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Romain LopezView profile

Assistant Professor

New York UniversityUnited States

Romain Lopez is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Biology at New York University, with a joint appointment in the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the Department of Biology. He will be joining NYU in September 2025, bringing expertise at the intersection of machine learning and computational biology. Prior to joining NYU, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Genentech and Stanford Medicine from 2021 to 2025, working with Jonathan Pritchard and Aviv Regev. Dr. Lopez received his educational training at prestigious institutions: PhD in Computer Science (2021) from the University of California, Berkeley, advised by Mike Jordan and Nir Yosef M.S. in Applied Mathematics (2016) from École polytechnique, Palaiseau, France Dr. Lopez's research focuses on developing machine learning methods to understand biological systems at the cellular level. His work bridges computational techniques with biological applications, particularly in single-cell and spatial omics analysis. He pioneered probabilistic approaches for single-cell analysis with scVI and co-developed scvi-tools, now widely adopted tools in the field. His research spans deep generative models, causal inference, perturbation modeling, and representation learning for biological data. His publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory of innovation in computational biology, with recent work focusing on spatial biology, disentangled representations of cellular perturbations, and causal modeling of cellular responses. He has made significant contributions to the field of single-cell analysis, developing methods that help scientists interpret complex cellular data and predict how cells respond to various perturbations. Dr. Lopez has received numerous honors and awards for his research: Best Paper Award from the ICML Workshop on AI for Science (2024) Best Paper Award Honorable Mention from the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (2021) Best Student Poster Award from the ICML Workshop on Computational Biology (2019) UC Berkeley EECS Departmental Graduate Fellowship (2016) Carnot Foundation Fellowship (2016) Monahan Foundation Fellowship (2016) French National Defence Medal, Bronze Echelon (2014) At NYU, Dr. Lopez will lead the Biological Machine Learning group, which develops probabilistic machine learning methods to uncover biological mechanisms governing cellular behavior and disease. His lab focuses on creating tools that transform complex cellular data into biological insights, with applications in understanding cancer, immune responses, and fundamental cellular processes. His work has significant implications for precision medicine and drug discovery.

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Rod ThorntonView profile

Senior Lecturer

King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom

Dr Rod Thornton is a Senior Lecturer in Russian Defence and Security Studies at King’s College London, affiliated with the Defence Studies Department and School of Security Studies. He specializes in the Russian military's kinetic and sub-threshold warfare, with a focus on cyber capabilities, space warfare, and UK homeland resilience. His research includes recent British Academy-funded work on UK civil defense capacity during the pandemic, advocating for dedicated civil defense organizations. He has published extensively on Russian military tactics in Ukraine, AI-cyber integration, and space-based deterrence. Russian military cyber operations Space warfare dynamics UK resilience capacity gaps Scientific awards include a British Academy grant (2020). His students focus on asymmetric warfare, AI, cyber, and regional security issues. He teaches at the UK Defence Academy and has collaborated with institutions in Finland, South Korea, and the Freeman Air and Space Institute.

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Christina LimView profile

Professor

University of MelbourneAustralia

Prof Christina Lim is a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Australia. She serves as the Associate Dean of Research for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT) and manages the Tucker Lab. Previously, she held roles as Research Group Leader of the Electronics and Photonics System group and Deputy Head of Department (Teaching and Operations) Education: PhD and Bachelors from University of Melbourne Research Interests: Radio-over-Fibre, Optical Wireless Communications, Microwave Photonics, Augmented Reality Displays, Reservoir Computing, Optical Crosshaul Networks Recent publications demonstrate expertise in optical waveguide design for AR, underwater optical wireless communications, photonic switching, and network optimization. Her projects focus on next-generation wireless infrastructure, including Photonics Computing Enabled Ultra-Broadband Wireless Communications (2024-2027, $598k ARC grant) and Additive Manufacturing of Optical Elements (2025). She has secured significant funding, including ARC Discovery Projects and Future Fellowships. Scientific Honors IEEE Fellow (2022) Optica Fellow (2018) ARC Future Fellow (2009-2013) ARC Australian Research Fellow (2004-2008) Professional Service Vice-President of Conferences, IEEE Photonics Society Deputy Editor, IEEE/Optica Journal of Lightwave Technology ARC College of Experts (2014-2016)

