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31 July 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #25 - 8,000 Staff Worldwide, Korea Visit, 100,000 Preprints, Malaysia Roundtable, Canada Consortium Deal

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.


Opening Thoughts

Talent Drives Our Progress

For the first time in MDPI’s history, we now have over 8,000 colleagues across the company. I would like to take a moment to celebrate this milestone and acknowledge the driving force behind our growth and success: our people.

As the world’s leading fully open access publisher, MDPI has grown thanks to the dedication, talent, and teamwork of colleagues across the company. Already halfway through 2025, we’ve welcomed nearly 2,000 new colleagues. 

“Our achievements are also about the people behind them”

We now manage over 475 journals, with 298 receiving an Impact Factor, and hundreds more indexed in major databases, including 343 in Scopus, and 92 by PubMed. As the reach and impact of our journals continues to grow, so does the need for dedicated and qualified teams to support that growth. Thus, attracting and retaining exceptional talent remains a cornerstone of our success.

Our achievements are not just about the results of journal expansion, however: they’re about the people behind them. From our hardworking editors to our meticulous English editing and production teams – from our journal relationship specialists, public relations, marketing and communications professionals to our conference teams and the project teams behind Preprints, Scilit, SciProfiles, JAMS and more. Our success reflects the work of thousands of people showing up each day, taking pride in their work, and committed to excellence and service.

What we’re doing to support talent:

  • Investing in onboarding and training to help new colleagues feel welcomed and empowered to thrive.
  • Creating clearer career paths across all functions, from editorial to communications and beyond.
  • Launching mentorship programs and internal knowledge-sharing sessions to promote growth and collaboration.
  • Evolving our recognition and rewards programs to better celebrate your contributions.
  • Expanding our training systems and platforms.

MDPI’s in-house training department offers over 215 training courses, covering topics from editorial development to cross-cultural collaboration. In 2024 alone, we had 44 full-time trainers and 196 part-time training assistants supporting the learning and development needs of colleagues worldwide. These efforts ensure our teams are equipped with the skills and confidence to grow professionally and contribute meaningfully.

Over two-thirds of our workforce is editorial, and of our more than 5,400 editors, 87% hold a Master’s degree and 6% a PhD. Their collective contributions are central to delivering a high-quality publishing experience and supporting global academic communication.

As we celebrate this milestone, we also aim to continue on a path of steady and sustainable growth, one that balances journal expansion with investment in people, outreach, processes, and innovation. Together, we are shaping the future of open access and academic publishing. Thank you for your hard work, your ideas, and your commitment to serving the global research community.

Let’s continue working together to create a culture where great talent grows and every colleague feels valued.

Impactful Research

Visiting South Korea: Building Connections and Supporting the MDPI Seoul Office

In July, I had the opportunity to visit our team in Seoul and engage directly with academic communities in South Korea. The visit focused on deepening MDPI’s relationships with local universities, institutions, and partners, and supporting the great work of our colleagues at the MDPI Seoul office.

Korea Association of Private University Libraries (KAPUL) Conference

A highlight of the visit was our participation in the Korea Association of Private University Libraries (KAPUL) Conference, where we presented to over 100 academic librarians. I delivered a keynote speech titled “The Evolving Publishing Landscape: Open Access and Beyond,” while my colleague Dr. Jisuk Kang (Public Affairs Specialist) shared insights in her presentation, “Inside MDPI: Editorial Practices & Research Integrity.”

Facts & Figures: South Korea

  • South Korea is MDPI’s sixth-largest publishing country by article volume (over 90,000 MDPI papers published to date).
  • In 2024, Korea ranked 16th globally by total publications, and 6th (among these top 20 countries) by citation impact.
  • 52% of Korean publications in 2024 were OA – and 73% of those were Gold OA.
  • MDPI published about 20% of all OA papers from Korea in 2024.
  • Over 2,000 active Editorial Board Members from South Korea contribute to MDPI journals, with 11 Section Editors-in-Chief.
  • We currently have 11 Institutional Open Access Program agreements and two society partnerships in Korea:
    • Korean Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology (with MDPI journal Pharmaceutics)
    • Korean Tribology Society (with MDPI journal Coatings)

MDPI Seoul Office and the First Korea Salon

Our Seoul office serves as a regional hub for marketing, communications, and community engagement. It continues to grow in size and influence, prioritizing supporting scholar visits, conference sponsorships, and outreach events such as the recent MDPI Korea Salon.

The inaugural Salon, themed “Exploring Research Trends in Medical Publishing, Ethics, and AI,” brought together over 20 scholars and Editorial Board members serving MDPI journals.

Thank you to our guest speakers including Professors Young-Joon Surh of Seoul National University, Kwang-Sig Lee of Korea University, and Jin-Won Noh of Yonsei University who presented on the landscape of medicine in South Korea and across the globe. The Salon also included presentations from MDPI colleagues on Open Access, ethics, and how the IOAP can support researchers in this field.

“Our Seoul office continues to grow in size and influence”

Looking Ahead

MDPI is already the leading OA publisher in South Korea, yet challenges and misconceptions around OA and APCs remain. Visits like this one, along with the ongoing efforts of our Seoul office, are important to building understanding, trust, and long-term relationships with the local academic community.

A big thank-you to our colleagues in Seoul for their warm hospitality, professionalism, and energy! Our new office is well situated, staffed, and ready to grow. This visit marked an important step forward in our continued mission to support global research communities and advance Open Science.

Inside MDPI

Preprints.org Reaches 100,000 Preprints: A Major Milestone for MDPI and Open Science

In case you missed it, Preprints.org recently surpassed 100,000 preprints posted. This is a major milestone for our platform and one worth celebrating.

Preprints are a key pillar of the Open Science movement, which promotes transparency, equity, and faster knowledge-sharing through initiatives such as Open Access, Open Data, Open Source, and Open Peer Review. The benefits of Open Science extend beyond researchers, as they support funders, educators, policymakers, and the public in advancing discovery and innovation.

What is behind the 100,000 preprints milestone?

Since its launch in 2016, Preprints.org has grown into one of the world’s leading preprint platforms, now ranked fifth globally by publication volume.

More than 350,000 researchers have contributed, helping shape this dynamic and collaborative space for sharing early-stage research across all disciplines.

Read the full announcement here:
https://www.mdpi.com/about/announcements/12202

“Preprints.org has grown into one of the world’s leading preprint platforms”

Some quick facts worth noting:

  • About 56% of the preprints on Preprints.org are later published in peer-reviewed journals.
  • The platform is now indexed in Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Europe PMC, and Crossref, helping improve visibility and trust in the preprints shared.
  • Recent upgrades – including a revamped website, new features such as search subscriptions, curated reading lists, and community feedback tools (PREreview) – show our commitment to developing Preprints.org in line with researchers’ needs.

This growth and progress would not be possible without the dedication of the Preprints.org team, our Advisory Board members, screeners, and colleagues across MDPI who support the platform’s development. This milestone is a reminder of our shared mission: to accelerate scientific communication and build a more open, transparent, and inclusive research ecosystem.

I’m excited to see what’s ahead as we approach Preprints.org’s 10-year anniversary in 2026!

Coming Together for Science

Malaysia Media Roundtable: Educating on Open Access and MDPI’s Presence in Southeast Asia

At the end of June, I had the opportunity to participate in a strategic media roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, focused on raising awareness about the importance of Open Access (OA) and on MDPI’s growing presence in Southeast Asia.

We welcomed five Malaysian media outlets for an engaging private session that included presentations and open discussion.

I gave an overview of the benefits of Open Access, MDPI’s global developments, and our collaborations in Malaysia.

