Announcements

We are honored to introduce the award committee for the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, composed of distinguished scientists from around the world whose research covers diverse areas of natural product chemistry, pharmacognosy, and drug discovery. Their broad expertise and pioneering contributions have significantly advanced medicinal and natural products research.

Through their collective insights, rigorous evaluation, the committee has carefully selected this year’s award recipients, recognizing exceptional achievements in the field.

We sincerely thank these distinguished scholars for their efforts and dedication to upholding the standards of the Tu Youyou Award.  Below is the list of committee members. For more information about the Tu Youyou Award, please visit https://tuyouyouprize.org/. 

Chair:

Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn Ohio State University, USA

Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn is a leading expert in pharmacognosy and natural products research. He is recognized for his key contributions to discovering bioactive compounds from plants, especially in anticancer, cancer chemopreventive, and substances with a sweet taste and taste-modifying agents. His prolific contributions include over 590 peer-reviewed works and book chapters and edited or co-edited 40 scientific volumes.

Prof. Angelo Fontana University of Naples “Federico II”, Italy	Angelo Fontana is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Naples “Federico II” in Italy and serves as Director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry at the National Research Council (CNR). His research focuses on bioactive small molecules derived from marine eukaryotes, with a particular interest on their pharmaceutical applications in immunology and oncology. He also explores their potential as molecular tools for probing and modulating complex biological systems. Prof. Fontana is a co-founder of BioSEArch SRL and has been recognized with numerous grants and honors, including the Apivita Award from the Phytochemical Society of Europe.
Prof. Binghe Wang Georgia State University, USA	Prof. Binghe Wang’s lab works on drug design, drug delivery, click chemistry, chemical biology, new diagnostics, and gaseous signaling molecules such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. His interdisciplinary research supports advances in cancer, infectious diseases, organ protection, inflammation, and other areas.
Dr. Diana Pinto University of Aveiro, Portugal	Dr. Diana Pinto, an Associate Professor at the University of Aveiro, specializes in organic synthesis of bioactive heterocyclic compounds, sustainable catalysis (organo-, heterogeneous, and biocatalysis), and natural product research, including isolation, characterization, and total synthesis.
Prof. Hideaki Kakeya Kyoto University, Japan	Prof. Hideaki Kakeya conducts cutting-edge research in chemical biology, high-throughput screening, and biosynthesis of bioactive natural products for system chemotherapy and other therapeutic applications.
Dr. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel University of Strathclyde, UK	Prof. RuAngelie Edrada-Ebel heads the Natural Products Metabolomics Group (NPMG), specializing in marine natural products discovery and metabolomics-driven drug development. A recognized expert in bioactive metabolites, she collaborates with industry and academia to address antimicrobial resistance and sustainable bioprospecting. She serves on the Editorial Board of Marine Drugs and holds two patents in the field.
Prof. Thomas Prisinzano University of Kentucky, USA	Prof. Thomas Prisinzano combines medicinal and natural product chemistry to explore neurotransmitter systems and develop treatments for drug abuse and pain. He has received several prestigious awards, including the Innovator Award from the College on Problems of Drug Dependence.
Prof. Wei Li University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA	A distinguished professor and Director of the Drug Discovery Center, Prof. Wei Li is also the founder of SEAK Therapeutics, and the 2025 Chair-Elect of the Drug Discovery and Development Division of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). His work focuses on medicinal chemistry and small molecule drug discovery, with over 200 publications and 15 issued US patents.

World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books—a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry—publishers, booksellers and libraries—select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations.

Books, in all their forms, allow us to learn and to keep ourselves informed. They also entertain us and help us to understand the world, while offering a window into otherness. With the active involvement of all stakeholders, such as authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media, and all those who feel motivated to work together in celebration of books and authors, World Book and Copyright Day has become a platform to rally together millions of people all around the world.

In celebration of this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including scholarly publication, human intelligence, and education science. By sharing these findings, we pay tribute to books and authors, encouraging everyone to access books.

