Professor Khin Than Win is a leading academic in health informatics and digital health at the University of Wollongong (UOW), holding appointments as Professor in the School of Computing and Information Technology, Head of Postgraduate Studies, and Deputy Head (Research). She also serves as Academic Program Director for UOW's Master of Health Informatics and Graduate Certificate in Health Analytics programs. Her research focuses on applying information technology to healthcare, particularly in behavior change support systems, persuasive technology, and ethical AI applications. She has supervised over 20 PhD students and holds leadership roles including Deputy Chair of UOW's Health and Medical Research Ethics Committee, and membership in international committees like the Persuasive Technology Steering Committee. Education: MBBS from Rangoon University, Master's and PhD in IT from Assumption University (Bangkok) and UOW (Australia) Research Interests: Health data analytics, AI in healthcare, privacy/security of health systems Leadership: Program/General Chair roles at ACIS and Persuasive Technology conferences Awards: Best Paper Awards (2023, 2018) Her extensive funding portfolio includes ARC grants and NHMRC projects, totaling over 24 funded initiatives. Current research explores blockchain in medical passports, AI ethics, and culturally tailored health interventions.
Jan Oliver Borchers is a full professor of computer science and head of the Media Computing Group at RWTH Aachen University, where he holds the endowed Chair in Media Informatics and Human-Computer Interaction (Computer Science 10). He established his research group in 2003 and pioneered modern HCI academic research and teaching in Germany, becoming a leading lab in terms of archival publications at CHI, the top international conference in HCI. Before joining RWTH, he held faculty positions at Stanford University and ETH Zurich. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction with particular interest in new user interfaces for soft robotics, textile user interfaces, 3D printing and personal fabrication, augmented reality, wearable and tangible computing, interfaces for software development, deceptive patterns, and interactive guides and exhibits. He opened Germany's first Fab Lab in 2009 and has been instrumental in advancing digital fabrication and maker culture in academia. His work bridges theoretical HCI research with practical applications, as evidenced by his consulting for major companies including AirBus, Apple, ARD, Bayer, Children's Museum Boston, Daimler, Handelsblatt, OTIS, Scout24, TEDx, and Deutsche Telekom. His recent publications show a strong focus on deceptive patterns in UI design, textile interfaces, and the intersection of AI with human interaction. The research demonstrates consistent innovation in tactile interaction techniques, with numerous honorable mentions at top conferences like CHI. His lab has produced significant contributions to eyes-free interaction, textile computing, and the ethical implications of dark patterns, particularly regarding children's experiences with deceptive designs. IDC 2025 Best Work in Progress for research on children's assessment of deceptive designs CHI'25 Student Games Competition Winner for The Deceptive Dungeon RWTH-Wissenschaftsnacht 2024 Best Science Slam for Usability: 4 Prinzipien guter User Interfaces Multiple CHI Honorable Mentions spanning from 2008-2021 Best Note and Best Demo awards at ITS and UIST conferences Borchers has served in numerous leadership roles including heading the Computer Science Department's Examination Board (2015-2025), coordinating the department's public relations since 2010, and organizing the weekly Faculty Lunch since 2003. He is an active member of the ACM, SIGCHI, SIGCHI Germany, and GI, and introduced the Interactivity format to the CHI conference in 2005. His PhD thesis, A Pattern Approach to Interaction Design, became the first book to bring design patterns to HCI. The Media Computing Group under his leadership has developed significant expertise in physical computing, textile interfaces, and fabrication technologies, with a strong emphasis on both theoretical contributions and practical applications. His lab continues to push boundaries in interactive technologies while maintaining a strong ethical stance on user experience, particularly regarding deceptive design patterns.
Janis Stirna is a Professor and Unit Head at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV), Stockholm University. He leads the PRECIS research group, focusing on theories and tools for organizational and IT solution design. PhD in Computer and Systems Sciences (2001), Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden Associate Professor (2008), Jönköping University Research Interests include enterprise modeling, requirements engineering, organizational patterns, and knowledge management. His work spans methodologies like EKP, EKD, and 4EM, with notable coordination of the EU FP7 project CaaS (Capability as a Service). He co-edited key Springer publications on enterprise modeling and capability management. Teaching: Delivers Object-Oriented System Analysis with UML to DSV BSc students. Leadership: Chairs IFIP Working Group 8.1 and co-initiated the PoEM conference series.
