Simeon Omale is a Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. With expertise in molecular mechanisms of natural products for diabetes management, Professor Omale and his team have significantly contributed to developing natural products for diabetes drug development, reducing costs and development time. Over 20 years, he has researched antidiabetic effects of plants and mushrooms, providing training and formulation lines for antidiabetic supplements. As Team Leader at the Africa Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development, he has published over 50 papers and recently collaborated with the University of Strathclyde, UK, to study insulin signaling pathways. His expertise spans natural product research, formulation, and drug development. His research interests include using Drosophila Insulin-like Peptides (DILP) receptor models and 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell lines to unravel molecular mechanisms of natural products for type 2 diabetes management.

Dr. Ana Carla Leite de Almeida is a Senior Research Officer at James Cook University, Queensland, Australia, with extensive expertise in sustainable agriculture and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) research. She has developed an ESG program to support sugarcane farmers in Australia, helping to integrate sustainability principles into agricultural practices.

An environmental scientist with international recognition, Dr. Almeida specializes in developing, implementing, and evaluating socio-environmental projects and policies aimed at promoting sustainability, sustainable land management, and regenerative agroecosystems. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science in 2020, where she conducted baseline analyses, developed sustainability indicators, and designed multi-stakeholder frameworks to assess sustainable planning strategies based on economic, social, and environmental criteria, contributing to the local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Her research interests include:
✔ Sustainable agriculture research.
✔ Market trends and their impact on agricultural practices.
✔ Policy analysis related to agriculture and food systems.
✔ Sustainable practices in crop and livestock production.

Sharon Jacob is a PhD scholar at Department of Postharvest Management in College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala, India. She has published 3 research articles in peer reviewed journals as lead author, one research article as second author, 2 review articles, 3 book chapters and 3 popular articles. She secured Young Researcher Award at the 6th International Conference ‘Holistic Innovations and Technological Advances for Sustainable Agriculture (HITASA-2024)’. Also, she was awarded with the best poster presentation at National Seminar on ‘Advances in functional foods and nutraceuticals: Bioactive compounds, fermentation and value addition’ organized by Association of Food Scientists and Technologists in India (AFSTI), Thrissur chapter in association with Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University; and third best oral presentation award at National e-conference on “Opportunities and Challenges: Arid Horticulture” organized by School of Agriculture, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, India.

Quratul Ain is a distinguished educational professional currently contributing to Global Banking School in London, UK. With over a decade of professional experience, Quratul Ain has established herself as a thought leader in her field. She is a member of Chartered Management Institute, UK. She is also a Fellow of Advance HE, UK A champion of lifelong learning, Quratul Ain actively engages in prestigious leadership initiatives such as the pioneer Women in Leadership program at the University of Oxford. Her research exemplifies a synergy of academic rigor and visionary insight, driving impactful transformations in the field of education. Her groundbreaking work in “Generative Leadership in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, and Strategic foresight in involves anticipating technological trends, understanding AI’s impact on business and society, and proactively shaping organizational strategies. Her career is marked by significant achievements in research incorporating quality assurance and control methods ensures that AI systems are reliable, ethical, and aligned with organizational standards, fostering sustainable growth and resilience.

Gregory Cohen is Professor Assistant at EPOC laboratory (Bordeaux INP-University of Bordeaux), France. With expertise in organic contaminant transfer in soil, aquifers and plants, he has significantly contributed to understand organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) dynamic at the soil-plant interface with the discover of inter and intraspecific variations in cucurbits contamination, mainly in reproductive organs, as well as OCPs accumulation and allocation in several plant species which allowed the determination of their phytoextraction potential for the remediation of historically contaminated agricultural soils.

Agata Matarazzo Is Associate Professor of Commodity Sciences at the Economic & Business Department – University of Catania (Sicily), where she teaches Technology of Sustainability Productions, and Quality Environmental and Safety Management Systems. She obtained the Ph.D. She specialized at Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) and at Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). She is member of the following scientific societies: IFORS (The International Federation of Operational Research Societies); SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry ); IGWT (International Society of Commodity Science and Technology); ANAHEI (Association of North America Higher Education International).

