Events

Dates: 16 – 18 March 2027

The U.S.- Africa Frontiers program brings together outstanding young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the United States and the member countries of the African Union for a series of symposia to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of these meetings are to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the United States, including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.

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Dates: 17 – 19 November 2026

Applications Close: 31 August 2026

Workshop Program
Day 1 — Fundamental Theory

Overview lectures introducing synchrotron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques and the complementary capabilities of ALS (STXM, COSMIC; soft and tender X-rays for organic and trace metals, 0.27–2.5 keV) and SSRL (microfocus XRF imaging and XANES, 2–5 keV).

Day 2 — Hands-on Data Acquisition at SSRL

Participants will collect XRF imaging and XAS data on Earth and environmental samples at SSRL beamlines, gaining practical experience with sample handling, beamline operation, and measurement strategy.

Day 3 — Data Processing Tutorials

Guided tutorials on the analysis of STXM and XRF/XANES datasets, including image analysis and spectra deconvolution. Several case studies will be showcased, such as apatite biomineralization, in situ oxidation kinetics of Fe-sulfide minerals, and the effects of wildfire ash on soil biogeochemistry.

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Date: 27 – 28 October 2026

Focus Areas: Healthcare Innovation, Biomanufacturing, AgroTech, Digital Health, and Commercialization

Africa Bio Conference 2026 brings together leading voices in biomanufacturing, healthcare innovation, AgroTech, and investment to explore what it will take to build a thriving bioeconomy in Africa.

The conference is designed to strengthen Africa’s growing biotechnology ecosystem by creating meaningful connections between scientific research, industry, investment, and policy. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, startup pitches, networking, and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration, participants will explore how scientific discovery can translate into solutions with real-world impact.

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Date: 23 – 24 September 2026

Time:15:00 – 18:00hrs (SAST)

Participants will hear talks highlighting emerging membranes, interfacial designs, and photothermal materials, along with strategies to reduce energy consumption and minimize fouling. The program will consist of invited presentations centered on accelerating innovation in solar-driven clean water solutions.

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Date: 01 September 2026

Time: 15:00 – 16:00 (GMT+2)

Speaker: Menattallah Elserafy (Programme Specialist, Basic Sciences, Engineering, Technology and Innovation (BETI) Section, UNESCO)

Abstracts 

Gaining access to advanced laboratory equipment remains a difficult challenge for scientists in under-resourced regions. This shortage of resources is holding science back in the countries concerned, creating a knowledge gap between Member States.

UNESCO’s Remote Access to Lab Equipment Initiative (UNESRALE) is addressing this challenge by enabling scientists in under-resourced regions, with an additional focus on African scientists and scientists in crisis, to access scientific equipment without leaving their home country. The scientists also receive training on how to use this equipment remotely.

Through partnerships with CNRS France, Lorraine University, the International Union of Crystallography, Stellenbosch University, Cleveland Clinic, the Verlab Institute, Global Bio-Imaging together with Wellcome Trust, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Cambridge Crystallography Data Centre (CCDC) and Université Paris Cité, researchers from all UNESCO regions were given remote access to Single Crystal X-Ray diffractometers, quantum computing, high-performance computing, microscopy, platforms for AI-driven scientific research and crystallography analysis and remote training on extracellular vesicles purification.

UNESCO also recently launched an online mapping platform to catalogue remotely accessible scientific infrastructure and research needs across Member States, providing a practical tool to improve visibility and resource efficiency at the global level.

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Date: 26 August 2026

Time:14:00 – 16:00 (SAST)

This Pan-African virtual dialogue brings together leaders from industry, academia and emerging talent to explore how technology, future skills and stronger industry-academia collaboration can reshape career pathways for women — from graduation through to retention and progression in mining and mining-adjacent careers.

​The conversation will tackle the questions that matter most to the next generation of women considering mining careers, including how automation is transforming the roles available underground and beyond.

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Date: 26 August 2026

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speakers: Dr. Matthew Mgbukwu (Electronic and Photonic Materials Division, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Sweden)

Abstract 

Nature’s fastest photoreceptors rhodopsin converts light into motion by C=C isomerisation through a conical intersection (CI), reaching ~0.65 quantum yield (QY) on a sub-picosecond timescale [1]. Synthetic photoswitches built on the same coordinate rarely approach this, and the shortfall matters: in photopharmacology and optogenetics the required light dose scales inversely with extinction coefficient and QY. Theory attributes rhodopsin’s efficiency to vibrational promoter modes synchronising with the reaction coordinate at the CI [2], [3]; coherent nuclear motion surviving the crossing is seen in rhodopsin and the biomimetic NAIP switches [4], but rarely tested elsewhere.Our oxindole switch is a minimal analogue of the protein’s electrostatic control: the donating strength of a single hydroxyl is set by protonation state. This one handle switches the mechanism itself [5], [6]. OxI-OH decays biexponentially (0.25, 1.3 ps) through a twisted dark state to a pyramidalised CI; OxI-O⁻ bypasses it, decaying in ~200 fs by axial rotation to a geometrically distinct CI. Yet deprotonation raises Z→E QY (20→25%) while lowering E→Z (33→19%) — mechanism and efficiency decouple.We apply sub-15 fs broadband (300–700 nm) transient absorption to both isomers in both protonation states, resolving excited-state coherences by linear-prediction singular-value decomposition. If synchronisation governs efficiency, coherence amplitude along each CI’s branching coordinate should track the direction-specific QY; its absence would sever the two. This pair isolates CI topography from molecular identity, giving the first test of vibrational synchronisation in a synthetic switch where the mechanism changes but the chromophore does not. A positive correlation would make electron-donating strength a rational handle on isomerisation efficiency, not only on absorption.

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Date: 30 July 2026

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: Empowering the Next Generation of Chemists: Enhancing Technical and Analytical Skills Through Interactive Digital Resources

Speakers: Professor Mike Davies-Coleman (Professor, University of the Western Cape & Rhodes University, South Africa)

The Strategic Planning for Early Careers: Navigating Funding, Admin, and Mentoring webinar will highlight critical professional development pathways for early-career researchers and young professionals. This webinar dives into navigating the many tasks involved in starting an independent research career in materials science and engineering, including managing the administrative workload, securing independent funding, building and choosing a research team, managing career advancement, and successfully balancing interpersonal relationships in professional settings.

This focused webinar highlights:

• Navigating Administrative Requirements: Strategies for understanding and managing compliance, institutional bureaucracy, and operational logistics early in your career.
• Securing Funding & Resources: Practical insights into identifying funding streams, drafting competitive proposals, and managing research budgets.
• Building Teams & Navigating Advancement: Best practices for selecting staff/students, establishing up and down mentoring relationships, and managing interpersonal dynamics and career promotion tracks.

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Date: 30 July 2026

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: Empowering the Next Generation of Chemists: Enhancing Technical and Analytical Skills Through Interactive Digital Resources

Speakers: Professor Mike Davies-Coleman (Professor, University of the Western Cape & Rhodes University, South Africa)

                  Antony Spagnoli (LearnSci)

                  Dr. Iain Thistlethwaite (LearnSci)

Abstract

Chemistry is a demanding discipline, requiring mastery of precise laboratory techniques and complex analytical skills. Traditional teaching methods often leave students struggling to bridge the gap between theory and practical application, while educators face a heavy burden of repetitive marking. Drawing on collaborations with over 200 university departments globally, this talk showcases impactful, modern ways to enhance chemistry courses using dynamic digital resources.
We will explore how interactive tools, such as LabSims and Smart Worksheets, can be integrated into the chemistry curriculum to promote active, self-directed learning. For technical skill development, digital simulations prepare students for the laboratory [1, 2, 3] by allowing them to practice core techniques—such as setting up reflux apparatus, performing thin-layer chromatography, and operating analytical balances—in a risk-free environment…

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Date: 30 July 2026

Time: 1600hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Dr. Fahrurrozi Akba

Abstract 

Neutron Imaging (NI) has emerged as a high-fidelity diagnostic tool for the non destructive characterization of hydrogenous fluids within geological media. Due to the high neutron attenuation cross-section of hydrogen and carbon, NI provides superior contrast for visualizing hydrocarbons sequestered within sandstone matrices. Despite advancements in extraction technology, conventional methods often leave 40–50% of original oil in place (OOIP). Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) utilizing chemical surfactants represents a critical frontier in maximizing reservoir yields; however, the pore-scale fluid dynamics and interfacial interactions between surfactants and crude oil within the rock remains insufficiently understood.

This study utilizes Neutron Computed Tomography (NCT) to provide three dimensional visualization of these complex multiphase interactions in situ. By quantifying the spatial distribution and displacement mechanisms of oil when subjected to surfactant flooding, this research offers essential insights for the development of more efficient chemical agents. Furthermore, this work explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence and high-temporal- resolution imaging to transition toward 4D-dynamic NCT, enabling the real-time observation of fluid transport phenomena in porous media.

Biography 

Dr Fahrurrozi Akbar is an Instrument and Beamline Scientist at the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), where he specializes in the advancement of neutron imaging systems. Since 2021, in collaboration with Trisakti University, his research has focused on the application of neutron tomography to characterize fluid dynamics in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Beyond hardware development, Mr. Akbar is actively engaged in integrating Artificial Intelligence and deep learning architectures for nuclear data analysis. His current research trajectory aims to synthesize these fields to enable high temporal-resolution 4D Dynamic Computed Tomography, facilitating real-time observation of complex physical phenomena.

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Date: 19–23 September 2027

Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa

Theme: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology for a Sustainable Future

The Congress will be co-hosted by three prestigious bioscience and biotechnology organisations:

International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), South African Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SASBMB), and Federation of African Societies of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (FASBMB).
The overarching theme of the Congress is: Biochemical and Molecular Innovation for a Sustainable World. The biosciences and biotechnology are uniquely positioned to help reach the goals of sustainability. Over the five days, the Congress will offer a series of plenary sessions, keynotes, symposia and poster presentations. There will also be a dedicated pre-congress Young Scientists Programme which will include career development, education and networking opportunities.

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Date: 29 July 2026

Time: 14:00hrs (GMT)

Speaker: Dr. Ammar Danazumi (Biomedical Sciences Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

In eukaryotes, DNA replication is initiated when two ring-shaped hexameric helicases load at defined DNA sites, called origins, and engage one another in a head-to-head arrangement. Acting as a double hexamer, they open the origin duplex and set up two divergent replication forks, exposing the single-stranded templates that replicative polymerases require.

To define the structural events underlying this initiation step, we used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), taking the SV40 Large Tumour Antigen as a tractable AAA+ helicase that recapitulates central features of the eukaryotic replication machinery. We found that each helicase engages and melts its own half of the origin in a manner that is both independent and symmetric. Local melting spans a minimum of five base pairs across the early-palindrome and AT-rich elements of the origin and depends on the stepwise addition of LTag subunits, on ATP binding, and on a reorganisation of the helicase’s DNA-binding loops, which switch from a planar to a staircase-like spiral arrangement as they contact the DNA tracking strand.

Together, these events drive strand separation inside the helicase channel and leave each hexamer poised for ATP-powered translocation. We propose a model in which the duplex is subsequently sheared and the two helicases decouple, yielding bidirectional replication forks. The high conservation of the hexameric helicase core points to a general mechanism that extends from SV40 virus to the replicative helicases of eukaryotes.

About Dr. Danazumi

I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Biomedical Sciences Division at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where I use cryo-electron microscopy to study the helicase-primase complexes of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus. I completed my PhD in Bioscience at KAUST in 2025 under Prof. Alfredo De Biasio, with a thesis on the structural basis of bidirectional replication-fork initiation by the SV40 Large Tumour Antigen helicase. Before that, I earned an MSc in Biotechnology at the Warsaw University of Technology and the University of Warsaw in the laboratory of Prof Maria Górna, studying the interactions between the human FAST and eIF4E proteins, with an Erasmus exchange at the University of Groningen. My training began with a BSc in Biochemistry at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

My research combines single-particle cryo-electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulation to understand conformationally dynamic nucleoprotein assemblies, in particular, the machinery of DNA replication. My main scientific contribution to date concerns the structural dynamics of DNA unwinding by a replicative helicase, published in Nature in 2025, alongside studies of the human replisome and clamp-loading machinery that appeared in eLife and Nucleic Acids Research. I retain a strong interest in African parasitic diseases, dating from my work in Nigeria on multi-epitope vaccine design and on drug targeting in Trypanosomes and Plasmodium.

My research has been supported by competitive fellowships and awards, including the KAUST PhD Fellowship, a Polish-Fulbright BioLAB Studentship, an EMBL EIPOD INSPIRES mentorship, an Erasmus+ scholarship, and the Ignacy Lukasiewicz scholarship of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. In 2025, I received the Best Research Award of the Division of Bioscience at KAUST for my work on DNA unwinding by a replicative helicase.

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Date: 22 July 2026

Time: 11:00 (GMT+2)

Speaker: Pengyue Gao (ICTP)

Abstract

The crystal structure of condensed matter serves as the foundation for a profound understanding of its macroscopic physical properties. The ability to theoretically and independently predict crystal structures not only facilitates the collaborative resolution of structural puzzles alongside experimental efforts but also enables the prediction of physical properties prior to experimentation. This, in turn, guides the experimental synthesis of new materials, realizing a new paradigm of theory-oriented materials research and development. Prof. Yanming Ma’s group at Jilin University proposed an academic approach based on heuristic numerical solutions with physical constraints to identify the lowest energy states on potential energy surfaces. Following this idea, they developed the crystal structure prediction method and software known as CALYPSO (available at http://www.calypso.cn), which enables the prediction of crystal structures based solely on chemical composition. To date, CALYPSO has been u across more than 1,000 institutions in 79 countries and regions, with over 5,300 users—including teams led by Nobel laureates—signing licensing agreements for its use. Utilizing the CALYPSO software, peers in the scientific community have published more than 2,200 papers in journals such as Nature Chemistry, PRL, PNAS, and JACS

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Date: 21 April 2026
Time: 15:00 (GMT+2)

Speaker: Prof. Waleed Moslem (Port Said University & The British University, Egypt)

Abstract:
Plasmas generally look fully different at very different scales, but many of their most important dynamical behaviors are determined by exactly the same basic physics. Here, I discuss how a scale-free, self-similar description of plasma expansion governs several seemingly diverse plasmas: from nanometer-scale surface plasmas to planetary ion outflows. When a plasma is produced by laser–matter interaction, its subsequent expansion can be described within a self-similar multispecies fluid framework, in which ambipolar electrostatic fields drive density rarefaction, ion acceleration, and the emergence of a leading front across regimes that differ greatly in scale. For expansion at the nanoscale, this unified view enables understanding of expansion-driven surface nanopit formation. For multispecies expanding space plasma, this framework provides an explanation of the role of ions escaping in the Martian and Venusian upper ionosphere. These results together support the idea that self-similarity offers not simply a mathematical convenience but a powerful physical connection between laboratory and planetary plasmas.

Date: 27 March 2026

Speaker: Ludovic Berthier

Venue: Luigi Stasi Seminar Room, Miramare campus (ICTP)

Live streaming: Teams link

Abstract

When a liquid is cooled, it can form a glass: a mechanically rigid but structurally disordered solid. Experimentally, this transformation occurs when the system falls out of equilibrium and no longer explores all accessible configurations on experimental timescales. A central open question, dating back more than a century, is whether this dynamical arrest reflects an underlying equilibrium phase transition. While theory predicts such a transition in idealized models, its existence in realistic finite-dimensional systems remains unsettled. I will first review this long-standing statistical physics problem and how it connects to experimental applications. I will then present numerical results for a two-dimensional glass-forming liquid. By combining complementary Monte Carlo techniques, we equilibrate the system down to zero temperature over a range of system sizes and directly measure its equilibrium thermodynamic and structural properties. These results provide evidence for an equilibrium phase transition between a fluid and an amorphous solid. I will conclude by discussing the implications and open questions raised by this finding.

Date: 24 March 2026

Speaker: Dr. Samira Hassani (Université Paris-Saclay (FR))

Abstract

The off-axis magnetic near detector of the T2K experiment has undergone a significant upgrade, including the construction and installation of two new Time Projection Chambers featuring innovative resistive Micromegas technology and a field cage composed of thin composite walls. This presentation provides a detailed description of the new components of the chambers. Additionally, it reports the results of extensive testing using both neutrino beams and cosmic rays, with comparisons between data and Monte Carlo simulations. The new detectors achieve improved spatial resolution and enhanced particle identification capabilities which are crucial for the precision goals of the T2K experiment.

For additional details and registration, please visit: https://indico.cern.ch/event/1640365/

Date: 13 – 16 April 2026

This premier event connects U.S., African, and global experts, fostering new approaches in nanotechnology and engineered environments through frugal science convergent problem-solving. Co-organised by leading universities and the Africa Material Research Society, the conference features optional cultural excursions and international exchange.

Key Features & Themes

• Complex Geo- and Nano-particles
• Frugal Science, Engineering & Innovation
• Sustainable Bio-derived Nanomaterials
• Water & Air Quality Monitoring
• Advanced Materials & Devices
• Nanotechnology for Energy, Agriculture & Sustainability
• Special Session: Cognitive Diverse Problem Solving

Read more at Science in the Savannah

Date: 17 February 2026

Time: 17:00hrs

Speaker: Dr. Vanessa Oliveira Castro, Group leader at Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg

This session will showcase cutting-edge methodologies, recent discoveries, and future outlooks in this dynamic field. We will focus on the role of electrospinning in transforming Pickering emulsions (PEs) into multiphasic fibers capable of storing active compounds. We will examine the use of polysaccharides and cellulose nanocrystals as stabilizers, and discuss strategies for achieving fiber spinnability. Join us to learn how this method provides a scalable approach for creating functional multiphasic fibers.

More details here

Date: 29 January 2026

Time: 14:00hrs (GMT)

Speaker: Dr. Joseph Bevitt (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Australia)

Abstract

The Invisible Revealed was a groundbreaking, interdisciplinary exhibition presented at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum in 2022. The exhibit was developed in collaboration with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) and the Expanded Perception and Interaction Centre (EPICentre) at the University of New South Wales. It explored the fusion of science, technology, and cultural heritage through the application of non-destructive nuclear, synchrotron and particle accelerator-based methods, with an emphasis on neutron and synchrotron tomography, to uncover the hidden structures of 26 culturally significant objects spanning over 3,000 years. These artefacts included ancient Egyptian and Chinese relics, early coinage, Samurai swords, antique spy cameras, carpets and more.
By revealing manufacturing details and internal compositions, the exhibition provided unprecedented insights into object histories, answering long standing curatorial and conservational questions. Digital reconstructions, including AI-generated digital repairs of fragmented objects, enabled immersive public engagement and reinterpretation of heritage material. The Invisible Revealed exemplifies the power of collaborative, cross-disciplinary research in reimagining museum experiences and advancing conservation science. The exhibition served as a catalyst for related outreach engagements, growing public awareness of neutron beam research, follow-up exhibitions, and inspired industry professionals to consider and pursue commercial and collaborative material investigations. For these innovations, The Invisible Revealed project was awarded the 2022 Museums and Galleries National Award (MAGNA) for Research, highlighting its impact and innovative approach to cultural heritage preservation and public engagement.

Biography
Dr Joseph Bevitt is a 3D imaging scientist and group manager at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO) Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, where he leads the Imaging and Strain Scanning Group. He specializes in applying neutron and synchrotron-based techniques to exceptionally preserved fossil remains, significant cultural heritage objects and engineered materials.
Joseph attained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Sydney in 2006, managed ANSTO’s Research Office and external access to its nuclear capabilities before transitioning to his current role. He holds a Powerhouse research fellowship, serves on the advisory board of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum, Macquarie University’s Centre for Ancient Cultural Heritage and Environment, and is a Member of the IUCr Commission on Crystallography in Art and Cultural Heritage. His discoveries have been featured in Science, global news outlets, public exhibitions, on postage stamps and coinage, bridging the gap between scientific innovation and cultural storytelling.

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Date: 28 January 2026

Time: 14:00hrs (GMT)

Speaker: Dr. Dewald van Heerden (University of Cape Town, South Africa)

Abstract

Nitrilases are enzymes that convert nitriles to the corresponding amides or carboxylic acids and ammonia. They have substantial sequence homology to the cysteine-dependent amidases, which convert amides to the corresponding carboxylic acids and ammonia, but the nitrilases do not convert amides. Unlike amidases, for which there are many crystal structures, nitrilases form spiral assemblies that have not been crystallized. The atomic resolution visualization of the nitrilases that I used in my study has been made possible by cryo-electron microscopy. Whereas previous attempts at defining the nitrilase mechanism have been unsatisfactory because they have not utilized structural information, my study provides a detailed explanation of most aspects of the reaction and identifies the active site residues that differentiate nitrilases from amidases.

Sequence and structural homology with other nitrilase superfamily members has identified a conserved active site grouping comprising a cysteine, two glutamates, and a lysine. Furthermore, mass spectroscopy has provided evidence for the existence of two covalent intermediates: a thioimidate and a thioester. The covalent linkage of the substrate to the active site cysteine restricts the possible geometries of the substrate in the active site and enables reliable quantum mechanical modeling of the reaction pathway.

However, current generation modeling tools do not allow for the facile modeling of such covalently modified residues. To address this shortcoming, we have developed a procedure that enables the geometric optimization of covalent intermediates using the ISOLDE package incorporated in UCSF ChimeraX. In addition to coordinates that conventional docking programs rely on, ISOLDE employs electron density to minimize protein structures.

In this study, guided by the new structural information, we used molecular dynamics simulations and natural bond orbital analysis to describe a unified mechanism operating in the catalysis propagation for both nitrilases and amidases. This approach relies on the arming/disarming of the glutamate/lysine catalytic dyad to drive the hydrolysis. Our analysis shows in detail how geometric considerations determine the progression of the reaction at each stage.

About Dr Dewald van Heerden

Dewald completed his PhD in 2020 under the supervision of Leonard Barbour at the University of Stellenbosch with the project titled Computational Assessment and Visualization of Guest Inclusion in Porous Crystalline Materials. He then joined the Structural Biology Research Unit at the University of Cape Town as a postdoctoral research fellow under the mentorship of Trevor Sewell. His current research interests are focused on the computational elucidation of the reaction mechanisms of the nitrilase superfamily.

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Date: 22 January 2026

Time: 11:00hrs

In honour of our dear colleague, Dr Victor Konde, who will be retiring at the end of January 2026, the Technology, Innovation, Connectivity, and Infrastructure Division (TICID) is organizing a farewell lecture titled “Daring to Dream: Africa’s Tech Quest!”

TICID invites everyone to join us for this occasion to gain insight from Mr. Konde’s extensive experience and knowledge about the development of Africa’s science, technology, and innovation landscape.

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/-Jsdt_6RSjymKl5eVykmUQ#/registration

Passcode: 842248

Date: 30 October 2025

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: Advancing Healthcare through AI-enabled Wearable Technologies & Metaverse

Speaker: Professor LIM Chwee Teck (National University of Singapore, Singapore)

Abstract

In this talk, we will delve into the transformative potential of wearable technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) in revolutionising healthcare. With the advent of smart wearables, point-of-care diagnostics, health data analytics and AI algorithms, we are witnessing a paradigm shift in how we monitor, diagnose, and treat health conditions. We will cover several
innovative wearable health technologies and health metaverse that we have developed through an interdisciplinary collaboration among engineers, scientists, clinicians, industrial partners and entrepreneurs. As we enter into the era of precision medicine, our smart health technologies and AI will contribute towards the future of health diagnostics and monitoring, that will not only be about early diagnosis but also precise therapy.

Biography 

Professor Chwee Teck Lim is the NUSS Chair Professor and Director of the Institute for Health Innovation and Technology at the National University of Singapore. He is also the Founding Director of the Singapore Health Technologies Consortium, a national initiative advancing health technology innovation. Prof Lim is globally recognised for his research on understanding the mechanics behind human diseases and pioneering novel medical technologies to transform healthcare. His prolific academic journey includes over 500 published journal articles and over 550 plenary/keynote/invited talks. A serial entrepreneur, he co-founded six startups with one achieving successful IPO in 2018. Prof Lim is globally recognized for his distinguished achievements by the over 100 research awards and honors including the Nature Lifetime Achievement Award for Mentoring in Science, Vladimir K. Zworykin Award, Highly Cited Researcher, Asia’s Most Influential Scientist Award, ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award, Asian Scientists 100, Wall Street Journal Asian Innovation Award and the President's Technology Award. He is also an Elected Fellow of nine academies including the Royal Society (UK), National Academy of Inventors (US), IUPESM, IAMBE, AIMBE, ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology, Singapore National Academy of Science, Academy of Engineering, Singapore and Institution of Engineers, Singapore.

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Date: 30 October 2025

Time: 17:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Professor LIM Chwee Teck (National University of Singapore, Singapore)

Abstract

Biography 

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Convention Dates: 20 November – 5 December 2025

Registration and Abstract submission opens : 01 April 2025

Application for student bursaries closes: 15 August 2025

Final registration deadline : 15 September 2025

SACI-45 marks a long-standing series of scientific meetings focused on research in the chemical sciences performed in South Africa and further afield under the auspices of the South African Chemical Institute. This conference provides a platform for local and international chemists, including postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows from Higher Education Institutions, Research Councils, and Industry, to present and discuss their innovative research across all chemistry disciplines. Delegates can network, exchange research ideas, uncover new research opportunities and collaborations, and expand their knowledge. The Local Organising Committee is currently preparing a scientific program that will include plenary, keynote, and invited speakers who will cover a range of cutting-edge topics. The theme for the conference is Chemistry: A Window For Change, and it accentuates the transformative role of chemistry in addressing global challenges and fostering innovation for the change needed for a sustainable future.

