Dr. Humaira Rashid Khan | Renewable Energy | Best Researcher Award

Researcher at Universiti Sains Malaysia | Pakistan

Dr. Humaira Rashid Khan is a highly accomplished materials scientist whose research excellence in energy storage, nanomaterials, and photoelectrochemical systems strongly aligns with the expectations of the Best Researcher Award. Her work spans advanced polymer electrolyte membranes, Li–air battery challenges, supercapacitor development, nanocomposite engineering, and ZnO-based photoanodes for solar-driven water splitting, demonstrating both depth and multidisciplinary impact. She has produced significant contributions as evidenced by her 118 Scopus citations, 4 Scopus-indexed documents, and an h-index of 3, while her broader scholarly footprint includes more than 25 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact Q1 and Q2 journals, book chapters with Springer and Elsevier, and major review articles framing the future of next-generation electrochemical devices. Her publications address critical bottlenecks in battery chemistries, propose innovative membrane-fabrication strategies, and report enhanced photocurrent densities through rational nanostructure engineering, reflecting both originality and practical relevance. Dr. Khan has consistently advanced the scientific understanding of charge-transfer mechanisms, thin-film fabrication, dopant-driven band-gap tuning, and nanostructured electrode performance, supporting the global transition toward clean and sustainable energy technologies. Her international postdoctoral research experience, collaborative projects, and contributions to device-level prototypes highlight her ability to translate complex materials science concepts into scalable solutions. Through her rigorous experimentation, mastery of electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques, and sustained high-quality publication record, Dr. Khan demonstrates the research leadership, innovation, and scholarly influence that make her highly suitable for recognition under the Best Researcher Award category.

Profiles : Scopus | ORCID | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Khan, H. R., & Ahmad, A. L. (2025). Supercapacitors: Overcoming current limitations and charting the course for next-generation energy storage. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 141, 46–66. Cited by 149

Khan, H. R., & Ahmad, A. L. (2025). Vapor induced phase separation approach for fabricating high-performance PVDF-HFP/PEO polymer electrolyte membranes with improved electrochemical properties. Materials Today Communications, 42, 111330. Cited by 6

Shuja, F. S. A., Khan, H. R., Murtaza, I., Ashraf, S., & Yousra, … (2024). Supercapacitors for energy storage applications: Materials, devices and future directions: A comprehensive review. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. Cited by 89

Khan, M. S., Murtaza, I., Shuja, A., Fahad, S., Khan, M. W., Ahmmad, J., … Khan, H. R. (2024). Energy on-the-go: V2O5-pBOA-Graphene nanocomposite for wearable supercapacitor applications. Electrochimica Acta, 486, 144119. Cited by 14

Muhammad Shahid Khan, A. N., Murtaza, I., Shuja, A., & Khan, H. R. (2024). Tailored NiO-pBOA-GNP ternary nanocomposite: Advances in flexible supercapacitors and practical applications for wearable technology and environmental monitoring. Journal of Energy Storage, 86, 111128. Cited by 17

Dr. Mahsa Baniasadi | Biomass Energy | Women Researcher Award

Research Fellow at Cranfield University | United Kingdom

Dr. Mahsa Baniasadi is an accomplished researcher in environmental biotechnology whose work focuses on sustainable resource recovery, waste valorisation, and low-impact chemical processes, evidenced by 914 citations, 15 publications, and a Scopus h-index of 10. Her research advances innovative biotechnological strategies to treat solid waste, wastewater, and complex industrial residues, with a strong emphasis on bioleaching-based recovery of valuable metals from electronic waste, gold mine tailings, and spent lithium-ion batteries. She has developed integrated bioprocesses combining microbial systems, chemical leaching, and electrowinning for closed-loop recycling, contributing significantly to the circular economy and critical-materials resilience. Her work also explores the application of acidophilic microorganisms, adapted fungal systems, and mixed cultures to enhance metal extraction efficiency from challenging waste streams. In parallel, she has contributed to advancements in thermochemical conversion of biomass and agricultural waste through pyrolysis, producing cleaner energy carriers and value-added products. Her research portfolio includes optimisation studies for catalytic upgrading in pyrolysis, environmental modelling, life-cycle assessments, reactor design, and examination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation in bioreactors. Dr. Baniasadi’s work has been featured in respected journals in environmental engineering, industrial chemistry, waste management, and sustainable metallurgy, supported by conference presentations and contributions to the scientific understanding of bioremediation and green processing technologies. Her research impact demonstrates a sustained commitment to reducing environmental burdens, enabling renewable resource pathways, and advancing industrial sustainability, placing her among the notable emerging women researchers in the field.

Featured Publications

Baniasadi, M., Vakilchap, F., Bahaloo-Horeh, N., Mousavi, S. M., & Farnaud, S. (2019). Advances in bioleaching as a sustainable method for metal recovery from e-waste: A review. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Cited by 280.

Heydarian, A., Mousavi, S. M., Vakilchap, F., & Baniasadi, M. (2018). Application of a mixed culture of adapted acidophilic bacteria in two-step bioleaching of spent lithium-ion laptop batteries. Journal of Power Sources Cited by 246.

Bahaloo-Horeh, N., Mousavi, S. M., & Baniasadi, M. (2018). Use of adapted metal tolerant Aspergillus niger to enhance bioleaching efficiency of valuable metals from spent lithium-ion mobile phone batteries. Journal of Cleaner Production Cited by 238.

Baniasadi, M., Tugnoli, A., Conti, R., Torri, C., Fabbri, D., & Cozzani, V. (2016). Waste to energy valorization of poultry litter by slow pyrolysis. Renewable Energy Cited by 77.

Ray, D. A., Baniasadi, M., Graves, J. E., Greenwood, A., & Farnaud, S. (2022). Thiourea leaching: An update on a sustainable approach for gold recovery from e-waste. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy Cited by 73.