My colleague Yu Nwe Soe (Public Relations Specialist), presented on our editorial process, helping to clarify how MDPI supports authors and maintains research quality.

We were also joined by two local Editorial Board Members (EBMs) who offered first-hand insights into their experiences working with MDPI and how OA has shaped their publishing choices.

The discussion covered a range of questions from the press, from OA publishing models to editorial standards, and highlighted MDPI’s unique contribution to accelerating scientific communication in the region.

As the leading fully OA publisher, we see it as our responsibility to continue educating research communities and the broader public on the impact of OA, especially in emerging and high-growth academic markets.

Spotlight on Malaysia

Malaysia continues to rise as a regional research hub, with five universities ranked in the global top 200 and 11 subjects in the global top 50. In 2024, Malaysia ranked 2nd in Southeast Asia in total publication output, 10th in Asia, and 25th globally.

MDPI’s presence in Malaysia:

  • Over 21,000 research articles published to date from Malaysian institutions
  • More than 1,100 articles published in 2024 alone
  • In the period 2020–2024, 54% of Malaysia’s total publications were OA
  • 36 EBMs from Malaysia, across 27 MDPI journals
  • Around 100 conferences sponsored in Malaysia in the past five years
  • MDPI is hosting the 2nd International Conference on AI Sensors and Transducers in Kuala Lumpur (29 July- 3 August 2025)

Media Coverage & Editorial Voices

Following the roundtable, we saw positive coverage across several local outlets, with articles highlighting MDPI’s role in empowering Malaysian researchers. Notable pieces included:

Our local EBMs also shared their perspectives:

Prof. Denny Ng Kok Sum (Sunway University, EBM of MDPI journal Processes) and Prof. Lee (EBM of MDPI journal Bacteria) share their experiences with MDPI and the role Open Access plays in their publication decisions.

“We see it as our responsibility to continue educating research communities on the impact of OA”

“I didn’t want my work stuck behind a paywall.”
— Prof. Denny Ng Kok Sum, Sunway University, Processes Editorial Board Member

“Open Access opens doors for collaboration and visibility, especially in fast-developing regions like ours.”
— Prof. Lee, Bacteria Editorial Board Member

This roundtable marked another step in building trust, understanding, and collaboration in Southeast Asia. A big thank-you to the MDPI Malaysia team and all those who contributed to the event’s success.

Closing Thoughts

MDPI Signs First North American Agreement with Canadian Consortium

We are proud to announce a major milestone for MDPI Canada and an important step forward for OA in North America.

In July, our Toronto office finalized MDPI’s first North American consortium agreement with the Federal Science Libraries Network (FSLN). This is a significant achievement that strengthens our expansion in Canada and reinforces our global commitment to supporting Open Science.

This two-year agreement gives Canadian federal agencies access to MDPI’s IOAP, including discounted article processing charges for affiliated researchers across our portfolio of over 475 OA journals. It lowers barriers for Canadian scientists to share their work more openly and reach a global audience.


Ryan Siu, Institutional Partnerships Manager at MDPI.

“The Open Science landscape in Canada is rapidly evolving, with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy set for renewal by the end of 2025. This reflects ongoing efforts to foster greater scientific transparency and accessibility at a national policy level,” says Ryan Siu, Institutional Partnerships Manager at MDPI.

“Our new agreement with FSLN represents our shared commitment to further these efforts and foster wider readership. By aligning with these initiatives, we make progress towards research that’s both inclusive and impactful, benefiting local and global communities alike.”

Participating FSLN institutions include:

  • Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • Health Canada
  • National Research Council Canada
  • Natural Resources Canada

By partnering with some of Canada’s largest science-based agencies, we reaffirm our goal of advancing OA across continents. We look forward to developing our support for Canadian researchers and continuing to drive progress in Open Science across North America and beyond.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

29 July 2025
Meet Us at the 5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Molecular Science, 26–29 August 2025, Kyoto, Japan


The 5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Molecular Science (ISFMS2025), organized by the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN: 1422-0067) and MDPI, will be held from 26 to 29 August 2025 in Kyoto, Japan.

This conference will present outstanding research results that elucidate the molecular mechanisms of biological functions and regulation and will also facilitate drug design based on molecular biology, biophysical characterization, in vivo environmental homeostasis, organ interactions based on sensory systems, the physiome, and AI-assisted analysis of protein structures and functions. It aims to bring together scientists, researchers, and engineers from across the world who are working in academia, national labs, and industry to discuss the latest advances in molecular science.

Topics that will be covered include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Protein structure and function;
  • Multidomain proteins;
  • Drug design and drug resistance;
  • Enzymes;
  • Molecular biology of galectins;
  • Glycobiophysics;
  • NMR spectroscopy;
  • Specific sensory systems;
  • Brain and systemic function.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at this conference:

  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences;
  • Current Issues in Molecular Biology;
  • Cells;
  • Bioengineering;
  • Biophysica;
  • BioTech;
  • Cancers;
  • International Journal of Translational Medicine;
  • Kinases and Phosphatases;
  • Microorganisms;
  • Molecules;
  • Synbio;
  • Antibiotics;
  • Antioxidants;
  • Applied Biosciences;
  • BioMed;
  • Biomedicines;
  • BioMedInformatics;
  • Membranes;
  • Antibodies.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please feel free to reach out online and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at our booth and answering any questions you may have. For more information about this event, please click on the following link:  https://sciforum.net/event/ISFMS2025.

29 July 2025
Meet Us at the ASHG 2025 Annual Meeting, 14–18 October 2025, Boston, USA


Conference:
ASHG 2025 Annual Meeting
Organization: American Society of Human Genetics
Date: 14–18 October 2025
Place: Boston, USA

MDPI will attend the ASHG 2025 Annual Meeting, held in Boston, USA, from 14 to 18 October 2025.

The ASHG Annual Meeting is the largest human genetics and genomics meeting and exposition in the world. Held in the fall, it provides a forum for the presentation and discussion of cutting-edge science in all areas of human genetics. Highlights include invited symposia; abstract-driven plenary, platform, and poster sessions; education/trainee workshops; and career opportunities and networking events.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

  • Genes;
  • Biomedicines;
  • IJMS;
  • Biomolecules;
  • BioMedInformatics;
  • Applied Biosciences;
  • DNA;
  • Cardiogenetics;
  • Vaccines;
  • Epigenomes;
  • Biology;
  • CIMB;
  • Diseases;
  • J;
  • JPM.

If you plan on attending this conference, please stop by our booth #1975 and speak with us. 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.ashg.org/meetings/2025meeting/.

4 July 2025
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in June 2025

Six new journals covering a range of subjects launched their inaugural issues in June 2025. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access. We are pleased to present the latest research and to make it accessible to all.

