Fulufhelo Hope Mudau | Real World Case Studies | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Fulufhelo Hope Mudau | Real World Case Studies | Research Excellence Award

 University of South Africa | South Africa

Fulufhelo H. Mudau, PhD (Chem) is a South African chemist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Africa, Institute of Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, with strong expertise in membrane science, water treatment, and nanomaterials. She holds a PhD in Chemistry, along with an MSc in Chemistry, BSc Honours, and a BSc in Chemistry and Applied Chemistry. Her professional experience includes postdoctoral research, e-tutoring, laboratory teaching, project administration, and water and wastewater operations. Her research interests focus on ion exchange membranes, polymer–nanoparticle interactions, and sustainable water technologies, supported by strong skills in experimental design, analytical chemistry, data analysis, and academic supervision. Fulufhelo H. Mudau, PhD (Chem) has received multiple awards for innovation, research excellence, and science communication, reflecting her commitment to impactful research, education, and youth development.

View Scopus Profile View Orcid Profile

Featured Publications

Necla Koralay | Environmental Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Assist. Prof. Dr. Necla Koralay | Environmental Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Karadeni̇z Technical University | Turkey

Assist. Prof. Dr. Necla Koralay is an environmental scientist and forest engineer whose academic work focuses on watershed management, soil erosion, hydrology, and water quality. She completed her undergraduate studies in Forest Engineering at Ankara University and later earned her postgraduate and doctoral degrees from Karadeniz Technical University, where she specialized in watershed management, erosion modeling, and hydrological assessment. She also continues undergraduate education in geography to broaden her interdisciplinary expertise. Over her academic career, she has served as a research assistant, research assistant (PhD), and currently as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Forestry. Dr. Koralay has contributed extensively to the scientific literature through articles published in SCI, SCI-Expanded, ESCI, and peer-reviewed journals, focusing on RUSLE-based erosion modeling, morphometric analysis, and the effects of hydropower plants and forestry activities on water quality. She has presented numerous papers at national and international conferences and has been involved in funded research projects related to erosion–flood risk mapping and sediment dynamics. In addition to her research, she serves as an editor for the Ormancılık Araştırma Dergisi. Her academic achievements have been recognized with notable awards for outstanding performance during her undergraduate education, reflecting her long-standing dedication to environmental and forestry sciences.

Profile : Orcid

Featured Publications

Koralay, N., & Kara, Ö. (2025). “Risk assessment of soil erosion with RUSLE using geographic information system and organic carbon and total nitrogen loadings of suspended sediment in Sogutlu Stream Watershed of Trabzon, Turkey” in Environmental Earth Sciences.

Koralay, N., & Kara, Ö. (2024). “Assessment of flood risk in Söğütlü Stream Watershed of Trabzon Province in Turkey using geographic information systems and analytic hierarchy process approach” in Natural Hazards.

Koralay, N. (2024). “An Investigation into the Carbon and Total Nitrogen Content of Suspended Sediments in Değirmendere Watershed and Its Implications for Erosion Risk” in Forestist.

Koralay, N., & Kara, Ö. (2023). “Effects of morphometric characteristics on flood in Degirmendere sub-watersheds, Northeastern Turkey” in International Journal of River Basin Management.

Koralay, N., & Kara, Ö. (2022). “Trabzon Değirmendere Çatak alt havzasının erozyon risk haritasının oluşturulması ve sediment iletim oranının belirlenmesi” in Ormancılık Araştırma Dergisi.

John Giesy |  Environmental Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Prof. John Giesy |  Environmental Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Baylor University | Canada

Professor John P. Giesy is a globally recognized environmental chemist and ecotoxicologist, renowned for his pioneering work in identifying and characterizing perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the environment. He earned his B.S. in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) from Alma College, followed by an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Limnology from Michigan State University. Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Giesy has held leading academic and research positions worldwide, contributing extensively to environmental science, risk assessment, and ecosystem protection. His research focuses on the fate and effects of environmental contaminants, chemical safety, and the development of ecological models for sustainable management. With an exceptional record of 1,304 peer-reviewed publications, over 75,308 citations, and an H-index of 126, he ranks among the most cited scientists in environmental sciences globally. Professor Giesy is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and the Royal Society of Canada and a member of the National Academy of Science of Canada. His numerous honors include the SETAC Founders Award, Environmental Education Award, Global Capacity Building Award, and the Royal Society of Canada’s Miroslaw Romanowski Medal. His lifelong contributions continue to shape global environmental policy and scientific innovation in ecotoxicology and sustainable chemistry.

