Preetham Elumalai, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of Marine Biology, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi, Kerala, India. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Madras and a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Immunology from the Institute for Immunology at the University of Regensburg, Germany. His research focuses on bioassay-guided identification of novel marine compounds, the role of fish lectins in innate immune defense, aquatic vaccine development, the evaluation of cost-effective feed additives, nutrigenomics, and the effects of environmental pollutants on marine ecosystems. Dr. Elumalai has been involved in numerous EU-, Indian-, and UK-funded projects, including IVVN and BactiVac. He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles, holds two patents, and has edited five books. He has also presented his research at more than 60 national and international conferences. Among his many accolades are the prestigious INSA Fellowship (2018), MASTS Fellowship (2019), IVVN Award (UK, 2020), FRSB Award (2021), and BactiVac Award (UK, 2022).Kim Thompson, PhD, is a Principal Investigator at the Moredun Research Institute, where she leads the Aquaculture Research Group. She holds a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Stirling, an MSc in Immunology from the University of Aberdeen, and a PhD in Fish Immunology from the University of Stirling. Dr. Thompson has published over 160 articles in international journals, primarily focused on fish health. Her research interests include vaccine development for fish pathogens (viral, bacterial, and parasitic), the immune response of fish to these pathogens, and the factors that influence these responses. She is also interested in developing alternative therapies for disease control in fish, such as probiotics, functional feeds, and immunostimulants.Mikolaj Adamek, PhD, is a Scientist at the Fish Disease Research Unit at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany. He serves as a senior virologist, infectiologist, and ichthyologist. His research is centered on the pathophysiology and immunology of fish mucosal tissues during infections caused by epitheliotropic viruses with large DNA genomes, such as poxviruses and herpesviruses. Dr. Adamek studies the interaction between mucosal dysfunction and fish survival in aquatic environments. Additionally, he works on vaccine development and the search for antiviral agents and novel treatments for viral diseases in fish. He has been a partner in several EU-funded projects, including Nemo and Cure4Aqua, and has co-authored more than 103 research articles and over 200 conference proceedings.Sreeja Lakshmi, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in collaboration with the Moredun Research Institute (MRI), UK. She graduated from Calicut University and earned a PhD in Biochemistry and Functional Genomics from the Institute for Molecular Biology at the University of Regensburg, Germany. Dr. Lakshmi has published numerous research articles in peer-reviewed international journals and has authored books and book chapters. She has received several prestigious research grants, including those from the Bavarian Research Foundation, the Government of Bavaria, Germany; an HRD-Fellowship for Women Scientists from the Department of Health Research, Government of India; and a MASTS (Marine Alliance Science and Technology, Scotland) Award for Postdoctoral and Early Career Research Exchanges (PECRE). She has also been awarded the IVVN Fellowship grant from the International Veterinary Vaccinology Network (IVVN), UK, and the BactiVac Catalyst funding program to conduct studies related to potential vaccine strategies for sustainable aquaculture.