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Date: 29 October 2025

Time: 11:30pm – 1:00am CEST

Speaker: Dr. Nancy Kanwisher

Overview

Join an exciting conversation with 2024 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience recipient Nancy Kanwisher. Dr. Kanwisher’s lab asks, what is the nature of the human mind? Using brain imaging to look for regions of the brain associated with aspects of the mind, she has identified cortical regions that are selectively engaged in the perception of faces, places, and bodies, and other regions specialized for uniquely human functions including music, language, and thinking about other people’s thoughts.

Biography 

Nancy Kanwisher is the Walter A. Rosenblith Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and a founding member of the McGovern Institute at MIT. She joined the MIT faculty in 1997, and prior to that, served on the faculty at UCLA and Harvard University. She is well-known for her role as a mentor to young neuroscientists, and cites her own mentor, MIT professor and cognitive psychologist Molly Potter, as the reason for her successful career in neuroscience. She hosts a website with short lectures for lay audiences about human cognitive neuroscience and her undergraduate course, “The Human Brain,” is freely available to the public through MIT OpenCourseWare.

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Date: 25 September 2025

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: The Magic of Moiré Quantum Matter

Speaker: Prof. Pablo Jarillo-Herrero (Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States of America)

Abstract

The understanding of strongly-interacting quantum matter has challenged physicists for decades. The discovery seven years ago of correlated phases and superconductivity in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene has led to the emergence of a new materials platform to investigate strongly interacting physics, namely moiré quantum matter. These systems exhibit a plethora of quantum phases, such as correlated insulators, superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity, and more. In this talk I will review the basics of moiré quantum matter, highlighting also some of the recent advances in the field. I will end the talk with an outlook of some exciting directions in this emerging field.

Biography 

Pablo Jarillo-Herrero is currently Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT. He received his “Licenciatura” in Physics from the University of Valencia, Spain, in 1999, and his PhD in Physics from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands in 2005. After his postdoc at Columbia University, he joined MIT as an Assistant Professor of Physics in January 2008 and received tenure in 2015. He was promoted to Full Professor of Physics in 2018. Prof. Jarillo-Herrero is the recipient of the APS 2020 Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize, the 2020 Wolf Prize in Physics, the 2020 Medal of the Spanish Royal Physics Society, the 2021 Lise Meitner Distinguished Lecture and Medal, the 2021 Max Planck Humboldt Research Award, the 2021 US National Academy of Sciences Award for Scientific Discovery, the 2022 Dan Maydan Prize in Nanoscience Research, and the 2023 Ramon y Cajal Medal from the Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences. He was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences in 2022, to the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences in 2023, and to the European Academy of Sciences in 2025.
Professor Jarillo-Herrero’s research interests lie in the area of experimental condensed matter physics, in particular quantum electronic transport and optoelectronics in novel two-dimensional materials, with special emphasis on investigating their superconducting, magnetic, and topological properties.

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Date: 23 September 2025

Time: 09:00 & 16:00 (CAT)

Polymer recycling requires analytical sample preparation for quality control: Retsch laboratory mills efficiently produce fine powders from plastic waste, enabling precise analytical measurements. In addition, Retsch mills can be used to streamline recycling in a laboratory-friendly format, promote innovative methods, increase grinding efficiency across different types of plastics and ensure high quality, uniform recycled products. In both cases, a preferred approach is the two-step grinding technique – pre-crushing with a rotor or cutting mill, followed by cryogenic fine grinding with a rotor or a ball mill. Explore the possibilities.

In this webinar you will learn more about:

• Sample homogenization, including the importance of standard deviation for accurate analytical values
• Possibilities and limitations of mechanically crushing polymers
• Special issue cryogenic grinding
• Live demonstration of suitable laboratory mills for sample homogenization
• Insights into the optimal selection of mills and sieves for specific application areas
• Scientific approaches

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Date: 26 August 2025

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: Electronic skins for robotics and wearables

Speaker: Prof. Takao Someya (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Japan)

Abstract

The human skin functions as a multi-point, multi-modal, and flexible sensor, and has inspired the development of electronic skin for robots capable of detecting pressure and temperature patterns simultaneously. With continued advancements in flexibility and
material integration, electronic skin has progressed beyond its original role in robotics and is now central to next-generation wearable technologies for humans. Technology has reached a stage where ultra-thin semiconductor membranes can be directly laminated onto the skin, allowing for seamless integration with the human body. This enables continuous, long-term health monitoring and supports the advancement of personalized medical care. The ultimate goal of electronic skin is to non-invasively capture human activities in natural settings, creating an interactive interface between electronic systems and human physiology.

Biography 

Dr. Takao Someya is Executive Director and Vice President and Professor at the University of Tokyo. He also serves as Director General of the Division of University Corporate Relations, with oversight of startup initiatives. He is recognized as an inventor
of electronic skins, which was featured in TIME Magazine as one of the best inventions of the year in 2005. His current research focuses on next-generation wearables with organic electronics for application to healthcare, biomedical, and robotics. He has also held distinguished appointments, including Global Scholar at Princeton University, GlobalFoundries Visiting Professor at the National University of Singapore, and Hans Fisher Senior Fellow at the Technical University of Munich. The Fujihara Award has recently been added to the list of honors recognizing his achievements, alongside the 16th Leo Esaki Prize and the Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in 2019. He served as the 2024 President of the Materials Research Society in the US, the first to be elected to the position from Asia.

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Date: 8 -12 September 2025

Research infrastructures are vital to scientific progress, innovation, and global collaboration. In the Global South, their development and operation face complex political, economic, and resource-related challenges. Strengthening these systems requires effective governance, strategic planning, and data-driven decision-making.

This online symposium brings together stakeholders, experts, and practitioners to explore how diplomacy, metrics, and policy can support inclusive, sustainable research infrastructures. Through different formats, participants can engage with practical tools and frameworks to advance impactful research ecosystems.

Registration and more

Date: 17 – 21 November 2025

Registration Deadline:  22 November 2025

Programme Outline

The meeting program will cover a broad range of topics in different tracks.

The format of this exciting online meeting will allow attendees to take full advantage of the overlap between the different participating organizations. All registrants will be able to attend sessions in any track with a single registration.

Contributed oral presentations and posters are welcome. Please identify the track of your participation at the registration and abstract submission phases.

The programme details, as they are updated, are available in the Timetable link on the left-hand menu.

Date: 14-17 October 2025,

Venue: Guilin, China

This conference will bring together the 3rd World Materials Conference, the 9th World Materials Summit, and the 26th IUMRS-ICA organized by C-MRS, gathering top scholars and researchers from the global materials science and technology fields. The event will showcase the latest scientific achievements and technological breakthroughs, collectively advancing the future development of global materials science.

WMC (World Materials Conference) was initiated and hosted by the C-MRS. The first conference took place in Shenzhen, China, in 2023, attracting top materials science experts globally. The second conference was successfully held in Guangzhou, China, showcasing China’s leadership in the field of materials science. As the flagship conference of C-MRS, the World Materials Conference attracts thousands of international experts every year, promoting innovation and communication in global materials science.

WMS (World Materials Summit) is an international conference jointly initiated by the C-MRS, the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS), and the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) in 2007.

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Date: 28 – 30 September 2025

Venue: USTHB (Physics Faculty)

This conference aims to bring together researchers, scientists, and industry professionals to discuss the latest advancements in X-ray technologies and their applications across various scientific domains.

More information at LAAAMP

Date: 20 August 2025

Time: 12:00 – 13:30 PM (ET)

Date: 18 August 2025

Time: 12:00 – 13:30 PM (ET)

Date: 31 July 2025

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Title: RISE Microscopy for Geoscience

Date: 29 July 2025

Time: 10:00 -16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Date: 15 – 16 July 2025

Time: 16:00 -19:00hrs (GMT+2)

This virtual workshop will highlight cutting-edge advances at the intersection of biomaterials science, microbiology and surface engineering. This event will feature presentations by individuals who range from early-career to established professionals in the field.

The research presented will consider a wide variety of technologies to prevent and disrupt biofilm formation, including biologically inspired materials, smart coatings, and artificial intelligence-based approaches for the development of anti-biofilm materials. The workshop will also explore design principles, emerging technologies, and translational challenges, with applications in healthcare and environmental systems.

MRS.org for more information

Date: 09 July 2025

Time: 08:00 -16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Venue:Académie Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco

Presenters: Lalla Btissam Drissi (Mohammed V University, Morocco)

Registration and more information here

Date: 08 July 2025

Time: 09:00 -13:00hrs (GMT+2)

Venue: Ibn Zohr University, Morocco

Presenters:

The workshop aims to provide Moroccan researchers, educators, and policymakers with valuable insights into the ongoing development of ASFAP and to explore the strategic opportunities these continental initiatives offer for advancing Morocco’s scientific research and education in materials science and applied physics. It also highlights the pivotal role of the African Materials Research Society (AMRS) in fostering collaboration and capacity building across Africa.

Registration and more information here

Date: 08 July 2025

Time: 16:00hrs

Talk: X-ray Micro- and Nano- Tomography at Sirius: Applications in Agricultural Sciences

Speaker:Dr. Talita Ferreira

Abstract

Agriculture has been an area of great relevance at Sirius, the 4th generation Brazilian Synchrotron Light Source. Multiscale techniques available at Sirius have the potential to elucidate important properties and processes in complex hierarchical systems such as soil and plants. In particular, X-ray micro- and nanotomography at the MOGNO beamline offer unique capabilities of “zoom imaging”, spanning spatial resolutions from dozens of micrometers to hundreds of nanometers in centimetric sized samples. This webinar will present an overview of various agriculture-related experiments conducted at the nanostation of the MOGNO beamline, along with future perspectives for the microstation in the coming years.

Biography

Dr. Talita Ferreira is a research scientist, since 2019, at the MOGNO beamline from the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM). She received her B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from the State University of Ponta Grossa. Her interests include image-based physical analysis of soils (and plants more recently), especially applying the X-ray tomography technique, focusing on the multiscale, in-situ 4D (time resolved), and phase contrast capabilities.

Registration here

Date: 02 – 04 July 2025

Venue: Cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana, Ghana

• Virtually (details on how to connect virtually will be provided upon registration)

Presented by: The African Academy of Sciences (AAS), in partnership with the Government of Ghana, the African Union (AU), AU-ASRIC, the University of Ghana, and AfroChampions

• Hosted under the auspices of the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence and Sustainable Development (ARISE-SD)

Inspired by the recent Muscat Declaration on Global Science, this meeting serves as a pivotal platform to celebrate the progress made towards Africa’s Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Agenda. We will take stock of opportunities, priorities, and imperatives for scientific cooperation with Africa, fostering discussions that will ultimately contribute to Africa’s transformation into a knowledge-based and innovation-led continent.

The convening will also feature the official launch of the African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence and Sustainable Development (ARISE-SD), an innovative R&I support programme poised to revolutionize Africa’s research and innovation ecosystem.

Key Highlights Include:

• High-Level Discussions: Engaging conversations on rethinking Africa’s funding for science and innovation, bridging STI divides, and strengthening Africa’s knowledge economy.
• Research Spotlights: Presentations on global health, sustainable agriculture and food security, and digital transformation in Africa.
• Gala Reception & Networking Dinner: An opportunity to connect with leading researchers, innovators, policymakers, and partners.
• Accra Declaration: The meeting will culminate in a Communiqué to the 2025 G20 Summit under South Africa’s Presidency, providing concrete recommendations for advancing scientific cooperation and financing with Africa.

More information

Date: 26 June 2025

Time: 1600hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Prof. Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli

Abstract:

This presentation follows the extraordinary scientific career of Prof. Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli, Moroccan nuclear physicist and L’Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science recipient. It highlights her pioneer international high-energy physics research through Morocco’s participation in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. The presentation places strong emphasis on her efforts to bring scientific excellence to the region through responding to pressing national needs—most importantly in the field of medical physics. Prof. Cherkaoui outlines how she initiated the development of Morocco’s very first Master’s in Medical Physics program to train students to work as radiophysicists in hospitals in Morocco. Her research illustrates the capacity of research at the international cutting edge to have significant social impact if rooted in local capacity building, education, research and policy change. The presentation also reflects on learnings from her science career as a woman and gives insights into remaining strong, leadership skills, and the necessity to provide opportunities to the next generation—most notably young women in science in Africa and the region of the Arabs.

Biography

Prof. Rajaâ Cherkaoui El Moursli is a pioneering Moroccan physicist whose work has profoundly influenced nuclear physics, medical physics, and high-energy physics across Africa and beyond. She earned her PhD in Nuclear Physics from Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, and has been a faculty member at Mohammed V University in Rabat since 1982. In 1996, she became head of the Nuclear Physics Laboratory, where she has led numerous national and international research initiatives.

She played a pivotal role in integrating Morocco into the ATLAS experiment at CERN—the European Organization for Nuclear Research—one of the largest and most prestigious scientific collaborations in the world. ATLAS contributed to the groundbreaking 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson, confirming the mechanism that gives mass to elementary particles and leading to the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Prof. Cherkaoui is currently a member of three major international collaborations: ATLAS at CERN, KM3NeT (a next-generation neutrino telescope), and ANTARES (an underwater neutrino detector). Her dedication to fundamental science is matched by her commitment to its societal applications. She established and implemented Morocco’s first Master’s Program in Medical Physics, enabling the training of radiophysicists who now serve in hospitals across the country [Read more]

Registration here

Date: 25 June 2025

Time: 1600hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Professor Yasien Sayed (School of Molecular and Cell Biology, Protein Structure-Function Research Laboratory (PSFRL), University of the Witwatersrand)

Talk: Cryptic No More: Characterising a Novel Allosteric Site in the HIV-1 Protease Cantilever Region

Abstract

HIV-1 protease is a critical enzyme for viral maturation and one of the most well-studied proteins in structural biology. While much attention has focused on its active site, there is interest in how the enzyme might interact with small molecules at other regions on its surface. In particular, some of these potential sites, called cryptic pockets, are not visible in the unbound structure and only emerge under certain conditions. Until now, no cryptic sites had been identified in HIV-1 protease. We used mixed-solvent molecular dynamics simulations to uncover a previously unrecognised cryptic pocket in the cantilever region of the enzyme. Interestingly, this region shows conserved structural behaviour across related retroviral proteases, hinting at a broader functional role. When we locked this region in place using disulfide cross-linking, the protease adopted a distinct semi-open conformation, suggesting that the cantilever region influences flap movement. We then performed fragment-based screening which revealed that this cryptic pocket can bind small molecules. Simulations with one such fragment showed that binding alters the dynamics of the protease, particularly in the flap region. Overall, our findings highlight the cantilever region as a key regulatory element in HIV-1 protease function and a promising target for future drug discovery efforts.

Biography

Professor Yasien Sayed is a biochemist and structural biologist at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a Professor in the School of Molecular and Cell Biology and serves as the Director of the Protein Structure-Function Research Laboratory (PSFRL). He obtained both his BSc (Honours) and PhD degrees in biochemistry from Wits University, where he built a strong foundation in protein biochemistry and molecular biology. His research focuses on the structural and functional analysis of viral proteins, with a particular emphasis on viral proteases. He has published extensively in the area of HIV-1 protease from the South African subtype C strain, which accounts for over 95% of HIV infections in the country.

Professor Sayed’s group achieved a landmark milestone by solving the three-dimensional X-ray crystal structure of the South African HIV-1 subtype C protease – a global first. His research addresses the urgent issue of antiretroviral drug resistance in second-line therapies, investigating how mutations in the gag and protease coding regions drive resistance to protease inhibitors.

Professor Sayed’s expertise spans protein biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, and computational biology. He integrates experimental and computational methods to understand protein-ligand interactions and how these will help inform rational drug design. Through his scientific leadership, mentorship, and research excellence, Professor Sayed strives to advance structural biology and biochemistry in South Africa.

Registration here

Date: 16 June 2025

Time: 13:00hrs

Talk: Quantum Mechanics with Patterns of Light 

Speaker: Prof. Andrew Forbes (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa)

Andrew Forbes is a Distinguished Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand where he leads a laboratory that focuses on Structured Light and its applications. He is active in promoting photonics in Africa, a founding member of the Photonics Initiative of South Africa and Director of South Africa’s Quantum Roadmap. He is a Fellow of SPIE, Optica, the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP), and an elected member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He has won several awards, including the national NSTF Photonics award (2015), the Alexander von Humboldt Georg Forster Prize and Fellowship (2020), the SAIP Gold Medal (2020), the Sang Soo Lee award from the Korean Optical Society and OPTICA (2022) and the Physics prize by TWAS (2024). In this opportunity Prof. Forbes will give a brief overview of his research on Quantum Structured Light and highlight the activities of South Africa’s Quantum Technology Initiative.

The IUPAP/UNESCO International Colloquia on Physics for Society aims to bring together leading scientists, policymakers, and industry experts from around the world to establish a multidisciplinary and cross-regional collaboration platform. It seeks to explore the latest advancements in quantum science and technology, promote knowledge sharing and innovation, inspire collective wisdom across diverse fields, foster the integration of quantum science with other disciplines, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

IUPAP/UNESCO International Colloquia on Physics for Society Page

Registration here

Date: 18 June 2025

Time: 17:00hrs

Biofunctional electrospun fibers are engineered to replicate the natural extracellular matrix, guiding cellular responses through precise microenvironmental cues—core principles of tissue engineering. Their functionalization enables the selective binding of bioactive factors, transforming fibrous meshes into active therapeutic platforms. These materials are now being applied in vascular grafts, bone and cartilage repair, nerve regeneration, and inflammation control.

What You’ll Learn:

• How biofunctional electrospun fibers can be engineered and functionalized to enhance targeted therapies and tissue regeneration.
• Recent breakthroughs and practical strategies for integrating advanced biomaterials into clinical and industrial applications.
• Opportunities to connect with industry leaders and expand your knowledge in biomedical advancements.

Registration and more

Date: 17 June 2025

Time: 13:00hrs (GMT+2)

Abstract:

The sPHENIX experiment at RHIC is designed to measure hard probes of the quark gluon plasma (QGP) with significantly higher precision than has ever been accomplished before at RHIC. Measurements of hard probes such as heavy flavor and jets provide information about the microscopic properties of the QGP as they are produced very early in the collision and thus, traverse the produced QGP matter.

After construction in May 2023 and a first wave of commissioning during the same year, sPHENIX recorded p+p and Au+Au collision data in 2024 to fully commission the remainder of its subsystems. The first physics results from the 2024 data taking period as well as projections for future measurements with the upcoming high statistics 2025 Au+Au dataset will be discussed.

Biography

Ejiro Umaka is a Research Associate at Brookhaven National Laboratory working on the sPHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Her research focuses on investigations of the microscopic properties of a very hot and dense matter created in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC called quark gluon plasma. She also leads the reconstruction and calibration efforts of sPHENIX forward detectors. Before arriving at BNL, she collaborated on sPHENIX and the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider as a postdoc at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Houston in 2020.

Registration and more here

Date: 09 June 2025

Time: 13:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy and Applications in Environmental & Agricultural Sciences

Speaker: Dr. Jian Wang (SM Beamline, Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada)

Abstract:

Synchrotron-based Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) elegantly integrates soft X-ray microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, providing nanoscale high-resolution chemical imaging and spectroscopy for a wide range of hard and soft materials for quantitative determination of chemical components, electronic and morphological structures in 2D/3D, and molecular orientation. In this webinar, an introduction to STXM at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) SM beamline and selected applications in environmental and agricultural sciences will be presented. Recent instrumentation development on STXM-based X-ray ptychography and its applications in soil, plant, and biological materials will also be discussed.

Biography

Dr. Jian Wang is a Senior Scientist, CLS SM Beamline Responsible, and an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry with the University of Saskatchewan. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Nanjing Normal University in 1996, M.Sc. in Physical Chemistry from Nanjing University in 1999, and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from McMaster University, Canada, in 2008. After the postdoctoral work resident in the Advanced Light Source, USA, he joined the CLS in 2009. He was a Research Associate or Acting Beamline Scientist until 2015, when he was promoted to the Beamline Responsible Scientist. Since 2021, he has been a Senior Scientist at the CLS. His current research interests include materials analysis (focused on energy, environmental, catalysis, and magnetics) and instrumentation developments for STXM, Ptychography, and X-PEEM, with over 240 peer-reviewed publications.

Registration and more here

Date: 09 June 2025

Time: 14:00hrs (GMT+2)

This webinar is part of AUDA-NEPAD’s critical engagement following resolutions of the just concluded 2025 World Health Assembly.

Registration and more here 

Date: 20 – 21 October 2025

iCANX Hong Kong Summit 2025 will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 20th to 21st, 2025. It will bring together world – leading figures from various fields to share their latest achievements, insights, and leadership in Innovation, Science, Technology, Investment, Management, and Evolution (ISTIME). By highlighting the Innovation Award, Young Scientist Award, and Startup Award, young talents in these areas will be recognized and promoted.

• College-level students who have undertaken innovation projects are welcome to apply for the Innovation Award.
• Young independent scientists who obtained their Ph.D. after January 1st, 2015, are eligible to apply for the Young Scientist Award.
• Startups with roots in knowledge or technology transfer from scientific sources, (co)founded by scientists or academics, and have been in operation for at least 1 year but less than 5 years since their founding, are eligible to apply for the Startup Award.

Learn more

Date: 25 – 27 July 2025

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Date: 24 – 25 July 2025

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

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Date: 15 – 16 July 2025

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

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Date: 27 May 2025

Time: 13:00 (GMT+2)

Talk: Illuminating Innovation: Synchrotron Science, Quantum Frontiers, and Africa’s Scientific Future

Speakers: Dr. Ute Schmidt, Dr. Stefan Kreissl, Dr. Ulrich Rupp

Registration here

Date: Tuesday 27th May, 2025

Time sessions: 9AM BST | 4PM BST 

Speakers: Dr. Ute Schmidt, Dr. Stefan Kreissl, Dr. Ulrich Rupp

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Date: 29 May 2025

Speakers:

•  Raffaella Calarco – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – CNR
• Elisa Petroni- STMicroelectronics
• Ghazi Sarwat – Syed IBM Research Europe–Zurich

Tutorial EL02—Advanced Memory and Computing Technologies Based on Phase-Change Materials was presented at the 2024 MRS Fall Meeting. This webinar will overview the material presented in these tutorials and provide a sampling of the content. Attendees will have access to the full recorded tutorials after the webinar.

As the demand for data storage and processing skyrockets—driven by AI and other data-intensive applications—traditional computing architectures are struggling to keep pace. Phase-change materials (PCMs) offer a promising solution, enabling nonvolatile memory devices that can unify all memory and storage units in one memory chip.

Tutorial instructors Raffaella Calarco of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche – CNR, Elisa Petroni of STMicroelectronics, and Elisa Petroni of STMicroelectronics will present their material from the recorded tutorial, including:

Phase-Change Materials—Recent Development from the Materials Science Perspective
Ge-Rich GST for Embedded Phase-Change Memories—Electrical Features, Physical Properties and Reliability
Fundamentals of Phase-Change Computational Memory

Read more

Date: 27 May 2025

Speaker: Dr. Youssef Moulane

Abstract

Comets and asteroids have played a dual role in Earth’s history, both as potential harbingers of life and agents of destruction. This talk explores how these small celestial bodies have shaped the evolution of life on our planet. We will examine their contributions to early Earth, delivering water and organic molecules essential for life’s emergence. At the same time, we will discuss their catastrophic impacts, from mass extinctions, such as the asteroid that ended the reign of the dinosaurs, to potential future threats posed by Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). By understanding the science behind these bodies, their past influence, and modern efforts in planetary defense, we can appreciate their profound role in shaping Earth’s biological and geological history.

Speaker’s Biography

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Date: 22 May 2025

Time:16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Talk: The International Association of Physics Students {iaps} Perspectives

Speaker: Niloofar Jokar 

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Date: 21 May 2025

Time:18:00hrs (GMT+2)

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Date: 19 – 20 May 2025

Time: 02:45hrs (GMT+2)

MatSeries2025 launches a global virtual platform uniting researchers, industry experts, and innovators to explore the rapidly evolving field of Materials Science and Engineering.

As the field continues to experience rapid advancements that are reshaping industries and enabling breakthrough technologies, this first-of-its-kind virtual event offers a timely opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research, next-generation materials, and sustainable engineering solutions. Participants will gain critical insights into the translation of scientific innovation into impactful real-world applications.

Register here

Date: 22 May 2025

Time: 08:30hrs (GMT+2)

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) invites you to attend an online open session “Technologies in Action”, which is part of a two-day strategic retreat co-hosted by the International Science Council and the AAS on the Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Global South Science Systems.

Background 

The rapid advancement of technology is reshaping the landscape of scientific research and development globally. While these advancements offer immense potential for progress, their impact is not evenly distributed. Significant investment in research and development of emerging technologies is being undertaken in the private sector. In addition, the Global South, with different socio-economic contexts and research and development priorities, faces specific opportunities and challenges in harnessing the power of these emerging technologies.
This strategic retreat will explore the transformative potential of emerging technologies and their implications for science systems, with a particular focus on the opportunities and challenges they present for the Global South.

Register here 

Read more

Date: 19 May 2025 – 11:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Federico Balducci (Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems)

Abstract

Rydberg simulators, superconducting qubit arrays and other quantum simulation platforms are increasingly able to simulate isolated quantum many-body dynamics in two spatial dimensions, and explore uncharted territory for theory. For example, recent experiments study order parameter dynamics in both slow ramps and (fast) quenches involving phase transitions, thereby placing the physics of quantum coarsening in the experimental realm. Here, we present a theory for this non-equilibrium dynamics.

