Ezio Bartocci is a Full Professor in Formal Methods for Cyber-Physical Systems Engineering at TU Wien's Faculty of Computer Science. He leads the Trustworthy Cyber-Physical Systems (TrustCPS) Group within the Cyber-Physical System Research Unit. His research focuses on formal verification, probabilistic systems, and runtime monitoring, with applications in autonomous systems, safety-critical software, and embedded systems. Roles & Affiliations: Full Professor, TU Wien (100% research focus) Principal Investigator in projects funded by EU, WWTF, FFG, and industry partners Chair of the Curriculum Commission for Computer Engineering Editor-in-Chief of the Formal Methods in Outer Space series Research Interests: Formal methods for CPS: verification, synthesis, and runtime monitoring Probabilistic programming and loop analysis Temporal logic specifications and mining Automated tools for safety-critical systems (e.g., Polar, MoonLight) Applications in healthcare, robotics, and autonomous vehicles Key Projects: ProbInG (2020–2025): Analyzing probabilistic loops ARTIST (2021–2026): AI and robotics safety EdgeAI (2022–2025): Optimizing embedded processing TAIGER (2023–2027): Trustworthy AI and CPS Grants & Funding: €10M+ secured from EU Horizon 2020, WWTF, FFG, and industry partners like TTTech Auto AG. Academic Leadership: Teaches courses on logical methods, CPS engineering, and scientific research at TU Wien. Supervises PhD students in formal methods and CPS domains. Tools Developed: Polar (probabilistic loop analyzer), MoonLight (spatio-temporal monitoring), and FIM (fault injection tool).
Patrick Thomas Eugster is a Full Professor of Computer Science at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), leading the Software Systems (SWYSTEMS) group within the Computer Systems Institute, which he co-founded. Previously, he held faculty positions at Purdue University (2005-2016) and TU Darmstadt (2014-2017), with a visiting role at MIT (2012/2013). His research focuses on distributed systems, networking, security, and programming languages, with over 160 publications and significant industry collaborations with companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook. Education: He holds an M.S. (1998) and Ph.D. (2001) in Computer Science from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Research Interests: His work addresses distributed systems challenges such as fault-tolerance, security, and efficient resource management. Recent topics include datacenter reliability, quantum network verification, and confidential computing. His team explores intersections between systems, languages, and networks to build robust and secure distributed applications. Publications: Recent work spans topics like failure detection in datacenters, formal verification of systems, and network congestion control. Key venues include USENIX ATC, ACM SIGMETRICS, IEEE Network, and TACAS. His 2025 work on failure detection and TCAM encoding exemplifies contributions to system resilience and hardware optimization. Awards: Jean-Claude Laprie Award (2025), TACAS Best Paper (2025), ERC Consolidator Grant (2014), NSF CAREER Award (2007). Advising & Grants: Supervised over 20 PhD and postdoctoral researchers. Active grants include EU Horizon Europe CloudStars, Swiss National Science Foundation, and industry partnerships with Cisco and SAP. Labs & Teams: Directs the SWYSTEMS group, collaborating on projects like secure cloud analytics, quantum network verification, and datacenter monitoring. Former students hold roles at universities, tech firms, and startups.
Gunar Schirner is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University's College of Engineering . He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from the University of California, Irvine, and a B.Sc. from Berufsakademie Berlin. His research focuses on embedded systems, cyber-physical systems, and hardware/software co-design, with emphasis on embedded vision and system-level methodologies. Education: Ph.D. & M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Irvine (2008, 2005) Bachelor's in Computer Engineering, Berufsakademie Berlin, Germany (1998) Research Interests: Embedded system modeling, real-time AI on edge devices, accelerator-rich computing architectures, and assistive robotics. His work bridges algorithm design with system-level implementation, including projects on neural-controlled prosthetics and marine mammal monitoring via passive acoustic sensing. Grants & Collaborations: Schirner leads/navigate grants totaling over $2M from the National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Army, and Office of Naval Research, including a $13M Army contract for distributed sensing research. He co-directs the Embedded Systems Laboratory , advancing heterogeneous platform design and embedded vision systems. Students & Impact: His advisees, including Mo Han and Yagmur Gunay, have won best paper awards at PETRA 2019. He actively integrates industry experience (e.g., Alcatel-Lucent) into teaching, mentoring students in both academia and industry.
Dr. Shuo Yan is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University specializing in power electronics-dominant grids. His research develops advanced control systems for renewable integration and grid cybersecurity. Recognized in the top 2% of global scientists, he leads projects on microgrid stability and power converter optimization. Research focuses on: Smart load modeling and control Grid-forming converter technologies Cybersecurity of power electronic systems Consensus-based microgrid control Recent publications address neural network defenses against cyber threats and optimization of multi-port converters. Research combines theoretical control frameworks with practical validation through industry collaborations. Professional activities include Senior IEEE membership, editorial roles for IEEE journals, and leadership in international power electronics conferences. Teaching portfolio covers Power System Analysis and Power Electronic Converters.
