Dr. Darlene Labonte is a seasoned clinical development executive with deep scientific expertise and strong strategic business acumen. Her career spans the full translational spectrum—from early preclinical research to executive leadership—focused on accelerating the delivery of innovative therapies to patients worldwide. She began her professional journey in preclinical research at Yale University, later advancing into leadership roles at pioneering biopharmaceutical companies including Regeneron, ImClone, and Eli Lilly. Throughout her career, Darlene has partnered with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations such as Syneos, VaxInnate, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, and Advaxis, where she has played a key role in shaping and executing global clinical development strategies. Driven by a mission to translate scientific innovation into meaningful patient impact, Darlene brings a unique ability to bridge rigorous science with business strategy. She has contributed to respected scientific publications and holds an MBA in Business Leadership, equipping her to deliver measurable results at the intersection of research, development, and corporate strategy.

Dr. Tsvetelina Mandova Demetrio is a pharmacist by training who earned her PhD from the Paris Descartes Faculty of Pharmacy, France, followed by postdoctoral studies at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. She specializes in the hit-to-lead value chain for small molecules, with a dual focus on excipients andActive Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). Her research centers on the therapeutic potential of nature-derived products for infectious diseases and antivirals, as well as excipients for parenteral vaccine formulations. With over a decade of experience leading industrial R&D at the Gilson Group in France, she possesses deep expertise in process scale-up, automation, and computational analysis. By utilizing Quality-by-Design (QbD) frameworks and adhering to FDA and ICH standards, she manages the entire continuum from early discovery to industrialization. Ultimately, her career is dedicated to translating natural sources into viable, scalable, and clinical-grade therapeutics.

Dr. Georgios Stathopoulos is a Technical Officer in the Department for Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organization (WHO), where he focuses on improving access to vaccines. He also serves as the Department’s focal point for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in immunization. In 2022, Georgios co-led the operational taskforce for the allocation of COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX mechanism. Prior to joining WHO, he worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, supporting strategy development with a focus on global public health and the energy sector. He has also undertaken independent consultancy roles as a data scientist, working on projects related to internal displacement and education. Georgios holds a Ph.D. in Operations Research and Engineering from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), an MSc in Systems and Control from Delft University of Technology, and a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the University of Patras, Greece.

Dr. Sohrab Ahmadvand is a scientist at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, with over ten years of experience in academic, clinical, and industrial settings, specializing in infectious viral diseases and vaccine development. He has contributed to numerous research and industrial vaccine projects across bacterial and viral pathogens, from surveillance and sample collection to vaccine testing and commercialization. He also has several years of experience as a Vaccine Project Manager in the pharmaceutical industry, bridging research and applied vaccine development. A former Alexander Humboldt Fellow, Dr. Ahmadvand has published and patented multiple findings, received awards and grants for academic excellence and innovation, and is currently developing cutting-edge veterinary vaccines and adjuvants using self-assembling protein nanocage (SAPN) platforms through international collaborations.

Dr. Stefania Bambini is a Global Regulatory Affairs Associate Director at GSK Vaccines with more than 25 years’ experience in the vaccines industry, specializing in preclinical investigation and regulatory strategy. She earned a degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies from the University of Siena, Italy, and a PhD in Industrial Biotechnologies from the University of Milano‑Bicocca. Stefania began her career in preclinical research at Novartis (formerly Chiron), where she played a pivotal role in the development of a meningococcal B vaccine. After joining Global Regulatory Affairs at GSK in 2013, she focused on the meningitis vaccine franchise and led efforts to advance a pentavalent meningococcal vaccine from early development through regulatory approval in the United States. She recently expanded her interest to monoclonal and bispecific antibodies and investigational vaccines targeting key priority human pathogens, with particular focus on antimicrobial resistance. She has published more than 30 papers in peer‑reviewed journals.

Dr. Beckie Ingram is a Reader of Immunity to Infection at Queen’s University Belfast, where she established her research group in 2009. Following postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London, where she characterised protective immunity to prevent HIV progression in collaboration with the Uganda Virus Research Institute, and developed vaccines against biothreat organisms, she has built a translational research programme focused on bacterial infections. She has led the preclinical arm of multinational vaccine studies and made cutting-edge contributions to understanding lymphocyte responses, developing biologically relevant in vivo models, and advancing novel antibiotics, immunotherapeutics, and vaccines. She is a member of the HEA All-Island Vaccine Research and Training Alliance (AVIRT), supporting the next generation of vaccinologists. Currently, she is leading the development of vaccines to combat antimicrobial resistance through her spin-out company, VacTimmune.

