Ioannis Panageas is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at UC Irvine's Donald Bren School, directing the GOALLab. His research develops theory for learning in multi-agent systems, game dynamics, and optimization. Funded by NSF and NRF, he focuses on last-iterate convergence guarantees in games, efficient equilibrium computation, and multi-agent reinforcement learning. Recent Work: Provides first exponential lower bounds for fictitious play in potential games (NeurIPS 2023), efficient Nash equilibrium computation methods (ICLR 2023), and semi-bandit learning dynamics with no-regret guarantees (ICML 2023). Teaching: Offers courses in Algorithmic Game Theory and Optimization for Machine Learning. Currently advising 3 PhD students and 2 MS students.
Foundation for research and technology-hellasGreece
Dr. Jean-Christophe Nave is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at McGill University. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2004), under advisors Xu-Dong Liu and Sanjoy Banerjee. Prior to McGill, he served as a Lecturer and Instructor at MIT's Mathematics Department (2005-2010). His research focuses on numerical analysis, partial differential equations, fluid mechanics, and computational methods for interface problems. He has led research groups involving postdocs, PhD, and undergraduate students, collaborating on projects like the Correction Function Method for PDEs and the Characteristic Mapping Method for advection problems. Education: Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from UCSB (2004). Affiliations include the Institut des Sciences Mathematiques Steering Committee, Centre de Recherches Mathematiques Applied Math Lab, and CNRS-UMI. Active in teaching courses like Numerical Analysis I/II and Non-Linear Dynamics at McGill, with sabbatical periods noted in recent years. Research interests span numerical methods for PDEs, fluid-structure interaction, and multi-phase flows. His work integrates computational geometry and invariant numerical techniques, addressing challenges in complex fluid dynamics and interface-driven phenomena. Over 40 peer-reviewed publications and continuous contributions to the field of computational applied mathematics. Scientific advising includes over 20 graduate and undergraduate students, with notable alumni now in academia and industry. Collaborations include projects on volcano dynamics, fiber drawing instabilities, and concentrated solar power systems. His methods have advanced numerical simulations for engineering and physical systems involving discontinuous coefficients and sharp interfaces.
Athanasios Rontogiannis is an Associate Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). He holds a PhD in Signal Processing from the National University of Athens (1997) and has held roles including Research Director at the National Observatory of Athens (2017–2021). His research focuses on signal processing, machine learning, and hyperspectral image analysis. Education: MEng (Electrical Engineering, NTUA, 1991), M.A.Sc. (University of Victoria, Canada, 1993), PhD (Signal Processing, National University of Athens, 1997). Research interests include adaptive algorithms, sparse representations, and tensor models. He has served on editorial boards of IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing and EURASIP journals, receiving an honorary distinction in 2020. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and affiliated with EURASIP and the Technical Chamber of Greece. Key contributions span hyperspectral unmixing, Bayesian algorithms, and space data exploitation. His work integrates machine learning for applications in space science and signal processing.
Theodora Varvarigou is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). She holds a B.Eng. from NTUA and M.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University. Her career includes research at AT&T Bell Labs and roles at the Technical University of Crete. From 2008-2012, she served as director of NTUA's 'Technoeconomic Systems' postgraduate program. Her research focuses on Cloud Computing, Multimedia Content Processing, Social Networking Technologies, and emerging areas like blockchain, edge computing, and cybersecurity. She has published over 200 papers and led numerous European research projects, emphasizing scalable systems, data management, and smart infrastructure applications. Her work spans technical innovations such as intrusion detection systems, edge resource optimization, and blockchain-based solutions for IoT, healthcare, and smart cities. Recent publications highlight advancements in AI-driven resource allocation, privacy-preserving blockchain designs, and predictive analytics for edge computing environments. Professor Varvarigou has contributed to interdisciplinary initiatives, including cohort data harmonization in biomedical research and social media analytics for urban planning. Her teaching includes courses on digital systems, network programming, and fault-tolerant systems.
