Vasileios Papatsiros | Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | Best Researcher Award

Vasileios Papatsiros | Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | Best Researcher Award

University of Thessaly | Greece

Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros is a distinguished Professor of Porcine Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Greece. He earned his degree and PhD in Veterinary Medicine from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and received additional specialized training at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover-Foundation TiHo, Germany, along with numerous international seminars. His research focuses on porcine medicine, herd health management, and major swine diseases, including Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases (PCVAD), and Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC). He also explores reproductive disorders in sows and boars, animal welfare, heat stress, oxidative stress, zoonoses, vaccines, feed additives, and alternatives to antibiotics. Prior to joining academia in 2011, Dr. Papatsiros gained extensive experience as a freelance swine expert veterinarian, research collaborator, and veterinary officer in the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food. He has authored three books in Greek on porcine medicine and herd health management, contributed chapters to several international veterinary textbooks, and published over 110 peer-reviewed papers and more than 100 conference abstracts. With leadership in 27 research projects and participation in 22 others, including several EU-funded initiatives, his work significantly advances swine health and welfare. Dr. Papatsiros is a founding member of the Hellenic Society of Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Diagnosis and Therapy, serves as a national expert for the ASF surveillance program under the European Association of Porcine Health Management (EAPHM), and acts as an evaluator and reviewer for numerous EU research projects and scientific journals. Through his teaching, research, and professional engagement, he continues to make substantial contributions to the field of porcine medicine and sustainable livestock production.

Profile: Scoups | Orcid 

Featured Publications

Spilioti, M., Tousis, K., Papakonstantinou, G., Economou, G., Papatsiros, V. G., & Tsiboukas, K. (2025, May 18). Techno-economic analysis of innovative phytogenic-based supplements for ruminant health and productivity. Agriculture, 15(10), 1090.

Tsekouras, N., Antoniadis, S., Athanasakopoulou, Z., Christodoulopoulos, G., Billinis, C., & Papatsiros, V. G. (2025, October 19). Can improved biosecurity measures reduce the presence of the most common ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae? A study from Greek pig farms. Life, 15(10), 1629.

Tsekouras, N., Antoniadis, S., Athanasakopoulou, Z., Christodoulopoulos, G., Billinis, C., & Papatsiros, V. G. (2025, October 1). Can improved biosecurity measures reduce ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae presence? An interesting study from Greek pig farms [Preprint]. Preprints.org.

Papakonstantinou, G. I., Eliopoulos, C., Meletis, E., Kostoulas, P., Christodoulopoulos, G., & Papatsiros, V. G. (2025, August 21). Effects of a phytogenic mycotoxin detoxifier on oxidative status, health, and performance in dairy sheep. Toxins, 17(8), 425.

Christodoulopoulos, M. A. B., Lefkaditis, M., Papakonstantinou, G. I., Gougoulis, D. A., Tsekouras, N., & Papatsiros, V. G. (2025, July 16). Treating scaly leg in backyard poultry: A case study from Greece. British Poultry Science, 66(4),

Anand Prakash Singh | Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Anand Prakash Singh | Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Best Researcher Award

University of Michigan | United States

Dr. Anand Prakash Singh is a Research Investigator at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Michigan Medicine, Ann Arbor, where he leads translational studies in cardio-oncology, cardio-immunology, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and exercise-induced cardiac regeneration. He earned his B.Sc. in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology from the University of Lucknow (2007), M.Sc. in Biotechnology from the University of Allahabad, and Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Following his doctorate, he completed postdoctoral training at prestigious institutions including South Asian University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, while also serving as a visiting scholar at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. His research focuses on understanding the molecular pathways of cardiac inflammation, senescence, and regeneration, particularly in the context of metabolic stress and cancer therapy–induced cardiotoxicity. Dr. Singh is the recipient of multiple competitive grants, including the Frankel Cardiovascular Center Inaugural Grant Award and VA IPA funding, and has contributed as Co-Investigator to major NIH and AHA projects exploring heart–brain interactions and exercise-mediated cardioprotection. Recognized for his scholarly excellence, he has received honors such as the First Prize for Oral Presentation at the International Conference on Innovation & Technologies in Medicine and Healthcare and the Outstanding Reviewer Award from Experimental Biology and Medicine. His ongoing research aims to bridge basic molecular mechanisms with clinical therapeutics for cardiovascular disease prevention and recovery.

