Andra-Diana Cecan | Medicinal Plants | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Andra-Diana Cecan | Medicinal Plants | Research Excellence Award

Univeristy of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”, Cluj-Napoca | Romania

Dr. Andra-Diana Cecan is a physician and academic specializing in physiopathology and laboratory medicine. She earned her MD and PhD in Medicine from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Hațieganu,” Cluj-Napoca, with doctoral research focused on the antitumoral potential of Mahonia aquifolium extracts. She currently serves as Șef de lucrări in Physiopathology and has extensive teaching experience across Romanian, English, and French programs. Her research interests include experimental oncology, inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, and bioactive plant extracts. She has authored numerous ISI-indexed publications, reflecting recognized scientific contribution. Her work integrates education, research excellence, and translational biomedical impact.

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Featured Publications

Aladji Abatchoua Madi Madi Ibram | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Aladji Abatchoua Madi Madi Ibram | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

University of Ebolowa | Cameroon

Dr. Aladji Abatchoua Madi Madi Ibram is a distinguished researcher in Genetics and Plant Breeding at the University of Ebolowa, Cameroon. He holds a Ph.D. in Genetics and Plant Breeding and has demonstrated strong expertise in the application of advanced statistical tools such as DIAL 98 and GEST 98 for diallel crosses and genotype-by-environment interaction studies. His research primarily focuses on the genetic improvement of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), emphasizing the development of high-yielding and nutritionally enriched varieties with significant biochemical compounds to promote sustainable agricultural development and food security. Dr. Ibram’s scientific contributions are reflected in his publications in reputed journals such as Springer’s Journal of Applied Genetics and Vegetos, where his studies on genetic variability and combining ability have been well recognized. He also serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Genetics and Genomics. His research collaborations with the Institute for Agricultural Research and Development further underscore his commitment to enhancing crop productivity through innovative breeding strategies. Dr. Ibram was honored as the Best Researcher in the category of Multivariate Analysis, showcasing his excellence and dedication to advancing plant genetic research.

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Featured Publication

Aladji Abatchoua Madi Madi Ibram. (2025). Genetic analysis of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) for root traits, yield components and seed yield. Journal of Applied Genetics.

Sanjay Kumar Katiyar | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Sanjay Kumar Katiyar | Plant Breeding | Best Researcher Award

CGIAR- AfricaRice | Côte d’Ivoire

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Katiyar is an accomplished geneticist and global agricultural research leader with over three decades of expertise in crop breeding, genetics, and agricultural innovation. He earned his Ph.D. in Genetics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) and completed postdoctoral research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Currently serving as Program Leader for Genetic Diversity & Improvement at CGIAR-AfricaRice, Director of the CGIAR Global Rice Breeding Platform (AfricaRice, IRRI, and CIAT), and Co-Lead of CGIAR’s Breeding for Tomorrow—Accelerated Breeding, he provides strategic and scientific leadership across global breeding initiatives. Dr. Katiyar’s career spans leading roles in CGIAR centers (IRRI, CIMMYT, AfricaRice), multinational seed industries (ADVANTA, BIOSEEDS), and public research institutions (IGKV). His research focuses on accelerated and predictive breeding, genomic selection, gene editing, and data-driven crop improvement for sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. He has secured over $50 million in competitive research grants. Recognized for his leadership and capacity building, Dr. Katiyar has trained over 1,000 scientists and supervised 80 postgraduate researchers, contributing significantly to global food security and the modernization of plant breeding programs across Asia and Africa.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Juma, R. U., Bartholomé, J., Thathapalli Prakash, P., Hussain, W., Platten, J. D., Katiyar, S. K., … (2021). Identification of an elite core panel as a key breeding resource to accelerate the rate of genetic improvement for irrigated rice. Rice.

Nguyen, V. H., Morantte, R. I. Z., Lopena, V., Verdeprado, H., Murori, R., Katiyar, S. K., … (2023). Multi-environment genomic selection in rice elite breeding lines. Rice.

Subbaiyan, G. K., Waters, D. L. E., Katiyar, S. K., Sadananda, A. R., Vaddadi, S., … (2012). Genome‐wide DNA polymorphisms in elite indica rice inbreds discovered by whole‐genome sequencing. Plant Biotechnology Journa.

Katiyar, S. K., Tan, Y., Huang, B., Chandel, G., Xu, Y., Zhang, Y., Xie, Z., & Bennett, J. (2001). Molecular mapping of gene Gm-6 (t) which confers resistance against four biotypes of Asian rice gall midge in China. Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

Kottapalli, P., Gaur, P. M., Katiyar, S. K., Crouch, J. H., Buhariwalla, H. K., Pande, S., … (2009). Mapping and validation of QTLs for resistance to an Indian isolate of Ascochyta blight pathogen in chickpea. Euphytica,

Rameswar Prasad Sah | Plant Breeding | Outstanding Scientist Award

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Dr. Rameswar Prasad Sah | Plant Breeding | Outstanding Scientist Award

ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute | India

Dr. Rameswar Prasad Sah is a Senior Scientist at the ICAR–National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack, specializing in Genetics and Plant Breeding with a research focus on molecular breeding, direct-seeded rice, and the development of early-maturing, high-yielding rice varieties. He earned his B.Sc. (Agri.) with honours from IGKV, Raipur, and completed both his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, where he was the academic topper of his batch. With over 22 h-index, 46 i10-index, 1759 citations, and more than 120 scientific documents, Dr. Sah has made significant contributions to rice genomics, QTL mapping, and marker-assisted breeding. His research integrates physiological, molecular, and genomic tools to enhance stress tolerance and productivity in rice. He has co-authored several high-impact papers in journals such as Field Crops Research, Scientific Reports, and BMC Plant Biology, and contributed to numerous books and NRRI bulletins. His dedication to advancing sustainable rice production has been recognized through awards such as “Best Oral Presentation” at the 13th National Seed Congress (2024). Dr. Sah continues to contribute to national breeding programs and genomic innovations aimed at ensuring food security and climate-resilient rice cultivation in India.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Mohanty, S., Das, S., Panda, D., Choudhury, N. K., Mishra, B., Jena, R. K., Sah, R. P., Chandrappa, A. K., Navadagi, D. B., Raj, R. K. R., et al. (2025, September 29). Identification of novel quantitative trait loci and candidate genes associated with grain yield and related traits under low-light stress conditions in rice. Biomolecules.

Snehi, S., Singh, P. K., Beena, R., Kota, S., Sanwal, S. K., Ravi Kiran, K. T., Anilkumar, C., Chattopadhyay, K., Prakash, N. R., & Sah, R. P. (2025, June). QTL-meta-analysis and candidate gene(s) for anaerobic germination potential in rice. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation.

Anilkumar, C., Sah, R. P., Muhammed Azharudheen, T. P., Behera, S., Mohanty, S. P., Anandan, A., Marndi, B. C., & Samantaray, S. (2025, March). Integrating multi-trait genomic selection with simulation strategies to improve grain yield and parental line selection in rice. Annals of Applied Biology.

Sahoo, U., Biswal, M., Nayak, L., Kumar, R., Tiwari, R. K., Lal, M. K., Bagchi, T. B., Sah, R. P., Singh, N. R., Sharma, S., et al. (2025, March 30). Rice with lower amylose content could have reduced starch digestibility due to crystallized resistant starch synthesized by linearized amylopectin. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Anilkumar, C., Sah, R. P., Beena, R., Muhammed Azharudheen, T. P., Kumar, A., Behera, S., Sunitha, N. C., Pradhan, S. K., Raj, K. R. R., Parameswaran, C., et al. (2023, August). Conventional and contemporary approaches for drought tolerance rice breeding: Progress and prospects. Plant Breeding.

Wohor Zakaria Osman | Weed Science | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Wohor Zakaria Osman | Weed Science | Best Researcher Award

CSIC- Institute for sustainable agriculture | Ghana

Dr Osman Zakaria Wohor earned a BSc in Agricultural Technology (Agronomy) from the University for Development Studies, Ghana, before completing a Post-Graduate Diploma and an MSc (Cum laude) in International Plant Breeding at the CIHEAM-MAZ (Zaragoza) and the University of Lleida, Spain. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics at the University of Córdoba (2019-2025) with distinction. Dr Wohor serves as a Post-Doctoral Associate and Plant Breeder at the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (CSIC-IAS) in Córdoba, leading a soybean breeding programme targeting Mediterranean environments and contributing to a pea-resistance breeding initiative focused on Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi and Orobanche crenata. His research interests centre on germplasm assembly, phenotyping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and breeding crop resilience in legume systems. Dr Wohor has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed publications to date 4documents with a citation count of approximately 44 citations, and an estimated h-index of 3. In summary, Dr Wohor is a dynamic plant breeder bridging global germplasm resources, cutting-edge genomics and applied varietal development in legume crops.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Rispail, N., Wohor, O. Z., Osuna-Caballero, S., Barilli, E., & Rubiales, D. (2023). Genetic diversity and population structure of a wide Pisum spp. core collection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Wohor, O. Z., Rispail, N., Ojiewo, C. O., & Rubiales, D. (2022). Pea breeding for resistance to rhizospheric pathogens. Plants.

Osuna-Caballero, S., Cobos, M. J., Ruiz, C. M., Wohor, O. Z., Rispail, N., & Rubiales, D. (2024). Genome-wide association studies on resistance to pea weevil: Identification of novel sources of resistance and associated markers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Denwar, N. N., & Wohor, Z. (2012). Development of improved soybean varieties adapted to the agro-ecologies and farming systems of the Savanna zones of northern Ghana. CSIR-Savannah Agricultural Research Institute Annual Report.

Rispail, N., Wohor, O. Z., Osuna-Caballero, S., Barilli, E., & Rubiales, D. (2022). Dataset for “Genetic diversity and population structure of a wide Pisum spp. core collection.” Zenodo.