Anders Rantzer is a Professor of Automatic Control at the Department of Control Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, Sweden. He has held visiting positions at Caltech (2004–2005) and the University of Minnesota (2015–2016) as the Taylor Family Distinguished Visiting Professor. His academic journey began with a PhD from KTH Stockholm in 1991, followed by a postdoc at the Institute for Mathematics and its Applications (IMA), University of Minnesota. His research interests center on modeling, analysis, and synthesis of control systems , with a strong focus on scalability, adaptation, and applications in energy networks . He is particularly known for foundational work in positive systems and integral quadratic constraints (IQCs) . These theoretical frameworks are critical in analyzing stability and robustness of large-scale interconnected systems. His work bridges mathematical rigor with practical engineering applications, especially in sustainable energy and networked systems. The recent publications and lecture materials reflect a consistent trajectory in scalable and robust control, optimization, and distributed systems. Themes such as large-scale convex optimization , nonlinear and stochastic control , and network dynamics dominate his scholarly output, indicating a sustained commitment to advancing control theory for complex, real-world systems. Scientific honors include: Fellow of IEEE Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) Chairman of the Swedish Scientific Council for Natural and Engineering Sciences Chairman of the Royal Physiographic Society of Lund Rantzer has supervised numerous students and contributed extensively to academic leadership and education. He has been involved in major national and international research initiatives such as WASP (Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program) and ELLIIT. His work includes developing educational tools and courses in control, optimization, and machine learning. He leads and contributes to research projects on autonomous systems, cloud control, and smart energy networks. He is affiliated with the Control Lab at LTH and participates in collaborative efforts such as the Nordic University Hub on Industrial Internet of Things (HI2OT). His work integrates theoretical advances with practical implementations in robotics, biomedical systems, and industrial automation.
Wolfgang Kunz is a Full Professor (C4, W3) and Chair of Electronic Design Automation at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern since 2001. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions, including Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has held leadership roles such as Dean (2005-2007) and Vice-Dean (2007-2009) at TU Kaiserslautern. Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.), Computer Science, University of Potsdam (1996) Doctoral degree (Dr.-Ing.), Electrical Engineering, University of Hannover (1992) Dipl.-Ing. degree, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (1989) His research focuses on hardware verification, security, and optimization, particularly in embedded systems and processors. His work on formal verification methods has been commercialized by companies like Synopsys, Mentor Graphics, and Siemens EDA. His 2016-2021 publications address critical security issues such as Spectre/Meltdown and introduce innovative verification frameworks adopted by industry leaders like Infineon and OneSpin Solutions. Scientific awards include the IEEE Fellow (2006), German IT Society Award (2005), and TU Kaiserslautern Distinguished Teaching Award (2016). He has served on editorial boards of major journals and coordinated the Erasmus Mundus European Master Program in Embedded Computing Systems since 2010. Key students: Jörg Bormann, Raik Brinkmann, Tobias Ludwig Collaborations: Siemens EDA, Infineon, AbsInt, Intel SCAP Spin-offs: LUBIS EDA, OneSpin Solutions
Tobi Delbruck is a titular professor of physics and electrical engineering at ETH Zurich, where he leads the Sensors Group at the Institute for Neuroinformatics (INI) in Zurich, Switzerland. He collaborates closely with Shih-Chii Liu and Giacomo Indiveri as part of the 'hardware groups' at INI. Delbruck has also served as visiting faculty at Caltech and is a Fellow of the IEEE. His work focuses on bio-inspired and neuromorphic event-based sensory processing systems. Professor Delbruck's research spans multiple areas of neuromorphic engineering, with particular emphasis on event-based vision systems and low-power analog VLSI circuits. His work has significantly advanced the field of Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS), which mimic the human retina's response to changes in brightness rather than capturing full frames. This approach enables extremely low-latency vision processing with minimal power consumption, making it ideal for high-speed applications and robotics. His research has applications in robotics, autonomous systems, and low-power embedded vision. Delbruck is an active contributor to the neuromorphic engineering community, co-organizing the annual Telluride Workshop on Neuromorphic Engineering and serving in leadership roles with IEEE. He has authored numerous influential publications and co-authored books including "Event-Based Neuromorphic Systems" and "Analog VLSI: Circuits and Principles." His jAER (Java Address-Event Representation) project provides open-source tools for real-time event-based sensory processing. Analysis of his recent publications shows a clear trend toward integrating event-based vision with deep learning techniques and applying these systems to practical robotics problems. His scientific achievements have been recognized with multiple awards including: IEEE Fellow Winner of Best Live Demonstration award at ISCAS 2012 Honorable Mention Award from Sensory Systems Technical Committee at ISCAS 2012 Overall Best Student Paper Award and Best Paper Award from Sensory Systems Technical Committee at ISCAS 2010 Winner of the 2006 ISSCC Jan Van Vessem Outstanding European Paper Award Professor Delbruck actively mentors students and has supervised numerous PhD and Master's theses in the areas of neuromorphic engineering and event-based vision systems. His group has secured significant research funding from various sources to support their innovative work in bio-inspired sensory processing. He teaches courses on "Electronics for Physicists II (Digital)" and "Neuromorphic Engineering," helping to train the next generation of researchers in this field. The Sensors Group at INI, which Delbruck leads, operates state-of-the-art facilities for designing and testing neuromorphic vision systems. The group maintains close collaborations with researchers worldwide and has developed several important open-source resources including the jAER project and bias generator design kits. Their work continues to push the boundaries of what's possible with event-based sensory processing, with applications ranging from high-speed robotics to low-power embedded vision systems.