Register here

Date: 15 May 2025 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Tutorial NM07— Building Advanced Materials via Aggregation and Self-Assembly was presented at the 2024 MRS Fall Meeting. This webinar will overview the material presented in these tutorials and provide a sampling of the content. Attendees will have access to the full recorded tutorials after the webinar.

Aggregation and self-assembly play a crucial role in the natural formation of minerals and have become essential methods for fabricating advanced materials in both research and industry. These processes are revolutionizing fields such as biomedicine, energy, catalysis, optics, and electronics, enabling the development of cutting-edge materials like luminescent compounds with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and nanoparticle superlattices for high-performance batteries.

Tutorial instructors Nicholas Kotov of University of Michigan, Sijie Chen of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Lluís Blancafort of Universitat de Girona will present their material from the recorded tutorial, including:

• Complexity, Disorder and Functionality of Nanoscale Materials
• Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) and AIE Bioprobes
• Studying AIE with Computational Chemistry—What Insights Can We Get?

Designed for researchers, early-career scientists, and students, this session will cover both theoretical and experimental advancements, providing a comprehensive look at the future of materials science.

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Date: 15 May 2025 14:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Prof. Arnab Saha (Department of Physics, University of Calcutta, India)

Abstract

Living entities in a group communicate and transfer information to one another for a variety of reasons. It might be for foraging food, migration, or escaping from obstacles and threats that may appear suddenly. They do so by interacting with each other and also with the environment. Statistical mechanics and information theory can be useful to develop the tools to quantify and analyse the flow of information among the living entities. The living entities can be modelled as active (i.e. self-propelling) particles. Here we consider a group of active particles under confinement. First we will show that the self-organisation of the particles can crucially depend on whether the confinement is soft or hard. Then we quench the trap boundary from soft to hard instantaneously. Consequently the self-organised cluster of the active particles, which was stable when the boundary was soft, becomes unstable and undergoes extreme deformation after the quench to find another stable configuration suitable for the hard boundary. Finally we will quantify the information regarding the quench that flows throughout the individual particles of the deforming cluster and show that the flow spans the whole cluster, propagating ballistically.

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Date: 12 – 14 May  2025

Venue: Budinich Lecture Hall, ICTP, Strada Costiera, 11 – I-34151 Trieste, Italy

Date: 24 April 2025

Speaker: Dr. Raffaella Geometrante

Abstract

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the most groundbreaking advancements emerge at the intersection of industry and research. From high-tech scientific instrumentation to real-world applications, collaboration is the key to transforming innovation into impact.

In this talk, Raffaella Geometrante—an expert in permanent magnet devices and Managing Director of Kyma SpA—will explore how strategic partnerships between industry and research institutions drive progress in accelerator science and beyond. Drawing from her experience leading the Accelerator Science and Technology Industry Permanent Forum (AIPF), she will share insights into bridging the gap between scientific discovery and industrial application, ensuring that cutting-edge technologies translate into real-world value.

Speaker’s Biography

Raffaella Geometrante is a well-regarded expert in permanent magnet devices, currently serving as Managing Director of Kyma SpA (Italy) and Kyma Tehnologija doo (Slovenia). Under her leadership, the company has advanced the production of specialized devices such as undulators and wigglers, which are critical to synchrotron and Free Electron Laser facilities worldwide.

In addition to her executive roles, Dr. Geometrante co-chairs the Accelerator Science and Technology Industry Permanent Forum (AIPF), a key initiative fostering collaboration between industry and research institutions. Through this role, she actively bridges the gap between scientific innovation and industrial application, driving advancements in accelerator science.

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Date: 13 May 2025

Speaker: Professor Omnia Hamdi (National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences, Cairo University)

Talk: Optical Signatures of Tissue: Scattering, Absorption, and Fluorescence in Medical Diagnostics

Abstract

Advancements in photonics have significantly enriched our understanding of light-tissue interactions, paving the way for more accurate, non-invasive diagnostic techniques. This talk explores the pivotal role of tissue absorption and scattering properties in optical diagnostics and highlights how these parameters influence the propagation of light through biological tissues. Special attention will be given to laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) as a powerful tool for tissue characterization. The session will also cover practical applications of these optical properties and fluorescence phenomena in early disease detection, tumor margin assessment, and real-time intraoperative diagnostics. Through illustrative examples and current research insights, the talk aims to underscore the importance of integrating tissue optics into modern medical diagnostics for improved clinical outcomes.

Speaker’s Biography

Dr. Omnia Hamdy is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Laser Enhanced Sciences, Cairo University. She holds a B.Sc. in Systems & Biomedical Engineering (2005) and a Ph.D. in Engineering Applications of Laser (2018), both from Cairo University. With over 70 peer-reviewed publications (h-index: 14; i10-index: 20 as of Feb. 2025), her research focuses on biophotonics, biomedical optics, and laser-tissue interaction. Dr. Hamdy has received several prestigious awards, including the ICO/ICTP Gallieno Denardo Award (2025) from The International Commission for Optics, and the Cairo University Encouragement Award in Engineering Sciences (2022) recognizing her innovative contributions to biomedical laser technologies. She is also dedicated to teaching and mentoring the next generation of researchers in this evolving field.

Register here

Date: 15 – 19 April 2025

Venue: Ol Tukai Lodge, Amboseli, Kenya

Theme: Cognitive diversity in science, emphasizing frugal innovation and rethinking problem-solving

This conference is symbolically set on the foothills of Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa, and on the wild Savannah where early humans survived. The underlying theme of the conference is frugal science and cognitive diversity – rethinking our scientific approach in new ways that overcomes the effect of engineered human environments. This is inspired by previous US-Africa conferences where the convergence of diverse scientists is complimented by a symbolic setting. The goal of this Gordon conference style meeting on nanoscience and nanotechnology is to bring together a cognitively diverse group of primarily U.S. and African scientists- plus a select group from other countries, with the goal of introducing frugal science and innovation as a critical pillar in nanoscience and nanotechnology innovations.
Read more at Science in the Savannah

Date: 28 April 2025

Speaker: Martin Uhrin (Heidelberg University)

Title: Equivariant Neural Networks: A General Framework for Learning in Physical Systems

Venue: Room 128-129 (SISSA, via Bonomea, 265)

Abstract:
Received wisdom from applied machine learning suggests that inductive biases may ultimately limit performance—and that scale alone will win. Yet for physical systems governed by strict laws and symmetries, incorporating these constraints into model design can yield better results with less data. In this talk, I will explore how symmetry-aware neural networks, particularly Euclidean symmetry-equivariant networks (E(3)NNs), challenge the brute-force paradigm by embedding the geometric structure of 3D space directly into the model architecture. The result is not only state-of-the-art accuracy, but also exceptional data efficiency—crucial when labels are expensive to obtain through experiments or simulations.

I will demonstrate the versatility of this approach through three recent applications that move beyond standard energy and force predictions. First, I show how response properties such as Born effective charges, Raman tensors, and NMR shielding tensors can be learned in a way that fully respects their spatial and permutational symmetries, enabling accurate modeling of material responses to external fields. Second, I present a model that predicts Hubbard parameters directly from electronic densities, bypassing the costly self-consistent loops of traditional DFT+U calculations and achieving up to 100× speed-ups with minimal loss of accuracy. Finally, I introduce a generative framework for amorphous materials that captures high-order statistical correlations in local atomic environments and uses conditional generation to assemble realistic, disordered structures one atom at a time.

In each case, I will highlight the open-source Python libraries developed by my team that make building, training, and deploying these symmetry-aware models faster, easier, and more reproducible.

Zoom: https://sissa-it.zoom.us/j/86090318578?pwd=1hBFJ0aq0nb9m0QxsMq1cNL1atxNJv.1

Date: 29 April 2025

Time: 13:00hrs (ET)

Tutorial SB13—Design and Testing Considerations for Next-Generation Materials for Extreme Environments was presented at the 2024 MRS Fall Meeting. This webinar will overview the material presented in these tutorials and provide a sampling of the content. Attendees will have access to the full recorded tutorials after the webinar.

As technology advances, the demand for materials that can withstand extreme environments—ranging from deep space to high-radiation conditions—is greater than ever. This webinar will explore the latest innovations in materials science and engineering, focusing on mechanical stability, thermal resilience, and radiation tolerance for next-generation applications.

Join Ian R. Sellers of University at Buffalo, SUNY, Bibhudutta Rout of University of North Texas, and Ahmad R. Kirmani of Rochester Institute of Technology as they present cutting-edge research and design strategies, including:

• Design Rules for Thermally Tolerant Next-Generation Space Photovoltaics
• Radiation-Testing for Space Applications
• Building Better Barriers—Ultralight Barrier Layers for Next-Generation Space Application

This session is essential for researchers, engineers, and professionals working on materials for extreme environments.

More information here

Date: 30 April 2025, 11:00AM

Venue: Luigi Stasi Seminar Room (Leonardo Building, 1st floor)

Speaker:  Giovanni M. Pavan (Politecnico di Torino)

Title: From microscopic dynamics to emergent behaviors in complex self-organizing molecular & supramolecular systems

Abstract:

Nature uses self-assembly to generate innately dynamic complex molecular systems. Learning how to rationally design artificial systems with similar behaviors^[1] would be a breakthrough. But the microscopic details of their dynamic behavior are difficult to ascertain. Molecular models,^[2,3] simulations^[4,5] and machine learning^[6,7] are fundamental achieve such ambitious goal.

In this talk, I show examples of how the intrinsic dynamics of self-assembling systems determine the collective ensemble properties emerging within them. I will show our recent efforts to unravel the intricate communication networks present in complex molecular systems of different types,^[8-9] and for tracking dominant fluctuations that are key for the collective properties that emerge within them.^[8-13] The data-driven methods that we developed and the approaches we are using to this end are general, and can be applied also to study experimentally resolved trajectories of micro- and macroscopic complex dynamical systems whose physics is unknown a priori.^[11,12] This opens interesting questions on, e.g., at what level/scales complex behaviors emerge in self-organizing systems and how, which may be relevant in many fields. The results that we are obtaining are general, and are challenging how we look at complex self-organizing systems and at a variety of phenomena that are central in materials science.^[8-15]

1. T. Aida, E. W. Meijer, S. I. Stupp;Science, 2012, 335, 813
2. D. Bochicchio, G. M. Pavan;ACS Nano, 2017, 1, 1000
3. A. L. de Marco, D. Bochicchio, A. Gardin, G. Doni,G. M. Pavan; ACS Nano, 2021, 15, 14229
4. D. Bochicchio, M. Salvalaglio, G. M. Pavan;Nature Commun., 2017, 8, 147
5. L. Leanza, C. Perego, L. Pesce, M. von Delius, M. Salvalaglio, G. M. Pavan;Chem. Sci. 2023, 14, 6716
6. A. Gardin, C. Perego, G. Doni, G. M. Pavan;Commun. Chem., 2022, 5, 82
7. M. Crippa, A. Cardellini, M. Cioni, G. Csányi, G. M. Pavan;Mach. Learn. Sci. Technol., 2023, 4, 045044
8. M. Crippa, C. Perego, A. L. de Marco, G. M. Pavan;Nature Commun., 2022, 13, 2162
9. C. Lionello, C. Perego, G. M. Pavan.;ACS Nano, 2023, 17, 275
10. M. Crippa, A. Cardellini, C. Caruso, G. M. Pavan;PNAS, 2023, 120, e2300565120
11. M. Becchi, F. Fantolino, G. M. Pavan;PNAS, 2024, 121, e2403771121
12. C. Caruso, Crippa, Cardellini, Cioni, Perrone, Delle Piane, G. M. Pavan;PNAS Nexus 2025, 4(2), pgaf038
13. M. Crippa, C. Perego, G. M. Pavan;ChemRxiv 2024, DOI:10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-cc0bl
14. M. Cioni, D. Polino, D. Rapetti, L. Pesce, M. Delle Piane;J. Chem Phys., 2023, 158, 124701
15. M. Cioni, Delle Piane, Polino, Rapetti, Crippa, Arslan, VanAert, Bals, G.M. Pavan;Adv. Sci., 2024, 2307261

http://www.ictp.it/research/cmsp.aspx The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics https://www.ictp.it/

Dates and times: 

• Monday 28 April 2025, 14:00-15:30, Luigi Stasi Seminar Room (Leonardo Building)
• Wednesday 30 April 2025, 14:00-15:30, Luigi Stasi Seminar Room (Leonardo Building)
• Monday 5 May 2025, 11:00-12:30, Luigi Stasi Seminar Room (Leonardo Building)

Speaker: Alexander Nersesyan (The Andronikashvili Institute of Physics)

Talk: Brief introduction to Abelian bosonization: XXZ spin-1/2 chain

Abstract:

A brief introduction to Abelian bosonization will be given with the scope of 3 lectures. The model that will be used to explain the idea and formalism of bosonization is the spin-1/2 XXZ spin chain. The lectures cover the following topics:

• XXZ spin-1/2 chain and its mapping onto spinless fermions via Jordan-Wigner transformation.
• Continuum limit, chiral fernions, emergent symmetries and conservation laws.
• U(1) Kac-Moody algebra of chiral currents and Tomonaga bosons.
• XXZ spin chain as a Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid.
• Field-theory formalism: fermion as a kink of a scalar field. Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid and the theory of a massless bosons.
• Bosonization of a massless fermion.
• Reduction of the XXZ spin chain to a quantum sine-Gordon model. Ground state phases of the model.
• Absence of fermionic quansiparticles in Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid.

CMSP, Condensed Matter & Statistical Physics Section http://www.ictp.it/research/cmsp.aspx

The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics https://www.ictp.it/

CMSP Seminars support: OnlineCMSP@ictp.it

Date: 23 April 2025

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Nanogenerators, relying on piezoelectric, triboelectric and pyroelectric effects to convert ambient mechanical energy into electrical power or signals represent an interdisciplinary field of research and applications, encompassing materials science, physics, chemistry, and electrical engineering.

This issue of MRS Bulletin presents an overview of the current research in the field of nanogenerators from fundamental science and property improvements to a broad range of technological applications in medical science, robotics, environmental protection, human–machine interfacing, security, and marine science.

This webinar is presented in conjunction with the March and April issue of MRS Bulletin.

More information here

Speaker: Dr. Theresa Gewering (Postdoctoral Fellow, La Jolla Institute for Immunology La Jolla, CA)

Talk: Visualizing antibody maturation for pathogenic viruses with cryo-EM

Date: 23 April 2025

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Abstract:

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies represent one of the most important treatment opportunities in modern medicine. They are being used to treat and cure numerous diseases, including different types of cancer and autoimmune diseases. However, viruses, especially RNA viruses, evolve rapidly and can escape many mAbs. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, variants of concern (VoC) quickly escaped available therapeutics and outpaced typical discovery and approval pipelines. During this time, our group led a global consortium, CoVIC, to compare over 400 candidate antibody therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2.

The vast majority were escaped by one or more variants, but a few remained effective. These mAbs emerged from a development pipeline termed STage-Enhanced Maturation (STEM) that kept pace ahead of each newly emergent VoC. The results of this pipeline were a sequential array of parent-to-child antibody variations, each of which became more broadly effective than the last.

Here, we use high-resolution cryo-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) to understand how these mAbs kept ahead of VoCs. We visualize and characterize the specific changes that occurred in their evolution and optimization, and identify the key interactions that make the matured mAbs superior binders and neutralizers for all known SARS-CoV-2 VoCs. Our goal is to deepen our understanding of antibody evolution and optimized antigen neutralization.

Speaker’s Biography

Theresa Gewering is a structural biologist in the research group of Dr. Erica Ollman Saphire at La Jolla Institute for Immunology.  Her research interests include using high-resolution cryo-EM towards elucidating the conformational landscape of proteins in interaction with their binding partners, gaining new insights into the visualization and analysis of glycoprotein-antibody complexes, deepening our understanding of antibody evolution and critical antibody features, and extending the breadth of monoclonal antibodies for robust and long-lasting therapies against rapidly evolving viruses.

Previously she was a graduate student at University Osnabrueck, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, and Ruhr University Bochum.  She was also an international student at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa.

Registration here

Date: 15 April 2025

Time: 15:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Dr. Mustafa Ashry

• Recording: ASP_Seminar_Apr15_recording
• Slides: ASP_Seminar_Apr15_slides

Abstract:

The measured anomalous magnetic moment of muons is clear evidence of a physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles. We present the QED, the standard model and beyond standard model contributions which includes a left right model with inverse seesaw neutrino mechanism and a model with leptoquarks.

Bio of the speaker:

Dr. Mustafa Ashry is a lecturer assistant in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University. As a theoretician, he is interested in Higgs phenomenology beyond the Standard Model of particle physics, the phenomenology of supersymmetry in particle colliders, and models that explain the muon anomalous magnetic moment. Additionally, he works on models that accommodate cosmological inflation to explain the large-scale structure and causal structure of the universe.

Registration and more

Date: 14 April 2025

Time: 14:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker: Prof. Anne L’Huillier (Nobel Laureate)

The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, the only international scientific union that covers all areas of physics, and UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, have partnered up to organize a new series of online interactive colloquia on Physics for Society that will start with a talk by the Physics Nobel Laureate Anne L’Huillie.

IUPAP and UNESCO decided to begin with this initiative within the framework of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025), which is being celebrated in 2025, but plan to continue it in the following years. IYQ 2025, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in June 2024, highlights quantum science’s crucial role in technological advancements and addressing global challenges. In this light, the colloquia in 2025 the focus will be on Quantum Science and Technology and their relationship with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This also falls under the wider umbrella of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD 2024-2033).

This series of colloquia aims to bring together leading scientists, policymakers, and industry experts from around the world to establish a multidisciplinary and cross-regional collaboration platform. It seeks to explore the latest advancements in quantum science and technology, promote knowledge sharing and innovation, inspire collective wisdom across diverse fields, foster the integration of quantum science with other disciplines, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Read more here

Register to attend

Date: 16 April – 25 July 2025

Coordinator and trainer: Ms Lakshmi Sujeeun, RA, CBBR

Center for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research (CBBR), University of Mauritius, has been selected as a classroom site for the AfriGen-D Introduction to Bioinformatics Training (IBT) 2025. This free, 3-month virtual course is a globally recognized program designed to equip participants with essential bioinformatics skills through expert-led sessions and hands-on training.
We invite students, researchers, and professionals to apply and take advantage of this unique opportunity to gain practical experience in bioinformatics – one of the most in-demand fields in modern science.

📅 Key Details:
📌 Contact Sessions: Twice a week (virtual)
📌 Mode: Online with local Teaching Assistant support
📌 Application Deadline: March 17, 2025, at 23:55 CAT
📌 Registration Link: Apply here
📌 Classroom Site Selection: Please select “Center for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research (CBBR), University of Mauritius” when registering.

For more details about the course, please visit Introduction to Bioinformatics Training – H3ABioNet

Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at bddncbbr@gmail.com.

Date: 26 March 2025

Time: 16:00-19:30hrs (GMT+3)

Speaker: Kateřina Rubáčková, Jiří Maškarinec

The webinar introduces Elmarco’s new electrospinning workshop, Nanospider: Techniques for Peak Performance, designed for Nanospider® technology users and nanofiber industry professionals seeking to optimize production and scale up their processes. The workshop offers a combination of theoretical education and hands-on experience with the NS3S500U pilot-scale machine, focusing on key aspects such as polymer solution optimization, spinning parameter adjustments, and defect elimination.

Register here

Date: 27 March 2025

Time: 18:00-19:30hrs (GMT+3)

Speaker: Alaina G. Levine

Career crises suck. Whether it is a layoff, firing, demotion, change in employer policies and culture, or the potential for any of these, career crises can feel extremely challenging to navigate. In this webinar, you will get a step by step action plan of tactics you can take to cushion yourself against the negative impacts of a career crisis and move yourself forward into a new and exciting role. With frank conversation and specific strategies, you will come away with actions you can take today, knowing that you are empowered and are able to manage this change towards a potentially even better future.

Register here

Date: 27 March 2025
Time: 15:00-16:00hrs (GMT+3)

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is excited to invite you to the first Presidential Lecture Series which will be held virtually on Thursday 27 March 2025 on Zoom.  This lecture will be given by Professor Malik Maaza and it will focus on Nanosciences & Naotechnologies towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Science with social impact.
Around 55% of the world currently lives in urban areas and by 2050, this number is projected to reach ~2.5 billion, primarily in Asia and Africa! With climate change on the rise, we face significant challenges in achieving the SDGs. Prof Maaza will share insights on how we can leverage Nanosciences & Naotechnologies to address issues within the energy, water & health nexus.

Register here

Date: 20 March 2025

Time: 02:00 – 04:00hrs (GMT +3)

MRS and MRS Singapore collaborate for exploring the intersection of materials science, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Speakers and experts will discuss how new materials discovery, optimized manufacturing processes, and enhanced product performance are also in the intersection of sustainability. Learn about real-world applications, emerging trends, and the impact of smart materials and manufacturing. Whether you’re a researcher, engineer, or industry professional, this webinar will provide valuable insights into the next generation of materials and manufacturing technologies.

Learn More

Speaker: Marilys Blanchy

Date: 13 March 2025

Time: 17:30hrs (GMT +3)

This insightful session will explore groundbreaking advancements in using technologies such as electrospining to allow for a better integrated scaffold into the bone and the methods, results, and perspectives of this challenging development and industrial production.

Biography:

Marilys Blanchy graduated diploma as engineer in polymer science in 2009 from the Engineering school of Chemistry and Physics of Bordeaux. She integrated Rescoll as Engineer in Advanced Materials in the department of Medical Devices Research and Development. Currently project manager of several Europeans projects in tissue engineering applications Sshe is leading the R&D activities in medical devices and she is in charge of the development of innovative processes and materials for medical devices applications.

Learn More

Speaker: Dr. Maurizio Vretenar, CERN

Date: 27 February 2025

Time: 14:00 – 15:00hrs (GMT +3)

Biography:
Dr. Maurizio Vretenar is a senior accelerator physicist and project leader at CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. He earned his PhD in Physics at the University of Trieste (Italy) and joined CERN in 1988 to participate in projects related to design, construction, and operation of linear particle accelerators. After being responsible for the accelerating systems of the CERN hadron linacs, he has been Project Leader for the construction of Linac4, the new linear injector for the CERN accelerator complex commissioned in 2017. Since 2013 he is the coordinator of a series of EU-supported projects to promote innovation for particle accelerators: EuCARD-2, ARIES, and the ongoing I.FAST (Innovation Fostering in Accelerator Science and Technology). More recently, he has been increasingly active in the design of compact accelerators for societal applications, with a particular focus in the medical field where since 2019 he is leading the Next Ion Medical Machine Study (NIMMS), an international collaboration led by CERN to advance cancer therapy with compact ion accelerators.

Abstract:
Particle accelerator technologies are moving out of the scientific laboratories to play an important role in our society, driving medical treatments and industrial processes, and contributing to achieving sustainable development goals. After presenting the main features of accelerators used for applications, the speaker will give an overview of the different domains where accelerators are being commonly used and will finally outline challenges and perspectives for accelerators in the future world.

Register here

Learn More

Date: 25 February 2025

Time: 14:00 – 15:00hrs (GMT +3)

The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator II (AFCIA II) is a crucial initiative dedicated to fostering innovative solutions for climate change adaptation in developing countries. By providing grants and technical assistance, AFCIA II empowers a diverse range of local actors, including governments, NGOs, community groups, and entrepreneurs, to develop and implement novel approaches to enhance resilience. Focusing on sectors like agriculture, water management, and disaster risk reduction, the program supports projects that demonstrate significant potential for impact and scalability, ultimately aiming to accelerate the widespread adoption of effective adaptation strategies and build more resilient communities across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Register here

Learn More

The online pre-school serves as an introductory phase to the in-person school. It’s designed to broaden participation by familiarizing selected participants with essential concepts in computational materials science before the physical event.

Date: 27 February 2025

Time: 15:00 – 16:00hrs (GMT +2)

Topic: Introduction to Schrodinger Equation

Date: 06 March 2025

Time: 15:00 – 16:00hrs (GMT +2)

Topic:  Solving Schrodinger Equation in Simple Cases

Date: 13 March2025

Time: 15:00 – 16:00hrs (GMT +2)

Topic: Q & A

Read more

Date: 1 – 5 September 2025

Venue: University of Mauritius, Mauritius

Rooted in polymer synthesis, characterization, processing, application, recycling, and education, POLY-CHAR fosters a collaborative environment for polymer scientists worldwide. The year 2025 brings us a new opportunity to meet and share our science together in Mauritius, the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean. POLY-CHAR 2025 Mauritius will not only bring this prestigious event back to Africa for the first time since 2014 but also unite continents with its cultural richness and diversity…

Visit the conference website

Date: 18 February 2025

Time: 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (GMT+2)

Speaker: Dr. Bennett Ibey

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) are at the forefront of advancing scientific research and technological innovation that directly supports the U.S. Air Force and Space Force.

Join Dr. Bennett Ibey for a webinar that covers funding opportunities through the AFRL and AFOSR. Discover essential research areas, explore various funding mechanisms, and gain valuable insights into the proposal and review process.

