Find Academic Supervisors

Robert S. SalzarView profile

Associate Professor

• Biomechanics
• Injury Biomechanics
• Blast Biomechanics
• +5 more

Robert S. Salzar is an Associate Professor in the Academic General Faculty, Research Track at the University of Virginia, serving as Principal Scientist at the Center for Applied Biomechanics. With over 25 years of engineering mechanics expertise, his work focuses on injury biomechanics for automotive and military contexts, particularly behind-armor blunt trauma and underbody blast scenarios. Dr. Salzar holds a doctorate in engineering mechanics and completed a post-doctoral NRC appointment at NASA-Glenn Research Center studying aerospace composites before becoming Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at City University of New York. His research spans thoracic compliance modeling, PMHS testing for military injury databases, and WIAMan manikin development. His primary research interests include injury biomechanics, blast trauma mechanisms, and computational modeling for injury prediction. Recent work emphasizes military applications, with significant contributions to understanding thoracic/pelvic injury thresholds and developing biofidelic models for behind-armor blunt trauma and underbody blast environments. Analysis of his 2020-2025 publications reveals dominant trends in military injury biomechanics, particularly thoracoabdominal injury criteria, pelvic fracture modeling, and blast wave interactions with human tissues. Key subfields include WIAMan validation, animal model development, and impulse-based injury criteria for ballistic impacts. Scientific recognition includes: University of Virginia MAE Research Scientist of the Year (2016) As Principal Scientist, Dr. Salzar leads research projects funded by military safety agencies, directing experimental and computational studies on injury mechanisms. His work involves collaboration with defense contractors and government laboratories to translate biomechanical findings into improved body armor and vehicle safety standards. The Center for Applied Biomechanics, where he conducts core research, specializes in PMHS testing, animal model development, and computational simulations for military and automotive injury prevention, with recent focus on underbody blast and behind-armor trauma scenarios.

Fraser BrownView profile

Adjunct Professor

• Systems
• Programming Languages
• Security
• +3 more

Fraser Brown is a Courtesy Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, affiliated with the College of Engineering. His research focuses on the intersection of systems, programming languages, and security, with particular emphasis on verified compilers, cryptographic applications, and finding vulnerabilities in real systems. He holds a position at the university's Pittsburgh campus located at 5000 Forbes Avenue. His research interests include compiler optimization verification, cryptographic protocol compilation, and secure execution environments. Notable projects involve verified components of browser JIT compilers and compilation infrastructure for cryptographic use cases. He has contributed to frameworks like WaVe (verifiably secure WebAssembly runtime) and Icarus (trustworthy JIT compilers). Recent publications (2021–2025) explore topics such as zero-knowledge proof compilers, secure MPC protocols, and microarchitectural vulnerability mitigation. His work frequently combines formal verification techniques with practical system implementations to enhance software and hardware security. Fraser has collaborated on grants like the SaTC-funded project on verified secure sandboxed systems. While no formal advisees are listed, his research contributions reflect collaborative efforts in academic and industrial contexts. His work is disseminated through venues like programming language and security workshops (e.g., PLAS 2023) and peer-reviewed journals/conferences.

Cheryl QuennevilleView profile

Associate Professor

• Biomechanics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Biomaterials
• +8 more

Dr. Cheryl Quenneville is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University and an Associate Member of the School of Biomedical Engineering. She specializes in biomechanics and biomedical engineering with a focus on injury tolerance criteria, orthopaedic device design, and computational modeling. Education: B.A.Sc. (Queen's University, 2003), M.Sc. (Western University, 2005), Ph.D. (Western University, 2009) Current Role: Associate Chair, Undergraduate, Mechanical Engineering Her research program integrates experimental testing and finite element modeling to advance understanding of bone fracture mechanics, develop injury risk functions, and validate synthetic surrogates for biomechanical research. Recent work has addressed hockey neck guard safety, forearm injury limits, and hip fracture risk prediction using DXA imaging. Key trends in her publications include injury biomechanics, computational modeling, and medical imaging applications. She has received the Petro-Canada-McMaster Young Innovator Award and collaborates with industry partners like Niko Apparel Systems. Her lab emphasizes trainee development and translation of findings to clinical and industrial partners. Scientific Awards: Petro-Canada-McMaster Young Innovator Award Dr. Quenneville teaches Current Topics in Orthopaedic Biomechanics (MECHENG 717/BIOMED 717) and actively accepts graduate students. The McMaster Injury Biomechanics Lab, which she leads, develops comprehensive injury limits for understudied events and translates findings through partnerships in healthcare and safety industries.