Pontus Johnson is a Professor at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He leads the Center for Cyber Defense and Information Security (collaborating with Swedish Armed Forces, FRA, MSB, FOI, FHS) and serves as vice director of Cybercampus Sweden since 2024. His research focuses on cybersecurity , enterprise architecture analysis , and probabilistic threat modeling , particularly through his development of the Meta Attack Language (MAL) for simulating cyber attacks on networked systems. Education: MSc in Computer Science, Lund Institute of Technology (1997) PhD in Computer Science, KTH (2002) Docent title, KTH (2007) Leadership Roles: Director, Center for Cyber Defense and Information Security (2013–present) Vice Director, Cybercampus Sweden (2024–present) Board Member, Swedish Research Council (2025–present) Deputy Chair, Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) Board (2024–present) His work spans cybersecurity research , attack simulation methodologies , and enterprise architecture frameworks . He has developed tools like securiCAD (acquired by Google) and pwnPr3d for probabilistic threat modeling. His 15 most recent publications highlight advancements in graph-based attack simulations , automated security assessments , and AI applications in cyber defense . Scientific recognition includes: Listed among Tech Awards Sweden's 50 Most Influential People in Swedish Tech (2022, 2023) Discovery of vulnerability in the Universal Turing Machine (2021) He supervises 16 PhD students and alumni (2005–2024), including Simon Gökstorp , Jakob Nyberg , and Sotirios Katsikeas . His academic service includes over 50 program committee roles and leadership positions in international conferences. He contributes to both academic and public domains through media appearances (SVT, Aftonbladet), courses in ethical hacking , and industry collaboration via his role at Google (20% of his time). His research group Software Systems Architecture and Security (SSAS) focuses on predictive security frameworks and system-of-systems analysis.
Dominique Chen is a Professor at Waseda University's School of Culture, Media and Society since 2022, previously serving as Associate Professor from 2017-2022. A French national born in 1981, he holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Informatics from the University of Tokyo (2013). His work bridges technology, art, and human experience with a focus on digital well-being and more-than-human relationships. Chen's research interests include human-microbe interaction, neo-cybernetics, and the design of systems that foster mutual care between humans and non-human entities. His work with the Nukabot project exemplifies this interdisciplinary approach, exploring how fermentation processes can serve as metaphors for communication and relationship building. He leads the Ferment Media Research group, investigating how fermentation principles apply to digital cultures and communication systems. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on designing for well-being in digital societies, with particular attention to translation processes, human-microbe relationships, and the creation of systems that support co-adaptive interaction. The Nukabot research series demonstrates how traditional fermentation practices can inform novel interaction paradigms that acknowledge and incorporate more-than-human perspectives. Best Paper Honorable Mention (2024) - ACM Synlogue with Aizuchi-bot ACM SIGGRAPH Special Prize (2023) - Nukabot Best of AppStore 2015/2016 - Picsee/Syncle applications Good Design Award (2008) - Creative Commons Japan Super Creator certification (2009) - IPA Exploratory IT Program Chen has advised numerous projects through his leadership of Ferment Media Research and has served on various committees including the Good Design Award jury (2016-), Yomiuri Shimbun Reading Committee, and advisory boards for art and design institutions. His work extends beyond academia through his founding of Divideal Inc. (acquired by Smart News in 2018) and Creative Commons Japan (now Commonsphere). His laboratory, Ferment Media Research, explores interdisciplinary connections between fermentation processes, digital systems, and human relationships, creating installations like Nukabot that facilitate human-microbe interaction and Last Words/TypeTrace that examines writing processes and communication.
