Å·ÃÀAV

Patricia Forbes is a Full Professor in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where she leads the Environmental Monitoring and Sensing research group. She obtained her BSc and BSc Honours degrees cum laude from the University of Natal, Durban; her Masters qualification from the University of Cape Town and her PhD from the University of Pretoria. Before joining academia, Patricia was Environmental Manager at Impala Platinum Refineries and then Head of the Air Quality Research Laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa. Prof Forbes is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and a Fellow of both the Å·ÃÀAV and the South African Chemical Institute. Her research focuses on the development of novel sampling and analytical methods for environmental pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mercury and emerging chemical pollutants. Patricia recently held the Rand Water Chemistry Research Chair from 2020 to 2025, which focused on the development of analytical methods for the monitoring of organic chemical pollutants in drinking water, in support of the water treatment industry. Prof Forbes serves as an expert regarding the monitoring of environmental pollutants to the South African Bureau of Standards and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and she is appointed as a Titular Member of the Analytical Division of IUPAC. She has served as elected member on the Å·ÃÀAV Professional Standards Board and is currently the International Local Section Representative on the Å·ÃÀAV Member Networks Committee and Chairperson of the Å·ÃÀAV Local Section South Africa, North Committee. Prof Forbes is the Editor in Chief of ACS Earth and Space Chemistry.

Prof Vincent O. Nyamori is a Professor in the Discipline of Chemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal.  He is a former president of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI) and a Fellow of the Institute (FSACI).  Also a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa (FRSSAf) and a Fellow of the Å·ÃÀAV (FÅ·ÃÀAV), United Kingdom (UK).  He is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (MASSAf).  Prof Nyamori serves as South Africa’s representative to the Federation of Commonwealth Chemical Sciences Societies, and he is also the Executive Treasurer of the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC).  He is an Associate Editor for the Å·ÃÀAV Sustainability journal, published by the Å·ÃÀAV, UK.  He is a recipient of the SACI Merck Medal Award and the UKZN Vice-Chancellor Award.  His research encompasses green and sustainable chemistry, as well as nanotechnology.  His NanoChemistry Research Group investigates advancing perovskites, carbon-based nanomaterials and renewable materials, including biomass and organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials, particularly for fabricating solar energy devices.

Prof. Rufus Sha’Ato is a Professor of Chemistry at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria. He obtained a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Ibadan. Prof. Sha’Ato's research and expertise span analytical and environmental chemistry, with a focus on the fate and transport of chemical contaminants in the environment (including biotic and abiotic dissipation/transport processes of organic pollutants, especially in soil and water systems), green agrochemical technologies such as slow-release formulations of herbicides using nanomaterials, waste management, low-tech water treatment systems, and sustainable environmental practices. His work aims to protect soil and water resources, assess human exposure risks to chemical contaminants, and provide advice to drive environmental sustainability and public health. Prof. Sha’Ato has supervised 39 Ph.D. and 46 M.Sc. students and has published 147 peer-reviewed articles. He is an active executive member and current President of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN). Additionally, he coordinates the African Network for the Chemical Analysis of Pesticides (ANCAP). Since 2021, Prof. Sha’Ato has been on the World Bank-supported Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (SPESSE) Project in his university, serving in the newly created Department of Environmental Sustainability and as a Deputy in the Institute of Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (IPESS), in charge of the Environmental Standards Node of the Project. Prof. Sha’Ato’s dedication to chemistry and environmental management, curriculum development, and science advocacy highlight his multifaceted contributions to science, education and environmental protection policy.

Mama El Rhazi (Full Professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Technologies of Mohammedia) obtained her MSc in Electrochemistry from the University Pierre et Marie Curie, France, in 1989, and completed her PhD in Electrochemistry in 1992, focusing on modified electrodes investigated using impedance techniques. She began her career teaching chemistry at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin (France), before moving to the University of Hassan II–Mohammedia (Morocco). She was also invited as an Associate Professor at the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France, between 1994 and 1996. She has been a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Faculty of Sciences and Technologies of Mohammedia since April 1994. From 2018 to 2022, she served as Vice Dean in charge of scientific research and cooperation at the same faculty. She is currently President of the Moroccan Society of Analytical Chemistry for Sustainable Development. She previously served as President of the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (2017–2022) and is a member of the Pan African Chemistry Network. She has been an Honorary Fellow of the Å·ÃÀAV since 2024 and was also President of the Arab Union of Chemists in 2016. She has chaired and co-chaired several international conferences, including ACSD 2013, ACD 2016, ACSD 2020, FASC 2013, and ABCChem 2022. Her research interests include electroanalysis, fuel cells, and modified electrodes using conducting polymers, nanoparticles, or metallic films (such as bismuth) for the detection of heavy metals and organic compounds. She has supervised more than 15 PhD and over 20 MSc students and has published more than 70 papers.

