Prof. Dr. Julius Schöning is a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science , Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence , Human-Computer Interaction , and Computer Vision within agricultural contexts. 2019–Present: Professor, Hochschule Osnabrück 2018–2019: System Architect, ZF Friedrichshafen AG 2014–2018: Researcher, University of Osnabrück 2009–2013: Project Lead/System Engineer, CLAAS Harsewinkel Education: M.Sc. in Intelligent Embedded Microsystems (Freiburg), B.Eng. in Mechatronics (DHBW Stuttgart) His research spans smart agriculture , quantum NLP , and explainable AI systems , with recent work on vibrotactile warning systems, AI compliance frameworks, and hybrid dataset applications in farming. Publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches bridging technology and agricultural practice . Scientific honors include: DAAD Stipendium for conference participation Best Paper Award (2018) IEEE GHTC Student Paper Contest Winner (2016) Sonderpreis für gute Lehre (2017) Finalist/Falling Walls Lab (2015)
Yepang Liu is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. He leads the Software Quality Lab and serves as director of the Trustworthy Software Research Center within the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems. His educational background includes a B.Sc. with honors from Nanjing University (2010) and a Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2015), where he was supervised by Prof. Shing-Chi Cheung. Prior to joining SUSTech, he worked as a postdoc at HKUST's CASTLE Lab and Cybersecurity Lab. Liu's research primarily focuses on software testing and analysis, empirical software engineering, AI for SE, software security, and trustworthy AI. His work bridges traditional software engineering with cutting-edge AI technologies, particularly in automated testing, security analysis, and quality assurance for mobile, blockchain, and extended reality applications. Recent projects explore how large language models can enhance bug detection, improve testing automation, and address fairness issues in machine learning systems. His contributions have been recognized with three ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper awards (ICSE 2021, ASE 2016, ICSE 2014) and one Distinguished Artifact award (ICSE 2019). He has also received the ACM SIGSOFT Service Award and Distinguished Reviewer Award for his extensive service to the software engineering community. Top-10 Most Active Early-Stage Software Engineering Researcher (2013-2020) Top-10 Most Popular Instructor Among 2024 Undergraduate Graduates at SUSTech Junior Faculty of the Year (2021) SUSTech Teaching Excellence Award (2021) Outstanding Mentor Award (2020, 2024) Liu actively serves on the editorial boards of Empirical Software Engineering (EMSE) and Journal of Computer Science and Technology (JCST). He has participated in over 80 conference committees including leadership roles in ICSE, FSE, ASE, and ISSTA. His research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program, and leading Chinese IT companies. He regularly mentors PhD and MSc students and has guided multiple national competition award-winning teams. The Software Quality Lab under Liu's direction focuses on innovative approaches to software testing, security analysis, and quality assurance across various platforms including mobile, blockchain, and extended reality applications. Current projects emphasize the integration of AI techniques with traditional software engineering practices to address emerging challenges in software quality.
Karl-Erik Årzén is Professor and Head of the Department of Control Engineering at Lund University's Faculty of Engineering. He is also Co-director of the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) and a key member of ELLIIT, the excellence center in information technology. His roles include leadership in AI and digitalization profile areas at both LTH and Lund University. His research lies at the intersection of control engineering and computer science, with a focus on cyber-physical systems, real-time systems, embedded control, and resource management in cloud and edge computing environments. He has pioneered methods for predictable performance in cloud applications and dynamic resource allocation using control-theoretic approaches. The recent publications highlight a strong trend in control over the cloud and edge, real-time scheduling co-design, distributed camera systems, and reinforcement learning for auto-scaling. Key topics include model predictive control, LQG-based scheduling, bandwidth allocation, and robustness in cyber-physical systems. The work spans theoretical control design and practical implementation in distributed systems. His scientific awards include multiple Best Paper Awards from IEEE and ACM conferences in 2018, 2016, and 2004, recognizing excellence in autonomic computing, edge computing, and real-time systems. Best Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Autonomic Computing, 2018 Best Paper Award, IEEE International Conference on Edge Computing (EDGE), July 2018 Best Paper Award - RTNS 2016 Best Paper Award - RTCSA 2004 Årzén has supervised over 20 PhD students, including Mikael Johansson, Anton Cervin, Yang Xu, and Per Skarin, and currently supervises Ahmed Al Bayati and Max Nyberg Carlsson. His grant portfolio includes major projects such as WASP, AORTA (VINNOVA), and ELLIIT's 'Robust and Secure Control over the Cloud'. He has also contributed to innovation through tools like TrueTime and Jitterbug. He leads the RobotLab LTH initiative and is involved in the Nordic University Hub on Industrial Internet of Things (HI2OT). His work bridges academia and industry, with collaborations on adaptive control, cloud-native systems, and autonomous robotics.
