Dr. James Armstrong is an Associate Professor in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at the University of Bristol , affiliated with the Bristol Medical School (THS) . His research focuses on innovative biotechnologies for controlling the assembly of complex living systems, including organoids and tissue grafts, with applications in regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering. Research Interests: Tissue engineering, biomaterials, ultrasound-driven cell patterning, organoid development, bioimaging, and bioprinting. Students: Supervising PhD candidates in projects related to brain organoids, wound healing biomaterials, blood-brain barrier models, and machine learning for biomedical automation. Awards: 2019 President’s Medal for Excellence in Education; recipient of three consecutive fellowships (Arthritis Research UK, MRC/UKRI, UKRI Future Leaders). His group collaborates with institutions like Imperial College London, Tsinghua University, and Harvard’s Ingber Lab. He co-founded the spin-out company Impulsonics in 2023. Publications span Advanced Materials , Nature Communications , and Science Advances , with a focus on 3D/4D printing, smart hydrogels, and magnetic stem cell labeling.
Professor Valerie Verhasselt, MD, PhD, is Director of the Larsson-Rosenquist Centre for Immunology and Breastfeeding at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the Telethon Kids Institute (TKI). With over 20 years of translational research experience, her work focuses on breastfeeding's impact on immune development and child health, revolutionizing allergy prevention through a landmark Nature Medicine 2008 study. UWA Medical School Telethon Kids Institute Research Highlights: Landmark malaria prevention via breast milk antigen transfer Lead investigator in 1000-child birth cohort studies Co-author of European Academy of Allergy guidelines Grants & Collaborations: Larsson Rosenquist Foundation (ongoing) Open Philanthropy's $12M Fuel for Survival project (2025-2029) Channel 7 Telethon Trust & WA Department of Health funding Scientific Recognition: 2012 Prix de l'Academie Nationale de Medecine 2008 Prix de l'Academie des Sciences Academic Contributions: Coordinates UWA's "Breastfeeding - A Foundation for Human Health" course Over 80 publications in top journals ( Nature Medicine , JAMA Pediatrics , Lancet Infectious Disease ) 40+ invited lectures in past 3 years
Rabéa Ameur-Boulifa is an Associate Professor at Télécom Paris, affiliated with the Communications and Electronics (Comelec) Department. She is a member of the LabSoc research team within the Information Processing and Communication Laboratory (LTCI). Her work focuses on integrated and embedded systems, emphasizing design, modeling, verification, and security. LabSoc (System on Chip research team) LTCI (Information Processing and Communication Laboratory) Her research spans formal methods for system verification, security guidelines specification, and compositional analysis of distributed systems. Publications highlight applications in automotive software safety, asynchronous component modeling, and detection of vulnerabilities like integer overflow in embedded systems. The majority of her recent work (2022–2025) centers on open automata refinements, formal requirement validation, and compositional verification techniques. Keywords include formal methods, embedded systems, security guidelines, and distributed component modeling.
Jacques Carette is an Associate Professor at McMaster University , affiliated with the Department of Computing and Software . His research bridges formal and applied domains, including Mechanized Mathematics , Correct-by-Construction Software , and Game Design , with a focus on User Experience and Visual Scaling in games. He actively explores Reversible Computing , Quantum Programming , and DSLs for software generation. Research Interests: Mechanized Mathematics : Formalizing mathematical theories for software correctness. Game Design : Visual scale impact on user experience and cognitive components in gaming. Reversible & Quantum Computing : Reversible program transformations and quantum algorithm design. Software Engineering : Metaprogramming, code generation, and productivity analysis. Trends in Articles : His work spans Quantum Computing , Game Design , Formal Methods , and Software Sustainability . Recent publications emphasize DSLs , reversible models , and emotional computational models in games. Contact Information: Email: c@rtte@mcmaster.ca
Professor Michael Klein of the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University is a leading scholar in Music Theory , with a focus on critical theory , musical narrative , and posthumanism in music . He previously held faculty positions at the University of Texas at Austin, SUNY Buffalo, Indiana University, and Princeton University. Education: PhD in Music Theory, SUNY Buffalo MM in Piano Performance and Literature, Eastman School of Music BM in Piano Performance, Eastman School of Music Klein’s research applies critical theory and psychoanalysis to musical interpretation, with a particular interest in Chopin’s narrative structures , Debussy’s temporal organization , and Lutosławski’s formal innovations . His recent projects explore soundtrack theory and posthumanist perspectives in music. Scientific Awards: Lindback Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005) Klein has advised graduate and undergraduate courses in musical semiotics , sonata theory , and Freudian traditions in music. He serves as Associate Editor for 19th-Century Music and has lectured internationally on topics like Lacanian insights into musical meaning and narrative excess .
