Prof. M. Maaza is a joint staff of iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation of South Africa & the University of South Africa. He is the incumbent of the UNESCO UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences & Nanotechnology (U2ACN2).He is fellow of various Scholarly Academies such as the African Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry London, the New York Academy of Sciences, the Islamic Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences of India and the European Academy of Sciences.

Prof Tebello Nyokong holds a Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation (NRF) Research chair at Rhodes University. She is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the same university. She is an NRF A-rated researcher and has successfully supervised 128 MSc/PhD/post-doctoral students. She has published over 750 manuscripts (including book and book chapters and patent). Her H index is 71 (Google Scholar) and 63 (ISI). Her research is on the use of porphyrin-type complexes in the presence of nanoparticles for application in health, environment, energy, and safety.

She has received many awards for her research, including; 1. Honorary doctorate by Western University in Canada – 2019; 2. Three honorary doctorates in South Africa (Walter Sisulu University, Universities of Kwazulu Natal and South Africa); 2010 and 2018; 3. She was awarded the African Union Kwame Nkrumah continental Scientific Award, 2016; 4. She was appointed by the former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to be part of UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries -2015; 5. She received a UNESCO Medal for Contribution to Development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies – 2015; 6. She was Invited by Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, to be a member of the UNESCO High-level panel on Science, Technology and Innovation for sustainable Development-2011; 7. She was named by IT News Africa as one of the top 10 most influential women in science and technology in Africa – 2012; 8. She was included in the National Center for Research on Human Evolution, Spain to be one of their "12 NAMES TO CHANGE THE WORLD”- 2012; 9. Awarded a medal by The World Academy of the Science for outstanding contributions to science and technology; 10. She received L’Oreal-UNESCO award for “Women in Science” as a Laureate representing Africa and the Arab States – 2019; 11. In 2009, a special motion was passed in the South African National Assembly acknowledging her role in the transforming science in South Africa; 12. In 2005 she was bestowed with the Order of Mapungubwe: Bronze by the former State President Mbeki; 13. She is the recipient of South African Chemical Institute (SACI) Gold Medal, and Lifetime achievement award from the NRF.

Fernando Albericio is Research Professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona. He was the Inaugural Rector of Yachay Tech (Ecuador), which is known to be the first Latin American university based on Innovation, and Founder and General Director of the Barcelona Science Park. Currently, he is catalyzing the creation of BioDurban.

His major research interests cover practically all aspects of peptide synthesis (new reactions, building blocks, coupling reagents, solid phase supports, protecting groups, and linkers) and combinatorial chemistry methodologies, as well as synthesis of peptides and small molecules with therapeutic activities (cancer and infectious diseases). Furthermore, his group is also involved in nanotechnology, mainly in developing new systems for drug delivery and strategies for diagnostics as well.