Hiroto Hara is a senior manager at a major Japanese telecommunications company, with extensive experience in technology development, business planning, and project management. He is also responsible for managing the company’s ISO 9000 Quality Management System. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Science Tokyo, researching innovation science and management of technology. His primary research interests include quality and technology management, engineering ethics, and risk management. He holds the title of Professional Engineer certified by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan.

Bung-Orn Hemung is an Associate Professor at the School of Applied Science, Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies, Khon Kaen University, Thailand. She earned a Ph.D. in Food Technology from Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) in 2008 through a joint program with the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. She was awarded a Brain Korea 21 Postdoctoral Fellowship at Chonnam National University (CNU), South Korea, in 2011. She has published articles in the field of science and technology, with a focus on fishery and meat products. Her current research interests are focused on the vaporization of food industry by-products for the development of novel food products.

Monica Scordino is a professional in the field of food science and technology. She earned her degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Catania and furthered her expertise with two PhDs—one in Food Technology and another in Agricultural Chemistry and Eco-Compatibility. Since 2008, Monica has been a member of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, specifically within the Inspectorate for Quality Control and Anti-Fraud in the Food Sector. In her role as head of a team of analysts, she focuses on food additives. Over the years, she has been committed to the monitoring and regulation of food additives available in the market. Her diligent work has led to the identification of numerous significant international fraud cases, earning her recognition and resulting in several scientific publications.

Yuanxiao Ze, a second-year Ph.D. student at Wageningen University & Research, currently working on developing risk-based methods for food safety inspection frequencies. She received master’s degree in food security from the University of Edinburgh and a bachelor’s in food safety and quality. Yuanxiao’s research focuses on identifying factors that affect food safety risks in food business operations. In the upcoming presentation, she will highlight key findings from a systematic review that examines various risk factors and underscores the need for further research and standardization in the field.

My name is Shamika Cudjoe, born and raised in the beautiful island of Trinidad and Tobago that lies in the Caribbean Sea. I have always had a passion for science and hence my academic life would have eventually led to research in the field of science and engineering. During that lifetime, I would have attained a BSc. in Physics (Honors) and then I went on to the engineering field, where I completed the MSc. in Environmental Engineering followed by the MPhil in Civil Engineering at UWI. I went on to work as the Operations Manager at the Water and Wastewater Utility of Trinidad and Tobago, where a problem within my field was realized. As such, I explored the problem with the University, to bring resolve to this issue my country faced. It is this topic I would discuss.

I also enjoy teaching where I currently conduct training for wastewater process plant operations, under the National Training Agency for Caricom States (CANTA). In the past I would have tutored and demonstrated labs at the Physics Department at UWI and taught Physics and Mathematics at a renowned High School. My hobbies include fitness and showing dogs.

Fabiana Galland is a researcher at the Institute of Food Technology (ITAL), São Paulo, Brazil. Professor of the master’s postgraduate program in Food Science and Technology at ITAL. Participates in the Editorial Board of Foods and Brazilian Journal of Food Technology. She is PhD in biochemistry, with expertise in Food Science and Technology. Her research interest is in agroindustry byproduct, protein and peptide hydrolysis and sequencing, digestion process, physic-chemical characterization, bioactivity evaluation in cell culture and in silico analysis. Extensive experience in planning and coordinating scientific projects, guidance, teaching and laboratory activities.

Dr. Pelin Kavur is currently a research assistant at the Department of Food Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) in Turkey. Her research focuses on developing multifunctional biodegradable films, coatings and bioactive gels for food packaging applications. She has expertise in the area of delivery systems of active compounds. At the conference, she will present her work on developing an effective encapsulant film matrix using chitosan composites with surface active pulse proteins by ultrasound treatment. Now, she is continuing postdoctoral studies in food chemistry and biochemistry under Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yemenicioglu at IZTECH.

I am a researcher at Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Center, Egypt. I recently received my doctorate in plant genetics from Cairo University, Faculty of Agriculture, genetics department. In 2014, I was honored with the National Research Center Award for International Publication in Science and Technology. My research interests lie in understanding and improving the genetics of abiotic stress tolerance traits in crops and genotype-phenotype association, with a particular emphasis on wheat plants.  Using of both biotechnological and traditional breeding methods are two of my basic research tools. My goal is to release improved wheat varieties that tolerate abiotic stresses with good end-use quality.