We extend our sincere thanks to all the Editorial Board Members for their commitment and expertise. Each journal is dedicated to upholding strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal Founding Editor-in-Chief Journal Topics (Selected)
Prof. Dr. Chang-Pu Sun,
China Academy of Engineering Physics, Beijing, China; Computational Science Research Center, China
Editorial | View inaugural issue
quantum information and phenomena; condensed matter physics and statistical physics; atomic, molecular, and optical physics; computational physics and mathematical methods
View journal scope | Submit an article
Prof. Dr. Hualiang Lin,
Sun Yat-sen University, China;
Prof. Dr. Jose L. Domingo,
Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain
Editorial | View inaugural issue
green and organic food; green infrastructures; green exercise; environmental impact of the healthcare sector; effects of climate change on human health |
View journal scope | Submit an article
Prof. Dr. Francesco Veglio,
University of L’Aquila, Italy
Editorial | View inaugural issue
ultra-pure substances; water purification; air purification; gas purification; inorganic chemical purification; purification technologies
View journal scope | Submit an article
Prof. Dr. Junxing Zheng,
Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
Editorial | View inaugural issue
computer-aided design and engineering; artificial intelligence and machine learning; building information modeling (BIM) and digital twins; robotics and automation in construction; smart sensors and Internet of Things (IoT); intelligent control systems and facilities management
View journal scope | Submit an article
Prof. Dr. Assunta Di Vaio, University of Naples Parthenope, Italy
Editorial | View inaugural issue
sustainability, managerial, and biodiversity accounting; carbon management accounting; corporate social responsibility; artificial intelligence and disclosure
View journal scope | Submit an article
Prof. Dr. Changjun Liu,
Sichuan University, China
Editorial | View inaugural issue
bioeffects of electromagnetic waves; electromagnetic science and engineering; microwave, millimeter-wave, and terahertz technologies; metamaterials and metasurfaces; communication, sensing, and networks; energy, power, and sustainable applications; quantum and emerging technologies; artificial intelligence and advanced fabrication
View journal scope | Submit an article
We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you are interested in launching a new open access journal with us, you are welcome to send an application here.

2 July 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #24 - 2024 Impact Factor & CiteScore, MDPI Summits France & USA, Tu Youyou Award

Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.

In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.


Opening Thoughts

MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights

For those of our readers who are new to academic publishing, you may have heard some news in June around the Impact Factor release. Every year, typically in June, Clarivate releases its annual Journal Citation Reports (JCR), which include Journal Impact Factors (JIF). This metric is widely used in academic publishing to reflect the average number of citations received by recent articles in each journal.

While Impact Factor is just one of many indicators of journal influence, it remains a major milestone for authors, editors, and publishers. It’s used to assess journal visibility, researcher recognition, and scholarly reach. Throughout our international meetings and events, it’s clear that the Impact Factor is something many of our authors and editorial board members care about, as it can influence where they choose to submit an article and the funding they receive for their research.

“These results reflect the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI”

MDPI’s 2024 Impact Factor Highlights

  • 298 MDPI journals received a Journal Impact Factor.
  • 60 journals earned their first-ever Impact Factor
    • To put this in perspective: MDPI’s 60 new journal acceptances into the Web of Science was the second highest number of any publisher in 2024, behind Elsevier and ahead of Springer Nature. Our 87% acceptance rate for journals submitted to Web of Science shows the strength of our editorial process and our proven ability to develop journals aligned with Clarivate’s 24 evaluation criteria.
    • Notably, Textiles, Mathematics, International Journal of Neonatal Screening, Smart Cities, Systems, and Pharmaceutics ranked in the top 10% in their respective categories, highlighting their growing influence and prestige within their academic fields. This shows that high-quality indexing goes beyond visibility; it upholds credibility and trust.
  • 193 MDPI journals are now ranked in the top 50% (Q1/Q2) of their subject categories.
    • What does this mean, and why is it important? Journals are ranked by quartiles within their field, based on their Impact Factor. Q1 represents the top 25% of journals in their category, Q2 the next 25%, and so on. Being in Q1 or Q2 shows that a journal is performing well relative to other journals in its category. Authors and institutions often look at quartile rankings when choosing where to publish – it’s an important indicator of visibility and recognition, within its respective category.
  • 116 of our previously ranked journals increased their Impact Factor.
  • 14 MDPI journals achieved an Impact Factor of 5.0 or higher, suggesting a high degree of influence and visibility.

These results reflect our staff's hard work: from our editorial and production teams to our indexing, communications, and data teams, and beyond. This also reflects the trust that the scholarly community places in MDPI, reinforcing the message that when researchers publish with MDPI, they publish with impact.

Open Access with Impact

As the leading fully open access publisher, our journals have received a total of 18.4 million citations in the Web of Science by the end of 2024, reflecting the growing reach and engagement of research published with MDPI. We are committed to making scientific research freely accessible to everyone, everywhere. With the support of more than 4.2 million contributing authors, we’re proud to support the global shift toward open access.

Further Reading

If you’d like to better understand how journals get indexed and why Impact Factors matter, please read this recent interview with Dr. Constanze Schelhorn (Head of Indexing). It gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the role our indexing team plays in supporting journal indexing and visibility.

You can also read our official news announcement shared last week: MDPI Journals in the 2024 Journal Citation Reports.

Thank you to everyone, from our authors and reviewers to our editors and internal teams, who contributed to the progress of our journal indexing in 2024. We’re continuing to build journals that are recognized and trusted across disciplines.

Impactful Research

MDPI Journals See Continued Growth in 2024 CiteScore Results

Continuing our indexing updates, I’m pleased to share that MDPI has achieved strong results in the latest CiteScore metrics, released on 5 June by Scopus. These results reflect the collective efforts of our editors, reviewers, authors, and internal teams, with their dedication to quality and visibility in scientific publishing. You can read the full announcement here.

2024 Highlights:

  • 322 MDPI journals received a CiteScore (up from 274 last year).
  • 283 journals (88%) are ranked in Q1 or Q2 of their subject categories.
  • 237 journals (85%) saw an increase in their CiteScore compared to last year.
  • 48 journals received a CiteScore for the first time.
  • 39 journals are now placed in the top 10% of their subject areas.

“This growth highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science”

What is CiteScore and how is it measured?

CiteScore metrics are developed by Elsevier as an alternative to the Impact Factor. They measure the citation impact of journals and can be accessed freely on Scopus. The metric represents the yearly average number of citations to recent articles published in a journal. If you’re interested in learning more about citation metrics and how we use them, check out this blog post.

Why is this important?

These results show the growing recognition for, and impact of, MDPI journals across disciplines. CiteScore rankings help researchers, institutions, and funders assess where high-quality work is being published. This growth improves our journals’ positioning in the publishing landscape and highlights our commitment to supporting open, trusted science.

Inside MDPI

Highlights from the MDPI USA Summit in Boston (5–6 June)

With several Summits already behind us, I think this is a good time to reflect on the purpose of these Summits.

Why do we organize MDPI Summits?

These one-and-a-half-day, invite-only gatherings are designed to improve our relationships with Chief Editors who lead our journals and are respected voices in their fields. The Summits aim to:

  1. Share MDPI’s values, achievements, editorial practices, and local market collaborations.
  2. Collect feedback on MDPI operations and journal practices.
  3. Empower Chief Editors to confidently represent MDPI beyond the Summit.

While Chief Editors know their journals well, these events help them better understand MDPI. We want them to be ambassadors for our brand. The aim is for them to walk away informed, engaged, and equipped to share positively about MDPI.

About the Boston Summit

Held on 5–6 June, our first USA Summit gathered over 25 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in the USA. The program included presentations, Q&A, and a panel discussion.

Agenda Highlights:

Moderated by Summer Huggard (Operations Manager [Toronto], MDPI), the program featured:

  • MDPI Overview and USA Collaboration – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
  • AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Feichi Lu (Junior Data Scientist, MDPI)
  • MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
  • Panel Discussion – Stefan, Feichi, Giulia, Claudia
  • Society Partnerships – Dr. Clàudia Aunós (Society Partnerships Senior Manager, MDPI)
  • Voice of the Customer and Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)

MDPI & the USA: Facts and Figures

  • With over 216,000 publications, the USA is MDPI’s second-largest contributor after China.
  • In 2024, the USA ranked 2nd in total submissions and 2nd in total MDPI publications, with more than 28,200 publications.
  • As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from the USA until April 2025 was 352,099.
  • As at April 2025, there are more than 12,035 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from the USA, with 55% having an H-index over 26.
  • Among them, 96 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 218 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
  • MDPI has more than 920 Institutional Open Access Program agreements worldwide, with over 130 from the USA.

