Osbert Bastani is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania, leading the trustml@Penn research group. He is affiliated with the ASSET , PRECISE , and PRiML centers, and the PLClub research group. His research focuses on Trustworthy Neurosymbolic Systems , Synthesizing Neurosymbolic Programs , and Machine Learning for Programmer Productivity , with applications in verification, fairness, and human-AI collaboration. He received the NSF CAREER Award in 2023. His recent publications (2024-2025) emphasize AI Safety , LLM Robustness , and Algorithmic Fairness , including work on adversarial robustness, conformal prediction, and program synthesis. Students he has advised include Sagnik Anupam, Stephen Mell, Jason Ma, Shuo Li, and others. Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2023)
Florentina Bunea is a Professor in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at Cornell University’s Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, and an active member of the Graduate Fields of Statistics, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science. She also serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Council of her college, championing workforce diversity in data-science disciplines. Education & Institutional Roles Professor, Department of Statistics and Data Science, Cornell University Member, Graduate Fields of Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science Member, Diversity and Inclusion Council, Bowers College of Computing and Information Science Research Interests Professor Bunea’s research lies at the intersection of statistical machine-learning theory and high-dimensional inference. She develops rigorous methodology supported by sharp theoretical guarantees to tackle core problems in modern data science. Recent themes include: Soft-max mixtures for understanding large-language-model/AI algorithms Optimal transport for high-dimensional mixture distributions Wasserstein-distance inference for sparse mixing measures in topic models Latent-space clustering and cluster-based inference in high dimensions Network modeling and hidden-structure inference Applications spanning genetics, systems immunology, neuroscience, sociology, and economics Research Funding & Awards Her work is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF-DMS). She is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and a recipient of the IMS Medallion Award. Editorial & Service Contributions Associate Editor: Annals of Statistics, Bernoulli, JASA, JRSS-B, EJS, Annals of Applied Statistics Co-Editor: Chapman & Hall/CRC Statistics and Applied Probability Monograph Series Advising & Collaboration Professor Bunea has mentored numerous doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, including Xin Bing, Shuyu Liu, Seth Strimas-Mackey, and Yang Ning, among others. Collaborative projects extend across Cornell and external institutions, producing widely-used software packages and high-impact publications. Contact Office: 1184 Comstock Hall, Cornell University Email: fb238@cornell.edu Phone: (607) 255-8449
Alexis Battle is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University with appointments in Biomedical Engineering , Computer Science , and Genetic Medicine (secondary). She directs the Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare and serves as Deputy Director of the Data Science and AI Institute . Educated at Stanford University (PhD in Computer Science, 2013), Battle transitioned to academia after leadership roles at Google. Research Focus: Battle’s work bridges genomics and machine learning , emphasizing the impact of genetic variation on human health. Her lab develops tools like Watershed to predict functional effects of rare variants, aiming to enhance rare disease diagnosis. Key themes include non-coding DNA analysis , personalized genomics , and systems biology , with applications in cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders . Publications & Awards: Over 60 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Nature , Science , and Genome Biology , with recent emphasis on single-cell transcriptomics , multiomics integration , and telomere biology . Recipient of the President’s Frontier Award (2022), Microsoft Investigator Fellowship (2019), and Searle Scholar (2016). Scientific Awards: 2022 President’s Frontier Award 2019 Microsoft Investigator Fellowship 2019 Johns Hopkins Discovery Award 2017 Johns Hopkins Catalyst Award 2016 Searle Scholar Advising & Funding: Mentors 11 PhD students, 3 undergraduates, and postdoctoral fellows. Her research is funded by NIH, Searle Scholars, and institutional grants. The Battle Lab collaborates on projects like the GTEx Consortium , focusing on gene regulation and clinical genomics .