Dr. Fanran Meng is a Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Sheffield's School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, where she also serves as USIC Tutor and Level 4 (undergraduate) Director. She joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield in 2023 after holding postdoctoral positions at the University of Nottingham and University of Cambridge. Dr. Meng received her BEng (Hons) in Materials Science and Engineering from China Central South University in 2013 and completed her PhD in Materials Engineering and Materials Design at the University of Nottingham in 2017. Her research focuses on resource efficiency and engineering sustainability, applying whole systems approaches including process simulation, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis to sustainable material and energy systems. Her work spans carbon fibre composite recycling, wind turbine blades, lithium-ion EV batteries, and plastics supply chain, with emphasis on understanding the transition towards a low carbon economy. Dr. Meng has published approximately 30 research papers in top journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Nature Climate Change, and Environmental Science & Technology. Analysis of Dr. Meng's recent publications reveals a strong focus on circular economy approaches across multiple sectors including transportation, renewable energy infrastructure, and materials management. Her work demonstrates increasing integration of life cycle assessment with techno-economic analysis to provide comprehensive sustainability evaluations. Associate Editor, Journal of Cleaner Production Editor, Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Member, EPSRC ECR Forum (Manufacturing and the Circular Economy Research) Recipient of The Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme funding Dr. Meng has secured research funding from The Royal Society, Wilson Biochemicals Ltd., and Saudi Aramco for projects including multi-scale simulation of climate change interactions with road infrastructure and life cycle assessment for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. She teaches courses in Heat Transfer, Energy Systems and Management, and Sustainability and the Materials Lifecycle. Her professional memberships include the International Society for Industrial Ecology, Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Jennifer Head, PhD, MPH, serves as the John G. Searle Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She teaches EPID601: Principles and Methods of Epidemiology (residential) and EPID674: Epidemiologic Data Analysis Using R (online). Her research focuses on climate-sensitive infectious diseases, particularly fungal pathogens like Coccidioides, Histoplasma, and Blastomyces. Education: PhD in Epidemiology (University of California, Berkeley, 2022), MPH in Global Environmental Health (Emory, 2016), BS in Chemical Engineering (Washington University in St. Louis, 2013) Research Themes: Climate variability impacts on pathogen distribution, environmental disturbance effects on human exposure, host-pathogen interactions in changing ecosystems Her work combines mathematical/statistical modeling with field research, including drone-based air sampling and longitudinal soil surveillance. Current projects include NIH-funded studies on population immunity estimation and climate-disease forecasting. She collaborates with federal agencies like CDC and EPA on actionable public health outcomes. Scientific Awards: NIH K01 grant, NIH F31 grant, R01 collaboration funding Students: Advises multiple MPH and PhD students in epidemiology and environmental health sciences She leads the Climate-Sensitive Infections Research Group , which has been featured in Science News , The Washington Post , and National Geographic . Recent media appearances include JAMA Network Open podcast and KNX Radio climate-disease interviews.