Athanasios Liavas is a Professor at the Technical University of Crete in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering , specializing in Signal Processing for Telecommunications and Information Theory . He has held administrative roles as Department Chair (2009-2011), Vice Chair (2011-2013), and Dean of the ECE School (2017-2021). Education: Diploma (1989) and PhD (1993) in Computer Engineering and Informatics from the University of Patras. Professional Background: Postdoctoral Marie Curie Fellow at INT, Evry (1996-1998); Lecturer at University of Ioannina (1999-2001); Assistant/Associate Professor at University of the Aegean (2001-2004) and Technical University of Crete (2004-present). His research focuses on Signal Processing for Telecommunications , Information Theory , and Tensor Decomposition . Recent work involves nonnegative tensor factorization , parallel algorithms , and fMRI data analysis , with applications in wireless communications and medical imaging . Articles show trends in optimization algorithms , LDPC code design , and MIMO system robustness . Scientific Awards include: Marie Curie Fellowship (1996-1998) Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing (2005-2009) Elected Member, IEEE Signal Processing for Communications and Networking Technical Committee (2006-2011) He has taught courses like Telecommunications Systems II , Wireless Communications , and Information Theory , and supervised students such as Despoina Tsipouridou (PhD) and Alex Balatsoukas-Stimming (Graduate). He leads projects like Partensor (Parallel Tensor Toolbox) and COOPCOM (Cooperative Communications), and contributes to labs including the Telecommunications Laboratory .
Ntzoufras Ioannis is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), School of Information Sciences and Technology, where he has served continuously since 2004 (promoted to Professor in 2015). Previously, he held teaching positions at the University of the Aegean (2000-2004) and completed military service (1999-2000). Education B.Sc. in Statistics and Insurance Science (1994) M.Sc. in Statistics with Application in Medicine, University of Southampton (1995, with distinction) Ph.D. in Statistics, Athens University of Economics and Business (1999) Research Focus His work centers on Bayesian and computational statistics , specializing in categorical data analysis, statistical modeling, and variable selection methodology. He develops sophisticated models for applications in medical research (clinical trials, risk estimation), psychometrics (latent variable models), and sports analytics (football/basketball modeling), with emphasis on computational efficiency and real-world implementation. Publication Trends Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal three dominant trends: (1) Advanced Bayesian variable selection methods for high-dimensional data, (2) Sports analytics applications in football (goal modeling, competitive balance) and basketball (in-play performance), and (3) Development of specialized R packages (ssifs, PEPBVS) for statistical computation. His work consistently bridges theoretical innovation with practical domain applications. Scientific Awards Lefkopouleion Prize for Greece's best statistics thesis (1999-2000) PROSE Award Honorable Mention for 'Bayesian Modeling Using WinBUGS' (2010) Academic Leadership He has supervised graduate students across AUEB's Statistics, Business Analytics, and Data Science programs, and taught postgraduate courses at the University of Athens (Biostatistics), University of the Aegean (Business Administration), and Italian institutions (University of Pavia, Universita Cattolica, University of Bicocca-Milan). As General Secretary of the Greek Statistical Institute (2006-2007), he advanced national statistical initiatives. Research Community He founded and maintains grstats (http://grstats.forumotion.net/), Greece's primary online statistics community, facilitating collaboration among 1,200+ statisticians and data scientists through forums, workshops, and resource sharing.