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Marina MironView profile

Researcher

King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom

Dr. Marina Miron is a post-doctoral researcher at King’s College London’s Department of War Studies and Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Military Ethics. Her work focuses on military strategy, cybersecurity, and ethical education in conflict contexts. She holds a PhD from the University of New South Wales (Australian Defence Force Academy) and has taught at institutions like the NATO School and Colombian War College. Current projects include analyzing Russia/China’s information warfare strategies and developing country-specific military ethics programs for Colombia’s armed forces. She also advises on cyber defense, AI in military contexts, and drone technology impacts. Research interests span counterinsurgency, hybrid warfare, cyber operations, and ethical dilemmas in modern conflict. She co-leads a British Academy-funded project on Western countermeasures against information warfare and contributed to NATO’s counterterrorism training programs. Her work bridges technological advancements with ethical considerations, particularly in unmanned systems and medical ethics. Publications analyze Russian cyber capabilities, drone public perception, and historical conflict resolution cases like Peru. She frequently appears in media discussions on Ukraine and cybersecurity threats. Professional networks include King’s Cybersecurity Centre and Freeman Air & Space Institute.

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Beatrice HeuserView profile

Professor

University of GlasgowUnited Kingdom

Professor Beatrice Heuser is a distinguished academic in the Department of Politics within the School of Social & Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Her career spans multiple prestigious institutions across Europe, including King's College London, University of Reading, and visiting professorships at Sciences Po Paris, Bundeswehr University Munich, and MGIMO. She maintains significant affiliations with major strategic research institutes including Chatham House, RUSI, IFRI, and IRSEM. Education: BA from Bedford College London, MA from LSE, DPhil from Oxford (St Antony's/St John's), Habilitation from University of Marburg Professional Experience: Former Director of Studies at German Bundeswehr's military history research office, NATO Headquarters consultant, and extensive teaching across European institutions Her research centers on strategic studies with particular focus on the cultural dimensions of warfare, nuclear strategy, and the historical evolution of strategic thought. Key research areas include strategic culture, military exercises as political instruments, laws of war development, and European defense policy. Her work bridges historical analysis with contemporary security challenges, examining how cultural narratives shape strategic decision-making from antiquity to the nuclear age. Professor Heuser's recent publications demonstrate consistent scholarly output across strategic theory, military history, and contemporary security issues. Her work shows particular emphasis on the conceptual foundations of strategic culture, historical analysis of warfare evolution, and practical applications to modern security challenges including nuclear deterrence and asymmetric warfare. The interdisciplinary nature of her research connects political theory, historical analysis, and security studies. She actively supervises graduate students in strategic theory, nuclear strategy, insurgency studies, and defense policy-making within NATO/EU contexts. Her teaching portfolio includes War and International Relations, Defense Policy, and Strategic Theory courses.

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Aditya JoshiView profile

Senior Lecturer

University of New South WalesAustralia

Dr. Aditya Joshi is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He specializes in Natural Language Processing (NLP), with a focus on sarcasm detection, dialectal NLP, and ethical AI applications in public health and cybersecurity. He joined UNSW in 2023 following industry roles at SEEK, Notiv, and Fractal Analytics, where he developed NLP systems for recommendation engines and meeting analytics. His research has garnered over 3,000 citations (h-index 26) and secured $3.1M in grants, including Defence Trailblazer and Google exploreCSR awards. Education: Joint PhD (2018) from IIT Bombay (India) and Monash University (Australia); MTech in CSE (2011) from IIT Bombay. Research Interests: Making NLP models robust for non-native English speakers and the LGBTI+ community, algorithmic enhancements to transformers, and applications in public health, cybersecurity, and societal issues. His work spans epidemic intelligence (collaborations with EPIWATCH and IFCYBER), cybersecurity tools like AuditNet, and inclusive AI initiatives such as queer-inclusive workshops funded by Google. He designed UNSW's new NLP course (COMP6713) and co-authored a Wiley textbook on NLP. Notable grants include the A$1.4M 'Comprehensive Defence Data Platform' (Lead CI) and A$92K Google exploreCSR grant for benchmarking dialectal sentiment. His awards include the Best PhD Thesis from IITB-Monash and Best Paper accolades at FAccT 2023 and MoMM 2020. He supervises projects on kernel-based attention reformulation, prompt-based sarcasm detection, and multilingual small-scale LLMs. His service roles include Executive Committee Member at ALTA and arXiv moderator for computational linguistics.