Rebecca Shipe serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, where she teaches courses including ENVIRON 188B (Sustainable LA – Grand Challenges URSP), ENVIRON 14 (Ocean Environment), and LIFESCI 1 (Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity). Her research centers on marine phytoplankton ecology with specialization in diatom physiology and biogeochemical cycling. Her primary research focuses on silicon cycling in marine systems, diatom contributions to global carbon export, and harmful algal bloom dynamics in coastal ecosystems. She emphasizes species-specific processes in natural plankton communities and employs multidisciplinary approaches spanning laboratory experiments and oceanographic fieldwork in both open ocean and nearshore environments. Key interests include nutrient physiology responses to climatic events like ENSO cycles and anthropogenic impacts on phytoplankton productivity. Analysis of her 13 publications (1999-2013) reveals sustained investigation of eastern boundary current systems, particularly the Santa Barbara Basin and Santa Monica Bay. Her work demonstrates how physical forcing mechanisms—including El Niño events, river plumes, and stormwater effluents—regulate diatom dynamics and biogeochemical processes, with implications for ocean carbon sequestration and coastal management. No scientific awards or student advisement information is publicly documented. Her field research methodology includes participation in oceanographic cruises to study phytoplankton communities and biogeochemical fluxes across diverse marine environments, as highlighted in media coverage of her work on bioluminescent waves and wastewater spill impacts in Southern California.
AJ Boydston is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with affiliate appointments in Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) and Chemical & Biological Engineering (CBE). His research focuses on stimuli-responsive materials at the intersection of synthetic polymer chemistry, photoredox catalysis, and additive manufacturing (3D printing). Education : B.S. & M.S., University of Oregon (Advisor: Michael M. Haley) Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin (Advisors: Christopher W. Bielawski, C. Grant Willson) NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Caltech (Advisor: Robert H. Grubbs) Research interests include metal-free ring-opening metathesis polymerization (MF-ROMP) , additive manufacturing of high-performance polymers, and functional responsive materials for applications in personalized medical devices, lightweight vehicles, and drug delivery systems. His work bridges molecular-scale synthesis to macroscopic device fabrication through interdisciplinary collaboration. Recent publications highlight advancements in multi-material 3D printing , mechanochemical activation , and sustainable polymer synthesis . Key trends involve photoredox catalysis , flex-activated mechanophores , and bio-derived resins for thermoplastic parts. Scientific Awards : NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship NSF CAREER Award His lab trains a diverse team in entry-level and advanced 3D printing technologies, with outreach initiatives for first-year students and collaborative social events with the Cooper Group. The Boydston Group emphasizes open innovation through open-source hardware development and cross-disciplinary education.
Herman Russchenberg is a Professor at the Delft University of Technology in the Civil Engineering & Geosciences school, specializing in Atmospheric Remote Sensing . With over 229 research outputs and 49 media engagements, his work bridges cutting-edge climate science and public discourse. Key Affiliations : TU Delft Climate Institute, Refreeze the Arctic Foundation collaborator Research Interests center on Atmospheric remote sensing technologies Cloud dynamics and calibration methodologies Climate engineering (e.g., cloud brightening) Aerosol-cloud interaction impacts Weather radar systems . Recent projects include 94 GHz radar calibration and balloon-borne aerosol-cloud studies, advancing understanding of natural and engineered climate solutions. Scientific Recognition : 2017 Finalist for Best Paper Award, European Conference on Antennas and Propagation Public Engagement includes 7 media contributions in 2024 alone, addressing topics like cloud seeding, desert sand climate interventions, and solar radiation modification ethics. His 2023 editorial in Oxford Open Climate Change sparked debates on geoengineering risks and policy implications.
