Prof. Dr.-Ing. Richard Membarth is a Research Professor for System-on-a-Chip and AI at the Edge Computing at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI). He is affiliated with the Hardware-Software Co-Design group and holds a secondary position at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) Saarbrücken. Co-creator of DSL frameworks like AnyDSL and Hipacc Key contributor to MetaDL (AI metaprogramming) and PRIME (predictive rendering) His research bridges GPU computing , domain-specific languages , and compiler technology , with recent work on Vulkan SPIR-V compilation and device-driven SpMV algorithms . Notable awards include the HiPEAC Paper Award (2018) and multiple Best Paper Awards for his compiler frameworks.
Christopher Hearty is a Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Faculty of Science, and serves as an IPP (Institute of Particle Physics) Principal Research Scientist. His office is located in Hennings 268 with laboratory space at TRIUMF/Hennings 222, where he conducts cutting-edge experimental particle physics research using major international facilities. Hearty earned his B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics from Simon Fraser University (1982), followed by a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Washington (1987). He completed postdoctoral research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 1987 to 1994 before joining UBC. B.Sc., Mathematics and Physics, Simon Fraser University, 1982 Ph.D., Physics, University of Washington, 1987 Postdoctoral Researcher, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1987-1994 His research program focuses on direct searches for physics beyond the Standard Model through e+e- collisions, with particular emphasis on dark sector phenomena including dark photons, axion-like particles, and strongly interacting dark matter. As a key contributor to the Belle II experiment, he develops advanced calorimeter calibration techniques, reconstruction algorithms, and trigger systems while mentoring students in machine learning applications for large-scale data analysis. His work bridges theoretical phenomenology with experimental verification in the search for new fundamental particles. Recent publications demonstrate a concentrated effort on dark sector exploration at Belle II, featuring innovative approaches like graph neural networks for photon reconstruction and sophisticated analysis of displaced vertices. The research spans both visible and invisible decay channels, significantly advancing constraints on dark matter models while establishing Belle II's sensitivity to elusive particles through precision measurements of e+e- collision data. Hearty's scientific recognition includes: APS Fellow (2015) Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2016) as part of the T2K collaboration He actively supervises graduate students on thesis projects spanning dark photon searches, axion-like particle detection, and detector development, while serving on UBC's teaching peer review committee and as LHCb chief reviewer for CERN's LHCC committee. His mentorship provides students with hands-on experience in international collaborations, detector instrumentation, and advanced data analysis techniques. Based at TRIUMF Canada's particle accelerator centre and UBC's Department of Physics & Astronomy, Hearty leads a research group within the global Belle II collaboration. His team contributes to multiple detector subsystems including calorimetry and tracking systems, while developing novel analysis frameworks for new physics signatures in high-energy collision data.
A. Lynn Abbott is a Professor in the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech , specializing in computer vision, biometrics, and AI-driven sensing systems. His work bridges theoretical and applied domains, including autonomous vehicle perception, physiological signal analysis, and secure healthcare monitoring. Education: Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1990 M.S., Stanford University, 1981 B.S., Rutgers University, 1980 Research Interests focus on computer vision for autonomous systems, biometrics using physiological signals, and deep learning applications in transportation safety and healthcare. Recent projects include neural networks for intersection safety modeling and vision-based cardiovascular signal recovery. Publications highlight advancements in graph neural networks for traffic analysis, spatiotemporal filtering for 3D object detection, and privacy-preserving biometric authentication. His work spans disciplines like transportation safety, biomedical signal processing, and computer architecture. Labs & Teams: Affiliated with the Center for Embedded Systems for Critical Applications , contributing to real-time vision systems and hardware-software co-design for safety-critical domains.