• Spine Biomechanics
• Back Pain
• Musculoskeletal Conditions
• +3 more

Alex Breen serves as Visiting Associate Professor at Bournemouth University's Faculty of Science and Technology and full-time Senior Research Fellow/Technology Lead at AECC University College. His research investigates mechanical aggravation of musculoskeletal conditions through quantitative fluoroscopy analysis of spinal motion, with emphasis on lumbar intervertebral dynamics and back pain mechanisms. His educational background includes: PhD in Prosthetics and Biomechanics (Bournemouth University, 2016) MSc in Medical Physics (Open University, 2012) BSc (Hons) in Physics with Medical Applications (Exeter University, 2005) Dr. Breen's research focuses on identifying biomechanical biomarkers for treatment-resistant chronic low back pain through quantitative assessment of intervertebral motion sharing patterns. He examines relationships between disc degeneration, spinal kinematics, and pain using fluoroscopic imaging, finite element modeling, and motion capture systems. Recent work explores microgravity effects on spinal geometry and spatio-temporal clustering of asymptomatic spinal motion. Analysis of his 2021-2025 publications reveals consistent emphasis on methodological validation (e.g., motion capture systems, fluoroscopy), clinical translation of biomechanical findings, and international collaboration in chiropractic research. Key themes include cervical/lumbar motion analysis, disc pressure modeling, and development of patient-specific spinal assessment protocols. His scientific recognition includes: 2019 NCMIC/JMPT RESEARCH AWARD Society for Back Pain Research Travel Fellowship (2016) Dr. Breen supervises PhD candidates Jacqueline Rix (biomechanical effects of spinal manipulation) and Terence McSweeney (quantitative imaging biomarkers). He has secured research funding including the Radiological Research Trust Travel Grant (2016) and serves on the Society for Back Pain Research executive committee (2018-present). His extensive peer review activities span journals including The Spine Journal, BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, and Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. As AECC University College's Technology Lead, he directs biomechanical research infrastructure development and methodology innovation, particularly in spinal kinematics assessment and clinical translation of engineering approaches to musculoskeletal health.

• Ocean Dynamics
• Climate System Modeling
• Arctic Ocean Circulation
• +3 more

Dr. Qiang Wang is a Senior Scientist in the Climate Dynamics department at the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), focusing on ocean dynamics, climate system interactions, and Arctic Ocean processes. His research explores the role of high-latitude seas in global climate, including sea ice changes, air-ice-sea interactions, and ocean circulation modeling. He leads development and application of the unstructured-grid global ocean-sea ice model FESOM, contributing to projects like the MOSAiC expedition and OMIP intercomparison efforts. Key areas include Arctic amplification, Beaufort Gyre dynamics, and climate change impacts on ocean extremes. Research interests span ocean circulation patterns (e.g., Atlantic/Pacific heat transport), eddy dynamics, and the influence of freshwater anomalies on climate feedbacks. His work addresses urgent questions about Arctic Atlantification, sea ice decline mechanisms, and oceanic responses to warming. Dr. Wang collaborates internationally on high-resolution modeling and climate projections, with findings published in top-tier journals. Advising and grants involve advancing FESOM's capabilities and applying it to study ice shelf melting, Arctic export pathways, and submesoscale processes. His contributions bridge computational oceanography with observational data, enhancing understanding of polar climate systems.

Nancy DayView profile

Associate Professor

• Software Engineering
• Formal Methods
• Software Requirements Modelling
• +3 more

Nancy Day is an Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo's Department of Computer Science. Her research focuses on software engineering and formal methods, particularly in declarative behavioral modeling languages and model checking techniques. She holds a Ph.D. (1998) and M.Sc. (1993) from the University of British Columbia, and a B.Sc. (1991) from the University of Western Ontario. Her work emphasizes formal specification of software requirements, with contributions to tools like Alloy integration with SMT solvers, hierarchical state modeling (Dash), and static analysis of formal models. Notable projects include Portus for linking Alloy with SMT-based model finding and ALDB for debugging Alloy-based behavioral requirements. Recent publications (2018–2024) explore diversity in software engineering conferences, static symmetry breaking, and formal methods for automotive feature interactions. She teaches computer-aided verification courses (e.g., CS 745) and has contributed to tools like Metro for template semantics analysis.