Dr. Andrea Bastoni is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Fellow at the Chair of Cyber-Physical Systems in Production Engineering at Technical University of Munich (TUM), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He is also the CTO and co-founder of Minerva Systems , developing operating system solutions for AI-ready embedded applications. His expertise spans real-time operating systems, cyber-physical systems, and predictable system design for heterogeneous platforms. His research focuses on enhancing predictability of memory hierarchies in complex SoCs through techniques like memory bandwidth regulation and cache partitioning. This work has industrial applications in safety-critical domains such as avionics and railways, where he contributes to certifiable hypervisors and operating systems. As former Software Architect of the PikeOS hypervisor at SYSGO GmbH (2012-2020), he specialized in DO-178C, IEC 61508, and EN 50128 standards. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Rome Tor Vergata (2007-2011), where he developed LITMUS^RT as part of UNC's Real-Time Systems Group during a visiting researcher period (2009-2010). His publications reflect ongoing work on Multicore Real-Time Scheduling , Mixed-Criticality Task Isolation, and Arm DynamIQ shared unit analysis. He actively participates in program committees for conferences like RTSS, DSN, and DATE.
Rainer Gemulla is a Professor of Practical Computer Science I: Data Analytics at the University of Mannheim, heading the Data and Web Science Group within the School of Business Informatics and Mathematics. He has been a W3-Professor at the University since 2014, following positions as a senior researcher at Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik (2010-2014) and postdoctoral researcher at IBM Almaden Research Center (2008-2010). His research focuses on machine learning with structured and semi-structured data, particularly knowledge graphs, and developing efficient systems for data-intensive processing. Professor Gemulla's research spans multiple areas including machine learning with structured data (relational data), machine learning with semi-structured data (multi-relational graphs), combining these approaches with unstructured knowledge (text), and developing efficient, scalable methods for data-intensive processing. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, as evidenced by numerous open-source software projects including LibKGE, DistKGE, and AdaPM. His recent publications show a strong trend toward knowledge graph embeddings, parameter server architectures, and efficient training methods. The research demonstrates increasing focus on scalability challenges in graph learning, with particular attention to hyperparameter optimization, dynamic resource allocation, and benchmarking methodologies. His work consistently addresses the practical challenges of implementing machine learning systems at scale. Distinguished Reviewer Award at SIGMOD, 2025 Distinguished PC Member Award at EDBT, 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award at NeurIPS, 2021 Junior-Fellow of the Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI), 2013 IBM's 2011 Pat Goldberg Memorial best paper award Best paper of NIPS 2011 Biglearn workshop Professor Gemulla actively mentors PhD students and has supervised numerous successful doctoral candidates. His leadership extends to administrative roles including Head of examination board for MSc Business Informatics since 2017, and previously serving as Study dean of the WIM faculty (2016-2019) and CIO of University of Mannheim (2022-2024). His research is supported by grants including AWS in Education Research Grant Award (2013) and Google Focused Research Award (2011). The Data and Web Science Group develops multiple open-source software projects including LibKGE (knowledge graph embedding library), DistKGE (multi-GPU training), AdaPM (adaptive parameter manager), Lapse (parameter server), and various tools for information extraction and sequence mining. The group maintains active collaborations with industry partners and academic institutions worldwide, particularly in the areas of knowledge graph research and scalable machine learning systems.
