Prof. Dr. Stephan Schiemann is a faculty member at Leuphana University of Lüneburg specializing in Sports Science and Health Sciences . With over 122 publications and active research in physical education, strength training, and rehabilitation, his work focuses on biomechanics, muscle adaptation, and digital health interventions. Key Research Areas: Strength training, flexibility protocols, youth athlete development, inclusive sports, and digital health applications Projects: KITA GUT & GESUND, RoBaTaS (Rollstuhlbasketball), HeaLinGo (health-language integration) Research Trends Recent publications analyze: Strength-performance correlations across sports (basketball, cross-country skiing) Long-term stretching effects on muscle hypertrophy Measurement error differentiation in ultrasound diagnostics Comparative training methods for plantar flexors His work bridges theoretical development with practical applications in school sports and rehabilitation.
Alexander W Kay, M.D., B.A., serves as Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine with specialized focus on Global Immigrant Health. Based full-time in Mbabane, eSwatini, he holds the position of Associate Director for the Global TB Program where he oversees clinical operations at the TB Centre of Excellence and directs clinical, translational, and operational research initiatives targeting pediatric tuberculosis and TB/HIV co-infection in high-burden settings. His academic foundation includes: BA from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States MD from University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, United States Residency at Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine, United States Fellowship at Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States Dr. Kay's research centers on advancing pediatric tuberculosis care through innovative diagnostics and implementation science. His current projects evaluate stool-based molecular assays for TB detection, investigate barriers to isoniazid preventive therapy uptake, and optimize active case-finding strategies. He maintains close collaboration with the eSwatini National TB Control Program to improve clinical management of children with complex TB and TB/HIV presentations, building on prior experience as a BIPAI physician in Lesotho. Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals dominant themes in non-invasive diagnostic development—particularly stool-based molecular testing for pediatric and HIV-affected populations—and operational research addressing healthcare system challenges. His work spans diagnostic accuracy validation, cost-burden assessments, mathematical modeling of adolescent TB incidence, and implementation studies across Southern Africa, with concentrated efforts in eSwatini and Mozambique. Professional credentials include board certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Pediatrics (Certificate of Knowledge), alongside active membership in the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and American Academy of Pediatrics' Pediatric Infectious Diseases section. As Associate Director of the Global TB Program, Dr. Kay leads research initiatives likely supported by institutional and global health grants, though specific funding sources aren't detailed. His role involves mentoring within the TB Centre of Excellence framework, but no formal student advisement is documented. He previously contributed to BIPAI's work in Lesotho and maintains this partnership in eSwatini. Operating at the TB Centre of Excellence—a dedicated pediatric referral facility for complicated TB cases—Dr. Kay collaborates with national programs to implement evidence-based practices. His team focuses on translating research into improved diagnostic algorithms and treatment protocols for children, with ongoing projects examining stool-based qPCR implementation, cost-reduction strategies, and HIV/TB integrated care models.
Dr. Angela Alberga is an Associate Professor and Tier 2 University Research Chair at Concordia University's Department of Health, Kinesiology & Applied Physiology. Her research focuses on weight stigma, pediatric obesity, and health equity, with interdisciplinary applications in public health, education, and policy. BSc, Exercise Science & Psychology, Concordia University MSc & PhD, Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Calgary (CIHR & Eyes High Fellowships) Dr. Alberga’s research program investigates how societal and institutional factors influence weight-related issues, including obesity, eating disorders, and psychosocial wellbeing. Her work emphasizes patient-oriented research, behavioral interventions, and evidence synthesis in population health contexts. Recent research trends include clinical practice guidelines for pediatric obesity, weight stigma reduction in healthcare, nutrition education tools for bariatric surgery, and psychosocial impacts of weight bias. Key themes span public health, behavioral epidemiology, and health equity. Canadian Diabetes Association Doctoral Award Banting CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship Eyes High Postdoctoral Fellowship Dr. Alberga supervises graduate students in Health and Exercise Science (MSc/PhD programs) and has secured grants from CIHR, FRQ-S, and the Canadian Pediatric Research Foundation for her work on obesity and health equity.
