Dr. Fathiah Zakham applies biotechnology and bioengineering to the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis and other emerging infectious diseases. Her main goal is to develop rapid, accurate and cheap tools for the detection of the causal agent of tuberculosis and the control of drug-resistance TB strains, which are dramatically increasing, especially in low and middle income countries. Conventional culture methods for laboratory diagnosis and drug resistance testing require several weeks; the molecular approach is a good alternative in poor infrastructure settings. In addition to her work on TB, she is also using metagenomics technology to identify new zoonotic viral pathogens emerging on the Arabian peninsula, including hemorrhagic fevers. Dr. Zakham is working to implement the appropriate molecular tests for the diagnosis and surveillance of these infectious diseases. Dr. Zakham obtained her PhD in microbiology and molecular biology from Mohammed V University, Morocco, in 2012 and a MSc degree in microbiology and bio-engineering from the University Hassan II. In 2018, she completed a year-long postdoctoral fellowship in the Microbiology institute of University Hospital in Lausanne.

She has received the Young Investigator Award at the international Congress of Internal Medicine 2014 and the 2017 Gro Brundtland Award for professional performance in sustainable development and public health among young female scientsts. She also received the 2017 Fayza Al-Kharafi Award in biological sciences from The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). Dr. Zakham is a TWAS Young Affiliate, a member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), and international societies including the International Society for Infectious Disease, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Yemeni Society of Biosafety and Biosecurity, and others. Currently, Dr. Zakham is an Institute of International Education Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) scholar at the University of Helsinki.

Dr. Subrina’s research focuses on the modeling of thermal and electronic transport in nanoscale materials and the applications of these materials in nanoscale devices. She is particularly interested in nanomaterials with high thermal conductivity, such as graphene (a form of carbon), that make it useful in heat mitigation. Fast, high-performance electronic devices tend to suffer from overheating, which causes performance degradation and shortens the life of the devices. Use of high heat-carrying materials in electronic device design can provide a solution to this issue. Dr. Subrina is also focused on how physical properties of materials change as devices are increasingly scaled down to the nano level; identifying nanomaterials with the right thermal and electronic properties for this scale can lead to new technologies such as low-power nanoelectronics, high-efficiency solar cells, and thermoelectric power generators. Dr. Subrina received her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of California Riverside in 2011.

Her research has been published in many prestigious journals including Nature Materials, Nature Scientific Report, and the Journal of Applied Physics. She has been honoured with a number of awards throughout her career, including the Best Paper Award at the 2018 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) WIECON-ECE conference and the Young Scientist Award from the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences and TWAS, the World Academy of Sciences, in 2016. She is also the recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Fellowship from the University of California, Riverside, and is a TWAS Young Affiliate. She has been involved in organizing many conferences, workshops and tutorials, and is actively engaged in several national and international professional organizations, including as executive committee member and Chair (in 2017) of the IEEE EDS/SSCS Bangladesh Chapter and editorial board member of Nature Scientific Report. Dr. Subrina is dedicated to building the technological capacity of women in engineering in Bangladesh, and has served as Affinity Group Treasurer (in 2015) of the Women in Engineering group of IEEE Bangladesh. She is also involved in various kinds of consultancy services in the public and private sectors of Bangladesh.

Dr. Champika Ellawala Kankanamge works on ecosystem conservation and pollution control. Her current research efforts are focused on controlling invasive macrophytes (aquatic plants) in river ecosystems, by restoring shade and encouraging the natural resistance of native plants to invasive species. By understanding the behavior of aquatic plants in response to changes in environmental conditions, her research will help to control ecosystem degradation. She additionally works on assessing pollution levels in aquatic ecosystems. Specifically, she is studying the levels of heavy metals in edible fish and shellfish in Sri Lanka’s Batticaloa lagoon, which serves as the main source of seafood for the local community. Dr. Ellawala Kankanamge was born in Matara, Sri Lanka.

She started her career as an engineer after graduating from the University of Moratuwa with a degree in civil engineering in 2005. Soon after beginning to work as an engineer, she decided to continue her education, and obtained a PhD from Saitama University, Japan in 2011. She joined the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka as a Senior Lecturer attached to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering just after the completion of her PhD. Since then, she has served as a teacher and supervisor for many undergraduate and postgraduate students. In 2013, she received the Sri Lankan President’s award for scientific publications. Dr. Ellawala Kankanamge collaborates with the Eastern University in Sri Lanka for her research on the Batticaloa lagoon, in addition to research collaborations with other government institutions. She has conducted research studies in Sri Lanka, Japan and New Zealand. Her research has been published in high-impact journals including the Journal of Environmental Sciences, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Flora, Aquatic Botany, Aquatic Ecology and Hydrobiologia. Results of her studies will contribute to local and global freshwater ecosystem conservation