Prof. Daniel Große serves as Professor at the Institute for Complex Systems (ICS) within Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria, while maintaining a dual affiliation with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Bremen. His research centers on Electronic Design Automation (EDA), specializing in verification, debugging, and synthesis of complex hardware/software systems through advanced virtual prototyping techniques. His primary research domains include Formal Verification , Hardware Verification , and Virtual Prototyping , with significant contributions to RISC-V architecture development and embedded systems validation. Current projects like PaSVer (automotive electronics), AUTOASSERT (analog-digital verification), and VerSys (RISC-V software platforms) demonstrate his focus on bridging simulation and formal methods for safety-critical applications. Recent publications reveal accelerating trends in metamorphic testing for embedded graphics libraries and RISC-V vector extensions, alongside innovations in waveform analysis tools like Surfer. His work increasingly integrates AI-assisted verification while maintaining rigorous formal methods foundations. Prof. Große actively supervises student research, having guided Lucas Klemmer's PhD thesis and nine Bachelor theses on topics ranging from RISC-V processor design to transaction visualization. His projects including SATiSFy (autonomous vehicle security) and CONVERS (complex system design automation) secure substantial research funding from academic and industry partners. He leads the Institute for Complex Systems' development of open-source tools such as RISC-V VP++ and contributes to international standards through program committee roles at DATE, ICCAD, and RISC-V Summit Europe.
Johannes Schöning is a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at the University of St. Gallen and leads the Ubiquitous Media Technology Lab . His research focuses on developing user interfaces that empower individuals and communities through data-driven decision-making, with interdisciplinary applications in geographic information science, public health, medical contexts, and extreme environments like space missions. He emphasizes methodological rigor from AI, computer graphics, and cognitive psychology. Organizes AlpCHI 2026 Chair of ACM Eugene Lawler Award Committee Editorial Board, AI Perspectives (Springer Nature) Research Trends : His publications from 2025–2024 reveal a focus on Mixed Reality (autoethnography, weight perception), Accessibility (visual impairment support), Environmental HCI (CO2 eco-feedback), and Geospatial Technologies (navigation externalities, map analytics). Interdisciplinary work appears in journals like Nature and PLOS ONE . Scientific Recognition : ACM Distinguished Member Best Paper & Accessibility Awards (Interact 2019, MobileHCI 2015) Junior Fellow, Gesellschaft für Informatik (2013) Academic Service : Active in conference leadership (SIGCHI Switzerland Chair 2021–2023, ISS 2016 Program Chair) and reviewing for top venues including ACM CHI , Ubicomp , and IEEE VR . Regular reviewer for European science foundations and DFG/BMBF proposals.
Prof. Dr. Matthias Weidlich is a faculty member at Humboldt University of Berlin within the Institute of Computer Science under the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences . His research focuses on Process Mining , Complex Event Processing , and Data Privacy with applications in Business Process Management and Scientific Workflows . Research Interests: Business Process Management and Process Mining Complex Event Processing and Stream Data Analysis Data Privacy and Security in Process Systems Scientific Workflow Systems and User Behavior Heterogeneous Network Embeddings Algorithm Design and Optimization Recent Publications (2023-2025) demonstrate expertise in: Efficient stream processing techniques Privacy-preserving process mining frameworks Scientific workflow analysis tools Graph neural network applications Multi-modal data integration Adaptive querying systems Contact: Office: Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin Phone: 030 2093-41277 Email: matthias.weidlich@hu-berlin.de Web: hu.berlin/data
Prof. Dr. Martin Spindler is a Professor for Statistics at the Department of Statistics with Application in Business Administration, University of Hamburg Business School. His research bridges Econometrics, Statistics, and Machine Learning, focusing on high-dimensional methods, causal inference, and applications in finance, insurance, and health economics. Current position since 2016 Visiting Professor at University Mannheim (2016), Boston College (2015), and MIT (2015, 2013-2014) Senior Researcher at Max Planck Society (2012-2016) Education: PhD in Economics, University of Munich (2012) Master in Mathematics and Economics, University of Munich (2008) and Regensburg (2003) B.A. in Mathematics, University of Regensburg (2005) His methodological work includes L2Boosting for treatment effect estimation, double machine learning frameworks, and nonparametric approaches for asymmetric information. Applications span from fraud detection in claims management to pandemic shielding strategies and financial forecasting. Research Trends: Recent publications emphasize high-dimensional statistical methods, causal machine learning, and interdisciplinary applications. Key tools include double machine learning, attention networks, and transformation models. Collaborations: Active partnerships with institutions like MIT, Boston College, and Max Planck Society, alongside contributions to open-source software (e.g., DoubleML, hdm package).
