Aapo Hyvärinen is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki , affiliated with the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology and the Helsinki Probabilistic Machine Learning Lab . He previously held the position of Professor of Machine Learning at the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London (2016-2019). Education : Undergraduate Mathematics at University of Helsinki, Vienna, and Paris; Ph.D. in Information Science from Helsinki University of Technology (1997) His research focuses on machine learning and computational neuroscience , particularly: Independent Component Analysis (ICA) Natural Image Statistics Causal Representation Learning Neural Signal Processing Applications to brain imaging (MEG, CryoEM) Recent publications emphasize causal discovery , identifiable machine learning , and nonlinear ICA . Key projects include: VETURI (AI for health) DIGIMIND (AI in mental health) CIFAR grants (2022-2025) Scientific awards : Highly Cited Researcher (2010) He serves as Action Editor for the Journal of Machine Learning Research and Neural Computation , and has held Area Chair roles at NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, AISTATS, and UAI conferences. His work bridges theoretical machine learning with neuroscience and philosophical implications of artificial intelligence .
Teemu Roos is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science , University of Helsinki , and a Principal Investigator for the Complex Systems Computation Group under the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology. He serves as a Supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Computer Science and leads multiple research initiatives, including Distributed AI in Supercomputing , AI & Kids , and Generation AI . Dr. Roos also holds a Docent title in Computer Science. His research spans Artificial Intelligence , Machine Learning , and Data Science , with a focus on AI education , graph neural networks , Bayesian modeling , and health informatics . He has pioneered tools like Elements of AI , a free online course now translated into 22 EU languages, and explores the ethical implications of AI-generated content in authorship and inventorship. The 15 most recent publications highlight applications in environmental forecasting (e.g., Mediterranean Sea via graph-based deep learning), healthcare (e.g., skin cancer detection with transfer learning), and social media analysis (e.g., explainable AI platforms for K-12 education). Methodologically, his work advances clustering algorithms , dimensionality reduction , and approximate nearest neighbor search . Scientific Awards: Cor Baayen Award (2009) Nokia Foundation Recognition Award (2019) Best Paper Honorable Mention Award (2013) ICT Influencer of the Year 2019 (Vuoden TiVi-vaikuttaja 2019) World Summit AI's Top-50 Innovators in 2020 Dr. Roos has supervised 2 doctoral students and contributed to 163 academic activities , including invited talks at MIT, University of Cambridge, and the Finnish Institute in Rome. He has secured funding from the Academy of Finland and the Strategic Research Council, focusing on projects like Fast AI-assisted Space Environment Prediction and Urban Exerciser .
Esa Ollila serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics at Aalto University, Finland, and holds an adjunct professorship in Statistics at the University of Oulu. His academic appointments include Academy of Finland Research Fellow (2010-2015) and prior senior research/lecturing roles at both institutions. His educational background features: M.Sc. in Mathematics, University of Oulu (1998) Ph.D. in Statistics (with honors), University of Jyväskylä (2002) D.Sc.(Tech) in Signal Processing (with honors), Aalto University (2010) Professor Ollila's research centers on statistical signal processing and robust statistical methodologies , with significant contributions to array processing, high-dimensional data analysis, and covariance matrix estimation. His work bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications in radar systems, wireless communications, and big data analytics, emphasizing robustness against outliers and computational efficiency in modern data-intensive environments. Current focus areas include compressed sensing, sparse approximation, and blind source separation techniques. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) reveals three dominant trends: (1) robust covariance learning for massive random access systems, (2) integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) for 6G networks using advanced beamforming, and (3) geometric approaches to elliptical distributions in statistical inference. His work increasingly incorporates deep learning (GANs, graph neural networks) while maintaining strong foundations in classical signal processing theory. Key recognitions include: Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Fellowship (2004-2007) Academy of Finland Research Fellowship (2010-2015) His research has been supported through prestigious Academy of Finland grants totaling over a decade of continuous funding. Professor Ollila currently leads an active research group at Aalto University, supervising doctoral candidates and collaborating internationally with institutions including Princeton University (where he served as Visiting Post-doctoral Research Associate during 2010-2011). He maintains strong ties with the University of Oulu through his adjunct professorship and has contributed to EURASIP's Special Area Team on Theoretical and Methodological Trends in Signal Processing. The Esa Ollila Research Group focuses on cutting-edge challenges in statistical signal processing, with current projects spanning robust DOA estimation under non-Gaussian noise, covariance matrix learning for massive MIMO systems, and machine learning-enhanced radar-communication integration. The group actively develops open-source tools like the fitHeavyTail R package for heavy-tailed distribution modeling and maintains collaborations with industry partners in wireless communications.