At the same time, we invite you to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day with Preprints.org. From 23 April to 23 May, join researchers and scholars worldwide for a month of reading, connection, and exploration. Starting 23 April, the new Reading List feature invites you to take part in the Preprints Reading Marathon and Reader’s Choice programs—curate reading lists, engage in peer-driven discussions, and earn recognition for your contributions.

“Diamond Open Access Landscape in Croatia: DIAMAS Survey Results”
by Jadranka Stojanovski and Danijel Mofardin
Publications 2025, 13(1), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications13010013

“Reading Comprehension in Older Adults—Effects of Age, Educational Level, and Reading Habits”
by Bernardo Riffo, Carlos Rojas, Andrea Helo, Mónica Véliz, Paula Urzúa, Gloria Gutierrez and Ernesto Guerra
J. Intell. 2025, 13(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13010004

“Executive Functioning in Different Types of Reading Disabilities”
by Irene Cadime, Bruna Rodrigues, Iolanda Ribeiro and María Teresa Martín-Aragoneses
J. Intell. 2024, 12(10), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12100101

“The Influence of Format Readability on Children’s Reading Speed and Comprehension”
by Stephanie L. Day, Nilsu Atilgan, Amy E. Giroux and Ben D. Sawyer
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 854; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080854

“Braiding the Ropes: Adding Second or Additional Language Acquisition to Reading and Writing Metaphors”
by Jennifer M. Lane and Teresa J. Kennedy
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14080901

“A Review of Meta-Analyses of Correlation Coefficients on L2 Reading Comprehension”
by Eun-Hee Jeon and Junko Yamashita
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070715

“Finding Free OER Textbooks Online: Untangling the Web”
by William H. Walters
Publications 2024, 12(4), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications12040032

“Towards an All-Ireland Diamond Open Access Publishing Platform: The PublishOA.ie Project—2022–2024”
by Jane Mahony
Publications 2024, 12(3), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications12030019

“Research on the Influence Path of Metacognitive Reading Strategies on Scientific Literacy”
by Yong Xie, Jingying Wang, Siqi Li and Yonghe Zheng
J. Intell. 2023, 11(5), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11050078

“The Landscape of Scholarly Book Publishing in Croatia: Finding Pathways for Viable Open Access Models”
by Iva Melinščak Zlodi
Publications 2023, 11(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications11010017

MDPI is collaborating with the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Physics Club (UTMPC) and Erindale Chemical and Physical Sciences Society (ECPSS) to hold a Scientific Publishing Workshop, offering valuable insights into MDPI and open access publishing. Attendees can expect to learn more about how to structure and write a research article, as well as how to navigate the peer-review process.

Date: 4 April 2025
Time: 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Venue: University of Toronto Mississauga, Communication Culture & Technology Building, 1800 Middle Rd, Mississauga, ON L5L 1J7, Room; CC 3150

Schedule:

MDPI Speaker	Biography
	Dr. Andy Tran earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of British Columbia in 2020. He joined MDPI as an Assistant Editor, working at the Toronto Office, and is now a regional Journal Relations Specialist. He is focused on promoting open access and is dedicated to bolstering stakeholder engagement across North America.

The International Day of Happiness is celebrated throughout the world on 20 March, aiming to make people around the world realize the importance of happiness in their lives.

The General Assembly of the United Nations, in its resolution 66/281 of 12 July 2012, proclaimed 20 March the International Day of Happiness, recognizing the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world and the importance of their recognition in public policy objectives. It also recognized the need for a more inclusive, equitable, and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes sustainable development, poverty eradication, happiness, and the well-being of all people.

In 2015, the United Nations launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals to make people’s lives happier. Its main development goals are to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet. Governments and international organizations should invest in projects that support happiness by upholding human rights and incorporating well-being and environmental dimensions into policy frameworks.

In celebration of this day, we invite you to explore a curation of insightful articles, journals, and Special Issues across various fields, including social sciences, business, and economics. By sharing these findings, we hope to inspire a more inclusive, equitable, and balanced approach to social progress that promotes the happiness and well-being of all people.

