Anam Shahil-Feroz is an Assistant Professor at Western University. Her research program leverages digital health technologies to improve maternal health outcomes among underserved pregnant individuals globally. Working primarily in the Global South, she collaborates with patients, caregivers, researchers, clinicians, and communities to co-design equitable solutions. She has over 75 publications, secured $190K as PI and $2.4M as co-investigator, and received numerous awards for her contributions to maternal health research and innovation.

Colette Wabnitz is an interdisciplinary marine scientist. Her work explores how social-ecological systems respond to change and contributes to efforts toward more equitable and sustainable development in marine food systems. She works primarily in the Global South, collaborating closely with communities, researchers, governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to co-develop solutions that inform both science and policy. She holds research positions at Stanford University, the University of British Columbia, and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Deborah Braide is a PhD candidate in Materials Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal where she conducts research at the Engineering and Process Intensification (EPIC) lab. Her research focuses on membrane-based, process-intensified carbon dioxide conversion to clean fuels, leveraging sonochemistry to advance membrane synthesis, optimize separation performance, and enable sustainable processes. Deborah holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Chemical Engineering from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana and a Master of Science (MSc.) in Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. Deborah has received several academic awards including the British Chevening Scholarship (2018), the Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation Research Grant (2024), and the Hydro Quebec Excellence Scholarship (2025). Beyond academia, she engages in energy and sustainability initiatives through consulting and outreach, with a strong interest in translating research into real-world solutions.

Kelley Oh is the Engagement and EDII Facilitator at the University of British Columbia’s BioProducts Institute (BPI), where she drives strategic engagement across research, industry and community networks. She leads BPI’s Indigenous youth outreach, developing experiential STEM and mentorship programs in partnership with Indigenous communities and organizations.

Her work includes Sustainable Future Makers, supported by the Elsevier Foundation’s 2024 Materials Today Agents of Change Award. Oh facilitates BPI’s EDII Committee, advancing a more inclusive and connected research community. She holds a BSc in Physics from KAIST and an MSc in Geophysics from Stanford University and is pursuing an MDiv part-time at Regent College.

Manali Mukherjee is a respiratory immunologist at McMaster University, Canada, whose research reveals the biological basis of Long COVID. Her studies identify autoantibodies and inflammatory markers driving persistent symptoms, disproportionately affecting women dismissed as anxious rather than ill. By turning an invisible illness into measurable evidence, she is closing a critical diagnostic gap and advancing equitable, precision-based care for patients worldwide.

Olka Missaghimamaghani is a PhD student in Experimental Medicine at the University of British Columbia, studying epigenetic changes underlying lineage plasticity in prostate cancer, with a focus on enhancer regulation in neuroendocrine prostate cancer. She completed her master’s research at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Germany, investigating translational regulation in microglia during aging and Alzheimer’s disease. She earned her undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Middle East Technical University as a top-ranked student. Alongside research, she works to bridge academia and industry and support graduate career development.

Professor Orlando Rojas is the Canada Excellence Research Chair at the University of British Columbia and Director of the Bioproducts Institute. His research focuses on bio-based materials and soft matter. He is internationally recognized for his contributions to renewable materials science, and has received several prestigious honors, including the Anselme Payen Award, the highest distinction in cellulose and renewable materials research.

He is an elected Fellow of the American Chemical Society (2013), the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (2017), and the TAPPI Association (2025). Earlier in his career, he served as a Finland Distinguished Professor and was named an inaugural Faculty Scholar at North Carolina State University.

Prof. Rojas maintains active collaborations with institutions across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. He serves on the Selection Committee of the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and holds scientific advisory roles with organizations including the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, the VALUED Project (with Imperial College London, University of Bristol, and University of Cambridge), and the Materials Institute of the University of Santiago de Compostela.

He is Emeritus Editor of the Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology and Associate Editor of ACS Biomacromolecules. He is ranked among the top 1% of researchers globally by citations (Clarivate, Web of Science).

Professor Orlando Rojas is a globally recognized materials scientist and engineer specializing in biobased materials, renewable nanomaterials, colloids, and sustainable technologies. He serves as a Canada Excellence Research Chair in Bioproducts and is the Scientific Director of the Bioproducts Institute at the University of British Columbia, with appointments in Chemical & Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Wood Science.

His research focuses on developing sustainable materials from renewable resources such as cellulose, lignin, chitin, proteins, and other biomass-derived polymers. His group studies nanomaterials, self-assembly, functional surfaces, biomimetic materials, emulsions, foams, gels, and green manufacturing processes aimed at replacing fossil-based materials.

Professor Rojas received the 2024 Agents of Change Award due to his role in the launch of the Indigenous Outreach Program at University of British Columbia’s BioProducts Institute, which aimed to engage Indigenous youth in STEM, integrate Indigenous knowledge into biobased innovation, and build lasting community partnerships through annual outreach events, mentorship, workshops, and collaborative learning opportunities