Dr Imalka Munaweera is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka. Her research focuses on using synthetic chemistry techniques to produce nanoparticles and nanofibre composites that can be applied in a range of functions, from drug delivery to water filtration to minimizing post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables. She has made particular advances in using nanotechnology to produce environmentally-friendly and cost-effective crop fertilizers, and in developing chemoradiotherapeutic formulations and radiotherapeutic bandages for use in lung and skin cancer treatment.

Imalka first became interested in functional and applied materials as an undergraduate at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, where she worked on applications of iron oxide nanoparticles. As a master’s student at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, she gravitated towards nanofertilizer research, for which she received the National Science and Technology Award in 2010 and holds two US patents. She went on to do a PhD at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she developed an innovative approach that could ultimately enable clinicians to target and aggressively reduce tumor burden in cancer patients. She also holds two US patents as well as a Sri Lankan patent and an international patent for this technology.

Following three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Imalka worked as an Assistant Professor at Prairie View A&M University in Texas before returning to Sri Lanka, where she has worked since 2019.

Imalka received a Sri Lankan National Research Council Private-Public Partnership grant in 2019 and a research grant from TWAS, the World Academy of Sciences, in 2020. She has won several awards and has published many papers in prestigious journals including Nature Scientific Reports, Biomaterials and ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. In addition, she has more than 10 years of experience mentoring high school, undergraduate and graduate student

Dr Ghada Dushaq is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Photonics Research lab of NYU Abu Dhabi. As a researcher in applied physics, she investigates new and innovative materials, structures and process technologies to improve the performance of high-speed optoelectronics, nanoelectronics and photonics devices. Her research on the use of silicon, germanium, III-V compound semiconductors, and other 2D materials is intended to improve the efficiency of current technologies and address their limitations.

Ghada received her bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics from Birzeit University, Palestine, with distinction in 2009. She went on to graduate with an MSc in Physics from the University of Jordan in 2012, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). She then pursued a PhD in Microsystems Engineering at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Khalifa University, in Abu Dhabi under a cooperative program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 2017.

Ghada has received several awards for her research, including the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM) Scientist Medal for 2018, the Post-Doctoral Conference and Travel Award from New York University Abu Dhabi in 2018, and the Falling Walls Lab prize in 2020, for her work on “Breaking the Wall of High-Speed Optical Communication,” awarded at the World Science Summit in Berlin, 2020.

She has published over 35 papers in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings. She is also a reviewer for several scientific journals including Optics Express, Advanced Optical Materials, Scientific Reports, Applied Optics, Optical Materials Express, Journal of Applied Physics, Photovoltaic Specialist Conferences (IEEE PVSC) and the Journal of Materials Science.

Dr. Vishal Chaudhary is a lecturer at Mahidol University in Thailand since 2025. He is an expert in the field of green semiconductors at the nanoscale for One Health management, with a special focus on breath-based diagnosis, environmental sensors and waste-water remediation. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, 4 authored books, and 3 edited books in reputed journals.

He has been recognized as Top 2% of Scientists in both 2023 and 2024 by the Stanford University List and is also serving as an associate editor and review editor in significant journals. He founded “The Happy Mentals Club” after battling depression during his doctorate tenure, and started to aid the research community, especially students, for mental health-related help through his public talks and club events.

Dr. Chaudhary received the 2023 Materials Today Agents of Change Award due to his dedicated work in the field of mental health for researchers. Currently, he aims to establish mental health clubs in academic and research institutes, examine the prevalence of mental health issues by conducting surveys during his talk and examining its causative factors, correlate mental health concerns with environmental factors, develop non-invasive biosensors to screen mental health, root out the stigma related to mental health, especially in the LGBTQI+ community, and developing awareness on suicide prevention through his club and institute collaborative initiatives.

Charlotte Berrezueta Palacios is a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the Freie Universität Berlin, specializing in low-dimensional materials using Raman spectroscopy. Originally from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, she earned her B.Sc. in nanotechnology engineering at Yachay Tech University before completing an M.Sc. in physics at the Freie Universität Berlin, where she continues her research in Prof. Stephanie Reich’s laboratory, focusing on 2D nanostructured materials, a field she has been working in since 2020. In addition to her academic pursuits, Charlotte is dedicated to science outreach. She co-chairs the Nanoscience Summer School at Yachay Tech (NSSY), a conference held in the Galapagos Islands that promotes student development and community engagement. She received the 2023 Materials Today Agents of Change Award for her contributions to NSSY.

Dr. Tabitha Awuor Amollo is a physicist and materials scientist from Kenya, specializing in solar energy conversion and thin film technology. Her research focuses on developing cost-effective, high-performance solar cells and translating these innovations into community solutions, such as solar-powered refrigeration for rural health centers. Tabitha mentors women and students in STEM, leads a photovoltaics research lab, and collaborates internationally to drive affordable, clean energy for Africa.