“How Self-Belief in Creativity and Well-Being Is Associated with Life Satisfaction, Meaning in Life, and Psychological Richness: The Mediating Effect of Creative Self-Efficacy”
by Dongdong Liu, Chenggang Wu, Yaxuan Meng and Jing Dang
J. Intell. 2025, 13(3), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13030025

“Cognitive Engagement and Subjective Well-Being in Adults: Exploring the Role of Domain-Specific Need for Cognition”
by Julia Grass and Anja Strobel
J. Intell. 2024, 12(11), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12110110

“Long-Term Care Policies in Spain: Welfare State and Resilience in the European Context”
by Aída Díaz-Tendero and José M. Ruano
Economies 2024, 12(12), 347; https://doi.org/10.3390/economies12120347

“Validation Study of the Spanish Version of the Measure of Happiness (MH) Questionnaire”
by Matteo Rizzato, Laura Miraglia, Antonio Francisco Arnau Mollà, Francisco Javier Romero Naranjo, Cinzia Di Dio, Michele Antonelli and Davide Donelli
Eur. J. Investig. Health Psychol. Educ. 2024, 14(5), 1369-1382; https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe14050090

“The Impact of Resilience Interventions on University Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being: A Systematic Review”
by Ghalib G. Abulfaraj, Rebecca Upsher, Helena M. S. Zavos and Eleanor J. Dommett
Educ. Sci. 2024, 14(5), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14050510

“The Benefits of Workforce Well-Being on Profitability in Listed Companies: A Comparative Analysis between Europe and Mexico from an ESG Investor Perspective”
by Oscar V. De la Torre-Torres, Francisco Venegas-Martínez and José Álvarez-García
J. Risk Financial Manag. 2024, 17(3), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm17030118

“Critical Thinking and Student Well-Being: An Approach in University Students”
by José Carlos Vázquez-Parra, Paloma Suárez-Brito, Patricia Esther Alonso-Galicia and Arantza Echaniz-Barrondo
Societies 2023, 13(11), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13110232

“Multi-Functional Ties and Well-Being in Family Networks before and after Parental Divorce”
by Vera de Bel
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(11), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12110586

“The Role of Techno-Stress and Psychological Detachment in the Relationship between Workload and Well-Being in a Sample of Italian Smart Workers: A Moderated Mediated Model”
by Marina Mondo, Jessica Pileri, Barbara Barbieri, Diego Bellini and Silvia De Simone
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(10), 530; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12100530

“The Nexus of Holistic Wellbeing and School Education: A Literature-Informed Theoretical Framework”
by Sultana Ali Norozi
Societies 2023, 13(5), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13050113

“LGBTQ+ Health & Well-Being”	“Early Childhood Education Policy: Impact on Children's Well-Being and Development”
“Relationship Guidance, Mindfulness, and Couple Well-Being”	“Subjective Well-Being in Sport Participants and Spectators”

MDPI will be attending the 2025 Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention held in Washington, D.C., from 22 to 25 of May 2025. The conference is being organized by the Association for Psychological Science, which is a scientific home to thousands of leading psychological science researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students from around the world dedicated to advancing scientific psychology across disciplinary and geographic borders.

The APS Annual Convention is an international psychological science conference which is held once a year, and the 2025 meeting will feature plenary sessions, symposia, flash talks, submitted talks, posters, educational sessions, receptions, special events, and more.

Topics:

• Biological/Neuroscience; 
• Cognitive;
• Industrial/Organizational;
• Methodology;
• Social;
• Clinical Science;
• Developmental;
• General;
• Personality/Emotion;
• Teaching.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Behavioral Sciences;
• Adolescents;
• J. Intell;
• Sexes;
• IJERPH;
• Education Sciences;
• Disabilities;
• Psychology International;
• Social Sciences;
• EJIHPE.

If you are planning to attend the conference, please visit our booth #308. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/conventions/2025-aps-annual-convention.

MDPI is collaborating with the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies to hold a workshop dedicated to discussing how to write and structure academic papers. This is a comprehensive workshop for scholars of all disciplines. To learn more about this event visit our webpage.