Dr. Ana Alfaro Cruz is a physician and pathologist specializing in oncologic pathology. She earned her medical degree from Universidad Veracruzana and completed her residency and advanced specialty training in Pathological Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, and the General Hospital of Mexico City, where she has served since 2007. Dr. Alfaro holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences (UNAM) and is a Level I National Researcher in Mexico’s National System of Researchers. She is currently a Specialist Physician “C” and Research Coordinator of the Pathological Anatomy Service at the General Hospital of Mexico City. In addition, she is actively engaged in academic teaching as a professor and adjunct professor at UNAM, IPN, and the Center for Teaching and Research in Genital Tract Pathology and Colposcopy.

Dr. Jennifer Moïsi, PhD, is Vice President, Medical Affairs, Vaccines at Pfizer. She oversees the strategy and execution of all medical and scientific activities for a portfolio of licensed and candidate vaccines, including pneumococcal, meningococcal, tick-borne disease (TBE and Lyme), and C. difficile vaccines. Her group’s role is to generate and communicate evidence to support decision-making by public health policymakers and healthcare providers, both pre- and post-licensure. Before joining Pfizer, Jennifer worked at the Agence de MédecinePréventive as the Meningitis and Pneumonia Program Leader, coordinating surveillance and epidemiological studies in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. She holds a PhD in International Health and an MHS in Biostatistics from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, USA, and a Diplômed’ingénieur from the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France.

Dr. Minerva Kelada has been involved in numerous research initiatives related to adolescent health and other pressing medical issues. She served for many years as an adjunct professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and as a medical consultant for the California Medical Board. With decades of experience in private practice and missionary medical work, Dr. Kelada brings both academic insight and compassionate perspective to her research.

Dr. Aida Mehrad is an Associate Professor at the International University of Catalonia (UIC), Barcelona, Spain. She holds dual PhDs in Health and Organizational Psychology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and in Social Psychology from University Putra Malaysia, along with a Master’s in General Psychology. With over 14 years of teaching experience across international institutions, she specializes in leadership, organizational behavior, management, and research methodology. Dr. Mehrad has authored more than 50 scientific publications and five books on motivation and empowerment. She also serves as a doctoral supervisor and has held academic leadership positions globally.

Dr. Ayodele Bankole James is an eminent public health professional and a prominent advocate for health equity, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. As the Registrar and CEO of the African Institute of Public Health Professionals (AIPHP) and a board member of both AIPHP and the Institute of Professionals Managers and Administrators of Nigeria (IPMA), he has been instrumental in promoting increased health financing and equitable healthcare access. Dr. Bankole leverages the AIPHP platform to partner with leading international organizations such as the World Health Organization, Pathfinder International, RAHI Medical Outreach, International Health Consultancy, Institute for Health Proffesional Development, Best Health Solutions, and Africa Centre for inclusive Health Management. Through these collaborations, he has organized leadership and management training workshops in Nigeria and international public health conferences in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Egypt, Rwanda, Ghana, and South Africa with a focus on health resilience and security in Africa. His postgraduate training in health policy, planning, and management, coupled with his role as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Public Health at Al-Hikmah University, Nigeria, underscores his academic and professional dedication. Dr. Bankole is a fellow of the African Institute of Public Health Professionals and IPMA. He earned a Doctor of Science in Health Management (honoris causa) from the Institut Universitaire des Sciences Economiques Est Biologiques Appliquees, Republic of Benin.

Dr. Olawale Salami (MD, DTMH, MBA) is a physician, clinical researcher, and drug development specialist with over 15 years of experience in clinical trial design, implementation, and regulatory strategy across Phases I–IV. He currently serves as Head of the Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), Kigali, Rwanda, where he leads strategic, scientific, and operational initiatives to establish a world-class clinical research center. Previously, Dr. Salami held senior leadership roles at SGS Pharma and Exevir Bio (Belgium), FIND Diagnostics, and DNDi (Switzerland), overseeing more than 24 clinical trials, including first-in-human studies across oncology, infectious diseases, and respiratory medicine. A former Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Lausanne, he has collaborated with WHO, Oxford University, and multiple regulatory agencies. Dr. Salami is passionate about strengthening Africa’s clinical research ecosystem and has published over 30 peer-reviewed papers, with more than 450 citations globally.