• Complex Dynamics
• Fractal Geometry
• Numerical Analysis
• +2 more

Professor Figen Locksmith is a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Igdir University, Turkey. She holds a doctorate from Universitaet Göttingen and has maintained active research contributions since the 1990s in complex dynamics and fractal geometry. Her educational background includes: Doctorate in Mathematical Institute, Universitaet Göttingen (1999-2002), thesis: The Dynamics of Relaxed Newton's Method on the Exponential Functions and its Fractals Degree in Faculty of Science/Department of Mathematics, Gazi University (1994-1997), thesis: Prolongation of hypersurfaces into tangent bundles Licence in Faculty of Science/Department of Mathematics, Gazi University (1985-1992), thesis: 22222 Her research centers on complex dynamical systems, particularly the geometric properties of Newton's method iterations on rational and exponential functions. Key investigations include the structure of Julia sets (including checkerboard patterns), finiteness of basin areas, and applications of iterated function systems to distribution modeling. This work bridges pure mathematics with computational analysis through rigorous theoretical frameworks. Publication trends from 2004-2014 reveal consistent focus on fractal geometry in dynamical systems, with increasing emphasis on statistical applications of iterated function systems. Her articles demonstrate methodological evolution from foundational studies of relaxed Newton's method to broader explorations of rational map dynamics and distribution estimation. No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials. Professor Locksmith served as principal investigator for the TÜBİTAK project Changes in the Movements of Exponential Transformations and Newton's Method , securing competitive research funding. While no formal advisees are listed, her conference presentations indicate active mentorship through academic collaborations. Laboratory facilities or dedicated research teams are not specified in available records.

Martin RienerView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Automated Theorem Proving
• Higher-Order Logic
• Formal Methods
• +3 more

Martin Riener is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Theory and Logic, Faculty of Informatics, TU Wien. His research focuses on automated theorem proving, higher-order logic, and formal methods. He contributes to the GAPT framework for proof theory and collaborates on the Vampire theorem prover. He has worked on projects like CERESω cut-elimination and TLAPM for TLA+. Education: PhD (2017) and MSc (2011) in Computer Science from TU Wien. Research projects include an Austrian Science Fund (FWF) project (2010–2012) on proof-theoretic applications of CERES. Teaching includes courses on programming fundamentals, digital systems, and formal modeling. He is involved in outreach activities explaining computer science concepts through unplugged activities for diverse age groups. Software contributions include GAPT, Vampire, and TLAPS. Contactable via three email addresses and ORCID: 0000-0001-8836-7808 .

Giles RegerView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Automated Theorem Proving
• Runtime Verification
• Formal Methods
• +3 more

Giles Reger is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester, where he leads research in the Formal Methods Group. His academic background includes a BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge (2009), an MSc in Advanced Computer Science from the University of Manchester (2010, Highest Achiever Award), and a PhD from Manchester (2014) on Automata-based monitoring and mining of execution traces . Research interests focus on: Theorem Proving : Core developer of the Vampire first-order ATP system, working on performance extensions and collaborative proving techniques Runtime Verification : Creator of the MarQ monitoring tool and organizer of the International Runtime Verification Competition Formal Methods : Applications in program verification, specification mining, and temporal logic Publications emphasize automated reasoning, verification tools, and temporal specification languages, with recent work exploring neural-guided theorem proving and higher-order unification. His group consistently publishes at top venues like CADE, TACAS, and RV. Awards include: Multiple division wins in SMTCOMP/CASC theorem proving competitions (2016-2020) FLoC Olympic Games medals for Vampire contributions (2018) Advises PhD students including Michael Rawson (neural-guided proving) and Joshua Dawes (runtime verification). Leads the £1.3M EPSRC-funded SCorCH project (Secure Code for Capability Hardware) with Oxford/ARM/AWS. Coordinates the COST Action on Runtime Verification Beyond Monitoring.

