Prof. Dr. João Paulo Serejo Goulão Crespo is Professor of Chemical Engineering at NOVA School of Science and Technology (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa) and a leading voice in membrane process engineering. With a PhD (1990) in reaction engineering, his pioneering research spans membrane bioreactors, pervaporation, supported liquid membranes, ion-exchange systems, and membrane capacitive deionization. His group has advanced the recovery of aroma compounds via pervaporation, enzymatic activity monitoring in filtration, and selective separation of micropollutants and volatile fatty acids. As an editorial board member of major journals in the field of membranes (Journal of Membrane Science, Desalination & Water Treatment), Prof. Crespo’s work bridges fundamental science and sustainable industrial applications in water, food, and bioprocessing.
Prof. Dr. Klaus-Viktor Peinemann is an internationally acclaimed membrane scientist whose work has shaped the landscape of modern separation technology. With a distinguished academic career, including professorships at KAUST and Leibniz University Hanover, he has made groundbreaking contributions to the development of polymeric membranes for gas separation, organic solvent nanofiltration, and pervaporation. His research led to the creation of novel ultrathin membranes, block copolymer self-assembled structures, and cyclodextrin-based membranes with high chemical resistance and selectivity. Prof. Peinemann is widely recognized for bridging academic research with industrial application and is the co-founder of GMT Membrantechnik, a company that commercializes advanced membrane systems. As a former president of the European Membrane Society, he has played a key role in advancing global membrane research and continues to inspire innovation in sustainable and efficient separation processes.
Prof. Dr. Frank Lipnizki is a Professor in the Department of Process and Life Science Engineering at Lund University, Sweden. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and has a strong background in mechanical and manufacturing engineering. His research centers on membrane-based separation processes across food, biotech, pulp and paper, water, and biorefinery industries. His work emphasizes process integration, membrane fouling and cleaning, and the optimization of membrane modules. He is actively involved in several major EU and international research projects, contributing significantly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, he manages the Industrial Membrane Process R&D Centre at Lund and serves on various international scientific committees. He is the current President of the European Membrane Society.
Cafer T. Yavuz received his Ph.D. from Rice University in 2008 with a Welch scholarship and was a postdoc at UCSB (2008–2010). He worked at KAIST from 2010-2020. Currently, he is a professor of chemistry at KAUST with a research focus on nano and porous materials design and synthesis for applications in the environment, particularly for CO2 capture and conversion.
Cafer T. Yavuz received his B.S. degree in Chemistry (2001) from the Middle East Technical University, finishing the advanced curriculum in only 3 years and ranking 1st. When he was in high school, he attended the 29th and 30th International Chemistry Olympiads representing Turkey and won a silver and bronze medal. He was admitted to Rice University in 2001 with Welch scholarship and received his Master's and Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Vicki L. Colvin. His research focused on production of magnetic nanocrystals and their use in arsenic removal. His thesis work received Forbes magazine's "Top 5 nanotech breakthroughs of 2006" and selected as one of the “Six Ideas That Will Change The World" by the Esquire Magazine. He worked as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Santa Barbara with Dr. Galen Stucky on CO2 sequestration, conversion and co-activation with methane (CH4) until his appointment as an Assistant Professor at KAIST, South Korea in 2010. He was promoted to Associate Professor on September 2013 and jointly appointed at the Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He has been nominated twice for the teacher of the year award. Since 2020, he is a professor of chemistry at KAUST, Saudi Arabia with a research focus on nano and porous materials design and synthesis for applications in the environment, particularly for CO2 capture and conversion. He was a founding Editorial Board Member at Chem, a prestigious chemistry journal by Cell Press. He also serves on the boards of Cell Reports Physical Science, ACS Applied Energy Materials, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, and Advanced Sustainable Systems. He was an editor at RSC Advances and currently editing at Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, a platinum open access journal. He received distinguished scientist award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2024. He has over 150 publications and 25 registered patents.
Prof. Dr. Suzana Pereira Nunes is a leading expert in membrane science and engineering and a Professor of Chemical and Environmental Science and Engineering at KAUST. She earned her B.Sc. and D.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Campinas, Brazil, and was a Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow in Germany before leading membrane research at the Helmholtz Association. Since joining KAUST in 2009, she has advanced polymeric membranes for sustainable separations in water, pharmaceuticals, and chemical processing. Her research integrates polymer chemistry, physical chemistry, and chemical engineering to design multilayered membranes that function under extreme conditions, with emphasis on green solvents, renewable materials, and reduced environmental impact. She has authored over 300 publications and is widely recognized for her contributions, receiving the 2023 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, fellowship in the World Academy of Sciences and the North American Membrane Society, and honorary membership in the European Membrane Society.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Wiebe M. de Vos is Professor of Membrane Surface Science at the University of Twente (MESA+ Institute). After earning his PhD on polymer brushes in 2009 from Wageningen University, he expanded his expertise at Bristol before founding the Membrane Surface Science group in 2016. His research uniquely blends fundamental surface chemistry with applied membrane engineering, developing advanced coatings that enhance functions like anti-fouling, virus inactivation, easy cleaning, and precise separations. He has led breakthrough projects such as MOSAIC, creating nanofiltration membranes with alternating positive/negative domains capable of removing > 99% of micropollutants while letting salts through. Prof. de Vos continues to advance sustainable water treatment and membrane technology through combining theoretical insight and practical implementation.
