Prof. Maosong Sun is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, China. He holds additional leadership roles including Executive Vice Dean of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Deputy Director of the National Engineering Laboratory for Cyberlearning and Intelligent Technology. His research focuses on natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computational education. He leads interdisciplinary projects in computational humanities, knowledge graphs, and MOOC platforms like XuetangX, which has over 58.8 million registered learners. Key contributions include pioneering work in Chinese NLP tools, poetry generation systems like Jiuge, and large-scale research initiatives funded by Chinese and Singaporean programs. Awards include the Tsinghua University Education Award (2019) and the National Outstanding Practitioner Award (2007). Established NLP and Computational Humanities & Social Sciences Lab (2008) Co-director of the Joint Research Center for Extreme Search (2011-present) Over 200 publications with 11,000+ citations (h-index 47)
Hui Pan is a distinguished academic holding dual positions as Nokia Chair in Data Science and Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, and Chair Professor of Computational Media and Arts at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research spans networking, mobile computing, augmented reality, and computational social science. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge in 2007. His work bridges social networks with mobile systems, pioneering fields like mobile social networks and opportunistic forwarding algorithms. Research interests include data science, complex networks, and innovative applications of augmented reality. His recent publications focus on low-latency AR frameworks, blockchain for computation offloading, and mobile web visualization. He has received prestigious awards, including IEEE Fellow (2018), ACM Distinguished Scientist (2016), and the Nokia Chair Endowment (2017). He has supervised over 15 PhD and 12 MPhil graduates, with 13 current Ph.D. students and 2 MPhil students. His editorial roles include Associate Editorships at IEEE Transactions journals and guest editorships at top venues like IEEE JSAC and ACM Transactions. He has organized conferences such as WWW Track Chair and ExtremeCom General Chair.
Hilda Tellioglu is an Associate Professor and Dean of Academic Affairs for Informatics at TU Wien, leading the Artifact-based Computing and User Research department. She holds a dual role as Head of Research Unit and oversees the Office of the Dean. Her work focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design Thinking, and Digital Transformation, with a strong emphasis on socio-technical systems and participatory design methodologies. Research interests span software engineering, CSCW, ambient assisted living (AAL), and digital co-creation practices in urban planning. She has spearheaded projects like aspern.mobil LAB, EnviSense, and StreetForum, exploring smart mobility, environmental sensing, and citizen participation in urban development. Her work frequently integrates tangible interfaces and model-based design approaches. Key contributions include frameworks for digital transformation evaluation (EEFCET 2020), user-centered design for informal caregivers (TOPIC platform), and crisis management systems using crowdsourcing (RE-ACTA). She has led over 20+ research projects funded by FFG, EU, and national agencies, focusing on mobility innovation, healthcare technology, and sustainable urban systems. Teaching responsibilities include courses on Design Thinking, Digital Transformation, and Research Methods across bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs. She actively promotes interdisciplinary collaboration through initiatives like the Center for Technology & Society (CTS) and Living Lab methodologies.
Emanuel Sallinger is a Full Professor at TU Wien's Databases and Artificial Intelligence Group and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for Business Informatics and Data Science. He leads the Knowledge Graph Lab, focusing on scalable knowledge-based systems, reasoning in knowledge graphs, and AI integration. His research spans computational logic, database theory, and blockchain applications. Education: PhD in Computer Science (awarded 'sub auspiciis praesidentis rei publicae'), Master's degrees in Computational Intelligence and Informatics Management, and a Bachelor's in Software and Information Engineering. Research Interests: Knowledge graphs (construction, reasoning, scalability), logic-based systems, AI/ML integration with databases, enterprise architecture modeling, and financial knowledge systems. His work emphasizes practical applications like enterprise modeling, sustainable waste management, and regulatory compliance. Grants & Projects: Lead Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF)-funded Knowledge Graph Lab. Involved in projects like 'Knowledge Graph-driven Tour Management' (sustainability), 'SustainGraph' (waste processing), and 'Enterprise Architecture Knowledge Graphs'. Teaching: Offers courses on Knowledge Graphs, Generative AI, Database Systems, and research methodology. Supervises doctoral and master's students in AI, databases, and knowledge representation. Labs/Teams: Knowledge Graph Lab at TU Wien, collaborating with industry on blockchain-based systems, financial AI, and enterprise architecture frameworks.
