Agroecology and Crop Science

Prof Fhatuwani Nixwell Mudau completed a B.Sc Agric (Crop Science) at the University of Venda in 1996. He then registered M.Sc. in Horticulture at the University of Stellenbosch where he conducted research on citrus nutrition. He completed a PhD (Horticultural Sciences) at the University of Pretoria and he has done extensive research in herbal medicine. He has completed Masters in Business Leadership (MBL) at UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership. His previous working experience includes Vista University VUDEC, Campus (Now Incorporated to University of South Africa), University of Venda and University of Limpopo as a Lecturer. In 2006, he was seconded to establish a fully funded Research Centre as an Associate Professor and Centre Manager known as Limpopo Agro Food Technology Station (LATS) by Tshumisano Trust (Now Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). He then joined the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) under Food and Beverages (Now Agro-Industries) Strategic Business Unit (SBU); HealthCare and Education (SBU) as a Specialist

Prof Fhatuwani Nixwell Mudau interests inclide project development and implementation in Agro Industries, Education and Healthcare sectors

R. R. Sharma after post-graduation from IARI, New Delhi, joined as Scientist there in 1997. He is Senior Scientist and associated with release of mango hybrids like Pusa Arunima, Pusa Surya, Pusa Lalima, Pusa Shresth, Pusa Pitamber etc. He has published 40 research articles in International journals, 60 in National journals, and authored 8 books. He is recipient of Dr. R.N. Singh award (twice), Dr Rajinder Prasad award (twice), and Himachal Shri Award. He has also served as International Mango Registrar for about 5 years (1999-2004). He is member, editorial board of Scientia Horticulturae, International Journal of Fruit Science (U.K.), American Journal of Plant Sciences (US), Journal of Food Processing and Technology (US), and Stewart Postharvest Reviews (UK), and Chief Editor of International Journal of Processing and Postharvest Technology, India.

Pre and Post harvest handling of temperate fruits, Food Science

Born in Haifa in 1939, Prof. Ilan Chet completed his doctoral work in microbiology at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was Dean and Vice President of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Prof. Chet received the Max-Planck Award (1994), the Israel Prize (1996), the Wolf Prize (1998), the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Germany (2001) and the French “Chevalier” Legion of Honor award (2014). From 2001 to 2006, Prof. Chet was nominated President of the Weizmann Institute of Science. He has been a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities since 1998 and of the European Academy of Sciences since 2004. In 2014, he was elected a member of the Academia Europea. Prof. Chet is the Deputy Secretary General for Higher Education and Research in the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean since 2010.

Biological control of plant diseases, Induced resistance, Molecular biology of fungi, Sustainable agriculture, Food security

Upendra M Sainju is currently working on the effects of tillage, crop rotation, crop diversity, cropping intensity, and cultural practices on soil aggregation, organic matter concentration, microbial activities, nitrogen mineralization, and carbon and nitrogen sequestration in dryland areas. He is also engaged in studying the effects of irrigation management, nitrogen fertilization rates, and cultural practices in nitrate-nitrogen movement in soil that affects water quality, soil organic matter level, and nitrogen mineralization in irrigated land. He is also involved in the development of methodology for determination of soil aggregation for dryland and irrigated areas and extraction method for determining ammonium and nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in the soils of various textures amended with or without plant residue.

Upendra M Sainju eight years working on the long-term effects of tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization on crop production, carbon sequestration in plant and soil, soil nitrogen fertility, microbial activities, and nitrogen leaching at Fort Valley State University, he developed a management practice consisting of conservation tillage, cover cropping, and nitrogen rate that sustains crop production, improves soil and water qualities, and reduces the rate of nitrogen fertilization as compared with the conventional practice.

Dr Johan van Rooyen is currently the director of “The Standard Bank Centre for Agri-leadership & Mentorship Development” and professor in Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University. He teaches Agri-business strategy, Agricultural and rural development and Business cases at the University of Stellenbosch and also lectures at the Universities of Free State, Pretoria, Antwerpen and the University of Ghent, Belgium. To-date he published more than 100 peer group refereed scientific papers, five academic books on Agri-business & Agri- development and presented over 100 papers at local and international events. He is a NRF rated scientist. Prof van Rooyen serves on a number of boards of agri-business companies and agencies, is currently a board member of IAMA (the International Agri-business and Food Industry Management Association) and serves on an expert panel of the “World Competitive Report”, University of Laussanne, Switzerland. He served on a number of committees, including the ‘Agricultural Sector Plan’ task team (2000-2001); served as ministerial appointment on the ‘Agri-BEE steering committee (2005-2008); managed the drafting of the ‘S.A. Wine Industry Transformation Charter and BEE Score Card’ (2003-2007); and served full terms on the boards of the S.A. Land and Agricultural Development Bank (2000-2004) and on the S.A. Agricultural Research Council (1996-2000). Previous employment includes: The Development Bank of Southern Africa (1984-1993) - Executive Group Manager, Agriculture and Rural Development; and Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis; Director of the Postgraduate School for Agricultural and Rural Development & Professor in the ABSA Chair of Agribusiness Management, University of Pretoria (1993-2002); CEO, Agri-business Chamber of S.A (1998-2002); CEO of the S.A. Wine Industry Council (2003-2008). His achievements include: Served On A Number Of Boards Of Agri-Business Companies And Agencies ( New Farmers Development Co, Aquaharvest, Sa Brandy Foundation, Winetech, Sawis, Wosa), President Of The Agricultural Economics Association Of South Africa, Chair Of The Agricultural Outlook Conference(Lanvokon) and Elected An Ifama Fellow In 2014, Co-Chair Ifama 2014 World Conference In Cape Town and Operate As Specialist Consultant In Agribusiness – Strategic Planning And Policy Development.

Agri-business, Agricultural and rural development, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economy

Professor Byoung Ryong Jeong has completed his PhD at the age of 31 years from Colorado State University, USA, and postdoctoral studies from University of Missouri-Columbia, USA, and Chiba University, Japan. He is a professor in Department of Horticulture and the Dean of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Republic of Korea. He has published more than 250 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editor-in-chief of Horticulture, Environment and Biotechnology, and president of the Korean Society for Floricultural Science. (Up to 100 words)

Climate Change, Conservation Biology, Genetics, Climatology, Ornamental Horticulture, Plant Tissue culture and micropropagation

Dr. Ashok K Patra, Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, India. He did his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. He was a Post Doctoral Researchers at ICRISAT, India; IGER, UK; INRA, France; and University of Notre Dame, USA. He was a Principal Soil Scientist (2006 to 2014) at IARI, New Delhi. He is a recipient of British Council TCT Award; Royal Society Award; DBT Overseas Associateship Award; Hooker Award of IARI; and he is a Fellow of the Indian Society of Soil Science and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, India. His research area includes nitrogen cycling, soil biodiversity, carbon sequestration and nanoparticles. With more than 200 publications in his credit he is serving as a member of editorial board of reputed journals.

Nitrogen cycling, soil biodiversity, carbon sequestration and nanoparticle

Victor Afari-Sefa, a citizen of Ghana, is an Agricultural Economist and the Global Theme Leader - Consumption at AVRDC - The World Vegetable Center. He is based at AVRDC’s Regional Office for East and Southern Africa in Arusha, Tanzania. He has extensive experience in performance monitoring and impact assessment of horticultural value chains on smallholder livelihoods. In this present position, Victor leads and coordinates vegetable socioeconomic research in sub-Saharan Africa and globally by assessing opportunities and challenges in production systems, analyzing constraints in the value chain, and analyzing policy in interdisciplinary context. He has multi-country project management experience and coordinates multidisciplinary research in horticultural value chains, in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia where he emphasizes on proactive planning processes to attain set deliverables. He also has international experience in integrated economic-biophysical optimization modeling of agricultural water use. Prior to joining AVRDC in 2010, Victor worked as a Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Specialist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Research Scientist at Center for Development Research (ZEF) in Bonn, Germany. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany as has 25 peer reviewed publications to his credit.

Monitoring and evaluation, ex-ante and ex-post impact assessment studies of horticultural crops, rural farming systems and livelihoods, socio-economics of vegetables for food and nutrition security, consumer studies on domestic and regional horticultural markets, , economic cost analysis of postharvest losses in horticultural crops and agricultural water use and management.

Francis Lewu obtained BSc Agriculture in Plant Breeding and Seed Technology and MSc Agronomy in Nigeria. He started his career as a Genebank Research Assistant in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Nigeria and later proceeded to study PhD Botany with specialization in plant genetic conservation and propagation. After his postdoctoral study, he joined the Department of Agriculture, University of Zululand, South Africa as a Lecturer in 2008 and was appointed HOD, of the department in January 2009; a position he held till end of May 2011. Francis Lewu joined the Cape Peninsula University of Technology as HOD of Agriculture Department in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. He was appointed Associate Professor in 2014 and became a C Rated National Research Foundation Scholar of South Africa during the same year. He is a qualified Professional Natural Scientist and has supervised and mentored master and doctoral students to completion. Prof Lewu currently concentrates his research effort on the autecology and propagation of screened medicinals and alternative cultivation protocols for field crops and horticultural species. He is editorial member of many journals and serves as reviewer to the NRF, several local and international journals and reviews many masters and doctoral thesis for several universities.

Autecology, Propagation of screened medicinals, Crop Science, Horticulture

Halos-Kim, is a Registered Professional Agricultural Engineer in the Philippines and has over 30 years’ experience working on crop processing, postharvest and food engineering research, development, and most recent, on Extension, in Asia and Africa. She was the Former Head of the Postharvest Engineering Unit, IITA in Nigeria & a Researcher with the Agricultural Engineering Department of IRRI in Philippines. From 2009, Engr. Leony is the Thematic Director of the Postharvest and Agro processing (PHAP) Extension of the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) and is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Halos-Kim leads a team of specialists (agricultural engineers, food technologist, rural development experts and economists) in Ethiopia, Mali, Nigeria and Uganda to promote the use of appropriate technologies to reduce losses, improve quality and food safety, and enhance food security and income of smallholder farmers in SAA focus countries, and in Africa in general.

Agricultural Engineering, Agro-processing, Crop Processing, Farm Power and Machinery, Postharvest Technology, Food Process Engineering, Agricultural Extension, Rural Development Works

Shashi Sharma is Professor and Chair in Biosecurity and Food Security, and Centre Director of Australia-China Centre for Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management in Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry at Murdoch University in Western Australia. Until his appointment at Murdoch University, Professor Sharma was Director of Plant Biosecurity at the Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia from where he is on secondment. He has had a long career in food and agriculture spanning over 35 years and it includes working in several countries in different spheres of agriculture -- on-farm, post-harvest, trade, quarantine and biosecurity policy and planning, regulation, legislation and science. He studied for his MSc and PhD degrees at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) New Delhi and later returned to IARI as Professor and Head of the Division of Nematology. He worked well over a decade as a Scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), spent his sabbatical at the Delta Centre of the University of Missouri, USA and International Fellowship at the Rothamsted International, UK. He is recipient of several awards in recognition of his contributions to agriculture including Excellence in Science Award of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research. Professor Sharma is a strong advocate of biosecurity as an integral component of global food security strategy and has been internationally speaking on biosecurity and food security issues for a number of years.

Food sustainably, Bio-security and policy, Food safety and Food security, Post-harvest food loss and food waste management, Managing chemical contaminants, and Innovative technologies for improved market access and trade.

A. Gattinger is agronomist and soil ecologist and coordinates climate-related research at FiBL Switzerland and Germany (www.fibl.org). He studied agriculture at the universities in Kassel/ Germany and Aberdeen/UK and got his PhD at TU München/Germany. He has international scientific expertise in the field of soil ecology and climate impact of farming systems. A. Gattinger is author/co-author of currently 47 peer-reviewed papers and teaches soil ecology at the universities Basel/CH and Giessen/Germany. He chairs the International Round Table of Organic Agriculture and Climate Change, an international, multi-stakeholder association. Furthermore, he is a member in the German organic grower association Naturland and runs an organic farm in Selters, Germany.

Climate impact of farming systems, Greenhouse gas fluxes in soil-plant systems, Structure and function of soil microbial communities as influenced by agricultural management, Adaptive capacity of soils and farming systems to climate change, Soil and water conservation including water and nutrient use efficiency.

Dr. Raveendra H Patil completed his PhD from Copenhagen University, Denmark and has worked as Post-Doctoral Researcher at Yangzhou University, China, University of Nottingham, UK, Aarhus University, Denmark, and University of Florida, USA. Now Dr. Patil is based in India at UAS, Dharwad involved in teaching and supervision of Graduate students, undertaking research on climate change impact and adaptation studies in agriculture, precision agriculture, and sustainable production systems, among others. He is a recipient of Young Scientist award from the Indian Government (ICAR, New Delhi) and ISCA, Kolkata, India for his work on agro-forestry, and over the years he has received number of national and international fellowships. For instance, ICAR Junior & Senior Fellowship, Chinese Govt. Fellowship, The Royal Society, London, UK Fellowship, The Danish Government Post-Doc Fellowship and NSF, USA Post-Doc Research Associate Fellowship. He has published more than 50 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member and reviewer to number of reputed journals.

Agro-forestry and Sustainable production systems Crop production under changing climate and plant nutrition Soil nutrient cycling and GHG emissions from agro-ecosystems Crop model application to assess climate change impacts and identify adaptation strategies

Dr. Mannava Sivakumar was the former Director, Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch (CLPA) in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Weather and Climate Extremes Journal published by Elsevier and a senior Consultant with World Bank and WMO. He obtained his M.Sc (Agronomy) from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India, in 1972; and Ph.D in Agricultural Climatology from the Iowa State University (USA) in 1977. From 1977 to 1996, Dr Sivakumar worked at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in India (1977-83) and in West Africa (1984-96) occupying the positions successively of Agroclimatologist, Principal Agroclimatologist, Team Leader, Resource Management Programme and Director, Soils and Agroclimatology Division. In July 1996, Dr Sivakumar joined the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and served as the Chief of the Agricultural Meteorology Division until 2008 when he was appointed as the Director of the Climate Prediction and Adaptation Branch (CLPA). Dr Sivakumar has over 300 publications to his credit, including 53 books and 85 articles in various international journals. Dr. Sivakumar received the "Young Scientist Award' and the Science Academy Medal from the Indian National Science Academy of India in 1983. He is a Fellow of seven international scientific societies including the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences of India, the Indian Meteorological Society, the National Environmental Science Academy, the American Society of Agronomy, the Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences of Belgium, the Academy of Georgofili of Italy and Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Biodiversity Science. Dr Sivakumar received the 2007 International Service in Agronomy Award from the American Society of Agronomy, the Award of Excellence for exceptional and outstanding contributions in the field of Science from the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in 2009 and the Bharat Jyoti Award from the India International Friendship Society in 2012.

Agricultural Climatology, Agronomy

Dr. Mohammad Reza Alizadeh has completed his PhD. in the field of Agricultural Machinery Engineering from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, I.R. Iran in 2007. He works as Associate Professor and head of Agricultural Engineering Department, the Rice Research Institute of Iran (RRII) with nearly 25 years active research experiences in the area of mechanization of agricultural crop production and post-production. He has authored and co-authored more than 80 original and review papers in the national and international peer-reviewed journals. He joined as a member of the editorial board and reviewer of many international reputed journals related to agricultural engineering and post-harvest technology.

Field and post-harvest machinery management, Design and development of agricultural machinery, Engineering Properties of Agricultural Products, Precision Farming in plant Production and Post-Production.

Dr. Kazi Kamrul Islam has completed his MSc from Wageningen University, the Netherlands and PhD from Kyushu University, Japan. Dr. K.K. Islam has also completed his postdoctoral studies from Kyushu University in 2015. Currently he is the head and Associate Professor at the Department of Agroforestry, Bangladesh Agricultural University (a renounced and famous agricultural university in Asia). He has published more than 40 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of number of Journals.

Agroforestry, Agroecology, Forest Conservation, Forest Management, Forest Economics, Natural Resource Management

Dr Sani Yusuf Ahmad is an Associate Professor in Agronomy with specialization in Horticultural Production. He obtained his B. Agriculture, MSc. and Ph.D degrees from the famous Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria in 1995, 2003 and 2010, respectively. He is a member of several professional bodies and has several publications in reputable national, International journals and numerous research/technical reports to his credit. He is currently a lecturer/researcher at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria where he is actively involved in teaching, training, research and extension services. He attended several International Conferences and trainings across the globe.

Agronomy, Agriculture Extension, Horticulture

Dr. Sunday Yiseyon Hosu was born in Ogun State Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2004. He obtained Masters Degree from Nigeria’s premier university: the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2007 and PhD in Agricultural/Environmental Economics from the University of Fort Hare in 2013. His PhD thesis is a holistic attempt to know the determinants of food system among the poor households in the semi-arid region; the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. He focused on modeling small farms’ optimal productivity under stressed environmental conditions, resource utilization and effective institutional services provision. His study made insight on the necessary conditions to boost smallholder productivity and food security among the small-holder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province. His research interest focuses on optimal resource utilization for sustainable livelihood, food security and food systems as well as rural poverty analysis. He has authored and co-authored manuscripts and proposal with others. He has read papers on food issues at several local and international conferences. Dr Hosu is the Lead Researcher and Consultant, Sunclare Consults Limited, a-one- stop research outfit for solutions to agriculture and agribusinesses issues based in Nigeria. He is currently a Research Fellow at Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape.

Optimal resource utilization for sustainable livelihood, food security and food systems as well as rural poverty analysis

Dr Olayinka Ayobami AIYEGORO obtained a doctoral degree in Microbiology (Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology) from the renowned University of Fort Hare in South Africa. He has a versatile research career in applied microbiology- his research emphases include: Public Health Microbiology, Phytomedicine, Probiotics and Prebiotics Research. He has published above 40 research articles in international peer reviewed ISI rated journals and also has 2 book chapters in his archives. Dr Aiyegoro is a rated researcher by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa and also a registered professional member of South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions. He has worked as a University lecturer, research scientist and currently he is a Senior Researcher/Project Manager in GI Microbiology and Biotechnology Unit of Agricultural research Council- Animal Production Institute, South Africa. His daily activities include: researching students supervision, project and financial management, office administration and other Ad hoc duties.

Public Health Microbiology, Phytomedicine, Probiotics and Prebiotics Research

Dr. Justin K. Urassa holds a PhD (Developme Studies) and an M.Sc. Social research Methods (Development Studies) from the university of Sussex (United Kingdom), A Post-graduate Diploma in Poverty Analysis for Socioeconomic Security and Development from the Institute of Social Studies-The Hague, Holland in collaboration with the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF)-Tanzania and Research on Poverty Alleviation (REPOA)-Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, an MSc. and B.Sc. (Agriculture) from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and a Diploma in Dairy Husbandry from Livestock Training Institute (LITI) Tengeru, Tanzania. In addition to his regular academic activities at the university he also acted as Associate Director for the Development Studies Institute, SUA from July 2004 to October 2005. Before Joining SUA in December 1999 he worked as a Livestock Tutor at the Ministry of Agriculture Training Institute (MATI) Mlingano, Tanga.

Rural livelihoods and well-being, Poverty analysis, Food Security, Agricultural and rural development, Policy analysis, Social development and gender and development.

Dr. (Mrs.) Angela M. Lamptey is a Lecturer at the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon. She has a Ph.D in Fisheries Science from the University of Ghana. Her research interests include Aquaculture, Fisheries Ecology, Fish feeding habits, Biodiversity studies (Seabirds and sea turtles), aquatic biotopes studies and water quality studies. She is a reviewer to a number of International Peer-reviewed Journals and has over seven (7) publications in top peer-reviewed journals. She is a motivational speaker to various youth groups and a role model for young ladies.

