The GYA’s 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Conference successfully concluded on 9 June and included the election of new leadership.
To represent and lead them through the upcoming year, GYA members elected leaders hailing from Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe – a majority of whom are women – to the Executive Committee (EC), which is comprised of eleven members of which two are Co-Chairs.
As Co-Chairs for the upcoming year, members chose Priscilla Kolibea Mante (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana) and Felix Moronta Barrios (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Italy). Priscilla served as Co-Chair and Felix served as a member of the EC last year.
Further EC members are as follows: Yensi Flores Bueso (University College Cork, Ireland; University of Washington in Seattle, United States); Sri Fatmawati (Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Indonesia) Hussam Hussein (Royal Scientific Society, Jordan); Monika Kędra (Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland): Devina Lobine (Higher Education Commission, Mauritius); Andreea Molnar (Swinburne University of Technology, Australia); Markus Prutsch (European Parliament, Belgium); Clarissa Rios Rojas (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom); Arya Shalini Subash (Institute of Chemical Technology, India.
After being re-elected, Co-Chair Priscilla Kolibea Mante stated that “This is a tremendous responsibility, and I am grateful for the trust members have placed in me. I am committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment where the voices and ideas of young researchers can flourish. Together, I am confident we can make a significant difference.”
Co-Chair Felix Moronta adds, “I agree with Priscilla. It is a tremendous responsibility to represent the diverse and innovative membership of the GYA, a community at the forefront of advancing scientific knowledge with significant societal impact. I fully recognize the challenge that lies ahead of me. Together with Priscilla and the EC, we can ensure that the perspectives and contributions of early-career scientists are recognised and integrated into decision-making processes that shape our global scientific landscape.”
The Co-Chairs’ biographies are available below, while the Executive Committee members’ biographies are available by following the links above.
Priscilla is a neuropharmacologist with expertise in drug discovery and neurogenetics. She has a Ph.D. from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and Postdoctoral training from the University of Michigan, United States. Her research focuses on developing better therapeutic options for resistant epilepsy and reducing diagnosing costs using tools based on patients’ genetics. Priscilla has received the International Rising Talent Award in 2019 for her research; received a 2019 OWSD Early Career Fellowship; is a Fellow of the African Science Leadership Programme; is an Affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences, as well as The World Academy of Sciences.
Felix Moronta is a Venezuelan biologist committed to facilitating the adoption of agricultural products enhanced by modern biotechnologies. As a Senior Programme Specialist in the Regulatory Science Group at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB, Trieste, Italy), he supports projects to energize and strengthen biotechnology regulatory offices in the Global South. He works closely with national and international authorities for ensuring regulatory effectiveness in the changing landscape of evolving biotechnologies.
This year’s in-person AGM and International Conference took place for the first time in Kigali, Rwanda,