Ebeney Whillas | Medicine and Health Sciences | Research Excellence Award

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Ms. Ebeney Whillas | Medicine and Health Sciences | Research Excellence Award

University of Wollongong | Australia

Ms. Ebeney Whillas is a sports nutrition researcher whose work focuses on nutrition-related experiences during the transition from elite sport to post-competitive life. Her research is grounded in qualitative inquiry, addressing a critical gap in sports nutrition literature by centering the voices of former elite athletes. She is the lead author of a peer-reviewed article published in Nutrients (MDPI), which examines how entrenched sporting cultures continue to shape eating behaviours, health perceptions, and wellbeing after retirement from elite competition. Her scholarship contributes to a growing recognition that athlete nutrition support must extend beyond performance-focused phases to encompass long-term health and adjustment. Ms. Whillas’ research interests include athlete transition, sports nutrition culture, and the relationship between nutrition practices and mental wellbeing. Through her work, she provides evidence to inform more holistic, sustainable, and athlete-centered nutrition interventions across the full athletic lifespan.

Profiles: Sci Profiles | LinkedIn

Featured Publications

• Whillas, E. K., Craddock, J. C., & Lambert, K. (2025). Navigating nutrition beyond elite sport: A qualitative exploration of experiences after retirement. Nutrients, 17(24), Article 3920. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17243920

Xiaowen Mao | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Xiaowen Mao | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

University of Macau | Macau

Dr. Xiaowen Mao, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, where she leads translational research on cancer biology, immunotherapy, and tumor microenvironment modulation. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Hong Kong and her B.Sc. in Clinical Medicine from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Her research focuses on extracellular vesicles, immune homeostasis, metabolic reprogramming in tumors, and hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis, integrating molecular, cellular, and translational approaches. Dr. Xiaowen Mao has led several high-impact projects as principal investigator, funded by the Health and Medical Research Fund, National Natural Science Foundation Young Scientist Fund, and FDCT Innovation and Technology Promotion. Her significant contributions include the development of broadly potent neutralizing antibodies targeting Nidogen 1 to inhibit tumor growth, elucidation of extracellular vesicle-mediated metabolic reprogramming in tumors, and advances in dendritic cell vaccine strategies. She holds a U.S. patent on Nidogen 1 as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma, serves as Guest Editor for Frontiers in Endocrinology, and is an ad-hoc reviewer for multiple high-impact journals. According to Scopus, she has 31 publications, 1,114 citations by 1,010 documents, and an h-index of 20. Dr. Xiaowen Mao’s work bridges fundamental research and clinical translation, delivering innovative therapies and advancing precision medicine in oncology, while demonstrating a profound impact on cancer biology, immunotherapy, and translational research.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

  • Xue, T. M., Yeung, C. L. S., Mao, X. W., Tey, S. K., Lo, K. W., Tang, H. N., Yun, J. P., & Yam, J. W. P. (2025). Development of a broadly potent neutralizing antibody targeting Nidogen 1 effectively inhibits cancer growth and metastasis in preclinical tumor models. Journal of Translational Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1515/jtim-2025-0008

  • Xia, L., Li, C. G., Zhao, J., Sun, Q. C., & Mao, X. W.* (2025). Rebalancing immune homeostasis in combating disease: The impact of medicine food homology plants and gut microbiome. Phytomedicine, 136, 156150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2025.156150

  • Chen, Z., Yam, J. W. P., & Mao, X. W.* (2024). The multifaceted roles of small extracellular vesicles in metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironments. Proteomics, e2300021. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.202300021

  • Lee, K. W., Yam, J. W. P., & Mao, X. W.* (2023). Dendritic cell vaccines: A shift from conventional approach to new generations. Cells, 12(2147). https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12172147

  • Li, S., Delvecchio, M., Ramkumar, K., Mao, X. W., Sun, X. D., & Guo, S. Z. (2023). Editorial: Clinical and genetic determinants of diabetes and complications. Frontiers in Endocrinology.

Oguz Ozcelik | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Oguz Ozcelik | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Kastamonu University | Turkey

Dr. Oğuz Özçelik (MD, PhD) is a distinguished Professor at Kastamonu University, Turkey, widely recognized for his pioneering work in exercise physiology, metabolism, and oxidative stress. His academic foundation in medicine and physiology has driven decades of impactful research exploring the complex relationships between aerobic fitness, respiratory regulation, and metabolic health. Through rigorous experimental design and translational insights, he has advanced understanding of how exercise modulates physiological and biochemical responses in both healthy and clinical populations. Dr. Oğuz Özçelik’s scientific contributions span more than forty peer-reviewed publications in international journals, reflecting depth, innovation, and clinical relevance. His notable works include studies on the relationship between aerobic fitness levels and isocapnic buffering periods during incremental exercise tests (Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2017, cited by 132), the effects of body mass index on maximal work production and aerobic capacity (Physiological Research, 2004, cited by 84), and the role of nesfatin-1 in glucose tolerance and depressive disorders (Physiological Research, 2016; Psychiatry Investigation, 2018). With an h-index of 13 and more than 474 citations, his scholarly influence demonstrates sustained research excellence. Dr. Oğuz Özçelik’s current investigations focus on the hormonal and metabolic adaptations to exercise and their relevance to neuroendocrine and cardiometabolic health. His leadership, academic rigor, and enduring contributions to human performance and biomedical science exemplify the highest standards of professional achievement and research integrity within the global scientific community.