A special thanks to our Toronto team, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this event run smoothly.

Coming Together for Science

Highlights from the MDPI France Summit in Paris (12–13 June)

We completed our first MDPI France Summit in Paris last week, and it was a special event. Attendees were engaged from beginning to end, remaining after hours to network and collaborate.

Why a France Summit?

We chose to host a France Summit in view of the recent challenges MDPI has faced with the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). What we took away from the event is that our authors and editors very much appreciate and enjoy working with us, but we need to address the concerns raised by CNRS, around Article Processing Charges (APCs) and the funding of gold open access publications.

“Our authors and editors very much enjoy working with us”

Some of the claims made in the June 2023 interview with Alain Schuhl, the Deputy CEO for Science at the CNRS, are simply not factual. For example, they state that MDPI’s “average APC charges per article are now around the same as Springer Nature’s.” Here is the relevant passage, reproduced verbatim:

This is not accurate.

A recent preprint analysing APC data from Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley, PLOS, MDPI, and Frontiers (2019–2023) shows that MDPI’s average APCs remain significantly lower than those of Springer Nature and several other major publishers.

The MDPI Summits are part of our outreach and communication efforts to address misconceptions and clarify MDPI’s position as one of the most accessible and affordable major gold open access publishers in the world.

Summit Overview

Held on 12–13 June, the France Summit gathered over 20 Chief Editors to learn more about MDPI’s activities and collaborations in France. Many of these editors are influential in their institutions and professional societies. Several also have connections to CNRS, which makes this an important opportunity to clarify how we operate and build trust through open and transparent communication and hopefully turn our editors into informed advocates of MDPI.

Summit Feedback

The feedback has been very positive, with most attendees completing the post-event survey and all rating the experience as Excellent or Good. A few highlights:

  • “The whole thing was highly professional and, above all, provided quantified details that will allow us to better answer questions surrounding MDPI.”
  • “The summit was an opportunity to meet personally various people directly engaged in the organization and policies of MDPI, which made it possible to clarify some important points concerning publishing with MDPI.”
  • “Very well organized! A great opportunity to see all French MDPI partners and editors.”

Program Highlights:

Moderated by Miruna Adelina Nicolcioiu (Senior Conference Producer), the program featured:

  • MDPI Overview and France Collaboration – Stefan Tochev (CEO)
  • MDPI Editorial Process and Peer-Review Quality – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist)
  • Institutional Partnerships and Open Access Funding Models – Becky Castellon (Institutional Partnerships Manager)
  • AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist)
  • Publication Ethics: Global Trends – Diana Cristina Apodaritei (Research Integrity Specialist)
  • Closing Remarks – Stefan Tochev
  • Panel Discussion – Diana, Becky, Prof. Dr. Patrick Da Cost, and Stefan

MDPI & France: Facts and Figures

  • With over 51,000 publications, France is MDPI's tenth-largest contributor, and fifth largest among EU countries after Italy, Spain, Germany, and Poland.
  • As of 2020, the cumulative number of authors from France until April 2025 was 87,592.
  • As at April 2025, there are more than 2,800 active Editorial Board Members (EBMs) from France, with 59% having an H-index over 26.
  • Among them, 22 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiC) and 61 as section-Editors-in-Chief (SEiC)
  • In 2024, IJMS, JCM, and Molecules were the top three MDPI journals in terms of submissions from French-affiliated authors.

Special thanks to our colleagues from Romanian offices for organizing this successful event.

Closing Thoughts

Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller Share the 2024 Tu Youyou Award

As we wrap up this month’s newsletter, I’d like to take a moment to recognize the winners of the 2024 Tu Youyou Award, presented by our journal Molecules. I am pleased to share that the 2024 Tu Youyou Award has been conferred upon Richard DiMarchi and Rolf Müller, in recognition of their significant contributions to natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

I invite you to read the editorial co-authored by the Tu Youyou Award Committee, which highlights the significance of the award and the remarkable impact of the recipients’ research.

A sincere thank-you to the 2024 Award Committee for their dedication and selection process, and congratulations once again to this year’s honourees. Your work exemplifies the kind of research MDPI is proud to support and amplify.

About the Tu Youyou Award
The 2024 Tu Youyou Award includes a total monetary prize of 100,000 Swiss Francs and a medal for each recipient. Established in 2016 to honour the pioneering spirit of Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, the Tu Youyou Award is an international award recognizing exceptional scholars dedicated to the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry.

For further information about the award and the winners, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website.

Stefan Tochev
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG

30 June 2025
Welcoming New Early Career Editorial Members of International Journal of Molecular Sciences


The International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS, ISSN: 1422-0067) is pleased to announce that the following 100 researchers have been added to our group of 2025–2026 Early Career Editorial Board Members. Please join us in congratulating them on joining the IJMS community!

Name: Dr. Xin Li
Affiliation: DWI-Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials e.V., Forckenbeckstr. 50, 52074 Aachen, Germany
Research interests: biopolymers; nanomedicine; hydrogels; theranostics; biocatalysis

Name: Dr. Jiahui Zhu
Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Superlight Materials and Surface Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
Research interests: extraction, separation, and purification of uranium in the ocean; study of the selective adhesion behavior of marine-fouling organisms; development of catalysts for hydrogen production using electrolytic water and a membrane electrode

Name: Dr. Giulia Bononi
Affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Research interests: small-molecule drug design; anti-cancer drugs; organic synthesis; medicinal chemistry; cancer; enzymatic assays; structure–activity relationship (SAR)

Name: Dr. Lei Yan
Affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
Research interests: plants; adversity stress

Name: Dr. Rui Guo
Affiliation: Host–Pathogen Interaction Mechanism and Precision Medicine Team, National & Local United Engineering Laboratory of Natural Biotoxin, Apitherapy Research Institute, College of Bee Science and Biomedicine, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Research interests: host–pathogen/parasite interaction; non-coding RNA; epigenetics; transgene; omics; precision medicine

Name: Dr. Dušan Dimić
Affiliation: Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Research interests: DFT; transition metal complexes; antioxidants; QTAIM, noncovalent interactions; reaction mechanisms; forensic chemistry; EPR; IR; Raman

Name: Dr. Bo Wang
Affiliation: Department of Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
Research interests: molecular mechanisms; lipid metabolism; human diseases; cancer

Name: Dr. Md. Jakaria
Affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Research interests: cellular stress; cell death; neurotoxicity; neurodegeneration; neurotherapeutics

Name: Dr. Changling Wu
Affiliation: College of Food and Health, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forest University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Research interests: grain and oil storage and functional processing; high-value utilization of grain processing by-products

Name: Dr. Pooja Mittal
Affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Research interests: cancer; apoptosis; inhibitors; colorectal cancer; polymorphisms

Name: Dr. Zhen Zhang
Affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Research interests:
synthesis and self-assembly of polymer materials; synthesis of upconversion nanoparticles; construction of advanced assemblies and their biomedical applications

Name: Dr. Dongwei Di
Affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No.71 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210008, China
Research interests: auxins; gene expression; molecular cloning; gene regulation; transcription factors; protein–protein interaction

Name: Dr. Beatrice Polini
Affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Research interests: inflammation; neurodegeneration; microglia; obesity; cannabinoid receptor ligand

Name: Dr. Qi Su
Affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Research interests: gut inflammation; precision nutrition; host–diet–gut microbiome interaction; immune response; pre/probiotics; nutritional epigenomics; intestinal microecology

Name: Dr. Simona Sagona
Affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126, Pisa, Italy
Research interests: honeybees; bee products; diet; biochemistry; proteomic; enzymes; immune system; animals