Prof. Dr. Sheng Dai is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Head of the School of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Leeds, UK. With a PhD from Nanyang Technological University, he has held academic leadership roles in the UK, including Newcastle University and Brunel University London. Prof. Dai’s research focuses on functional materials and interfaces for applications in separation, catalysis, clean energy, water treatment, and biotechnology. His innovations include nanoparticle-hybridized membranes for desalination, bar-encoded polymers for early disease diagnostics, and smart microgels for forward osmosis and tissue engineering. His work combines fundamental materials science with transformative applications for energy and environmental challenges. At Leeds, he leads both the school and a multidisciplinary research agenda addressing global sustainability goals.
Prof. Dr. Tao He is a leading researcher in membrane materials and separation technologies at the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI), Chinese Academy of Sciences, and also serves as a part-time professor at ShanghaiTech University. His research focuses on the development of high-performance membranes for water treatment, ion separation, industrial wastewater reuse, and green separation processes. He has pioneered advances in hydrophobic membrane distillation, solvent-resistant membranes, and long-lasting separation systems, addressing critical challenges such as fouling, scaling, and stability under harsh conditions. Prof. He has published more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles and holds over twenty invention patents both in China and abroad, reflecting his strong contributions to both fundamental science and practical applications. Beyond research, he plays an active role in the scientific community as an associate editor of Desalination and continues to advance innovative solutions for sustainable water and energy technologies.
Dr. Aamer Ali is an Associate Professor at Aalborg University (AAU Energy), Denmark, where he focuses on advancing sustainable energy and water technologies through membrane-based separations and hybrid processes. His research covers membrane distillation and crystallization, resource recovery, zero-liquid discharge, and battery recycling, with applications ranging from industrial wastewater treatment to ultra-pure water production for PEM electrolysis. He has led and participated in several Danish and EU-funded projects, including initiatives on combined technologies for water, energy, and solute recovery from industrial streams. With a strong track record of peer-reviewed publications and pilot-scale innovations, Prof. Ali bridges fundamental science with applied engineering to deliver practical, scalable solutions. His interdisciplinary work integrates thermal engineering, process intensification, and sustainability, aiming to reduce environmental footprints while enhancing efficiency. Recognized for his contributions to the field, he continues to play a key role in shaping the future of clean water and energy technologies.
Dr. György Szekely is Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at KAUST’s Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Center, where his research integrates materials science and process engineering to develop sustainable separations. He earned his MEng in Chemical Engineering from the Technical University of Budapest and a PhD in Chemistry under the European Commission’s Marie Curie Actions from the Technical University of Dortmund. His career includes research roles at Hovione PharmaScience, the University of Tokyo, Imperial College London, and a lectureship at The University of Manchester, where he also received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Distinguished Visiting Fellowship. Prof. Szekely has published over 140 papers, 4 books, 12 book chapters, and holds 10 patents. He serves on multiple editorial boards, including ACS Applied Polymer Materials and Journal of Membrane Science, and is a Fellow of the RSC and HEA. His contributions have been recognized with the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Award and the I&ECR Influential Researchers Award.
Dr. Muhammad Wakil Shahzad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering at Northumbria University, UK. With a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore, his research focuses on hybrid desalination systems, solar-to-fuel technologies, clean heating and cooling, and thermal energy storage. He leads the £2.8 million S2 Cool project, funded by UKRI, which develops solar-powered, AI-optimized cooling systems to combat extreme heat in climate-vulnerable regions like Pakistan. Dr. Shahzad’s work has received international recognition through prestigious awards, including multiple National Energy Globe Awards (2019–2021), the Sustainability Medal, Global Innovation Award, and IDA Environmental & Sustainability Award. His work directly advances UN SDGs on clean energy, water access, and climate resilience.
