Biographical note

Professor Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad is currently working as Director QAU Botanical Garden and Herbarium (ISL), Director Technology Science Park (QAU) and Chairman Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i- Azam University Islamabad. Prof. Ahmad has established modern digital Herbarium (ISL), Botanical Garden, Technology Science Park, Melissopalynology, Aerobiology, Nutraceutical and Green Biofuel research laboratories. Dr. Nabila’s research focuses on exploring the melliferous bee flora pollen and morpho‐palynological features for the classification and taxonomy of several genera and species as well as the guiding principles for raising beekeeping products in developing countries. Dr. Shah Fahad is Assistant Professor in the Department of Agronomy at Abdul Wali Khan University. He obtained his PhD in Agronomy from Huazhong Agricultural University, China. He specializes in studying the effects of climate change and anthropogenic impacts on environmental health, agriculture, and food production. Within this focal area, he has published extensively on the role of cyanobacteria in sustainable agriculture and the risks harmful cyanobacterial blooms pose to aquatic systems. He has edited 17 books, including four titles with Elsevier. Trained in medical botany at the University of Pisa, Andrea Pieroni earned his doctorate from the University of Bonn in Germany. He has worked as a Research Assistant at the University of London (2000-2003) and as Senior Lecturer at the University of Bradford in northern England (2003-2009). From January 2009 he was Associate Professor of Ethnobotany in Pollenzo and from 2016 Full Professor. Professor Pieroni has served as the Vice-President and President of the International Society of Ethnobiology (2008-2010). He is the founder and Chief Editor of the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (ethnobiomed.com) and sits on the boards of diverse international peer-reviewed journals. His fields of study include plant diversity, honey bee flora, food as medicine, and food biodiversity. Dr. Muhammad Zafar did PhD from Quaid-I- Azam University Islamabad-Pakistan in 2011. Currently he is working as Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad Pakistan. He is a renowned active scientist in the field of medicinal plants, plant biodiversity and Plant Systematics and taxonomy. He is the founder of first nutraceutical and traditional medicinal plant Lab. and biofuel and Biomass energy laboratory at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad Pakistan. Dr. Zafar has over 450 publications in diverse fields of Plant Sciences including 406 research publications, 11 international books, 16 chapters in books published by various publishers. Dr. Shazia Sultana is a scientist in the field of biodiversity and medicinal plants. She has published 265 research publications in top international journals. She has also published 11 books circulated internationally. Dr. Sultana has received various national and international awards. She is Editorial Board Member of many well reputed ISI journals and book series. Currently, she is supervising and working on various research projects on natural plants products, plant biodiversity and conservation. Co-authored an extensive survey of honey pollen analysis (melissopalynology) to determine the bee floras of South Asian honeys. Salman Majeed is Ph.D. scholar in the field of Plant Sciences particularly his work expertise on Biodiversity and Plant Taxonomic Studies from Deserts areas of Pakistan. He has published research articles in various journals of good repute. Salman has participated a number of conferences held at national and International Level. His fields of interest are plant biodiversity, plant taxonomy, medicinal plants, plant-based biofuel technology, honey analysis (melissopalynology), and systematics.