Name: Dr. Jiang-Hui Wang
Affiliation: Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
Research interests: AAV; capsid engineering; gene therapy; retinal diseases

Name: Dr. Matteo Bordoni
Affiliation: Cellular Models and Neuroepigenetics Unit-IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Research interests: neurodegeneration; ALS; cellular models; iPSCs; 3D bioprinting; organoids

Name: Dr. Subhadeep Das
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Research interests: RNA biology; human diseases; eukaryotic stress response; cancer biology; microbiology; cell biology; biochemistry; biomaterials

Name: Dr. Hongxun Tao
Affiliation: School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Research interests: edible medicinal botanicals; functional foods; natural products; pharmacology

Name: Dr. Kangyu Wang
Affiliation: College of Life Science, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Research interests: plant genome; transcription factor family; functional genomics; methyl jasmonate treatment

Name: Dr. Vassilis Athanasiadis
Affiliation: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Thessaly, Terma N. Temponera Str., 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Research interests: functional foods; polyphenols; antioxidants; public health; nutritional evaluation; natural product extracts

Name: Dr. Om Prakash Narayan
Affiliation: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Research interests: fungi; pathogens; plant pathology; PCR; molecular biology; microbiology; applied microbiology; proteomics

Name: Dr. Łukasz Szeleszczuk
Affiliation: Department of Organic and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Research interests: cyclodextrins; polymorphism; crystals; inclusion complexes; calculations; quantum mechanics; GIPAW, GIAO, CASTEP; phase transition

Name: Dr. Silvia Sfameni
Affiliation: Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials, ISMN-CNR, Palermo, c/o Department of ChiBioFarAm, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Research interests: material chemistry; nanotechnology; sol-gel chemistry; polymer science; hi-tech textiles; functional coatings; sustainability; stimuli-responsive polymers

Name: Dr. Changxia Li
Affiliation: College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, 100 East University Road, Xixiangtang District, Nanning 530004, China
Research interests: stress response; fruit ripening; quality regulation; plant hormones; signal molecules

Name: Dr. Giulia Rando
Affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Analytical Sciences (ChiBioFarAm), University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
Research interests: materials chemistry; green chemistry; nanotechnology; environmental remediation; advanced materials; filtration membranes; stimuli-responsive polymers; functional systems

Name: Dr. Yiwei Zhou
Affiliation: Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, China
Research interests: utilization and genetic breeding of ornamental plant germplasm resources; integrated multi-omics analysis of the formation mechanisms of important traits; construction of efficient detection systems for aroma and color

Name: Dr. Ritesh Kumar
Affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
Research interests: abiotic stress; plant reproduction; thermotolerance

Name: Dr. Adil Majeed Rather
Affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
Research interests: bioinspired polymeric materials; superhydrophobic and superomniphobic surfaces; liquid crystal interfaces; slippery surfaces; oil–water separations

Name: Dr. Pablo Andrés Pérez Moreno
Affiliation: Programa de Comunicación Celular en Cáncer, Instituto de Ciencias e Innovación en Medicina (ICIM), Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
Research interests: non-coding RNAs in cancer; long non-coding RNAs in cancer; prognostic biomarkers in cancer; treatment targets in cancer; molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs in cancer; cancer stem cell phenotype

Name: Dr. Terenzio Cosio
Affiliation: Department of Laboratory Sciences and Haematological Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
Research interests: medical mycology; microbiology; Trichophyton spp., Candida spp., Candida biofilm; psoriasis; biological drugs; risk infections; infectious adverse events

Name: Dr. Prashant Kumar
Affiliation: School of Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-NPL Campus, New Delhi 110012, India
Research interests: ferrites; ferrofluids; metal oxides; polymers; hybrid nanocomposites; magnetic thin films; 2-D material; spintronics; energy conversion; hyperthermia; MRI; EMI shielding; photocatalytic; magneto-optical devices

Name: Dr. Simone Palini
Affiliation: Ospedale “Cervesi” di Cattolica-AUSL Romagna, Via Ludwig Van Beethoven, 1, 47841 Cattolica, RN, Italy
Research interests: embryos; embryo cryopreservation; embryo culture cryopreservation; assisted reproductive technology; oocytes; endometriosis; reproductive biology; reproductive endocrinology; reproductive medicine

Name: Dr. Chen Wu
Affiliation: Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Research interests: applied chemistry; fine chemicals; catalytic materials.

Name: Dr. Guijie Lei
Affiliation: School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China
Research interests: physiological and molecular mechanisms for the uptake, translocation, distribution, accumulation and detoxification of mineral elements in plants; breeding for new crop varieties with more safety, rich nutrition, high resilience, and environmental friendliness

Name: Dr. Lucia Vietri
Affiliation: Respiratory Diseases Unit, Emergency Department, University Hospital of Ferrara, 44124 Ferrara, Italy
Research interests: inflammation autoimmunity cellular immunology; T cell biology; inflammatory diseases; autoimmune disorders; chronic inflammation

Name: Dr. Diego Lopergolo
Affiliation: Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Senese-Policlinico Santa Maria alle Scotte, 53100 Siena, Italy
Research interests: rare neuromuscular disorders; rare genetic neurologic disease

Name: Dr. Jiachen Liu
Affiliation: School of medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
Research interests: genetics; multi-omics; system biology; drug development; musculoskeletal diseases; aging

Name: Dr. Laura Giannotti
Affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Lecce, 73100, Italy
Research interests: regenerative medicine; cancer; antioxidants; neuroinflammation; transcription factors

Name: Dr. Mara Mădălina Mihai
Affiliation: Department of Oncologic Dermatology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania, Elias Emergency University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
Research interests: bioactive materials; nanotechnology; targeted therapy; biologic therapy; chronic wounds; wound healing; chronic skin infections; microbial biofilms; skin cancer; melanoma

Name: Dr. Daniel Souza Monteiro de Araújo
Affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
Research interests: neuroscience; pharmacology; ion channel; pain

Name: Dr. Handou Zheng
Affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, PCFM Lab, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
Research interests: polyolefins; coordination polymerization; organometallic catalysts

Name: Dr. Federico Pio Fabrizio
Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, “Kore” University of Enna, 94100 Enna, Italy
Research interests: epigenetics; molecular biology; lung cancer; DNA methylation; resistance

Name: Dr. Igor José dos Santos Nascimento
Affiliation: Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
Research interests: medicinal chemistry; molecular modeling; computer-aided drug design

Name: Dr. Jyoti Bala Kaushal
Affiliation: Radiation Oncology, College of Medicine, Fred & Pamela Buffet Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
Research interests: cancer research; hormones; cell death; molecular alterations; cell signaling; tumor microenvironment; cellular plasticity; metabolism and endocrinology. I am particularly interested in exploring molecular patterns in normal physiology and disease biology, including cancer and related metastasis, through the lens of cell biology and proteomic approaches

Name: Dr. Pamela Swiatlowska
Affiliation: Myocardial Function, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, ICTEM, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
Research interests: cardiovascular science; mechanobiology; atherosclerosis; heart failure; mechano-epigenetics

Name: Dr. Sukkum Chang
Affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland, 21702, USA
Research interests: drug resistance; cancer biology; cell signaling; inflammation; fibrosis

Name: Dr. Xiaodong Tan
Affiliation: Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
Research interests: bioinformatics; genetics; molecular biology

Name: Dr. Giusy Tassone
Affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Research interests: structural biology; X-ray crystallography; inorganic chemistry; cancer research; parasitic diseases; neurological disorders; β-lactamases; antibiotic resistance; pteridine reductase; heat shock protein 90; 14-3-3; bioinorganic chemistry; glutaminyl cyclase; bile acid binding protein

