Chair in Plant Physiology; Head, Stress Physiology laboratory, School of Biological Sciences
University of Western Australia, Australia

Recognized as the world’s most cited researcher in Botany in 2019, Prof Sergey Shabala has revolutionized the study of plant cell responses through the development of MIFE technology —a non-invasive technique for examining how plants cope with various stresses. His extensive research into plant stress physiology and adaptive mechanisms to harsh environmental conditions such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, oxidative stress, and nutritional disorders is increasingly vital as the effects of climate change intensify. Sergey’s recent work has focused on phosphorous use efficiency in crops, studying a unique species of wild Tibetan barley growing and thriving in the nutrient-deficient soils of the Chinese mountains.

His expertize and contributions have led to his appointment as the Chair in Plant Physiology at The University of Western Australia, where he continues to lead innovative interdisciplinary research in stress biology and membrane transport to develop resilient crops in the face of increasing environmental challenges.

Professor of Plant Physiology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
University of Copenhagen, Denmark 

A highly influential scientist in his field, Prof Michael Palmgren's research in plant biology and membrane transport research has significantly contributed to exploring the potential of wild plants for sustainable agriculture. With a key focus on membrane transport and P-type ATPases, crucial for nutrient uptake and cellular energization, Michael leads innovative research on accelerating the domestication of wild and underutilized plants to develop climate-resilient crops. This includes projects like "NovoCrops," which aims to transform robust wild plants into new crops that can withstand extreme weather conditions while maintaining good yields. His work addresses global food security by harnessing the genetic diversity of wild plant species.  

Recognized for his scientific achievements, Michael was knighted in Denmark for his contributions to science and he received the Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society (SPPS) Award. He currently serves as the vice president of the European Academies Science Advisory Council.  

Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom

Prof Malcolm Hawkesford is internationally recognized for his contributions in the fields of nitrogen and sulphur nutrition and transport. In over 40 years in academia, his research has focused on nitrogen, phosphorus and micronutrient nutrition, particularly utilizing genomic approaches combined with field scale experimentation to dissect traits associated with the efficient and sustainable use of fertilizers. Malcolm is Head of the Delivering Sustainable Wheat strategic program at Rothamsted Research, a leading center of multidisciplinary scientific excellence, primarily of relevance to crops and products from crops. In this role he leads the plant nutrition traits group and the Rothamsted component of the Designing Future Wheat strategic program, a cohesive national UK wheat research program involving more than 25 groups of scientists at different institutions.  

Since 2006, he has been overseeing the Rothamsted nitrogen-related experiments and field trials in the Defra Wheat Genetic Improvement Network (WGIN) project, which focuses on the analysis of genetic variation in nitrogen use efficiency. Malcolm is also an Honorary Professor in Plant Sciences at the University of Nottingham.