Dr. Reşat Apak obtained Ph.D. (1982), became full professor (1993) of analytical chemistry in İstanbul University. He is the editorial board member of Talanta, J. Anal. Chem., and Anal. Lett., and the guest editor of the special issue of Talanta (2024-25) on oxidants and antioxidants. His research focuses on almost all theoretical & applied branches of analytical chemistry, specifically antioxidant and explosive analyses. He has authored 362 peer-reviewed articles (WoS h-index = 63), 20 book chapters, 4 textbooks, receiving 27 300 citations in Google Scholar with an h-index of 73. He is the inventor of the “CUPRAC (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity) assay” applicable to food and biological samples and currently used worldwide in World research centres; the two leading CUPRAC articles has retrieved 5500 citations in reputable journals since the CUPRAC method was launched in 2004. He also designed an explosive residue field detection kit donated to the Turkish Army for on-site and in-field use in trace explosive analysis.

He is the recipient of TUBITAK (Turkish Scientific & Technical Research Council) Science Award (2017) as the highest science award in Turkey. He was elected as a Fellow Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, 2018) reflecting high level accomplishment as a professional chemist. He received the highest cited scientist award from Istanbul University and Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa on several occasions. Dr. Apak is currently a member of IUPAC Division V, representing Turkey in the Analytical Chemistry Division of IUPAC. He is the coordinator of a highly prestigious project in TUBITAK, 2247-A National Leader Researchers Program in BIDEB-120C134. According to Stanford University World Ranking-2024 System that consistently ranks among the top researchers globally, excelling in academics, research, and innovation, Dr. Apak stands out as 29. and 31. among 129 500 colleague scientists working in the fields of food science and analytical chemistry.

Prof. Meléndez-Martínez’ main research interest deals with. the sustainable production of healthy products. He has worked at University of Seville, University of Liverpool, Royal Holloway University of London and USDA-Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (Boston, MA, USA). He coordinated international networks on the topic involving stakeholders from over 50 countries. Some recognitions:

– Extraordinary Prize of Doctorate

– International Carotenoid Society George Britton Award for Young Researcher.

– Fellow of the International Carotenoid Society.

– Manuel Losada Award to Excellence in Agro-food Research.

– Iberoamerican Academy of Pharmacy Award.

– Stanford University’s World’s 2% Scientist (since 2020)

– Induction into the scientific honour society Sigma Xi (USA).

Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary is the Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH (Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), Distinguished National Professor of Bioorganic and Natural Product Chemistry and Senior Honorary Advisor at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research).

He is also serving as the Vice President (Central & South Asia) The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) since 2022. Prof. Choudhary has, since 1990, been among the world leaders in the fields of natural product chemistry, and evidence based traditional medicine has made pioneering contributions in the discovery of novel natural products. He has discovered many potent anti-epileptic and antileishmanial compounds from indigenous medicinal plants that are under clinical trials. His contributions to reverse bacterial resistance to antibiotics represent seminal contributions in this important field.

He leads the developing world’s finest research center of natural product chemistry (H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry) since 2002, and has trained hundreds of young researchers, especially women, from across the Afro-Asian region in natural product chemistry. He has established several research centers in Pakistan, and helped to setup research units in Africa, and South and Central Asia. His scientific, and capacity building contributions have been recognized by prestigious national and international awards and honors, and fellowships of several academies of science. Prof. Choudhary has over 1,500 publications, impact factor of publications is over 4,000 (Citations 49,930, h index 89, i10 index 1056) in the fields of organic and bioorganic chemistry, along with 95 patents (64 US Patents), 98books and 40 chapters in books, published by major U.S. and European presses. On the basis of his researches over 110 students have been awarded Ph. D. degrees in various areas of natural products and, bioorganic chemistry.