Name: Dr. Mohammad El Khatib
Affiliation: Unit of Basic and Applied Biosciences, Faculty of Bioscience and Agro-Food and Environmental Technology, University of Teramo, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Research interests: tendon; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; amniotic epithelial stem cells; adipose-derived stem cells; 3D bioengineering scaffolds; tendon regeneration; immunomodulation; in vitro models; mechanotransduction; electrospinning

Name: Dr. Amelia Salimonti
Affiliation: Research Centre for Olive, Citrus and Tree Fruit, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), 87036 Rende (Cosenza), Italy
Research interests: plant genetics; plant transcriptomics; association studies; phenotypic and molecular characterization of olive germplasm; micropropagation; floral biology; abiotic stress; studies about the effects of climate change in olive growing

Name: Dr. Antonio d’Amati
Affiliation: Anatomic Pathology Unit, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
Research interests: pathology; molecular pathology; molecular oncology; neuropathology; CNS tumors; gynecological pathology

Name: Dr. David Osca
Affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales IUNAT, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas, Spain
Research interests: molecular tools; genetics; phylogeny; barcoding; bioinformatics; mitochondrial genomes; genomics

Name: Dr. Giorgio Tofani
Affiliation: Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Research interests: paper and pulp technology; biorefinery concept; wood chemistry; lignin chemistry; green solvents; lignin-based resins; biomaterials

Name: Dr. Alexandr Ceasovschih
Affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Research interests: atherosclerosis; lipidology; inflammation; arterial stiffness; peripheral arterial disease; COVID-19

Name: Dr. Xuechen Yang
Affiliation: Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi, China
Research interests: microbial community diversity; soil carbon cycle; soil fertility; enzyme stability; greenhouse gases emission; global change; soil multifunctionality

Name: Dr. Longhai Zou
Affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A & F University, 666 Wusu Street, Hangzhou 311300, China
Research interests: stress tolerance of woody plants; epigenetics is involved in transcriptional regulation; functional studies of transcription factors; transcriptional regulatory networks; functional genomics

Name: Dr. Huaming Xi
Affiliation: 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
2. College of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, China
Research interests: Chinese herbal extracts regulate fertility (male and female); autophagy in animal reproduction; sperm cryopreservation; spermatogonial stem cell differentiation and self-renewal

Name: Dr. Carlos Cruz
Affiliation: Department of Electronics, University of Alcala, 28871 Madrid, Spain
Research interests: sensors; detectors characterization; digital embedded systems; electronic design; data analysis

Name: Dr. Jaber Dehghani
Affiliation: Laboratoire GlycoMEV UR 4358, Université de Rouen Normandie, SFR Normandie Végétal FED 4277, Innovation Chimie Carnot, F-76000 Rouen, France
Research interests: microalgae; chlamydomonas; dunaliella; chlorella; microalgae biotechnology

Name: Dr. Nan Sun
Affiliation: National Engineering Research Center for Colloidal Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Research interests: polymer materials; application of surfactants; self-assembly of short peptides; super-resolution imaging

Name: Dr. Na Wang
Affiliation: Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL, USA
Research interests: neurodegeneration disease; Alzheimer’s disease

Name: Dr. Katerina Nikolouli
Affiliation: Insect Pest Control Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, IAEA Laboratories, 2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
Research interests: genetics; insects; pest control; mutagenesis; CRISPR/Cas9; genetic sexing strains

Name: Dr. Victor Zacharias Martin
Affiliation: Laboratory for Bone Metabolism and Regeneration, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-393 Porto, Portugal
Research interests: dentistry; bone graft; nanoparticles; periodontology; scaffolds; oral surgery; tetracyclines; drug delivery; cellular biology; cytocompatibility

Name: Dr. Elena Salvi
Affiliation: Department of Biology, Università di Pisa (UNIPI), 56126 Pisa, Italy
Research interests: plant morphogenesis; patterning; phytohormones; root development; petal development; Arabidopsis thaliana; Hibiscus trionum

Name: Dr. Gabriela Goujgoulova
Affiliation: Risk Assessment Center on Food Chain, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
Research interests: animal viruses; zoonoses; virology, molecular biology; viral genetics; risk assessment; vaccines

Name: Prof. Dr. Leonardo Henrique Dalcheco Messias
Affiliation: Research Group on Technology Applied to Exercise Physiology—GTAFE, Health Sciences Postgraduate Program, São Francisco University, Bragança Paulista 12916-900, SP, Brazil
Research interests: exercise physiology; physical training; bioenergetics; metabolomics; systematic review; meta-analysis

Name: Dr. András Molnár
Affiliation: Opera Clinic, Protone Audio Kft., Lázár u. 4, H-1065 Budapest, Hungary
Research interests: vestibular disorders; tinnitus; hearing loss; vertigo; olfactory disorders; obstructive sleep apnea; neurotology

Name: Dr. Carolina Conter
Affiliation: CIC bioGUNE (Center for Cooperative Research in Bioscience), Technological Park of Bizkaia, 48016 Derio, Spain
Research interests: biochemistry; enzymology; PLP-dependent enzyme

Name: Dr. Yong Wang
Affiliation: Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, Institute of Quantitative Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
Research interests: computational biophysics; membrane transporters; free energy calculations; molecular dynamics simulations

Name: Dr. He Yin
Affiliation: 1. Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA;
2. Organix LLC., 240 Salem St., Woburn, MA, USA
Research interests: organic chemistry; photochemistry; medicinal chemistry; material chemistry; biochemistry; nanomaterials; chemical engineering; polymer science

Name: Dr. Kenneth S. Hettie
Affiliation: Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), Departments of Radiology (Interventional) and Head/Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
Research interests: molecular imaging; nanoparticles; drug delivery; immunotherapy; glioblastoma; affi-/nanobody; bio-/molecular probes and sensors; fluorescence-guided surgery; near-infrared I/II fluorescence; image-guided surgery; surgical navigational technology; directed enzyme prodrug therapy (DEPT)

Name: Dr. Rachel E. Crossland
Affiliation: Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE2 4HH, UK
Research interests: extracellular vesicle; microRNA; extracorporeal photopheresis; transplantation; GvHD

Name: Dr. Vijay Kumar
Affiliation: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
Research interests: tumor immunology; immunometabolism; innate immunity; sepsis; bacterial pathogenesis; pneumonia

Name: Dr. René Huber
Affiliation: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
Research interests: monocytes/macrophages; resolution of inflammation; TNF; signal transduction; GSK3; transcriptional regulation; NF-κB; AP-1; rheumatoid arthritis

Name: Dr. Piotr Golec
Affiliation: Department of Molecular Virology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Research interests: phage molecular biology; phage display; phage therapy; bacteria–phage interaction analysis; new strategies in the treatment of MDR bacteria; phage-based nanoparticle synthesis

Name: Dr. Angela Stefanachi
Affiliation: Department of Pharmacy-Drug Sciences, University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Research interests: Bcr-Abl inhibitors; HDAC inhibitors; CB2 modulators

Name: Dr. Gioacchin Iannolo
Affiliation: Department of Research, IRCCS ISMETT (Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione), 90100 Palermo, Italy
Research interests: neural stem cells; glioblastoma stem cells; cancer stem cells; Zika virus; nervous system development; brain; cancer

Name: Dr. Daniele Bottai
Affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology and Biosciences, University or Milan Assistant, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milan, Italy
Research interests: neural stem cells; glycosphingolipids; neurological diseases

Name: Dr. Jessie Qiaoyi Liang
Affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Centre for Gut Microbiota Research, Faculty of Medicine, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Science, CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Research interests: microbiome in health and disease; human endogenous retroviruses; cancer genomics and epigenetics; biomarkers and molecular diagnostics