Dr. Warsame is an accomplished public health specialist with over 12 years of experience leading transformative health interventions in fragile and resource-limited contexts. He has a proven track record in health systems strengthening, maternal and child health, immunization, and midwifery workforce development. Currently, Jamal serves as the National Consultant for Child Survival and Primary Health Care (PHC) Strengthening at UNICEF and Ministry of Health Somalia, where he leads policy development, operational planning, and monitoring frameworks to advance child health outcomes. His previous worked with UNFPA, WHO, Save the children international in Somalia, where he integrated midwifery into primary healthcare and built the capacity of frontline health workers, and overseeing emergency preparedness, outbreak response, and disease surveillance. Jamal holds two master’s degrees—in Public Health (Health Systems, Policy & Management) from the KIT Royal Tropical Institute (Netherlands), and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights from Dalarna University (Sweden)—alongside a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Research.

Dr. Abdishakur Ahmed Mohamed is the Deputy Director of Child Health and Immunization at the Ministry of Health, Somaliland, and a Lecturer at the University of Hargeisa, College of Medicine and Health Sciences. He previously served as an Emergency Response Officer and has broad experience in outbreak response, child health, and immunization programs. He plays a key role in strengthening child health, vaccination coverage, and disease surveillance efforts across Somaliland.

Dr. Sumeet Dwivedi Presently working as Associate Professor, Acropolis Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Indore, M.P. He has completed his B. Pharm from Smriti College of Pharmaceutical Education, Indore, MP; M.Pharm with Honors & Gold Medal in Pharmacognosy &Phytochemistry from Vinayaka Mission’s University, Salem, TN, Ph.D. from Suresh GyanVihar University, Jaipur, RJ, India. He has awarded with Fellowship FLSL in 2013 from Pavan Education Society Gujrat for his outstanding performance in research on herbal medicine and herbal formulations. He has over 17 year of experience in Academics, Research and Administration in various Pharmacy Institutions. He has his credit of more than 325 research/review papers in various national and international Journal of repute, has more than 100 abstract in various Seminar & Conferences, published 45 books and serving as Executive Editor, International Journal of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Reviewer of many Journals and Editorial Board Member of several International Journal viz., African Journals, American J. of Pharmacy etc. He has been awarded as Young Scientist award in 2018, Young Researcher award in 2018, Inspirational Teacher award in 2019, Young Achiever award in 2020, Eminient Researcher Award, 2024 & Best Innovator Award 2024 by various organizations. He has also received letter of appreciation by DHR Industrial, India for adopting his research work formula and methodology for formulation of herbal oil and shampoo in Nov, 2018. He has delivered more than 60 lectures in various Conferences & Seminar on herbal medicine, Standardization of herbals, traditional claims, folk lore uses of herbs & Herbal formulations. Dr. Dwivedi has successfully organized 6 Seminar funded by MPCST & AERB; Workshop on Medicinal plants and completed two major research project funded by Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Al- Bayda, Libya & Research Cell, OUI. He has also Published 22 Indian Patent, granted with 1 Indian Patent, 1 Australian Patent, 20 Indian Design, 5 UK Design Patent &2 Copyright. He has guided more than 35 Postgraduate students, awarded eight Ph.D and presently 2 students are working under him for their Doctorate. He has keen interest in Herbal Medicine, Documentation and Validation of herbal dosage form. He is involved in research on biological & pharmacological screening, formulation, standardization of herbals, cultivation practices of medicinal plants and phenological studies of herbs.

Dr. Sainudeen Pattazhy, famous Indian Environmentalist, currently working as a Scientist and Professor at National University of Research Institute in Singapore. He embodies several personalities- environmental scientist, science manager, educator, author, and communicator– all rolled into one. There are few Indian scientists who have done so much in so many different fields, and have done it with such fervor. Due to the efforts, NASA named a minor planet after his name called 5178 Pattazhy planet in 2008. He is the first Keralite, who got planet name and became a part of the world history. He authored many research papers and International books. He has received many Awards . He got 9 patents .