Martin T. Wells is the Charles A. Alexander Professor of Statistical Sciences at Cornell University, with joint appointments in the Department of Statistical Science, Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Department of Social Statistics, and as Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Research at Weill Medical School. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ASA-SIAM Book Series and Co-Editor of the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Weill Cornell Medical College Research Interests span applied and theoretical statistics, Bayesian methods, biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, and computational biology. His work bridges disciplines like finance, legal studies, and health services research. Article Trends highlight advancements in Bayesian modeling, quantum cognition machine learning, tensor analysis, and misclassification correction, with applications in genomics, finance, and public health. Fellow of the American Statistical Association Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society Contributions include developing statistical software (e.g., rTensor), methodological innovations in clinical trials, and empirical legal studies on civil rights and the death penalty.
James B. Kaper is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He serves as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and previously held leadership roles as Senior Associate Dean (2014–2019) and Chair (2007–present). His research focuses on the molecular pathogenesis of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae , including vaccine development and bacterial-host interactions. Education: BS (1973) and PhD (1979) in Microbiology from University of Maryland; Postdoc in Molecular Pathogenesis at University of Washington (1979–1981) Dr. Kaper’s work has led to the creation of live attenuated cholera vaccines, including CVD 103-HgR, the first licensed recombinant bacterial vaccine. His lab investigates bacterial genetics, intestinal colonization, and immune system activation, particularly TLR5 response to V. cholerae flagellin. He has authored 303 peer-reviewed articles and 68 book chapters. His research has been funded continuously by NIAID since 1982. Key publications include foundational work on V. cholerae vaccines (1984), genomic structure (1998), and quorum sensing in EHEC/EPEC (1999). His lab’s recent studies focus on phosphotyrosine proteomics (2013) and pathogenicity island regulation (2007). Scientific awards: Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (1994); NIH Merit Award (2004); ASM DC White Award (2019) Editorial roles: Editor-in-Chief, EcoSal (2006–present); Associate Editor, International Journal of Medical Microbiology (2000–present) As an academic leader, Dr. Kaper has mentored over 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He holds multiple patents for cholera vaccines and E. coli diagnostics, including U.S. Patents 4,935,364; 5,399,494; and 6,204,004. His lab at UMSOM combines basic science with translational applications for enteric disease prevention.
Frank Corsetti is a Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC), leading the Corsetti Lab. His research focuses on the co-evolution of Earth and its biosphere, particularly during extreme events like the 'Snowball Earth' glaciation and mass extinctions. He holds a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from UC Santa Barbara (1998) and a B.S. in Geology from UC Davis (1989). Research Interests: Corsetti studies geobiological processes such as stromatolite formation, microbial carbonate systems, and the environmental impacts of mass extinctions. His lab investigates biosignatures, diagenetic processes, and astrobiological applications. Current projects include the end-Triassic mass extinction and microbial interactions in extreme environments. Advising & Grants: He mentors a team of PhD students (including Reena Joubert, Alison Cribb, and others) and has secured funding from NASA for projects like stromatolite carbonate formation studies. His work bridges paleontology, geochemistry, and microbiology, contributing to understanding Earth’s long-term climate and life history. Labs/Teams: The Corsetti Lab at USC explores stromatolites, microbial mats, and ancient Earth systems. Collaborations involve institutions like JPL and international universities.