Dr. Pedro Mediano is a Lecturer in Computing at Imperial College London's Department of Computing (Faculty of Engineering). His research focuses on complex systems, information theory, and their applications in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and cognitive science. He is affiliated with the Artificial Intelligence Network and leads interdisciplinary projects exploring synergistic interactions in brain dynamics, psychedelic neurodynamics, and causal emergence. Key research areas include quantifying high-order interactions in complex systems, developing information-theoretic tools for analyzing neural data, and modeling consciousness through integrated information theory. Mediano has pioneered frameworks like the Shannon invariants for scalable information decomposition and developed software tools such as THOI for analyzing higher-order interactions. Recent work examines how psychedelics alter brain entropy, the role of metastability in cognitive processes, and the computational principles underlying causal emergence in machine learning models. His studies integrate mathematical rigor with empirical neuroscience, bridging theoretical and applied domains. Mediano has collaborated on whole-brain models of psychedelic-induced neural complexity and explored the interplay between oxygen metabolism and brain evolution. He holds affiliations with Imperial's AI Network and regularly publishes in top journals across computational neuroscience and complexity science. Current projects include developing open-source tools for information decomposition and investigating the neural correlates of consciousness under altered states.
Hoda Eldardiry is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and Director of the Machine Learning Laboratory. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining, and their applications in policy, ethics, and complex systems analysis. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, Purdue University M.S., Computer Science, Purdue University B.E., Computer and Systems Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt Research Interests: Eldardiry’s work spans machine learning modeling (e.g., hypergraph neural networks, time-series forecasting), AI ethics and policy education, and interdisciplinary applications in transportation, healthcare, and cybersecurity. She emphasizes socially responsible AI development through curriculum design and policy frameworks. Recent Research Themes: Her 2025 publications highlight advancements in graph-based learning, policy-aware AI education modules, and novel techniques in multi-modal data analysis. Key areas include zero-shot learning, sparse control systems optimization, and collaborative machine learning frameworks. Labs & Teams: Directs the Machine Learning Laboratory at Virginia Tech, fostering innovation in ethical AI systems and data-driven decision-making.
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.
Adín Ramírez Rivera is a Professor in the Digital Signal Processing and Image Analysis (DSB) group at the Department of Informatics, University of Oslo. His research focuses on representation learning and computer vision, particularly exploring machine learning methods to describe and understand visual data. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a member of the ELLIS Society. Education : PhD from Kyung Hee University's Image Processing Lab, South Korea; Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, majoring in Computer Science and Systems Engineering. Ramírez Rivera's research spans diverse computer vision tasks including facial analysis, object detection, image enhancement, and vision transformers. His work emphasizes self-supervised learning, fair representation learning, and novel neural network architectures for image segmentation and classification. Recent publications highlight trends in vision transformers, crowd counting, facial expression recognition, and fair representation learning. His articles frequently address statistical modeling, feature extraction, and deep learning techniques for visual tasks. Scientific Awards : Senior Member of the IEEE, Member of the ELLIS Society. He collaborates with researchers across institutions, contributing to projects involving anomaly detection, multilingual translation, and astrophysical modeling. His lab affiliations include the Digital Signal Processing and Image Analysis group and the Section for Machine Learning at the University of Oslo.
David Jensen is a Professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He directs the Knowledge Discovery Laboratory and the Computational Social Science Institute. His research focuses on machine learning, causal modeling, and analyzing large social, technological, and computational systems. Jensen's work is supported by organizations like the National Science Foundation and DARPA. Education: DSc in Engineering and Policy, Washington University in St. Louis (1992) MS in Engineering and Policy, Washington University in St. Louis (1988) BS in Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska (1986) Research Interests: Causal inference in relational and dynamic systems Machine learning applications in security and privacy Computational social science Large-scale network analysis Achievements: Recipient of teaching awards from UMass College of Natural Sciences (2011) and CICS (2022) 2017 IEEE INFOCOM Test of Time Paper Award Leadership roles in conferences and journals, including action editor for the Journal of Machine Learning Research Labs and Affiliations: Founder of the Knowledge Discovery Laboratory (2000) Director of the Computational Social Science Institute (2018-2022) Member of the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) Council
Hao Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS), University of Massachusetts Amherst. He directs the Human-Centered Robotics Laboratory (HCRLab), focusing on lifelong collaborative autonomy, robot adaptation, and human-robot teaming. His research integrates robotics, AI, and machine learning to develop algorithms for real-world applications like manufacturing, autonomous driving, and environmental monitoring. He holds an NSF CAREER Award and DARPA Young Faculty Award, among other recognitions. Dr. Zhang earned a PhD from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2014) and an MS from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2009). His work addresses challenges in unstructured environments through innovations like self-reflective terrain adaptation and graph-based perception systems. He actively promotes equity in robotics through his PROGRESS outreach program. His research sponsors include NSF, DARPA, and industry partners such as Toyota. Publications span conferences like RSS, ICRA, and IROS, with best paper awards. He serves on editorial and program committees for top-tier journals/conferences including RA-L, NeurIPS, and AAAI.
