Professor David Oliver is an Honorary Professor at the University of Kent’s Tizard Centre, within the School of Social Sciences. He specializes in palliative care for individuals with neurological disorders, particularly motor neurone disease (MND), and intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). His roles include teaching on end-of-life care courses and supervising PhD students such as Winnie Tsang, Simone Veronese, and Carol Gouveia e Melo. With over 25 years of involvement at the University, Oliver previously held roles as Honorary Senior Lecturer and Honorary Reader. His research focuses on quality of life assessment for IDD individuals with dementia, palliative care in neurodegenerative diseases, and improving care for marginalized populations. Internationally, he chairs the European Association for Palliative Care task force on neurological palliative care and collaborates with institutions in Croatia, Nigeria, and beyond. Key achievements include co-authoring NICE guidelines on MND, editing major palliative care textbooks, and receiving awards like the Humanitarian Prize from the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. His work spans clinical practice (retired from full-time hospice work), academic leadership, and global advocacy for equitable end-of-life care.
Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsHungary
Dr. Tamás Koltai is a Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences of Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). He leads the doctoral school's Specialization Group in Production Management. His roles include overseeing academic programs and research in production management, operations research, and efficiency analysis. Education: Doctor of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2016) Dr. habil. (2000), Budapest University of Technology and Economics Candidate of Technical Sciences (1987), Hungarian Academy of Sciences M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (1983), BME Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Research Interests: Dr. Koltai focuses on production management optimization, including the application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), sensitivity analysis in mathematical models, and the integration of robotics in assembly lines. His work bridges theoretical models (e.g., MILP/CP optimization) with practical industrial challenges, particularly in healthcare efficiency and educational management. Notable Awards: IEOM Society Teaching Excellence Award (2021) BME GTK Faculty Memorial Medal (2016) János Susánszki Award (2013) Széchenyi Professorship Scholarship (1999–) Teaching & Leadership: He has held visiting roles at the University of Seville (1990–1992) and the University of Michigan (1988/89). His teaching excellence is recognized through awards and his contributions to business simulation education. His research often collaborates with industry partners to address real-world operational challenges. Labs/Teams: Leads the Production Management Specialization Group and contributes to interdisciplinary teams focusing on manufacturing efficiency and healthcare operations within BME.
Andreas Grothey is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics at The University of Edinburgh, a position he has held since 2011. He completed his MSc in Numerical Algebra and Mathematical Computing at the University of Dundee (1995) and his PhD in Optimization at the University of Edinburgh (2001), supervised by Ken McKinnon. His research focuses on stochastic programming, interior point methods, decomposition approaches, high-performance computing, and energy systems optimization. He has contributed to energy planning, power grid reliability, and emergency response strategies for power networks. Grothey has advised seven PhD students, including work on unit commitment, top-percentile traffic routing, and power flow optimization. His projects include the OOPS solver, CESI energy integration center, and the Structured Modelling Language (SML). Recent work addresses pandemic policy optimization and exascale computational challenges. Education: MSc in Numerical Algebra and Mathematical Computing (University of Dundee, 1995) PhD in Optimization (University of Edinburgh, 2001) Research Interests: Stochastic Programming Interior Point Methods Decomposition Methods High-Performance Computing Energy Systems Optimization Advising & Projects: PhD Supervision (7 students, 2007–2022) OOPS Parallel Solver Development CESI Energy Systems Integration SML Structured Modelling Language Labs/Teams: Member of the Edinburgh Research Group on Optimization, leading projects in power grid stability and energy planning.
Professor Denis Doorly is a Professor of Fluid Mechanics in the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London's Faculty of Engineering. His research focuses on biomedical fluid mechanics, particularly respiratory and cardiovascular systems, with expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and aerosol transport. He has published extensively on nasal airflow modeling, cardiovascular MRI simulations, and aerosol dynamics in medical contexts. Key contributions include CFD cohort studies on nasal decongestion effects, benchmarking models for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and ventilator strategies during the pandemic. Research interests span biological fluid mechanics, biomedical flows, and medical device design. His work integrates computational modeling with clinical applications, addressing issues like tracheal compression, myocardial perfusion, and aerosol extraction during surgeries. Collaborations include studies on isolated heart models and particle deposition in respiratory systems. Affiliations include the Biological Fluid Mechanics and Biomedical Flows groups at Imperial. His publications (139+ articles) highlight interdisciplinary applications of fluid mechanics to healthcare challenges.