Dr. Susana Arrechea’s research is focused on the potential industrial and environmental applications of materials such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, and graphene, which can be employed in creating more sustainable building materials, in water treatment, and in solar devices and other renewable energy solutions. In addition to contributing to the development of nanotechnology in Guatemala, she is also involved in improving solar electrification, connectivity, and digital and STEM literacy in schools in rural Guatemala, in partnership with New Sun Road and Microsoft. Dr. Arrechea received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC), and worked there as a professor of physical chemistry before pursuing her master’s degree and doctorate in nanoscience and nanotechnology at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. After graduating Cum Laude, she worked as a visiting researcher at the University of California-Berkeley as part of a Fulbright Nexus project on renewable energy, and later at the Center for Biotechnology Studies of the University of Valle de Guatemala. Her projects have won grants from the National Secretariat of Science and Technology in Guatemala (Senacyt) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), among others, and she has received awards including the 2017 “Guatemaltecos Ilustres” Award and a prize for young scientists granted by TWAS, Senacyt and the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Guatemala. She has been profiled in national magazines, and in 2018 was named one of 50 Defiant Woman in Central America by the magazine Estrategia y Negocios. She is a member of the Academy of Medical, Physical and Natural Sciences of Guatemala, the International Network of Scientists of Guatemala, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), and of other scientific networks in nanotechnology and energy.

Assia Aboubakar Mahamat is a prominent post-doctoral researcher at the École Nationale Supérieure des Travaux Publics (ENSTP) of N’Djamena, Chad. She is a civil engineer and materials scientist specializing in sustainable construction applied Artificial Intelligence (AI). She was honoured with the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science prize and the Schlumberger foundation faculty for the future. Currently, a lecturer at ENSTP (Chad) and African University of Science and Technology (Nigeria), she develops eco-friendly materials from plastic and agro-waste, integrating AI for forecasting. With over 30 published articles and membership in societies like RILEM, OWSD and ASTM, she is a dedicated mentor and a passionate advocate for women in STEM. She has founded initiatives to carry out outreaches programme for inspiring girls/women to build Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based career.

Ayse Kose is a bioengineer specializing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Her research focuses on mimicking bio-piezoelectricity to improve bone and cartilage repair. She works at the intersection of material design, biomimetic intermediates, and animal-free science. She develops novel sustainable regenerative approaches to bridge biology and engineering in biomedical sciences by using organ-on-chip models, bio fabrication, bioprocess tools, and beyond. Ayse also mentors female students through The Bilim KızıTM (Science Girl) Project in Türkiye to support women’s empowerment in STEM.

Cynthia is a social entrepreneur and PhD candidate at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Nigeria. As a researcher, she is passionate about finding sustainable and climate-smart solutions to global water challenges. She and her team are currently working on producing biomaterials from renewable waste sources to provide solutions that extend our water resources, reduce waste, and promote a circular economy.

She has a strong interest in engineering education and is a student at the African Centre of Excellence on New Pedagogies in Engineering Education, ABU. In her spare time, she volunteers with the Centre of Water and Environmental Development in Kaduna, where she contributes to community-based tree-planting initiatives and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programmes.

Cynthia is a Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellow, an alumna of the CLS-SustainFood Network, a member of the International Water Association, and Vice President of the Nigerian Youth Parliament for Water.

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.

Loki is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Heriot-Watt University working in the experimental medicine domain of the U-Care project in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh. Her work integrates advanced manufacturing, biomedical engineering, and clinical application, with a focus on translating laser-based technologies into impactful diagnostic and surgical tools.

In her current role, Loki leads the fabrication of micro-optical components using two-photon polymerisation (2PP) to enable imaging of far-field lung cavities, supporting improved access to previously unexplored regions of the lung. Alongside this, she is developing novel tissue-sampling tools using advanced laser-based fabrication techniques to enable high-precision, repeatable biopsy procedures.

Loki received her doctorate in 2024 from Heriot-Watt University, where she worked on an EPSRC-funded adventurous manufacturing project focused on laser-based fabrication of shape memory alloys for minimally invasive surgery. Her research demonstrated new manufacturing pathways for NiTi-based micro-scale components using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT). She previously completed a joint master’s degree from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Aix-Marseille University, specialising in photonic materials and devices.

Beyond research, Loki is a committed STEM ambassador and mental health advocate. She is passionate about inclusive leadership, interdisciplinary collaboration, and building supportive research cultures.

Maria Nelago Kanyama is a UKUDLA Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of the Western Cape. She holds a PhD in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Telecommunications, and a Master’s degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering. In her research, she applies artificial intelligence and data-driven systems to address challenges in water management, climate resilience, food systems, and critical infrastructure. Her work integrates advanced machine learning techniques with questions of governance, ethics, and public-interest outcomes, with a strong focus on real-world deployment in resource-constrained settings. Drawing on experience in safety-critical environments and community-oriented research, Maria works toward developing inclusive and trustworthy technologies that support sustainable decision-making. Alongside her research, she contributes to capacity building and inclusive innovation as a founding member of Women in AI Namibia, where she supports the growth of diverse and responsible AI ecosystems.