Gabriella Giannachi is Professor of Performance and New Media and Director of the Centre for Intermedia at the University of Exeter's Faculty of Humanities, Department of English. She leads interdisciplinary collaborations between artists, academics, and scientists to advance research in performance and digital arts. Her educational background includes: BA in Modern Languages and Literatures from Turin University's Faculty of Letters and Philosophy PhD in English from Cambridge University, researching silence in modern European Drama with Trinity Hall scholarship Giannachi's research pioneers performance documentation in mixed reality environments, examining how digital archives function as mobile interpretation hubs for cultural engagement. She investigates mobile user-generated documentation's role in knowledge production, museum visitor dynamics, memory formation, and identity construction within ecological and heritage contexts, with significant focus on copyright and accessibility implications. Her publication trends reveal consistent exploration of presence theory across physical-digital boundaries, with award-winning CHI conference papers (2009-2013) and books like 'Performing Mixed Reality' (2011) establishing frameworks for understanding mixed reality performance, environmental art, and digital heritage preservation. Her scientific recognition includes: Three consecutive CHI Best Paper Awards (2009, 2012, 2013) Theatre Library Association Book Award nomination for 'Performing Presence' (2012) Royal Society of Arts Fellowship nomination (2012) While specific advisees aren't documented, her research partnerships demonstrate extensive collaborative supervision across institutions including Tate, Imperial War Museum, British Library, and Stanford Libraries, securing projects that integrate artistic practice with scientific research. As Centre for Intermedia Director, she cultivates experimental teams investigating how digital archives transform cultural engagement through mobile platforms, particularly in environmental contexts via partnerships with Met Office Hadley Centre and Ludwig Boltzman Institute.
Benedikt Warth is a Full Professor for Food Chemistry and Exposome Research at the Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Vienna (since 2022). He coordinates the Austrian node of the ESFRI research infrastructure EIRENE and leads the 'Global Exposomics and Biomonitoring Laboratory' since 2017. His work bridges chemistry and toxicology, focusing on exposomics and metabolomics to assess chemical exposure and its health impacts. Education: PhD in Analytical Chemistry (2012), Master’s in Biotechnology (2009), Bachelor’s in Food Science and Biotechnology (2007) Research interests center on exposomics , metabolomics , and analytical chemistry , particularly for environmental and food-related toxicants. Recent articles highlight advancements in mass spectrometry for exposome-scale analysis, combining targeted and non-targeted approaches, and exploring chemical interactions (e.g., xenoestrogens, mycotoxins, flame retardants) in biological systems. Key trends in his publications include: Development of hybrid LC-MS methods (targeted/untargeted) for sensitive exposomics Integration of AI and cognitive computing for pathway analysis Global biomonitoring of mycotoxins and xenobiotics in vulnerable populations Standardization frameworks for non-targeted analysis (SRT) Notable awards include the 2025 Chemical Research in Toxicology Young Investigator Award , Brigitte Gedek-Science Award , and multiple grants (ERC Consolidator, Erwin-Schrödinger Fellowship). He has delivered over 20 invited talks on exposomics, including sessions at ACS Fall Meetings and international conferences. His laboratory's projects span: Breast cancer exposomics (linking environmental exposures to disease onset) High-throughput sample preparation for exposome-wide studies Systems toxicology of chemical mixtures (e.g., flame retardants, mycotoxins) Development of global metabolomic assays for toxicity prediction
Professor Robert Eason is a leading academic at the University of Southampton, specializing in photonics and laser technology. His research spans interdisciplinary areas combining Machine Learning , Medical Diagnostics , and Microfluidics . Research Interests : Eason focuses on AI-driven laser applications, including deep learning for phototherapy , autonomous laser machining , and low-cost paper-based diagnostic devices . His work bridges photonics with biomedicine and advanced manufacturing. Recent Publications : His 2025 article in Scientific Reports explores AI simulations for psoriasis treatment, while 2024-2022 works address laser-controlled microfluidics, deep learning in microscopy, and reinforcement learning for laser machining. Supervision : He supervises PhD student Georgia Mourkioti in laser-based research projects. External Roles : Eason has served as a speaker at international conferences including the International Symposium on Laser Precision Microfabrication (2018), LAISER (2019), and Deep Learning for Control of Light-Matter Interactions (2022).
ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Martin Heintel is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna. With over 30 years of experience, he focuses on regional development, cross-border cooperation, and sustainable urban-rural linkages. His work spans Europe, Southeast Asia, and North America, emphasizing participatory governance and evidence-based policy. International guest professorships: University of New Orleans, Hebrew University, German University of Technology in Oman Recipient of Marshall Plan Chair and bm:bwk research grants Keynote speaker at conferences in Austria, Germany, Croatia, and Japan Research interests include collaborative governance, regional disparities, and transformative planning in megacities. His recent publications explore EU cohesion policy, cross-sectoral cooperation, and urban resilience frameworks. He has advised regional governments on demographic shifts and sustainable development. Notable trends in his 293+ publications: 100% focus on regional development, 75% sustainable practices, 60% cross-border governance, and 45% urbanization in the Global South. His work bridges academic theory with practical policy interventions. Scientific engagement: Editorial Advisory Board, Europa Regional (2008-2023) Speaker at 243+ international events Media coverage in Der Standard , Österreichische Medien , and public debates Leadership roles include co-founding the Austrian Association for Applied Geography (ÖVAG) and coordinating the IGEN EU project (2011-2013). He mentors young researchers through conference sessions and regional workshops.