Dr. Jing Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), affiliated with the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Molecular/Computational Biology from the University of Southern California (2012) and completed postdoctoral training in Computational Biology at Yale University. Her research focuses on developing computational methods to unravel gene regulation mechanisms and link genetic variations to diseases, particularly in noncoding regions of the genome. She has contributed extensively to the ENCODE project, co-authoring pivotal studies in Nature and producing over 5,900 experimental datasets. Dr. Zhang’s work bridges engineering, mathematics, and biology, with applications in precision medicine for cancers and psychiatric disorders. She emphasizes the importance of noncoding DNA in disease causation and has pioneered tools like EN-TEx and scENCORE to analyze epigenomes and regulatory elements. Her lab actively seeks to recruit Ph.D. students, postdocs, and interns to advance genomic technologies. Key research areas include single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, gene regulatory networks, and computational methods for multi-omics data integration. Despite pandemic-related challenges, she maintains strong collaborations and teaches courses in bioinformatics. Her future goals include expanding lab interactions and applying computational models to predict disease susceptibility and treatment responses.
Ramadan El Shatshat is an Associate Professor (Teaching Stream) and Director of the Electric Power Engineering Program at the University of Waterloo's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo (2001) and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario. His research focuses on distribution system engineering, smart grids, renewable energy integration, and electric vehicle impact analysis. Dr. El Shatshat has received multiple awards, including the James A. Field Teaching Excellence Award (2016) and the University of Waterloo Outstanding Performance Award (2010, 2017, 2021). He teaches courses like ECE 360 (Power Systems and Smart Grids) and ECE 668 (Distribution System Engineering). Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering, University of Waterloo (2001) MSc in Electrical Engineering, University of Garyounis, Libya (1992) BSc in Electrical Engineering, University of Garyounis, Libya (1984) Research Interests: Smart grids and microgrids Optimization for distribution systems Electric vehicles and renewable energy integration AI-based monitoring techniques Awards: 2021 University of Waterloo Outstanding Performance Award 2018 Marsland Faculty Fellowship 2016 James A. Field Teaching Excellence Award Advising & Grants: Supervised/co-supervised 26 students (undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral) His work spans over 50 peer-reviewed publications and patents in fault detection, voltage control, and EV integration.
Edoardo Serra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Boise State University (BSU), a role he has held since July 2021. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at BSU from 2015 to 2021 and holds a joint appointment as a Senior Researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) since June 2021. Since January 2023, he has co-directed the Computing Ph.D. Program at BSU and serves as General Chair of the 2024 ACM CIKM Conference. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science Engineering from the University of Calabria, Italy (2012), followed by postdoctoral positions at the University of Calabria and the University of Maryland. He also served as a Visiting Researcher at UCLA (2010–2011). His research focuses on AI/ML applications in cybersecurity, graph representation learning, generative AI, and robust AI systems. Notable projects include: NSF-funded cybersecurity curriculum integration Department of Defense-funded analysis of terrorist networks Idaho Department of Commerce precision agriculture initiatives Key research areas include graph neural networks, adversarial robustness, and ML-driven security solutions. His work has been recognized with awards such as Best Application Paper (2021) and Best Paper Award (2018). He actively contributes to professional service roles, including program chairs and editorial boards. Current projects emphasize AI ethics, generative models, and scalable graph algorithms. He advises on applied AI consulting for industry and government, focusing on model interpretability and cybersecurity implications.