Registration and more

Date: 5, 6 March 2025

Time: 10:00hrs (ET)/ 17:00hrs (GMT+2)

Speaker:

Date: 25 February 2025

Time: 13:00hrss (GMT) / 15:00hrs (GMT +2)

Speaker: Prof. Carsten P Welsch, Professor of Physics and Head of Department at the University of Liverpool, England

Registration and more here

Date: 14 – 16 May 2025

Abstract Submission Deadline: 28 February 2025

Venue: The Berkeley Hotel Pratinam, Bangkok, THAILAND
The 5th Materials Research Society of Thailand International Conference in conjunction with the 1st ECS Thailand Meeting

Key Highlights of MRS-Thailand 2025:

• Cutting-Edge Research: Explore the latest advancements in materials science and engineering, including emerging materials, nanotechnology, biomaterials, energy materials, and more.
• Renowned Experts: Learn from world-class experts who will share their insights through keynote speeches, plenary talks, and invited presentations.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with like-minded individuals from around the globe, build lasting relationships, and collaborate on future projects.
• Cultural Experience: Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Thailand and experience its rich history, delicious cuisine, and stunning landscapes.

By participating in MRS-Thailand 2025, you will gain valuable knowledge, inspire innovation, and contribute to the global advancement of materials science.

Visit the Official Website

Date: 30 January 2025

Time: 14:00hrs

Speaker: Claudia Draxl (Physics Department and CSMB, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany)
Abstract

Many-body approaches to electronic excitations have become an indispensable tool for an in-depth understanding of the subtle processes that take place in a wide variety of materials. In particular, many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) allows us to treat the interplay between competing interactions of similar strength and on the same energy scale, which can give rise to exciting phenomena. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms and keeping up with the recent developments in experimental techniques, requires the development of advanced methodologies. In this talk, I will first give an overview of the state-of-the-art methods in describing the response of matter to light on different length scales. Selected examples of optical absorption, core-level spectroscopy, and resonant inelastic x-rays scattering (RIXS) will highlight the interplay of electron-electron interaction, electron-vibrational coupling, electron-hole correlation, and exciton-exciton coupling. I will then report on our recent progress in developing methods to tackle exciton-phonon coupling and exciton dynamics, and discuss ways to keep such calculations within affordable computational times, even for complex materials. References [1] G. Onida, L. Reining, and A. Rubio, “Electronic excitations: density-functional versus many-body Green’s-function approaches, Rev. Mod. Phys. 74, 601 (2002).

Register here

Application Deadline: 31st January 2025
Grant Amount: Up to EUR 200,000 per project
Target: Clean energy access businesses in sub-Saharan Africa testing and scaling productive use technologies

Since 2021, the FCDO and the IKEA Foundation have provided catalytic grants to over 60 clean energy innovation businesses in Africa and the Pacific through PREO. These businesses, working across a wide range of technology areas including solar, cooling, clean transport, smart energy systems, agriculture, and healthcare, have gone on to raise significant follow-on investment capital to scale their businesses and won numerous awards. Notable examples include BURN Manufacturing, Mobile Power, Hinckley Recycling,  Roam, Sokofresh, Koolboks, Innovex and more.

Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) competition, part of the FCDO Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform, is now open for applications. The competition supports innovative projects to test the efficient use of clean energy in businesses and local industry to boost productivity and incomes, create green jobs and local value addition, sustainably power public services, and help transform energy end-use sectors such as agriculture, buildings, and transport – displacing diesel generators and traditional hand tools.

This round of the competition is being funded by our co-funder, the IKEA Foundation, and will provide catalytic grants to innovative clean energy access businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. Up to 20 grants, each worth up to EUR 200,000, are available, with the potential for additional funding to be allocated by the FCDO via TEA.

There is a particular focus on enabling locally-led solutions and there is a dedicated TA Facility available to help African businesses prepare competitive proposals, and build relevant partnerships and projects.

The Transforming Energy Access TA Facility is open to applications from today (9 December). The deadline to apply is 15 December at 23:59 UTC.

Find the full details, eligibility criteria, and steps to apply: https://tea.carbontrust.com/tea-technical-assistance-facility

Find out more: https://www.preo.org/apply-for-a-grant/

Date: 12 December 2024

Time: 10:00AM (EDT) / 0400PM (GMT +2)

Speaker: Prof. M. Maaza, UNESCO UNISA-ITLABS/NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies.

Biography:
Prof. M. Maaza is the UNESCO UNISA-ITLABS/NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies. He is a joint staff of UNISA the NRF. His Hindex is 104 & i10 =504 with a total citations of 32 895. He is a fellow of various Academies, including the African Academy of Science, the European Academy of Arts & Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Science of India, the Islamic Academy of Sciences & the Royal Society of Chemistry-London.

Prof. M. Maaza has been bestowed several awards among which; the 2018- A.U. Nkwame Nkrumah award for Excellence in Science & Technology, the 2019- Galileo-Galilei award by the International Commission for Optics, the 2022-J. Vasconcelos award for education by the World Cultural Council Hong Kong , 2024 International Khawarizmi award & the 2024 International Union for Pure & Applied Physics (IUPAP)award. He has been bestowed with the Presidential Mapungubwe Order of the Republic of South Africa. He has been the architect behind several continental & National ongoing platforms including the UNESCO-UNISA-iTLABS/NRF Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies. (U2ACN2) African Laser Centre (ALC), the African Materials Research Society (AMRS), the African Light Source (AfLS), the Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), the National Laser Centre (NLC) among others including the recently implemented African Centre of Competencies in Enhanced Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies for SDGs (ACCENTS)

Registration and more here

Date:  5 November 2024

Time: 0900AM  (GMT)

Venue: Hybrid: virtual & in-person.

This seminar aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063—the vision for “The Africa We Want”—and focuses on the critical role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in achieving sustainable development across the continent. At its core, the Science, Technology, and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024 (STISA-2024) champions four foundational pillars: enhancing research infrastructure, strengthening technical competencies, promoting entrepreneurship, and fostering a supportive environment for STI advancement.
Since 2015, the AAS has collaborated with AUDA-NEPAD and other partners to drive this vision, delivering on Africa’s priorities through impactful STI programs. As we embark on the next phase with STISA-2034, this seminar will highlight the achievements, ongoing partnerships, and future opportunities for strengthening Africa’s research and innovation landscape.

Registration and more here

Date: 22 October 2024

Time: 1000AM (EDT) / 0400PM (GMT +2)

Speaker: João Lucas Rangel, AFM & AFM-Raman Global Product Manager, HORIBA

The combination of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy provides deep insights into the complex properties of various materials. While Raman spectroscopy facilitates the chemical characterization of compounds, interfaces and complex matrices, offering crucial insights into molecular structures and compositions, including microscale contaminants and trace materials. AFM provides essential data on topography and mechanical properties, such as surface texture, adhesion, roughness, and stiffness at the nanoscale. Traditionally, users must rely on multiple instruments to gather such comprehensive analysis. HORIBA’s AFM-Raman system stands out as a uniquely multimodal tool, integrating an automated AFM with a Raman/photoluminescence spectrometer, providing precise pixel-to-pixel correlation between structural and chemical information in a single scan…

Registration and more here

Dates: 7 –  11 April 2025
Venue: Protea Hotel Walvis Bay in Pelican Bay, Namibia

The Chem4Energy conferences aim to bring together local academic and industrial researchers and developers from Namibia with colleagues from Europe, the USA and further afield, to discuss the latest developments in sustainable energy materials and processes, build new collaborations, and influence and support future directions in the field of sustainable energy research.

The fourth in this series of annual meetings, which focus in particular on:

• Highlighting the synergy between experiment and computation
• Offering opportunities for early career researchers to disseminate their work in oral and poster presentations – often their first conference talk!
• Allowing plenty of opportunity for discussion of the research presentations

Although contributions in all areas within the Chem4Energy remit are welcome, core themes of the 2025 meeting include:

•    Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis for clean energy production;
•    CO2 capture and utilisation;
•    Materials for solar energy devices;
•    Nuclear energy;
•    Hydrogen production, storage and transport;
•    High-performance computing in energy research.

Learn more about the event

Dates: 4 – 8 November 2024

Abstract Submission Deadline: 14 October 2024

Paper Submission Deadline: 25 October 2024

Registration Deadline: 31 October 2024

Rwandan Association for Women in STEM (RAWISE) is hosting the African Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ACWES) in, Kigali, Rwanda, in partnership with the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) and AIMS in Rwanda ( AIMS Rwanda & AIMS RIC).

The conference aims to attract and retain women in STEM, serving as a catalyst for Africa’s sustainable development. ACWES 2024 will focus on empowering women in STEM fields working in industry, NGO, academia, research, etc., fostering gender equality and addressing societal challenges.

The event will be co-hosted by the RAWISE, Africa Regional Network of INWES and AIMS, and aligns with their missions to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.

This two-and-a-half-day (2.5 Days) event will feature workshops, mentoring, seminars, and networking opportunities. It will equip women and girls with skills to pursue STEM careers and support the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The event also aims to amplify women’s voices in STEM leadership, particularly in decision making roles, and foster international collaboration.

Visit the AIMS website for more information

Dates: 10 October 2024

Time: 10:00 – 11:30hrs (EDT)

Please join the panelists for this important webinar that will support discussions to bring awareness to the bias that often exists when you are selecting collaborative partners, hiring scientists to work in your laboratory or department, and in the publishing process. Often scientists from lesser-known institutions or developing countries who are doing great science are overlooked by members of the scientific community who sometimes hold an affinity bias towards candidates from larger, better-known or more well-funded institutions. The webinar will include discussion about the challenges these scientists face, examples of their impactful work, and case studies on how these underrepresented scientists and institutions have added value to organizations who have partnered with them.

TALKS:

Maia Mombrú-Frutos – Introduction: Strength in diversity

Dr. Juliana Mara Pinto de Almeida – Materials research beyond economic borders: challenges and opportunities

Karena Lekich – Internships at Dow: Why are they important? What opportunities are there? How can you help?

Sossina Haile – Lessons learned from successful international activities

Register here

Dates: 24- 25 September 2024

Time: 10:00 – 13:00hrs (EDT)

Artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) has the potential to revolutionize major aspects of how we design new biomaterials and evaluate their performance. Large datasets mined from the literature or collected in high throughput can be interpreted by AI/ML models to inform structure-function relationships and guide decision making. Complex design and manufacturing processes and experimental analysis can be automated by AI/ML such as image analysis and 3D printing. A wealth of opportunity lies before the biomaterials community to apply AI/ML if we dedicate ourselves to its development.

This joint MRS/SFB two-day virtual workshop will bring together experts in the field to discuss their recent advances and share their views on the challenges and strategies of using AI/ML in a broad array of biomaterial applications. This workshop will include tutorials by experts to teach people the basics of AI/ML and prepare viewers to apply these tools to their own biomaterial challenges. We expect that participants of all levels of experience and interest in AI/ML will gain valuable insights from this workshop.

Some of the topics covered in this workshop will include:

• 3D printing / bioprinting
• Imaging and image analysis by AI/ML
• QSAR modeling
• Drug formulation

Learn more ant register here

Launched on February 11, 2024, UNESCO’s Call to Action “Closing the Gender Gap in Science” aims to address the persistent gender disparities in scientific fields. Despite advancements in recent years, only one in three scientists is a woman, and gender inequality continues to impede scientific progress and national development. This initiative seeks to create a more inclusive, equitable scientific community through targeted actions across three key areas.

Each of these working groups will focus on a specific pillar of the Call to Action and provide a platform to exchange experiences and innovative ideas for advancing gender equality in science. Attendees will have the chance to evaluate current initiatives and explore opportunities for collaboration and new partnerships.

Dates and times

1. Dismantling Gender Stereotypes and Biases: This area focuses on increasing the visibility of female role models to challenge and change entrenched gender stereotypes in science. Actions include incorporating the achievements of female scientists into educational materials, enhancing media representation, and ensuring equitable participation on scientific boards and committees.

2. Opening Educational Pathways for Girls: To inspire and support young women in STEM, UNESCO advocates for early and engaging science education, the removal of gender biases from curricula, and the provision of scholarships and extracurricular opportunities. Engaging parents and investing in teacher training are also crucial to encourage girls to pursue and excel in science.

3. Creating Empowering Workplace Environments: This area aims to develop policies that foster inclusive and supportive work environments for women scientists. Recommended actions include implementing gender-responsive institutional policies, addressing gender-based violence, promoting women to leadership positions, and ensuring fair pay and work-life balance.

More information on the UNESCO website

Date: 27 August 2024

Time: 06:00PM – 07:30PM (GMT+2)

Failure is an integral part of the academic journey, encountered by researchers at every stage of their careers. For early career professionals, these setbacks can be particularly daunting, potentially impacting confidence and career progression. This webinar aims to provide a comprehensive guide on navigating and responding to failure in academia. Through a 20-minute keynote talk and a panel discussion with three experienced researchers, attendees will gain insights into overcoming challenges, developing resilience, and turning setbacks into opportunities for growth.

Key topics That We Will Address in This Webinar:

• Common types of failure in academia (e.g., grant rejections, paper rejections and experimental setbacks).
• Personal stories and experiences of failure
• Practical strategies for coping with and learning from failure
• The importance of resilience and a growth mindset
• Tips for early career researchers to maintain motivation and progress despite setbacks

Registration and more information

Speaker: Professor Addmore Shonhai (University of Venda, South Africa)

Talk: Investigation of the structure-function specialisation of Hsp70 chaperone machines of the main agent of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum

Date: 28 August 2024

Time: 16:00 (GMT+2)

Abstract

Malaria remains a major killer disease whose main victims are communities living in the sub-Saharan African region. Its its main victims are children (<5 years) and pregnant mothers. One of the key constraints towards malaria eradication and control is drug resistance. Malaria is caused by members of the Plasmoidum genus of which P. falciparum causes the most lethal form of the disease. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are proteins that assist other proteins attain their folded functional structures (for this reason theyr are referred to as molecular chaperones). 

Consequently, they play an important role in assisting mutated proteins override the fitness cost associated with their new conformational demands. As such, Hsps are imiplicated in drug resistance. The development of clinical malaria is associated with export of nearly 10 % of the parasite proteome to the infected host red blood cell. The exported parasite proteins play an important role in modifying the infected host red blood cell, leading to malaria pathology. Hsps constitute a huge fraction of the exported parasite proteins. 

Several Hsps of the parasite are essential. One of these, Hsp70, play an essential role in the development of the parasite. In addition, P. falciparum Hsp70 is a potential antimalarial drug target and an ideal candidate in combination therapies in light of its role in antimalarial drug resistance. However, the main set back in targeting Hsp70 in antimalarial drug design efforts is that it is a highly conserved protein. 

Our team is interested in understanding the features of Hsp70 that account for its functional specialisation across species. In our studies, we have focused on PfHsp70 along with its homologues from other species. Here, I present data on our understanding of this protein that we gleaned using various tools including but not limited to, circular dichroism, fluoresence spectrometry, biochemical- and cell-biology assays.

Biography

Addmore Shonhai is Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Venda in South Africa.  He received his BSc Honours degree in Applied Biology & Biochemistry from the National University of Science & Technology (NUST) in Zimbabwe.  He subsequently worked in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries before studying for a PhD in Biochemistry at Rhodes University in South Africa. His PhD was supervised by Professor Greg Blatch formerly Pro-Vice Chancellor, at Notre Dame University, Freemantle Campus, Australia, and now semi-retired. Subsequently, he conducted postdoctoral studies in Greg Blatch’s laboratory before his appointment as a lecturer in the department of Biochemistry & Microbiology at Zululand University in South Africa.

Prof. Shonhai’s area of research involves understanding the role of heat shock proteins in the development infectious agents.  Another area of interest involves using heat shock proteins as biotechnological tools to enhance recombinant protein production in E. coli. He is also interested in the prospects of using synthetic gold nanoparticles as artificial molecular chaperones. 

Prof. Shonhai is a current council member of the South African Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (SASBMB). This is a second term of service in this regard having been a SASBMB council member previously from 2011-2018. He has previously served as convenor of the rating panel of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa overseeing the rating process of scientists within the Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology (BIOC) cluster. 

To date, Prof. Shonhai has received research funding totalling approximately ZAR20 million from various organizations such as the Germany Research Foundation (DFG), South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and the NRF of South Africa. He is a recipient of a prestigious Georg Foster Fellowship, awarded to him by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany. He is life-time member of the Cell Stress International Society.

Register here

The Biophysics in Africa Monthly Colloquium Series is a joint project of the African Light Source Foundation (AfLS), African Physical Society (AfPS), and the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). SAIP is an adhering body of the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). The colloquia are always on the last Wednesday of every month. For more information contact colloquium.series@africanbiophysics.org

Speaker: Dae-Hyeong Kim (Seoul National University, South Korea)

Date: 16 August 2024

Talk: Nanomaterials-based Soft Bioelectronics and its Application to Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Recent advancements in soft electronics have garnered significant attention, primarily due to their potential applications in personalized bio-integrated healthcare devices. The mechanical disparity between conventional rigid electronic devices and soft human tissues often presents various challenges, including low signal-to-noise ratios in biosensors, inflammations and/or excessive immune responses near implanted devices in the case of long-term implantation, and inadequate electrical/chemical stimulation in feedback therapies. Consequently, ultra-flexible, stretchable, and low-modulus electronic devices have been developed and deployed to target organs, as their mechanical and material properties align with the in-vivo environment, offering high potential for addressing the aforementioned issues. The development of such bioelectronic devices involves research into the synthesis of nanomaterials, the development of their composites with elastic polymers, and the modification and optimization of processing techniques and device designs. This presentation explores unconventional electronic materials and device strategies, particularly highlighting their applications in treating cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, integrating wireless technologies and artificial intelligence with unconventional soft bioelectronics presents further opportunities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, in both wearable and implantable platforms. These efforts in developing various unconventional materials and bioelectronic devices are expected to contribute significantly to addressing numerous unresolved issues in clinical medicine.

Biography

Dae-Hyeong Kim obtained B.S. and M.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 2000 and 2002, respectively. He received his Ph. D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2009. From 2009 to 2011, he was a post-doctoral research associate at University of Illinois. He joined Seoul National University in 2011 and is currently a professor in School of Chemical and Biological Engineering of Seoul National University. He has been serving as an associate director of Center for Nanoparticle Research of Institute for Basic Science (IBS) from 2017. He has been focusing on the research of nanomaterials and deformable devices and their application to bio-integrated and bio-inspired electronics. He has been recognized with several awards including George Smith Award (2009), TR 35 award (2011), Hong Jin-ki Creative Award (2015), SCEJ Award (2016), and Korea Young Scientist Award (2017). He was also selected as one of the highly cited researchers by Clarivate Analytics from 2018 to 2023.

iCANX Website

Date: 15 August 2024

Time: 14:30–16:00hrs EAT (GMT +3)

Venue: Hybrid | AAS Campus, Nairobi, Kenya

This townhall marks one year since the election of our esteemed President, Professor Lise Korsten. It provides a unique platform to celebrate the Academy’s milestones over the past year, unveil exciting upcoming activities, and engage with our diverse community of fellows, donors, grantees, project partners, policy actors, journalists, and other key stakeholders. The townhall will be interactive, allowing engagement with our various stakeholders and supporters.

Professor Lise Korsten will share key accomplishments from her first year in office and outline her vision for the next two years, aligning with the AAS’s strategic plan (2023-2027). During this townhall, she will also share more information on upcoming and exciting events such as AAS’s participation at the Summit of the Future side event, the Olusegun Obasanjo Prize, Frontiers Planet Prize, AAS’s support to early career scientists, and the General Assembly scheduled to take place in Abuja in December this year.

Register here

More information

Held jointly with African Physical Society

Dates: 18 – 23 November 2024

Registration closes: 17 November 2024

Venue: UJ on Empire, Johannesburg, South Africa

The conference programme consists of joint plenaries, workshops, town hall gatherings, and streams of parallel sessions on a robust set of topics.  Contributed oral presentations and posters are welcome.

The African Light Source (AfLS) Foundation endeavors to progress African science and engineering, and to establish an advanced light source on the African continent, along with developing all the necessary human and institutional infrastructure.

The meeting program will cover a broad range of topics in four different tracks.

The format of this exciting virtual meeting will allow attendees to take full advantage of the overlap between the different participating organizations. All registrants will be able to attend sessions in any track with a single registration.

Learn more

Theme: Forging Reliable, Sustainable, and Long-Term Partnerships: “Towards one million start-ups and $100 billion in revenues”

Date: 14 – 18 October 2024

Venue: Dedan Kimathi University of Science and Technology, Nyeri, Kenya

The Alliance of Entrepreneurial Universities in Africa was launched in 2022 at the Africa Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Forum in Kigali, Rwanda. Its main goal is to promote and nurture entrepreneurship and business development within and beyond university institutions. The Alliance has formal members from 15 African countries and informal members from additional nations, collectively representing over 1.5 million students and 45,000 lecturers.

Title: 2D Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes) for Advanced Technology

Speaker: Prof Yury Gogotsi (Drexel University, USA)

Date: 1 August 2024

Time: 16:00 HRS (GMT+2)

Abstract

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional (2D) early transition metal carbides, nitrides, oxycarbides, carbonitrides, and related structures with a general formula of M n+1 X n T x , where M is a transition metal, X is carbon or nitrogen (oxygen substitution is possible), T represents the surface terminations (O, OH, halogens, chalcogens, etc.), and n = 1—4 [1]. More than 40 stoichiometric M n+1 X n MXene compositions have already been reported. Still, the number of possible compositions is infinite if one considers solid solutions (more than 50 have been made in our lab) and combinations of surface terminations. MXenes have opened an era of computationally driven atomistic design of 2D materials…

Biography

Yury Gogotsi is a Distinguished University Professor and Charles T. and Ruth M. Bach Endowed Chair in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University (Philadelphia, USA). He is the founding Director of the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute. Together with his students and colleagues, he made principal contributions to the development of materials for electrochemical energy storage and discovered MXenes. He is recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher in Materials Science and Chemistry and a Citations Laureate in Physics by Clarivate Analytics. He has received more than 60 awards for his research and teaching activities, including the Ceramic Prize from the World Academy of Ceramics, the MRS Medal, the Jan Czochralski Award from the European MRS, the ACS Award in the Chemistry of Materials, etc. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the World Academy of Ceramics, the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc), Academia Europaea, and many professional societies. He holds honorary doctorates from several European Universities.

Register here
Download abstract

Title: Astrophysics Research at the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) and the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT)

Speaker: Professor Eli Kasai

Date: 30 July 2024

Time: 16:00 (GMT+2)

Abstract

In this colloquium, Prof Kasai will talk about our research activities with the Southern African Large Telescope and the High Energy Stereoscopic System telescopes. He will also talk about the future Africa Millimetre Telescope and its outreach program centered on mobile planetarium activities, which has done very well over the past few years and gained tremendous international recognition. Prof Kasai will briefly also touch on areas other than Astrophysics that our Physics, Chemistry and Material Science Department at the University of Namibia is actively involved in.

Biography

Dr. Eli Kasai is the founding Head of Department: Physics, Chemistry & Material Science. He holds a Bachelor of Science double major degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Namibia and B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Cape Town. He is currently a Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Namibia and an Academic Visitor to the University of Oxford. He leads a research program with the Southern African Large Telescope, which involves observations of blazars to measure redshifts for the future Cherenkov Telescope Array. His research profile is accessible here.

Register here

Date: 16 – 18 June 2025

Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) is set to host the upcoming Global Summit in the vibrant city of Barcelona.

The 2025 Global Summit aims to explore the pivotal role of Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies in shaping the future of sustainable urban development, particularly in alignment with UNDG#11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities. Our discussions will extend beyond the 2030 horizon, focusing on actionable insights and cutting-edge research. The scientific agenda is structured to cover a range of critical themes:

• Clean and Energy-Efficient Transport
• Sustainable and Efficient Building
• Healthy Cities
• Connected Cities
• Policy Frameworks for Sustainable Development

Further details regarding the Summit, including registration information, will be forthcoming. Please keep an eye on the upcoming Summit Website for updates. Your active participation and valuable contributions are essential to the success of this Summit, and we look forward to your involvement.

Speakers: Chad Shade (Albemarle Corporation), Elena Hagemann (Metrohm USA)

Date: 7 August 2024

Time: 19:00 (GMT+2 | CEST)

Register and Learn more about the webinar

Speaker: Thomas Strohmer (Application Technician, QATM)

Date: 5 September 2024

Time Slots: 09:00 | 16:00 (GMT+2/CEST)

The daily inspection of a hardness tester with hardness test blocks is essential for precise measurement results. Using the QpixControl2 software significantly simplifies this process. The QpixControl2 software guides users through the daily check, saves data automatically and is easy to use. With the QpixControl2 operating software, the user can carry out daily checks efficiently and without extensive prior knowledge and ensure that all future measurements are based on correct values. Thus, a combination of hardness test blocks with the associated calibration project in the QpixControl2 software leads to accurate and reliable hardness measurements on a daily basis.

What to expect

• Information about the regular check
• Carrying out a daily check using QpixControl2, calibration project
• Data storage of the test results – storage in a control chart

Register here

View QATM’s Webinar Calendar 

Speaker: Professor Jose Maria Carazo Garcia (Spanish National Center for Biotechnology)

Talk: Cryogenic Electron Microscopy is Revolutionizing Biology: Where Are We Now and the Future Ahead of Us

Date: 31 July 2024

Time: 16:00 (GMT+2)

Abstract

Electron Microscopy under cryogenic temperatures is currently the fastest growing area in structural biology. Advances in instrumentation and software have made it possible for cryoEM to quite sustainably achieve resolutions in the order of 3A or better for a wide range of biological specimens, without the need of crystallization or large scale protein production. I will review the bases on which this technological revolution has started, where we are now and discuss about the future ahead of us.