Tim Moritz Hector is a Research Associate at the University of Siegen since 2020, affiliated with subproject B06. He completed his PhD in Applied Linguistics in April 2024 with a dissertation on voice assistants as conversational participants. His research focuses on media linguistics, ethnomethodological conversation analysis, human-machine interaction, linguistic praxeology, and cultural linguistics. Education: German (linguistics), political science, and educational science (2012–2019) at Münster and Bonn Academic roles: Student assistant (2015–2019), research assistant (2019), and current research associate Research Themes: Hector investigates voice user interfaces, domestication of smart technologies, and interactional practices between humans and AI systems. His work bridges linguistic analysis with digital media studies, focusing on how voice assistants reshape social practices in households. Article Trends: Recent publications emphasize smart speaker domestication , human-machine agency , voice interface practices , sensory smart home systems , and data practices in AI adoption . He explores how voice assistants become embedded in daily routines through linguistic and praxeological frameworks. Academic Affiliations: Member of the Society for Applied Linguistics (GAL) and German Cultural Studies Society (KWG). Former Wikimedia Deutschland e.V. board chair and UNO-Flüchtlingshilfe e.V. supervisory board member. Conference Contributions: Active in conferences like IPrA, Social Interaction, and COST networks. Key presentations include topics on multisensory interaction, invectives in voice technology use, and responsive smart home systems. Collaborations: Co-organized major conferences including Machine–Body–Space (2024) and Voice Assistants in Private Homes (2023) with interdisciplinary teams from Siegen, Bremen, and Brussels.
Xin Peng is a Professor and Deputy Dean at the School of Computer Science, Fudan University, China. He leads the CodeWisdom research team focusing on intelligent software engineering techniques for development, maintenance, and operation of software systems. His educational background includes a PhD in Computer Science (2001-2006) and Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (1997-2001), both from Fudan University. He progressed through the academic ranks from Assistant Professor (2006-2010) to Associate Professor (2010-2015) and finally to Professor (2015-present). Professor Peng's research interests span Software Analytics, Intelligent Software Development, Microservice systems, and AIOps. His work leverages AI technologies including deep learning and knowledge graphs to develop intelligent software engineering techniques. A significant portion of his recent work focuses on applying Large Language Models to various software engineering tasks, including vulnerability detection, API usage analysis, and test automation. His publication record shows a clear trend toward increasingly sophisticated applications of AI in software engineering, with recent work heavily featuring LLMs for tasks ranging from vulnerability patch porting to resource leak detection. The research spans multiple domains including microservice systems, automotive software, and Web of Things security. Best Paper Award of ICSM 2011 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award of ASE 2018 and 2021 IEEE TCSE Distinguished Paper Award of ICSME 2018, 2019, and 2020 IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering Best Paper award for 2018 Professor Peng serves in numerous leadership roles including Deputy Director of CCF Technical Committee on Software Engineering, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, and Associate Editor for ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology. He has been actively involved in program committees for major software engineering conferences including ICSE, ASE, ESEC/FSE, and ICSME. He leads the CodeWisdom research team at Fudan University, which has developed several benchmark systems including TrainTicket for microservice research. The team's work bridges academic research with industrial applications, particularly in microservice systems analysis and intelligent software development tools.
Prof. Dr. Sören Laue is a Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Hamburg's Department of Informatics. His research focuses on optimization algorithms, machine learning frameworks, and high-performance computing. He leads the Machine Learning research group and developed the GENO optimization framework and the Matrix Calculus toolset. His work emphasizes GPU acceleration, tensor operations, and scalable solutions for classical machine learning problems. Projects: GENO solver (Python-based optimization), Matrix Calculus (derivative computation), and SQL-based tensor operations. Key Research Themes: Optimization frameworks, GPU computing, neural network scalability, and algorithm design. Selected recent publications highlight contributions to tensor calculus benchmarks, GPU-optimized machine learning pipelines, and novel optimization methods. His work bridges theoretical foundations and practical software tools for the machine learning community.