Georg Martius is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Tübingen's Faculty of Science and a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Intelligent Systems. Since April 2023, he has been a core member of the DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence 'Machine Learning: New Perspectives for Science,' which received extended funding through 2032 for its mission to integrate machine learning into fundamental scientific discovery processes. His academic foundation includes a PhD from the University of Göttingen and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (2005), a Diploma in Computer Science from the University of Leipzig (2003), and a visiting research period at the University of Edinburgh's Division of Informatics. Postdoctoral positions followed at the Max Planck Institutes for Dynamics and Self-Organization (Göttingen, 2009), Mathematics in the Sciences (Leipzig, 2010), and IST Austria (2015). Professor Martius's research pioneers the intersection of reinforcement learning, robotics, and tactile sensing, with emphasis on developing autonomous systems capable of natural locomotion, dexterous manipulation, and physical-world understanding. His work bridges theoretical machine learning with practical hardware applications, particularly in creating differentiable simulators, superresolution tactile sensors, and biologically plausible learning frameworks for robotic control. Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals dominant trends in offline reinforcement learning (especially goal-conditioned and diversity-maximization techniques), object-centric representation learning for video understanding, and tactile sensing innovations. A strong thread connects foundation models to world model construction, while his work on differentiable physics engines enables precise collision handling and contact dynamics for real-world robotic control. His leadership roles include directing the Distributed Intelligence research team at Tübingen and contributing to major collaborative initiatives like the Real Robot Challenge and Myochallenge 2022. The Cluster of Excellence appointment represents recognition of his contributions to transforming scientific methodology through machine learning, particularly in automating hypothesis generation and experimental design. Current projects focus on integrating large-scale machine learning with embodied intelligence, advancing tactile perception systems like the Minsight vision-based sensor, and developing neuroplasticity-inspired approaches for robust out-of-distribution detection. His work directly impacts fields requiring physical interaction intelligence, from autonomous navigation to medical robotics, with emphasis on sample-efficient learning from limited real-world data.
Dr. Rajkumar Buyya is a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the University of Melbourne and Founder & CEO of Manjrasoft , a spin-off commercializing cloud innovations. He has held visiting roles at Imperial College London , University of Birmingham , and Tsinghua University . Research Interests : His work spans Cloud Computing , Edge Computing , Grid Systems , and Energy-Efficient Computing , focusing on utility-driven resource allocation, simulation tools, and scalable IoT application frameworks. He pioneered the CloudSim toolkit and Aneka Cloud technologies. Scientific Awards : IEEE Fellow (2015), Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (2016-2021) Khwarizmi International Award (2020), Scopus Researcher of the Year (2017) Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award (2010), IEEE TCSC Medal (2009) Impact : Authored over 850 publications, including the widely adopted textbook Mastering Cloud Computing . Graduated 54 PhD students now in leadership roles at institutions like Newcastle University and companies such as IBM , Google , and Amazon . His research has driven global adoption of cloud/edge technologies in 50+ countries.
Prof. Dr. Michael Gröschel is a Professor of Business Informatics at the Faculty of Computer Science, Mannheim University of Technology. His expertise spans Business Process Management (BPMN, Process Mining), Digital Transformation, and innovative Business Models. He teaches courses on BPM, project management, and e-business, often collaborating with industry clients through student projects. As a consultant, he specializes in BPMN training and IT-driven business strategy. His work emphasizes practical applications of IT tools like RPA and low-code platforms. Recent publications focus on RPA bot performance evaluation, AI in automotive trade, and business model-IT alignment. Prof. Gröschel’s research bridges academic insights with real-world challenges, particularly in leveraging technology for business innovation. He has authored books and articles on business intelligence tools, mobile business strategies, and digital customer care. His consulting services include executive coaching for academic career advancement and enterprise IT management best practices. Office: Building A, Room 007c | Phone: +49 621 292-6764 | Professional website available for further engagement opportunities.