Biography

Jose Maria Carazo Garcia born in 1959, studied Physics at University of Granada, Spain, and obtained his PhD in Biology at University Autonoma, Madrid, Spain (1984). After the post-doc period at Wadsworth Center of the NYS Department of Health (USA) with Nobel Laureate Prof. Joachim Frank, he joined the National Center of Biotechnology as head of the Biocomputing Unit in 1989, where he was appointed full professor of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in 2005.

Professor Carazo has a sustained experience in the field of Three-dimensional Electron Microscopy under cryogenic conditions (cryo-EM), especially in the methods development area. His laboratory has opened whole new areas in the field, naming just as example the successful family of Maximum Likelihood algorithms (developed in Madrid from 2007 to 2011) or the very much used EMDataBank (started from the European Union project “Bioimage” that he Coordinated from 1996 to 1999). At the level of software developments, his laboratory develops and support software packages like Xmipp and Scipion, who are been actively used by more than 1700 users in more than 13000 projects distributed throughout the world, as well as web services, like 3DBionotes, with close than 1600 new users just in 2022. Note that a specific version of Scipion developed for cryoEM facilities is currently being at the heart of some key resources, such as the European Synchrotron (ESRF), in Grenoble, and SciLab and soon the French Synchrotron Soleil.

On the technology transfer area, he founded the spin-off “Integromics”, winner of the first National Prize of La Caixa Emprendedor XXI (2007) and the Frost & Sullivan award to the Most Innovative Bioinformatics Company in Europe (2008). Integromics was acquired by the US multinational Perkin-Elmer in 2014.

He has supervised and co-supervised almost 30 postdocs and 90 graduate students. Some of them have already become key scientists in their own right, such as Sjors Scheres, who is currently at the LMB-MRC. Others have held influential positions in the private sector, such as Alberto Pascual, who serves as Product Portfolio Leader for Signals Workflows at Revvity Signals, and Carlos Oscar Sorzano, who is Co-PI of the Biocomputing Unit located at the National Center for Biotechnology – CSIC.

Register here

The Biophysics in Africa Monthly Colloquium Series is a joint project of the African Light Source Foundation (AfLS), African Physical Society (AfPS), and the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). SAIP is an adhering body of the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB). The colloquia are always on the last Wednesday of every month. For more information contact colloquium.series@africanbiophysics.org

Speakers: Zaria Qadafi (Institute of International Education), Katie Zee(Institute of International Education)

Date: 25 July 2024

Time: 16:00 (CEST)

Abstract

TechWomen, an initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State, is a five-week project-based professional mentorship and exchange program that connects emerging women leaders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields from Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia with counterparts at leading companies in the San Francisco Bay Area and Chicago to provide them the access and opportunity needed to advance their careers and pursue their dreams.TechWomen builds lasting relationships, lays the foundation for ongoing collaboration, expands networks, and increases skills and knowledge…  

Biographies

Katie Zee: With over fifteen years of experience in the International Education field, Katie believes that global exchange has the power to change the world. Since joining IIE in 2014, she has worked on corporate scholarship programs, K-12 teacher exchange programs and the Fulbright Program. Katie joined the TechWomen team in 2017, first supporting participants during their TechWomen experience and now as the program director, overseeing daily operations, overall programmatic activities and managing the talented TechWomen team.

Zaria Qadafi: Zaria joined the IIE team in the summer of 2017, when she became an undergraduate advisor for KAUST Gifted Student Program. She made the move to the Experiential Learning team in the spring of 2019 to head up PDPI, a professional development study abroad program for Brazilian English teachers. Most recently, Zaria joined the TechWomen team to serve as the program officer and has since transitioned into the role of Communications and Impact Analyst. With over a decade of experience in the field of International Education, Zaria has worked in Brazil, Paraguay, Vietnam and Washington, DC. Zaria is a life-long lover of the language arts and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Missouri.

Read more here

Register here

Delivered by: Professor Funmi Olonisakin

Date: 30 July 2024

Professor Funmi Olonisakin is Vice-President of International, Engagement and Service (IES) at King’s College London. She is also a Professor of Security, Leadership and Development at the African Leadership Centre in the School of Global Affairs at King’s. In her role as Vice-President IES, Professor Olonisakin seeks to facilitate the deployment of King’s assets (including knowledge, scholarship and talent in service of society) locally, nationally and internationally, to enable transformative and lasting impact. She is committed to building interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration and sustaining equitable partnerships to realise positive and lasting impact within and beyond King’s.

After the Public Lecture, the Third ARUA Universities Profiles Report will be launched. The report will be based on data collected for 2015-2023. The report will show significant improvements in reporting data from several ARUA universities following the capacity-building initiatives supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Visit the ARUA website for more information

Speaker: Yihui Zhang (Tsinghua University)

Date: 5 July 2024

Talk: A three-dimensionally architected electronic skin mimicking human mechanosensation

Abstract

Human skin sensing of mechanical stimuli originates from transduction of mechanoreceptors that converts external forces into electrical signals that propagate to the central nervous system.  While imitating the spatial distribution of those mechanoreceptors can enable developments of electronic skins capable of decoupled sensing of normal/shear forces and strains, it remains elusive.  In this talk, I will introduce a three-dimensionally architected electronic skin (denoted as ‘3DAE-Skin’) with force and strain sensing components arranged in a 3D layout that mimics that of Merkel cells and Ruffini endings in human skin.  The 3D configuration of force and strain sensors and a heterogeneous encapsulation strategy enable the differentiation of normal or shear forces and induced strain.  Integration of the 3DAE-Skin with data acquisition/processing modules aided by deep learning algorithms allows development of a tactile system capable of normal/shear force sensing with spatial resolution comparable to human skin, as well as simultaneous modulus and curvature measurements through a simple touch of an object.  Demonstrations include rapid modulus measurements of fruits, bread and cake with various shapes and degrees of freshness.

Biography

Yihui Zhang is a Professor of Engineering Mechanics at Tsinghua University.  His current research interests include mechanically guided 3D assembly, microrobots, and mechanics of flexible structures.  He has published > 180 peer-reviewed papers in journals including Science, Nature, JMPS (the best solid-mechanics journal), and etc, as of May 2024.  He is an inventor on 9 China patents and 3 US patents.  Dr. Zhang is the recipient of several honors and awards, including, Society of Engineering Science’s James R. Rice Medal (2024), CSTAM Science and Technology Award for Young Investigators (2023), NSFC National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (2022), ASME Gustus L. Larson Memorial Award (2022), The Xplorer Prize (2021), ASME Thomas J.R. Hughes Young Investigator Award (2019), Society of Engineering Science’s Young Investigator Medal (2018), ASME Sia Nemat-Nasser Early Career Award (2018), Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty (2017), ASME Melville Medal (2017), Qiu Shi Outstanding Young Scholar Award (2016), and MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 (Global) (2016).  He is a Deputy Editor of Science Advances, an editor of Mechanics of Materials, an associate editor of International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials, and a past associate editor of Science Advances, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics and Research.

iCANX Website

Title: Sustainable Batteries and Electrocatalytic Processes

Speaker: Magda Titirici (Imperial College London, Department of Chemical Engineering)

Date: 4 July 2024

Time: 16:00 HRS (GMT+2)

Abstract

To mitigate the climate change and reach a carbon neutral society before it is too late, a mix of sustainable energy technologies are needed. In this talk I will present research from my group in the area of sustainable batteries beyond Li ion, green H2 from the electrolysis of biomass derivatives as well as fuel cells free of Pt electrocatalysts.
Batteries will continue to play a vital role in decarbonising transportation as well as in storing the intermittent renewable energy. Li ion batteries have revolutionised the electrification of transportation and contributed significantly to grid storage. However, there are increasing concerns with the availability of the minerals currently used in Li-ion batteries, especially when looking at the predicted growth of batteries demand. Diversification of battery technologies with more sustainable options in mind, not only for the raw minerals but also for more sustainable manufacturing practices for cells and packs are needed. In my talk I will touch on some of these sustainable practices needed to be implemented today, while showing the 12 principles of “green batteries” inspired from “green chemistry” my research group introduced. I will then focus on Na-ion batteries, the next battery technology in line for commercialisation in 2024, with emphasis on our research on hard carbon anodes to understand the fundamentals on Na ion storage using multiple characterization techniques coupled with electrochemistry. I will also discuss the importance and complexity of solid electrolyte interfaces in Na ion batteries and some perspectives on commercialisation from our group. I will also present some preliminary results on “anode-free” Li and Na ion batteries with the promise of higher energy density and increased sustainability…

Biography

Magda Titirici did her BSc at the University of Bucharest, her MSc jointly between the University of Rostock and University of Bucharest followed by a PhD started at the Johannes Guttenberg University Mainz and completed at the University of Dortmund in 2005. She than did 2 years postdoc at the Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam near Berlin before becoming an independent group leader at the same institute. Magda obtained her German “Habilitation” in 2013. She then moved to the UK to take a “Reader” position at the School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London being promoted to “Professor” only one year later. In 2019 Magda moved to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London as a Chair in Sustainable Energy Materials.
Magda has a RAEng Chair in Emerging Technologies. She also served as the “Director of Research” for the Chemical Engineering Department between 2020-2022. She is the President Elect of the Materials Chemistry Community Council at the Royal Society of Chemistry, a Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE) Guest Professor at University of Stockholm and an International PI at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), University of Tohoku in Sendai Japan…

Read the complete abstract and speaker’s biography

Register to attend

Speaker: Hamida Hallil Abbas (Bordeaux University)

Date: 28 June 2024

Talk: Future Challenges and Opportunities for Electromagnetic and Acoustic Wave-Based Sensors in Environmental and Medical Health

Abstract

This presentation delves into recent advancements in electromagnetic and acoustic wave-based sensors, highlighting their crucial role in environmental and medical health applications. By leveraging resonance phenomena, these sensors can detect biological and chemical species and measure physical quantities. We will discuss the design and application of “passive” resonant sensors, such as acoustic, magnetoelastic, and electromagnetic transducers, emphasizing their integrability and energy autonomy.

Furthermore, we will explore various measurement techniques for studying the properties of neurons and cardiomyocytes, addressing the challenges related to cardiac and neurological disorders. Recent studies, including those involving phononic crystal waveguides and other dedicated platforms for in vitro disease screening, will be showcased to illustrate the potential of these technologies. In addition, we will focus on promising technological advancements in RF piezoelectric acoustic wave devices, particularly those utilizing two-dimensional materials like transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), with a special emphasis on MoS2. These materials meet the growing demands of wireless communication, IoT, 5G, and sensing applications by offering enhanced working frequencies, reduced insertion loss, and improved integration. We will discuss the potential of 3R−MoS2-based FBAR/SMR RF filters and their applications in high-frequency sensing, along with the challenges of ensuring the durability and longevity of these devices.

A discussion on the future challenges and opportunities for developing sustainable sensor technologies will highlight the importance of international collaboration in creating processes for designing durable devices with a comprehensive life cycle approach. Additionally, key questions will be posed to bridge the gap between sensor technology and real-world applications, emphasizing the potential of multiphysics and multi-transducer platforms.

Biography

Hamida Hallil, Ing., PhD, is an Associate Professor in electrical engineering at Bordeaux University and is affiliated with the IMS lab (CNRS, UMR 5218) in France. Her research focuses on the design of innovative devices and sensors using electromagnetic and acoustic transduction modes. She has a background in microtechnologies (materials and processes) and has developed expertise in understanding the interaction mechanisms involved in chemical and biological detection. From 2018, she spent two years as an Adjunct Research Scientist at the School of EEE, NTU, and CINTRA lab in Singapore, where her work centered on developing 2D-based acoustic and microwave devices. She has supervised more than twenty PhD students and master’s theses and currently oversees additional PhD and master’s students. Dr. Hallil has co-authored over 80 publications in top-tier journals and conferences, authored one book and three book chapters, holds two patents.

In addition to her university responsibilities, where she is a member of the academic council, she has been an active member of the IEEE Sensors Council since 2018. She has held several leadership positions, including Chair of the France Chapter and Chair of the Educational, WISE, and Publicity Committees. She has also served on the organizing and technical committees of various IEEE conferences, including IEEE SENSORS, DTIP, NMDC (from 2017 to 2024), and IEEE COINS & ICECS (from 2020 to 2022).

Her research work and dedication to the sensor community have been recognized and rewarded through 20 invited talks, 5 best paper awards, and additional recognition awards.

iCANX Website

Date: 27 June 2024

Gathering insights from World experts, our forum aims to dissect the complexity of sustainable development, fostering stakeholder awareness for the International Decade of Science. Join us as we explore strategies to engage youth, public, industry, and the scientific community in addressing the challenges ahead.

The panelists are:

• George ELLIS (UCT, SA): South-African cosmologist and criter. Prof. Emeritus at the Uni. of Cape Town, visiting Prof. at Texas, Chicago, Hamburg, Boston, Edmonton, London, and Oxford, and SISSA
• Gihan Kamel (SESAME, Jordan): Egyptian Senior Physicist – Infrared Beamline Scientist at the SESAME Light Source
• Michel SPIRO (IUPAP): French Scientist, President IUPAP since 2019 and chair the steering committee of the IYBSSD, former Director of IN2P3 in CNRS, former leader of the DAPNIA at CEA, and former President of CERN Council
• Katie Zee (IIE): American Engineering Scientist, TechWomen program director, Institute of International Education (IIE)Barbora BRUANT GULEJOVA (Uni. of Bern and S4SF, CH) (TBC) : Thermonuclear Fusion Physicist, STEM ambassador, Founding President of Science for sustainable future (S4SF)
• Amal Kasry (UNESCO) (TBC): Chief of Section; Basic Science, Research Innovation and Engineering (RIE)

More information here

Talk: Extending the Human Vision with Synchrotron Light

Speaker:  Prof Qun Shen

Date: 27 June 2024

Time: 18:00hrs (GMT +2)

The Greater Caribbean Light Source Initiative (GCLSI) /LAMISTAD project is about developing a second synchrotron light source facility in Caribbean and Latin American region.  This second facility would be complementary to SIRIUS, which is located in Campinas, Brazil, and also the Sociedad Mexicana de Luz Sincrotrón (SMLS), both of which are partners in this project.  In addition to founding a third- or fourth-generation light source, GCLSI/LAMISTAD is interested in developing “feeder facilities” that would be appropriate in some circumstances as well as of course the human, institutional, and governmental capacity building needed to make such facilities sustainable knowledge generators and S&T problem solvers.  For more information about the GCLSI/LAMISTAD project, please feel free to join our mailing list for news and updates.

Register to attend

Date: 13 – 18 October 2025

Accents 2025 is a conference that will bring together leading researchers from around the world to share their knowledge and foster collaboration in a variety of scientific fields, including photonics, nanoscience, life sciences, and artificial intelligence. The goal of the conference is to advance scientific research in Africa and develop solutions to the continent’s unique challenges.

Visit their website for more information

Title: Development of bio-inspired electronic oscillators and their use in modulating small size/micro actuators, semiconductor lasers and optoelectronic oscillators

Speaker: Professor Paul Woafo

Date: 27 June 2024

Time: 16:00 (GMT+2)

Abstract
Most biological oscillators are described by nonlinear differential equations. They exhibit a large variety of dynamical behaviors which help in the understanding of complex biological dynamics which monitor the functioning of biological organs. Bio-inspiration is the design of technical and technological devices working almost as biological entities for medical or other practical purpose. We present here some results obtained when using some bioinspired electronic oscillators to modulate three up-to-date technological nonlinear devices which are Microelectromechanical systems, Semiconductor lasers and Optoelectronic oscillators. Despite some limitations due to the frequency range, some interesting dynamical behaviors are obtained and can be used for some special applications.

Biography

Paul Woafo, Professor of Physics at the University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon, is holder of a “Doctorat de troisième cycle” and a “Doctorat d’Etat” both obtained in Cameroon in 1992 and 1997 in Nonlinear Dynamics analyzing the effects of discrete nature of solids on the propagation of topological waves in ferroelectric materials, surface physics and biological molecules.  He is presently managing a research group on Modeling and Simulation in Engineering, Biomimetics and Prototypes (www.lamsebp.org).

He is member of various scientific organizations at the national and international levels including Cameroon Academy of Sciences (Fellow and Dean of the College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences), Cameroon Physical Society (past founding President), African Physical Society, European Physical Society, American Physical Society, Humboldtian (Germany) since 2007 and has been an associate member of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (Trieste, Italy) from 1995 to 2005. He was awarded the TWAS Prize for Young Scientists in 2004.

In 2020, he received the award of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) for his achievements as a scientist, academic teacher, science manager and for the development of physics within Cameroon and Africa, and the enhanced integration of the Cameroonian Physics community into the global scientific discourse. In 2022, he was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society. His research activities cover both fundamental and applied research. These research activities have led to 290 articles in Physics and Engineering journals and supervision of 67 Ph.D. thesis. He is Reviewer for some physics and engineering journals of the following publishers: Elsevier, American Physical Society, American Institute of Physics, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Springer, World Scientific Publishing and others. He is also engaged in various outreach activities for the promotion of physics and engineering education.

Register here

Date: 26 June 2024

Time: 06:30PM – 08:00PM (GMT+2)

The phase-field method is an efficient and powerful tool to not only model the dynamics of complex three-dimensional microstructure evolution but also to predict the effective properties of microstructures and their temporal evolution, such as, for example, the effective ion conductivities of heterogeneous solid electrolytes. The articles in the June 2024 issue of MRS Bulletin highlight various aspects of the phase-field method and its applications in materials science.

This webinar complements the June 2024 theme issue of MRS Bulletin on this topic and presents talks by select authors in this issue.

Learn more here

Speaker: Luke P. Lee (Harvard Medical School, Brigham Women’s Hospital)

Date: 21 June 2024

Talk: Nanomedicine via SANDs, QBET, EXODUS, and Brain Organoid MAP

Abstract

In this talk, Prof Lee will present smart SANDs (Speedy Analytical Nano-optofluidic Diagnostic systems) to predict and stop the spread of infectious diseases. Smart SANDs refer to advanced molecular diagnostic systems consisting of three primary components: (1) a self-contained on-chip sample preparation and liquid biopsy process, (2) an ultrafast plasmonic amplification method for DNA, RNA and protein biomarkers, and (3) a smartphone optical system interface. Furthermore, nanoplasmonic optical antennas permit QBET (Quantum Biological Electron Transfer) imaging to detect ET dynamics in mitochondrial cytochrome c in living cells. The non-invasive real-time QBET spectroscopic imaging of ET in live cells can open a new era in life sciences since it captures spatiotemporal ET dynamics in live cells. Nanoplasmonic optical antennas can also capture the secret communication codes of the bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) to understand better the mechanisms of bacterial communication, pathogenesis, and drug resistance.

He will also discuss how human EVs have emerged as a new paradigm in diagnostics and therapeutics, and the recent progress of EV-based applications of EXODUS (EXOsome Detection via the Ultrafast-purification System). Since the EXODUS by harmonic resonator generates high speed, purity, and yield via automated label-free purification of exosomes from various biofluids, it produces the most sensitive detection of liquid biopsy (from blood, tears, urine, or saliva). For example, the significantly improved purification of exosomes from urine samples of cancer patients enables us to obtain efficient multiomics and compare enriched pathways of kidney and bladder cancer. We also developed iTEARS (integrated Tear Exosome Analysis via Rapid-isolation System) to identify biomarkers of proteins and miRNAs and to see the world of diseases in a drop of tears. EXODUS-based iTEARS can provide a solution to identify numerous other diseases, including infectious diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancers.

For personalized precision nanomedicine, Prof Lee will present the development of brain organoid MAP (Microphysiological Analysis Platforms) with quantum biosensors and therapeutic modulations of mitochondrial electron transport chains. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells-based brain organoid MAP provides an ideal model to address fundamental questions of neuropathogenesis and find solutions for neurodegenerations. In addition, patient-derived brain organoids can recapitulate patient responses and help personalized medicine. Smart SANDs, QBET, EXODUS, and brain organoid MAPs will impact quantitative life sciences and precision nanomedicine via the convergence of biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Biography

Luke P. Lee is a Professor at Harvard Medical School. He received his BA in Biophysics and Ph.D. in Applied Physics and Bioengineering from UC Berkeley. He joined the faculty at UC Berkeley in 1999 after more than a decade of industry experience. He became the Arnold and Barbara Silverman Distinguished Professor and the Lester John and Lynne Dewar Lloyd Distinguished Professor at Berkeley. He also served as the Chair Professor in Systems Nanobiology at ETH Zürich. He founded the Biomedical Institute for Global Healthcare Research & Technology (BIGHEART). He served as Associate President for International Research and Innovation and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor at the National University of Singapore. He also founded the Institute for Quantum Biophysics at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea. He has authored over 350 research articles, contributed to four book chapters, and holds 60 international patents. He mentored over 100 undergraduate students, 31 Ph.D. candidates, and 37 post-doctoral fellows, producing 37 faculty members at different universities. He has been honored as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. He has also received various awards, such as the IEEE William J. Morlock Award, NSF Career Award, Fulbright Scholar Award, and the HoAm Prize.

iCANX Website

Speaker: Satoshi Horike

Date: 14 June 2024

Talk: Creating New Glass Materials from Metals and Molecules

Abstract

People have been utilizing glass since 2000 B.C. Today, glass is still an indispensable material for daily life, used in giant buildings and smartphone screens. Most of the glass used today is made of oxides or organic polymers, which are brittle and impervious to electricity and air. If it is possible to make very soft glass, or glass that transports electricity or air, new applications will open up. To change the properties of glass, its composition and molecular structure must be controlled. Unlike crystals, glasses have an irregular (random) structure. Therefore, it is still difficult to understand the structure rigorously and design the molecular structure in glass.

We are creating a new type of glass that may change the image of conventional glass. By utilizing both metals and molecules, we can create glasses with a variety of network structures. Some of these glasses have the capability to allow only certain gas molecules to pass through selectively, and others exhibit conductivity. In this talk, I will introduce such metal-molecule network glasses, their synthesis methods, and the forefront of their properties as materials.

Biography

Satoshi Horike received his PhD in chemistry from Kyoto University in 2007, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2007 to 2009. He returned to Kyoto in 2009 as an Assistant Professor and has been an Associate Professor/PI at Kyoto University since 2017. He is currently a professor at the graduate school of science, Kyoto University, and the Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Thailand. His research interest is the synthesis of glass and liquid states of molecular framework materials.

He received the 19th Japan Academy Medal from the Japan Academy, and the 19th JSPS Prize from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science in 2022. He serves on the editorial advisory board of Nano Letters (ACS), Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers (RSC), and guest editor of Communications Chemistry (Springer Nature), and APL Materials (AIP Publishing).

iCANX Website

Date:  3 July 2024

Timeslot 1: 9 AM CEST (7 AM UTC)

Timeslot 2: 4 PM CEST (2 PM UTC)

Explore the intricate interactions between solid and liquid interfaces in batteries and discover how contact angle measurements can improve battery and e-mobility production.

In this webinar, Dr. Daniel Frese will demonstrate how contact angle measurements can contribute to battery optimization, providing insights into surface cleanliness and enhancing bonding and coating performance.

Register here

Date: 25 – 26 June 2024

Time: 7:00 PM – 10:30 PM EDT | 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM JST

Registration and more here

Date: 12 June 2024

Time: 06:00PM – 07:30PM (GMT+2)

You must be registered to participate!

Registration and more here

Speaker: Di Li

Date: 7 June 2024

Talk: Dynamic Universe: A FAST Perspective

Abstract

Human’s perception and philosophy of the cosmos depend on our collective sensors. Modern optical sky surveys in the 20th century gave rise to the concept of dynamic Universe, the forefront of which currently situated in the radio bands and manifest itself as fast radio bursts (FRB). The discovery of FRBs was awarded the 2023 Shaw’s prize in astronomy. We built the largest radio telescope, namely, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), which has been leading the field of characterizing repeating FRBs ever since the inception of FAST’s operation in 2020. With close to 100 FAST-based papers, including 5 on Nature and 2 on Science, we started to construct an evolutionary picture FRBs. Recently, we invented the Pincus-Lyapunov diagram, which help ascertain the stochastic nature of FRBs, namely, they are less chaotic than Earthquakes, but way more random, akin to a Brownian motion on the energy-time phase space. This stochastic phase represent the presumably young ages of FRBs. We are also working on a next generation FRB machine, namely Cosmic Antennae (CA), the aim of which is to increase the discovery rate by orders of magnitude over all current radio telescopes.

Biography

Dr. Di Li is an outstanding observational astronomer who has served as a project scientist for the FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope) since 2008 and has been the Chief Scientist of FAST since 2018. He has been involved in the construction of FAST from the beginning and has made significant contributions in the field of astronomy. Dr. Li has achieved remarkable success in radio astronomy research, including proposing a new algorithm using Fourier transformation to solve the dust temperature distribution, discovering interstellar oxygen molecules and various new molecules in space, and naming the Hydrogen Narrow Self-Absorption (HINSA) method. Based on the HINSA method, he has accurately measured the interstellar magnetic field and published his research findings as a cover article in the journal Nature. Under Dr. Li’s leadership, the FAST telescope has made a series of important discoveries, including the first new pulsar and the first new Fast Radio Burst (FRB). His team has also obtained the largest collection of Fast Radio Burst events, which was selected as one of the top ten scientific advancements in China. Dr. Li has received the Outstanding Science and Technology Achievement Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences twice and has published over 100 journal articles as the first author or corresponding author, including six in top academic journals such as Nature and Science. In addition to his research achievements, Dr. Li has also been actively involved in academic organizations, serving as an international member of the Australian National Telescope Steering Committee, Chairman of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) “Cradle of Life” Science Working Group, and a consultant for the Breakthrough Foundation’s Listen Initiative. Dr. Di Li’s outstanding contributions have established him as a recognized leader and innovator in the international astronomy community. His research has not only advanced the field of astronomy but also made significant contributions to humanity’s exploration of the mysteries of the universe.

iCANX Website

Dates: 18 – 20 February 2025

Venue: Serena Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda

Application Deadline: 7 July 2024

The U.S.- Africa program brings together outstanding young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the United States and the member countries of the African Union for a series of symposia to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of these meetings is to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the United States, including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.