Dr. Catrine Torbjørnsen Halås is a Professor of Social Work at Nord University, a position she has held since 2023. She previously served as an Associate Professor at the University of Nordland from 2012, which later became part of Nord University. She has held significant leadership roles including Head of the Center for Practical Knowledge and Program Manager for the PhD program in Professional Science. She was also the cohort coordinator for the National Research School for Teacher Education (NAFOL) at NTNU from 2018 to 2020. Her research centers on practical knowledge , experiential learning , and qualitative methodologies , with a strong emphasis on ethnographic and narrative approaches. She explores how professional practice in social work can be informed by lived experience and reflective processes. Her work with vulnerable youth focuses on participation, involvement, and creating meaningful change through dialogue and recognition. The recent publications of Dr. Halås reveal a consistent engagement with knowledge-reflected practice , praxeology , and democratic knowledge production . Her research spans topics such as the role of practical knowledge in education, youth narratives challenging social norms, and participatory methods like the Dialogue Café. She emphasizes the integration of theory and practice in professional training and advocates for inclusive, reflective, and ethically grounded research. She is actively involved in research networks such as the European Association of Social Work Research (EASWR), where she convenes a Special Interest Group on Social Work Practice Research, and the International Community for Practice Research in Social Work. She leads the PrepChild Research Center for Children and Youth and Social Preparedness and contributes to the Nordic research network on youth, belonging, and outsiders. Her editorial work includes influential anthologies like Practical Knowledge: An Introduction (2023) and Humanistic Research Approaches to Professional Practice (2017), which have shaped discourse in the field. Dr. Halås has extensive experience in both academic and practical social work. Before her academic career, she served as a Senior Advisor to the County Governor of Nordland (1996–2011) and as a caseworker and manager in Oslo’s Grorud social welfare office (1989–1996). This background deeply informs her research, grounding it in real-world challenges and professional practice. She has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards, but her sustained scholarly output and leadership in research networks indicate significant influence in her field.
Laura Hammond is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic and Investigative Psychology and Director of the Crime and Society Research Centre at Birmingham City University. Her work emphasizes real-world impact through collaboration with police forces, victim support charities, and national organizations like the Home Office and Ministry of Justice. She focuses on investigative processes, victim experiences, and evidence-based policy.
Eugene Kennedy is a Professor in the Department of Educational Research at Louisiana State University's College of Human Sciences & Education. Holding a PhD in Educational Research Methodology from the University of South Carolina (1990), Kennedy's career spans academic research, state education departments, and technical consulting roles. His work focuses on educational effectiveness, psychometrics, and technology integration in education. Bachelor's: Sociology, Benedict College (1977) Master's: Educational Statistics & Measurement, University of Iowa (1982) PhD: Educational Research, University of South Carolina (1990) Kennedy's research interests include educational research methodology , psychometrics , school effectiveness , STEM education , data-driven decision making , and learning analytics . His recent publications demonstrate increasing focus on AI's role in education and data-driven strategies for improving educational outcomes. His academic work shows trends in educational technology integration , quantitative research methods , and STEM equity initiatives . Key themes include using data mining for educational insights, technology tools for school leadership, and innovative teaching strategies to improve student outcomes. Kennedy has participated in grants including: Co-PI for Evaluation proposal for the EBRPS American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Program (2010-2011) PI for Longitudinal Study with University of Louisiana Lafayette (2008-2009) Contact: ekennedy@lsu.edu | 221 Peabody Hall | 225-578-2193