Dr. Akanksha Saini is a Lecturer at RMIT University's School of Accounting, Information Systems, and Supply Chain. Her research focuses on cybersecurity, distributed systems, health informatics, and blockchain applications in healthcare. She holds an ORCID identifier (0000-0002-7191-2854) and is open to supervising Masters and PhD students in cyber security and related fields. Research Interests: Cybersecurity and Privacy Blockchain Technology in Healthcare Artificial Intelligence Applications Quantum Computation Supply Chain Management Health Informatics Systems Key Contributions: Pioneering work on securing distributed networks for IoT intrusion detection Developed blockchain-based frameworks for medical data sharing and access control Established collaborations with industry and international researchers Publications Highlight: Recent articles (2021–2025) emphasize blockchain applications in healthcare, federated learning, and cybersecurity challenges in the GenAI era. Over 30+ peer-reviewed papers in journals like Journal of Information Security and Applications and IEEE Internet of Things Journal . Supervision and Collaboration: Available to supervise research in cyber security and AI Industry partnerships align with national research priorities Co-authored papers with global collaborators in cryptography and health informatics Labs and Teams: Engaged in interdisciplinary projects at RMIT's School of Accounting, Information Systems, and Supply Chain, with a focus on real-world industry applications.
Dr. Qiang Fu is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University's School of Computing Technologies, specializing in Cloud, Networked Systems, and Security. He holds a PhD from The University of Queensland and is actively involved in industry collaborations. His research focuses on Internet and Cloud-based systems, including Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), data centre design, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS)/IoT, virtualization, and SDN/NFV. Recent work emphasizes network telemetry, fault detection, and IoT workflow optimization. He has published extensively in top-tier journals and conferences like IEEE Transactions and IFIP NOMS. Dr. Fu supervises PhD/Master students in areas such as network security, cloud computing, and IoT. His projects are often industry-funded and address real-world challenges like network scalability and blockchain integration. He is open to supervising students in these domains through RMIT's scholarship programs.
Professor Zhiyong Chen is a faculty member at the University of Newcastle, affiliated with the School of Engineering and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. He holds the rank of Professor and specializes in control systems, robotics, and nonlinear dynamics. His research focuses on biological control systems, swarm intelligence, and adaptive control strategies for complex systems. Chen has authored influential textbooks such as Stabilization and Regulation of Nonlinear Systems: A Robust and Adaptive Approach (2015), which provides foundational knowledge in nonlinear control theory. Education: PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Research interests include multi-agent systems, fault-tolerant control, and reinforcement learning applications. His work emphasizes practical implementations in robotics, transportation systems, and aerospace engineering. He has contributed to over 212 journal articles and 119 conference papers, addressing challenges in distributed control, cybersecurity in cyber-physical systems, and autonomous synchronization. Chen's recent projects involve cooperative control of high-speed trains, resilient multi-agent systems under cyber attacks, and physics-informed reinforcement learning. His methodologies often integrate theoretical rigor with real-world applications, such as nanopositioning systems and fault diagnosis in mechanical systems. Grants and collaborations highlight his role in interdisciplinary research, combining control theory with machine learning and cryptography for secure networked systems. His lab focuses on advancing adaptive control techniques and their deployment in safety-critical environments.
Michael Devetsikiotis is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico (UNM), part of the School of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University (1993). His career includes roles as an Assistant/Associate Professor at Carleton University (1996–1998), Associate/Professor at North Carolina State (2000–2016), and leadership in UNM's ECE Department since 2016. He specializes in telecommunication networks, smart grids, IoT, and quantum information science. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1993 M.S. in Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1990 Dipl. Ing. in Electrical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 1988 Research Interests: Focuses on network design, smart grid communications, cyber-physical systems, and quantum technologies. He has published over 180 refereed papers and secured funding from NSF, NSERC, Cisco, and IBM. Notable projects include leading UNM’s Quantum Information Science program and managing the $20M NSF EPSCoR “SMART” Grid initiative. Articles Trends: Recent work emphasizes AI-driven network management (e.g., LSTM models for 5G/6G), blockchain for secure IoT/satellite systems, and quantum computing. Earlier contributions addressed EV charging infrastructure and smart grid resilience. Scientific Awards: IEEE Fellow (2012) NC State ECE Alumni Hall of Fame (2017) Advising & Grants: Directed UNM’s NSF Quantum Computing Faculty Fellowship (2020), enabling hires in quantum engineering. Previously managed a 800-student ECE graduate program at NC State. Active in IEEE leadership roles, including Distinguished Lecturer (2008–2011) and Chair of flagship conference committees. Labs & Teams: Spearheaded UNM’s IBM Q-Hub affiliation (2020), advancing quantum research collaboration. Leads interdisciplinary teams for smart city defense, blockchain energy markets, and 6G network automation.