More information here

Speaker: Liqiang Mai (Wuhan University of Technology, China)

Date: 31 May 2024

Talk: Nanowire Energy Storage Materials and Devices

Abstract

New energy science and technology is a key direction and international frontier in materials science, energy science, and interdisciplinary science. In this talk, Prof. Mai will cover three areas: (1) A universal new model for in-situ characterization of electron/ion transport in single nanowire devices has been created. (2) A “Mai Yan” field effect energy storage theory for regulating the kinetics of electrochemical reactions was proposed, which includes the dual continuous transport of electrons/ions. The innovative achievement of achieving zero carbon efficient synthesis of acetic acid through external pressure field regulation based on field effect regulation has been published in Nature, breaking existing records. (3) A series of electronic/ion dual continuous structure energy storage materials and a self temperature controlled high safety battery that does not smoke or catch fire will be discussed.

Biography

Mai Liqiang, Chief Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Vice President of Wuhan University of Technology, National Distinguished Young Scientist (2014), Changjiang Scholar (2016), Leading Talent of the “Ten Thousand Talents Plan” (2016), Chief Scientist of the National Key Research and Development Program, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2018), Fellow of the Chinese Micron and Nanotechnology Society (2022), and Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society (2023). He has published over 610 SCI papers in journals such as Nature, Science, etc, 56000 citations. He has won the National Natural Science 2nd Prize, the He Liang He Li Foundation Sci&Techn. Innovation Award, the International Electrochemical Energy Sci&Techn.Conference Excellent Research Award, the International Association of Automotive Lithium Batteries Excellent Research Award, the National Teaching Achievement 2nd Prize, the Ministry of Education/Hubei Province Natural Science 1st Prize, and the China Society for Materials Research Technology Invention 1st Prize. He has been selected as a globally highly cited scientist by Korui Weian for 5 consecutive years.

iCANX Website

Date: 6 June 2024

Speaker: Prof. Sossina M. Haile (Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern  University, Evanston, IL, USA)

Talk: Superprotonic Solid Acid Compounds for Sustainable Energy Technologies

Time: 16:00hrs (GMT+2)

Abstract

Superprotonic solid acid electrolytes, materials with chemical and physical properties intermediate between conventional acids (e.g., H 3 PO 4 ) and conventional salts (e.g., Cs 3 PO 4 ), have emerged as attractive candidates for fuel cell and other electrochemical applications. Key characteristics of these materials, which include CsHSO 4 , Cs 3 H(SeO 4 ) 2 , CsH 2 PO 4 , and Cs 2 (HSO 4 )(H 2 PO 4 ), are tetrahedral oxyanion groups linked by hydrogen bonds and a polymorphic structural transition to a disordered state at moderate temperatures. In the high temperature state, rapid oxyanion reorientation and dynamic disorder of the hydrogen bond network facilitate high proton conductivity. The transition to the structurally disordered phase is accompanied by a jump in conductivity by 3-5 orders of magnitude, and the activation energy for proton transport drops to a value of ~ 0.35 eV. Of materials displaying such behavior, CsH 2 PO 4 is of particular technological significance due to its chemical stability against both oxidation and reduction in device-relevant environments. We present here an overview of the proton transport characteristics of CsH 2 PO 4 and the current status of electrochemical technologies in which it has been deployed. Material limitations translate into device limitations, motivating our efforts to develop and discover new superprotonic conductors. We show that dramatic changes in phase behavior and proton conductivity of the base phosphate can be induced by only minor changes in chemistry, suggesting routes for tuning behavior to achieve desired outcomes.

Biography

Sossina M. Haile is the Walter P. Murphy Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University, a position she assumed in 2015 after serving 18 years on the faculty at the California Institute of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. Prof. Sossina’s research broadly encompasses materials, especially oxides, for sustainable electrochemical energy technologies. Her work in fuel cell science and technology has pushed the field to new insights and record performance metrics. In parallel, she has created new avenues for harnessing sunlight to meet rising energy demands and demonstrated viable solutions to the challenge of hydrogen delivery. Amongst her many awards, in 2008 Prof. Sossina received an American Competitiveness and Innovation (ACI) Fellowship from the U.S. National Science Foundation in recognition of “her timely and transformative research in the energy field and her dedication to inclusive mentoring, education and outreach across many levels.” In 2010 she was the recipient of the Chemical Pioneer Award (American Institute of Chemists), in 2012 the International Ceramics Prize (World Academy of Ceramics), and in 2020 the Turnbull Lectureship (Materials Research Society). She is a fellow of the Materials Research Society, the American Ceramics Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the African Academy of Sciences, and the Ethiopian Academy of Sciences, and serves on the editorial boards of Joule and MRS Energy and Sustainability. Prof. Sossina also currently serves on the DOE Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Board.

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Download abstract

Speaker: Inkyu Park, Ph.D. (KAIST, Korea)

Date: 24 May 2024

Talk: Smart Environmental Monitoring by Low-Power / Self-Powered Gas Sensors and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

With the advent of the 4th industrial revolution, there has been a significant rise in the use of Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced sensors in several sectors, including but not limited to smart factories, healthcare, environment, and entertainment. However, the deployment of an increasing number of sensors in IoT systems has made it crucially important but challenging to reduce their form factors and power consumption. Consequently, there is a growing need for sensors that are miniaturized, low-power, or self-powered. In particular, when it comes to environmental IoT, it is essential to decrease power consumption in gas sensors while simultaneously enhancing sensing performance factors, such as sensitivity, selectivity, and response speed. In this talk, we present some recent advancements in the development of environmental sensors that are miniaturized, low-power or self-powered. These sensors utilize functional nanomaterials, microfabricated sensor structures, and photo-activated sensing mechanisms, which were developed by our research group at KAIST. Additionally, we describe the implementation of deep learning-based signal processing techniques for ultra-low power environmental sensors. The following topics are covered in depth: (a) Low-power semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) based chemoresistive gas sensor array using localized hydrothermal synthesis, (b) Ultra-low-power SMO gas sensors monolithically integrated on a micro LED platform, (c) Self-powered gas sensors using chemo-optically modulating sensing films and photovoltaic cells, (d) Machine learning of gas sensor array for high performance electronic nose (e-nose) systems.

Biography

Prof. Inkyu Park received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from KAIST (1998), UIUC (2003) and UC Berkeley (2007), respectively, all in mechanical engineering. He has been with the department of mechanical engineering at KAIST since 2009 as a faculty member and is currently a full professor and KAIST Endowed Chair Professor. His research interests are micro/nanofabrication, smart sensors for healthcare, environmental and biomedical monitoring, and flexible & wearable electronics. He has published more than 180 SCI journal articles and 50+ patents in the area of MEMS/NANO engineering, and his publications have been cited more than 16,000 times (h-index=55) as of April 2024. He is a recipient of HP Open Innovation Research Award (2009-2012), KAIST Prize for Academic Excellence (2021), KAIST Grand Prize for Technology Innovation Award (2019), Top 10 Nanotechnology of Korea (2023), and Minister Award from Ministry of Science and ICT (2023). At present, he holds the position of editor for Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (ElSevier), a top-ranked SCI journal in the field of chemical sensor technology.

iCANX Website

Dates: 29 May 2024

Theme: The World Needs Science, and Science Needs Women

Venue: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France

In the framework of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science week, this special event will bring together the 2024 Laureates for a dialogue centred around the programme’s theme

Each year, the Foundation L’Oréal and UNESCO celebrate the remarkable achievements of five extraordinary women scientists through the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards. Among the laureates since the programme’s launch in 1998, seven have received a Nobel Prize in Science. This initiative not only highlights the groundbreaking research of these exceptional scientists, but also shows that talent and competence know no gender boundaries.

Discover this year’s Laureates, their pioneering research and learn firsthand how they are contributing to addressing pressing global challenges. Attend and gain valuable insights from them on the indispensable role of women in scientific progress, and discuss actions to collectively close the gender gap in science.

Read the concept note

Learn more about the event here

Dates: 29 May 2024

Talk: Monoclonal Antibodies Neutralizing Snake Venom Long & Short Chain Three Finger Neurotoxins

Speaker: Dr. Constantinos Kurt Wibmer (University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa)

Abstract

Snakebite envenomation is a neglected tropical disease killing >135,000 people annually, predominantly in developing countries. Polyvalent antivenom is the only treatment, but it’s made through outdated technology. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the logical alternative for developing next-generation antivenom medicines. Here, we isolated a pair of antivenom mAbs that broadly cross-neutralized long and short chain three finger neurotoxins from elapids. Stored peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a hyperimmunised horse were fluorescently stained with long and short chain neurotoxins from Dendroaspis polylepis to select toxin binding memory B cells. Antibody variable genes were identified by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing, then cloned and expressed in expiCHO. Binding was measured by ELISA and neutralization was assessed with a TE671 cell assay.

Data for two crystal structures of Fab-Toxin complexes were collected at Diamond Light Source. Eight of the isolated antibodies bound snake neurotoxins and were 5%-14% mutated with human-like complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) lengths. Two somatically related mAbs (Eq4.Dp46-3A/-3D) completely neutralized long and short chain α-neurotoxins and broadly bound neurotoxins from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Crystal structures revealed an epitope between Fingers II and III that overlapped with the n-acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) F loop, explaining broad binding activity. Indels in heavy chain CDR1/2 were shown to determine monomeric or dimeric toxin binding, while the angle of approach completely occluded nAChR, providing a neutralization mechanism.

Our data is the first to describe broadly cross-reactive mAbs with the ability to neutralise long and short chain α-neurotoxins, identifying a lead candidate for next-generation antivenom in the developing world.

Biography

Dr. Constantinos Kurt Wibmer is an early-to-mid-career investigator from Johannesburg, South Africa, and Director of the Wits Health Consortium’s VїPER (Venom & Vaccine Immunotherapeutics & Immunogens Protein Engineering Research) division. Dr. Wibmer received his PhD in 2016 from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (supervised by Professors Lynn Morris and Penny Moore), which focused on understanding HIV-1 escape and the virus-host interplay that results in broadly neutralising monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). He began his training in protein x-ray crystallography with Drs. Peter Kwong and Jason Gorman at the Vaccine Research Center (NIH, Bethesda, USA) during a Fogarty AITRP traineeship, and further developed these skills as a postdoctoral research associate with Prof Ian Wilson at Scripps Research (La Jolla, USA). He has since solved dozens of unique protein structures, characterising at atomic resolution the interactions between antibodies and their antigens. His SARS-CoV-2 research was the first to describe neutralization resistance by variants of concern (VoC) and was instrumental in reshaping the global vaccine response.

As an independent researcher Dr. Wibmer has focused his attention on developing novel antivenom biologics to treat snakebite envenoming. He developed a rapid, high-throughput pipeline for isolating native mAbs from horses (funded through The Royal Society and Wellcome, UK) which he is currently employing to discover novel lead candidates for next-generation mAb-based antivenom. This mAb discovery is coupled with structural biology to design extremely broad, potent, and thermostable biologics for use in Africa and the developing world.

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Speaker:Prof. Giovanna Fragneto (Science Director of the European Spallation Source)

Date: 23 May 2024

Time: 16:00 (CET)

Abstract

Biography

Speaker: Anja Boisen (Technical University of Denmark, Denmark)

Date: 17 May 2024

Talk: Micro/Nano engineering and medico devices

Abstract

Our research centre of excellence ‘IDUN’ covers activities in nanosensors and microfabricated devices for oral drug delivery. This allows us to explore the synergy between sensor development and search for new pharmaceutical characterization/delivery tools and materials. I will show examples of recent findings and results within drug/polymer characterization, microdevices for drug delivery and diagnostics. Also, new applications within therapeutic drug monitoring using Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering will be presented as well as centrifugal microfluidics platforms for cell growth.

Biography

Anja Boisen is head of section and professor at department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark. Also, she is heading a DNRF and Villum Centre of Excellence named ‘IDUN – Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics’. Her research group focuses on the development and application of nano-sensors and microfabricated systems for oral drug delivery. Anja is cofounder of companies Cantion, Silmeco BluSense Diagnostics and LightNovo. She is, among others, member of the board of the Leo Foundation, the board of Villum Foundation, the Danish Academy of the Technical Sciences, and the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences. In 2008 she was awarded the largest research prize in Denmark, the Villum Kann Rasmussen award and in 2012 she was awarded the EliteForsk Award from the Danish ministry of Research, Innovation and Higher Education. In 2013 she received the ‘Sapere Aude – top researcher award’ from the Danish Council for Independent Research. Recently, in 2020 she was awarded the Order of Dannebrog by her Majesty the Queen of Denmark. In 2021 she was elected fellow of the electrochemical society (ECS) and became MNE 2021 fellow at the annual international conference on Micro and Nano Engineering (MNE). In 2022 she received the ECS outstanding Achievement Award. She has received two ERC advanced grants (2013 & 2022) and three ERC POC grants.

iCANX Website

Date: 11 – 12 July 2024

Location: Switzerland

This summit marks a significant milestone as the first gathering of the iCANX family, bringing together approximately 800 participants from across five continents. Centered around six pivotal themes—Innovation, Science, Technology, Investment, Management, and Entrepreneurship (ISTIME). The event will also showcase three esteemed awards: Innovation Award, Young Scientist Award, and Startup Award.

More than 20 esteemed individuals has have already confirmed their participation as plenary speakers, including Professors Jean-Marie Lehn (Nobel Prize awardee 1987), Jagadish Chennupati (President, Australian Academy of Science), Saifur Rahman (President and CEO, 2023 IEEE), and Benoît Dubuis (President, Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences), etc. They will contribute talks and discussion in Nobel Laureate Forum, Presidents of Academy Forum, Presidents of University Forum.

More than 20 parallel sessions will be organized at Davos!

Deadline for Speakers & Award Candidates Application: 01 April 2024

For further details about the summit, kindly visit the official website

Davos Summit Handbook

Davos Response Form

iCANX Website

Speaker: Sam Zhang (Harbin Institute of Technology, China)

Date: 10 May 2024

Talk: Progress in Infrared Transparencies under Opto, Electro, Thermo, and Mechanical Environment

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growing interest and research focus on infrared optical thin films as essential components in infrared optical systems. In practical applications, extreme environmental factors such as aerodynamic heating and mechanical stresses, electromagnetic interferences, laser interferences, sand erosions, and rain erosions all lead to issues including cracking, wrinkling, and delamination of infrared thin films. Extreme application environment imposes stringent requirements on functional films, necessitating high surface hardness, stability, and adhesion. Additionally, for multispectral optical transmissions, infrared optical thin films are expected to exhibit high transmittance in the visible and far-infrared wavelength bands while possessing tunability and optical anti-reflection properties in specific wavelength ranges. Electromagnetic shielding requires superior electrical performance, while resisting laser interference demands rapid phase change capabilities. This talk focuses on current research progresses in infrared optical thin films under extreme conditions such as opto, electro, thermo and mechanical environments Future opportunities and challenges are also highlighted.

Biography

SAM ZHANG is a professor at Harbin Institute of Technology. He was elected as the Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIoMMM) in 2007, the Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and the Fellow of the Thin Film Society (FTFS) both in 2018. He serves as the editorial board member for the Journal of Materials Research and Surface and Coatings Technology. He is the founding and current president of the Thin Films Society. He has published over 400 academic papers with the H-index of 62. Prof. Zhang has been engaged in the preparation and detection of thin films and coating materials for over thirty years. He has edited over 20 academic monographs published by CRC (Amazon.com: Sam Zhang: books, biography, latest update). His work “Materials Characterization Techniques” was adopted as a textbook by nearly 30 top universities in Europe and America. Prof Zhang was listed among the top 2% of global scientists in 2022 and 2023.

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Speaker: Prof. Giovanna Fragneto

Date: 23 May 2024

Abstract

The understanding of the function of cellular membranes requires the study of their structure and dynamics. Cellular membranes are complex assemblies of lipids and proteins. In particular, the lipid scaffold is composed by a large variety of lipid species and levels of chain unsaturation, often difficult to synthesise chemically. Because of this complexity, model membrane systems from simple lipid bilayers are often used for fundamental studies and those can profit from probes able to access different scales of size and time like thermal neutrons and synchrotron radiation. Since the pioneering neutron scattering work in the seventies on cell membrane structure, developments driven by constantly improving neutron instrumentation, coupled with development of measurement and analysis methods, have involved both the optimisation of samples towards more biologically relevant model systems including the use of more and more complex lipid mixtures up to natural extracts.

Biography

Giovanna Fragneto is the Science Director of the European Spallation Source based in Lund Sweden, an ERIC facility under construction that has the ambition to become the most powerful neutron source in the world. She spent 25 years at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), an international research institute based in Grenoble, France, delivering high flux neutron beams for the study of matter in the realms of soft and hard condensed matter, biology, magnetism, materials science, nuclear and particle physics.

She obtained her first degree at the University Federico II of Naples in Italy and a DPhil from the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory of the University of Oxford, UK. As from 2016 she holds the Chair Grands Instruments Européens at the University Grenoble Alpes. She investigates surfaces and interfaces with special emphasis to the structure of model biological membranes, characterised with reflectivity techniques using neutron beams or synchrotron radiation, as well as interactions of lipid bilayers with cholesterol, peptides, proteins, enzymes, cationic lipoplexes, nanoparticles….

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Speaker: Baohua Jia (RMIT University, Australia)

Date: 03 May 2024

Talk: Atomaterials for Sustainability

Abstract

“Atomaterials” represents materials with at least one dimension on the atomic scale. Their properties depend on the precise configuration of their atoms. It is a new but rapidly developing field. A typical atomaterials is graphene, which is made of carbon atoms. Unlike diamond, in which the carbon atoms form a rigid three-dimensional structure, graphene is made of single layer of carbon atoms, bonded together in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice. They show exceptional properties due to their atomaterials nature. Using atomaterials, our lab has been working on a range of innovations, at various stages of development, for example: A diurnal cooling film without consuming electricity. This film can cool the environment by up to 15°C without using any electricity. By integrating such a film into a building, the electricity used for air conditioning can be dramatically reduced. This will not only save electricity bills but also reduce greenhouse emissions; Heat-absorbing film, achieving over 97% of energy conversion rate with an ultrathin film arrangement. These materials play critical role in improving energy efficiency and providing innovative sustainable solutions for our society.

Biography

Distinguished Professor Baohua Jia is a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Technologies (FTSE), a Future Fellow of Australian Research Council and Founding Director of Centre for Atomaterials and Nanomanufacturing (CAN) at RMIT University, Australia. Before joining RMIT University in 2022, Baohua was a tenured professor at Swinburne University of Technology and Founding Director of Centre for Translational Atomaterials. Professor Jia is a Fellow of Optica (previously known as the Optical Society of America), and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM). Since 2019, Prof. Jia has served as a Colleague of Expert for the Australian Research Council. Professor Jia’s research focuses on the design and optical characterization of novel nanostructures and nanomaterials, fabrication, and efficient conversion and storage of light energy. As a leading Chief Investigator, Professor Jia received a total of more than $50 million in research funding support. Professor Jia has published more than 300 journal papers with an h-index of 72 (Google Scholar) and developed more than 20 invention patents and patent applications. Based on Professor Jia’s outstanding contributions in scientific research, she has won many awards, including the 2017 finalist of the Australian Prime Minister’s Science Award, the Vice Chancellor’s Industrial Achievement Award in 2011, 2016, and 2018, 2013, Young Science Leader Award, 2012 UNESCO L’Oréal Australia New Zealand Women in Science Award.

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Speaker: Yang Lu (The University of Hong Kong)

Date: 26 April 2024

Talk: Deep Strain Engineering of Diamond for Semiconductor and Optoelectronics Applications

Abstract

Diamond, as an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, has shown immense potential in the fields of high-performance power electronics and optoelectronics in the recent years. Taking advantage of size effect and nanomechanical strategies, we showed that the single-crystalline diamond needles at the nanometer scale can have unexpected high flexural elasticity, with local elastic strain up to ~9%, approaching diamond’s theoretical elastic limit [1]. This discovery opens up the opportunity to modulate diamond’s semiconductor properties alternatively by “deep elastic strain engineering”. To realize such strain-engineered device applications, we further microfabricated single-crystalline diamond microbridge arrays and have mechanically achieved sample-wide uniform, up to ~10 %, ultralarge elastic strains under uniaxial tensile loading [2]. This ultralarge strain significantly reduced the diamond bandgap by >2eV or convert diamond from indirect bandgap to direct bandgap semiconductor. Our works offer new insights and solutions for applying nanomechanics for diamond functional devices, which demonstrates great application potential of “deep strain engineering” for future microelectronics, optoelectronics, and quantum information technologies.

Biography

Yang Lu is currently HKU-100 Scholar Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He received his BS degree in Physics from Nanjing University and PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and did his postdoctoral research in the Nanomechanics Lab at MIT. Previously, he worked at City University of Hong Kong as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Full Professor during 2012 to 2021. Prof. Lu’s research focuses on experimental micro/nanomechanics and its applications in semiconductor and advanced manufacturing. He has published more than 200 articles in leading academic journals including Science, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Materials, Nature Communications and Science Advances. Professor Lu serves as Associate Editor for the international journal Materials Today, as well as a board member for academic journals such as National Science Review, Journal of China University of Science and Technology: Technology Sciences, and Acta Mechanica Sinica. Prof. Lu is a recipient of UGC Early Career Award 2013/14, the inaugural NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macau) 2019 and RGC Research Fellow scheme (RFS) 2020/21. He is an elected member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences (YASHK) in 2022.

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Speaker: Professor Malik Maaza

Date: 25 April 2024

Abstract

As per today, ~55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is projected that it would reach ~2.5 billion by 2050, with ~90% of this increase in Asia & Africa. With such an upsurge of urban population and climate change increase of the average seasonal atmospheric temperature, several SDGs challenges will have to be overwhelmed. In this regard, STI and R&D are a potential bridge in addressing such challenges within the energy, water & health nexus. In the energy sector, Vanadium based thermochromic nano-coatings are ideal for smart windows applications regulating solar heat radiations with zero energy-input (Green air-conditioning) [1]. Likewise, nano-fluids as a new generation of superior coolants would play a major role in waste heat recovery as well as drug delivery[2-4]. In addition, it was recently validated that CO2 can be used to bio- engineer several multifunctional carbonates. These latter exhibited effective fertilizing response, and, a high reflective properties equivalent of radiative cooling paint as well as a significant porosity/hardness as a potential Supplementary Compound Material (SCM) for cement industry [5]. This contribution is intended to highlight on the above-mentioned properties in line with UN-SDGs vision & mission.

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Speaker:  Xinge Yu, Ph.D. (City University of Hong Kong)

Date: 19 April 2024

Talk: Intelligent soft electronics for healthcare monitoring and VR

Abstract

Soft bio-integrated electronics have attracted great attentions due to the advantages of soft, lightweight, ultrathin architecture, and stretchable/bendable, thus has the potential to apply in various areas, especially in the field of biomedical engineering. By engineering the classes of materials processing and devices integration, the mechanical properties of the flexible electronics can well match the soft biological tissues to enable measuring bio signals and monitoring human body health.

In this report, we will present materials, device structures, power delivery strategies and communication schemes as the basis for novel soft bio-integrated electronics. For instance, we will discuss a wireless, battery-free platform of electronic systems and haptic interfaces capable of softly laminating onto the skin to communicate information via spatio-temporally programmable patterns of localized mechanical vibrations. The resulting technology, which we refer as epidermal VR, creates many opportunities where the skin provides an electronically programmable communication and sensory input channel to the body, as demonstrated through example applications in social media/personal engagement, prosthetic control/feedback and gaming/entertainment. Other demonstrations will include skin-interfaces human machine interface for robotic VR, skin like patches as sensors for healthcare monitoring and energy harvesting, etc.

Biography

Xinge Yu is currently an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), Member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, Associate Director of Hong Kong Centre for Cerebro-cardiovascular Health Engineering, and Associate Director of the CAS-CityU Joint Lab on Robotics. Dr Yu is the recipient of RGC Research Fellow, Innovators under 35 China (MIT Technology Review), NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Grant (Hong Kong & Macao), New Innovator of IEEE NanoMed, MINE Young Scientist Award, Gold Medal in the Inventions Geneva, CityU Outstanding Research Award, Stanford’s top 2% most highly cited scientists etc. Xinge Yu’s research group is focusing on skin-integrated electronics and systems for VR and biomedical applications. Dr. Yu is the Associate Editor and Editor Boards over 10 journals, such as Microsystem & NanoEngineering, Bio-Design and Manufacturing, IEEE Open Journal of Nanotechnology, etc. He has published 160 papers in Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Nature Machine Intelligence, Nature Communications, Science Advances etc., and 40 patents filed/granted.

iCANX Website

Dates: 24 April 2024

Talk: The Problem Of Protein Folding: How It May Go Wrong And How Cellular Machines Make It Go Right

Speaker: Dr. Paolo De Los Rios (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

Abstract

The research activity of Paolo De Los Rios focuses on applications of statistical physics to biophysics and to the structure of complex networks.  Understanding the physics of proteins is one of the great scientific challenges of the years to come. How do proteins fold to their functional form? How do they work once folded? How do they interact with each other? These and other questions are best approached by the interaction of biology, experimental biophysics and theoretical tools, with particular emphasis on statistical physics since thermal noise plays a determinant role at the scale of proteins. Many systems as different as the Internet and the World Wide Web, social interactions among individuals or market relations between companies, interacting proteins (see above) in the living cell, food web relations in habitats, and many others, find their unifying framework in the theory of complex networks. Although each network is a specific system with its own peculiarities, their large-scale properties can be studied with the tools of statistical physics so to discover that some general principles govern systems that are, at a first examination, very different and unrelated with each other.