Renaud Crespin serves as a CNRS Junior Professor at Sciences Po's Centre for the Sociology of Organisations (CSO), where his research integrates the sociology of public action, science and technology studies, and labor sociology to examine how health and environmental policies are rationalized through technical instruments and scientific expertise. His work critically analyzes the transnational circulation of policy instruments like screening tests across domains including blood donation, HIV/AIDS response, road safety, and drug policy. His academic credentials include: PhD in Political Science from Pantheon-Sorbonne University (2003), with dissertation on "Appropriation and public regulation of a biological tool: The social career of HIV tests, a comparative study (France, USA, Canada, Netherlands)" DEA (M.Phil) in Organisations and Public Policy from Pantheon-Sorbonne University (1995) Master's degree in Political Science from Pantheon-Sorbonne University (1994) Crespin's research reveals how seemingly neutral technical tools become embedded in complex power relations that shape professional practices and policy outcomes. His comparative studies demonstrate how instruments like workplace drug testing technologies travel across national contexts while being adapted to local organizational practices. Recent work examines pandemic response models, environmental risk assessment, and the ecosystemic approach to workplace addiction prevention, highlighting tensions between scientific evidence and political decision-making. As co-leader of the CSO's Knowledge, Science and Expertise research program since 2017, Crespin has fostered interdisciplinary dialogue on expertise in governance. His leadership extends to the CNRS' Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences scientific board (since 2014) and the CNRS' interdisciplinary commission on Methods, practices, and communications of science and techniques (since 2017). He has significantly contributed to public policy through appointments to the Observatory on Health Care Professionals' Quality of Life at Work (2018-2020) and the ANSES Environment-Health-Work national research programme's scientific committee (2014-2018).
Donald A. Dripps serves as the Warren Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he has been a faculty member since 2004. His academic career includes previous appointments as assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, visiting professor at Duke University School of Law, visiting professor at Cornell University Law School, and James Annenberg Levee Professor of Criminal Procedure at the University of Minnesota Law School. He clerked for the Honorable Amalya Kearse of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. Dripps earned his JD from the University of Michigan in 1983, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Michigan Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. He received his BA from Northwestern University in 1980. His research focuses on the theoretical foundations of constitutional criminal procedure, with particular emphasis on plea bargaining, the void for vagueness doctrine, and the historical evolution of privacy rights. Dripps frequently examines how historical legal contexts inform contemporary constitutional interpretation, especially regarding the Fourth Amendment in the digital age. His work bridges doctrinal analysis with practical criminal justice concerns, exploring systemic feedback loops in criminal justice reform and the philosophical basis of constitutional rights. Dripps's scholarship reveals consistent engagement with emerging challenges in constitutional interpretation, including undefined consent in sexual assault statutes, federalism issues in criminal jurisdiction, and the constitutional dimensions of police surveillance. His publications demonstrate a methodological approach that combines historical analysis with contemporary doctrinal challenges to develop more coherent frameworks for constitutional criminal procedure. Editor-in-chief of the Michigan Law Review Member of the Order of the Coif As a leading scholar in criminal procedure, Dripps has shaped academic and practical understanding through his influential casebooks and law review articles. His work on institutional reform injunctions represents a significant contribution to one of the most dramatic developments in the field in recent decades. His scholarship consistently addresses the relationship between procedural rules and substantive justice outcomes in the criminal justice system.
Dr. Jesse Vermaire is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University . With a Ph.D. from McGill University and M.Sc. from the University of New Brunswick, his research focuses on the impacts of environmental change on freshwater ecosystems, particularly climate warming, nutrient enrichment, and extreme events like droughts and storm surges. His lab employs paleolimnological techniques and long-term datasets to study ecosystem resilience and recovery. Education: B.Sc. Honours (University of Guelph), M.Sc. (UNB), Ph.D. (McGill) His work spans multiple subfields, including microplastic pollution, metal contamination from historical mining, wildfire effects on lakes, and riparian development impacts. Recent publications highlight studies on plastic ingestion by Arctic seabirds, legacy arsenic pollution in Cobalt, Ontario, and critical thresholds for freshwater conservation. Collaborations with researchers like S.J. Cooke and J.P. Smol demonstrate his interdisciplinary approach. Key trends in his 15 most recent articles include: 1) Quantifying microplastic pollution in diverse ecosystems (Arctic, mangroves, agricultural soils); 2) Analyzing historical contamination impacts (arsenic, gold, lead mining); 3) Investigating climate-fire-sediment interactions; 4) Advancing monitoring methodologies (community science, multi-matrix sampling); 5) Critiquing environmental restoration practices; and 6) Developing evidence-based conservation frameworks.