Name: Dr. Oleksii Skorokhod
Affiliation: Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, 10123 Torin, Italy
Research interests: cytochromes P450; CYP; malaria; lipid peroxidation; HETE; hydroxy nonenal; HNE; hemozoin; monocytes

Name: Dr. Shipra Malik
Affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
Research interests: miRNA; gene therapy; cancer therapy; gene editing; nanoparticles; PLGA; peptide nucleic acids (PNAs); antisense oligonucleotides; tumor targeting; siRNA; RNA therapeutics

Name: Dr. Xiakun Chu
Affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, 104 Chemistry, Stony Brook, NY, USA
Research interests: protein folding; intrinsically disordered proteins; protein binding; protein–DNA recognition; chromosome dynamics; genome structure; energy landscape; coarse-grained model

Name: Dr. Flores Naselli
Affiliation: Department Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy
Research interests: nutrigenomics; epigenetics; genetics; gene expression; precision nutrition; nutrition in health

Name: Dr. Fernanda D.T.Q.S. Lopes
Affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Therapeutics/LIM-20, Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-903, Brazil
Research interests: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; extracellular matrix; lung function; asthma; acute respiratory distress syndrome

Name: Dr. Maria Ricci
Affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Unit, Cardarelli Hospital, Campobasso, Italy
Research interests: nuclear medicine; oncology; neurology; theranostic; positron emission tomography

Name: Dr. Yunpeng Gai
Affiliation: School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Research interests: gene editing technology and precision molecular breeding; population genomics; molecular biology

Name: Dr. Carmen Ciavarella
Affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Pathology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Research interests: mesenchymal stem cells; cardiovascular disease; atherosclerosis; microRNA; cell differentiation; endothelial to mesenchymal transition (End-MT); inflammation; PPAR-γ

Name: Dr. Nikolaos A. Papanikolaou
Affiliation: Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Medicine, Section of Biological Sciences and Preventive Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Medicine, 54124 Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece
Research interests: biochemistry; biophysics; molecular biology; protein bioengineering; protein docking; computational biology

Name: Dr. Andrea Martini
Affiliation: Department of Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
Research interests: liver cirrhosis; hepatocellular carcinoma; portal hypertension

Name: Dr. Juliana Moreira Mendonça Gomes
Affiliation: Department of Developmental & Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
Research interests: zebrafish

Name: Dr. Gianluca Santamaria
Affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
Research interests: bioinformatics; cancer-related genes

Name: Dr. Wioletta Rozpędek-Kamińska
Affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland
Research interests: polymers; restorative dentistry; bioactive dental materials; cell culture; apoptosis; cell signaling; Western blot analysis; PCR; molecular cell biology; cancer biology; gene expression; electrophoresis; tissue culture

Name: Dr. Kausik Bishayee
Affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
Research interests: oncology; signaling pathways; metabolism; RNA-binding proteins; mTORC1; cancer cell biology; pharmacology; neurotoxicity; neocortex development; autophagy

Name: Dr. Ilenia Calcaterra
Affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
Research interests: gene therapy; rare disease; advanced therapies; gene expression

Name: Dr. Chiara Zagni
Affiliation: Department of Drug Science, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
Research interests: pharmaceutical chemistry; drug design; medicinal chemistry; cryogel synthesis; water purification

Name: Dr. Rui Ribeiro
Affiliation: LAQV-REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA University Lisbon, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Research interests: separation processes; process intensification; adsorption; CO2 capture; biogas upgrading

Name: Dr. Hao Wu
Affiliation: School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Research interests: synthetic biology; metabolic engineering; protein engineering

Name: Dr. Grazia Marinelli
Affiliation: Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70124 Bari, Italy
Research interests: clinical dentistry; restorative dentistry; esthetic dentistry

Name: Dr. Matteo Perra
Affiliation: Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, University Campus, S.P. Monserrato-Sestu Km 0.700, Monserrato, CA 09042, Italy
Research interests: liposomes; nanodrug delivery; antioxidants; cosmeceuticals; nutraceuticals; skin delivery; nanovesicles

26 June 2025
Meet Us at the 3rd European Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (3-EuSPMF), 1–4 July 2025, Belgrade, Serbia


Conference: 3rd European Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (3-EuSPMF)
Date: 1–4 July 2025
Place: Belgrade, Serbia
Conference website: https://3-euspmf.rs/ 

We are pleased to announce that MDPI will be participating as an exhibitor at the 3rd European Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (3-EuSPMF), taking place in Belgrade, Serbia, from 1 to 4 July 2025. 

Organized by the International Association of Dietetic Nutrition and Safety (IADNS) and the University of Belgrade–Faculty of Agriculture, with the support of the Serbian Chemical Society (SHD) and the Phytochemical Society of Europe (PSE), 3-EuSPMF aims to highlight recent advances in phytochemicals and their integration into medicine and food science. The symposium will serve as a dynamic forum for researchers and industry professionals to exchange knowledge, foster collaborations, and explore the scientific as well as practical dimensions of natural products and functional foods. 

As part of our commitment to supporting high-quality research in these fields, MDPI is proud to sponsor the event through the participation of the following journals:

Our editorial team will be available on-site and would be delighted to meet with attendees. If you are attending the symposium, we warmly invite you to stop by our booth to learn more about our open access publishing opportunities, ongoing Special Issues, and how we support researchers in advancing their work. 

We look forward to meeting you in Belgrade and engaging in insightful conversations about the exciting future of phytochemicals in medicine and food!

24 June 2025
MDPI Open Science Insights: Scientific Publishing Workshop at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, 9 July 2025


MDPI is excited to collaborate with the Chinese University of Hong Kong to host an exclusive author workshop aimed at empowering researchers with the knowledge and tools required to be successful in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection and the editorial workflow. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from experienced professionals in the field. This session promises to equip scholars with valuable skills to take their publishing journey to the next level.

Date: 9 July 2025
Time: 14:00–16:00
Venue: Mong Man Wai Building; Lecture Theatre 2 (MMW LT2), CUHK
Registration link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X6N5WNK

Schedule:

Speaker

Program

Time

Dr. Nelson Kei

Opening Speech

14:00–14:10

Ms. Sally Li

Open Access Insights and MDPI Introduction

14:10–14:40

 

Q&A Session

14:40–14:45

Dr. Jeffery Liu

How to Write and Structure a Journal Article

14:45–15:15

 

Q&A Session

15:15–15:20

Dr. Nelson Li

How to Respond to Peer Reviewers’ Comments

15:20–15:50

 

Q&A Session

15:50–15:55

 

Closing of Program

15:55–16:00

Chair:

Prof. Cheung obtained his Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales in Australia and is the current Postgraduate Division Head of the School of Life Sciences, Director of Food Research Centre, and Associate Director of the Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof. Cheung’s primary research interest is on functional foods, with a main focus on dietary fiber/non-starch polysaccharides, especially their beneficial effects on human health and diseases as well as their potential applications as novel prebiotics and nanotherapeutics. He is the current associate editor of Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fiber and Editorial Board Member of a number of international food journals. He is the author or co-author of over 190 SCI publications; vice-chair of the International Food Safety Association; and advisor to Hong Kong nutrition groups.

Co-Chair:

Dr. Nelson Kei earned his B.Sc. (first class honors) and Ph.D. in food and nutritional sciences from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He is currently a Research Associate at CUHK’s School of Life Sciences and Food Research Centre. His research focuses on the health benefits of dietary fiber, prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics, as well as the role of the gut microbiome in metabolic diseases.