New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)United States
Steven I-Jy Chien serves as Professor and Director of the Transportation Program within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). His career spans academia, government, and industry with significant contributions to transportation engineering research and practice. His educational credentials include: Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Maryland-College Park (1995) M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Maryland-College Park (1991) B.S. in Civil Engineering from Tamkang University (1983) Professor Chien's research focuses on transportation system resilience, sustainable transit operations, and advanced traffic modeling. His work addresses critical challenges in urban rail networks, demand-responsive transit services, and energy-efficient transportation systems. He employs sophisticated computational methods including genetic algorithms, machine learning, and Bayesian approaches to solve complex transportation problems involving network vulnerability, passenger behavior, and infrastructure optimization under uncertainty. Analysis of his recent publications reveals strong emphasis on transportation resilience against cascading failures, sustainable operations for electric transit systems, and pandemic-responsive aviation scheduling. His research spans diverse geographic contexts including major Chinese metropolitan areas and U.S. transportation networks, demonstrating global applicability of his methodologies. His professional recognition includes: 2024 Keynote Speaker at Union-Tech Lecture, National Taiwan Ocean University 2022 Keynote Speaker at International Conference of Chinese Institute of Transportation 2022 Best Poster Award from New Jersey Department of Transportation Professor Chien has secured research funding from federal agencies including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) where he contributed to CORSIM traffic simulation software development. His industry experience with China Engineering Consultants Inc. and Information Dynamic Inc. informs his practical approach to transportation challenges. As Transportation Program Director, he oversees curriculum development and industry partnerships that prepare students for transportation sector careers. He maintains active collaboration with transportation agencies globally, particularly through his leadership in the Transportation Program at NJIT which serves as a hub for innovation in urban mobility solutions.
Ning Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at James Madison University (JMU), joining in 2024. Her research focuses on enhancing crop resilience through molecular and biochemical studies of plant defense mechanisms against bacterial pathogens, alongside developing genome editing technologies for trait improvement. She holds a PhD in Horticulture and Crop Science from The Ohio State University (2016), an MS in Silviculture from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University (2011), and a BS in Landscape Architecture from Shandong Agricultural University (2008). Research Interests: Dr. Zhang's lab investigates plant immunity pathways, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing applications, and engineering crops for disease resistance. Her work integrates molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry to tackle challenges posed by climate change and biotic/abiotic stresses. Recent Trends in Publications: Her articles concentrate on MAPK signaling pathways, NLR protein interactions, PP2C phosphatase regulation, and bacterial effector mechanisms in tomato and other crops. Key themes include immune system activation, pathogen recognition diversity, and transgenic plant development. Lab Information: The Zhang Lab at JMU is part of the Department of Biology, focusing on plant biotechnology solutions for agricultural sustainability. They collaborate on projects involving CRISPR-based gene editing and stress tolerance research.
Salikoko S. Mufwene is the Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago. He holds additional appointments on the Committees on Evolutionary Biology, Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science, and African Studies. His research integrates ecological perspectives into evolutionary linguistics, focusing on language contact, creole genesis, language endangerment, and the impact of colonization and globalization on linguistic diversity. Education: PhD in Linguistics, University of Chicago (1979) Key Themes: Language evolution, creole languages, population structure, decolonial linguistics, language policy Mufwene’s work emphasizes the role of population dynamics in language change, drawing parallels with biological evolution. His recent articles examine topics such as the cultural-artifact nature of language, the ecological drivers of creole hybridization, and the decolonization of linguistic paradigms. He has also contributed extensively to debates on language endangerment and multilingualism in super-diverse societies. Scientific Awards: Fellow, Linguistic Society of America (2018) Fellow, American Philosophical Society (2022) Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2023) Collège de France lectures (2003, 2023-24) Summer Institute of the Linguistic Society of America (1999, 2005, 2015, 2017)
Jennifer S. Thaler is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis (1999) and a B.A. from Wellesley College (1993). Her research focuses on tri-trophic interactions between plants, herbivores, and predators, with an emphasis on chemical ecology, plant defense mechanisms, and pest control strategies. She teaches courses such as Chemical Ecology and Insect Ecology, and her work bridges fundamental ecological theory with applied agricultural challenges. Dr. Thaler’s research investigates how plant traits, predator presence, and nutritional states influence herbivore behavior and population dynamics. Notable projects include studying non-consumptive predator effects, plant genotypic diversity’s impact on herbivores, and the evolutionary potential of antipredator plasticity. Her publications span journals like Ecology , Oecologia , and Proceedings of the Royal Society B . Her scientific contributions include winning the 2nd place Elton Prize (2015) for research on predator effects on aphids. She actively engages in departmental initiatives, including the Graduate Program and the Plant-Insect Interactions Seminar. Affiliated with the Cornell Stable Isotope Laboratory, she contributes to interdisciplinary efforts in ecological research and education.