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Gavin MountView profile

Researcher

University of New South WalesAustralia

Dr. Gavin Mount is a researcher at UNSW Canberra , specializing in non-traditional security studies , ethnic conflict , and the sociopolitical implications of emerging technologies . His work bridges theoretical analysis with practical applications in conflict transformation and defense studies. Research Focus: Global politics of ethnic conflict, hybrid peace/war frameworks, and socio-political impacts of drone technology. Teaching: Courses like Ethnic Conflict in World Politics and Law, Force and Legitimacy , with a focus on military education and strategic studies. Publications: Recent work includes contributions to Thinking Swarms (2025) and Hybridity on the Ground in Peacebuilding and Development (2018). Grants: Leads the Curricula Integration of Student Wellbeing Resources project under HERDSA. Key Themes across his research include the intersection of technology and conflict, evolving defense paradigms, and pedagogical innovations in security studies.

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Athanassios ManikasView profile

Professor

Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom

Professor Athanassios Manikas holds the Chair of Communications & Array Processing in the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Imperial College London, part of the Faculty of Engineering. He is a Fellow of both the IET and IMA, and has held significant editorial roles including Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems. His research focuses on wireless communications, radar systems, antenna array processing, and applied mathematics, with over 50 supervised PhD students and 150+ Masters projects. He leads Imperial's research group in array processing and has extensive industry collaborations, including technical leadership of the University Defence Technology Centre in Signal Processing (2008-2013). Awards include the IEEE PIMRC 2022 Best Paper Award and recognition as an IEEE COMSOC Distinguished Lecturer (2016-2017). His work integrates differential geometry principles with array processing, as detailed in his monograph Differential Geometry in Array Processing . Professor Manikas has served as an expert witness in high-profile cases and contributes to academic governance roles such as the Royal Society's International Fellowship Committee. His research group is affiliated with the Space Lab at Imperial, focusing on innovative applications of array signal processing in aerospace and defense systems.

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Kanchana ThilakarathnaView profile

Senior Lecturer

University of SydneyAustralia

Dr. Kanchana Thilakarathna is a Senior Lecturer in Distributed Computing at the University of Sydney's School of Computer Science, and a member of the Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing. They hold a PhD from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and a B.Sc. Eng (Hons) from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Prior to academia, they worked as a Research Scientist at CSIRO/Data61 and had industry experience as a Mobile Radio Network Engineer. Research Interests : Dr. Thilakarathna focuses on cybersecurity, privacy in mobile and IoT systems, mixed reality privacy, and distributed computing platforms. Their work emphasizes user-centric solutions like the Yalut social media app, which enables decentralized data sharing. Key themes include privacy-preserving techniques, edge computing, and secure federated learning frameworks. Recent Work : Recent articles (2023–2025) explore machine unlearning for large language models, federated learning security, and IoT network slicing using P4 programmability. Their work on synthetic video traffic generation (VideoTrain++) and drone detection (DronePrint) demonstrates cross-disciplinary innovation. Awards : Malcolm Chaikin Prize (2015), Meta Research Awards (2020/2022), and Heidelberg Laureate Fellowship (2019). Grants : ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing (2024), NSW Defence Innovation Network Projects (2024/2021), and Facebook Research Awards (2022/2020). Students : Advising 4 current PhD students on topics like wireless trust establishment and machine unlearning. Labs/Teams : Part of the Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing and Sydney Nano Institute.

