Rebecca Muhunuza Nalule | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Rebecca Muhunuza Nalule | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award 

Senior Lecturer | Busitema University | Uganda

Dr. Rebecca Muhumuza Nalule is an accomplished Ugandan academic and senior lecturer in Mathematics with a distinguished career dedicated to advancing applied statistics, stochastic processes, and mathematical modeling in research and education. Her scholarly contributions span areas of Bayesian inference, spatio-temporal analysis, and meta-analytic methodologies, reflecting a deep commitment to using mathematical frameworks to interpret complex data structures and support evidence-based decision-making across multidisciplinary domains. She has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications in reputable international journals, often collaborating with renowned statisticians and researchers from global institutions such as Örebro University in Sweden and Makerere University, Uganda. Her academic journey demonstrates a continuous pursuit of excellence, integrating mathematical rigor with practical applications that inform both the scientific community and policy-oriented research. Dr. Nalule has actively participated in international conferences and workshops across Europe and Africa, enhancing collaborative research networks and contributing to the global discourse on the role of mathematics in societal development. Beyond research, she has shown strong leadership in advancing women’s participation in science through her roles in regional and international organizations such as the Uganda Women Mathematicians and the Eastern Africa Network for Women in Basic Sciences. Her teaching portfolio encompasses undergraduate and postgraduate mathematics, emphasizing critical thinking, analytical skills, and research-driven pedagogy. Through her mentorship and outreach, Dr. Nalule continues to inspire a new generation of scientists and educators. Her work bridges theory and application, reflecting an enduring vision of mathematics as a transformative tool for innovation, problem-solving, and sustainable development within academia and society at large.

Profiles: Google Scholar | ORCID

Publications

1. Skiadas, C. H., & Skiadas, C. (2020). Demography of population health, aging and health expenditures. Springer International Publishing.

2. Batiibwe, M. S. K., Nannyonga, B. K., Taliba, C., Nalule, R., & Puglia, C. (2020). Investigating math self-efficacy and math anxiety regarding gender, A-level math entry grade and mathematics achievement. Journal of Education and Practice

3. Bodnar, O., Muhumuza, R. N., & Possolo, A. (2020). Bayesian inference for heterogeneity in meta-analysis. Metrologia

4. Mbabazi, F. K., Osman, S., Kweyunga, E. H., Abubakar, M., Keikara, M. A., & others. (2023). An optimal control for Ebola virus disease with a convex incidence rate: Imputing from the outbreak in Uganda. Qeios.

5. Muhumuza, A. K., Mbabazi, F. K., Nalule, R. M., Mwasa, A., & others. (n.d.). Enhancing research output in higher institutions of learning: A case study of Busitema University research model. The Uganda Higher Education Review.

Musa Mohammed Ali | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Musa Mohammed Ali | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award 

Associate professor | Hawassa University | Ethiopia

Dr. Musa Mohammed Ali is a distinguished researcher and academic whose work exemplifies excellence in the interdisciplinary domains of microbiology, immunology, and molecular medicine. With an unwavering commitment to scientific innovation and global health advancement, he has contributed extensively to understanding pathogenic mechanisms, host–pathogen interactions, and the molecular determinants of infectious diseases. His scholarly output encompasses numerous high-quality publications in peer-reviewed international journals, reflecting both the depth of his expertise and the global recognition of his research contributions. Dr. Ali’s academic endeavors are complemented by successful collaborations with national and international research institutions, where he has actively participated in multidisciplinary projects addressing critical health challenges affecting communities worldwide. His research has not only enriched the scientific understanding of microbial pathogenesis but also informed the development of diagnostic tools, preventive strategies, and therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing disease burden in vulnerable populations. Through his commitment to mentoring young scientists and fostering collaborative research ecosystems, Dr. Ali has helped strengthen institutional research capacity and knowledge exchange across borders. His academic vision aligns with advancing translational research that bridges laboratory discoveries with public health outcomes, promoting innovation and sustainability in healthcare systems. Widely respected for his analytical rigor, leadership in scientific inquiry, and dedication to ethical research, Dr. Musa Mohammed Ali continues to make impactful contributions that resonate across academia, healthcare, and society, reinforcing the vital connection between scientific excellence and human wellbeing. He has 1615 citations from 57 documents with an h-index of 13.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Trends of neonatal sepsis and its etiology at Hawassa, Ethiopia: A five-year retrospective cross-sectional study. (2025). BMC Pediatrics.

2. Malaria and soil transmitted helminth infection and associated factors among pregnant women attending public health facilities in Dilla town, South Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study design. (2025). BMC Infectious Diseases.

3. Prevalence of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its associated factors among tuberculosis patients attending Dilla University Referral Hospital, Ethiopia. (2025). BMC Infectious Diseases.

4. Nasal colonizing vancomycin-resistant and intermediate Staphylococcus aureus among admitted patients: A hospital-based cross-sectional study. (2025). Health Science Reports.

5. Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women and cord blood hepatitis B surface antigen positive newborns in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. (2025). Journal of Clinical Virology.

Ayesha Zainab Beg | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Ayesha Zainab Beg | Infectious Diseases | Best Researcher Award 

Post Doctoral Scientist | Columbia University | United States

Dr. Ayesha Zainab Beg is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC), New York, where she investigates airway host–pathogen interactions with a focus on microbial pathogenesis and immunometabolism. She earned her Ph.D. in Biotechnology from Aligarh Muslim University, India, where her doctoral research elucidated the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm components, particularly the functional amyloid Fap, in chronic airway infections and pathoadaptation, leading to seven peer-reviewed publications. She also holds an M.Sc. in Biotechnology and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biochemistry from the same institution. Dr. Beg’s current work explores how the cystic fibrosis airway environment drives adaptive genetic alterations in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and how airway immunometabolites regulate bacterial proteomes via post-translational modifications. Her research highlights include studies on Fap phosphorylation, multi-epitope vaccine design against functional amyloids, and the impact of bacterial metabolites on pulmonary infections, with recent publications in Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, Nature Communications, and Microbiology Spectrum. She has presented her work at major conferences including ATS, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and ECCMID, and has been recognized with multiple fellowships and awards, including the Young Achiever Award  and Research Excellence Award. Her expertise spans molecular microbiology, proteomics, metabolomics, immunoinformatics, and murine models of infection, making her a leading early-career researcher at the interface of host–pathogen interactions and metabolic regulation. She has 153 citations from 10 documents with an h-index of 4.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID

Publications

1. Alam, P., Beg, A. Z., Siddiqi, M. K., Chaturvedi, S. K., Rajpoot, R. K., Ajmal, M. R., … (2017). Ascorbic acid inhibits human insulin aggregation and protects against amyloid-induced cytotoxicity. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

2. Beg, A. Z., Farhat, N., & Khan, A. U. (2021). Designing multi-epitope vaccine candidates against functional amyloids in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through immunoinformatic and structural bioinformatics approach. Infection, Genetics and Evolution.

3. Beg, A. Z., Rashid, F., Talat, A., Haseen, M. A., Raza, N., Akhtar, K., Dueholm, M. K. D., … (2023). Functional amyloids in Pseudomonas aeruginosa are essential for the proteome modulation that leads to pathoadaptation in pulmonary niches. Microbiology Spectrum.

4. Beg, A. Z., & Khan, A. U. (2018). Genome analyses of blaNDM-4 carrying ST 315 Escherichia coli isolate from sewage water of one of the Indian hospitals. Gut Pathogens.

5. Beg, A. Z., & Khan, A. U. (2019). Exploring bacterial resistome and resistance dissemination: An approach of whole genome sequencing. Future Medicinal Chemistry.