Federica Bondioli is a Full Professor of Materials Science and Technology at the Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT) of the Polytechnic University of Turin. She serves as a member of the Interdepartmental Center IAM@PoliTo - Integrated Additive Manufacturing, the University Quality Assurance Committee, and is the Scientific Contact of the High-level group Technology Council for Advanced Materials. She was President of the National Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) from 2020-2023 and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Association for Materials Science and Technology (AIMAT). Education: Graduated in Chemistry from the University of Modena in 1995 PhD in Chemical Sciences from the University of Modena in 1999 Federica Bondioli's research focuses on additive manufacturing and advanced materials. Her work spans functional and structural ceramic materials (primarily for construction), functional coatings, nanomaterials, and innovative materials for additive manufacturing technologies. She has authored or co-authored over 160 scientific papers in international journals. Her research has evolved from traditional ceramic materials to cutting-edge additive manufacturing applications, reflecting her adaptability and forward-thinking approach to materials science. Her recent publications demonstrate expertise across metal additive manufacturing processes, bio-based photopolymers, lignin-based composites, and refractory metals processing. The research shows particular strength in laser powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and vat photopolymerization techniques, with emphasis on process optimization, material characterization, and sustainable material development. Scientific Awards and Recognitions: President of the National Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) (2020-2024) Member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Association for Materials Science and Technology (AIMAT) (2017-2021) Member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Ceramic Society (multiple terms) Editorial Board Member for MATERIALS journal (2019-present) Editorial Board Member for INDIAN JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE (2015-2018) Chairman of the organizing committee for XIII INSTM Conference (2022) Recipient of the Learning to Teach (L2T) Open badge (2023) Federica Bondioli has supervised numerous PhD students across multiple cycles. She has been Principal Investigator of many national and international research projects, including PISCO and IMPACT regional projects. In technology transfer, she has led research with partners like Marazzi Group, Ceramiche Polis, Prima Industrie, and 3DNT. She is a founding member of the spin-off MAT3D, which develops innovative photocurable resins for DLP and SLA additive manufacturing technologies. Her current research projects include BIG - Blue Is Green (2024-2026), LUX-CER-3DPRINTING (2023-2026), ECOBAM (2023-2025), and 3A-ITALY-Spoke 6 (2022-2025), all funded through the PNRR. She leads research teams focused on Additive Manufacturing within DISAT and oversees laboratories including the Material Engineering Didactic Laboratory and the Metallographic Preparation Laboratory.
Ellen Waterman is a Professor in the School for Studies in Art and Culture at Carleton University, holding the Helmut Kallmann Chair for Music in Canada. Her interdisciplinary research bridges music, sound studies, improvisation, and social change, with a focus on Environmental and acoustic ecology d/Deaf and disability-led music Community-engaged research-creation Experimental pedagogy . She co-facilitates the Listening to Social Transformation through Engagement Network (LiSTEN) and directs the Research Centre for Music, Sound, and Society in Canada . Her research-creation explores embodied listening , as seen in her instructional score Bodily Listening in Place (2022). Waterman’s work has been supported by collaborations with institutions such as the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education and the National Arts Centre Orchestra . She actively supervises graduate students in the Music and Culture MA and Cultural Mediations PhD programs. Waterman’s recent publications analyze interdisciplinary sound practices improvisation’s role in social equity critical re-evaluations of R. Murray Schafer’s legacy inclusive music technology applications . She contributes to open-access scholarship through editorial roles at Critical Studies in Improvisation/Études critiques en improvisation and Music Research Annual . Projects led by Waterman include: Resonance : community-engaged research-creation with 2SLGBTQIA+ and Deaf communities Expanding the Music Circle : all-abilities improvisation initiatives Reimagining the Global Music Ensemble : decolonizing post-secondary world music pedagogy .