Trained as an electrical engineer at Ashesi University in Ghana, she has developed affordable, sustainable devices such as an air pollution detectors and solar cookers. She recently defended her master’s thesis at Michigan Technological University, where her research centered on building just energy transitions in underserved communities.

Dr. Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and holds the L.B. (Preach) Meaders Professorship in Engineering. She received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and Ph.D. in Macromolecular Science and Engineering from Case Western Reserve University under the guidance of Professors Anne Hiltner and Jim Anderson.

She then completed a UT-TORCH Postdoctoral Fellowship with Professor Tony Mikos at Rice University with a focus in orthopaedic tissue engineering. Dr. Cosgriff-Hernandez joined the faculty of at Texas A&M University as an Assistant Professor in 2007 and the University of Texas at Austin in 2017. Her laboratory specializes in the synthesis of hybrid biomaterials with targeted integrin interactions and scaffold fabrication strategies.

Dr. Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne is a chemical and process engineer from Sri Lanka, specializing in bioenergy systems. Her research focuses on biomass thermochemical conversion technologies, and she is committed to sustainable energy education. Duleeka has pioneered practical solutions for clean energy, mentored future professionals, and contributed as a technical expert to national and international energy initiatives.

Dr. Cristina Dominguez is a civil engineer from Guatemala whose research and leadership advance sustainable energy access and SDG7 across Latin America and beyond. She pioneered geospatial modelling to forecast rural energy demand, led the development of open-source energy access modelling tools, and has delivered capacity building for policymakers, researchers, community members, women and youth. Cristina is a full member and former Executive Committee Secretary of OWSD Guatemala, committed to bridging science, policy, and community action for access to clean, affordable energy.

Dr Flor de Mayo González Miranda is trying to engineer better landslide prevention for vulnerable areas in Guatemala. Climate change is causing increasingly strong periods of rain in the country, where much of the terrain is rugged. Due to poverty and the lack of governmental and private programs for decent housing, many people live in settlements on the slopes of ravines, where rain and other events make landslides more frequent. Landslides obstruct roads and sometimes bury entire communities.

Dr González Miranda is investigating how a specific grass in the vetiver family, Chrysopogon Zizaniodes, can help to prevent landslides. Through soil tests, X-ray diffraction and other techniques, she has shown how the plants’ roots alter the chemical, physical and mechanical behavior of the soil, reducing the speed of soil infiltration as well as soil plasticity. In addition to this work, Dr. González Miranda has also studied the flow of fresh water into Guatemala’s ports, and the thermal behavior of sand sericite as a precursor to mullite material.

Dr González Miranda earned a certification as a production control technician from Rafael Landivar University in 1986, and a bachelor’s degree  in industrial engineering from San Carlos University in 2002. She holds two master’s degrees in environmental science: from San Carlos University (2008) and Cadiz University in Spain (2009). She has worked as an engineer in various capacities, including as an environmental adviser for the company Superingenieria. In 2019, she earned her PhD in industrial and environmental engineering from the University of Almería, Spain. She is currently a researcher and Lecturer in the School of Industrial Mechanics at San Carlos University.

Dr González Miranda is very active in public outreach, training and awareness raising. She has collaborated with the National Council of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education of Guatemala on the TIC-STEAM project to provide training in programming, robotics and environmental care to girls in rural areas. She has conducted free trainings for women, youth and community leaders on manufacturing simple products, safety and industrial hygiene, and best practices for manufacturing, among other topics. She has also been interviewed in the newspaper Prensa Libre to provide expert analysis on Guatemala’s multi-million dollar Chimaltenango Bypass, which gave rise to a corruption case related to the project.

Dr Ashani Savinda Ranathunga is focused on turning industrial and agricultural waste into anthropogenic (man-made) soil for geotechnical engineering-related applications. She is a proponent of the “waste to wealth” concept, which is to produce green and value-added products from waste for sustainable and greener applications. Her research findings enable the effective utilization of locally available waste as secondary raw materials for economical and ecofriendly construction and development projects.

Specifically, she is using industrial waste products like fly ash and calcium carbide residues, and agricultural waste products like paddy husk ash and corn cob ash, to stabilize soft soil that is otherwise too weak for construction, contributing to greater longevity of infrastructure. She is also using the same waste products to rehabilitate degraded land and soil in abandoned mines, reducing environmental pollution and adverse social impacts. In addition, she looks at the effective utilization of shallow geothermal resources for energy production in rural areas of Sri Lanka.

Dr Ranathunga completed her undergraduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Ruhuna in 2013, graduating at the top of her class. She received her PhD from Monash University, Australia, in 2017, where she won the best PhD thesis award and the postgraduate publication award for her work on enhancing extraction of coal bed methane from deep underground coal seams by injecting CO2. Her findings demonstrated the opportunities of using low-rank coal for CO2-Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (CO2-ECBM).After completing her PhD, she joined the University of Moratuwa as a Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering.