Dr. Mohmmad Younus Wani is associate professor of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry in the College of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He received his Ph.D. in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India, and Postdoctoral training from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and Texas Therapeutics Institute, UTHealth, Houston, Texas, USA on the development of new treatment strategies and non-traditional approaches to combat antimicrobial drug resistance (AMR). With extensive experience in the field of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, he has authored/co-authored over 80 peer-reviewed research articles, 06 books, and several US patents. He has received numerous prestigious honors, awards, and research grants. A professional member of several scientific societies, he also serves on the editorial boards of various esteemed scientific journals. Dr. Wani is working at the interface of chemistry and biology to develop novel small molecule inhibitors, new treatment strategies and novel approaches that could circumvent AMR, which is within the ambit of WHO’s global action plan on antimicrobial resistance.
Dr. Irfan A Rather is an accomplished associate professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University. Prior to his current position, he served as an assistant professor at the School of Biotechnology, Yeungan University in Korea. With a strong academic background and extensive research experience, Dr. Irfan specializes in the development of novel probiotics for metabolic diseases and zoonotic viruses. Throughout his career, Dr. Irfan has made significant contributions to the field of biomedical research. He has authored over 100 research articles, reflecting his expertise in his chosen areas of study. Additionally, his innovative work has been recognized with the granting of 10 US and Korean patents, demonstrating his commitment to translating scientific discoveries into practical applications. Dr. Irfan's dedication to advancing knowledge and finding solutions to pressing health challenges has earned him recognition as a respected researcher in the scientific community. His work continues to contribute to the development of novel approaches in the fields of probiotics and viral diseases.
Dr. Aijaz Ahmad, is a senior medical scientist in the Division of Infection Control of National Health Laboratory Service at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and a professor in the Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand. His core research interest is understanding fungal pathogenesis and development of antifungal vaccines and novel antifungal drugs. He obtained his Ph.D. in Medical Mycology. During his training as a Postdoctoral Scientist from different institutions, he gained lot of experience to be a medical microbiologist. He is an HPCSA registered Medical Scientist in Microbiology and is also a National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researcher. With an extensive research experience in infectious diseases, microbial pathogenesis, and drug development, he has authored/co-authored over 90 peer-reviewed publications, supervised more than 25 postgraduate students, and is recipient of several research grants and awards.