Speakers:

Ms. Sally (Sijia) Li graduated from the University of Sydney and joined MDPI in 2019. Previously, she served as Assistant Editor for Sustainability and Managing Editor for Urban Science, JTAER, and Hardware. She currently works as the Journal Development Editor for Sustainability and Head of Marketing Events. Based in MDPI’s Hong Kong office, she is responsible for market expansion and scholar services in the Greater Bay Area. She is committed to providing researchers with efficient and professional publishing support.

Dr. Jeffrey Liu holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Loughborough University, United Kingdom. In 2021, he joined CMAC Digital Medicines Manufacturing Research Centre as a Research Associate. In 2024, he became a Publishing Specialist at MDPI, supporting editorial teams in open access publishing, journal development, and business promotion.

Dr. Nelson Li graduated from Beijing Normal University and joined MDPI in September 2022. He currently serves as a Publishing Specialist at MDPI, mainly responsible for promoting the long-term development of journals, facilitating a productive exchange between editorial teams and scholars, and providing scholars with high-quality publishing services.

19 June 2025
Meet Us at the 2025 KoSFoST International Symposium and Annual Meeting, 2–4 July 2025, Gwangju, Republic of Korea


Conference: 2025 KoSFoST International Symposium and Annual Meeting (2025 KoSFoST)
Date: 2–4 July 2025
Location: Gwangju, Republic of Korea

MDPI will be attending the 2025 KoSFoST International Symposium and Annual Meeting as an exhibitor. This event will be held from 2 to 4 July 2025, and we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit our booth and discuss their latest research with us.

The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology (KoSFoST), founded in 1968, has been at the forefront of advancing food science in Korea. Through cutting-edge research, academic exchange, and industry collaboration, KoSFoST has played a pivotal role in shaping the future of food science and technology, enhancing the food industry, and improving dietary culture.

This year’s conference will be a landmark event, showcasing groundbreaking technologies and pioneering innovations that are redefining the future of the food industry. FoodTech is rapidly evolving into a transformative force, driving advancements that enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability across the entire food value chain—from production to consumption.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

  • Foods;
  • Microorganisms;
  • IJMS;
  • Nutraceuticals;
  • Processes.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start a conversation with us. 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.kosfost.or.kr/abstract/2025_spring/.

12 June 2025
International Albinism Awareness Day—“Demanding Our Rights: Protect Our Skin, Preserve Our Lives”, 13 June 2025


International Albinism Awareness Day 2025 underscores the urgent need for increased awareness, preventive care, and accessible healthcare for people with albinism. This year’s theme highlights the life-threatening impact of skin cancer among individuals with albinism and reinforces the importance of sun protection, early detection, and timely treatment.

Albinism is a rare, inherited genetic condition that affects the body’s ability to produce melanin, the pigment responsible for the color of our skin, hair, and eyes. People with albinism typically have very light skin and hair, alongside various vision impairments. While it is not contagious and does not affect intelligence, albinism is often misunderstood. This leads to stigmatization, discrimination, and even human rights violations in some regions where harmful myths persist.

Because they have little to no melanin, individuals with albinism are especially vulnerable to sun damage and face a significantly increased risk of developing skin cancer. Addressing this requires more than just clinical intervention—it calls for integrated healthcare policies and inclusive social systems that acknowledge both the medical and socio-political dimensions of the condition.

In recognition of this global observance, we invite you to explore a curated collection of articles and Special Issues from selected MDPI journals, including Biomedicines, Cancers, Children, Diagnostics, Genes, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal of Clinical Medicine and Molecules. These open-access resources provide critical insights into the diagnosis, management, and complications of albinism, and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and advocacy groups.

Together, through science, education, and empathy, we can foster a more inclusive world where people with albinism live free from discrimination and with access to the care they deserve.

Can a Portable Flash Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) Device Identify Chiasmal Decussation Anomalies in Albinism?
by Eloise Keeling, Perry Carter, Abdi Malik Musa, Fatima Shawkat, Helena Lee and Jay E. Self
Diagnostics 2025, 15(11), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15111395

Common Variants in the TYR Gene with Unclear Pathogenicity as the Cause of Oculocutaneous Albinism in a Cohort of Russian Patients
by Olga Shchagina, Anna Stepanova, Polina Mishakova, Vitaliy Kadyshev, Nina Demina, Ludmila Bessonova, Sofya Ionova, Daria Guseva, Andrey Marakhonov, Rena Zinchenko et al.
Biomedicines 2024, 12(10), 2234; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12102234

Functional Characterization of Splice Variants in the Diagnosis of Albinism
by Modibo Diallo, Cécile Courdier, Elina Mercier, Angèle Sequeira, Alicia Defay-Stinat, Claudio Plaisant, Shahram Mesdaghi, Daniel Rigden, Sophie Javerzat, Eulalie Lasseaux et al.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(16), 8657; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168657

Genetic Linkage between CAPN5 and TYR Variants in the Context of Albinism and Autosomal Dominant Neovascular Inflammatory Vitreoretinopathy Absence: A Case Report
by Mirjana Bjeloš, Ana Ćurić, Mladen Bušić, Benedict Rak and Biljana Kuzmanović Elabjer
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(12), 6442; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25126442

Missing Heritability in Albinism: Deep Characterization of a Hungarian Albinism Cohort Raises the Possibility of the Digenic Genetic Background of the Disease
by Nikoletta Nagy, Margit Pal, Jozsef Kun, Bence Galik, Peter Urban, Marta Medvecz, Beata Fabos, Alexandra Neller, Aliasgari Abdolreza, Judit Danis, Viktoria Szabo, Zhuo Yang, Stefanie Fenske, Martin Biel, Attila Gyenesei, Eva Adam and Marta Szell
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021271

Does Foveal Hypoplasia Affect Emmetropization in Patients with Albinism?
by Line Kessel, Christine Dahlgren Bohnsack Kjølholm and Joaquim Torner Jordana
Children 2023, 10(12), 1910; https://doi.org/10.3390/children10121910

Vision-Related Quality of Life in Danish Patients with Albinism and the Impact of an Updated Optical Rehabilitation
by Kristian Lisbjerg, Joaquim Torner Jordana, Vibeke N. Brandt, Christine Kjølholm and Line Kessel
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(17), 5451; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12175451

Skin Pigmentation Types, Causes and Treatment—A Review
by Amin Mahmood Thawabteh, Alaa Jibreen, Donia Karaman, Alà Thawabteh and Rafik Karaman
Molecules 2023, 28(12), 4839; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28124839

Report of Hermansky–Pudlak Syndrome in Two Families with Novel Variants in HPS3 and HPS4 Genes
by Sadeeda Qaiser Zaman, Muhammad Anas, Gauhar Rehman, Qadeem Khan, Aiman Iftikhar, Mashal Ahmad, Muhammad Owais, Ilyas Ahmad, Osama Yousef Muthaffar, Angham Abdulrhman Abdulkareem et al.
Genes 2023, 14(1), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14010145

Diagnostic Yield of Genetic Testing for Ocular and Oculocutaneous Albinism in a Diverse United States Pediatric Population
by Kyle S. Chan, Brenda L. Bohnsack, Alexander Ing, Andy Drackley, Valerie Castelluccio, Kevin X. Zhang, Hanta Ralay-Ranaivo and Jennifer L. Rossen
Genes 2023, 14(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14010135

More than Skin Deep—Latest Advances in Congenital and Autoimmune Pigmentation Disorders
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Reinhart M. Speeckaert
Submission deadline: 25 August 2025
Melanin Pigmentation: Physiology and Pathology
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Shosuke Ito and Prof. Dr. Manickam Sugumaran
Submission deadline: 20 October 2025

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