Pio Ong is a Postdoctoral Scholar Research Associate in the Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering. His work focuses on advancing control systems theory with an emphasis on safety-critical applications, resilient systems, and event-triggered control mechanisms. Research interests include cybersecurity in control systems, safety protocols for aerospace and robotic systems, and the integration of mathematical theories like control barrier functions with practical engineering challenges. His interdisciplinary work bridges theoretical analysis (e.g., implicit function theorem applications) and applied domains such as satellite orbit stabilization and networked systems. Key contributions involve developing computationally efficient safety filters and frameworks for systems under severe sensor attacks, hierarchical event-triggered policies balancing performance and safety, and nonsmooth control methods for maintaining system stability and connectivity. Ong's publications consistently address the unification of control objectives (safety, stability, smoothness) while conserving computational resources. His research lab environment (Gates-Thomas Laboratory) likely supports experimental validation of theoretical models, though specific lab affiliations are not explicitly stated. No awards or grants are listed in the provided text.
João Pedro Hespanha is a Distinguished Professor holding dual appointments in the Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering departments at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is affiliated with the Center for Control, Dynamical-Systems and Computation (CCDC) and the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, where he leads research at the intersection of control theory, networked systems, and biological applications. Dr. Hespanha has established himself as a leading authority in hybrid systems and networked control with significant theoretical contributions and practical implementations. Dr. Hespanha received his Licenciatura and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal, before earning his PhD in Electrical Engineering and Applied Science from Yale University in 1998. After serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California from 1999-2001, he joined UC Santa Barbara in 2002 where he has remained ever since, rising to his current distinguished position. His educational background reflects a strong foundation in both theoretical mathematics and practical engineering applications. His research program spans multiple interconnected domains including hybrid and switched systems, networked control systems, cooperative control of autonomous agents, and systems biology. Dr. Hespanha's work on hybrid systems has fundamentally advanced the mathematical frameworks for modeling systems that combine continuous dynamics with discrete logic transitions. His research on networked control systems addresses critical challenges in communication-constrained environments, while his work in cooperative control tackles computational complexity and limited communication in multi-agent systems. His systems biology research applies control theory to model gene regulatory networks using stochastic hybrid systems. Dr. Hespanha's recent publications demonstrate consistent innovation across theoretical foundations and practical applications. His work shows a clear trajectory toward more complex networked systems, with increasing emphasis on security, resilience, and uncertainty quantification. The publications reveal strong interdisciplinary connections between control theory, computer science, and biology, with applications spanning autonomous vehicles, communication networks, and biological processes. Among his numerous accolades: Elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2008 for contributions to stability techniques for switched and hybrid systems Awarded the prestigious Ruberti Young Researcher Prize in 2009 Received the George S. Axelby Outstanding Paper Award in 2006 Honored with the Automatica Theory/Methodology best paper prize in 2005 Named IFAC Fellow in 2016 Received ACM SIGBED HSCC Best Paper Award in 2019 Dr. Hespanha has successfully mentored over 25 PhD students who have gone on to prominent positions in academia and industry. His research has been consistently supported by substantial funding from NSF, NIH, ONR, and other agencies, with current projects including pandemic management decision systems, precision drug delivery, and control of autonomous vehicle networks. He has taught numerous influential courses including Linear Systems Theory and Noncooperative Game Theory, authoring widely used lecture notes published by Princeton Press. Dr. Hespanha leads an active research group within the Center for Control, Dynamical-Systems and Computation, collaborating with researchers across engineering disciplines and biology. His lab maintains strong connections with industry partners working on autonomous systems, communication networks, and biological applications. He has organized major conferences including serving as General Chair for the 9th International Workshop on Hybrid Systems: Computation and Control in 2006, further establishing UCSB as a leading center for control systems research.
Beatriz Soret is an Associate Professor at Aalborg University's Department of Electronic Systems, part of The Technical Faculty of IT and Design. Her research focuses on satellite communications, IoT, wireless networks, and AI-driven network systems. She leads and collaborates on projects like STELLAR (2019-2021) and SATNEX V WI Y4.6 (2024-2025), addressing latency, reliability, and real-time data challenges in 6G and satellite networks. Her work emphasizes distributed computing, edge computing for Earth observation, and semantic communication frameworks. Key publications include advancements in RAN slicing for VR traffic, coded distributed computing, and AI-integrated network layers. She actively contributes to special issues on distributed intelligence and 6G technologies. Her research spans theoretical and experimental analyses of delay, age of information, and network performance in scenarios like LEO satellite constellations and industrial IoT. She collaborates with institutions globally, advancing non-terrestrial networks and smart connectivity solutions.
