Local Scientific Committee

Chair of the Local Scientific Committee

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  Prof. Jörg Rinklebe University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Jörg Rinklebe

  Dr. Jörg Rinklebe is Professor for Soil- and Groundwater-Management at the University of Wuppertal, Germany. He has been selected as ISI Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. Prof. Rinklebe is President of the International Society of Trace Element Biogeochemistry (ISTEB). His academic background covers environmental science, bioavailability of emerging contaminants, and remediation of contaminated sites. His main research is on soils, sediments, waters, plants, and their pollutions and linked biogeochemical issues with a special focus in redox chemistry. He also has a certain expertise in soil microbiology.

  Prof. Rinklebe published plenty of scientific papers in leading international and national journals. According to SCOPUS data base (26.07.2023), he published 496 research papers, which have been cited 26,225.0 times with h-index = 84. Also, he published four books entitled "Trace Elements in Waterlogged Soils and Sediments” (2016), “Nickel in Soils and Plants” (2018), “Soil and Groundwater Remediation Technologies” (2020), “Vanadium in soils and plants” (2022), as well as numerous book chapters.

  He is serving as Editor in Chief for Environmental Pollution, and as Editor of the Journal of Hazardous Materials; Co-Editor in Chief of the international journal Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) and as guest editor of the international journals Environment International, Chemical Engineering Journal, Science of the Total Environment, Chemosphere, Journal of Environmental Management, Applied Geochemistry, and Environmental Geochemistry and Health. Also, he is member on several editorial boards (Ecotoxicology, Geoderma, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, Archive of Agronomy and Soil Science).

  He is the chair of the first joint international conferences of Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements” (ICOBTE) and “International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment” (ICHMET) in September 2023, which will be organized by him. He was an invited speaker (plenary and keynote) at many international conferences.

  In 2016 he got an appointment as Honorable Ambassador for Gangwon Province, South-Korea which was renewed in June-2018. Also, he got an appointment as Adjunct Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, Visiting Professor at the Sejong University, Seoul, South Korea and Guest Professor at the China Jiliang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Co-Chair of the Local Scientific Committee

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  Prof. Julia Bornhorst University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Julia Bornhorst

  Since 1/2019 Julia Bornhorst is Professor for Food Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Wuppertal in Germany. 01/2014 – 12/2018 she was “Junior group leader” at the Institute of Nutritional Science, Department of Food Chemistry (Head Prof. Dr. Tanja Schwerdtle), University of Potsdam, Germany. 10/2012 – 10/2013 Julia was postdoctoral researcher in the research group of Prof. Dr. Michael Aschner, Department of Pediatrics and Toxicology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, USA.

  The main research interest focuses on the role of environmental / and food-relevant metals, especially trace elements (TE), in biological processes, involved in the maintenance of the TE homeostasis. Alterations, due to an unbalanced TE homeostasis, may contribute to disease-associated phenotypes and are further supposed to be a risk factor for several disorders such as neurodegenerative diseases. Her research area addresses the identification of underlying mechanisms of metal-induced neurotoxicity in various brain cells and Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) comparing neurotoxic and genotoxic effects as well as oxidative stress, DNA damage response, and DNA repair studies. Moreover, a further particular interest includes TE homeostasis and interactions especially in the context of aging and neurodegenerative disease phenotypes, as part of the research group TraceAge.

Scientific Conference Secretary

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  Prof. Sabry Shaheen University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Sabry Shaheen

  Prof. Dr. Sabry M. Shaheen is a Global Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate List, 2021, 2022). Permanently (2015-liftime), he is working as Full Professor for Soil and Water Sciences at the University of Kafrelsheikh, Egypt. Currently (2018- to date), he is working as “Senior Scientist” at Wuppertal University, Germany. Shaheen is an Experienced Humboldtian, because he got the esteemed Alexander von Humboldt fellowship for experienced researchers (7/2016-3/2018) at Wuppertal University. He also worked as Expert in the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education (Feb. 2015- June 2016). Prof. Shaheen has gained international recognition for his applied research work in biogeochemistry of trace elements, remediation of contaminated soils and water, water treatments and pollution control, waste management, and environmental risk assessment.  During the period 2007-2022, together with his team and partners, Prof. Shaheen published 196 papers in 46 of the ISI-Web of science listed Journals with a total impact factor of 1740. He also published 25 book chapters in international publishers. Prof. Shaheen’s scopus h-index = 53, Google h-index = 57, and i10-index = 155 (data extracted on 10.10.2022). Prof. Shaheen has editorial roles in Environmental Pollution, Biochar, The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, Sustainability, Journal of Archive of Agronomy and Soil Sciences, Energy & Environment, Frontiers in Chemistry, and Earth System and Environment. He also is acting as a Peer-Reviewer for more than 25 of the ISI web of Sciences listed Q1 journals.  Prof. Shaheen has awarded The Order of the Republic of Egypt for Science and Art (2019); “The State Award for Excellence in Agricultural Sciences (2018); "Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers (2015)"; "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Award for Environmental Management (2014)"; "The State Incentive Award in Agricultural Sciences (2011)"; and "The Kafrelsheikh University Incentive Award in Environmental Sciences in 2010".