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LEE Wee SunView profile

Professor

National University of SingaporeSingapore

LEE Wee Sun is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he previously served as Head of Department, Vice Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Vice Dean of Research. His academic journey began with a B.Eng. in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Queensland (1992) and a Ph.D. from the Australian National University (1996), followed by research roles at the Australian Defence Force Academy and MIT. Education: Ph.D., Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (1996) B.Eng. in Computer Systems Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (1992) Research Focus: Professor Lee pioneers work in Machine Learning , Planning Under Uncertainty , and Approximate Inference , with emphasis on integrating AI subfields for holistic reasoning. His current projects include "Learning to Decompose for Reasoning and Planning" (enhancing LLMs via self-supervised problem decomposition) and "Learning to Reason with Visual-Linguistic Inputs" (unifying vision, language, and reasoning in single architectures). Publication Trends: Recent work (2023-2025) centers on bridging LLMs with classical AI techniques, featuring breakthroughs in uncertainty quantification, multi-task optimization, and graph-based reasoning. Key themes include sparsity-aware vehicle routing, epistemic uncertainty for reliable LLMs, and differentiable neural solvers for combinatorial problems. Awards: IJCAI-JAIR Best Paper Prize (2022) RSS Test of Time Award (2021) RoboCup Best Paper Award (IROS 2015) HRATC 1st Place (2015) IPPC POMDP Track 1st Place (2011, 2014) UAI Google Best Student Paper (2014) Semeval-1 1st/2nd Place (2007) J.G. Crawford Prize (ANU 1996) Leadership & Service: As steering committee chair for ACML and area chair for NeurIPS/ICML/AAAI/IJCAI, Professor Lee shapes global AI discourse. His administrative roles at NUS and collaborations with MIT/Singapore-MIT Alliance demonstrate commitment to advancing AI education and research infrastructure. While student advisees aren't listed, his leadership positions imply extensive mentoring. Research Ecosystem: His work drives NUS's AI initiatives including Knowledge@Computing projects on reasoning frontiers. Current efforts focus on making AI systems robust through uncertainty-aware planning and multi-modal integration, with applications in robotics, verification systems, and combinatorial optimization.

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Henri van SoestView profile

Professor

Pardee RAND Graduate SchoolUnited States

Henri van Soest is a Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy and a Senior Analyst at RAND Europe. He is based at RAND, a global policy research organization, where he leads studies on energy security, artificial intelligence governance, critical infrastructure protection, and European Union policy. His work supports key institutions including the European Union, UK government, and Dutch government. His research focuses on the intersection of technology and policy, particularly in energy systems and AI. Key areas include: AI governance and trustworthy AI tools Energy security and digitalisation of the power grid Critical undersea infrastructure protection Cybersecurity in energy systems Space technology regulation Societal resilience and national security The trend in his recent publications shows a growing emphasis on the dual-use nature of AI in critical infrastructure, balancing innovation with security and resilience. His work combines technical analysis with policy recommendations, often using modeling and expert elicitation. Much of his research addresses transatlantic and European policy challenges, especially in energy and security domains. Scientific contributions and policy impact are evident through frequent publications and expert submissions to governmental bodies. Notable outputs include evidence submissions to the UK Parliament and reports for the U.S. Department of Energy. While no formal awards are listed, his influence is reflected in high-level policy engagement. He has advised on grants and policy studies involving global teams, particularly in energy transition, AI infrastructure, and resilience planning. His prior experience includes energy policy research at the University of Oslo, cleantech analysis, and corporate governance in banking. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and a joint LL.M. from KU Leuven and the University of Zurich. Henri van Soest leads research within RAND Europe’s multidisciplinary teams focusing on science, technology, and security policy. His work often involves collaboration across international experts and institutions, particularly on EU and NATO-related security issues. He contributes to projects involving horizon scanning, Delphi studies, and quantitative modeling in policy contexts.

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Vishal SharmaView profile

Senior Lecturer

Queen’s University BelfastUnited Kingdom

Dr. Vishal Sharma is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen's University Belfast. His research focuses on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), 5G/6G Security, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Blockchain, and Digital Twins. He has held roles at institutions like Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Soonchunhyang University, South Korea. Notable achievements include Best Paper Awards at ICCMIT 2017, IEEE SITE 2024, and HUCAPP/VISIGRAPP 2025. He leads the Innovation-by-Design Lab and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Research Interests: Cyber Defence, UAV Security, Secure Computing, Network Security, and Sustainable Edge Computing. He has collaborated on projects like RapidRANDefender (QRICSec) and Traceable Procurement for Net-Zero Processes. Awards include the Royal Society International Exchanges Committee appointment (2025) and QUB's Individual Performance Award (2024). Grants and Projects: Principal Investigator for projects such as Exploring Operational Capabilities of Arm Morello for UAV Security (2023) and TUDOR: Ubiquitous 3D Open Resilient Network (2023). Active in editorial roles for IEEE Communications Magazine and IET Networks. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to climate action and innovation. Publications span 150+ articles in top journals/conferences, with a focus on secure communication, edge computing, and UAV networks. Supervises PhD students in cyber defence, AI security, and distributed ledger technologies.

