Dr. Ruvishika S. Jayawardena is a Sri Lankan mycologist and lecturer at Mae Fah Luang University (MFU), Thailand, where she also heads Academic Affairs and Basic Research at the Center of Excellence in Fungal Research. She earned her PhD in Bioscience from MFU in 2017 focusing on the taxonomy and phylogeny of microfungi associated with grapevines. Her research focuses on fungal taxonomy, phylogeny, and plant pathology, with special emphasis on Colletotrichum and fungal diseases of crops and mushrooms. She has published over 215 SCI papers, supervised more than 28 graduate students, and has an h-index of 49 with over 11,000 citations. She has been recognized multiple times as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics and among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University. She also served as Editor-in-Chief of Mycosphere and as an editor or associate editor for several leading mycology journals.

Dr Susmita Sahoo leads the Biological and Environmental Sciences department at NVPAS, Vallabh Vidyanagar, where she demonstrates exceptional botany and plant sciences expertise. Her academic journey spans two decades of teaching and research. Her academic credentials include an MSc in Botany from Ravenshaw College, Cuttack, followed by a PhD in plant tissue culture through a collaborative programme between CSIR and Utkal University. She later completed her postdoctoral research at the CSIR laboratory IMMT, Bhubaneswar. Her teaching portfolio includes plant taxonomy, medicinal plants, and environmental science, while her research focuses on plant tissue culture, biocides, and medicinal plants. Her effective teaching methods have earned her recognition at her degree college and beyond. Under her supervision, four scholars have completed their PhDs, and she currently guides four additional research scholars. Her scholarly work encompasses nearly 60 publications in national and international journals, alongside around 40 conference proceedings. She has also attended 50 conferences and seminars. Additionally, she has authored four books and contributed nine chapters to various publications. To keep herself academically updated, she has attended ten workshops and eight training programmes till now. She has also completed seven research projects. Her achievements include receiving the prestigious J N Tata Fellowship for higher studies. She extends her academic influence through active participation in community outreach initiatives like talks, and lectures, and as a jury member aimed at promoting scientific awareness.