Local Scientific Committee

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  Prof. Thorsten Benther University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Thorsten Benther

  Dr. Thorsten Benter received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Kiel, Germany, in 1993. After four years as Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, he returned to Germany and joined the faculty of the University of Wuppertal in 2001 as Ford Environmental Research Professor for 5 years. Since 2001 he is also the chair of the Physical and Theoretical Chemistry (PTC) group as tenured Full Professor. During this time, Dr. Benter served as chair of the Department of Chemistry and as member of several University committees. In 2021, he was elected as President of the German Society for Mass Spectrometry. His research interests include ion/molecule chemistry and dynamics, ionization method development, non-linear laser spectroscopy. The PTC group cooperates with a number partners world-wide in academia (fundamental molecular dynamics and ion separation methods) as well as in industry (mass spectrometry, semi-conductor).

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  Prof. Stephan Clemens University of Bayreuth, Germany

  Prof. Stephan Clemens

  Stephan Clemens studied biology. After his PhD in plant biochemistry he worked as a postdoc at the University of California in San Diego. Back in Germany, Stephan started his own group at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle, continuing to work on plant metal tolerance and metal homeostasis. In 2006, he became chair of plant physiology at the University of Bayreuth. Since 2018, Stephan is involved as founding dean in building a new faculty of Life Sciences that focuses on Food, Nutrition and Health.

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  Prof. Ute Krämer Ruhr University Bochum

  Prof. Ute Krämer

  Ute Krämer is a Full Professor at the Ruhr University Bochum (Germany) where she holds the Chair of Molecular Genetics and Physiology of Plants. She earned a D.Phil. at the University of Oxford (UK) as a Rhodes Scholar. Ute Krämer studies the genetic basis of evolutionary adaptations employing the metal hyperaccumulator species Arabidopsis halleri as a model – sometimes in comparison to its close relative Arabidopsis thaliana, in which she also addresses fundamental molecular mechanisms of plant metal homeostasis. She is a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and was awarded an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council in 2018.

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  Prof. Peter Leinweber University of Rostock, Germany

  Prof. Peter Leinweber

  Prof. Leinweber studied Plant Production at the University of Rostock from 1981 to 1986. He graduated for PhD in 1988, majoring in Soil Science. He carried out his post-doctoral research in Taunusstein (German State of Hesse) und Vechta (German State of Lower Saxony). He obtained the professorship in Soil Science at the University of Rostock in 1998. Prof. Leinweber is specialized in the fields of Soil Chemistry, especially fate of contaminants in soil, humus chemistry. One of his current major fields of research are new recycling fertilizers, strongly focusing on phosphate supply to crops.

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  Prof. Bernd Markert Environmental Institute of Scientific Networks (EISN-Institute)

  Prof. Bernd Markert

  Environmental Institute of Scientific Networks (EISN-Institute)

  Born 1958 in Meppen, Germany; Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat., Dr. rer. nat. habil, natural scientist. Studies in Chemistry and Biology, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany. Ph.D in 1986 and habilitation for ecology in 1993 at the University of Osnabrueck (Germany). Former Director of the International Graduate School Zittau and Univ.-Professor for Environmental High Technology. Founder of the “Environmental Institute of Scientific Networks” in Haren, Germany.

  Publications: author/co-author / editor/co-editor of about 400 scientific papers and 18 scientific books. Research interests: Biochemistry of trace substances in the water/soil/plant/animal/human system; Instrumental analysis of chemical elements; Developing the “Biological System of the Elements”; Eco- and human-toxicological aspects of hazardous substances; Pollution control by use of bioindicators and biomonitors. Development of technologies for waste management, environmental restoration and remedial action on soils; Different interdisciplinary working fields of economic and social sciences.

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  Prof. Bernd Marschner Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

  Prof. Bernd Marschner

  Dr. Bernd Marschner (*1958) is a Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate List, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018). He is working as Full Professor for Soil Science and Soil Ecology at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany (1998-liftime). Prof. Shaheen has gained international recognition for his fundamental research work on soil organic matter, biogeochemistry and bioavailability of trace elements, including the remediation of contaminated soils. During the period 1995-2022, together with his team and partners, Prof. Marschner published 126 papers in the ISI-Web of science listed Journals. Prof. Marschner's ISI h-index = 35 (data extracted on 10.10.2022). Over the years, he has built up close cooperations with partners in Australia, Israel, Jordan, Ghana, Nigeria, and numerous European countries.

