Opening Thoughts

MDPI at the 2nd International Conference of Environmental Medicine in Chieti, Italy

I had the pleasure of representing MDPI at the 2nd International Conference of Environmental Medicine, held on 20–21 November 2025 at the University of Chieti–Pescara in Italy. This year’s theme – Environmental Exposures and Epigenetics: Protecting Children’s Health – brought together leading experts from Europe, China, North America, and the UAE.

My presentation served as a serendipitous introduction to keynote speaker Professor Tong Zhu (Peking University), one of China’s leading scientific advisers on environmental policy and a contributor to the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the IPCC.

Prof. Zhu has previously published with MDPI as a co-author of the article:

“Ambient Air Pollution and Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Beijing, China”
IJERPH 2017, 14(4), 423, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14040423

Prof. Jing Shang (Co-Editor-in-Chief of MDPI’s newly launched journal IJEM), Prof. Tong Zhu (Peking University), and Stefan Tochev (left to right) at the 2nd International Conference of Environmental Medicine in Chieti, Italy.

“It was truly an impressive line-up of speakers”

Program Highlights

Across two days, the event featured an inspiring program of keynotes, plenary lectures, and thematic sessions, covering:

• Environmental exposures and the food chain
• Reproductive health
• Children’s health
• Exposomics and epigenetics
• New frontiers in public health and prevention

Some notable speakers included James Shapiro (University of Chicago), Andrew Haines (LSHTM), and Alessio Fasano (Harvard Medical School), as well as many others drawn from across Europe and North America.

It was truly an impressive line-up of speakers, presenting some cutting-edge research in their fields. It was also very pleasing to see MDPI articles included within some of the presentations.

Our involvement increased the visibility of MDPI within the environmental medicine community. It also built on our existing partnerships with societies such as SIMA and Italian universities, and in this case positions the early promotion of our new journal IJEM.

MDPI Contributions Beyond Sponsorship

Carla Aloè (Head of Societies and Acquisition) presented MDPI’s society partnerships and formally introduced our newly journal IJEM, together with Dr. Alessandro Miani (President of SIMA) and Dr. Prof. Jing Shang, both serving as Co-EiCs.

Our colleagues Anya Osborn and Ioana Preda (Journal Relations) hosted an on-campus Author Publishing Workshop for local students. These workshops are an important way in which we support early-career researchers and create university engagement beyond the conference setting.

We also participated in local media interviews, highlighting MDPI’s role in advancing research through Open Access and our support for global environmental health through journals and scientific events.

MDPI Colleagues. Left to right: Stefan Tochev, Carla Aloè (Head of Societies and Acquisition), Anya Osborn, and Ioana Preda (Journal Relations) at the 2nd International Conference of Environmental Medicine in Chieti, Italy.

A big thank-you to all colleagues involved in this event, and to everyone behind the scenes who supported planning, communication, and coordination.

Impactful Research

MDPI in the News: November Highlights

Did you know that at the end of each month, our MDPI Blog team publishes examples of MDPI articles featured in the news, highlighting how the research we publish reaches global audiences through major media outlets? With over 500 mentions from news outlets throughout November, we highlight here some mentions of MDPI’s science in reputable media outlets such as TIME, The Guardian, The Conversation, and USA Today. This is a testament to the visibility and influence of our authors’ work.

Media coverage of MDPI research is more than a visibility milestone: it’s a signal of trust, credibility, and relevance. When journalists and mainstream outlets cite our papers, they translate scientific research into narratives that reach millions of readers. This not only extends the impact of our authors’ work but also reflects the growing influence of open science and the role that MDPI plays in connecting academic research with the wider world.

“Media coverage of MDPI research is a signal of trust, credibility, and relevance”

Highlights from November

Here, we learn about the staggering effect that the human microbiome can have on cognitive health and how important natural environments are for early development. We also see how red meat can be an important source of protein for certain groups, and why stigma can discourage people with dementia from seeking the help they need.

Here are a some examples from MDPI Articles Cited in the News: November 2025

The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Psychiatric Disorders

Mentioned in TIME | Published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS)

A review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences examined how the gut microbiome influences brain function through immune mechanisms, neurotransmission, and hormone regulation. TIME highlighted the study’s insights into the microbiota–gut–brain axis and its role in psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism, and ADHD.