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Featured Publications

Guo, H. L. Y., Gupte, M., Umbarkar, P., Singh, A. P., et al. (2017). Entanglement of GSK-3β, β-catenin and TGF-β1 signaling network to regulate myocardial fibrosis. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 174, Article 107–118.

Singh, A. P., Glennon, M. S., Umbarkar, P., Gupte, M., Galindo, C. L., Zhang, Q., et al. (2019). Ponatinib-induced cardiotoxicity: Delineating the signalling mechanisms and potential rescue strategies. Cardiovascular Research, 115(5), 966–977.

Umbarkar, P., Tousif, S., Singh, A. P., Anderson, J. C., Zhang, Q., Tallquist, M. D., et al. (2022). Fibroblast GSK-3α promotes fibrosis via RAF-MEK-ERK pathway in the injured heart. Circulation Research, 131(7), 620–636.

Singh, A. P., Umbarkar, P., Tousif, S., & Lal, H. (2020). Cardiotoxicity of the BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Emphasis on ponatinib. International Journal of Cardiology, 316, 214–221.

Umbarkar, P., Singh, A. P., Gupte, M., Verma, V. K., Galindo, C. L., Guo, Y., Zhang, Q., et al. (2019). Cardiomyocyte SMAD4-dependent TGF-β signaling is essential to maintain adult heart homeostasis. JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 4(1), 41–53.

Tousif, S., Singh, A. P., Umbarkar, P., Galindo, C., Wheeler, N., Toro Cora, A., et al. (2023). Ponatinib drives cardiotoxicity by S100A8/A9-NLRP3-IL-1β mediated inflammation. Circulation Research, 132(3), 267–289.

Guoping Zhang | Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Most Cited Article Award

Guoping Zhang | Agricultural and Biological Sciences | Most Cited Article Award

Zhejiang University | China

Dr. Guoping Zhang, is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Zhejiang University, China, with a prolific career in plant science spanning over four decades. He earned his Bachelor and Master degrees from Zhejiang Agricultural University and his Ph.D.  from Zhejiang University. Beginning his academic journey as an Assistant Lecturer, he rapidly advanced to Professor  and has been a leading faculty member at Zhejiang University. Dr. Zhang’s research primarily focuses on the molecular physiology of stress tolerance in crops, development and evaluation of barley germplasm with high nutrient use efficiency and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, and acidic soils, as well as the molecular mechanisms governing heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in plants. Over the past two decades, he has successfully led more than research projects, including funded by the China Natural Science Foundation, and published over peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals such as Nature and PNAS, accumulating citations with an h-index of 69. Beyond his research, Dr. Zhang has contributed significantly to the scientific community, serving as chairman of the International Barley Genetics Symposium and as an editorial board member for leading journals, including Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, Plant Growth Regulation, and Journal of Integrative Agriculture. His work bridges fundamental molecular research and applied crop improvement, with a strong emphasis on phytoremediation and sustainable crop production, making him a globally recognized leader in plant stress biology and agronomy.

Profile: Orcid | Scopus

Featured Publications

  • Fu, L. B., Shen, Q. F., Kuang, L. H., Wu, D. Z., & Zhang, G. P. (2019). Transcriptomic and alternative splicing analyses reveal mechanisms of the difference in salt tolerance between barley and rice. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 166, 103810.

  • Ye, L. Z., Wang, Y., Long, L. Z., Luo, H., Shen, Q. F., Broughton, S., Wu, D. X., Shu, X. L., Dai, F., Li, C. D., & Zhang, G. P. (Year). A trypsin family protein gene regulates tillering and leaf shape in barley. Plant Physiology, 181, 701–713.