Jukka Manner is a Full Professor (tenured) of Networking Technology at Aalto University's Department of Communications and Networking (Comnet), School of Electrical Engineering. With a career spanning over two decades in internet technologies, he leads research in networking, wireless systems, and energy-efficient ICT solutions. Dr. Manner received his MSc (1999) and PhD (2004) degrees in computer science from the University of Helsinki. His academic journey has been marked by significant contributions to internet standardization through the IETF since 1999, where he served as co-chair of the NSIS working group. Professor Manner's research focuses on networking, software and distributed systems, with particular emphasis on wireless and mobile networks, transport protocols, energy efficient ICT and cyber security. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, addressing critical challenges in modern communication systems, sustainable networking practices, and security frameworks. His research group has made significant contributions to 5G technologies, UAV communications, and energy-efficient network design. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution toward sustainability in networking technologies, with recent work focusing on energy efficiency in 5G systems, sustainable web technologies, and the environmental impact of digital infrastructure. The research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between telecommunications engineering, computer science, and environmental science, with particular emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint of digital systems while maintaining performance. Cross of Merit, Signals (2014) Medal for Military Merits for contributions in national defence and C4 (2015) Professor Manner has supervised over 200 MSc theses and more than 20 doctoral dissertations, establishing himself as a dedicated mentor in the field. He has been principal investigator and project manager for over 15 national and international research projects, including serving as Academic Coordinator for the Finnish Future Internet research programme (2008-2012). His leadership extends to conference organization, having served as local co-chair of Sigcomm 2012 in Helsinki, and active participation as a peer reviewer and member of various Technical Program Committees. As an active contributor to internet standardization through the IETF, Professor Manner's work has practical impact on global networking technologies. His research group maintains strong connections with industry partners and participates in shaping future networking standards and practices, particularly in the areas of sustainable networking, 5G evolution, and security frameworks for emerging technologies.
Yu Xiao is an Associate Professor at the Department of Information and Communications Engineering, Aalto University, specializing in edge computing, extended reality (XR), wearable computing, and crowdsensing. Their research contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education and technology innovation. Active in mobile cloud computing and decentralized systems Principal Investigator in EU-funded projects (EMIL, TUTL) Expert in 5G networks, autonomous systems, and human activity recognition Yu Xiao's work spans interdisciplinary domains, including healthcare (cardiovascular resuscitation devices) and urban mobility (autonomous vehicle interactions). They have received multiple awards, including Best Paper Awards and Nokia Foundation Scholarships. Focus on low-latency communication and multiagent reinforcement learning Developed frameworks like FediLive for decentralized social networks Contributed to 128+ publications and software tools Recent collaborations include institutions like Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and participation in IEEE committees. Their research integrates blockchain for secure IoT communication and advanced AR applications.
Magnus Westerlund is a Senior Lecturer in Information Technology and Director of the Laboratory for Trustworthy AI at Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. His industry background spans telecom and information management, and he holds a doctoral degree in Information Systems from Åbo Akademi University. He actively contributes to the Z-Inspection® network, focusing on ethical AI implementation and governance. Westerlund’s research emphasizes trustworthy AI, cybersecurity, and distributed systems. Key areas include AI regulatory compliance (e.g., EU AI Act), healthcare AI applications, blockchain security, and IoT edge solutions. His work bridges academia and industry, such as the Valohai-CSC collaboration for machine learning infrastructure in Finnish academia. His publications highlight practical AI assessment methods, ethical AI integration, and decentralized technologies. Notable contributions include frameworks for sustainable AI development, privacy-preserving autonomous systems, and smart contract-based IoT security protocols. Westerlund also explores educational innovations, such as integrating large language models (LLMs) into coding education. His research consistently addresses real-world challenges like pandemic-era healthcare AI, edge computing for IoT, and cybersecurity in autonomous systems.