Barbara Linke is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California Davis, affiliated with the College of Engineering. She leads the Laboratory for Manufacturing and Sustainable Technologies Research (MASTeR) and serves as Principal Investigator at the Advanced Highway Maintenance and Construction Technology (AHMCT) Research Center. Her research focuses on sustainable manufacturing processes, abrasive machining, and smart manufacturing technologies, with applications in aerospace, biomedical, and automotive sectors. Dr. Linke holds a Dr.-Ing. habil. and has been recognized with the UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow (2021-2022) and the Outstanding Junior Faculty Award from the College of Engineering. She advises the UC Davis Student Chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) and the Women Machinists’ Club. She collaborates with the Fire Research Group at UC Berkeley and the Wildfires Research Working Group at UC Davis, integrating sustainability into wildfire-related infrastructure projects. Her research interests include energy-efficient manufacturing systems, lifecycle assessments, and the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies. Notable contributions include developing frameworks for sustainable additive and subtractive manufacturing, analyzing residual stresses in aluminum alloys, and advancing mobile 3D printing for disaster response. Her work bridges engineering education with cutting-edge research, emphasizing hands-on projects like the Shigley Hauler design competition. Dr. Linke’s labs and affiliations include the Materials Decarbonization and Sustainability Center and the UC Davis AI Center in Engineering, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary innovation. She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles, with recent focus on smart manufacturing systems, renewable energy integration in machining, and sustainable biomedical implant production.
Chris Freeman is a Professor of Robotics and Control at the University of Southampton's Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) school. His research focuses on iterative learning control theory, biomedical engineering, and robotics with applications in industrial automation and healthcare. As Deputy Head of School (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) and Chair of the ECS Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (BIDE) Committee, he drives initiatives promoting inclusive academic environments. Freeman leads multidisciplinary research projects such as "Towards intelligent, pervasive, high performance control system architectures" "Elder Athletes: building incidental interaction at home" "Low-cost personalised instrumented clothing with integrated FES electrodes" . His work combines robotics, functional electrical stimulation (FES), and wearable technologies to develop rehabilitation systems for stroke patients and industrial automation solutions. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in iterative learning control (ILC), model predictive control, and biomedical applications. Research groups include: Digital Health and Biomedical Engineering Institute for Life Sciences Centre for Health Technologies Centre for Robotics
State University of New York at BuffaloUnited States
Francine Battaglia is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University at Buffalo, part of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She directs the Advanced Simulations for Computing ENergy Transport (ASCENT) Laboratory. Her research focuses on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications in building energy systems, renewable energy, turbulent multiphase flows, and combustion. She holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University (1997), and MS/BS degrees from SUNY Buffalo (1992, 1991). Research interests include CFD modeling for HVAC optimization, natural ventilation design, pathogen dispersion mitigation, and biomimetic aerodynamics inspired by insect flight. Her work bridges engineering, biology, and environmental science, addressing challenges in energy efficiency, public health, and sustainable architecture. Key contributions include developing predictive models for hydroplaning safety, solar chimney systems, and microbial fuel cells. She has received accolades such as the ASME Fellow distinction (2009), MAC Academic Leadership Fellowship (2019-2020), and Virginia Tech’s Teaching Excellence Award (2016). Her articles span CFD advancements in fluidization, combustion, and ventilation strategies, emphasizing practical applications in energy systems and public health. The ASCENT Lab collaborates on adaptive HVAC technologies and eco-friendly building designs, reflecting her dedication to interdisciplinary innovation. Awards: MAC Leadership Fellow, ASTFE Fellow, ASME Dedicated Service Award Education: PhD (Penn State), MS/BS (SUNY Buffalo) Labs: ASCENT Lab (focusing on CFD and energy transport)
Professor Chee Yew Wong is a leading academic in supply chain management at Leeds University Business School (LUBS), where he holds the position of Professor and serves as Director for Research & Innovation in the Analytics, Technology and Operations department. He previously held a Chair in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Hull University Business School and has served as a visiting professor in Thailand and China. His work bridges academia and industry, with over nine years of professional experience in operations and supply chain roles across multinational corporations and SMEs. His educational background includes a PhD in Supply Chain Management from Aalborg University, Denmark; an MSc in Manufacturing Management from Linköping University, Sweden; a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Technology, Malaysia; and a PG Certificate in Higher Education from Hull University, UK. Professor Wong's research centers on intelligent, responsible, and sustainable solutions for global supply chains. Key interests include digital supply chains, supply chain analytics, green logistics, human rights in supply chains, resilience, and circular economy models. He leverages technologies such as blockchain, machine learning, and IoT to enhance transparency, integration, and performance in complex supply networks. The analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward digital transformation, sustainability, and ethical governance in supply chains. His work increasingly emphasizes data-driven decision-making, environmental and social risk assessment, and the role of technology in enabling responsible global sourcing. Many projects focus on real-world applications in industries such as healthcare, fashion, retail, and manufacturing, often through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with industry leaders. Best Reviewer Award, Operations and Supply Chain Management Division, Academy of Management Conference, Chicago, USA (2018) Prof. Xiande Zhao's Best Paper Award, International Conference on Operations and Supply Chain Management, Kaifeng, China (2017) Finalist for the Jack Meredith Best Paper Award, Academy of Management Conference, Anaheim, USA (2016) Emerald Best Paper Award, Supply Chain Management: an International Journal (2006) Professor Wong has successfully supervised 10 PhD students and 4 post-doctoral researchers, and has examined over 15 PhD dissertations internationally. He leads multiple research grants, including projects funded by Innovate UK, UKRI, ESRC, and the British Council, focusing on digital transformation, human rights, and green supply chain innovation. His collaborations span academia, government, and industry, demonstrating a strong commitment to impactful, applied research. He is actively involved in the Centre for Operations and Supply Chain Research, the Adaptation Information Management and Technology group, and the Centre for Decision Research at LUBS. These research groups support interdisciplinary work in analytics, digital technologies, and sustainable operations, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange across sectors.