Christopher Kanan is a tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester, leading the AI Initiative within the Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences. He holds secondary appointments in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, the Goergen Institute for Data Science and AI (GIDS-AI), and the Center for Visual Science. His research focuses on deep learning systems for artificial general intelligence (AGI), including continual learning, medical computer vision, and visual question answering. Previously, he was an Associate Professor at RIT’s Carlson Center for Imaging Science and a leader at Paige.AI, contributing to the FDA-cleared Paige Prostate system. Kanan earned his PhD from UC San Diego, completed postdoctoral work at Caltech, and worked at NASA JPL. Education: PhD in Computer Science, UC San Diego MS in Computer Science, University of Southern California Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Computer Science, Oklahoma State University Research Interests: Kanan’s work spans foundational AI capabilities like continual learning, medical imaging (pathology and radiology), multi-modal reasoning, and cognitive science-inspired models. His lab develops bias-robust AI systems and applies deep learning to healthcare and fusion research. Articles Trends: His recent work emphasizes out-of-distribution generalization, foundation models in pathology, and stability in continual learning. Key themes include AI applications in healthcare, model robustness, and neuroscience-inspired algorithms. Awards: NSF CAREER Award Senior Member, AAAI and IEEE DoE and NSF grants totaling $5M+ DARPA/ARL awards Advising & Grants: Mentored over 10 PhD students, including Robik Shrestha and Usman Mahmood. Secured grants for AI in nuclear fusion and medical imaging. Led RIT’s Center for Human-aware AI (CHAI) as Associate Director. Labs & Teams: Heads the University of Rochester AI Initiative, collaborates with Paige.AI, and leads teams advancing AI in pathology and robotics. His lab’s KLab (klab.cis.rit.edu) focuses on vision and learning systems.
Dr. Kristen M George serves as an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. Her academic journey includes a BA in Political Science with minors in Public Health and Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis, followed by an MPH and PhD in Epidemiology with a minor in Biostatistics from the University of Minnesota (completed in 2015 and 2019 respectively). Dr. George's research program focuses on lifecourse vascular contributions to dementia and cognitive aging, with particular emphasis on race and sex disparities. She investigates how social determinants lead to inequities in cardiovascular risk factors and disease, which subsequently contribute to disparities in cognitive aging and dementia outcomes. Her work bridges epidemiology, neurology, and social determinants of health to address critical gaps in understanding dementia disparities. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on African American health, life course epidemiology, and structural determinants of cognitive aging. Her research frequently examines how historical and contemporary social factors impact neurological outcomes in diverse populations, with particular attention to cardiovascular pathways to dementia. Professional recognition includes: Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS) Scholar, UC Davis (2021) NIH Travel Award (2020) JB Hawley Student Research Award, University of Minnesota (2016) Dr. George is an active member of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment and the Methods in Longitudinal Dementia Research community, contributing to both national and international efforts to understand and address dementia disparities through rigorous epidemiological approaches.
Gareth Roberts is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he serves as Graduate Chair. He is also a faculty member of the Psychology Graduate Group, founder and director of the Cultural Evolution of Language Lab, and co-director of the Social and Cultural Evolution Working Group at Penn. Roberts earned his PhD in Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh in 2010, following an MSc in Evolution of Language and Cognition (2006) and a BA in German and Russian (2003) from the University of Nottingham. His academic journey includes postdoctoral positions at Yeshiva University and the University of Stirling before joining Penn as an Assistant Professor in 2014, where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022. His research focuses on the role of social and communicative pressures in shaping language emergence and evolution. Roberts investigates fundamental questions about linguistic variant spread, phonological system structuring, and how communication shapes linguistic structure. His work bridges linguistics, cognitive science, and cultural evolution through innovative experimental approaches using artificial languages and laboratory simulations. Analysis of Roberts' recent publications reveals a consistent focus on experimental semiotics, with particular attention to social biases in language evolution, phonological organization, indexicality emergence, and the dynamics of linguistic variation. His work often combines computational modeling with human experiments to isolate specific mechanisms driving language change. Linguistic Society of America Cognitive Science Society Philological Society Cultural Evolution Society Roberts has successfully secured substantial research funding including an NSF PAC Grant ($102,648), Penn URF Research Grants ($12,155), MindCORE initiative grant ($600,000), and multiple smaller grants totaling over $20,000. His lab currently includes researchers investigating diverse topics from case and gender marking emergence to AI agent effects on group dynamics, linguistic and genetic data in British history, and phonological space organization. The Cultural Evolution of Language Lab, which Roberts founded and directs, conducts cutting-edge research using experimental semiotics methodologies. Current projects examine how social factors influence language change, the emergence of linguistic structure through communication, and the interaction between iconicity and combinatoriality in communication systems.