Armin Kirchknopf serves as a Junior Researcher at the Media Computing Research Group within the Institute of Creative Media/Technologies, Department of Media and Digital Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. His interdisciplinary work bridges artificial intelligence, computer vision, and social media analysis, with significant contributions to misinformation detection and disaster response systems. Based at Campus-Platz 1 in St. Pölten, Austria, he actively collaborates on EU-funded projects and publishes in top-tier AI venues. His educational journey spans humanities and technology: a Bachelor of Arts in Egyptology and Master of Arts in Classical Archaeology from the University of Vienna (including fieldwork at excavation sites across Austria, Germany, and Egypt), followed by a Bachelor of Science in Media Technology from FH St. Pölten. This unique background informs his human-centered AI research approach. Kirchknopf's research centers on explainable multimodal AI systems for real-world challenges. His recent work demonstrates expertise in transformer-based architectures for cross-lingual fake news detection, sexism identification, and flood monitoring through social media imagery. He pioneers techniques like Grad-CAM for object detection explainability and develops visualization tools for complex data interpretation, emphasizing transparency and social impact in AI deployment. Analysis of his 13 publications (2017-2022) reveals a strategic shift toward applied AI in societal contexts , particularly using social media data for disaster management and combating online toxicity. His projects consistently integrate computer vision with natural language processing, showing increasing sophistication in multilingual capabilities and model interpretability frameworks. His scientific recognition includes: Creative Business Award for co-developing the Tenjin learning quiz application No documented student advisement or grant leadership appears in current records, though he actively mentors through project-based collaborations. His work with the Media Computing Research Group drives innovation in educational technology and public safety applications. Kirchknopf contributes to the Media Computing Research Group's portfolio including Fake News Detection, SAiEX (Safe AI with explainable integrity), InfraBase (building footprint segmentation), and Ressel Center music therapy projects. His cross-disciplinary collaborations span computer scientists, archaeologists, and social scientists, reflecting the group's commitment to human-centric technological solutions .
Institute of Science and Technology AustriaAustria
Sylvain Lefebvre is a permanent researcher at INRIA (Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique) in France, where he leads the MFX research team since 2018. Previously, he was part of the ALICE group at INRIA Nancy (2009-2018) and the REVES team in Sophia Antipolis (2006-2009). His career includes a postdoctoral position at Microsoft Research Seattle (2005) following his PhD at INRIA Rhones-Alpes under Fabrice Neyret. His educational background includes a PhD in Computer Graphics from Université Joseph Fourier (Grenoble) in 2005, preceded by a Master in Computer Graphics from INP Grenoble in 2001. His habilitation thesis focused on Runtime Texture Synthesis. Lefebvre's research centers on simplifying content creation for highly detailed patterns, structures, and shapes with applications spanning Computer Graphics to additive manufacturing. He develops fast, controllable by-example synthesis approaches that generate content while enforcing user-specified constraints. His work addresses computational challenges through novel data structures and algorithms optimized for GPUs and FPGAs, including his Silice programming language. The ERC-funded ShapeForge project (2012-2017) advanced shape generation for 3D printing, leading to the IceSL software for digital modeling and fabrication. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a strong focus on additive manufacturing optimization, with recurring themes in structural integrity, material efficiency, and geometric algorithms. His work bridges computer graphics theory with practical fabrication constraints, particularly in microstructure design, slicing techniques, and mechanical metamaterials. The interdisciplinary nature spans computer science, materials engineering, and robotics. EUROGRAPHICS Young Researcher Award (2010) ERC Starting Grant for ShapeForge project (2012) Lefebvre has advised over 25 PhD students and interns including Marco Freire, Thibault Tricard, and Jimmy Etienne. His ShapeForge project received significant ERC funding, supporting research in computational fabrication. He serves on numerous program committees including SIGGRAPH, Eurographics, and SIGGRAPH Asia, reflecting his leadership in the computer graphics community. As leader of the MFX team since 2018, Lefebvre directs research in computational fabrication, focusing on IceSL software development for 3D printing workflows. The team integrates computer graphics techniques with manufacturing constraints, developing tools that simplify complex object design and fabrication while addressing real-world challenges in material usage and structural integrity.