Heikki Remes serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Aalto University's School of Engineering, where he investigates high-performance steel structures for marine environments with emphasis on lightweight ship designs using advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. His research integrates fundamental fatigue and fracture mechanics with practical structural challenges, spanning from crystal-level material behavior to continuum-scale modeling. Key focus areas include welded joint integrity, additive manufacturing defects, and computational analysis of marine structures under extreme conditions. Recent publications reveal strong trends in fatigue assessment methodologies for complex welded geometries, experimental validation of distortion effects, and AI-enhanced damage prediction systems, reflecting his commitment to bridging theoretical mechanics with shipbuilding applications. Scientific Awards: Aalto Education Impact Award (2018) for establishing Marine Technology study programs SNAME Honorable Mention for 2018 Vice Admiral E. L. Cochrane Award Teaching Award of Aalto School of Engineering (2012) for educational tools No specific student advising or grant information appears in available sources, though his active publication record indicates ongoing research leadership. He contributes significantly to the Marine and Arctic Technology research group, driving projects on structural integrity assessment and advanced manufacturing solutions for next-generation marine vessels.
Professor Garg Vikas holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the School of Science. His research spans quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning with applications in computational biology, healthcare, and drug design. He leads the HEALED/Garg project focused on human-steered machine learning for drug discovery and collaborates with institutions like MIT and industry partners. He co-founded YaiYai Oy, providing AI/ML solutions to global sectors. Education: PhD from MIT CSAIL under Tommi Jaakkola, with postdoctoral and industry experience at Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM. His work aligns with UN SDGs, particularly in healthcare and sustainable energy. Research interests include graph neural networks, generative models, and quantum AI. Recent projects involve climate modeling via physics-informed neural ODEs and optimizing quantum circuits using graph autoencoders. Key collaborations include MIT’s MLPDS Consortium and the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence. He supervises doctoral researchers like Yogesh Verma and postdocs such as Kogkalidis.
Jukka K Nurminen is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki (since 2019) and a Research Professor at VTT. He leads the Empirical Software Engineering research group and supervises doctoral students in the Doctoral Programme in Computer Science. His career spans academia and industry, including roles as Adjunct Professor at Aalto University (part-time, 2016-2021) and Principal Scientist at VTT (2016-2019). His research focuses on efficient software systems , particularly energy-efficient software , mobile cloud computing , and data-intensive systems . Recent work addresses AI system testing , ethical decision-making in software , and quantum computing software . His publications highlight trends in quantum algorithms , machine learning for edge computing , and ethical AI . Best Paper Award (2023) Nurminen has supervised 6 PhD theses, 48 MSc theses, and 21 BSc theses. He has secured over 1 MEUR in research funding, including projects like FrameQ and EM4QS for quantum middleware. His teaching innovations include hackathons and summer schools, with excellence recognized in tenure-track evaluation (2018) and adjunct professorship (2015).
Sami Repo is a Professor in Electrical Engineering, focusing on power distribution systems and smart energy technologies. His work spans distribution network automation, flexibility services, and integration of distributed energy resources. Doctor of Science (Technology) in Electrical Engineering (2001) Master of Science (Technology) in Electrical Engineering (1996) His research interests include smart grids, congestion management, and cyber-physical energy systems. Recent publications address challenges in electric vehicle charging, green hydrogen regulation, and photovoltaic revenue optimization. He serves as an examiner and doctoral dissertation opponent, contributing to academic evaluation in electrical engineering programs. Key subtopics include EV charging control, EU energy policy, and renewable energy integration. Examiner for Wenlong Liao (2023): Modelling and optimization of active distribution networks Opponent for Etherden Nicholas (2012): Distributed energy resource hosting capacity
Anton Akusok is a Part-time Lecturer in the Big Data Analytics Master's program at Arcada University of Applied Sciences. He holds a BSc in IT from Moscow (2011), MSc in ML and Data from Aalto University (2014), and a DSc in ML from the University of Iowa, USA (2016). His research focuses on Extreme Learning Machines (ELM), hardware acceleration for ML on mobile devices, and real-time geospatial predictions. He has developed libraries like HPELM and Scikit-ELM, and created the HaSuRiski app for acid sulfate soil prediction in Finland. Research Interests: ELM applications in environmental modeling, federated learning security, mobile edge computing, and geospatial visualization. Key projects include real-time mapping apps with iOS integration and open-source ML tools. Publications (2021-2024) highlight work on federated learning privacy, acid sulfate soil detection, signature verification, and distributed ELM algorithms.