Ane Sofie Kokkvoll is an Associate Professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, specializing in childhood and adolescent health research. She is affiliated with the Interdisciplinary district medical research group and is a core member of the Research Group for Child and Adolescents Health, with specific expertise in the Epidemiology of chronic diseases. Dr. Kokkvoll's research program centers on childhood obesity epidemiology and interventions, with particular emphasis on: Longitudinal tracking of obesity from birth through adolescence Family and community-based weight management interventions Socioeconomic and demographic determinants of obesity outcomes Cardiovascular risk assessment in pediatric populations Pharmacological approaches for severe adolescent obesity Public health strategies for obesity prevention Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent methodological approach utilizing longitudinal cohort designs, particularly the Tromsø Study: Fit Futures. Her research demonstrates an evolving trajectory from descriptive epidemiology toward intervention studies and community-based participatory research. Recent work (2022-2023) shows increasing attention to multiethnic populations, health disparities, and clinical translation of research findings into practical treatment guidelines, including medication access for severe adolescent obesity cases. Dr. Kokkvoll's scholarly contributions appear in leading journals including: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology BMJ Open Journal of Pediatrics Acta Paediatrica Pediatric Obesity Archives of Disease in Childhood Her research program likely receives support from Norwegian research councils and health organizations, given the national focus of many studies. Dr. Kokkvoll maintains extensive national and international collaborations, working with researchers across multiple disciplines to address the complex challenge of childhood obesity. She actively contributes to both clinical practice guidelines and public health policy development through her scholarly work. As part of UiT's Research Group for Child and Adolescents Health, Dr. Kokkvoll bridges clinical medicine and public health research, with growing emphasis on community engagement and participatory approaches to identifying health priorities among children and youth.
Boris Lokshin is an Associate Professor at the Department of Organization and Strategy, Maastricht University's School of Business and Economics. He holds a PhD in Economics from Maastricht University and an MA in Economics from Indiana University. His research focuses on strategic management, innovation, and entrepreneurship, particularly exploring R&D collaboration, open innovation, intellectual property, and top management team dynamics. He has advised the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs on policy evaluation and contributed to EU projects like GlobInn. His work bridges economics and management, emphasizing empirical analysis of innovation ecosystems and organizational performance. Education: PhD in Economics, Maastricht University MA in Economics, Indiana University, USA Research Interests: R&D Collaboration Patterns Open Innovation Strategies Intellectual Property Protection Top Management Team Composition Knowledge Spillovers in Science Parks Gender Dynamics in Leadership Consulting & Projects: Consultant to Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (WBSO evaluation) EU FP7 GlobInn project (Technology Alliances & M&A) Labs/Teams: Active in UNU-MERIT (2005-2007) and collaborates with global research networks in innovation economics.
Dr. Helena Osterholz is a Senior Researcher and Co-Group Lead at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, specializing in aquatic biogeochemistry and marine chemistry. She focuses on dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics in freshwater and marine systems, particularly the Baltic Sea. Her work addresses anthropogenic impacts like ship emissions and coastal pollution. She leads projects such as PlumeBaSe, studying ship plume effects, and contributes to initiatives like the Study Group on Black Carbon in the Ocean. Education: PhD (2014): Carl von Ossietzky University & Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology MSc (2010): Marine Environmental Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University BSc (2007): Environmental Sciences, University of Bielefeld Research Interests: Organic matter composition, coastal pollution dynamics, DOM-microbe interactions, and climate-driven ecosystem changes. Her work spans molecular-scale analyses of DOM to large-scale environmental monitoring (e.g., CoastDOM database). Key Projects: PlumeBaSe: DFG-funded study on ship emission aerosols in the Baltic Sea Hydrographic-hydrochemical assessments of the Baltic Sea (2020–2023) Explorations of DOM persistence in deep groundwater systems Scientific Contributions: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles on DOM biogeochemistry, microbial interactions, and anthropogenic impacts. Notable expeditions include RV Elisabeth Mann Borgese (EMB315, EMB347) and RV Sonne (SO305/2). Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD students Tassiana Serafim and Jann Müller. Manages grants from DFG and collaborative projects with the University of Rostock and Charles University Prague. Labs/Teams: Organic Trace Substances Group at the Leibniz Institute, contributing to marine analytics and data management initiatives.