National and Kapodistrian University of AthensGreece
Todd Millstein is a Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He served as the Computer Science Department Chair from 2022-2025 and is also an Amazon Scholar. His research focuses on making software systems more reliable through programming languages techniques, with significant contributions to network verification and probabilistic programming. Millstein received his Ph.D. from the University of Washington Department of Computer Science, where he was a member of the Cecil group led by Craig Chambers. Prior to that, he completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University under the guidance of Paris Kanellakis and Pascal Van Hentenryck. Millstein's research spans several areas of programming languages and systems with a focus on reliability. He has made significant contributions to network verification, developing the Batfish network configuration analyzer which is now managed by Amazon Web Services and forms the basis of Oracle Cloud's Network Path Analyzer. His work has been recognized with the ACM SIGCOMM Networking Systems Award in 2025. He also works on interactive program verification through lemma synthesis and scalable reasoning methods for probabilistic programming languages. His research bridges programming languages theory with practical systems challenges, as highlighted in his SPLASH/OOPSLA 2024 keynote "Everything is a Program (even if it's not)". Millstein's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on verification and reliability across multiple domains. His work shows a progression from foundational programming language techniques to practical applications in networking and probabilistic systems. Key themes include data-driven approaches to program analysis, synthesis of verification artifacts, and applying programming languages techniques to non-traditional domains like network configuration. Millstein's scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including an NSF CAREER Award, an ACM SIGPLAN Most Influential PLDI Paper Award, an ACM SIGCOMM Networking Systems Award, IEEE Micro Top Picks selection, best-paper awards from PLDI, OOPSLA, and SIGCOMM, a Microsoft Research Outstanding Collaborator Award, an Okawa Foundation Research Grant, an IBM Faculty Award, and a Facebook Research Award. He has also received both the Northrop Grumman Excellence in Teaching Award (for junior faculty) and the Eon Instrumentation Inc. Excellence in Teaching Award (for senior faculty) from UCLA Engineering. Millstein advises several Ph.D. students including Ana Brendel, Poorva Garg (co-advised with Guy Van den Broeck), Rajdeep Mondal (co-advised with George Varghese), and Rathin Singha (co-advised with George Varghese). His research has been supported by various grants including an NSF CAREER Award, Okawa Foundation Research Grant, IBM Faculty Award, and Facebook Research Award. He has also been a Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of Intentionet, which was later acquired by Amazon Web Services. Millstein is actively involved in the Batfish project, an open-source network configuration analyzer that has had significant practical impact. Batfish is now managed by AWS, powers Oracle Cloud's Network Path Analyzer, and is used by dozens of companies. His research group continues to work on network reliability, developing techniques for scalable BGP policy verification and behavioral testing of protocol implementations.
National and Kapodistrian University of AthensGreece
Efthimios S. Skordas is an Associate Professor of Experimental Solid State Physics at the Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Born in Lefkada, Greece in 1960, he holds a Mathematics degree (1984) from the University of Crete and a Doctorate (1992) from Uppsala University, Sweden. His research focuses on seismicity analysis through the lens of natural time analysis, complex systems, and non-extensive statistical mechanics. University of Crete (1984, Mathematics) Uppsala University (1992, Doctorate) His work demonstrates deep expertise in earthquake prediction, detection of pre-seismic anomalies through geoelectric/magnetic field variations, and entropy dynamics under time reversal. Recent publications highlight applications of natural time analysis to diverse domains including cardiovascular health monitoring. He has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and two monographs, with an h-index of 32. Skordas' research bridges geophysics with interdisciplinary applications, showing particular emphasis on entropy fluctuations, order parameter analysis, and multi-scale seismicity patterns. His laboratory contributes to understanding the physical interconnection of seismic electric signals with earthquake dynamics.
