Edmundo Tulcanaza | Environmental Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Edmundo Tulcanaza | Environmental Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Universidad Politecnica De Madrid | Germany

Edmundo Tulcanaza is a seasoned mining engineer and researcher whose work bridges mining, geostatistics, resource economics, and sustainable extraction of strategic minerals. Educated at Universidad de Chile (Mining Engineering, 1966), he pursued postgraduate studies in Geostatistics & Mineral Economics at École des Mines Paris (1971), later completing an MSc in Geospatial Technologies at Universität Münster (2022), and is currently a PhD candidate at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (2023-2026) studying ecosystems of strategic minerals. Over decades in academia and industry, he has lectured in Chile and Peru, worked as a research assistant at Harvard, been senior engineer in the USA, served as Managing Director of Mineral Resources & Mine Projects at CODELCO Chile, and since 2011 acted as senior consultant for mine asset certification, valuation, and strategic management. His research interests focus on natural capital valuation in mineral ecosystems, mine development risk, exploration decision-making, and resource/reserve reporting under international standards (e.g. NI 43-101, CRIRSCO). Among his major contributions is the book Evaluación de Recursos y Negocios Mineros. He has been awarded recognitions like the Alexander Sutulov award (Chile, 2008) and held leadership roles including in CRIRSCO. His h-index and citation counts are not publicly verified in major indexing services at this time, but his work is widely cited in mining economics and resource estimation. He continues to influence both policy and practice in sustainable mining asset reporting.

Profiles : Orcid |Scopus

Featured Publication

Tulcanaza, E. (2025). “Towards sustainable extraction of lithium-bearing brine resources: Role of natural capital in the High Andes business strategies” in Mineral Economics.”

Amohelang Lehloa | Public Health Analytics | Best Researcher Award

Ms. Amohelang Lehloa | Public Health Analytics | Best Researcher Award

University of Cape Town | Lesotho

Ms. Amohelang Lehloa is a dedicated Registered Audiologist and Public Health professional with expertise in audiological rehabilitation, hearing technology, adult education, and evidence-based practice. She has built her career around advancing hearing healthcare, supporting community health initiatives, and contributing to impactful research in audiology and public health. Her clinical and academic journey reflects a strong commitment to patient-centered care, strategic project management, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Fluent in Sesotho and English, she integrates her skills in clinical audiology, supervision, and public health education to foster sustainable healthcare solutions and improve therapeutic outcomes for diverse populations.

Professional Profile

Orcid

Education

Ms. Lehloa holds a Master’s degree in Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology from the University of Cape Town, complemented by an Honours degree in Audiology from the same institution. Her educational background equips her with a robust understanding of both the clinical and epidemiological aspects of healthcare, enabling her to bridge the gap between individual patient care and population health strategies. Additionally, she has pursued international education, which has broadened her perspective on global health challenges and innovations in audiological science.

Experience

Her professional experience spans clinical practice, academic teaching, research coordination, and project management. As a Clinical Audiologist at HearSense, she performs comprehensive hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings, vestibular and tinnitus management, and aural rehabilitation while actively engaging in public health outreach programs. Previously, she served as Project Manager for the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA), where she managed research collaborations, regulatory compliance, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven project reporting across international institutions. She also contributed to academia as a Public Health Lecturer and Audiology Tutor at the University of Cape Town, supervising clinical students and developing curriculum content to enhance future professionals’ competencies. Furthermore, her early leadership as Head of SHAWCO Audiology in a student-led non-profit organization underscores her dedication to serving underserved communities through early hearing loss detection, intervention, and awareness campaigns.

Research Interest

Ms. Lehloa’s research interests include comorbidities affecting pregnant women living with HIV, high-frequency audiometry in children, and the integration of public health strategies into audiological care. Her work explores the intersection of communicable and non-communicable diseases in maternal health, the diagnostic value of high-frequency hearing assessments, and patient and public involvement (PPI) in research design and implementation. She has participated in international working groups such as the Forgaty-IeDEA mentorship program and has presented her findings at global platforms, including the CROI conference in Denver, Colorado, USA. Her research activities emphasize improving health outcomes through evidence-based approaches and collaborative data analysis.

Awards

Throughout her academic and professional journey, Ms. Lehloa has been recognized for her excellence and leadership. She is a recipient of the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship, awarded to outstanding young scholars from Sub-Saharan Africa, and has been listed on the Faculty of Health Science Dean’s Merit List at the University of Cape Town. Additionally, her membership in the Golden Key Honour Society reflects her commitment to academic achievement, professional growth, and community service. These accolades highlight her dedication to advancing both clinical practice and public health research.

Publication

Lehloa, A.J., Kalk, E., Davies, M.-A., Nyemba, D., Mehta, U., Malaba, T., Petro, G., Boulle, A., Myer, L., Madlala, H.P. (2025). “Comorbidities in Pregnant South African Women Living with HIV and Associations with Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Prospective Cohort Study.” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Conclusion

Ms. Amohelang Lehloa exemplifies the integration of clinical expertise, public health knowledge, and academic leadership to address hearing health and broader epidemiological challenges. Her career reflects a balance of hands-on patient care, educational mentorship, research innovation, and international collaboration. With strong skills in audiological assessment, rehabilitation, hearing aid technology, strategic project management, and public health advocacy, she continues to contribute to the development of inclusive and sustainable health systems. Her work not only improves individual patient outcomes but also advances the field of audiology within a public health framework, creating meaningful impact across communities.