Judith Schoonenboom is a Professor at the University of Vienna and Deputy Head of the Department of Education. She teaches courses in quantitative and interpretive methodologies, research design, and PhD/master's thesis supervision, including seminars like 'Methodology and Research Design' and 'Quantitative Methodologies in Education Science'. Her academic responsibilities reflect a focus on advanced research methodologies in educational contexts. Schoonenboom's research centers on mixed methods and multimethod approaches in education science, emphasizing methodological innovation, data integration, and theoretical development. Key interests include the interplay between qualitative and quantitative research, design patterns in mixed methods, and strategies for enhancing inferential rigor in social science studies. Her work bridges epistemological frameworks with practical research applications. Her scholarly publications demonstrate a consistent focus on advancing mixed methods research, particularly through innovations in design, integration techniques, and theoretical reflection. Recent works explore causal inference in qualitative research, visualization of methodological interactions, and performative approaches, highlighting trends toward interdisciplinary synthesis and practical methodology refinement.
Ivan Viola is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms, part of the Faculty of Informatics at TU Wien, Austria. He holds a leave of absence until December 2024 while also being affiliated with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as an Associate Professor funded by the Vienna Research Groups program. His research focuses on visualization techniques in medicine, biological sciences, and earth sciences, with a specialty in illustrative visualization and DNA-nanotechnology applications. Viola has contributed over 100 scientific works and serves as a reviewer and panelist for major conferences in computer graphics and visualization. Education: M.Sc. (2002) and Ph.D. (2005) in Computer Graphics from TU Wien. Postdoctoral research at the University of Bergen (2006-2011), where he became Full Professor before returning to TU Wien. Research Interests: Whole-cell visualization Molecular modeling Interactive 3D environments Biomedical visualization Data-driven colormap techniques Awards: IEEE VIS 2017 Best Paper Honorable Mention, 'Best Overall Concept' for CellView, and multiple visualization awards. Active in EuroVis and IEEE VIS organizing roles. Grants & Supervision: Leads the Visualization Group at TU Wien, supervising student projects and master’s theses. Involved in grants like the Vienna Research Groups program. Labs/Teams: Visualization Group at TU Wien, collaborating on projects like CellView and Molecumentary.
Univ.-Prof. Martin Pinzger is a Professor at the Department of Informatics Systems, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt. He serves as Head of Department and Member of the Senate, actively contributing to academic governance. Research Focus: Automating Software Engineering Tasks, Mining Software Repositories, Program Analysis, Software Evolution and Visualization Recent Work: Developing tools for API evolution analysis, cybersecurity AI (CAI), robotics benchmarking (RobotPerf), and dependency validation His research combines empirical studies with tool development for software maintenance and security. Current projects address challenges in REST API breaking changes, cloud security certifications, and robotic system performance evaluation. Publications since 2023 demonstrate continued engagement with topics spanning AI-driven code segmentation, microservice API evolution, and cybersecurity tool development. Key trends include cross-disciplinary applications of NLP to software engineering and security-focused tool creation. Contact: martin.pinzger@aau.at
Andreas Rauber is an Associate Professor in the Department of Data Science at Technical University of Vienna. He serves as Curriculum Coordinator for Bachelor and Master programs in Business Informatics and Data Science, and chairs the Curriculum Commission for Business Informatics. His research focuses on Information Systems Engineering, Logic and Computation, and Visual Computing, addressing challenges in data management, digital preservation, and reproducibility in e-science. He leads projects like OS Trails and FAIR-AI, emphasizing FAIR principles and trustworthy research infrastructures. Rauber has contributed to over 150 publications, including works on data citation frameworks, adversarial ML defenses, and reproducibility in IR. His work bridges technical innovation with policy, exemplified through roles in the EOSC Support Office Austria and RDA Austria initiatives. Key projects include establishing FAIR data practices across universities and advancing digital preservation through repositories like DBRepo. He coordinates international collaborations, such as the EU-funded EOSC-Life and EGI Advanced Computing projects. His teaching spans courses in machine learning, information retrieval, and research methods, fostering next-generation data scientists.
Professor Dong Xu is a Tenured Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), part of the School of Computing and Data Science. He holds a B.Eng. and Ph.D. from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). His career includes tenured roles at Nanyang Technological University and the University of Sydney, alongside postdoctoral research at Columbia University. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Multimedia, and Machine Learning , with applications in autonomous driving, AR/VR, medical image analysis, and video surveillance. Xu has authored over 150 papers in top journals and conferences, including CVPR, ICCV, and IEEE Transactions. He actively contributes to the academic community as an editorial board member for journals like ACM Computing Surveys and IEEE Transactions, and through leadership roles in conferences such as ACM Multimedia and ICME. Notable awards include Fellowships from IEEE and IAPR, and the IEEE Signal Processing Society Distinguished Lecturer title (2021–2022). Education: B.Eng. (USTC, 2001), Ph.D. (USTC, 2005) Professional Service: Program Coordinator of ACM Multimedia 2024, Guest Editor of over ten special issues.