Date: 27 March 2025
Time: 12:00–12:45 p.m. EDT

Schedule:

MDPI Speaker:

MDPI is pleased to share a significant milestone in its mission to advance scholarly research and promote the dissemination of knowledge—300+ MDPI journals are now indexed in Web of Science (WoS). This milestone highlights the global recognition, interdisciplinary impact and enhanced visibility of our journals. It also reflects our adherence to rigorous editorial standards, scientific integrity, and our mission to foster open scientific exchange in all forms, across all disciplines. 

To explore the full list of our journals indexed in WoS, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/about/journals/wos. Beyond expanding the coverage of our publications in the leading academic databases, we are dedicated to ensuring that our journals are included in as many scope-specific databases as possible. This increases the visibility of our authors’ work and extends the reach of their significant data. 

This milestone would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of our academic editors, reviewers and authors. Their commitment and collaboration have been instrumental in creating an inclusive, accessible, and impactful publishing platform. We also extend our gratitude to the global research community for their trust as we continue to break new ground in academic publishing. This milestone is not just a celebration of MDPI’s progress but also recognition of the collective strides made by researchers worldwide. 

As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, MDPI remains steadfast in its commitment to open access publishing and ensuring that high-quality research reaches and inspires a global audience.

Conference: 2025 AERA Annual Meeting
Organization: American Educational Research Association
Date: 23–27 April 2025
Place: Denver, CO, USA
Booth: #332

The AERA Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of education researchers and an opportunity to showcase groundbreaking, innovative studies covering a wide array of elements in the field, ranging from early education through higher education, from digital learning to second language literacy. It is a venue where the ideas and data that will shape tomorrow’s education practices and policies will be encountered, allowing attendees to connect with leading thinkers from around the world.

The theme of 2025 AERA Annual Meeting is “Research, Remedy, and Repair: Toward Just Education Renewal”. With more than 2,500 sessions to choose from, the meeting provides a dynamic experience with opportunities to learn from prominent scholars, discover the latest research, engage in stimulating conversations, and foster professional relationships.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Education Sciences;
• Behavioral Sciences;
• Psychology International;
• IME;
• Youth;
• J. Intell;
• EJIHPE;
• Societies;
• Challenges;
• Disabilities;
• Social Sciences;
• Trends in Higher Education.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#332). Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.aera.net/Events-Meetings/AERA-2025-Annual-Meeting.

MDPI, a pioneer in scholarly open access publishing, and the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Singapore, proudly announce the successful conclusion of the first edition the MDPI Early Career Researcher Awards. The awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to medical and biomedical research, were presented to six exceptional researchers during an awards ceremony held at LKCMedicine HQ Building on 28 November 2024.

Honoring Excellence in Research

The awards recognize exceptional postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students who have demonstrated outstanding originality, innovation, and impact in their respective fields. We are honored to announce the winners of the 2024 edition:

Early Career Researcher (Postdoc) Award:

• Dr. Theresia Handayani Mina, “Adiposity and Metabolic Health in Asian Populations: An Epidemiological Study Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Singapore”;
• Dr. Erfan Rezvani Ghomi, “Wound Healing Improvement by Novel Aligned Antimicrobial Nanofibrous 3D Scaffolds”;
• Dr. Yadollah Ranjbar Slamloo, “Functional Alterations of The Prefrontal Circuit Underlying Cognitive Aging in Mice”.

Early Career Researcher (Ph.D.) Award:

• Pritisha Rozario, “Mechanistic Basis for Potassium Efflux-Driven Activation of the Human NLRP1 Inflammasome”;

• Michelle Law Cheok Yien, “Chikungunya Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 is a Versatile RNA Capping and Decapping Enzyme”;
• Yin Ruoyu, “The Use of Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Tools in Older Adults: A Mixed Method Study”.

Our collaboration highlights a shared commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and research within the academic community, addressing today’s healthcare challenges, and inspiring continued innovation.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Building on the success of the first edition, MDPI and LKCMedicine are excited to announce that the 2025 MDPI Early Researcher Awards will continue to celebrate excellence and innovation in medical research. The next edition promises to expand its scope, introducing new categories and providing even greater recognition for impactful research.

Further details on the 2025 awards, including nomination criteria and timelines, will be shared in the coming months. We remain committed to fostering a culture of research excellence and collaboration within the global scientific community.