MDPI World Wildlife Day Webinar 2026
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. Dr. Vanessa Steenkamp
Department of Pharmacology, University of Pretoria, South Africa;
Professor Vanessa Steenkamp is the Deputy Dean of Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria and holds a professorship in Pharmacology. Her pioneering work in traditional herbal medicine and toxicology has had a transformative impact on the scientific community, particularly in the field of pre-clinical drug development. Professor Steenkamp holds several prestigious leadership roles, including Council Member of the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions, Immediate Past President of the South African Association of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, and Vice President of the Toxicology Society of South Africa. She is also Chair of the Executive Committee of the Education and Management Division of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. Through these leadership roles, she has driven significant advances in scientific research capacity, education, and healthcare across Africa.
Dr. Alessandra Carrubba
University of Palermo, Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences;
Alessandra Carrubba graduated in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Palermo in 1986, where 6 years later she gained the role of Researcher. Since 2006 she is Associate Professor in the same University, at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences. During her whole career, she worked in the field of agronomical sciences and cropping management of field crops, with a special focus on farming systems including industrial field crops and medicinal and aromatic plants. Accordingly, she had a long teaching activity addressed to degree and master students, as well as to PhD students, involving official courses and tutorial activity for the planning and management of the final dissertation. The scientific activity was mainly addressed to sustainable cultivation techniques of Mediterranean native plants, including suitability to cultivation into marginal and resource-limited environments, organic and conventional Nitrogen fertilization, and sustainable weed management.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
United Nations World Wildlife Day (https://wildlifeday.org/en) is celebrated annually on 3 March to honor wild animals and plants and to recognize the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet.
With this year's official theme, “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods.”, we turn our focus to medicinal and aromatic plants—species that have supported human health for centuries. The webinar aims to bring together researchers and experts to discuss conservation strategies, scientific advances, and sustainable use of these vital natural resources.
Date: 3 March 2026
Time: 10:00 am CET
Webinar ID: 865 7380 4259
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
In this section, you will find the recordings of this webinar to watch, re-watch and share with your colleagues!
"Omics Era in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Towards a New Age of Agriculture and Sustainability"
Edited by Dr. Jong-Wook Chung, and Dr. Sebastin Raveendar
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026
"Phytochemical Characterization and Bioactivity of Medicinal Plants: From Analytical Techniques to Therapeutic Potential"
Edited by Dr. Alejandro Tapia, Prof. Dr. Mario Juan Simirgiotis Aguero, Prof. Dr. Beatriz Lima, and Dr. Mariana Rey
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026
"Advances in Genetics and Genomics of Medical Plants"
Edited by Dr. Mingcheng Wang
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2026
"Ethnobotany, Medicinal Plants and Biodiversity Conservation: 2nd Edition"
Edited by Prof. Dr. Ekaterina Kozuharova, Dr. Ina Yosifova Aneva, and Prof. Dr. Luca Rastrelli
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026