Prof. Dr. Clara Casado-Coterillo is Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Cantabria, Spain. She earned her European PhD in Chemical Engineering and completed research stays in Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Spain. Her research focuses on membrane technologies for CO₂ capture, gas separation, and sustainable process intensification, with special emphasis on biopolymer-based mixed matrix membranes. She has published extensively in leading journals, authored book chapters, and edited the book Mixed Matrix Membranes. Prof. Casado-Coterillo has led national and European projects, serves as Associate Editor for Frontiers in Membrane Science and Technology, and is a council member of the European Membrane Society. Her work bridges materials development with industrial and environmental applications
Dr. Luis Francisco Villalobos is Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Southern California (USC). He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from KAUST in 2017 and was a postdoctoral researcher at EPFL and Yale University. His research focuses on designing novel asymmetric membranes through reaction-induced phase separation and metal-rich dense layers, innovations that enable superior performance and selectivity in harsh solvent environments. He is a co-inventor on patents for innovative multi-layer polymeric membranes and was honored with the 2022 North American Membrane Society Young Membrane Scientist Award. Dr. Villalobos leads efforts to understand molecular transport mechanisms and develop next-generation membranes for sustainable energy, water, and critical material separations, positioning him at the forefront of translational membrane science, bridging lab-scale breakthroughs and real-world applications.
Dr. Behnam Ghalei is an Assistant Professor at the Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). His research lies at the intersection of membrane science, nanomaterials, and clean energy technologies. Previously a faculty member at Kyoto University’s iCeMS, Dr. Ghalei has made impactful contributions to advanced membrane materials for gas separation, carbon capture, hydrogen purification, and bioseparations. He specializes in nanoporous polymers, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and nanocomposites tailored for energy-efficient separation processes. His work also spans medical membrane applications such as dialysis and oxygenators. A recipient of multiple competitive research grants from JSPS and JST, he brings a unique blend of polymer chemistry, materials design, and membrane process engineering to tackle global environmental and energy challenges through next-generation separation technologies.
Dr. Ahmed Abdala is a Chemical Engineering Professor and Program Chair at the College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He received his PhD in chemical engineering and fiber & polymer science from North Carolina State University. His research focuses on developing advanced materials for energy and environmental applications, utilizing polymers and nanomaterials. His work includes polymer nanocomposites, functionalized graphene materials, anti-corrosion coatings, polymeric membranes for gas separation and water treatment, and nanohybrids of metal/metal oxides and 2D nanomaterials for catalysis, adsorption, energy storage, and thermoelectric materials.
Dr. Abdala has published 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, with an H-index of 49 and 20,150 citations, and holds 7 US patents. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2023 Texas A&M University at Qatar Faculty Excellence Award, the 2019 Distinguished Researcher Award from the Indian Association of Solid-State Chemists & Allied Scientists (ISCAS), the 2016 Qatar Excellence in Innovation Award from Thomson Reuters, and the 2013 and 2014 “Science Lantern Faculty Award” from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Dr. Nirupam Aich is the Richard L. McNeel Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Faculty Fellow at the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute. His research centers on safeguarding public health through advanced water quality engineering, with a focus on mitigating emerging contaminants such as PFAS using nanomaterials, membranes, and smart manufacturing approaches like 3D printing. He also investigates global pollution challenges related to micro/nanoplastics and electronic waste. Dr. Aich integrates environmental, chemical, and materials science disciplines to design sustainable solutions for water treatment and resource recovery. He is a recipient of prestigious honors including the NSF CAREER Award, the AEESP Distinguished Service Award, and the SNO Emerging Investigator Award. His work not only addresses technical challenges but also contributes to environmental equity and sustainable development.
Eleonora Ricci is a chemical engineer and materials scientist currently working as a Lecturer at University of Edinburgh. She earned her B.Sc. (2014) and M.Sc. (2016) in Chemical Engineering from University of Bologna, Italy, and completed her Ph.D. there in 2020 with a dissertation on thermodynamic and molecular simulation of gas sorption in polymeric membranes. After postdoctoral work at the Greek research centre NCSR Demokritos and a stint as adjunct professor at the University of Bologna, she now focuses on multiscale and data-driven modelling of polymeric materials for applications such as gas separation, carbon capture, and environmental technologies.
Dr. Chen Qian is an Associate Professor in Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, where he has been since July 2022. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2014. He received his Ph.D. degree in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2018. After brief stints as a postdoctoral fellow at NUS, he worked at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology from June 2019 to June 2022, eventually as a research scientist. His research interests include low-temperature desalination, green hydrogen production from seawater, and waste water treatment. Chen Qian has made over 6 0 scholarly contributions, including nearly 5 0 peer-reviewed research papers. He is serving as Guest Editor for topical collections related to energy-water-environment nexus.
Dr. Sungil Jeon is the CEO of MEMBRARE Co., Ltd., based in Daegu, South Korea. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Chungnam National University, Korea. Previously, he served as an Assistant Professor at Kobe University, Japan, and later as group leader for membrane preparation and evaluation at the Center for Membrane and Film Technology. Dr. Jeon’s research focuses on the development of high-performance polymeric membranes, including PVDF hollow fiber membranes via TIPS and NIPS processes, and organic solvent resistant nanofiltration membranes (OSN/OSRN) using novel polymer materials. He also has extensive expertise in inorganic membranes for gas purification and separation. With over 33 peer-reviewed papers, 30 conference proceedings, and 4 patents, Dr. Jeon continues to lead innovations in advanced membrane technologies for energy and environmental applications