Dr. Juan Rodríguez García is Head of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Son Espases University Hospital in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. His clinical work focuses on the immunization of immunocompromised patients. He combines clinical practice with teaching as an associate professor in the Chair of Preventive Medicine in the Medical Degree program at the University of the Balearic Islands. He is also involved in independent research at the Balearic Islands Health Research Institute (IdISBa) within the research group “Study of the Immune Response in Human Pathology” and participates in clinical trials on vaccines. He contributes to vaccine advisory activities through the Vaccine Study Group of the Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Health Management (SEMPSPGS), as well as through the Vaccine Advisory Committee and the Autonomous Commission of the Balearic Islands. His research focuses on immunization in immunocompromised patients, vaccine hesitancy, and the development of clinical guidelines for vaccination.

Mrs. Esha Brahmbhatt is a Master of Public Health candidate at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she studies the intersection of media consumption and health outcomes. She has conducted research on Alzheimer’s disease and epileptiform activity and holds a B.S. from NYU in Media, Culture, and Communication and Global Public Health. She is also the founder of Cabin Fever Magazine, an interdisciplinary publication bridging science and media.

Dr. Barnard-Matthee completed her undergraduate degree in Human Life Sciences with Psychology at Stellenbosch University, followed by an Honours degree in Biochemistryat the same university, focusing on manipulating soil bacteria to produce antimicrobial peptides with specific properties. She then pursued a Master’s degree in Biochemistry, shifting her research focus to characterizing enzymes involved in a novel steroidogenic pathway. She completed her PhD in the same department in 2020, studying the effects of novel androgens on the development and progression of prostate cancer. Afterward, she undertook a postdoctoral fellowship at the Tygerberg Medical Campus, Stellenbosch University, where she researched the effects of mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosison iron metabolism, lipid composition and oxygen consumption as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the acquisition of mutations in M. tuberculosisinfections due to an increase in lost-to-follow-up cases. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow in the Microbiology Department at Stellenbosch University, developing assays to determine the activity and quality of locally produced IVT enzymes used in mRNA vaccine production.

Dr. Maria Angela Doronzo is a Resident Physician in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Son Espases University Hospital in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. She holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Italy, and earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain. She has worked in the field of occupational risk prevention in Italy and has also served as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Balearic Islands. Her research focuses on vaccination and other areas of public health.

Dr. Iman Almahmis is a PhD researcher in Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology at University Grenoble Alpes, France, specializing in immune memory and vaccine development. Her research focuses on mechanisms that enhance long-term vaccine-induced immune responses, using advanced immunological techniques including PBMC isolation, cell culture, flow cytometry, ELISA, and ELISPOT. With a strong background in clinical immunology and medical microbiology, she is experienced in data analysis, scientific writing, and multidisciplinary collaboration, and is passionate about advancing immunological research and innovation.

Dr. Oneka Scott is the Maternal and Child Health Officer and National Immunization Manager at the Ministry of Health, Guyana. She has worked in public health since 2016 and has led national Maternal and Child Health and Immunization Programmes since 2018, overseeing vaccine policy implementation, performance monitoring, and service integration across multiple regions. Her technical work focuses on strengthening routine immunization systems, improving coverage performance toward ≥95% targets, reducing multi-dose vaccine dropout rates, and enhancing data quality and supervisory mechanisms. She has supported outreach expansion to underserved and hardtoreach populations and aligns national vaccine strategies with WHO and PAHO technical guidance. Dr. Scott holds a Master’s degree in International Public Health and has played a key role in strengthening routine immunization performance, expanding equitable access to vaccines, and aligning national strategies with global technical standards. Her professional interests include immunization systems resilience, maternal health outcomes, and implementation science in low-resource and geographically dispersed settings. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies, with a research focus on health systems strengthening and vaccine equity

Dr. Gisele Umviligihozo is a virologist with a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University, Canada, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Infectious Diseases from the University of London, UK. She is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, and a Fellow of the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB and HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE). Dr. Umviligihozo has received numerous awards, including the QEII Diamond Jubilee Award, Fogarty Training Scholarship, and fellowships from SANTHE. Her research focuses on HIV transmission, evolution, and immune control in diverse populations, including female sex workers and MSM. She also investigates immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and sex differences in HIV persistence, aiming to advance HIV vaccine and therapeutic development.