Shuvendu K. Lahiri is a researcher at Microsoft Research, focusing on formal verification, program synthesis, and software testing. His work bridges artificial intelligence with formal methods, particularly in blockchain security and automated code generation. 2025 : Published LLM-Vectorizer (verified loop vectorizer) and neural synthesis for SMT-assisted proof-oriented programming 2024 : Explored LLM-based test-driven code generation and natural precondition inference 2023 : Developed resource management specifications and contributed to test generation with pre-trained models 2022 : Advanced Solidity type systems and merge conflict resolution using language models His research combines large language models with formal verification tools to improve software correctness. He actively contributes to conferences like ICSE, PLDI, and ISSTA as author and committee member.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Maria Francesca Spadea serves as Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBT) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), part of the Helmholtz Association. Her leadership role includes overseeing research initiatives, teaching activities, and administrative responsibilities within the institute. Located in space 512, she maintains regular consultation hours on Wednesdays from 10:30-11:30 am by appointment. Professor Spadea's research spans several cutting-edge areas in biomedical engineering, with particular focus on medical image processing, artificial intelligence applications in healthcare, and radiomics. Her work bridges computational techniques with clinical applications, emphasizing practical solutions for medical imaging challenges. She has pioneered approaches in federated learning for medical image translation, particularly in CT/MRI synthesis for radiation therapy applications. Her research also extends to cancer cell analysis, vascular biomechanics, and medical robotics, demonstrating a broad yet cohesive research portfolio that addresses critical challenges in modern healthcare. Analysis of Professor Spadea's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on AI-driven medical imaging solutions, particularly in the translation between different imaging modalities (like MRI-to-CT) using federated learning approaches that preserve patient privacy. Her work demonstrates growing specialization in radiation therapy applications, with multiple publications addressing synthetic CT generation for treatment planning. There's also a clear trajectory toward multi-institutional collaboration, as evidenced by her involvement in projects spanning multiple research centers across Europe. Professor Spadea actively mentors numerous students, including M. Krohmer Zabaleta, N. Skupien, and M. Destito, who have completed bachelor's and master's theses under her supervision. Her research group appears well-integrated within the broader Institute of Biomedical Engineering, collaborating extensively with colleagues like P. Zaffino and C.B. Raggio on multiple projects. The group maintains strong connections with clinical partners, as evidenced by publications addressing real-world medical challenges in radiation therapy, cardiology, and neurosurgery. The research activities of Professor Spadea's team are centered within the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at KIT, with particular focus on medical imaging processing and AI applications. Her laboratory appears to specialize in developing computational tools for medical image analysis, with recent work emphasizing privacy-preserving federated learning frameworks that enable multi-institutional collaboration without sharing sensitive patient data. The team maintains active collaborations with clinical departments, particularly in radiation oncology, as evidenced by numerous publications addressing CT synthesis for radiation therapy planning.
Prof. Ilia Polian serves as Head of the Institute of Computer Engineering and Chair of the Hardware-Oriented Computer Science (HOCOS) department at the University of Stuttgart. His leadership spans research, teaching, and institutional coordination across multiple high-impact projects. Prof. Polian's research focuses on developing circuit and system architectures based on both traditional and novel principles, including neuromorphic, stochastic, and approximate architectures. His second major research focus is systematic design methodology and design automation, with particular emphasis on safety and reliability properties of developed systems. Current research directions include quantum computing engineering, secure mixed-signal neural networks, and resource-efficient stochastic circuits for near-sensor computing applications. His recent publications demonstrate strong trends in quantum computing (particularly circuit partitioning and compilation for multi-QPU architectures), hardware security (including memristive cryptographic implementations), and AI-driven approaches to hardware testing and reliability. These works bridge fundamental computer architecture research with practical industrial applications. University of Stuttgart's Publication Prize for Paper on Partitioning of Quantum Circuits Prof. Polian actively supervises doctoral students including Devanshi Upadhyaya, and leads significant research grants such as the DFG Priority Program Nano Security which he coordinates. His department offers numerous thesis and research opportunities for students interested in cutting-edge hardware research. The Hardware-Oriented Computer Science department maintains strong collaborations with industry partners including IBM, Infineon Technologies, and Advantest, as well as academic institutions through the IQST Graduate School and QuantumBW initiatives.