David H. Sherman is the Hans W. Vahlteich Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Michigan, holding joint appointments in the College of Pharmacy (Department of Medicinal Chemistry), Medical School (Microbiology & Immunology), and College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (Chemistry). He leads the Sherman Lab at the Life Sciences Institute and co-founded the Natural Products Discovery Core. His research focuses on natural product discovery, biosynthetic pathways, and drug development for infectious diseases, cancer, and neurological disorders. Education: PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Columbia University (1981), BA in Chemistry from UC Santa Cruz (1978). Postdoctoral research at MIT (1984). Research interests include microbial secondary metabolites, enzymatic catalysis (e.g., C-H functionalization, polyketide assembly), and high-throughput drug screening. He pioneered a microbial natural product library with over 50,000 samples. Current projects emphasize developing macrolide antibiotics and advancing compounds toward clinical trials through the Natural Products Biosciences Initiative. Collaborations span global institutions, with a focus on biodiversity conservation and capacity-building in low-income nations. He has mentored 67 PhD students, 60 postdocs, and 85+ undergraduates, fostering interdisciplinary training in chemical biology and microbial biochemistry. Labs/Teams: Sherman Lab (Life Sciences Institute), Center Member at Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center, Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Rogel Cancer Center.
Andrew Spakowitz is a Professor of Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and by courtesy, Applied Physics and Chemistry at Stanford University. He currently serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs and holds the Tang Family Foundation Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. His academic career at Stanford spans from Assistant Professor (2006-2014) to Associate Professor (2014-2020) and now Professor since 2020. Dr. Spakowitz earned his PhD in 2004, MS in 2001 from the California Institute of Technology, and his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1999. He completed postdoctoral training in Molecular and Cell Biology and Biophysics at UC Berkeley from 2004-2006. His research focuses on theoretical and computational approaches to understanding biological processes and complex materials. The Spakowitz lab addresses fundamental chemical and physical phenomena through four main research themes: chromosomal organization and dynamics, protein self-assembly, polymer membranes, and charge transport in conducting polymers. His group employs diverse theoretical and computational methods including analytical theory of semiflexible polymers, polymer field theory, continuum elastic mechanics, Brownian dynamics simulation, equilibrium and dynamic Monte Carlo simulations, and reaction-diffusion modeling. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on epigenetics and chromatin dynamics, with significant work on DNA methylation patterns, nucleosome clustering, and chromosome organization. His research also extends to polymer physics applications in biological systems, particularly in respiratory diseases, water purification membranes, and bacterial phage interactions with human mucus. Tang Family Foundation Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering Professor Spakowitz mentors several graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science departments. His lab members work on diverse projects spanning from chromatin dynamics to polymer membranes for water purification. He teaches multiple courses including CHEMENG 120B (Energy and Mass Transport), CHEMENG 340 (Molecular Thermodynamics), CHEMENG 466 (Polymer Physics), and CHEMENG 467 (Physics of Biomacromolecules). The Spakowitz lab operates from Clark S295 at Stanford University, conducting theoretical and computational research that bridges chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering disciplines to address complex problems across multiple length and time scales.