Giles RegerView profile

Senior Lecturer

• Theorem Proving
• Runtime Verification
• Formal Methods
• +3 more

Giles Reger is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science at the University of Manchester , affiliated with the Formal Methods Group . His academic journey includes a BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge (2009), an MSc in Advanced Computer Science (University of Manchester, 2010) with the Highest Achiever of the Year Award , and a PhD (University of Manchester, 2014) on runtime verification. Research Interests: Theorem Proving (via Vampire system) and Runtime Verification (via MarQ and VyPR tools). Collaborations: Projects with University of Oxford, ARM, AWS, CERN, and SnT Luxembourg. Recent Work: Giles' publications span 2019-2016, focusing on Vampire's higher-order reasoning, symmetry avoidance in finite model finding, neural guidance in theorem proving, and runtime verification for Python web services (VyPR2). Trends include integrating machine learning with formal methods and advancing logic-based verification tools. Scientific Awards: Highest Achiever of the Year Award (MSc, University of Manchester, 2010) Vampire's multiple trophies at CASC and SMT-COMP competitions Advising: Supervises PhD students Michael Rawson, Ahmed Bhayat, and Joshua Dawes. Labs/Teams: Contributes to the Vampire team and the VyPR project.

• Structural Engineering
• Steel Structures
• Fire Resistance of Materials
• +5 more

Wei Lu is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at Aalto University. His research focuses on structural engineering, particularly steel structures, fire resistance, and high-strength steel applications. He holds a Doctoral degree (2003) and Licentiate degree (2000) in Engineering and Technology from Helsinki University of Technology. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to sustainable infrastructure and education. Recent research includes studies on cold-formed tubular members, fire scenarios in composite beams, and corrugated steel arches. He actively participates in academic activities, including a 2024 conference committee role. Key research areas include steel joints, fire dynamics, and structural design optimization. Media highlights include findings on K-type HSS joints and steel beams under fire conditions. Advising and grants are noted through supervised theses, though specific grant details are not provided. His lab focuses on advanced structural analysis, leveraging computational tools like FEA for fire and material performance studies.

David BrumleyView profile

Professor

• Software Security
• Formal Methods
• Cryptography
• +5 more

David Brumley is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University with a courtesy appointment in the Computer Science Department. He previously served as Director of CyLab, CMU's Security and Privacy Institute, from 2015 to 2017. His research focuses on developing systems that automatically check software for exploitable bugs using program analysis with security-specific properties. Brumley received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University, an MS in Computer Science from Stanford University, and a BA in Mathematics from the University of Northern Colorado. Before his academic career, he served as a Computer Security Officer for Stanford University from 1998-2002. Brumley's research focuses on software security techniques that provide users with guarantees. His work sits at the intersection of model checking, formal methods, compilers, and logic, all applied to security problems. He develops efficient symbolic execution, reasoning about bit-level arithmetic in finite fields, sound decompilation, and decision procedures. His research also extends to network security and applied cryptography, focusing on efficient protocols, signature schemes, and privacy-preserving cryptography. A key aspect of his work involves binary code analysis, which allows reasoning about the security of code that actually executes. Brumley's publication record shows a consistent progression from theoretical foundations in program analysis to practical security systems. His work spans symbolic execution, fuzzing, exploit generation, and binary analysis. The Mayhem Cyber Reasoning System, which won the DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge, represents the culmination of his research vision for automated vulnerability detection and patching. His publications demonstrate how theoretical advances in program analysis can be translated into real-world security tools. USENIX Security Best Paper Awards (2003, 2007) International Conference on Software Engineering Distinguished Paper Award (2014) NSF CAREER Award (2010) United States Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (2010) Sloan Foundation Award (2013) DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge Winner ($2,000,000) (2016) Brumley has mentored numerous PhD students who have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry, including co-founders of ForAllSecure. He served as faculty mentor for the CMU Hacking Team Plaid Parliament of Pwning (PPP), which has been ranked #1 internationally and won DefCon 2013. His research has been supported by significant grants including DARPA programs and the NSF CAREER award. He also runs PicoCTF, an annual computer security contest for high school students that has become one of the largest cybersecurity education initiatives of its kind. Brumley leads the development of security systems through both academic research and commercialization. He is the CEO of ForAllSecure, which commercializes the Mayhem system developed through his academic research. His work bridges the gap between theoretical security research and practical security tools used by industry, creating a pipeline from academic innovation to real-world impact.