Mickaël Bettinelli is an Associate Professor at Université Savoie Mont Blanc, affiliated with the LISTIC laboratory. He holds a PhD in Computer Science (Distributed Artificial Intelligence) from Université Grenoble Alpes and previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oulu's Center for Ubiquitous Computing under the EU Horizon 2020 Fractal project. Current research focuses on federated learning and distributed systems resilience Developed DonatelloPyzza, an educational Python gridworld game Active reviewer for journals/conferences including IEEE Transactions and AAMAS His research bridges federated learning, multi-agent systems, and collective intelligence, emphasizing societal impact through sustainable technological solutions and science popularization via his French YouTube channel DonatelloPyzza . Publications span topics like decentralized decision-making and bias mitigation frameworks. Scientific Awards Prix 'Coup de coeur', Concours Conter et Rencontrer les Sciences 2024 Best Paper Award at JFSMA 2021
Tuukka Petäjä is a Professor at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Science and Department of Physics, currently serving as Docent and supervisor for the Doctoral Programme in Atmospheric Sciences. He is affiliated with the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR). Research focuses on atmospheric and Earth system science Active in aerosol research and climate modeling Recipient of multiple scientific awards His research spans air pollution mapping, aerosol dynamics, and climate-relevant particle formation. Recent publications analyze aerosol sources in Europe, Arctic blowing snow events, and machine learning applications in atmospheric science. Notable scientific awards include: Aerosol Foundation Award (2022) Finnish Association for Aerosol Research Award (2010) Thompson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher in Geosciences (2014-2016) He supervises doctoral students and co-manages research infrastructure projects, including SMEAR Stations for Earth system-atmosphere relations. Current research involves international collaboration through initiatives like ACTRIS and PEEX-Academic-Challenge workshops.
Pedro Nardelli is a Full Professor (tenured) of IoT in Energy Systems at the LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland). He holds a double doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of Campinas (Brazil) and communications engineering from the University of Oulu (Finland). As a Docent in Information Processing and Communications Strategies for Energy Systems, he leads research in cyber-physical systems, smart grids, and 6G-enabled energy networks. Research Interests : His work focuses on integrating IoT, AI, and communication technologies into energy systems. Key areas include cyber-physical systems, UAV-enabled networks, sustainable energy management, and cybersecurity in critical infrastructure. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to address challenges in the green-digital transition. Projects & Leadership : He is Principal Investigator for projects such as 'Energy-Conscious Operation: Network Efficiency for Wireless Sustainability' (2024–2026) and coordinates the Finnish-Brazilian AI and 5G training program. Past roles include leadership in the 'Hydrogen and Carbon Value Chains in Green Electrification' initiative (2021–2024). Publications : Recent work explores topics like hybrid optimal power flow models, UAV-IRS NOMA systems, and energy-centric analysis. His research bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, emphasizing sustainability and resilience in energy networks. Labs & Teams : Leads the IoT Solutions group within LUT's MORE SIM research platform, focusing on simulation-driven innovation for energy systems.
Katrianne Lehtipalo is a Professor at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR) within the Faculty of Science. Her research focuses on atmospheric aerosol formation, new particle formation mechanisms, and their implications for climate and air quality. She holds a docent (Adjunct Professor) position at the Department of Physics and has contributed to major projects like the CERN CLOUD experiment and the EU-funded RI-URBANS initiative. Her work spans experimental, field, and computational studies, addressing topics such as aerosol chemistry, pollution dynamics, and the impacts of atmospheric particles on climate. Key research areas include the formation and growth of atmospheric nanoparticles, the role of organic vapors and ions in nucleation, and the effects of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions. Lehtipalo has led projects on aerosol measurement techniques and contributed to understanding particle behavior in diverse environments, from boreal forests to urban centers. She has been recognized with awards like the Väisälä Award (2022) and World Cultural Council Special Recognition (2023), highlighting her scientific contributions. Her professional activities include peer review for journals like Nature Geoscience and Environmental Science & Technology Letters , organizing conferences, and supervising doctoral research. Collaborations span global institutions, and her work has advanced the integration of field observations, laboratory experiments, and modeling in atmospheric science.
