Keynote Speakers

Fabiana Arduini is currently Senior Researcher at Department of Chemical Science and Technologies (Analytical Chemistry), University of Rome “Tor Vergata” Her research deals with the development of Electrochemical sensors, Electrochemical Biosensors, Screen-Printed Electrodes, Sensor system modified with nanomaterials. She works on real applications in the field of environmental, agrifood, and clinical analytical chemistry. Her research activity has been published in several papers as follows: 65 articles (9 reviews) in ISI peer-reviewed journals, among them with high impact factor in the analytical chemistry journal (e.g. Trends in Analytical Chemistry IF 8.442, Biosensor and Bioelectronics IF 7.780), 12 chapters in books, 5 proceedings, 22 articles as first-author + 36 articles as corresponding author + 4 articles as co-corresponding author. H-index: 28, with 1962 total citations (Scopus, December 2017).

Kenneth Ozoemena is Professor of Materials for Energy & Electrochemistry at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa. His current research interests are on materials science and electrochemistry with a focus on advanced materials for the next-generation clean energy technologies (including lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, sodium-ion batteries, electrochemical capacitors, and fuel cell technologies) as well as the development of smart electrochemical sensors for health and environmental applications. He holds BSc (Hons) from Abia State University, double MSc degrees from the University of Lagos, and a PhD (2003) from Rhodes University. He is a Certified Renewable Energy Professional (CREP) of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE, USA), Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).  Professor Ozoemena has published well over 150 peer-reviewed articles, authored and edited books and book chapters.

Reinout Meijboom was born and raised in the Netherlands. He studied chemistry at the University of Groningen where he completed his MSc research under Prof Jan Teuben. Subsequently, he moved to Cape Town to pursue his PhD in organometallic chemistry under the supervision of Prof John R. Moss. Following his PhD, he pursued a post-doctoral fellowship with Prof Andre Roodt at the then Rand Afrikaans University (currently University of Johannesburg) and the University of the Free State.

Reinout took up the position of Senior Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg in 2008. There he changed his research direction towards heterogeneous catalysis. He raised through the ranks at UJ to full professor and is the current head of department. Reinout has published over 150 research papers. His current research interest lies in the interaction of support and catalyst.

Emmanuel Iwuoha is the South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI) Chair (Tier 1) for NanoElectrochemistry and Sensor Technology and a Senior (Distinguished) Professor of Chemistry at the University of Western Cape (UWC). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) of UK in 1999. Prof Iwuoha is an electrochemist and he has more than 25 years of experience in the development of smart materials (polymeric, dendritic and graphenised composite materials, as well as, multi-metal chalcogenides, kesterites and perovskites) for application in sensors, electroanalysis and energy-generation (such as in batteries, LEDs, solar cells and supercapacitors).  He is the Founder and Director of SensorLab™ (UWC Sensor Research Laboratories) since 2002, and the research centre’s team comprised 8 Academic staff, 7 Postdoctoral Fellows, 34 PhDs and 20 MSc in 2017. He has more than 241 ISI-cited journal publications. He is currently in the editorial board of Bioelectrochemistry, the official journal of the Bioelectrochemical Society. He led the establishment of the first interuniversity (involving NMU, UFS, UJ and UWC) MSc Nanoscience degree programme in South Africa, which is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). In November 2013, Prof Iwuoha in collaboration with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) founded the All African Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (AANNI), under the auspices of OPCW’s Article XI of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). From 1998 to 2000 Prof Iwuoha led the interdisciplinary team of scientists that developed the 1990 and 1992 Greenhouse Gas Inventories of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and produced its Initial National Communication under the United Nation Framework Commission on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Dr. Abolanle Saheed Adekunle obtained his PhD Chemistry degree in the year 2011 from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is a senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He specialises in Electro-Analytical/Nanosciences with research interests in water treatment and environmental monitoring, nanomaterials development for electrochemical sensors, supercapacitors and batteries where he has co-authored and published papers in peer reviewed journals and attended many conferences both locally and internationally. He had successfully supervised postgraduate students at M.Sc. and PhD levels and graduated many undergraduate students.

Dr. Adekunle won several fellowships, grants and awards both nationally and internationally among which are (i) University of Johannesburg and the DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC) grant/Fellowship for Post-doctorate study (2011), (ii) 2007 Nanoscience Prestigious Award by Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (NIC)-Sensors, South Africa, (iii) Nigerian Young Academy (NYA) winner of the 2015 award of Professor Kayode Adebowale National Prize for Young Scientist in Chemical Sciences, (iv) Faculty of Science 2012 Dapo Afolabi Most Productive Science Scholar Award, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, (v) National Agency For Science & Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) Visiting Researcher Scheme Grant (2012), (vi) Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Research Projects (RP) Intervention (2016) and (vii) Best Supportive Lecturer Award by Students Chemical Society of Nigeria, OAU, Ile-Ife branch in recognition of his contribution to mentorship and training of students in the department. He has served as a reviewer to many peer reviewed journals, and an external examiner to schools, both locally and internationally.