Raquel Urtasun is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto and a co-founder of the Vector Institute for AI. She is also the Founder and CEO of Waabi, an autonomous vehicle company. Previously, she was Chief Scientist and Head of R&D at Uber ATG (2017–2021) and held faculty positions at the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (TTIC) and as a visiting professor at ETH Zurich. Her research spans machine learning, computer vision, robotics, and AI with a strong focus on autonomous driving and 3D perception. Education: Bachelor's degree, Universidad Pública de Navarra, 2000 Ph.D., Computer Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 2006 Postdoctoral studies, MIT and UC Berkeley Raquel Urtasun's research focuses on developing AI systems for self-driving cars, emphasizing efficient perception using minimal sensors. Her work includes 3D scene understanding, stereo vision, optical flow, semantic segmentation, and object detection. She has developed the KITTI benchmark suite, widely used in autonomous driving research. Her lab is an NVIDIA NVAIL lab, reflecting its leadership in AI innovation. Her recent publications show a consistent trend in deep learning for visual perception, particularly in stereo matching, optical flow, 3D object detection, and semantic segmentation. These works integrate deep neural networks with structured models like CRFs and MRFs, pushing the boundaries of accuracy and efficiency in scene understanding for autonomous systems. Scientific Awards: NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Fellowship NVIDIA Pioneers of AI Award Google Faculty Research Awards (multiple) Amazon Faculty Research Award Connaught New Researcher Award Fallona Family Research Award Best Paper Runner Up at CVPR 2013 and 2017 UPNA Alumni Award Chatelaine 2018 Woman of the Year Adweek 2018 Toronto's Top Influencers Urtasun has advised numerous PhD and Master’s students, many of whom now hold faculty or research scientist positions at institutions like UIUC, NYU, UBC, MIT, and companies including Google, Amazon, NVIDIA, and Apple. She has secured significant research grants from NSERC, Google, Amazon, and NVIDIA. Her leadership extends to organizing workshops and serving as Area Chair and Program Chair at top conferences like CVPR, ICML, and NeurIPS. Labs and Teams: She leads a research group at the University of Toronto focused on AI for autonomous systems. Her team has been recognized as an NVIDIA NVAIL lab, and she continues to mentor students and postdocs working on cutting-edge problems in robotics and machine learning, both at UofT and through her company Waabi.
Thompson S.H. Teo is a Professor in the Department of Analytics and Operations (DAO) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. He holds editorial roles in top journals including European Journal of Information Systems, International Journal of Information Management, and Communications of the AIS. His research spans information systems strategy, business-IT alignment, e-commerce, sustainability, and AI's societal impacts. With over 200 publications, he ranked #143 globally in 2023 among business scientists (research.com) and was recognized in Stanford's top 2% global scientists (2021-2023). Awards include the Best Associate Editor Award (2017) and AIS Distinguished Membership. Thompson's research interests include IT adoption, cyberloafing, supply chain digitalization, and green innovation. He teaches courses on innovation, Industry 4.0, and strategic IT at undergraduate, masters, and executive levels. Notable contributions include frameworks for commute experience analysis and AI adoption market signals. His work bridges theory and practice, addressing challenges in sustainability, organizational behavior, and digital governance. Affiliations: NUS Business School, Distinguished Editorial Advisory Board (IJoIM), Senior Member (INFORMS) Grants & Leadership: Extensive editorial leadership, supervised China Scholarship Council PhD students, and executive programs on innovation design thinking. Key Contributions: Over 270 publications, four co-edited books on IT/e-commerce, and policy-relevant studies on environmental regulations and green tech adoption. His research often employs mixed methods (e.g., QCA for corruption analysis, PLS-SEM for cyberloafing models) and addresses global issues like fake news mitigation via ChatGPT and pandemic-era customer engagement in short videos.