Meghan Gandy serves as Assistant Professor of Practice and Undergraduate Program Director in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Texas Tech University's College of Health & Human Sciences, joining the faculty in 2022 after two decades of professional experience. Her academic credentials include: Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Texas Tech University Master of Science in Nutritional Science from Texas Tech University Dietetic Internship at Texas Tech University As a Licensed and Registered Dietitian (RDN), her clinical expertise spans cardiac and diabetes care, weight management, long-term care nutrition, and corporate wellness programs, with emphasis on translating evidence-based practices into real-world applications across diverse healthcare settings. Professional recognition includes: Young Dietitian of The Year (2011) from the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Prof. Dr. Jakob Beetz serves as a University Professor at RWTH Aachen University's Faculty of Architecture, leading the Design Computation (DC) research group. His work addresses critical challenges in sustainable built environments through digital innovation, focusing on integrating knowledge, information, and data across disciplines to reduce the sector's energy and material consumption—which accounts for over one-third of global totals—while advancing climate goals under the European Green Deal. His research spans Building Information Modeling (BIM), digital twins, and artificial intelligence, with emphasis on graph-based data federation, semantic web technologies, and large language models in construction. Key interests include evidence-based planning, parametric design optimization, building physics simulation, and networked knowledge modeling. Recent projects explore federated digital twin ecosystems for infrastructure management, intelligent damage assessment systems, and AI-driven solutions for wood structure preservation, directly contributing to sustainable development targets. Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals a cohesive trajectory toward decentralized data environments and AI integration in Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC). His work bridges theoretical foundations in knowledge representation with practical applications in bridge maintenance, road infrastructure, and timber construction, demonstrating consistent innovation in spatial data querying, federated issue management, and ontology-based process modeling. Prof. Beetz actively supervises PhD candidates, as evidenced by DC.Promotions 2024, and drives international collaboration through events like the Forum Construction Informatics 2025 and CIB W78 conferences. His research group engages with industry standards including Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and Common Data Environments (CDEs), emphasizing open data principles and interoperability to transform construction workflows.
Valérie Guillard is a Professor of Management Science at Paris-Dauphine University, specializing in consumer behavior and sustainable consumption practices. Her academic career spans multiple decades with significant contributions to understanding consumer psychology related to material objects, waste management, and ecological transition. Dr. Guillard's research primarily focuses on consumer psychology, particularly examining how individuals relate to objects throughout their lifecycle, with special attention to second-hand markets, deconsumption practices, and waste perception. Her work bridges marketing theory and environmental sustainability, exploring the psychological dimensions of sustainable consumption behaviors. She coordinates a research contract funded by ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) on waste-related themes, demonstrating the practical application of her academic work. Her publication record shows a clear evolution toward sustainability-focused research, with recent articles examining textile ethics, perceived obsolescence among eco-conscious consumers, and the social dimensions of deconsumption. The interdisciplinary nature of her work is evident in publications spanning marketing journals, environmental science publications, and healthcare research outlets, particularly in her more recent work on telehealth and patient perceptions. Dr. Guillard has authored multiple books including 'Comment consommer avec sobriété' (2021), 'Comportements du consommateur' (2016), and 'Boulimie d'objets, l'être et l'avoir dans nos sociétés' (2014), establishing her as a leading voice in French consumer behavior research with growing international recognition. Her research methodology combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, often employing theoretical frameworks from sociology and psychology to analyze consumption phenomena. Recent work demonstrates increasing collaboration with researchers across disciplines, particularly in healthcare and regional development fields, indicating the expanding relevance of her consumer behavior expertise to diverse societal challenges.
