Prof. Dr. Odette Virginia Delfin Ortega | Strategic Leadership | Excellence in Research

Published on by Leadership and Management

Prof. Dr. Odette Virginia Delfin Ortega | Strategic Leadership | Excellence in Research

Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo | Mexico

Odette Virginia Delfín Ortega is an accomplished academic and researcher specializing in international business, productivity, and regional development, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. She earned her Ph.D. in International Business and her Master’s Degree in Foreign Trade from the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, further enhancing her global perspective through a postdoctoral stay at Aston University in the United Kingdom. With extensive professional experience in customs operations and logistics management, she transitioned to academia as a full-time Associate Professor, where she has contributed significantly to research, teaching, and institutional leadership. Her scholarly output includes five books, 30 book chapters, and more than 60 articles published in internationally recognized journals, complemented by presentations at major academic forums in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. She has held key administrative positions, including Director of the Institute for Economic and Business Research and Coordinator of a CONACYT-recognized graduate program. Her research excellence has earned distinctions such as membership in the National System of Researchers and recognition as an Honorary State Researcher. Currently, she contributes to national academic collaboration as National Technical Secretary of the Mexican Consortium of APEC Study Centers, strengthening ties between academia and regional policy development.

Profile:  ORCID

Featured Publications

Delfín-Ortega, O. V. (2025). Assessing technological and sustainable performance in maritime transport through the SFA metafrontier framework. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-02200-x

Delfin, O. (2025). Efficiency of APEC region ports: An approach introducing weights restrictions in DEA. Maritime Business Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/MABR-03-2024-0022

Delfín-Ortega, O. (2025). Maritime logistics and economic growth in the context of APEC: A two-stage data envelopment analysis study. Journal of Shipping and Trade.

Navarro Chávez, J. C. L., & Delfín Ortega, O. V. (2025). El acervo de capital en la industria manufacturera de los países de América del Norte: Una estimación a partir del método de inventarios perpetuos con factor de ajuste. Revista Nicolaita de Estudios Económicos. https://doi.org/10.33110/rneev19i1.354

Delfin, O. (2025). Labor, capital, and technology as determinants of productivity in the electrical sector in Mexico during its distribution phase. International Journal of Energy, Environment and Economics.

Delfin, O. (2024). La legitimidad democrática en México en el periodo 2018–2021: Una propuesta de índice sintético. Revista Cimexus. https://doi.org/10.33110/cimexus190205

Delfin, O., & Navarro Chávez, J. C. L. (2024). Labor, capital, and technology as determinants of productivity in the electrical sector in Mexico during its distribution phase. International Journal of Energy, Environment and Economics.

Ms. Xinyu Li | Scientific Research | Research Excellence Award

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Ms. Xinyu Li | Scientific Research | Research Excellence Award

Chongqing | China

The researcher is a dedicated molecular biologist specializing in fungal genetics and stress-response mechanisms, with academic training grounded in life sciences and advanced study in genetic engineering and microbiology. Their research experience spans work in fungal physiology, gene function analysis, microbial stress adaptation, and biocontrol strain improvement, particularly focusing on entomopathogenic fungi such as Metarhizium acridum. They have contributed to studies examining DNA repair pathways, antioxidant defense mechanisms, metabolite regulation, and UV-B and heat-shock stress responses, including key findings on CsbD-like proteins and their roles in fungal thermotolerance. Their expertise includes bioinformatics, strain construction, gene deletion and complementation technologies, and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The researcher has been involved in multiple laboratory and field-focused projects aimed at enhancing fungal biocontrol efficiency, improving conidial production, and advancing sustainable pest-management strategies. They have received recognition for scientific excellence through institutional awards and research-based achievements. Their scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications, collaborative work across genetic engineering research centers, and participation in projects related to fungal adaptation and functional genomics. Overall, the researcher’s work supports scientific understanding of fungal stress biology and contributes to improving environmentally friendly biocontrol applications.

Profiles:  ORCID 

Featured Publications

Zhang, Y., & Xia, Y. (2026). Quercetin enhances tomato seed germination via phenylpropanoid-dependent regulation of ROS, hormone signaling, and starch hydrolysis. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 210, Article 110590.

Dai, H., Wen, Z., Xia, Y., & Jin, K. (2025). MaMsb2, a signaling mucin, is involved in conidiation, stress tolerances, and virulence in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Virulence, 16(1), Article 2541708.

