Aneta Pluta | Virology | Best Infectious Disease Researcher Award

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Dr. Aneta Pluta | Virology | Best Infectious Disease Researcher Award

Assistant Professor | National Veterinary Research Institute | Poland

Dr. Aneta Katarzyna Pluta, PhD, serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Omics Analyses at the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Puławy, Poland, where she has been employed since 2010. She earned her PhD in Veterinary Sciences from NVRI in 2022, following her MSc in Microbiology and a Postgraduate Specialization in Medical Analytics from the Medical University of Lublin. Additionally, she completed a specialization in the Psychology of Social Communication at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. Dr. Pluta’s research focuses on veterinary virology and molecular biology, particularly the genomics, pathogenesis, and diagnostics of Bovine Leukemia Virus (BLV). Her work encompasses qPCR harmonization, next-generation sequencing (NGS/RNA-seq), and viral gene regulation, contributing to international collaborative studies and the WOAH (OIE) Enzootic Bovine Leukosis Reference Laboratory. She has authored numerous impactful papers in journals such as Scientific Reports, Pathogens, Retrovirology, and Viruses, advancing understanding of BLV molecular variability and host–virus interactions. As Principal Investigator of an NCN PRELUDIUM grant, she explored the effects of BLV genomic mutations on viral replication. Her scholarly excellence has earned her multiple distinctions, including the Polish Society of Veterinary Science Main Award, NVRI Scientific Council Honorable Mention, and presentation awards from DIAGMOL and All Things BLV. Dr. Pluta also contributes to the global scientific community as a peer reviewer for several international journals and as the initiator of the Breast Cancer–BLV Research Network, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in veterinary and medical virology. She has 325 citations from 23 documents with an h-index of 10.

Profiles: Scopus | ORCID

Featured Publications

1. Pluta, A., Rola-Łuszczak, M., Hoffmann, F. G., Donnik, I., Petropavlovskiy, M., & Kuźmak, J. (2024). Genetic variability of bovine leukemia virus: Evidence of dual infection, recombination and quasi-species.

2. Rola-Łuszczak, M., Sakhawat, A., Pluta, A., Ryło, A., Bomba, A., Bibi, N., & Kuźmak, J. (2021). Molecular characterization of the env gene of bovine leukemia virus in cattle from Pakistan with NGS-based evidence of virus heterogeneity.

3. Pluta, A., Blazhko, N. V., Ngirande, C., Joris, T., Willems, L., & Kuźmak, J. (2021). Analysis of nucleotide sequence of Tax, miRNA and LTR of bovine leukemia virus in cattle with different levels of persistent lymphocytosis in Russia.

4. Pluta, A., Jaworski, J. P., & Cortés-Rubio, C. N. (2020). Balance between retroviral latency and transcription: Based on HIV model.

5. Pluta, A., Willems, L., Douville, R. N., & Kuźmak, J. (2020). Effects of naturally occurring mutations in bovine leukemia virus 5′-LTR and Tax gene on viral transcriptional activity.

Mohamed Abouelkhair | Public Health | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Mohamed Abouelkhair | Public Health | Best Researcher Award

Associate professor | Rowan University | United States

Dr. Mohamed Adel Salaheldin Abouelkhair, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVM (Virology and Immunology), is an Associate Professor of Virology and Clinical Immunology at the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, Rowan University, New Jersey. He earned his Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Master of Science in Veterinary Infectious Diseases from the University of Sadat City, Egypt, followed by a PhD in Comparative and Experimental Medicine from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he also completed his postdoctoral research. Dr. Abouelkhair’s research spans veterinary and comparative immunology, viral pathogenesis, infectious disease diagnostics, microbial vaccines, and host-pathogen interactions, with particular focus on immunological mechanisms in companion animals and translational models for human health. He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and has contributed to advancing molecular diagnostics and immunological assays used in veterinary medicine. His scholarly impact is reflected in multiple prestigious honors, including the Peggy Cotter Award for Outstanding Early Career Researcher from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the ASM Future Leaders Mentorship Fellowship, the Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award nomination, and recognition at the University of Tennessee Research Foundation awards for a U.S. patent on Staphylococcus pseudintermedius virulence factors. Additionally, he has been awarded multiple Scholarships of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Visiting Faculty Travel Grant. Beyond research, Dr. Abouelkhair actively serves the scientific community as Chair of the American College of Veterinary Microbiologists Graduate Student Awards Committee and contributes as a reviewer and editorial board member for leading scientific journals in microbiology, immunology, and virology.

Profiles: Google Scholar | ORCID

Featured Publications

1. Elaadli, H., Badr, Y., Raouf, M., Kania, S. A., Elsakhawy, O. K., Altaib, H., & Abouelkhair, M. A. (2025). Isolation and molecular characterization of three Staphylococcus pseudintermedius strains from dogs and humans in Egypt. Current Microbiology. Advance online publication.

2. Elsakhawy, O. K., & Abouelkhair, M. A. (2025). Genome mining reveals a sactipeptide biosynthetic cluster in Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.

3. Elsakhawy, O. K., Roozitalab, A., Abouelkhair, M. A., & Roux, S. (2025). Genome sequence of a bovine respiratory syncytial virus strain from a cow in Tennessee. Microbiology Resource Announcements.

4. Elsakhawy, O. K., Roozitalab, A., Abouelkhair, M. A., & Matthijnssens, J. (2025). Genome sequence of a Tetraparvovirus ungulate 1 strain from a cow in Tennessee, USA. Microbiology Resource Announcements.

5. Baker, E., Rich, S. M., Dennis, M., Miller, D., Su, C., Rosypal von Dohlen, A., Abouelkhair, M. A., Hamer, S. A., Jensen, A., & Gerhold, R. (2025). Pathology and parasitology of free-ranging coyotes from Tennessee and South Carolina.