I am looking for a developer to help build a REST API using PHP that interacts with a MySQL database containing information about an academic conference (presentations, authors, and presentation types). The API should be structured and follow good software architecture practices. It will include endpoints to retrieve and manage data such as authors, presentations, and presentation types. The API should return responses in JSON format, support HTTP methods (GET, POST, PATCH, PUT, DELETE) where appropriate, and follow RESTful design principles. Key requirements include: PHP-based REST API (no frameworks) Integration with an existing MySQL database Clean, well-structured code Input validation and secure database queries Pagination support for large datasets Clear API endpoints for authors, presentations, and types The final deliverable should be fully functional API code that can be hosted on a web server and tested via tools such as Postman. If you have experience with PHP backend development and REST APIs, please share relevant work samples.