Dr. Alireza Hanifehnezhad is a virologist specializing in viral vector, protein-based, and DNA vaccine platforms for both human and veterinary applications. His research focuses on adenoviral and baculovirus systems, oncolytic virotherapy, and vaccine development against zoonotic and emerging viruses. He holds patents for baculovirus-based and SARS-CoV vaccines and leads several government-supported projects in translational vaccine research. Dr. Hanifehnezhad’s current work integrates viral vector engineering, monoclonal antibody development, and immunological analysis to advance next-generation preventive and therapeutic strategies

Dr. Rodrigo Nunes is a biomedical researcher at the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC/Fiocruz, Brazil), where he coordinates projects on neglected zoonoses such as leptospirosis, rickettsioses, Lyme disease, hantavirus and arenavirus infections. His expertise integrates immunoinformatics, molecular biology, and immunology for the development of diagnostic tools and multi-epitope chimeric vaccines. He has authored impactful scientific publications, holds experience in international collaborations (including Fiocruz–USP–Butantan networks and UK-SEA Vax Hub initiatives), and has received distinctions such as the Alexandre Peixoto Award and the Brazil VERDE Early Career Researcher Bursary. Currently, Dr. Nunes is a CNPq Research Productivity Fellow (Level 1C) and a FAPERJ “Jovem Cientista do Nosso Estado”. He also plays a leading role in postgraduate education and scientific outreach in Brazil.

Dr. Axel Cyriaque Ambassa, Ph.D., is a Biochemist and Molecular Biology researcher at the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon. He earned his doctorate in 2024 with research on pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV co-infection, emphasizing molecular epidemiology, hepatotoxicity, and genetic polymorphisms. His research interests span infectious diseases (TB, HIV, HBV, COVID-19), pharmacogenetics, drug resistance, and vaccine immunology. Dr. Ambassa has authored several peer-reviewed publications and presented his work at major international conferences, including the EDCTP Forum. In addition to research, he lectures in biochemistry, molecular biology, and viral pathologies, and actively engages in international collaborations and scientific training programs.

Dr. Aslan Foroutan is a vaccine R&D and translational innovation specialist focused on mucosal platforms, immunoinformatics, and GMP/QC enablement. He bridges wet-lab immunology with AI-driven analytics to accelerate assay validation, tech transfer, and release readiness. His work spans epitope modeling, IgA-centric readouts, and data pipelines that improve robustness and time-to-decision across the vaccine lifecycle, with a One-Health perspective and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Mr. Abdurrahaman Mangari is a dynamic public health leader and PhD candidate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, specializing in infectious diseases and health policy. A WHO Fellow and Senior Supervisor for the Oral Polio Vaccine program, he has led immunization and pandemic response efforts across Africa, strengthening health systems during crises. With experience at the Nigeria CDC, Africa CDC, and Federal Ministry of Health, he brings expertise in epidemiology, virology, and global health security. Passionate about health equity, policy, and community empowerment, Abdurrahaman advances resilient, inclusive health systems through science, strategy, and service.

Ameyo is an early career vaccinologist with an Erasmus Mundus LIVE Master's degree. His work focuses on next-generation mRNA vaccine engineering to achieve improved antigen expression, stability, and immune activation. He is a passionate advocate for cancer vaccinology and equitable vaccine innovation in Kenya and co-founder of KenyaVaccine Foundation. He is an active member of Kenya Society of Haemato-Oncology, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine, and the American Society for Microbiology. He is currently seeking PhD opportunities in Immunology or RNA sciences.Beyond the laboratory, Ameyo is deeply engaged in mentorship, health communication, and community-centered innovation. When he is not in the lab or advocating, you will find him Cooking, travelling or playing rugby.

Angyiba Serge Andigema is a passionate public health researcher specializing in vaccine communication, with a particular focus on vaccine hesitancy, acceptance, and confidence. Currently pursuing his PhD, he investigates the behavioral, socio-cultural, and informational factors that influence vaccine uptake in diverse communities. Through his research and advocacy, Serge aims to design evidence-based strategies to build trust in vaccines, enhance public health outcomes, and contribute to equitable immunization programs across Africa. He has actively participated in international training programs and fellowships, strengthening his expertise in immunology, vaccinology, and community engagement