Optimising Early Childhood Educational Settings for Health Using Nature-Based Solutions: The Microbiome Aspect

Mentioned in The Guardian | Published in Education Sciences

A perspective published in Education Sciences drew attention for its emphasis on the health benefits of exposing young children to natural environments. The authors argue that green spaces and environmental microbiota play an important role in cognitive and social development, encouraging policymakers to adopt a holistic ‘One Health’ approach in early education systems.

Within My Walls, I Escape Being Underestimated: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Stigma and Help-Seeking in Dementia

Mentioned in The Conversation | Published in Behavioral Sciences

A systematic review in Behavioral Sciences explored how stigma prevents individuals with dementia from seeking help. Key themes included reluctance to disclose symptoms, internalised stigma, gaps in healthcare training, and societal misconceptions. The research calls for policy reform, community awareness, and better support systems for patients and caregivers.

Red Meat Amino Acids for Beginners: A Narrative Review

Mentioned in The Independent | Published in Nutrients

A narrative review in Nutrients examined how red meat fits within a healthy diet. While excessive consumption is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risks, the authors highlight important nuances, such as preparation methods and population-specific needs. Red meat remains an important source of amino acids and dietary fats, particularly for pregnant women and older adults.

These examples highlight how MDPI-published research continues to make impact beyond academia, creating conversations and influencing how people think about health, science, and society.

A big thank-you to our Content Team, especially Content Specialist Suhaylah Ingar for compiling these monthly digests, and to the many authors whose work continues to resonate globally. Visit the MDPI blog: https://blog.mdpi.com/ and search (top right corner) for “Cited in the News” to discover how research published in MDPI continues to make headlines around the world.

Inside MDPI

Sustainable Publishing Forum 2025 (SPF 2025)

“Principles defined over 60 years ago align closely with modern Open Access values”

Setting the Stage for Sustainable Publishing

The two-day forum began with my opening remarks, setting the tone for a program of reflection on the future of scholarly communication.

SPF 2025 Program

The two-day program was built around five core themes shaping the future of our industry:

• Innovations in Scholarly Publishing – New models, platforms, and community-led initiatives.
• Quality and Editorial Concepts – Maintaining standards in an era of volume and pressure.
• Generative AI in Publishing – Opportunities, risks, and preserving authorship and integrity.
• Legal & IP Challenges – Rights management, copyright, and evolving legal frameworks.
• Scientometrics Using Open Data – Responsible assessment through open infrastructures.

We also hosted a panel titled: “Will Gen AI kill editorial publishing?”

The shared view was that AI won’t replace editorial work, but it will reshape it. This makes it even more important for publishers, editors, and technologists to maintain open dialogue.

Highlights from the Program

I had the pleasure of giving the opening speech and closing remarks, in which the program was framed around three pillars: quality, responsibility, and collaboration.

Across the two days, we heard from a great group of speakers and panellists, including:

• Dr. Remedios Melero – Evolution and adaptability in scientific publishing
• Sofie Wennström – Community-driven Diamond Open Access
• Michael Markie (eLife) – The PRC publication model
• Dr. Alexandre Lopez-Borrull – “Quality in the Era of Quantity”
• Pauliina Raento, Iva Grabaric Andonovski, and Sami Benchekroun – Peer review, sustainability standards, and ‘integrity by design’ in the age of AI
• Dr. Ignasi Labastida – Legal and IP challenges in scholarly communication
• Dr. Robin Haunschild, Dr. Ikram Jebabli, and Simon Porter – Scientometrics, open data, and responsible metrics

These sessions generated constructive discussions about where our industry is heading and how we all help shape that direction.

MDPI & JAMS: Practically Applying AI

This is a good example of how we’re working to adopt AI responsibly: as an assistant to human judgment, not a replacement for it.

Sustainability in publishing isn’t just about environmental impact: it’s about building systems that can last editorially, ethically, and technically. SPF 2025 is an example that this is a shared responsibility across the whole publishing ecosystem.