Mohammad Modarres is the Nicole J. Kim Eminent Professor at the University of Maryland within the A.J. Clark School of Engineering. He serves as Director of the Center for Risk and Reliability (CRR) and is a Professor of Nuclear Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Modarres co-founded the world's first degree-granting graduate curriculum in reliability engineering at the University of Maryland and has established himself as an international expert in reliability and risk analysis. Dr. Modarres received his educational credentials from prestigious institutions: B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tehran Polytechnic M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from MIT Dr. Modarres' research spans multiple critical areas in engineering risk and reliability. His primary interests include probabilistic risk assessment, uncertainty analysis, probabilistic physics of failure, and probabilistic fracture mechanics. His work encompasses both experimental investigations and sophisticated probabilistic model development. He has made significant contributions to materials degradation science, prognosis and health management systems, and nuclear safety analysis. His research bridges theoretical developments with practical applications in complex engineering systems, particularly in nuclear power and aerospace sectors. Analysis of Dr. Modarres' recent publications reveals a strong trend toward integrating advanced data science techniques with traditional reliability engineering. His work increasingly incorporates machine learning, deep learning, and entropy-based approaches to solve complex problems in prognostics and health management. There's a clear focus on multi-unit systems, particularly in nuclear power applications, and a growing emphasis on data-driven methodologies for remaining useful life estimation and failure prediction. His research maintains a strong foundation in probabilistic methods while embracing cutting-edge computational approaches. Dr. Modarres has received numerous prestigious honors and awards throughout his distinguished career: Nicole Y. Kim Eminent Professorship in Engineering Minta Martin Professorship in A.J. Clark School of Engineering University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher (2019) Tommy Thompson Award for outstanding lifetime contributions to nuclear safety (American Nuclear Society) Fellow, American Nuclear Society Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Life Fellow of IEEE 1996 Maryland Inventor of the Year Award (in Information Sciences) FDA Commissioner Special Citation for Contributions to Risk Assessment Methods (2004) 2008 International Research Leadership Award (Society for Reliability Engineering, Quality and Operations Management) Honorary Doctorate from Universidad Da Vinci de Guatemala As the founding director of the Center for Risk and Reliability, Dr. Modarres has built a world-renowned program that has awarded over 500 Ph.D. and master's degrees. His research has been supported by significant grants from government agencies and industry partners, particularly in nuclear safety, aerospace reliability, and critical infrastructure protection. He has mentored numerous students who have gone on to become leaders in reliability engineering across various industries. His center collaborates extensively with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international organizations on risk assessment methodologies. The Center for Risk and Reliability (CRR), which Dr. Modarres directs, serves as a hub for multidisciplinary research in risk and reliability engineering. The center has recently renovated its facilities to enhance collaboration among researchers from different engineering disciplines. CRR maintains strong partnerships with industry leaders including Amazon Lab126 (as evidenced by their collaboration on device durability research) and has been instrumental in advancing probabilistic risk assessment tools used in nuclear power plant safety analysis. The center hosts regular seminars, workshops, and international conferences, positioning itself at the forefront of risk and reliability research globally.
Marcos Cruz is Professor of Innovative Environments at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), where he leads research in bio-integrated design. He runs Bio-ID with Dr. Brenda Parker, a multidisciplinary research platform investigating design driven by biotechnology, computation, materials, and fabrication. Previously, he served as Director of The Bartlett from 2010-2014 and founded the BiotA Lab (2014-2018). His academic career spans multiple institutions including University College London (where he ran MArch Unit 20 for 19 years), University of Westminster (2008-2010), UCLA (2010), and IAAC (2014-present). Professor Cruz holds a Licenciatura from ESAP Porto, a Masters with distinction from UCL, and a PhD from UCL (2007), sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. His doctoral research on 'Neoplasmatic Architecture' earned him the RIBA President's Research Award in 2008. He is a registered architect with both the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and the Portuguese Architecture Chamber. His primary research area is Bio-Integrated Design, which explores how biotechnology and computation can reshape our built environment in response to climate change. This work goes beyond using nature as inspiration; instead, it treats nature as the medium for a multi-layered design approach. His key research project, Poikilohydric Living Walls, investigates integrating growth systems directly on building facades using algae and mosses that can switch photosynthetic activity on and off without additional maintenance. Another significant research area is The Body in Architecture, which examines the relationship between human flesh and architectural flesh, proposing a 'thick embodied flesh' that creates truly inhabitable architectural interfaces. His recent publications demonstrate a strong progression toward integrating living systems directly into building materials and facades. The research spans from microbial to tectonic scales, with increasing focus on biomaterials, robotic fabrication, and sustainable design approaches that actively participate in urban ecosystems rather than merely responding to them. RIBA President's Research Award (2008) for 'Neoplasmatic Architecture' Multiple Best Unit awards at Bartlett Summer Show (awarded by Thom Mayne, Paul Finch, Richard Rogers, Claude Parent, and Ross Lovegrove) Work part of permanent collection at FRAC Orleans Exhibitions at Venice and São Paulo Biennales Professor Cruz has supervised numerous PhD students through UCL's Research-by-Design programme and currently directs the MArch/MSc in Bio-Integrated Design. His research has been supported by EPSRC and involves industrial partners including Laing O'Rourke, Pennine Stone Limited, and Amorim, with academic partners at UCL Biochemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, and IST Tomar. He co-founded MAM-ARCH London (formerly marcosandmarjan) in 2000, whose work has built buildings and pavilions, won international competitions including the Kunsthaus Graz, and been exhibited globally. His practice represents a significant bridge between architectural design and biological systems, positioning him at the forefront of bio-integrated architectural research.