Affiliations & Roles Michele Albano is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Aalborg University, Denmark. He is affiliated with The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, focusing on research in IoT, Cyber-Physical Systems, and Edge Computing. He leads the Productive4.0 project (2017–2020), funded by Horizon Europe, addressing Industry 4.0 challenges in product lifecycle management. His work integrates formal verification tools like Uppaal with real-world applications in robotics, energy systems, and blockchain-based platforms. Research Interests Albano's research spans IoT architecture optimization , energy-efficient systems , and model-driven engineering . He develops tools for autonomous exploration algorithms (MAES), edge-cloud resource orchestration, and fault-tolerant computation offloading. His work bridges theoretical models (e.g., Uppaal SMC) with practical implementations in smart grids and robotic systems. Recent projects include blockchain-based crowdsourcing for machine learning and energy-aware thermal dynamics estimation in buildings. Collaborations & Impact He collaborates with the European Industry 6.0 community, contributing to the Arrowhead Framework for interoperable IoT systems. His research outputs include 112 publications, with 2025 highlights in human-inspired robotics and cognitive cloud frameworks. Media coverage in 2024–2025 highlights his work on green IT and secure API generation. Albano advises students on system modeling (e.g., ACSmt plugin development) and edge computing optimization. Labs & Teams His research group focuses on Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Grids , with contributions to tools like RoutesMobilityModel and FlexHousing. He actively participates in workshops on New Trends in Software Architecture (SATrends '24) and IEEE conferences on Industrial Informatics.
Saddek Bensalem is a Professor at Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), affiliated with the Laboratoire Verimag within the Grenoble Institute of Technology. His research focuses on rigorous system design, formal methods for verification, and the integration of learning-enabled components into safety-critical systems. He leads projects like FETLAS (Engineering Trustworthy Learning-enabled Autonomous Systems) and has contributed to frameworks such as BIP for component-based system design. Research Interests: Formal verification of real-time systems, model-based design, cyber-physical systems, autonomous robotics, and security in IoT. His work emphasizes scalable verification techniques and correctness-by-construction approaches. Recent Projects: FOCETA (H2020): Foundations for continuous engineering of trustworthy learning-enabled systems. BRAIN-IoT: Framework for smart IoT-CPS integration and security. CPS4EU: Strengthening European capabilities in cyber-physical systems. Labs & Teams: Laboratoire Verimag, leading the Rigorous System Design team (2008-2020) and currently advancing autonomous systems research. Active in collaborations with institutions like NASA/JPL and SRI International.
Edlira Dushku is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Department of Electronic Systems, Aalborg University (Denmark), affiliated with the Cyber Security Group. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Sapienza University of Rome and has held postdoctoral positions at DTU Compute, Denmark. Her research focuses on IoT Security, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, and Fog Computing, particularly in remote attestation and hardware security. Education: 2023: University Pedagogical Programme, Aalborg University 2016–2020: PhD in Computer Science, Sapienza University of Rome 2013: MSc in Computer Science, University of Tirana 2010: BSc in Computer Science, University of Tirana Research Interests: Dr. Dushku specializes in securing IoT devices and distributed systems through remote attestation, blockchain applications, and machine learning-based security. She explores challenges in fog computing, PUF protection, and adversarial defense mechanisms. Her work emphasizes trust management and public verifiability in IoT ecosystems. Teaching: She teaches courses like Security in IoT and Cloud Architectures (MSc) and Computer System Security (BSc) at Aalborg University. Previously, she was an academic supervisor for students with special needs at DTU. Grants & Projects: Coordinator of the EUopStart proposal for MSCA (2024) Guest editor for MDPI Sensors Special Issue on IoT Security Program chairs for multiple conferences (e.g., FMEC 2021) Lab & Collaborations: Collaborates with industry partners like Terma and Develco Products, focusing on applied IoT security solutions. Her work bridges academia and industry through co-supervised theses and real-world system implementations.
Dan Pellathy is an Assistant Professor of Practice and Director of Operations at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Haslam College of Business, specifically within the Supply Chain Management department. He actively contributes to academia and industry through consulting and research in strategic supply chain planning, organizational alignment, and end-to-end operational excellence. His research interests focus on integrating supply chain strategy and organizational design to create sustainable business success. His work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Business Logistics and the International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, and he frequently writes for practitioner outlets like Supply Chain Quarterly and the Wall Street Journal. Dan Pellathy’s recent academic publications explore topics like supply chain agility, cross-functional integration, and circular economy practices. His articles emphasize developing next-generation planners, enhancing organizational alignment, and addressing cyber risks in global supply chains. These works collectively highlight his commitment to advancing supply chain innovation and operational resilience. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Supply Chain Management from the University of Tennessee, an MBA/MPA from the University of Pittsburgh, and a BA in Anthropology and Philosophy from Cornell University.