Profiles : Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Lin, T., Zhou, S., He, H., Guo, J., Sturchio, N. C., Rockne, K. J., Giesy, J. P., & Li, A. (2025). Halogenated flame retardants in the sediments of the lower Great Lakes and region-wide discoveries. Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Al Naggar, Y., Fahmy, N., Alkhaibari, A., Al-Akeel, R., Alharbi, H., Mohamed, A., Eleftherianos, I., El-Seedi, H., Giesy, J. P., & Alharbi, H. (2025). Mechanisms and genetic drivers of resistance of insect pests to insecticides and approaches to its control. Toxics.

Mahoney, H., Ankley, P., Roberts, C., Lamb, A., Schultz, M., Zhou, Y., Giesy, J. P., & Brinkmann, M. (2025). Correction to “Unveiling the molecular effects of replacement and legacy PFASs: Transcriptomic analysis of zebrafish embryos reveals surprising similarities and potencies.” Environmental Science & Technology.

Engelbrecht, I., Horn, S. R., Giesy, J. P., & Pieters, R. (2025). Quantification of pesticides and in vitro effects of water-soluble fractions of agricultural soils in South Africa. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

Kim, T., Zhen, J., Lee, J., Park, S. Y., Lee, C., Kwon, B.-O., Hong, S., Shin, H.-M., Giesy, J. P., & Chang, G. S. (2024). Prediction of cytotoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from first principles. Science of the Total Environment.

Amirreza Abed-Elmdoust | Agricultural Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amirreza Abed-Elmdoust | Agricultural Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

University of Tehran | Iran

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amirreza Abed-Elmdoust is an accomplished aquaculture and aquatic sciences researcher with a Ph.D. in Engineering of Natural Resources and Aquatic Sciences from the University of Tehran. His doctoral research focused on metabolic changes in droplet vitrified semen of the endangered Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus). He also holds an M.Sc. from the University of Tehran and a B.Sc. from the University of Zabol, both in Natural Resources and Aquatic Sciences. Currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Tehran, Dr. Abed-Elmdoust has extensive experience in aquaculture, fish reproductive biology, cryopreservation, metabolomics, and aquatic toxicology. His prolific research includes over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, with contributions to the fields of microplastic toxicity, fish immunology, metabolic profiling, and nanotechnology in aquaculture, amassing significant citations – 318 and an h-index -7. He has led multiple applied research projects in collaboration with environmental agencies and aquaculture companies, supervising numerous Ph.D. and M.Sc. theses. His work has been recognized for advancing sustainable aquaculture practices, innovative cryopreservation techniques, and improving fish health and productivity. Dr. Abed-Elmdoust continues to contribute to the scientific community through mentorship, high-impact publications, and applied environmental and aquaculture research.

Profile : Google Scholar

Featured Publications

“Size-dependent effects of microplastic on uptake, immune system, related gene expression and histopathology of goldfish (Carassius auratus)”

“Novel droplet vitrification combined with fish antifreeze protein type III enhances cryoprotection of semen in wild endangered Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus (Borodin, 1897)”

“Metabolic changes in droplet vitrified semen of wild endangered Persian sturgeon Acipenser persicus (Borodin, 1997)”

“Physicochemical evaluations of chitosan/nisin nanocapsulation and its synergistic effects in quality preservation in tilapia fish sausage”

“Effect of oral administration of GnRHa+nanoparticles of chitosan in oogenesis acceleration of goldfish Carassius auratus”

Emuobosa Orijemie – Environmental Data Analysis – Best Researcher Award 

Dr. Emuobosa Orijemie - Environmental Data Analysis - Best Researcher Award 

University of Ibadan - Nigeria

Author Profile

Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Emuobosa Akpo Orijemie began his academic journey at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where he earned his BSc (Hons) in Botany in 2001. His interest in environmental archaeology led him to pursue an MSc in the same field at the University of Ibadan, which he completed in 2005. He continued to deepen his expertise by obtaining a PhD in Environmental Archaeology from the same institution in 2013. His education laid a strong foundation for his future research endeavors in palynology, archaeobotany, and palaeoenvironments, particularly focusing on the tropics.

Professional Endeavors

Dr. Orijemie’s professional career is marked by a series of esteemed positions and fellowships. He began as a Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Ibadan in 2010, where he was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2019. His international experience includes a Newton International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, UK (2016-2017). He has also been a Visiting Researcher and Scholar at prestigious institutions such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa.

In 2022, Orijemie expanded his teaching influence as a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Pure and Applied Botany at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Currently, he is an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany, further enhancing his research capabilities and international collaborations.

Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Orijemie specializes in palynology and archaeobotany, with a keen focus on studying preserved pollen, spores, phytoliths, and dinocysts to reconstruct ancient environments and human-landscape interactions. His work is pivotal in deciphering the cultural dynamics and environmental conditions of the tropics, particularly in Africa. He employs archaeobotanical evidence to investigate food pathways, addressing food security and insecurity in African rainforests.

His research integrates palaeo-science with human-ecology data, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of human-landscape interactions within environmental contexts. Orijemie’s interdisciplinary approach has led to significant insights into the relationship between ancient human activities and environmental changes, contributing valuable knowledge to the fields of environmental archaeology and anthropology.