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Matthew JonesView profile

Professor

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom

Professor Matthew Jones is Professor of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he joined in 2013. He previously held academic positions at the University of Nottingham and Royal Holloway, University of London. He was appointed Cabinet Office official historian for the UK strategic nuclear deterrent in 2008. University: London School of Economics and Political Science School: Department of International History Academic Rank: Professor Email: m.c.jones@lse.ac.uk Office: SAR.3.09 Office Hours: Wednesday 1-2pm, Thursday 4-5pm Education: Undergraduate Degree: University of Sussex DPhil in Modern History: St Antony’s College, Oxford Professor Jones’s research focuses on 20th-century international history, particularly Post-WWII British Foreign and Defence Policy , Cold War Nuclear History , and British Decolonization in Southeast Asia . His work explores Anglo-American relations, nuclear strategy in Asia, and the political history of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. He has a sustained interest in the Vietnam War and US foreign relations after 1941. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in official historical analysis of nuclear policy, especially through his two-volume Official History of the UK Strategic Nuclear Deterrent , based on full access to classified government records. His scholarship combines diplomatic, strategic, and political history with deep archival research, often uncovering new insights into high-level decision-making during the Cold War. Scientific Awards and Recognition: Appointed Cabinet Office official historian of the UK strategic nuclear deterrent and Chevaline programme (2008) Recipient of grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, British Academy, JFK Library, LBJ Library, Gilder Lehrman Institute, and Eccles Centre Professor Jones has supervised multiple PhD students, including Grant Golub, Alexandra Penler, and William King. His research is supported by major grants from national and international funding bodies. He has also served as Head of the Department of International History at LSE from 2017 to 2020. He is actively involved in public engagement, having delivered talks at institutions such as the Woodrow Wilson Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Royal United Services Institute. His work bridges academic scholarship and policy-relevant historical analysis.

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Jack McDonaldView profile

Senior Lecturer

King’s College LondonUnited Kingdom

Dr. Jack McDonald is a Senior Lecturer in War Studies at King’s College London’s Department of War Studies, and Director of the Centre for Science & Security Studies. He holds affiliations with the Environmental Security research group, Military Innovation Network (MIN), and the Leverhulme Centre for Research on Slavery in War. His research examines the intersection of ethics, law, technology, and warfare, focusing on issues like targeted killings, autonomous weapons, and the legal frameworks governing modern conflict. Education details are not explicitly stated, but his academic output demonstrates expertise in international law, military strategy, and technology’s role in warfare. He has authored two major books and contributed to peer-reviewed journals and policy papers for entities including Chatham House and the UN Mine Action Service. Recent publications emphasize digital technology’s impact on warfare ethics, including works on data privacy in conflict zones and the legitimacy of remote warfare tactics. His research also addresses emerging challenges like climate change’s role in conflict dynamics and the slavery-war nexus. Dr. McDonald supervises PhD students in his specialist areas and teaches courses such as Dirty Wars and War, Technology, and Innovation . He regularly participates in international conferences and public discussions on modern warfare trends, including panels on drones, cyber warfare, and the Ukraine conflict’s strategic implications.

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Panayiotis KoliosView profile

Assistant Professor

University of CyprusCyprus

Panayiotis Kolios is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Cyprus (UCY). Previously, he served as a Research Assistant Professor at the KIOS Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence (2013–2024) and a Visiting Lecturer at UCY. He holds a BEng and PhD in Telecommunications Engineering from King’s College London (2008 and 2012, respectively). His research focuses on networked intelligent systems, emergency management using AI and UAV technologies, and cyber-physical systems. Education: BEng in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2008 PhD in Telecommunications Engineering, King’s College London, 2012 Research Interests: His work centers on autonomous systems, intelligent transportation, and emergency management. Key areas include AI-driven disaster response, UAV-based surveillance, and algorithmic optimization for critical infrastructure. He develops solutions for real-time situational awareness and decision-support in emergencies. Recent work trends show a focus on multi-UAV coordination, disaster management platforms (like AIDERS), and AI applications in emergency response. His team’s 2023 win in the Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge highlights advancements in UAV inspection algorithms. Scientific Awards: First Prize in Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge (CDC 2023) Grants and Advising: He has secured over €40 million in EU and industrial grants, leading projects like PREDICATE, SWIFTERS, and AIDERS. His team advises on emergency response strategies and has trained first responders through EU-funded programs such as the Exchange of Experts training. Labs and Teams: He leads the Security and Emergency Response Group at KIOS CoE and established the Cyprus Civil Defence Aerial Observation Unit. His team collaborates with institutions like the Cyprus Police and Fire Service to operationalize UAV technologies in disaster scenarios.

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