Associate Professor Tambri Housen is a nurse-epidemiologist affiliated with Australian National University (National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health) and University of Newcastle , where she supervises HDR candidates. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked across Africa, Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region in complex humanitarian emergencies, health security workforce strengthening, and cross-cultural operational research. Education: BSc in Nursing (Curtin University), MPhil in Applied Epidemiology (ANU), PhD in Epidemiology (Curtin University) Her research interests focus on: Health security workforce strengthening Cross-cultural mixed-methods research for policy and practice Operational research in humanitarian crises Evidence-based health systems strengthening Infectious disease epidemiology Global health capacity building Recent articles highlight her work on field epidemiology training impact evaluation, One Health integration in outbreak response, caregiver mental health interventions in emergencies, and workforce capacity assessments in Pacific and Southeast Asian countries. She has received recognition as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and leads global initiatives through WHO and GOARN partnerships. She supervises 13 HDR candidates and has secured AUD $13.6 million in research funding, primarily focused on emergency response epidemiology, maternal-neonatal care, and pandemic prevention strategies.
Alejandro J. Ganimian is an Associate Professor of Applied Psychology and Economics (with tenure) at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and a Visiting Associate Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His interdisciplinary research bridges economics, psychology, and education policy to address critical challenges in educational systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on transitioning from providing schooling to ensuring learning for all. Education: Doctorate in Quantitative Policy Analysis in Education (with concentration in economics) from Harvard University, where he was a fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy Master's in Educational Research from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Scholar Bachelor's in International Politics from Georgetown University Postdoctoral fellow at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) Ganimian's research centers on addressing educational challenges for "first-generation learners" in low- and middle-income countries. His methodology combines cutting-edge experimental designs from economics with innovative measures from education and psychology to evaluate causal effects of policies at scale. He specifically investigates how to prepare children for educational transitions, support teachers in large heterogeneous classrooms, and encourage principals to allocate resources to students who need them most. His work spans educational assessment, technology in education, teacher policies, and school management, with fieldwork conducted primarily in Latin America and South Asia. His research has been published in top journals including Nature , American Economic Review , Journal of Political Economy , and Review of Educational Research . Scientific Awards and Affiliations: Jacobs Foundation Research Fellow National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow Gates Scholar Advisory-Board member at the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science, and Culture (OEI) Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution Invited Researcher at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at MIT Member of the CESifo Network on Economics of Education Ganimian actively mentors doctoral students at NYU, with primary advisee Verónica Mesalles and secondary or co-advisees including Sorana Acris, Berta Bartoli, Arja Dayal, Trenel Francis-Porter, and Jessica Siegel. His former advisees have secured prestigious positions at institutions including Oxford University, UC Irvine, Duke University, and Stanford University. He has consulted for major international organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank, and co-founded educational initiatives "Enseñá por Argentina" and "Educar y Crecer" in Argentina.
Dr. Ilo E. Leppik serves as Professor in the Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Neurology. With over 40 years of clinical practice at UMP Epilepsy Care Minneapolis, he has established national leadership in epilepsy research and patient care. His academic credentials include: B.Sc., Chemistry (1964), Haverford College - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania M.D. (1968), University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Dr. Leppik's research program focuses on epilepsy in aging populations, examining pharmacokinetic changes of antiepileptic drugs in the elderly and epilepsy management in nursing homes. Current initiatives investigate naturally occurring canine status epilepticus as a translational model for novel therapeutics and Minnesota cannabis applications for epilepsy treatment, supported by NIH funding. His distinguished service includes past presidency of the American Epilepsy Society and leadership roles in the Epilepsy Foundation of America. Major recognitions feature: William Lennox Award for Lifetime Achievement (2007) International League Against Epilepsy Clinical Pharmacology Award (1986) The Penfield Award for Excellence (1975) Continuous inclusion in Who's Who in the World since 1997 As Founding and Managing Editor of Epilepsy Research (1986-2006), he shaped scholarly discourse while authoring 240+ peer-reviewed articles and seminal texts including Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of the Patient with Epilepsy (650,000+ copies). His clinical guidance extends through the Epilepsy Research and Education Program at the University of Minnesota, advancing evidence-based care for complex seizure disorders.
