at over 10 national and 2 international conferences. She contributes significantly to pharmacy education, focusing on evidence-based practice, pharmacology, and student mentorship.

🔬 Research Interests

Her primary interests include interactive antimicrobial efficacy analysis, indigenous medicinal plants, toxicological safety, antimicrobial resistance, and integrative healthcare systems. She advocates for evidence-based synergy between traditional healing and modern medicine to tackle global health challenges.

📖Publications

Conventional Antimicrobial and Medicinal Plants from a Traditional Medicine Market in South Africa: An Interactive Antimicrobial and Toxicity Study
  • Authors: Zelna Booth, Sabiha Essack, Sandy van Vuuren
  • Journal: Antibiotics
  • Year: 2025
Toxicity and antimicrobial interactions with conventional antimicrobials of commonly traded medicinal plants from Faraday muthi market (Johannesburg, South Africa)
  • Authors: Zelna Booth, Gugulethu Khumalo, Sandy Van Vuuren
  • Journal: South African Journal of Botany
  • Year: 2024
The pattern of antibiotic utilisation among intensive care unit patients hospitalised in a Gauteng (South African) provincial tertiary hospital: Comparing findings before and during COVID-19
  • Authors: L. Spinickum, Zelna Booth, S. Leigh-de Rapper
  • Journal: South African Medical Journal
  • Year: 2024
 Impact of Illegible Prescriptions on Dispensing Practice: A Pilot Study of South African Pharmacy Personnel
  • Authors: Zelna Booth
  • Journal: Pharmacy
  • Year: 2022
Can rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea have an effect on conventional antimicrobial therapies?
  • Authors: Hübsch, Z.; Van Vuuren, S.F.; Van Zyl, R.L.
  • Journal: South African Journal of Botany
  • Year: 2014