Adrienne L. Edkins:Adrienne Edkins is Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Rhodes University where she holds a South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Eukaryotic Stress Response from the Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation. Her research interests focus on understanding molecular mechanisms by which molecular chaperones, particularly Hsp70-Hsp90 chaperone-co-chaperone complexes, regulate cellular processes critical in normal and pathological cell functions. She has been recognised for her research by the award of the Rhodes University Vice Chancellor’s Research Award (2015), the national DSI South African Women in Science (SAWiSA) Award for Distinguished Young Scientist in the Natural/Engineering Sciences (2018) and a Newton Fund Advanced Fellowship from the Academy of Medical Sciences (2018-2021). She is a Fellow of the Cell Stress Society International (FCSSI), Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS) and Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (MASSAf).Gregory L. Blatch: Professor Gregory Blatch has worked in academia for over 30 years, and his contributions to the academy and the promotion of science more broadly, have been recognized through a number of awards and fellowships (e.g. Senior Fellow of the Cell Stress Society International, FCSSI; Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa, FRSSAf). He is currently Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE (2021-present). Previously, he served as Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Research at The University of Notre Dame Australia (2017-2020) and remains associated as Emeritus Professor. He has developed teaching and research capacity and capability at Departmental, School, Faculty and University-wide levels, with over 10 years experience as a Senior/Executive Leader. His personal research interests fall within the broad field of cellular stress biology, and he is an international leader for his work on the role of stress proteins in disease (e.g. cancer) and infection (e.g. malaria).