Aquaculture, Seabird-fisheries interactions, Seabirds ecology, Fisheries ecology, Water quality studies, Fish feeding habits, Biodiversity studies (Seabirds and sea turtles), Aquatic biotopes studies.

Full-time Professor, Department of Plastic Surgery, College of Medicine, Seoul National University , Seoul, Korea

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Philippe Benech has completed his PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science and postdoctoral studies from Harvard Medical School. He is director of research at the National Center for Scientific Research and is the recipient of several grants and awards. He was considered as a pioneer in the discovery of cytokine signaling pathways and developed PredictSearch, a text mining-based software dedicated to the interpretation of transcriptomic data. Founder of several biotechnology companies, he is presently CSO at the GENEX Laboratory devoted to cosmetogenomic analyses.

cosmetogenomics

Trichologist Donyelle McBride Rose of McBride Hair Restoration LLC (MHR) is newest Board Member and Educator of US Trichology Institute. 24 years experience in the field of Hair Restoration and Replacement. Donyelle’s mission is to help restore hair, hope, and confidence to as many possible experiencing hair loss. The office continues to educate Physicians, Medical offices, and Licensed Professionals about Alopecia awareness and the alternative solutions. In addition, Donyelle is a Look Good Feel Better Consultant for the American Cancer Society and a member of American Hair Loss Council.

Trichology,Hair Restoration and Replacement

Dr. Thomas Narsete specializes in facial cosmetic surgery, breast surgery, mother makeovers, and the new Brazilian butt lift. He combines a love for artistry with his technical surgical skills to help each patient look her or his best. Dr. Narsete applies a patient-centered approach with more than three decades of experience. He treats patients with all types of needs, including complex cases or high Body Mass Index (BMI). Dr. Narsete is a premier plastic surgeon and has received numerous prestigious medical awards, including “Top Plastic Surgeon, International Association of Plastic Surgeons” in 2013; and the “Compassionate Doctor Award” and “Patients’ Choice Award” in 2012. In practice, Dr. Narsete is most proud of the development of new technology and innovation in plastic surgery. He takes his training seriously and has traveled the world to study the latest techniques – including to Brazil for the latest developments in Brazilian Butt Lifts and to Paris for liposuction. As a skilled surgeon and painter, Dr. Narsete has been creating art for more than two decades. He hones his surgery skills and dexterity by painting oriental watercolors. In addition to painting, Dr. Narsete enjoys music, fishing, photography and spending time with his family.

Facial cosmetic surgery, breast surgery, mother makeovers, and the new Brazilian butt lift

Kuniyoshi Kaseda had completed his PhD at the age of 28 years from the Kyushu Institute of Technology and postdoctoral studies at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology as well as at the Marie Curie Research Institute. He is, at present, the director at the Saravio Central Institute of Saravio Cosmetics Ltd. He has published a wide range of reputed journals, in Biophysics, Cell biology, Cosmetic science and so on.

Biophysics, Cell biology, Cosmetic science

Mark Schafer is President of Photosonix Medical, and has served in senior roles for several ultrasonic device companies. He has over 20 peer-reviewed publications, 21 patents, and is a Fellow of the AIUM and the ASA. Mark holds a BSEE from MIT and a PhD from Drexel University. Tessie McNeely is an expert in infectious disease and biofilms. She served in senior scientific roles at Merck, where she earned multiple awards for scientific contributions, and was Principal Scientist for the development of an acne vaccine. She holds a BA from Berea College and a PhD from UNC at Chapel Hill.

Infectious disease and biofilms

Professor Ines Brajac is Head of Department of Dermatology, at Univesrity hospital center Rijeka. Member at Croatian Dermatovenereological society of the Croatian Medical Association, Croatian Society for Psychosomatic Research and European Academy of Dermatovenerology (EADV).