• Materials Engineering
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing
• +3 more

Hanliang Zhu is an Honorary Professor at the University of Wollongong's School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering since February 2022. His research focuses on advanced materials engineering, particularly in the development and characterization of compositionally complex alloys, additive manufacturing processes, and nuclear materials. Key areas include the optimization of Ni-based superalloys, medium entropy alloys, and radiation-resistant materials for high-temperature applications. He has contributed to understanding creep behavior, irradiation effects, and microstructural evolution in materials like Hastelloy C276 and P91 steel. His work integrates experimental techniques with computational modeling, addressing challenges in material stability, mechanical properties, and fabrication processes. Notable projects include enhancing oxidation resistance in FeCr2V-based alloys and studying helium ion irradiation effects on Zirconium alloys. Funding has included an internal grant from the University of Wollongong (2015) exploring 3D-printed TiAl alloys' radiation damage resistance. Collaborations span international institutions, with a focus on bridging fundamental materials science with industrial applications in energy and aerospace sectors. His research emphasizes translating laboratory findings into practical solutions for advanced manufacturing and nuclear reactor materials.

Essi SarlinView profile

Professor

• Sustainable Plastics Development
• Polymer and Composite Materials
• Microplastics Research
• +5 more

Essi Sarlin is a Professor of Materials Science at Tampere University, appointed in July 2024 within the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences. She leads the Plastics and Elastomer Technology research group, focusing on polymer-based materials including plastics, rubbers, and their composites. With an 18-year career at Tampere University's Hervanta campus, she has progressed from Researcher to her current professorship, delivering her inaugural lecture on May 15, 2025. Her educational journey includes a Doctor of Science in Technology (Materials Engineering) from Tampere University of Technology in 2014, a Master of Science in Technology in 2008, and basic studies in university pedagogy from 2012-2014. She began her academic path as a Researcher, Research Assistant, and Teaching Assistant at Tampere University of Technology from 2006-2009. Professor Sarlin's research centers on sustainable development of polymer products, with particular emphasis on addressing plastics' sustainability challenges. Her work investigates the properties of polymer-based materials, recycling technologies for composites, microplastics in environmental systems, and the relationship between microscopic and macroscopic material properties. She employs advanced techniques including micro-/precision-robotic test concepts to study mechanical properties at micro scales. A strong advocate for industry collaboration, she believes engineering research achieves societal impact through partnerships with companies. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on sustainable materials development, particularly in polymer recycling, microplastics research, and advanced characterization techniques. Her work spans fundamental polymer science, environmental impact assessment, and practical applications for industry. Key trends include innovative recycling methods for composite materials, sophisticated analytical approaches for microplastics detection, and the development of sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. Professor Sarlin actively supervises doctoral students and postdocs, with more than 50% of her working hours dedicated to research collaboration and supervision, and approximately 25% to teaching. She finds particular joy in working with young researchers, describing it as 'invigorating' and emphasizing how being surrounded by 'smart young people' fuels her research passion. Her leadership extends to major EU-funded projects like RECREATE (Recycling Technologies for Circular Reuse and Remanufacturing of Fibre-reinforced Composite Materials), where her team investigates optimal methods to valorize recycled fiber-reinforced composites. Her research group maintains strong collaborative networks both within academia and with industry partners. Beyond her academic work, Sarlin balances the demands of her professorship with salsa dancing, which she describes as 'extremely relaxing, joyous and uplifting,' providing essential counterbalance to her leadership responsibilities.

David MurakiView profile

Professor

• Applied Mathematics
• Geophysical Fluid Dynamics
• Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)
• +5 more

David Muraki is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University (SFU), affiliated with the Faculty of Science. His research focuses on applied mathematics, particularly geophysical fluid dynamics, nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs), and atmospheric/oceanic flows. He investigates phenomena like weather dynamics, gravity waves, and topographic effects, often collaborating with institutions like the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Washington. Muraki holds a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University (1990). His research emphasizes idealized models to explain physical systems, using asymptotic methods and numerical simulations. Key areas include pressure-cell asymmetry in weather systems, atmospheric turbulence, and tropopause dynamics. He teaches courses like Asymptotic Analysis and Fluid Dynamics, and has advised numerous graduate students in applied mathematics and fluid dynamics. Recent work includes studies on holepunch cloud expansion via gravity waves and geometric solutions to historical algebraic problems. His findings bridge theoretical mathematics with real-world applications in meteorology and oceanography.