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  Prof. Fabian Mohr University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Fabian Mohr

  Fabian Mohr carried out both his undergraduate studies and his Ph.D. in chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. After postdoctoral stays at the University of Western Ontario, Canada and the University of Maryland, USA, he moved to the University of Zaragoza in Spain with a Spanish research scholarship. In 2006 Fabian joined the University of Wuppertal as junior professor and became professor of inorganic chemistry there in 2014. Fabian is editor of a book on gold chemistry and has published more than 130 scientific articles mostly on the chemistry of precious metals and chalcogen ligands, especially those containing selenium. Visiting appointments have taken him to the University of Vienna, the University of Burgos and the Technical University Dortmund.

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  Prof. Britta Planer-Friedrich University of Bayreuth, Germany

  Prof. Britta Planer-Friedrich

  Britta Planer-Friedrich is professor for Environmental Geochemistry at Bayreuth University, Germany,  since 2008. With a background in geology she has ventured off into hydrogeochemistry and analytical chemistry during her PhD at Freiberg University, Germany, and Postdoc at Trent University, Canada. Her research focusses on speciation of redox-sensitive trace elements. She has applied development and use of sample stabilization and analytical techniques in a number of different disciplines from hydrochemistry and geothermal research to isotope chemistry with research into paleo proxies, microbiology, toxicology, as well as plant and food sciences. She has set the field in environmental chemistry of thioarsenic (As-S) species with their most recent detection in paddy soils, uptake in rice plants and accumulation in rice grains.

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  Prof. Thilo Rennert University Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany

  Prof. Thilo Rennert

  Thilo Rennert is a full professor of soil chemistry and pedology at the University of Hohenheim (Germany) since 2013. His research focusses on chemical processes during soil formation and development with respect to the dynamics of soil organic matter and minerals, elemental dynamics induced by redox processes in soil, effects of geogenic CO₂ on soil constituents, advancement of soil-chemical analytics, and the mobility of inorganic contaminants in soil. His approach combines field and experimental laboratory studies with soil-chemical and soil-mineralogical analytics.

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  Prof. Sabry Shaheen University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Sabry Shaheen
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  Prof. Martin Simon University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Martin Simon

  Martin is Professor for Molecular Cell Biology and Microbiology at the University of Wuppertal, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, since 2018. Before, from 2011-2017, he was Juniorprofessor for Molecular Cell Dynamics at the Centre for Human and Molecular Biology at Saarland University and from 2006-2011 he was Junior Group leader at the Faculty of Biology at the University of Kaiserslautern.
  His research background covers classical genetics and cell biology with an emphasis on epigenetics related to the interchange between regulatory RNA and chromatin. Another research interest is the uptake of environmental RNA in eukaryotic cells to trigger RNAinterference and therefore to change the cells gene expression. His lab uses the unicellular ciliate Paramecium as a model for epigenetics RNAinterference. The lab is experienced in any chromatin and RNA NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) techniques, from Chromatin Immunoprecipitation, miRNAseq or RNA immunopreciipitation (RIP) in all kingdoms, from ciliates, nematodes, yeast, plants and human.
  In Wuppertal, he teaches molecular genetics, cell biology and (medical) microbiology. Martin is Member of the Reviewer board of the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology since 2014.

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  Prof. Adam Slabon University of Wuppertal, Germany

  Prof. Adam Slabon

  I was born in 1983 and grew up in Nuremberg, Germany. I studied chemistry at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, NTU Singapore and EPFL. After having obtained my PhD degree from ETH Zurich in 2013, I moved to the UC Berkeley, for postdoctoral studies. Since 2014, I had been working as a group leader at RWTH Aachen University, Germany, where I obtained my habilitation in 2019. From 2019 until 2022 I had been an Assistant Professor at Stockholm University, Sweden. In 2022, I took the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry as Full Professor (W3) at the University of Wuppertal in Germany. 

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  Dr. Simone Wünschmann Environmental Institute of Scientific Networks (EISN-Institute), Germany

  Dr. Simone Wünschmann

  Born in Heidelberg, Germany; Dr. rer. nat, natural scientist. Former scientific assistant at the International Graduate School Zittau, Germany, Department of Environmental High Technology; Working group for Human- and Ecotoxicology. Degree of a Diploma Engineer for Ecology and Environmental Protection at the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz, Germany; Ph.D in Environmental Sciences at the University of Vechta, Germany. Scientific co-worker of the Environmental Institute of Scientific Networks, Germany.

  Publications: author/co-author of about 40 scientific papers and 5 scientific books. Research interests: Pollution control; human- and ecotoxicology; ecology and environmental protection; environmental engineering with emphasis on renewable energy. Visiting professor at the Technical University of Vilnius, Lithuania.