Hair diseases, Psoriasis, Psychoneuroimmunology in pathogenesis of skin diseases

Dr. Meena Singh is a star Dermatologist and Hair Restoration Surgeon. As a graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Meena has been featured on the cover of the New York Times, in Ebony Magazine, and on Essence.com. In addition, her work has been published in the some of the top journals in her field including, the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Meena is an ambitious and strong willed woman who embraced her natural hair as a representation of beauty, stemming from her unique cultural heritage. She is the oldest of 5 siblings, all born and raised in Kansas, to Black and Indian parents. Growing up they had a very interesting childhood she says, “Not only were we the only Black kids in school, we were also the only Indian kids,” she continued, “we never felt the need to assimilate because we felt like a part of both cultures and that made us special…we loved it.” Her long journey towards embracing her natural hair had its roots in her childhood, which was marked by difficulties with her natural texture. She says she had the most difficult hair out of all of her siblings and her mother just wasn’t sure what to do. While her sisters all remained natural, her hair struggles lead her to get a relaxer during the seventh grade. Dr. Meena kept her hair relaxed all through college, although she was unhappy because it was not healthy. “My hair refused to grow past my shoulders, and it was very thin” During her time in Los Angeles, Dr. Meena encountered the new and growing natural hair movement and she says she was inspired by her younger sister to make the transition. Her transition turned out to be a disaster. In her first attempt at braids she was forced into the big chop. “After eight weeks in braids my hair had become so tangled, I had to cut it all off.” She was left with what she calls a “really short Jheri Curl”. Unfortunately, her new style was not very popular with her friends. “Everyone was kind to my face, but they would not comment on my hair, saying things like ‘oh, you have a pretty face’” It took nearly 4 years for her hair to grow back, but she could not be happier saying “everyone loves my hair now.” Her natural hair is more than twice as long as her relaxed hair ever was and so much more versatile. She credits her amazing new look to the Devachan Salon in New York, where they helped her curls come to life. She said before she her experience there she never knew her hair could look as good. Now all she really has to do to keep looking her best is wash and go, her favorite style. Dr. Meena’s professional career as a Hair Restoration Surgeon and Dermatologist is where she really shines. Inspired by her mother, a physician and one of the first Black female students to graduate from her medical school, Dr. Meena attended and graduated from the prestigious Harvard Medical School. She later trained at the world renowned Mayo Clinic, and completed her surgical residency in New York. She initially wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon but she found a great opportunity to serve the community and stand out in her new field. “Black Dermatologist make up only 1-2% of the field” she says, “I realized I had found my niche by focusing on hair loss and hair restoration surgery.” Dr. Meena is passionate about helping to educate the black community on preventable forms of hair loss and the options available for hair restoration. One of the biggest issues she focuses on is Traction Alopecia. Traction Alopecia is caused by tension and traction in the hair that leads to inflammation of the scalp, often requiring steroid injections to remedy the condition. Women with a history of hair weaves, braids, and tight ponytails are at a greater risk for this type of hair loss, particularly along the edges of the hairline. Dr. Meena encourages women to give their hair a rest from the tension and if they begin to see signs of hair loss, they should see a dermatologist. When asked how she lives such a phenomenal life Dr. Meena says, “First of all, I know what my priorities are and I understand the consequences of the order of my priorities. For example, my children are my top priority before [my] career. People always ask me how I do it all. I never think that I cannot. I just try to think [about] how I can make it possible. I also try to have a background of stellar work, so that it makes it very difficult for requested individuals to say ‘no’ to me. Finally, I try to live life to the fullest, worry very little, and not plan too much!”

Hair Restoration, Dermatology, Mohs Surgery

Educated at Moscow State University, PhD from USSR Academy of Sciences, DSc from Petersburg (former Leningrad) University. Joined Loughborough University as a Professor in 1999. Previously Visiting Professor: University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA; Sofia University, Bulgaria; Instituto Pluridisciplinar, Madrid, Spain; Toulouse University, France; and University of Wales, Swansea, UK. Honorary Professor, Moscow State University of Food Production, Russia (2007 to present).

Kinetics of wetting and spreading: influence of surface forces, spreading over hydrophobic and porous substrates Influence of surface forces on membrane separation: nano-filtration, ultra- and microfiltration (fouling and/or gel layers formation) Influence of surface forces on rheology of concentrated suspensions