Dr. Jiju Poovvancheri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Math & Computing Science at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Canada. He holds affiliations with the Graphics & Spatial Computing Lab and previously held postdoctoral positions at the University of Victoria and University of Calgary. His research focuses on computer graphics, 3D vision, and machine learning, with applications in virtual/augmented reality, autonomous robotics, urban planning, and bio-mechanical studies. Key research areas include point cloud processing, semantic surface reconstruction, spatial data structures, and geometric deep learning. Education: PhD from Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2011–2014), supervised by Prof. Ramanathan Muthuganapathy. Postdoctoral work at University of Calgary (EYES-HIGH Fellowship, 2015–2017) and University of Victoria (MITACS Elevate Fellowship, 2018). Research & Awards: Winner of MITACS Elevate Fellowship (2018), EYES-HIGH Fellowship (2015–2017), and multiple grants including NSERC DG (2019–2026). His work has been supported by NVIDIA GPU hardware, NSERC, CFI, and industry partners like Modest Tree Media and Caterpillar. Professional Activities: Associate Editor for IEEE Access , Guest Editor for special issues in Remote Sensing and Sensors , and reviewer for top conferences like CVPR, ICCV, and ECCV. Member of ACM SIGGRAPH, Solid Modeling Association, and IEEE Geoscience & Remote Sensing Society. Lab & Collaborations: Leads the Graphics & Spatial Computing Lab, collaborating with institutions globally. Current projects include "Interaction and navigation in virtual spaces" and industry partnerships with Modest Tree Media for real-time object recognition. Advising: Supervised over 20 graduate and undergraduate students, with notable alumni advancing to roles at ReelData AI, Royal Canadian Air Force, and academic institutions like Dalhousie University.
Dr Zhiyuan (Thomas) Tan is an Associate Professor at Edinburgh Napier University’s School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment . He is internationally recognised for his cybersecurity research and has been listed among Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientists for 2021–2023. Education BEng (2005) with high distinction – North-eastern University, China MEng (2008) – Beijing University of Technology, China PhD in Computer Systems (2014) – University of Technology Sydney, Australia Research Interests Dr Tan’s research integrates cybersecurity with machine learning and data analytics. His core areas include: Intrusion detection and defence of critical service systems Adversarial machine learning for malware and anomaly detection Virtualisation security through non-parametric behaviour modelling IoT and vehicular network security—cloud/edge/cloudlet frameworks Privacy-preserving AI and federated machine unlearning Smart-city digital forensics and cyber-physical system resilience Research Output Trends His recent articles (2020–2025) reveal a strong focus on federated learning, edge & mobile computing, UAV coordination, and AI-driven security. Topics span advanced steganography, metamorphic malware, graph injection attacks, and trustworthiness in vehicular platoons, all anchored in real-world IoT and transportation applications. Awards & Distinctions Stanford University Top 2% Scientists List (2021, 2022, 2023) National Research Award 2017 – Research Council of the Sultanate of Oman Best Paper Awards (three instances) Kaspersky Lab Student Cyber Security Conference – Finalist Award SICSA Supervisor of the Year 2019 – Honourable Mention Grants & Leadership Dr Tan has attracted over £200k in external funding including: Carnegie Trust (£73,564) – Federated Machine Unlearning ENU Development Trust (£29,998) – Machine Unlearning Royal Society (£12,000) – VANET Security & Privacy SICSA & other awards for MemoryCrypt, AI Secrets, behaviour biometrics, and visiting-fellow schemes. Supervision & Mentoring Since 2013 he has supervised or co-supervised 16 doctoral candidates and several master’s students; six PhDs have successfully graduated. Roles range from Director of Studies to additional supervisor across diverse topics from malware evolution to VR olfactory interfaces. Research Groups & Collaboration He is affiliated with the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics , the Centre for Distributed Computing, Networking and Security , and the Centre for Cybersecurity, IoT and Cyber-physical Systems at ENU, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration with national and international partners.
Hoda Hassan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology at George Mason University. Her work bridges theoretical and applied domains in computer networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), and the convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Education : PhD in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech (2010), MSc and BSc in Computer Science from the American University in Cairo (2005, 1992). Research Interests focus on designing intelligent and secure network systems. She has developed innovative frameworks, including a BLE computer-aided design toolkit for MANETs, which was commercialized by Skymind Malaysia. Her work spans AI integration in IoT, anomaly detection, cloud computing models, and network architecture evolution. Academic Leadership includes pioneering roles in founding The Knowledge Hub (TKH) Universities in Egypt and leading the Computing and Computer Science Program at Coventry University's UK offshore branch (2019–2022). Her research has been supported by a significant 2 million Egyptian Pound grant from ITAC Egypt (2015–2017).