Nikitas Karanikolas serves as Professor in the Department of Informatics and Computer Engineering at the University of West Attica since March 2018, following a distinguished career progression from Assistant Professor (2004) to Associate Professor (2010) and Professor (2014) at the Technological Educational Institute of Athens. His professional trajectory includes significant roles as Systems Head of TEI Athens Library (1996-1997) and Chief of Informatics at Aretaieio University Hospital (1997-2004), alongside leadership positions in the Greek Computer Society as Board Member (2004-2006) and Secretary General (2006-2008). His academic foundation includes: Bachelor's in Statistics and Informatics from Athens University of Economics and Business (1988) PhD in Applied Informatics from Athens University of Economics and Business (1994) with thesis "Technological and Linguistic approaches in Natural Language Understanding" Dr. Karanikolas maintains an exceptionally broad research portfolio spanning Natural Language Processing , Computational Linguistics , Medical Informatics , and Green Energy systems. His work consistently bridges theoretical computational frameworks with practical healthcare applications, particularly evident in recent dementia care technologies and Greek language processing systems. The interdisciplinary nature of his research connects computational phonology with medical diagnostics and e-government applications. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a pronounced shift toward AI-driven healthcare solutions (particularly dementia patient monitoring), multilingual NLP systems (Greek and Polish), and urban safety applications . His work demonstrates consistent methodology development in ontological representations and multimodal fusion techniques, with increasing emphasis on real-world clinical and governmental implementations since 2023. No scientific awards were documented in the source materials. With 16 journal papers, 68 conference publications, and six authoritative Greek university textbooks, Dr. Karanikolas maintains an active research trajectory. His advising capacity is evidenced through extensive publication mentorship, particularly in medical informatics and NLP projects. While specific grant details are unavailable, his hospital information system implementations and textbook authorship suggest successful research funding acquisition. Current research activities focus on multimodal aggression prediction systems for dementia care, Greek language ontological frameworks, and urban navigation safety applications, primarily conducted through the University of West Attica's informatics infrastructure.
Yannis Stylianou is Professor of Speech Processing at University of Crete and Senior Research Scientist at Apple. Former positions include AT&T Labs Research, Bell-Labs, and Toshiba Cambridge Research Lab. IEEE Fellow with PhD from ENST-Paris and over 200 publications. Research spans: Adaptive speech/audio modeling Neural speech synthesis/enhancement Biomedical signal processing Awards include: IEEE Fellowship French Ministry Research Fellowship ENST Graduate Scholarship Recent work focuses on neural TTS architectures, intelligibility enhancement, and multimodal synthesis. Organizes annual International Summer School on Speech Processing.
National and Kapodistrian University of AthensGreece
Evangelia Georgia Kostaki is a Biostatistician and Epidemiologist serving as a Lecturer in the Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Medical Statistics at the School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). She holds a PhD in Molecular Epidemiology from NKUA and has extensive teaching experience in medical statistics, epidemiology, and public health at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her research focuses on molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases (HIV, HCV, HBV, and SARS-CoV-2), with emphasis on public health applications such as outbreak response and transmission network analysis. Education: Bachelor’s degree (NKUA) MSc in Biostatistics (NKUA) PhD in Molecular Epidemiology (NKUA) Research interests include HIV transmission dynamics, antiretroviral resistance surveillance, and pandemic response strategies. She has contributed to over 50 peer-reviewed articles and 2 book chapters, with active participation in global initiatives like the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) YING network and the Greek National Action Plan for HIV. Notable achievements include a New Investigator Scholarship (NSRF 2014-2020) and over 160 conference presentations internationally. Advisory roles include supervising 25+ MSc theses and supporting PhD candidates. Grants include co-investigator roles in national/international projects. She actively contributes to scientific societies, editorial boards, and guideline development for HIV testing protocols in Europe. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the European Virus Bioinformatics Center (EVBC) and global networks addressing HIV and viral hepatitis epidemiology.
George N. Karystinos is currently a Professor and Dean of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technical University of Crete , Greece. He joined TUC in 2005 and was promoted to full Professor in 2019. His academic journey began with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo (2003) and a Diploma in Computer Engineering and Science from the University of Patras (1997). Specialty: Communication theory, coding theory, adaptive signal processing Key research areas: Wireless communications, signal waveform design, L1-norm principal component analysis Leadership: Dean of School of ECE (2021–present) His work focuses on noncoherent detection for RFID/IoT systems and L1-norm PCA for robust signal processing. Recent publications explore power line communication and low-complexity sequence detection . Scientific Awards: 2003 IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks Outstanding Paper Award 2001 IEEE ICT Best Paper Award 2018 IEEE MOCAST Best Student Paper Award 2015 IEEE ICASSP Best Student Paper Award 2013 IEEE ISWCS Best Paper Award 2011 IEEE RFID-TA Second Best Student Paper Award He is affiliated with the Telecommunications Laboratory at TUC and has supervised award-winning research in wireless systems and signal processing.