Patricia Wanjiru Gitari is a multidisciplinary scientist with over 15 years of experience advancing science, policy, and regional security across Africa. As a Technical Expert with the European Union’s CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative (EU CBRN CoE), she plays a pivotal role in strengthening national and regional resilience in Eastern and Central Africa. Based at the Regional Secretariat in Nairobi, Kenya, her work focuses on policy development, institutional capacity building, and enhancing preparedness for complex chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Patricia holds a PhD in Pharmacology and a Master’s degree in Chemistry from South Africa, following her undergraduate studies in Kenya. Driven by a strong interest in interdisciplinary science, particularly the intersection of chemistry and pharmacology, her early career focused on drug discovery. During her tenure at the University of Cape Town and the University of Nairobi, she contributed to the design and development of therapeutic drugs, with a focus on cancer and malaria. She has also played a key role in establishing accredited laboratory facilities, strengthening research and diagnostic capabilities. In addition to her research achievements, Patricia has extensive experience in policy and capacity building, and has been actively involved in advancing CBRN risk mitigation in Africa. Her work includes the design and facilitation of high-level simulation exercises, development of regional frameworks, and support to national policy processes. Beyond her professional and research contributions, Patricia is a passionate advocate for the next generation and is deeply committed to science outreach and mentorship. Through her initiatives, she inspires young people, especially girls, to pursue careers in STEM and break barriers in science.

Christine Luscombe is a Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. She earned her B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and was a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley. She began her independent career at the University of Washington, where she is now an Elected Member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences (2020). Prof. Luscombe’s research on the synthesis of semiconducting polymers and the study of microplastics has led to over 140 publications. Her work has been recognized with awards such as the NSF CAREER Award, DARPA Young Faculty Award, Sloan Research Fellowship, the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry of Japan Lecture Award (2017), the Society of Polymer Science Japan Science Award (2022), the Jean-Marie Lehn Award (2024), and Dresselhaus Memorial Lectureship Award. She is currently Editor-in-Chief for Polymer Chemistry and serves on the Board of Directors for MRS and the Board for Society of Polymer Science Japan. She is the Vice President (President-elect) of IUPAC.

Cynthia Ibeto is a Professor in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN). In 2010, she obtained her PhD (Analytical Chemistry) from UNN. She was an Academic Research Fellow of the National Centre for Energy Research and Development, UNN (2008–2016). She is the Deputy Director, Scholarships and Grants Directorate, UNN, and the Head of the Management of Technology and Innovation programme at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Power and Energy Development, UNN. She is also a member of the UK Research and Innovation Peer Review College, the International Assessment Board of the Irish Research Council (2021–2022), and has received various scholarships and awards, notably: Å·ÃÀAV (Å·ÃÀAV) Research Collaboration Grant (2024), Royal Society International Exchanges Award (2023), National Young Scientists’ Prize for Women in Chemical Sciences (2021), Å·ÃÀAV Research Mobility Grant (2020), Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Fellowship (2016 & 2017), and Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund, Developing World Scholarship (2014). She also received a Gold Award of Excellence (2019) for significant contributions to the Chemical Society of Nigeria and the chemistry profession. She is a Fellow of the Å·ÃÀAV (FÅ·ÃÀAV), Chemical Society of Nigeria (FCSN), and Solar Energy Society of Nigeria (FSESN), and was an affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences (2021–2025). She is an Associate Editor of Å·ÃÀAV Advances and has served as Chair of various scientific committees, presented at many international conferences, supervised several postgraduate students, and co-authored over 80 publications.

Lars Öhrström is a Swedish chemical engineer and professor of inorganic chemistry at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg Sweden where he also serves as Director of Graduate Studies in Chemistry. His research focuses on inorganic chemistry, structural chemistry and specifically metal–organic frameworks. Öhrström was educated at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm where he obtained his MSc (1988, chemical engineering), and PhD (1993, organometallic chemistry), after which he joined the French Atomic Energy Commission, CEA, in Grenoble as a postdoc working with Dr Paul Rey. The molecular magnetism work in the Rey and Kahn (Paris/Bordeaux) groups  sparked his interest in network materials, coordination polymers and what was later to become MOFs. In 1995 he moved to Chalmers where he is full professor since 2011. Professor Öhrström has served for almost 20 years with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, IUPAC, notably as president of the Inorganic Division. He chaired the IUPAC task group that established the terminology of metal-organic frameworks and coordination polymers. A scholarship to the University of Botswana in 1989 sparked his interest in Africa, and he is since long actively collaborating with scientist  from Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. He has also co-organised conferences and meetings in Egypt, Botswana and South Africa. Alongside his research, Öhrström is active in popular science writing and public communication of science. His book The Last Alchemist in Paris (OUP 2013, translated into 5 languages, available in pocket) and The Rhubarb Connection and Other Revelations: The Everyday World of Metal Ions (Å·ÃÀAV 2018) bridge chemistry with cultural, historical and everyday phenomena.