  • Huang, L., Kuang, L. H., Wu, L. Y., Shen, Q. F., Han, Y., Jiang, L. X., Wu, D. Z., & Zhang, G. P. (2020). The HKT transporter HvHKT1;5 negatively regulates salt tolerance. Plant Physiology, 182, 584–596.

  • Shen, Q. F., Fu, L. B., Su, T. T., Ye, L. Z., Huang, L., Kuang, L. H., Wu, L. Y., Wu, D. Z., Chen, Z. H., & Zhang, G. P. (2020). Calmodulin HvCaM1 negatively regulates salt tolerance via modulation of HvHKT1s and HvCAMTA4. Plant Physiology, 183, 1650–1662.

  • Cai, S. G., Shen, Q. F., Huang, Y. Q., Han, Z. G., Wu, D. Z., Chen, Z. H., Nevo, E., & Zhang, G. P. (2021). Multi-omics analysis reveals the mechanism underlying the edaphic adaptation in wild barley at evolution slope (Tabigha). Advanced Science.

Ivana ŠKRLEC | Genetics and Molecular Biology | Best Academic Researcher Award

Ivana ŠKRLEC | Genetics and Molecular Biology | Best Academic Researcher Award

Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek | Croatia

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivana Škrlec is an accomplished molecular biologist and academic at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health in Osijek, Croatia, where she teaches in the Department of Biophysics, Biology, and Chemistry. She earned her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Zagreb, completed a postgraduate study in Molecular Diagnostics, and defended her PhD at the Faculty of Medicine in Osijek under the supervision of Prof. Borut Peterlin. Dedicated to higher education and research, she lectures in biology, genetics, laboratory technologies, and research methodology, and contributes to the interdisciplinary PhD program in Molecular Biosciences at J. J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, where she teaches courses on computational statistical methods and scientific writing. A strong mentor, she has supervised numerous theses and actively fosters research engagement among students. Her scholarly impact is reflected in her extensive publications, including scientific papers, technical papers, three book chapters, and conference abstracts, along with oral presentations at international conferences. She serves as a reviewer for medical journals and is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical and Medical Research and Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine. Recognized internationally, she has received multiple awards, including the MDPI Award for a highly cited paper, the Distinguished Editorial Board Member Award, and the first prize for the most cited publication in the Journal of Fungi. She has also gained international experience as a visiting scientist in Serbia, Hungary, and Slovenia and has played an active role in organizing major international congresses. Her research spans mental health, cardiogenetics, population genetics, endocrine disorders, circadian rhythms, and molecular biology, reflecting her multidisciplinary expertise and commitment to advancing science and education.

profile: Google Scholar | Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Milostić-Srb, A., Srb, N., Talapko, J., Meštrović, T., Žiger, T., Pačarić, S., Fureš, R., & … (2024). The effect of COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccination on assisted human reproduction outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Diseases, 12(9), 201.

Vasilj-Mihaljevic, M., Mihaljevic, I., Bekic, S., Zubcic, Z., Vasilj, A., & … (2024). Correlation of TPO antibody concentration with thyroid hormones as a predictor of clinical hypothyroidism/Korelacija koncentracije anti-TPO sa tireoidnim hormonima kao prediktor kliničkog hipotireoidizma. Acta Clinica Croatica, 63(3–4), 542–552.

Gorski, D. B., Vlainić, J., Škrlec, I., Novak, S., Novosel, Ž., Biloglav, Z., Plečko, V., & … (2024). Virulence factors and susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, triclosan, and chlorhexidine among Enterococci from clinical specimens, food, and wastewater. Microorganisms, 12(9), 1808.

Talapko, J., Erić, S., Meštrović, T., Stipetić, M. M., Juzbašić, M., Katalinić, D., & … (2024). The impact of oral microbiome dysbiosis on the aetiology, pathogenesis, and development of oral cancer. Cancers, 16(17), 2997.

Talapko, J., Juzbašić, M., Meštrović, T., Matijević, T., Mesarić, D., Katalinić, D., & … (2024). Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans: From the oral cavity to the heart valves. Microorganisms, 12(7), 1451.