Alisa Becin | Data Science | Best Researcher Award

Mrs. Alisa Becin | Data Science | Best Researcher Award

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad | Serbia

Mrs. Alisa P. Bećin is a committed Research Assistant at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences in Serbia. With an academic foundation in molecular biology and a specialized focus on molecular physiology, she is actively engaged in advanced biomedical research, particularly in the area of male reproductive endocrinology. Her work bridges the domains of chronobiology, mitochondrial dynamics, and circadian rhythm regulation, contributing to the understanding of male fertility and reproductive health at the molecular and cellular levels. Alisa’s dedication to experimental rigor and interdisciplinary integration has made her a rising researcher in the European scientific community. She is affiliated with multiple scientific laboratories including the Laboratory for Reproductive Endocrinology and Signaling (LaRES) and the Laboratory for Chronobiology and Aging (ChronAge), where she contributes to both academic research and student mentoring.

Professional Profile

SCOPUS

ORCID

Education

Alisa holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology, specializing in Molecular Biology from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad. Her consistent academic progression laid the groundwork for her ongoing doctoral studies, where she is investigating the circadian regulation of mitochondrial function in Leydig cells and spermatozoa. Her PhD research is embedded within a broader molecular physiology program, focused on decoding the influence of biological clocks on cellular energetics and reproductive functions.

Experience

Since 2019, Alisa has been a vital part of the scientific research team at the Faculty of Sciences, initially as a Junior Researcher and subsequently as a Research Assistant. In her role, she actively participates in laboratory-based investigations, coordinates experimental protocols, and supervises student activities. Her teaching involvement spans several critical subjects in physiology and endocrinology, including Chronobiology, Neuroendocrinology, Animal Physiology, and Endocrinology. Alisa’s dual role in research and academia reflects her commitment to both advancing scientific knowledge and nurturing future scholars. Through collaborations with senior researchers and project leaders, she contributes to experimental design, data analysis, and scholarly publications in high-impact journals.

Research Interest

Alisa’s research interests are deeply rooted in the exploration of circadian biology, particularly how internal biological clocks govern male reproductive physiology. Her work investigates molecular clocks within the testes, mitochondrial dynamics in Leydig cells, and their role in steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis. She is especially focused on the interplay between the central clock (suprachiasmatic nucleus) and peripheral clocks, exploring how lifestyle-induced desynchronization affects fertility outcomes. By examining hormonal signaling pathways and mitochondrial bioenergetics, her studies seek to inform chronotherapeutic interventions and address the rising concern of idiopathic infertility in young adult populations. Her scientific approach integrates endocrinology, cell signaling, and chronobiology, establishing her as a multidisciplinary researcher with translational potential.

Research and Publications

Alisa has contributed significantly to peer-reviewed scientific literature, with several publications in indexed journals such as Journal of Comparative Physiology B, BioFactors, European Journal of Cell Biology, Life, and Frontiers in Endocrinology. Her recent works include groundbreaking insights into how constant light and circadian desynchrony disrupt the endocrine and mitochondrial functions of Leydig cells and spermatozoa. These studies advance the understanding of environmental impacts on reproductive health and are influential in the fields of reproductive biology and endocrinology. Her citation index reflects a growing recognition of her work, with 31 citations and an h-index of 3, as recorded in Scopus.

Research Projects

Alisa has been actively involved in both national and provincial research projects. Notably, she is part of an ongoing project funded by the Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, which investigates how lifestyle factors influence male fertility. She also contributed to a long-term project supported by the Serbian Ministry of Science, focusing on molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways in Leydig cells under homeostatic stress. Her role in these projects includes experimental planning, molecular assays, and interdisciplinary collaboration with endocrinologists and molecular biologists.

Awards and Memberships

Her professional excellence is further recognized through her membership in respected scientific bodies such as the Biochemical Society of Serbia, the Serbian Society for Molecular Biology (MolBioS), and the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR). These affiliations underscore her active engagement with the international scientific community and her contribution to ongoing dialogues in reproductive and chronobiological research. She has completed professional certifications, including one in R Programming for Data Analytics in Bioinformatics, reflecting her capability in data-driven biological research and bioinformatics.

Publications

Adaptation under constant light or dark: a challenge to the pineal

Authors: Alisa P. Bećin, Milica Trkulja, Aleksandra Bradasevic, Ivana Jokanovic, Dijana Z. Travicic, Marija L. J. Medar, Silvana A. Andric, Tatjana S. Kostic
Journal: Journal of Comparative Physiology B
Year: 2025

REVERBA couples the circadian clock to Leydig cell steroidogenesis

Authors: Aleksandar Z. Baburski, Alisa P. Bećin, Dijana Z. Travicic, Marija L. J. Medar, Silvana A. Andric, Tatjana S. Kostic
Journal: BioFactors
Year: 2024

Circadian desynchrony disturbs the function of rat spermatozoa

Authors: Dijana Z. Travicic, Maja V. Pavlovic, Marija L. J. Medar, Alisa Bećin, Mia Cetnik, Dusan Lalosevic, Silvana A. Andric, Tatjana S. Kostic
Journal: European Journal of Cell Biology
Year: 2023

Dependence of Leydig cell’s mitochondrial physiology on luteinizing hormone signaling

Authors: Marija L. J. Medar, Danilo Z. Marinkovic, Zorana Kojic, Alisa P. Bećin, Ivana M. Starovlah, Tatjana Kravic-Stevovic, Silvana A. Andric, Tatjana S. Kostic
Journal: Life
Year: 2021

Growing up under constant light: a challenge to the endocrine function of the Leydig cells

Authors: Danilo Z. Marinkovic, Marija L. J. Medar, Alisa P. Bećin, Silvana A. Andric, Tatjana S. Kostic
Journal: Frontiers in Endocrinology
Year: 2021