Ioannis Tzimas is a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Peloponnese. He is a highly active researcher with numerous publications in areas of Service-Oriented Architectures, Web Engineering, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence applications. University: University of Peloponnese Department: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Academic Rank: Professor Email: tzimas@uop.gr Ioannis Tzimas received his education from the Department of Computer Engineering and Informatics of the University of Patras, where he also completed his PhD in Web Engineering. His research spans multiple interdisciplinary domains at the intersection of computer science and practical applications. Service-Oriented Architectures and Information Systems Web Data Engineering and Web Modeling Big Data Management and Data Science Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Applications Digital Ecosystems and Digital Transformation for the Public Sector Bioinformatics Professor Tzimas' recent research output demonstrates a strategic focus on applying advanced computational techniques to address contemporary challenges. His work shows particular expertise in labor market analysis using large language models, electricity demand forecasting in Greece, and social protection systems. His publications reveal a pattern of bridging theoretical computer science with practical, real-world applications across multiple sectors. Since 2018, he has served as an international consultant to the World Bank in the field of information systems and digital transformation, working on projects across Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific Islands, and China. His earlier career included significant technical leadership roles at the University of Patras and other Greek institutions. Technical Manager of the Graphics, Multimedia and Geographic Systems Laboratory (1996-2018) Technical Coordinator of the Internet and Multimedia Technologies Research Unit (1997-2011) Scientific Manager of the Network Management Center of the TEI of Messolonghi (2009-mid 2013)
Evangelos Ioannidis is an Associate Professor at the Department of Statistics, School of Informatics and Statistics, Athens University of Economics and Business. Born in 1962, he holds a Mathematics PhD from the University of Heidelberg (1993) and has served in his current department since 1999, progressing from Lecturer (1999) to Assistant Professor (2007) and Associate Professor (2023). His expertise spans spectral analysis of time series , cointegration methods , and bootstrap applications in economic data analysis, with additional focus on Official Statistics and sampling techniques . University of Heidelberg: MMath (1987), PhD (1993) Researcher, University of Heidelberg (1987-1991) Visiting Researcher, University of Orsay, Paris Sud (1992-1993) OECD, Paris (1994-1998) National Institute of Labour (1999) His scientific contributions focus on time series econometrics, VAR model spectra, and R&D expenditure analysis. Recent work includes non-parametric spectral estimation and risk-based sampling methodology. He has collaborated with Eurostat on statistical projects (2012-2014). Current affiliations include the Athens University of Economics and Business , where he teaches and conducts research on economic time series analysis and statistical methods.
Vassilis P. Plagianakos is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, Greece. He has held visiting academic roles at the University of the Aegean, University of Patras, and University of Central Greece. He currently serves as the Department Head and Director of the postgraduate program Informatics and Computational Biomedicine in the School of Sciences. His research focuses on machine learning, neural networks, bioinformatics, and parallel computing with applications in healthcare and education. Education : Bachelor’s in Mathematics (1996), University of Patras Ph.D. in Mathematics (2003), University of Patras Research Interests : Plagianakos explores neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, and machine learning applications in bioinformatics, medical diagnosis, and educational technology. His work bridges computational methods with real-world challenges in healthcare (e.g., precision medicine) and STEM education (e.g., flipped classrooms, AI integration). Recent Trends in Publications : Recent work emphasizes predictive precision medicine using big data, blockchain scalability solutions, and AI ethics in automated content detection. He has pioneered methods like the HCER hierarchical clustering-ensemble regressor and developed tools for analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data. Professional Activities : Member of IEEE Neural Networks Society, IEEE BBTC, and former Board Member of the Hellenic AI Society. Active in collaborative projects like CrowdHEALTH for policy-driven health data analytics.