Profile: Scopus | Google Scholar | ORCID

Featured Publications

  1. Algul, S., Ozcelik, O., & Yilmaz, B. (2017). Evaluation of relationship between aerobic fitness level and range of isocapnic buffering periods during incremental exercise test. Cellular and Molecular Biology, 63(3), 78–82.

  2. Ozcelik, O., Aslan, M., Ayar, A., & Kelestimur, H. (2004). Effects of body mass index on maximal work production capacity and aerobic fitness during incremental exercise. Physiological Research, 53(2), 165–170.

  3. Algul, S., Ozkan, Y., & Ozcelik, O. (2016). Serum nesfatin-1 levels in patients with different glucose tolerance levels. Physiological Research, 65(6), 979–985.

  4. Ozcelik, O., Ward, S. A., & Whipp, B. J. (1999). Effect of altered body CO₂ stores on pulmonary gas exchange dynamics during incremental exercise in humans. Experimental Physiology, 84(5), 999–1011.

  5. Algul, S., & Ozcelik, O. (2018). Evaluating the levels of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin hormones in patients with moderate and severe major depressive disorders. Psychiatry Investigation, 15(2), 214–218.

Zhiliang Xu | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Zhiliang Xu | Medicine and Health Sciences | Best Researcher Award

Wannan Medical College | China

Prof. Zhiliang Xu, affiliated with Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, China, is a distinguished molecular biologist and epigenetics researcher whose work focuses on histone ubiquitination, chromatin remodeling, and their implications in neurological disorders, cancer, gametogenesis, and cellular reprogramming. He earned his Ph.D. from the State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2017. According to Scopus, Prof. Zhiliang Xu has authored 11 publications, which have been cited 34 times, and he holds an h-index of 4, demonstrating the impact of his research in the scientific community. His seminal studies elucidated the role of H2B ubiquitination in chromatin relaxation during meiosis and cellular reprogramming, published in journals such as Nucleic Acids Research (2016), Cell Proliferation (2021), and Reproduction (2017). His recent work on neuronal repair, gut-liver axis regulation in diabetes, and genomic approaches to thalassemia has been featured in FASEB Journal (2025), Annals of Hematology (2025), and Neuroscience Letters (2025). Prof. Zhiliang Xu leads multiple high-impact national and provincial research projects, serves as a peer reviewer for journals including Scientific Reports and Neurochemical Research, and evaluates theses for graduate and doctoral candidates. Recognized with the 2021 National Maternal and Child Health Science and Technology Award (First Prize), the 2022 Guangzhou High-level Talent Award, and the 2024 Outstanding Young Talent honor in Anhui Province, Prof. Zhiliang Xu continues to advance fundamental understanding of chromatin biology and epigenetic regulation, exemplifying excellence, mentorship, and translational scientific impact, making him an outstanding candidate for the Best Researcher Award.

Profile: Scopus | ORCID

Featured Publications

1. Shi, L., Yan, X., Xia, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhu, X., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). Beyond transfusions and transplants: Genomic innovations rewriting the narrative of thalassemia. Annals of Hematology.

2. Zhang, Y., Wang, J., Huang, S., Liu, M., Zhao, Y., Xu, Z., & Zhu, X. (2025). Electroacupuncture preconditioning alleviates cortical neuronal injury in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by rebalancing HES1 and NF-κB expression. Neuroreport.

3. Yan, X., Shi, L., Zhu, X., Zhao, J., Zhao, Y., Luo, J., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). From microbial homeostasis to systemic pathogenesis: A narrative review on gut flora’s role in neuropsychiatric, metabolic, and cancer disorders. Journal of Inflammation Research.

4. Huang, S., Lu, Y., Fang, W., Huang, Y., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). Neurodegenerative diseases and neuroinflammation-induced apoptosis. Open Life Sciences.

5. Li, Q., Zhang, L., Sun, Y., Du, Z., Xu, S., Wang, X., Wei, S., Tao, Y., Li, B., Jiang, J., Di, G., Huang, Y., & Xu, Z. (2025). p53 modulates the gut-liver axis via PI3K/AKT/Wnt signaling pathways in type 2 diabetes. FASEB Journal.

6. Li, Q., Yan, X., Zhao, Y., Xu, Z., & Zhu, X. (2025). Paeonol mitigates chronic stress-induced amygdalar neuronal damage through glycogen synthase kinase-3β/calcineurin axis regulation of synaptic plasticity. Neuroreport.

7. Zhu, X., Zhang, Y., Yan, X., Zhao, Y., Shi, L., Sun, Z., Meng, K., Zong, Y., Li, Q., & Xu, Z. (2025). Paeonol facilitates the repair of neuronal damage in the mPFC caused by chronic stress via the Rho GTPases-cofilin1 signaling pathway. Neuroscience Letters, 138329.