Kinda Khalaf | Biomedical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Kinda Khalaf | Biomedical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Associate Dean | Khalifa University | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Kinda Khalaf is a distinguished biomedical and mechanical engineering scholar whose career spans academic leadership, interdisciplinary research, and sustained contributions to health sciences and engineering education. As a senior academic leader, she has guided undergraduate medical and health sciences programs, chaired major curriculum and accreditation committees, and advanced quality assurance frameworks that have strengthened institutional excellence and global competitiveness. Her expertise lies at the intersection of biomechanics, musculoskeletal modeling, physiological systems engineering, biomedical device design, and innovative pedagogical practices. She has developed and delivered a wide spectrum of engineering and biomedical courses, built state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories, and led accreditation efforts for multiple engineering and health-related programs. Dr. Khalaf has an extensive publication record and has achieved strong citation visibility in areas such as spinal and orthopedic biomechanics, human motion modeling, movement dysfunction associated with neurological and metabolic disorders, and the development of assistive and rehabilitative technologies. Her collaborative research portfolio includes partnerships with major hospitals, clinical centers, and interdisciplinary university teams, resulting in impactful studies that inform patient care, rehabilitation strategies, and translational biomedical innovations. She has also fostered significant international collaborations aimed at advancing engineering education, curriculum design, and experiential learning through modern instructional approaches. Beyond research and teaching, Dr. Khalaf has been instrumental in promoting undergraduate research, innovation ecosystems, and engineering outreach initiatives, while supporting student recruitment, internships, and career development. Her contributions extend to service on academic councils, integrity and ethics committees, research review boards, and strategic planning groups, reflecting a deep commitment to academic governance. Through her leadership, scholarly output, and dedication to bridging engineering with medicine, Dr. Khalaf has made enduring contributions to both the academic community and broader society, advancing knowledge, strengthening clinical partnerships, and shaping the next generation of biomedical engineers and health science professionals. She has 1922 citations from 161 documents with an h-index of 23.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Hulleck, A. A., Mohan, D. M., Abdallah, N., El Rich, M., & Khalaf, K. (2022). Present and future of gait assessment in clinical practice: Towards the application of novel trends and technologies.

2. Mohan, D. M., Khandoker, A. H., Wasti, S. A., Ismail Alali, S. I. I., & colleagues. (2021). Assessment methods of post-stroke gait: A scoping review of technology-driven approaches to gait characterization and analysis.

3. Jelinek, H. F., Osman, W. M., Khandoker, A. H., Khalaf, K., Lee, S., Almahmeed, W., & colleagues. (2017). Clinical profiles, comorbidities and complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients from United Arab Emirates.

4. Maschirow, L., Khalaf, K., Al-Aubaidy, H. A., & Jelinek, H. F. (2015). Inflammation, coagulation, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in prediabetes—Biomarkers as a possible tool for early disease detection for rural screening.

5. Witzel, I. I., Jelinek, H. F., Khalaf, K., Lee, S., Khandoker, A. H., & Alsafar, H. (2015). Identifying common genetic risk factors of diabetic neuropathies.

Teimuraz Lezhava | Biomedical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Teimuraz Lezhava | Biomedical Engineering | Best Researcher Award

Head of the Department of Genetics | Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University | Georgia

Professor Teimuraz Lezhava, Head of the Department of Genetics at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Director of the TSU Institute of Genetics, is a distinguished health scientist and geneticist whose career has been dedicated to advancing the understanding of human genome dynamics, aging, and cancer biology. He defended his doctoral dissertation in Leningrad in 1984, earning his PhD in Biological Sciences, and in the same year was appointed Professor of Genetics. Professor Lezhava is internationally recognized for formulating the Genetic Theory of Aging, which links progressive chromosome heterochromatinization to the decline of genomic function and age-related pathologies, and his pioneering research on peptide bioregulators that can induce chromatin deheterochromatinization, opening therapeutic avenues for aging, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and tuberculosis. His scholarship includes more than 150 scientific publications and three influential monographs, notably Human Chromosomes and Aging (New York, 2006), with his most recent work appearing in leading journals such as Aging Nature, Cytology and Genetics, and International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics. He has played a prominent role in the international scientific community, founding the symposium “Chromosomes and Aging” at the World Congress of Gerontologists and Geriatricians, and delivering invited lectures across Europe, Asia, and the United States. Professor Lezhava has been honored with the Order of Honor Cavalier and the prestigious Advanced Scholar Award of the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG-ER) for his contributions to biogerontology. He also serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Georgian Medical News, Jacobs Journal of Gerontology, Inter Ging, and others, underscoring his role as a leader in shaping the global dialogue on genetics, aging, and human health. He has 312 citations from 68 documents with an h-index of 8.

Profiles: Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Lezhava, T., Monaselidze, J., Jokhadze, T., Gorgoshidze, M., Kiladze, M., & Gaiozishvili, M. (2011). Remodeling of heterochromatin induced by heavy metals in extreme old age.

2. Monaselidze, J., Gorgoshidze, M., Jokhadze, T., Gaiozishvili, M., & Lezhava, T. (2011). Influence of tetrapeptide on chromatin thermostability. Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine.

3. Lezhava, T., Monaselidze, J., Jokhadze, T., Kakauridze, N., Khodeli, N., Rogava, M., Bochorishvili, T., Gorgoshidze, M., Khachidze, D., Lomidze, E., et al. (2011). Gerontology research in Georgia.

4. Monaselidze, J. R., Khavinson, V. K., Gorgoshidze, M. Z., Khachidze, D. G., Lomidze, E. M., Jokhadze, T. A., & Lezhava, T. A. (2011). Effect of the peptide bronchogen (Ala-Asp-Glu-Leu) on DNA thermostability.

5. Kiladze, M., Gorgoshidze, M., Monaselidze, J., Jokhadze, T., & Lezhava, T. (2009). Microcalorimetric study of human blood lymphocytes culture at presence of copper, cadmium and prostamax.