Falling Walls Engage Pitches – Session 2: Engaging Communities for Planetary Health

A former professional surfer from San Diego, California, Emi is the co-founder of Coast 2 Coast, weaving investigation with imagination for learners and educators in fishing villages to strengthen meaningful relationships with themselves, one another, and their built-natural environment. With over 15 years of experience in “edutainment” and youth action research, Emi has lived and worked with coastal communities around the world, including in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Colombia exploring nature connectedness, well-being, and optimistic futures. She is a Fulbright Fellow, WISE Emerging Leader, and National Geographic Explorer based in Lobitos, a remote fishing village in Northern Peru.

Atty. Green Panda as he is fondly called, Mark passed the 2017 BAR exams and brings to IDIS his environmental law background, and much-needed expertise to an organization engaged in environmental policy advocacy. He is also the former Vice President of the University of Mindanao Legal Advocacy Network (ULAN).

Today he continues to volunteer for IAmHampaslupa Ecological Agriculture Movement (Greenpeace) and ULAN. He enjoys his work at IDIS where he engages with different sectors and the government to push for the adoption of environmental policies. Mark finished his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Mindanao in 2014 and his AB in Mass Communication from Ateneo de Davao University in 2010. He plans to take up his Masters Degree in Environmental and International Law. His childhood dream also remains, which is to someday join National Geographics Team of Experts.

Maria Teresa Gutiérrez is a Primary Education Teacher, Graduated in Communications Studies from the Universidad Iberoamericana and obtained Science Divulgation diploma at UNAM.
In 2002 she founded the Environmental Education and Communicational Fund, an organization that she has directed since 2006, and whose mission is to contribute to the development of a culture that commits Mexican society to the natural and cultural world that sustains it.
She is a board member of the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, the Gulf of Mexico Fund, she has been a Columnist for the National News System for more than eight years, member of the Senate of the Universidad Iberoamericana, Consultant of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, A.C. and Coordinator of the Mexican Association of Fulbright Alumni.

I am a Biochemist, Neurobiologist, Impact Entrepreneur, biominic, educator, and Chief Technical Officer. My aim is to increase the influence of science in society and support the positive impact we can have on people an planet – if we work together. My first startup supports SMEs and corporates in their sustainability transformation; my second startup Xchange builds platforms for the Collaboration Economy. The project here at Falling Walls is a collaboration project of my companies with a European consortium that combines scientific education of students, collaborative innovation and technology.

Miss Mayumi Manamperi is an accomplished Entomologist specializing in vector surveillance, Chemical/Biological vector control methods, and insecticide resistance monitoring. Since 2019, she has been serving the Ministry of Health, Nutrition, and Indigenous Medicine in Sri Lanka as a Medical Entomologist. Currently, she is pursuing her post-graduate degree in Molecular Entomology and Health Promotion under the supervision of Dr. Asha Wijegunawardana at the laboratory facility in the Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka under the funds received from WHO/TDR Crowdfund Grant 2019.

Zeinab Khalil is the Director of the Soils for Science citizen science project and the Australian Research Council Fellow at the University of Queensland (UQ) in the antibiotic biodiscovery research spanning the fields of organic chemistry and microbiology. Zeinab completed a bachelor and master degrees in Pharmacy, Egypt. She moved to Australia where she was awarded a PhD UQ scholarship in 2009. During her PhD at the UQ (awarded 2013) she pioneered in successfully accelerating the discovery of new antibiotics from marine and terrestrial environments. To date, she identified and evaluated >15 new drugs targeting infectious diseases.

Rodrick Sambakunsi, a Science Communication Specialist from Malawi, boasts a decade of expertise in innovative Community Engagement projects. His work spans health research areas like HIV, TB, and Vaccines. Currently Rodrick is leading a vaccine engagement project called One for All, All for One, which aims at facilitating dialogue on vaccines, immunization and vaccine research among the global South and North audiences using art.
Formerly at Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, he led the Communication and Public Engagement departement, developing innovative initiatives supporting ethical research practice and to enhance community engagement and involvement.