Advisory Board

Professor Mohamed-Slim Alouini was born in Tunis, Tunisia. He earned his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1998 before serving as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota and later at Texas A&M University at Qatar. In 2009, he became a founding faculty member at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he currently is the Al-Khawarizmi Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and holder of the UNESCO Chair on Education to Connect the Unconnected. His research interests encompass wireless and satellite communications, with particular focus on addressing technical challenges associated with deploying information and communication technologies (ICT) in underserved and disaster-prone areas.

Professor Alouini is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of UNESCO The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), a foreign member of Academia Europaea, and an International member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Prof Ana P. Barros is the Donald Biggar Willett Distinguished Chair of Engineering and Professor and Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on hydrology, hydrometeorology, and environmental physics, particularly on multiscale water-cycle processes, land–atmosphere interactions and predicting extreme events. A pioneer in applying AI and machine learning to precipitation and flood forecasting, she continues to advance coupled AI–physical modeling for improved climate risk assessment.

Professor Barros has served in leadership roles with the US Department of Energy, the National Academies, and the UCAR Board of Trustees, and previously as President of the AGU Hydrology Section. Her honors include the Ven Te Chow Award (2024) and Ray K. Linsley Award (2025). She is a Fellow of AGU, AMS, ASCE, and AAAS, a senior member of IEEE, and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Francesca Colombo is Head of the Health Division at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). With over 25 years of international experience, she leads work on strengthening health systems through data, economics, and policy analysis. Her expertise includes system resilience, workforce sustainability, long-term care, pharmaceutical policy, and digital health innovation.

She is a member of the NUS–Lancet Pandemic Readiness Commission, the World Health Summit Council, and the UK Health Foundation’s NHS Productivity Commission. She has also served as co-chair of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Health and Healthcare and contributed to the Lancet COVID-19 Commission. Her work at OECD continues to guide governments worldwide in building resilient, equitable, and people-centered health systems.

Dr. Mariana Napolitano is Strategy Director at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Brazil, where she leads cross-biome initiatives to support governments, organizations, and local communities in implementing effective conservation measures and policies. With over 20 years of experience at the science–policy interface, she has been a driving force in advancing Amazon conservation and sustainable management of Brazil’s diverse ecosystems.

She represents WWF-Brazil in the Amazon Region Protected Areas (ARPA) program—the largest tropical forest protection program in the world—working to strengthen governance, equity, and resilience across protected landscapes. Between 2020 and 2022, she co-chaired the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas Task Force on COVID-19 and Protected Areas, leading global discussions on how health crises intersect with conservation and community well-being.

Dr. Napolitano holds a PhD and a master’s degree in ecology from the University of São Paulo.

Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll is a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune, India, and a Professor at the Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR). His research blends Earth system observations and modeling to understand tropical extreme events and climate risk, with a focus on planetary and human health and science-to-policy. He serves as a Lead Author for IPCC assessments and holds international leadership roles across climate-and-health initiatives, supporting national climate services, climate policy, and disaster risk planning, especially across the Indo-Pacific region.

Dr. Koll actively communicates climate science through print, broadcast, and digital media, aiming to connect science with society. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and a recipient of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar, India's National Science Award, awarded by the President of India.

Prof Edward Maibach is the Founding Director Emeritus of Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University. His research focuses on understanding and advancing public engagement with climate change, applying insights from communication, public health, and social science. Previously, he served as Associate Director of the US National Cancer Institute and as Worldwide Director of Social Marketing at Porter Novelli International.

In 2021, Thomson Reuters named him among the world’s ten most influential scientists working on climate change. He is a member of the US National Academy of Medicine and the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and recipient of the Beck Family Presidential Medal of Excellence in Research and Scholarship (2020).

Prof Rémi Quirion OC, PhD, FRSC, CQ, has been Chief Scientist of Quebec since 2011 and President of the International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA) since 2021. A Full Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, he has held several leadership positions, including Scientific Director of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Executive Director for Alzheimer’s Diseases at CIHR.

He is also CEO of the Fonds de recherche du Québec, overseeing major national research initiatives. His achievements have been recognized with numerous honors, including Officer of the Order of Canada, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and Knight of the Ordre national du Québec. He is a member of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and the Académie Nationale de Médecine de France.

Prof Giuseppe Remuzzi is Director of the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research IRCCS and Chiara Fama Professor of Nephrology at the University of Milan. His research focuses on glomerulonephritis, kidney disease progression, and transplant rejection. A former President of the International Society of Nephrology (2013–2015), he currently serves as Vice President of the Italian Institute for Planetary Health.

His contributions to nephrology have earned him numerous awards, including the ISN Jean Hamburger Award, the John P. Peters Award, and the Lennox K. Black International Prize for Excellence in Medicine. His leadership continues to advance scientific collaboration and health research in Italy and internationally.

Dr Enric Sala is a National Geographic Explorer in Residence and founder of Pristine Seas, a global initiative combining exploration, science, and policy to protect marine ecosystems. His work has helped establish 29 of the world’s largest marine reserves, protecting more than 6.8 million km2 of ocean.

An Emmy Award-winning scientist and storyteller, Sala works with governments, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities to safeguard biodiversity and enhance ocean resilience. His efforts have redefined marine conservation worldwide, inspiring action across science, policy, and public engagement. In 2021, he was awarded the Prince Albert I Grand Medal for his dedication to ocean protection.