Thank You

Thank you to our Topical Advisory Board for creating an engaging and relevant program, our invited speakers, panellists, and attendees for their openness and engagement, and our colleagues behind the scenes (conference, marketing, JAMS, and local organizers) who made the event run smoothly.

Coming Together for Science

Highlights from the 11th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2025)

Held from 17–19 November, this event brought together over 100 attendees from 27 countries to participate in the 11th International Symposium on Sensor Science (I3S 2025) in Barcelona, Spain.

I3S2025 is one of the leading MDPI-run conferences in the evolving field of advanced sensor technologies. This edition covered the expanding role of sensors in healthcare, environmental monitoring, safety, smart devices, and next-generation materials. These are areas where MDPI journals such as Sensors, Biosensors, Chemosensors, and Nanomaterials continue to make major contributions in their fields.

“Events like I3S2025 highlight the strong connections between our editorial teams, authors, and the broader scientific community”

Conference Highlights

Across three days, I3S2025 delivered a program based on the latest research and discussions on sensor innovation. The program featured keynote and invited speakers from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, their contributions helping to frame the current challenges and future directions in sensing, diagnostics, energy applications, wearables, and smart materials.

The event featured:

• 3 Keynote speakers
• 10 Invited talks
• 38 Selected oral presentations
• 55 Posters (across two poster sessions)
• 137 Submitted abstracts

Events like I3S2025 showcase of our journal communities – particularly the community of Sensors, one of MDPI’s flagship journals – and highlight the strong connections between our editorial teams, authors, and the broader scientific community.

Awards and Early-Career Support

Community, Partners, and Exhibitors

This year’s edition featured:

• Sponsorship and exhibits from PalmSens BV and NEXTRON, showing technological sensing devices and product demos
• Supporting organizations such as SENTIATECH, Research Center, and FaradaIC
• Partnering Societies: IBERNAM, GEC, CMC2, IEEE Sensors Council

Thank you

Thanks to everyone involved in making this conference a success!

Closing Thoughts

Celebrating the Launch of Cancers 2025: A Milestone for MDPI Conferences

I’m pleased to share that in November we held the inaugural conference for our journal Cancers titled Cancers 2025: CancersScape – Spatial Biology of the Tumor Ecosystem, in Barcelona, Spain. This first edition convened the research community around the frontiers in cancer science: spatial biology and multi-omics applied to the tumour ecosystem.

The three-day event (please see photos from Day 1, Day 2, Day 3) brought together 40 accepted abstracts, 60 completed registrations, 12 keynote and invited speakers (including one online), 16 short talks, and 15 posters, three of which were presented online. We also welcomed six exhibitors, including three Platinum sponsors, two gold sponsors, two partnering societies, and MDPI journals as media partners. Notably, sponsorship revenue exceeded attendee registration, showing confidence from external vendors in our event offering.

“Our conferences reinforce MDPI’s role as a global convenor of science and policy”

From leading experts at institutions such as the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Harvard Medical School to early-career researchers presenting novel spatial biology work, the level of engagement and discourse was outstanding. The strong sponsorship performance highlights external interest in MDPI conferences and gives us a good foundation to build on.

Bingo!

The Networking Bingo was a simple but highly effective idea. Participants shared how much they valued the connections made, which is a clear win for our ‘community-building’ ambition.

Event Awards

The event also recognized the outstanding works presented during our conference, handing out awards for Best Oral Presentation and Best Poster, with each winner receiving € 500. The winners were selected by the Selection Committee after evaluation of all selected talks and posters presented at the conference.

Our conferences are more than events. They reflect our ambition to bring together communities, create platforms for knowledge exchange, and reinforce MDPI’s role not just as a publisher, but as a global convenor of science and policy. The execution of this first edition sets a tone for future growth in communities, sponsorships, and recognition in this area.

Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist, MDPI) at the Cancers 2025 MDPI Conference in Barcelona, Spain.

Thanks to the work of our Conference team, the journal Cancers, our chairs, speakers, exhibitors, and everyone behind the scenes. Together you brought a dynamic and interdisciplinary forum where researchers and industry participants could present, engage and connect.