Hong, G., Yu, L., Ji, H., Cao, Y., He, Z., Liu, C., Xia, Y., & Peng, G. (2025). Microbiological control for mosquito larvae: Current progress and applications. Virulence, 16(1), Article 2569999.

Li, X., Li, K., & Xia, Y. (2025). MaCsbD mediates thermotolerance and UV-B resistance in Metarhizium acridum by regulating DNA repair, antioxidant defense, and protective metabolites. Journal of Fungi, 11(12), 838.

Qiu, R., Zhou, J., Cao, T., Xia, Y., & Peng, G. (2025). Transcription Factor MaHMG, the high-mobility group protein, is implicated in conidiation pattern shift and stress tolerance in Metarhizium acridum. Journal of Fungi, 11(9), 628. Cheng, C., Zhang, R., Wang, Y., Yang, S., Yu, W., & Xia, Y. (2025). Biocontrol potential of entomopathogenic fungi against plant-parasitic nematodes: A Caenorhabditis elegans-based screening and mechanistic study. Journal of Fungi, 11(5), 381.

Hong, G., Yang, M., Wang, S., Xia, Y., & Peng, G. (2025). Metarhizium acridum transcription factor MaFTF1 negatively regulates virulence by controlling cuticle penetration of locusts. Pest Management Science, 81(4), Article 8604.

Du, Y., Hu, M., Xia, Y., & Jin, K. (2025). Unveiling the functions of the Lim-domain binding protein MaPtaB in Metarhizium acridum. Pest Management Science, 81(2), Article 8488.

Wang, J., Zou, Y., Xia, Y., & Jin, K. (2025). MaNrtB, a putative nitrate transporter, contributes to stress tolerance and virulence in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium acridum. Journal of Fungi, 11(2), 111.

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Sabel | Visionary Leadership | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Bernhard Sabel | Visionary Leadership | Best Researcher Award

Otto-v.-Guericke University of Magdeburg | Germany

Bernhard A. Sabel, PhD, is a Full Professor of Medical Psychology at the Medical Faculty of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany, and Director of the SAVIR-Center. He earned his M.A. in Psychobiology from the Universities of Trier, Clark, and Düsseldorf, followed by a Ph.D. in Psychobiology from Clark University. After postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in neuroanatomy and neurochemistry, he advanced through research and academic appointments at Munich, Harvard Medical School, Princeton University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since 1992, he has led the Institute of Medical Psychology in Magdeburg, with major research interests in brain plasticity, vision restoration, visual system imaging, microcurrent stimulation, prediction models of recovery, and the impact of fake publishing in science. He has published over 270 SCI-indexed papers, authored 10 books, and served as Editor-in-Chief of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience for nearly three decades. Recognized internationally, his awards include the Gusi Peace Prize, Leonardo da Vinci Award, EMA Award, and Beijing Overseas Talent Award, among others. His leadership roles span vice-presidency at the University of Magdeburg, executive and board memberships in global associations, and contributions to advancing medical psychology and vision rehabilitation worldwide.

Profile:  ORCID

Featured Publications

Teixeira da Silva, J. A., Daly, T., Türp, J. C., Sabel, B. A., & Kendall, G. (2024). The undeclared use of third-party service providers in academic publishing is unethical: An epistemic reflection and scoping review. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology. Advance online publication.

Sabel, B. (2023). Mass production of fake science publishing: How big is the problem and why? Proceedings of the Global Open Forum.

Sabel, B. A., Knaack, E., Gigerenzer, G., & Bilc, M. (2023). Fake publications in biomedical science: Red-flagging method indicates mass production. medRxiv.

Wu, Z., Xu, J., Nürnberger, A., & Sabel, B. A. (2023). Global brain network modularity dynamics after local optic nerve damage following noninvasive brain stimulation: An EEG-tracking study. Cerebral Cortex, 33(10), 5547–5558.

Sabel, B. A., Kresinsky, A., Cardenas-Morales, L., Haueisen, J., Hunold, A., Dannhauer, M., & Antal, A. (2021). Evaluating current density modeling of non-invasive eye and brain electrical stimulation using phosphene thresholds. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 29, 2629–2638.

Sabel, B. A., & Lehnigk, L. (2021). Is mental stress the primary cause of glaucoma? Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde, 238(2), 148–152.