Biography

Paolo De Los Rios earned his master in Electronic Engineering at the Turin Institute of Technology (Politecnico di Torino) in May 1993. In November 1993 he moved to Trieste, Italy, to enter the PhD program in Theoretical Condensed Matter Theory at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA/ISAS) where he obtained the PhD degree in October 1996 for his work on the statistical physics of disordered systems. After a one year postdoc at the Max-Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany, in November 1997 he moved to the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, to join the group of Prof. Yi-Cheng Zhang. There he has worked on various applications of statistical physics to complex systems. In September 2000 he has been appointed Assistant Professor in Statistical Physics of Living Matter and Complex Systems at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Since April 2010 he is Associate Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland

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The Biophysics in Africa Monthly Colloquium Series is a joint project of the African Light Source Foundation (AfLS), African Physical Society (AfPS), and the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP).

Dates: 15 – 17 April 2024

Theme: Securing, Managing and Benefiting from Your Intellectual Assets

The 2024 Bootcamp of the STI Forum will focus on offering participants practical and hands-on skills needed to secure, manage and build a portfolio of intellectual assets and how to benefit from such resources in growing your business. These will include intellectual property rights, confidential information, branding and brand management as well as standards and safety which are critical in survival and growing of a business in a competitive environment. One small mishap can kill a thriving business.

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Speaker: Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng, Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley)

Date: 12 April 2024

Talk: Intelligent Metamaterials: Assembling Topologies, Materials and Functionalities

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has shown the promise of freedom of designs, enabling parts customization and tailorable properties where superior structural performances can be achieved by a fraction of weight density compared to bulk material.    However, it is presently difficult to directly print different materials (structural, dielectric, conducting and ferroelectrics) to create a complex device with multiple functionalities that responds to multiple stimuli (sound, electrical, mechanical, etc.). Unlike biological systems where functions, including sensing, actuation, and control, are closely integrated, few materials have comparable system complexity.

In this talk, I will present a suite of new multi-material additive manufacturing processes and design methodologies to create materials with prescribed structural and functional behaviors. The structural materials consist of a network of micro-unit cells which collectively influence new mechanical behaviors (from high-strength, lightweight to toughening) not seen in their native counterpart. When combined with an electronic and functional phase, these materials turn themselves into a robot and is capable of programmed motions with self-sensing, feedback control, acoustic and electromagnetic wave steering. I will present the manufacturing and synthesis of these materials, as well as their mechanics and design methods underpinning their novel behaviors.

Biography

Xiaoyu “Rayne” Zheng directs the Advanced Manufacturing and Metamaterials Laboratory at University of California, Berkeley. He is also a faculty co-director at Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center, and Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation and a faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.  Rayne’s research focuses on creating the next-generation functional, structural, electronic and living materials by developing novel 3D printing techniques for materials with controlled topologies.  He has made pioneering contributions to the programmable assembly of functional, structural, and electronic materials, printing and processing highly responsive functional materials for transducers, sensors, and robotics applications. His work on metamaterials was featured on MIT Technology Review Top 10 Innovations, LA Times, and multiple journal publications in Science Magazine and Nature Materials.  Prior to his faculty career, Zheng worked as a mechanical engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).  He has received multiple awards, including NSF CAREER Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, DARPA Director’s Fellowship, Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, Air Force Young Investigator Award, Outstanding Assistant Professor Award, 3M Faculty Award, and Freeform Fabrication and Additive Manufacturing Excellence (FAME) Award.

iCANX Website

Date: 11 April 2024

Time: 09:00 – 18:00 hrs (GMT+2)

Parallel Thematic Session: The Green Transition, Greening Education, and Green Skills
Moderator: Olaf Bruns, Journalist

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) will join political leaders, governments, international organisations, civil society and the private sector to discuss opportunities and challenges for boosting investments and partnerships for education and training at the Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education.

The Global Gateway High-Level Event on Education provides a platform for substantive dialogue and strategic exchange on how we can achieve SDG4, transform education and training systems to meet the knowledge and skills demands of labour markets and address societal challenges of the fast-paced green and digital transitions, leaving no one behind.
AAS will participate in a session addressing the green transition, greening education, and green skills and will explore the importance of strong higher education and research in Africa.

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Date: 18 April 2024

Time: 15:00 (GMT +2)

Speakers: Stephen Farias, James Dolgin

While the established methods involve the use of soluble small molecules, growth factors, stereolithography, and micro-patterning, electrospinning involves an inexpensive, labor un-intensive, and highly scalable approach to using environmental cues, to promote and guide cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation.

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Speaker: Prof. Ginestra Bianconi

Lectures

14-16, Tuesday May 14th, Stasi room, ICTP,
1.General introduction to algebraic topology on networks and simplicial complexes:

14-16, Wednesday May 15th, Stasi room, ICTP,
2. Cohomology and weighed cohomology. The discrete Dirac operator on networks and simplicial complexes.

14-16, Thursday May 16th, Stasi room, ICTP,
3.Mathematical physics: The discrete Dirac operator and their associated gamma matrices on metric simple and higher-order networks. The Dirac mass of a network.

14-16, Friday May 17th, Stasi room, ICTP,
4.Non-linear dynamics: Synchronization of topological signals

Seminar

11am, Tuesday May 21st, ex-SISSA Aula D (ex-SISSA Building is next to ICTP Leonardo building)
5.Machine learning: The Dirac operator in Topological Machine Learning

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CMSP, Condensed Matter & Statistical Physics Section
http://www.ictp.it/research/cmsp.aspx

The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
https://www.ictp.it/

Speaker: Joseph M. DeSimone (Stanford University)

Date: 5 April 2024

Talk: The Delicate Interplay Between Light, Interfaces and Design: The Complex Dance that Allows 3D Printing to Scale to Manufacturing

Abstract

The production of polymeric products relies largely on age-old molding techniques. In this talk, I will describe a breakthrough in additive manufacturing—3D printing—referred to as Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) technology (Science 2015).  CLIP, and its recently introduced cousin injection CLIP (iCLIP; Science Advances 2022), embody a convergence of advances in software, hardware, and materials to bring the digital revolution to the design and manufacturing of polymeric products. CLIP uses software-controlled chemistry to produce commercial quality parts rapidly and at scale by capitalizing on the principle of oxygen-inhibited photopolymerization to generate a continual liquid interface of uncured resin between a forming part and a printer’s exposure window. Instead of printing layer-by-layer, this allows layerless parts to ‘grow’ from a pool of resin, formed by light. Compatible with a wide range of polymers, CLIP opens major opportunities for innovative products across diverse industries. Previously unmakeable products are already manufactured at scale with CLIP, including the large-scale production of running shoes by Adidas (Futurecraft 4D); mass-customized football helmets by Riddell; the world’s first FDA-approved 3D printed dentures; and numerous parts in automotive, consumer electronics, and medicine. At Stanford, we are pursuing new advances including digital therapeutic devices in pediatric medicine, new multi-materials printing approaches, recyclable materials, and the design of a high-resolution printer to advance technologies in the microelectronics and drug/vaccine delivery areas, including novel microneedle designs as a potent vaccine delivery platform and for the sampling of interstitial fluids for health monitoring and the early detection of disease.

Biography

Joseph M. DeSimone is the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. He holds appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Chemical Engineering with courtesy appointments in the Department of Chemistry and in Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

The DeSimone laboratory’s research efforts are focused on developing innovative, interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems centered around advanced polymer 3D fabrication methods. In Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, the lab is pursuing new capabilities in digital 3D printing, as well as the synthesis of new polymers for use in advanced additive technologies. In Translational Medicine, research is focused on exploiting 3D digital fabrication tools to engineer new vaccine platforms, enhanced drug delivery approaches, and improved medical devices for numerous conditions, with a current major focus in pediatrics. Complementing these research areas, the DeSimone group has a third focus in Entrepreneurship, Digital Transformation, and Manufacturing.

Before joining Stanford in 2020, DeSimone was a professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University. He is also Co-founder, Board Chair, and former CEO (2014 – 2019) of the additive manufacturing company, Carbon. DeSimone is responsible for numerous breakthroughs in his career in areas including green chemistry, medical devices, nanomedicine, and 3D printing. He has published over 350 scientific articles and is a named inventor on over 200 issued patents. Additionally, he has mentored 80 students through Ph.D. completion in his career, half of whom are women and members of underrepresented groups in STEM.

In 2016 DeSimone was recognized by President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest U.S. honor for achievement and leadership in advancing technological progress. He has received numerous other major awards in his career, inc

iCANX Website

Date: April 17th, 2024

Time: 5 p.m. CET. / 11 a.m. ET. (US) / 8 a.m. PT. (US)

Energy conversion and storage is a global challenge due to ever increasing energy consumption. In energy storage, lithium-ion battery is the current dominant technology, but it presents several technical limitations, as well as a dependence on a few Lithium producer countries.

Nanofibers produced by electrospinning are highly promising when it comes to research the feasibility of heterogeneous systems for energy conversion and storage. Electro-catalysis, and post lithium batteries –mainly sodium ion batteries and potassium ion batteries–, are some of the exciting alternatives that electrospinning may contribute to develop and scale up.

This event will have the distinguished participation of Dr. Sana Ullah, research fellow at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of Ulm University. He will share how nanofibers produced by electrospinning are highly promising for investigating the feasibility of heterogeneous systems for energy conversion and storage, which is a global challenge today. Electro-catalysis, and post lithium batteries –mainly sodium ion batteries and potassium ion batteries–, are some of the exciting alternatives that electrospinning may contribute to develop and scale up.

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Speaker: Xiaoning Jiang (North Carolina State University, USA)

Date: 29 March 2024

Talk: Toward Precision Biomedical Ultrasound: Miniaturized Transducers for Minimal Invasion in Imaging, Therapy, and Drug Delivery

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a remarkable advancement in biomedical ultrasound technology, particularly in the field of miniaturized transducers. These innovations have paved the way for precise and minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of increasingly concerned diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. In this talk, micro/nanotechnology enabled small aperture ultrasound transducers were designed, fabricated and tested for precision biomedical ultrasound imaging, therapy and drug delivery. In specific, we investigated high frequency transducers for advanced intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. Small aperture forward-looking and vortex transducers were successfully demonstrated in-vitro for effective microbubbles and nanodroplets mediated intravenous sonothrombolysis. Moreover, miniaturized transducers enabled sonoporation was successful in enhancing localized drug delivery. These new findings suggest that precision biomedical ultrasound via minimal invasion can be significant in advanced ultrasound imaging, therapy, and drug delivery for unprecedented disease diagnosis and treatment.

Biography

Xiaoning Jiang is the Dean F. Duncan Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a University Faculty Scholar at North Carolina State University. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and an Adjunct Professor of Neurology in Duke University. Dr. Jiang received his Ph.D. degree from Tsinghua University (1997) and his Postdoctoral training from the Nanyang Technological University (1996-1997) and the Pennsylvania State University (1997-2001). He was the Chief Scientist and Vice President for TRS Technologies, Inc. prior to joining NC State in 2009. Dr. Jiang is the author and co-author of two books, 6 book chapters, 11 issued US Patents, more than 180 peer reviewed journal papers and over 140 conference papers on piezoelectric ultrasound transducers, ultrasound for medical imaging and therapy, drug delivery, ultrasound NDT/NDE, smart materials and structures and M/NEMS. Dr. Jiang served as the Vice President for Technical Activities in IEEE Nanotechnology Council (NTC) (2022-2023). He was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine (2020 – 2021) and an IEEE NTC Distinguished Lecturer in 2018-2019. Dr. Jiang is an ASME Fellow, a SPIE Fellow and an IEEE Fellow.

iCANX Website

Speaker: Professor Mmantsae Moche Diale (PhD) (Department Chair, Professor, and South African Research Chair (SARChI), Department of Physics, University of Pretoria (South Africa))

Date: Thursday, 28 March 2024

Time: 16:00hrs GMT+2

Abstract

The desire to improve speed and cosmetics of devices has added a new problem to the environment. Inert metals like gold and platinum are important elements in device fabrication due to their resistance to corrosion. Mining these metals uses dangerous chemicals like mercury, which end in the soil, rendering the area where mining occurred dangerous to health. In addition, a desire for new devices increases waste materials in the form of computers, fridges and cars, whose lifespan has reduced exponentially in the past decade or so. The latest research we do is to zoom into sustainability for future electronics and three ares (3Rs) contribution to reduction of the carbon footprint.

Mmantsae Diale is the South African Research Chair (SARCHI) in clean and green energy, with main research interests in exploring physical and chemical means to control the electronic and optical properties of materials, consequently, producing devices. She has a keen interest in solar energy conversion with a desire to see a life off-grid with photovoltaics (PV) and storage systems like hydrogen Her research in PV systems involve the work on hybrid organic/inorganic materials for solar cell applications. MD has been awarded a National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) prize in 2018 for capacity building in STEM, earned a PhD degree from the University of Pretoria, where she is a full professor of physics; with over 150 publications, some multiple invited and a few keynotes speaker in physics and materials conferences, presenting scientific results. She has been involved in business, as an adviser to just energy transition (JET), presenting an opinion on the effects of energy technologies on sustainable environment and livelihood, and is the developer and presenter of Solar Energy and Green Hydrogen Courses to both business and engineering. MD is an active member of materials research society (MRS), having served as member of academic affairs, symposium organizer, one of the five meeting chairs of 2024 and influencing the support for early career researchers. She has collaborated with many researchers worldwide, and very keen on developing research and researchers in Africa, using her laboratory space and resources to allow others to benefit. Prof Diale is an active member of SAIP, member of council from 2010 -2017 and founder and chair of women in physics in South Africa (WiPiSA), also served the IUPAP-C13 commissions for the past 8 years, and present secretary of the commission.

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AUDA-NEPAD Innovation Dialogues, featuring two distinct webinars on the 9th and 24th of April 2024. This series is dedicated to advancing scientific priority setting to catalyze research and development (R&D) and innovation across Africa, with a focus on the transformative potentials of genomics, precision medicine, and gene editing for improving health outcomes. Despite the webinars occurring on separate dates, a single registration link serves access to both, ensuring a seamless participatory experience

Webinar 1: Exploring Africa’s Genetic Potential: AUDA-NEPAD Innovation Dialogue

 Date: 9 April 2024

 Time: 14:30 – 16:30 (GMT +2)

Webinar 2: Overview of vector borne diseases globally, with a focus on malaria in Africa, current control strategies and their limitations, need for innovation and a discussion on the AUDA-NEPAD IVM Guidelines.

 Date: 24 April 2024

 Time: 14:30 – 16:30 (GMT +2)

REGISTER HERE

Why You Should Join Us (Webinar 1):

• Understand the strategic role of scientific priority setting in advancing R&D and innovation.
• Discover the importance of collaborative knowledge exchange and international partnerships in integrating genomic medicine into African healthcare systems.
• Learn how precision medicine can significantly improve healthcare outcomes for Africa.
• Explore how targeted investments can lead to impactful advancements across Africa.
• Witness leading projects implementing genomics and precision medicine in Africa.

Why You Should Join Us (Webinar 2):

• Enhance understanding of malaria prevalence and deaths and the need to further optimize current interventions to eliminate malaria
• Increase awareness of the ongoing efforts to eliminate malaria, with a focus on funding for research and development of new tools and technologies for malaria control
• Identify concrete actions that countries/actors need to take to accelerate progress towards developing new tools and technologies for malaria elimination

Your insights and expertise are crucial in steering our path toward a healthier, more technologically advanced Africa, enriched by the forthcoming valuable discussions at the webinar

Date: 27 March 2024

Time: 14:00 PM (GMT)

Speaker: Thomas S Miller

The successful deployment of materials for advanced batteries requires an in-depth understanding of the correlation between their electrochemical performance and structural and mechanical evolution across multiple length scales. The reaction kinetics of their interfacial processes must also be quantified. In situ and operando electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) is a powerful tool that can simultaneously reveal these relationships with nanoscale resolution

About the Speaker

Thomas S Miller is an associate professor in electrochemistry and materials science and lecturer in chemical engineering at University College London (UCL). An expert in electrochemical technologies, he works in UCL’s Electrochemical Innovation Lab (EIL). His core research focus is the development of electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies, including batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells and electrolyzers. Thomas has developed nanomaterials for catalysis and sensing, applied electrochemical techniques, including novel scanning probe electrochemical microscopy, across fundamental and applied projects in the key areas of electrochemical energy storage and conversion.

An interactive Q&A session follows the presentation.

Registration and more details here

Date: 26th March 2024

Time: 13:00 PM (UTC)

Title: On the Trapping of Cold Neutrons in Nano-Scaled Fabry-Perot Resonating Cavities & Neutron Lifetime Considerations

Relatively to the atomic constituents’ counterparts, the neutron is singular as it is sensitive to the four fundamental interactions: strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational. This multi-sensitivity makes neutron wave-matter optics a particularly versatile tool for testing quantum mechanics specifically and fundamental physics concepts in general.
The lifetime of a free neutron defined via its beta-decay ⟨τn⟩ is of a pivotal importance within the standard model & cosmology.

Indeed, the precision on the neutron lifetime is paramount as it regulates the precision of the 1st element of the Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa matrix, central to the standard model. The two major methods used to measure ⟨τn⟩ while trapping free neutrons, namely, the beam and the bottle methods give different neutron lifetime values; ⟨τn⟩Beam ∼ 888.0 ±
2.0 s , that obtained by the bottle technique is smaller; of about ⟨τn⟩Bottle ∼ 879.4 ± 0.6 s. In addition of the persistent difference of ∼10 s persists for years, even if the two methods have been modified to enhance the experimental accuracy. This latter was shown to be enhanced if one could trap cold neutrons in nanostructured Fabry-Perot resonators.

Registration and more details here

Date: 28th March 2024

Time: 17:00 -19:00 CAT

Venue: Virtual (zoom)

Attend a talk on the latest developments in advanced materials for health, energy, and the environment presented by distinguished Speaker Dr. Winston Oluwole Soboyejo.

In today’s world, global problems such as cancer, energy shortages, and environmental degradation are pressing issues that demand innovative solutions. This presentation will highlight methods for the fabrication of advanced materials that address these challenges and explore the potential of these next-generation functional materials for health, energy, and the built environment. This presentation promises to be an enlightening and thought-provoking experience.

For more information contact

Associate Prof. E. O. Olakanmi (UCoSMIT Team): olakanmie@biust.ac.bw

Dr. T. P. Leso (UCoSMIT Team): lesot@biust.ac.bw

Registration: Click here for zoom meeting

Zoom Meeting ID: 821 3736 9426

Zoom meeting Passcode: 807712

Date: 27 March 2024

Title: Breaking Barriers in Drug Discovery: The Fusion of Atomistic Simulation and Machine Learning in Computational Biophysics

Speaker: Dr. Daniel M Shadrack

In recent years, the field of drug design has undergone a remarkable transformation due to advancements in computer hardware and algorithms. This talk will explore how computational biophysics tools are driving this revolution, ultimately accelerating therapeutic discovery. The presentation will commence with an introduction to various computational biophysics tools utilized in drug design, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the technological landscape shaping the field. Following this, specific examples will be presented to illustrate the profound impact of techniques such as molecular dynamics and enhanced sampling coupled with machine learning in drug design. These examples will highlight the unprecedented insights and efficiencies gained through the integration of computational methods into the drug discovery process. Drawing from my research group experiences, the talk will delve into the entire drug design pipeline, spanning from target identification to lead optimization and clinical trials. Research findings will be shared, elucidating key insights and successes achieved through the application of computational techniques. Lastly, the presentation will conclude with a discussion on the broader societal implications of employing these innovative approaches. By leveraging computational biophysics tools, we have the potential to address pressing societal challenges and advance the development of novel therapeutics, ultimately improving human health and well-being.

About Daniel

Dr. Daniel M. Shadrack, PhD, is a distinguished computational biophysicist, having earned his doctorate through a collaborative effort between ICTP in Trieste, Italy, and NM-AIST in Arusha, Tanzania. Following his doctoral studies, he continued his academic journey as a postdoctoral fellow at NM-AIST, contributing significantly to biophysics research under the umbrella of CREATES-FNS. Driven by a passion for advancing biophysics education, he has spent the last six years directing Biophysics schools across Africa, playing a pivotal role in training and mentoring young scientists throughout the continent. Presently, Dr. Shadrack holds the esteemed position of Director of Research, Innovation, and Consultancy at St John’s University of Tanzania, where his research group is dedicated to the development and application of cutting-edge computational biophysics techniques for drug discovery and development. With a rich publication record in esteemed SCI/SCIE journals and serving as a reviewer for top-tier publications including Nature, Elsevier, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Taylor & Francis, he is recognized as a leading authority in his field. Notably, Dr. Shadrack recently founded iPhytos, a groundbreaking biotech startup pioneering a formula for the treatment of enlarged prostate, which is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials, marking a significant milestone in the realm of medical innovation.

Register here

Date: 15 March 2024

Talk: Nano Green Printing and Manufacturing Technology

Speaker: Yanlin Song

Abstract

Based on the fundamental scientific issues of nanomaterial preparation and functional inkjet patterning, a systematic Nano Green Printing technology has been developed by studying the construction of nanomaterials with differential wettability on material surfaces. The precise control of the conversion from translational kinetic energy to rotational kinetic energy before and after droplet collision has been achieved using patterned wettability surfaces. This process breaks through the scope of classical Newton’s collision law and realizes a change in the motion mode of droplets before and after collision, providing new ideas for the preparation and precise control of high-precision patterns. Starting from the manipulation of droplets for three-dimensional shaping, spontaneous contraction of droplets in three-dimensional space has been achieved by using templates, enabling rapid assembly and shaping of three-dimensional micro/nano structures using single or multiple materials. Furthermore, the evolution of foam has been controlled using micro-templates, overcoming the long-standing challenge of patterned control of bubbles, and realizing the anti-Oswald ripening and patterning of bubbles. This has been used as a printing template for the assembly of multiple functional materials. In particular, by utilizing the advantages of droplet manipulation in nanoscale green printing, we discover the critical conditions for the scattering-diffraction transition of nano-photonic structures, an optical metamaterial detection chip has been developed for ultra-sensitive and rapid detection of novel coronavirus, influenza virus, and tumor markers. This opens up new ideas for the printing fabrication of functional devices and micro/nano chips, and establishes the theoretical and technical system of nanoscale green printing technology.

Biography

Yanlin Song is the director of the Key Laboratory of Green Printing at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has been engaged in interdisciplinary research on materials science and printing technology, and has made systematic innovative achievements in the creation of nanomaterials, interface droplet manipulation, and printing micro/nano manufacturing. He has published over 500 papers, with over 36,000 citations and an H-index of 100. He has been granted more than 170 Chinese international invention patents. He has proposed and developed Nano Green Printing and micro/nano manufacturing technology, breaking through fundamental challenges such as the coffee ring effect, Rayleigh instability, and Marangoni effect that affect printing accuracy. He has printed wearable electronics, solar cells, ultra-sensitive biosensing chips, and other functional devices. He also proposed the IEC-TC119 International Standard for Printed Electronics. He was awarded the National Distinguished Young Scientist Fund in 2006 and Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor in 2016. He has received the National Natural Science Second Prize in 2005 and 2008, the Beijing Science and Technology First Prize in 2016, the IEC 1906 award in 2019，and the National Innovation Competition Award in 2023.

iCANX Website

Date:15 – 19 July 2024

Venue: Hybrid (Physical: Centre for Energy Research and Development, Obafemi Awolowo University)

Theme:  Partnering on Energy, Security, Environment and Health in Africa

The African Science Integration Network (AScIN) is a forum for the exchange of the latest scientific discoveries and research ideas in the form of presentations and discussions in theoretical and experimental research in very broad areas of the physical sciences in a multidisciplinary approach. The network connects researchers and scientists from African universities with professional researchers from industry, and seeks to provide mentoring for aspiring researchers and scientists, as well as postgraduate students.
AScIN 2024 is the fourth edition of AScIN’s biennial conference, whose theme is “Energy, Security, Environment and Health in Africa”. This theme has been carefully chosen to mobilize efforts to meet certain challenges in critical areas of life such as energy and energy security, environmental protection and its requirements to ensure excellent and affordable health for all. These goals are fully integrated into the 17 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the last of which is the global partnership between countries and international institutions to achieve these goals by 2030.