Accolades and Recognition

Dr. Orijemie has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, underscoring his contributions to his field. Notable among these are the Newton Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Funds (£99,000.00) and the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research Fieldwork Grants (£8,500.00). His travel grants from INQUA, PALSEA, and various other institutions have facilitated his participation in international conferences and workshops, fostering global scholarly exchange.

He has also received substantial support for his research, including the MacArthur Doctoral Research Grant from the University of Ibadan (USD 2,300) and various conference travel funds from prestigious institutions such as the University of Kiel, Germany, and the International Quaternary Association (INQUA).

Impact and Influence

Dr. Orijemie’s research has had a profound impact on the understanding of palaeoenvironmental changes and human-environment interactions. His work on Holocene vegetation and climatic changes in Nigeria, published in journals like Quaternary Science Advances, provides critical insights into the historical climatic patterns and their implications for contemporary environmental issues. His interdisciplinary studies, combining palynology with archaeobotany, have advanced the knowledge of ancient agricultural practices and their environmental consequences.

His findings on the ecological consequences of iron smelting in Nigeria and the archaeobotanical legacy of agroforestry in African rainforests have been instrumental in understanding the long-term sustainability of agricultural practices. Orijemie’s research also extends to the forensic use of palynology, demonstrating its applicability in modern scientific investigations.

Legacy and Future Contributions

Dr. Orijemie’s legacy is one of pioneering research and significant academic contributions to environmental archaeology. His work continues to shape the understanding of ancient human activities and their environmental impacts, providing valuable lessons for addressing current environmental and food security challenges. As an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, he is poised to further his research on human-environment interactions, potentially leading to new discoveries and methodologies.

Looking ahead, Orijemie aims to expand his interdisciplinary research, integrating more advanced technologies and collaborative approaches to further unravel the complexities of past human-environment interactions. His future contributions will likely continue to influence the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and environmental science, cementing his position as a leading figure in these disciplines.

Citations

A total of 269 citations for his publications, demonstrating the impact and recognition of her research within the academic community.

Bouthaina Hasnaoui – Environmental Data Analysis – Young Scientist Award 

Dr. Bouthaina Hasnaoui - Environmental Data Analysis - Young Scientist Award 

Aix-Marseille Université - France 

Author Profile

Early Academic Pursuits

Dr. Bouthaina Hasnaoui's academic journey commenced with a strong foundation in biology and health sciences. Pursuing a Master's degree in Biologie Santé, Maladies Infectieuses et Microbiote at Aix-Marseille Université, France, she delved into the intricacies of infectious diseases and microbiota. This period laid the groundwork for her subsequent doctoral studies, where she specialized in Maladies Infectieuses et Microbiote, graduating with distinction in 2023.

Professional Endeavors

Her professional trajectory reflects a commitment to bridging research and practical application. As a Referent du Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire at the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Marseille, she not only supervised daily operations but also spearheaded research initiatives resulting in notable contributions to publications. Furthermore, her tenure as an Assistant de Recherche at IHU-VITROME showcased her adeptness in protocol development and experimental procedures, particularly in insect rearing and entomology. She also shared her expertise as a Formateur, nurturing the skills of budding researchers in molecular biology.

Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Hasnaoui's research focus spans the realm of infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on microbiology and metagenomics. Her doctoral work elucidated crucial insights into the interplay between pathogens and the host microbiota, shedding light on mechanisms of pathogenesis and potential therapeutic interventions. Moreover, her investigations into insect-borne diseases during her missions with IHU-INELP underscored her interdisciplinary approach, integrating entomological studies with infectious disease research.

Accolades and Recognition

Throughout her academic and professional journey, Hasnaoui has garnered recognition for her exemplary contributions. Her meticulous approach to research, coupled with her leadership in laboratory settings, has earned her praise from peers and mentors alike. Notably, her role as a Formateur at IHU-France showcased her ability to impart knowledge effectively, garnering appreciation from the research community.

Impact and Influence

Dr. Hasnaoui's research has the potential to catalyze advancements in the field of infectious diseases. By elucidating the complex interactions between pathogens and the host microbiota, her work lays the groundwork for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, her expertise in entomology contributes to our understanding of vector-borne diseases, offering insights into disease transmission dynamics and control measures.

Legacy and Future Contributions

As she continues her academic journey, Hasnaoui's legacy is poised to endure through her groundbreaking research and mentorship initiatives. By nurturing the next generation of researchers and continuing to push the boundaries of scientific inquiry, she ensures a lasting impact on the field of infectious diseases. Her commitment to excellence and innovation serves as a beacon for aspiring researchers, inspiring them to push the boundaries of knowledge and make meaningful contributions to public health.

Notable Publication