Abstract submission deadline: 21 April 2024

Download the flyer for more information

Register here

Date: 13 March 2024

Time: 16:00 (GMT +2)

Speakers: Stefânia Cassiano Gaspar, Josh Manasco

A special edition of Elmarco Talks, featuring collaborative efforts with Arkema in developing advanced materials tailored for electrospinning applications. Arkema’s expertise in amino 11 chemistry spans over 75 years, with flagship products like Rilsan® polyamide 11 and Pebax® Rnew® thermoplastic elastomers renowned for their lightweight, flexible, and durable properties. Derived from renewable castor beans without competing with food sources, these materials uphold sustainability values. Moreover, Arkema offers recyclable grades and Virtucycle® services, promoting a circular economy. By employing specific solubilization conditions, Rilsan® and Pebax® emerge as promising materials for electrospinning, offering innovative nanofiber solutions. Elmarco will present performance results using Nanospider technology, showcasing the potential of these materials in electrospinning applications. Join us to explore sustainable innovation in advanced materials for electrospinning.

Register here

Date: 28 March 2024

Time: 16:00 CET (10:00 a.m. ET)

Speaker: Dr. Amal Kasry

Biography:
Amal Kasry is currently the Chief of Section for Basic Science, Research Innovation and Engineering, which is part of the Division of Science Policy and Basic Science, Natural Sciences Sector at UNESCO. Her major role is to Design, implement, monitor, and evaluate basic and engineering sciences programme in order to ensure the delivery of the expected results approved by UNESCO’s governing bodies in the field of basic and engineering sciences capacity development for research, education and innovation. She also delivers expert advice and comprehensive programmes to Member States. Prior to joining UNESCO, Amal Kasry was an academic/scientist with a wide range of international experiences in Materials Science and nano-Biotechnology. She received a fellowship from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP), and obtained her PhD from the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany in 2006, with her major work in biosensing applications. She has worked as an academic and researcher around the world in academic institutions including UConn Health Centre (USA), Cardiff University (UK), and Austrian Inst of Technology (Austria), and industrial corporates such as IBM (USA) and Nitto Denko (Singapore). She joined the British University in Egypt on 2015 as an assistant professor in the faculty of Engineering for four years, before being appointed as the Director of the Nanotechnology Research Centre (NTRC) (April 2019-April 2021), where she designed and established a robust research services system for the university in addition to her research which was focusing on developing novel biosensing technologies and carbon nanomaterials. Dr. Amal Kasry is author of about 36 peer reviewed publications, 7 book chapters, and holds 4 patents. She is also a reviewer for several scientific publishing houses and funding agencies.

Abstract:
UNESCO is the only United Nations Agency with mandate in science, which contributes to UNESCO’s mission to build peace in the societies. The Natural Science Sector at UNESCO has distinct role that no other bilateral or multilateral development partner can match in generating relevant data and knowledge products, providing expert advice, and convening power. This is ensured via generating normative knowledge and policies through UNESCO’s intergovernmental and international programmes, UNESCO’s category 2 Centres (which are Centre’s of excellence), and UNESCO Chairs, as well as through global networks of the International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). In this talk, the focus is on how the challenges that the Natural Science sector is addressing, specifically in the fields of basic sciences and engineering and how solutions are determined through global science, technology, and innovation. I will also discuss some of the programmes and activities that we are currently performing at UNESCO to strengthen and promote capacity building basic sciences and the potential impact of this on the different societies. Lastly, I will present the role of UNESCO as the lead agency of the newly proclaimed International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.

Register here

Date: 8 March 2024

Talk 1: Micro-Nano Scale Interconnection Builds Bridges from Chips to Devices

Speaker: Yanhong Tian

Abstract

Electronic products are developing towards miniaturization, versatility, low power dissipation, high bandwidth, high speed, and high frequency. The demand for high density advanced packaging is increasingly strong, and the advanced packaging has been applied to important fields such as 5G, aviation, aerospace, and AI. Micro-nano interconnection is a key process in chip packaging, serving as a bridge from chips to components and systems, playing a role in electrical interconnection, mechanical fixation, and environmental protection. Every advancement in advanced chip packaging technology benefits from the development of micro-nano interconnection technology. This report will first introduce interconnection technologies in advanced packages including three-dimensional system packages and chiplets packages. Secondly, the life assessment methods of electronic packaging interconnection will be introduced, including multiple scale modeling and life assessment methods.Finally, a brief introduction will be given to the emerging cutting-edge fields of flexible electronics, including the Nano-joining and printing methods during the fabrication of flexible sensors, including OLED, electrochromic  devices and zinc ion battery.

Biography

Yanhong Tian, Tenured professor of the School of Materials Science and Engineering in Harbin Institute of Technology, National high-level talents of MOE, Excellent Youth of NSFC in, is currently the vice director of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining. She mainly engaged in electronic packaging technology and reliabilityand flexible electronic wearable sensor components. She is responsible for key projects of the National NSFC, MOST and MIIT, as well as multiple industry cooperation projects. The research results have been applied to key device packaging in the fields of aerospace electronics, power electronics, and flexible electronics. The research results in the reliability and life assessment of electronic packaging technology have been applied to satellite platform equipment, which ensure the reliable service of domestic electronic devices in severe environments. She served as the chairwoman of the Emerging micro-nano processing technology of the International Institute of Welding (IIW), Co-chair of the Technical Committee of the International Conference on Electronic Packaging Technology (IEEE-ICEPT), Executive Director of the welding branch of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, and editorial board member of multiple academic journals such as Electron. She has published over 300 papers in renowned academic journals and top-level academic conferences, she is the editor or co-editor of six books, and won 4 provincial and ministerial level awards of science and technology.

Talk 2: Harnessing Proton-coupled Electrochemical Processes in Metal Oxides for Energy Storage and Conversion

Speaker: Veronica Augustyn

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of protons is important for advancing energy storage and conversion technologies operating in aqueous electrolytes. In this presentation, I will discuss our group’s research in understanding the behavior of protons in transition metal oxides, which include: proton adsorption and insertion (relevant for energy storage), hydrogen evolution (relevant for energy conversion), and dissolution of the transition metal oxide due to proton adsorption (considered a parasitic process). Of particular interest are systems where these processes can co-exist. I will also discuss our solid state chemistry approach to tuning the interlayer environment of hydrous oxides in order to control their electrochemical behavior in aqueous electrolytes. Overall, this research provides fundamental understanding of electrochemical processes of importance for aqueous energy and environmental technologies.

Biography

Professor Veronica Augustyn is the Jake & Jennifer Hooks Distinguished Scholar in Materials Science & Engineering, University Faculty Scholar, and Associate Professor at North Carolina State University. She also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Materials Advances. Her research group focuses on the design, synthesis, and mechanistic understanding of materials for electrochemical energy and environmental technologies. She also leads an award-winning international project at NC State, SciBridge, which develops renewable energy research and education collaborations between universities in Africa and the U.S. Her research group has been recognized with a 2019 Sloan Fellowship in Chemistry, a 2019 DOE Early Career Award, and a 2017 NSF CAREER Award. In 2021, she was recognized by NC State as a Goodnight Early Career Innovator and received the George H. Blessis Advising Award for her mentorship of undergraduate students.

 Talk 3: New Advances in Brain Disease Diagnosis and Treatments in NICU

Speaker: Xiuyun Liu

Abstract

Multi-modality monitoring becomes extremely important in intensive care unit for clinical diagnosis and treatments, especially in brain diseases. In neuro intensive care unit (NICU), various tools are applied at bedside, including intracranial pressure monitor, transcranial cerebral blood flow monitor, brain oxygen saturation monitor, brain metabolic monitor, etc. Dr Liu’s research mainly focuses on developing new techniques for clinicians in NICU. In this talk, she will introduce their new research achievements in brain disease diagnosis and treatments, including the application of AI, physiological signal processing algorithms and non-invasive stimulations, etc.

Biography

Xiuyun Liu is currently a professor in Biomedical Engineering at Tianjin University, China. She got her PhD in Clinical Neurosciences from University of Cambridge in 2017, after which, she went to University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to do her first postdoc in Physiological Nursing Department between the year of 2017 and 2019. Then she joined the Department of Critical Care Medicine and Anesthesiology, Johns Hopkins University to do her research from 2019 to 2021. She joined Tianjin University as a full professor in July, 2021, and is currently serving as the vice dean of medical college. Her research work mainly focuses on developing various biomedical engineering technologies, such as photoacoustic imaging, non-invasive intracranial pressure monitoring etc into critical care medical field. She got Bill Gates Scholarship for her PhD study at Cambridge, which is the top full scholarship at Cambridge. She also obtained the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad in 2016. She is the vice president of the Life Support Technology Branch of the Chinese Medical Rescue Association, a member of the standing committee of China Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Branch, a member of the standing committee of Tianjin Neuroscience Society, and the editorial board member of Military Medical Research.

Talk 4: Multimolecular Hyperspectral Metabolic Imaging in Aging and Diseases

Speaker: Lingyan Shi

Abstract

Metabolism is a complex biochemical process in living organisms that involves different biomolecules and consists of various reaction steps. To understand the multi-step biochemical reactions involving various components, it’s essential to elucidate in-situ dynamics and the correlations between different types of biomolecules at subcellular resolution. In this context, we integrated deuterium-probed pico-second stimulated Raman Scattering (DO-SRS), multiphoton fluorescence (MPF), and second harmonic generation (SHG) into a single microscopy system to study metabolic changes in aging and diseases.

Our current multimodal microscopy becomes a super-resolution (59nm) hyperspectral multiplex imaging platform by developing A-PoD and PRM deconvolution algorithms. Combining with deuterated molecules (glucose, amino acids, fatty acids, water molecules etc.) as probes, the metabolic heterogeneity of brain, adipose, liver, muscle, retina, kidney, lung, and ovaries, etc. (in Human, Mouse, and Drosophila tissues) are quantitatively imaged. This multi-molecular super resolution imaging approach dissects the molecular events and cellular machinery in living organisms during aging and disease progression, offering powerful tools potentially for disease detection, diagnosis, and assessing therapeutic efficacy & resistance, as well as for mechanistic understanding of scientific fundamentals in neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, drug delivery, and aging processes.

Biography 

Lingyan Shi is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at UC San Diego. Her Lab’s research focuses on developing high-resolution, high-speed multimodal microscopy and for studying metabolic dynamics in aging and diseases. She discovered the Golden Window” for deep tissue imaging and developed metabolic imaging platforms including “DO-SRS” and “STRIDE”. Shi group at UC San Diego transformed SRS into a super-resolution multiplex microscopy using A-PoD and PRM algorithms, uncovering lipid metabolic dynamics in the brain and fat tissues during aging processes. Dr. Shi holds 8 awarded patents. She received the Blavatnik Regional Award for Young Scientist in 2018, the Hellman Fellowship Award in 2021-2022, the “Rising Star Award” from Nature Light Science & Applications in 2021, the “Advancing Bioimaging Scialog Fellow” by RCSA and CZI, the “David L. William Lecture & Scholarship” Award from the Kern Lipid Conference, and the “Sloan Research Fellow” Award in Chemistry in 2023, and the 2024 rising star award by BMES-Cell and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) society.

iCANX Website

Date: 6 March 2024

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (ET)

Register here:  Click here to register

The first step towards the commercialization of laboratory technologies is often the development of a patent and intellectual property portfolio. For graduate students and early career researchers at the cutting edge of science and engineering, navigating this complex and unfamiliar world can be confusing and overwhelming. A basic level of understanding of patents and the patent process can dramatically improve outcomes and confidence through this process.

This MRS Webinar aims to provide critical background knowledge of intellectual property, including the role of patents in industry, how to read patents, and a high-level overview of the national and international filing processes. Our speakers will provide guidance for integrating a patent mindset into academic research and tips for researchers to contribute throughout the drafting process. The webinar will feature a discussion of career paths in intellectual property, and a Q&A session.

For more MRS events click here

Submission Deadline: 30th June 2024

Abstract Submission Details

Abstracts are invited from final year PhD students, young investigators involved in research and Medical Doctors in Postgraduate Medical Fellowship program related to either of the following topics:

• Women Health
• Infertility and Reproductive Care

All applicants should be primarily based at African Research Institutes and Universities, although collaboration within Africa as well as outside is also welcome.

Apply here

OR

Send your abstracts to: mars@merck-foundation.com Along with your CV (including Name, Gender, Country, University/Hospital Name, Email address, Mobile Number) and the abstract document as an attachment.

MARS 2024 Awards

All abstracts will be peer reviewed. Entries are invited under the below categories:

•  Best African Women Researchers
• Best Young African Researcher

The Winners will receive a 3 months Research Training scholarship in India Winners will be invited to attend Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2024

Date: 7- 8 March 2024

Time: 09:00–19:00hrs (Europe/Warsaw timezone)

Location: Zoom

Register: Click here to register for the meeting.

The SYLINDA International Symposium will be held in hybrid mode from 7th to 8th of March 2024. The speakers of the Symposium will be hosted by the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, while the participants will attend via Zoom. The objective of the Symposium is to gather internationally renowned specialists in X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) who will share their experience in using this analytical method for academic and industrial research.

The SYLINDA symposium will feature presentations from leaders of scientific groups from world top universities and beamline scientists from synchrotron light sources around the globe using X-ray absorption spectroscopy in their everyday research. The state of the art, new experimental developments in applied research, current trends in data analysis, challenges and rewards as well as combined experience from academic and industrial research and successful collaborations are main topics to be covered at this event.

More information

Talk: Embodying intelligence in rigid, soft, and biological robots

Speaker: Joshua Bongard

ABSTRACT

There are two paths our society is pursuing in the quest to create intelligent machines: non-embodied AI and embodied AI. Recent advances in non-embodied AI include ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion. These AI systems do not have a body with which to learn about the world. Because of this, such systems struggle to achieve common sense, and grow beyond the data they were trained on. Researchers in the field of embodied AI believe that machines must have a body with which to push against the world, and observe how the world pushes back. These experiences provide the fertile soil in which true intelligence can grow. In this talk, I will demonstrate how the body can help machines to think better, by exploring rigid, then soft, then biological robots. Along the way we will see how machines are becoming more capable of physical flexibility – the ability to change their bodies – and how this enables them to achieve mental flexibility – the ability to change their minds. I will conclude by describing the likely future for such embodied intelligences.

BIOGRAPHY

Joshua Bongard is the Veinott Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont, where he runs the Morphology, Evolution & Cognition Laboratory. His lab creates AI, robots, and computer designed organisms (so-called “xenobots”). He received a research award from former president Barack Obama at a ceremony at the White House in 2011, appeared in an episode of Morgan Freeman’s science program ‘Through the Wormhole’, was named as one of MIT Technology Review’s Top 35 Under 35, and received the Cozzarelli Prize from the National Academy of Sciences. He has appeared on CNN and his work has been covered by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and the BBC. He is also the author of the book “How The Body Shapes the Way We Think” and runs the Ludobots online course through reddit.com.

iCANX website

Date: 29 February 2024

Time: 13:00–14:00hrs EAT (GMT +3)

Location: Zoom

Register: Click here to register for the meeting.
Concept note: View the concept note and agenda with this link.

We are delighted to invite you to the virtual launch of the African Academy of Science’s (AAS) new Strategic Plan taking place on 29 February 2024. This event marks a significant milestone in our journey towards advancing Science, Technology, and Innovation in Africa.

For nearly 40 years, the AAS has advanced science in Africa through growing world-class scientific competencies and infrastructure across the continent. With lessons learned and opportunities in science for transforming lives, the AAS Strategic Plan is anchored on the vision, renewed mission, and core values of AAS.

The launch will be preceded by a round table of eminent scientists and friends of Africa to present the status of science in Africa addressing policy, practice and prospects needed to leapfrog in science for transforming lives on the continent.

Modelling the Covalent Intermediates of the Nitrilase Superfamily

Date: 28 February 2024

Speaker: Dr. Dewald P. van Heerden (University of Cape Town)

Location: Zoom

The Biophysics in Africa Monthly Colloquium Series is a joint project of the African Light Source Foundation (AfLS), African Physical Society (AfPS), and the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). SAIP is an adhering body of the International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB).  The colloquia are always on the last Wednesday of every month.  In addition to participation by students and colleagues worldwide, we invite speakers from around the globe as well.  For more information please feel free to contact colloquium.series@africanbiophysics.org

Abstract

The nitrilase superfamily, which includes amidases, are thiol enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis and condensation of non-peptide, carbon-nitrogen linkages. The mechanism of action of these enzymes remains unknown – but substantial insight has been gained from our studies of the closely related amidases. All the enzymes have a structurally conserved active site grouping comprising two glutamates, a lysine, and a cysteine. All postulated mechanisms involve covalent modification of the cysteine. Such covalently modified amino acids cannot be modelled by the best available modelling tools used in the field. I have developed a procedure that enables optimization of these amino acids using the Interactive Structure Optimization by Local Direct Exploration (ISOLDE) package incorporated in UCSF ChimeraX. In addition to coordinates that conventional docking programs rely on, ISOLDE employs electron density to minimize protein structures. Application of my protocols to the nitrilases has afforded substantial insight that potentially eliminates some mechanistic proposals.

About the speaker

Dewald P. van Heerden completed his PhD in 2020 under the supervision of Leonard Barbour at the University of Stellenbosch with the project titled Computational Assessment and Visualization of Guest Inclusion in Porous Crystalline Materials. Soon thereafter, he joined the Structural Biology Research Unit at the University of Cape Town as a postdoctoral research fellow under the mentorship of Trevor Sewell. His current research interests are focused on the computational elucidation of the reaction mechanisms of the nitrilase superfamily.

Register for the event here

Opportunity to Explore Real-World Materials Science Problems While Competing in Multi-Disciplinary and Cross-Continental Teams

Date: 12 – 15 April 2024

Registration Deadline: 01 April 2024

Location: Virtual

COMPASS is a NSF Science and Technology Center for theoretical, experimental, and computational researchers who together are developing a systems-level approach to particle-based matter for word-leading energy-efficient manufacturing.
Seagate Technology is the leading innovator of mass-capacity data storage solutions. We create breakthrough technology so you can confidently store your data and easily unlock its value.

Eligibility:

Any members of COMPASS, African Universities, or African Research Institutions, All Backgrounds and Experience Levels Welcome.

Benefits to Participants:

Skill-building webinars, networking with academic colleagues and industry partners, working in cognitively diverse teams, experience pitching before a distinguished panel, and chance to compete for awards and prize money.

Registration and More Details: https://forms.office.com/r/7Wykgc4DFe

Date: 29 February 2024

Time: 15:00 – 17:00 (GMT +2)

Why You Should Attend:

• Uncover the transformative impact of AI and robotics in Africa.
• Connect with leading AI experts and policymakers.
• Influence the shaping of AI policy in Africa.
• Be part of the inaugural African Youth in AI and Robotics Competition.
• Create partnerships and explore collaborative ventures.

This unique dialogue will introduce the “AUDA-NEPAD AI Continental White Paper and Roadmap,” a strategic document developed by leading AI experts from across Africa. Our aim is to initiate discussions, solicit feedback, and build a strong policy and stakeholder network to accelerate AI adoption continent-wide. Your perspectives and contributions are crucial in defining AI’s future role in Africa.

Additionally, in line with the AU theme on education and our AUDA-NEPAD Energize Africa Initiatives, the event will feature the launch of an African Youth in AI and Robotics Competition led by Ele-vate AI Innovation Hub, highlighting the continent’s talented youth and promoting a fair technological ecosystem. This gathering is not just a dialogue but a mobilization of all stakeholders to foster innovation, stimulate economic advancement, and empower the African community through AI and robotics.

Register to attend

For more information email: barbarag@nepad.org ; chifundok@nepad.org

Speaker: Prof. Nadine KABENGI (Georgia State University)

Date:15 February 2024

Time: 16:00 HRS (GMT+2)

Abstract:

Applying and securing acceptance into a graduate program can be a daunting task for many. From finding a program of interest to putting together a compelling application, one must be intentional and begin early. In this presentation, we will cover the basic steps of the admission process and help develop a winning strategy.

Speaker Bio

Prof. Kabengi is Associate Dean of the Graduate School and associate professor at Georgia State University where she has been since 2012.  She holds dual appointments with the Department of Geosciences and the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Kabengi received her B.S. and M.S in Agricultural Engineering and Soil Science from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, where she was born and raised. She later moved to the United States where she earned a Ph.D. in Soil Physical Chemistry from the University of Florida. Dr. Kabengi’ s research expertise is in experimental thermodynamics and with her group investigates the fate and transport of contaminants in soils and water systems across multiple scales and applications. Her research as Principal Investigator and co-PI has garnered more than $13 million in extramural funding, including the prestigious U.S. Department of Energy – Faculty Career Development program award in 2014. Prof. Kabengi teaches undergraduates and graduates classes in environmental geology, environmental instrumentations, geochemistry, and soil science, as well as honors seminar classes on the Nature of Science and underrepresentation in the sciences. She teaches in the “WomenLead”, an award-winning program at Georgia State, and is the faculty mentor of STEMulate, a student club with a mission to empower URMs and women in STEM. Dr. Kabengi is the 2022 recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Diversity Award for her commitment to diversity throughout her research, teaching, and service activities.

Register to attend

View the flyer

The 10th SCGES webinar is the participation of the Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science to the Global Women’s breakfast.

The event will be held in hybrid format (online and in-person) form on February 27th, 2024.

Venue
Institut Henri Poincaré (IHP)
11 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris

Agenda

• 8:30 AM CET (in person only): Global Women Breakfast
• 9:30 AM CET (in person only): Group visit of Maison Poincaré led by Sylvie Benzoni-Gavage, IHP director
• 10:45 AM – 12:45 CET (in person and online): Popularizing science without gender bias

The presentations concentrate on two specific challenges:

• How to contribute popularising mathematics in a museum among the youth of all origins and gender?
• How to write an astronomy book for men and women and why is it important?

View the event flyer
Visit the Gender Quality in Science event webpage

The IUMRS-ICEM, started in 1988 and the first meetings were held in Japan, which is one of the most important serial conferences of the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) and has been organized biennially. This meeting is often organized in a number of themes each comprising a number of symposia, according to research areas/topics. The IUMRS-ICEM is one of the most important platforms for materials researchers to present their latest research findings, interact with their peers, and establish research collaborations.

The IUMRS-ICEM 2024 will consist of stimulating program of plenary sessions, keynote speeches, panel discussions, poster presentations and exhibitions in advanced materials and technologies. We aim to make the conference a genuine two-way process and as such, technology knowledge transfer, commercialization and industrialization can be further enhanced through the interactivity.

17 May 2024 : Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
18 – 20 May 2024: City University of Hong Kong

Download the conference program

View the conference website here

The APTI fellowship programme provides fellowships to African researchers to spend two years at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) to receive training and mentorship before returning to their African home institution after their two years at the NIH. The programme targets to train up to 30 African fellows between 2018-2024 with the intended outcome that these fellows will become scientific leaders who can advocate for increased research and innovation projects in Africa.

In 2020, 10 early career researchers from across Africa were given grants to implement a four-year postdoctoral fellowship. In this inception meeting, the APTI Cohort 2 fellows will present their research focus areas.

Virtual meeting details  
Join the induction meeting virtually and listen to the engaging presentations from APTI 2 fellows.

Date: 31 January 2024
Time: 15:00-18:00 (GMT)
Location: Online Zoom
Register: Click here to register for the meeting.

Date: January 18, 2024

Time: 02:00PM – 03:30PM

You must be registered to participate!

Co-Chairs:

• Mmantsae Diale, University of Pretoria
• Winston Tumps Ireeta, Makerere University

Speakers:

• Nolwazi Nombona, University of Pretoria
• Clara Santato, École Polytechnique de Montréal
• Newayemedhin Tegegne, Addis Ababa University

For sustainable electronics devices and applications, the materials used as well as the materials processes involved are critical. This is especially pertinent for the African continent as electronic devices continue to proliferate. The three talks in this joint MRS/African MRS webinar will highlight different aspects of sustainable electronic materials that are especially relevant for Africa as examples of ongoing research in this area, including organic electronics, membranes, and organic solar cells.

This webinar is presented jointly by MRS and African MRS.

Talks:

• Compostable Organic Electronics
  Clara Santato, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada
• Membranes as substrates for devices
  Nolwazi Nombona, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• Synthesis of co-polymers for organic solar cells
  Newayemedhin Tegegne, Addis Ababa University

Register here

Date: 14 – 15 March 2024

Time: 08:00 – 19:00hrs

The participation to this workshop is totally free of charge, but the number of seats is limited (less than 20).

Poor air quality is a concern in African cities, but governments have been too slow to react, one of the reasons being the scarcity of data on different pollutants. Instruments based on low-cost sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) are being considered as solution to evaluate the concentration of different pollutants but very few research has been done till now in Africa on this topic. On the 7^th and 8^th November 2023, an online seminar was organized in the framework of the IoT4AQ project that brought together Microelectronics and Air Pollution specialists to serve as an introduction to an in-person workshop that will be organized on 14-15 March 2024. The workshop will be hosted by the Alioune Diop University, in Senegal. This hands-on training will focus on the design, testing and calibration of IoT-based air sensors.

Learn more here

In partnership with Riga Photonics Centre, Latvia

Host: UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA (UBa) CAMEROON

Given the ease of meeting online, ANSOLE is celebrating its 13th anniversary by organising the ANSOLE 13th Anniversary International Online Conference (A2IOC2024). A2IOC allows our members worldwide to celebrate together and “talk science” from their living rooms.

The 2024 edition is partnered by the Riga Photonics Centre, Latvia, and co-hosted by Dr Jerome Ndam Mungwe of the University of Bamenda, Cameroon. We invite young scientists from the Global South to use this opportunity to present their work to an international audience and expand their networks. Topics related to renewable energy, water, sustainability, green hydrogen, waste management, circular economy, green technologies, climate change mitigation and beyond are welcome.

Would you like to co-host one of the future editions? If so, please email daniel.egbe@ansole.org & samir.romdhane@fst.utm.tn!

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