Anomadarshi Barua is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering at George Mason University, leading the System Design and Security research group. His work spans hardware-software co-design for securing cyber-physical systems (CPS), robotics, and sensors. Prior Affiliation: PhD from University of California, Irvine (2023) Industry Experience: Intel Corporation, Solidigm, Nordic Semiconductor, IDEAS Research Themes: Focuses on multimodal system security (audio, visual, electromagnetic data), analog-digital signal integrity, and quantum-inspired defenses in CPS. Key applications include healthcare systems, smart grids, and industrial control systems (ICS). Recent ACSAC 2024 paper acceptance Best Paper Award at ACSAC 2022 NSF panel reviewer (2024) Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates with University of Louisville on robotics and works on Commonwealth-funded UG research (2024). Publications in ACM CCS, USENIX, CHES, and IEEE Transactions (TDSC, TIFS).
Andrea Burattin is an Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark. His work bridges formal methods and practical process analysis, focusing on process mining, business process management, and hybrid modeling techniques. He actively contributes to research in healthcare process optimization, streaming data analysis, and system verification through Petri nets and CCS transformations. UN Sustainable Development Goals: Poverty eradication, environmental protection, and prosperity for all (via process optimization) Active projects: Immersive Process Mining (2024-2027), Usability and Understandability of Hybrid Process Models (2018-2021) His research explores large language model integration with process mining, proposing frameworks like Tiramisù for multi-faceted process visualization and PN2CCS for formal model translation. Recent work emphasizes real-time monitoring, conformance checking, and IoT-driven process analytics. Key trends in his publications include: 1) Streaming process mining pipelines (2022-2025); 2) LLM-plan generation frameworks (2024); 3) Formal verification techniques (Petri nets, CCS); 4) Healthcare process modeling (2019-2023); 5) Behavioral pattern analysis in process compliance. Scientific Awards Best Demo Award (2022, 2016) Best Process Mining Dissertation Award (2014) Best Workshop Paper (EDBA and PODS4H, 2023) As advisor, he supervises PhD projects on process mining and hybrid modeling. His editorial roles include Information Systems reviewer (2024-2025) and past editor for Engineering Applications of AI (2022-2023). Collaborations span Denmark, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Aurélie Labbe is a Full Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at HEC Montréal, holding the prestigious FRQ-IVADO Chair in Data Science. Appointed as Co-Scientific Director – Academic Partnerships at IVADO in October 2023, she plays a key leadership role in establishing connections between IVADO and partner universities. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Statistics from the University of Waterloo, a Master's degree in Statistics from the University of Montreal, and dual Bachelor's degrees in Applied Mathematics and Social Sciences from Paris-Dauphine University and Pure Mathematics from Versailles-St Quentin University. Her research spans multiple interdisciplinary domains with a focus on developing advanced statistical and machine learning methodologies for big data analysis. Labbe's work bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications across diverse fields including genomics, neuroscience, transportation systems, and health informatics. She has made significant contributions to kernel methods, matrix factorization techniques, random forest applications, and spatiotemporal data analysis, with publications appearing in top journals across multiple disciplines. Analyzing her recent publications reveals a clear trend toward methodological innovation applied to complex real-world problems. Her work demonstrates expertise in handling high-dimensional data from diverse sources including neuroimaging, transportation networks, and genomic studies. The interdisciplinary nature of her research connects statistical theory with applications in healthcare, transportation safety, and biological sciences, reflecting her ability to develop methods that address domain-specific challenges while advancing statistical methodology. Holder of the FRQ-IVADO Chair in Data Science Member of the Center for Mathematical Research Training Professor Labbe actively mentors the next generation of data scientists, supervising numerous doctoral and master's students. Her supervision portfolio includes 1 doctoral thesis (2023), 4 master's theses (2022-2024), and 32 supervised projects spanning 2019-2025. Her students' work covers diverse applications including transportation safety, healthcare analytics, financial modeling, and environmental analysis. Through her leadership of the FRQ-IVADO Chair in Data Science, she coordinates research activities that integrate mathematical, statistical, and computer science expertise with domain knowledge from various data-generating fields. As Co-Scientific Director at IVADO, Professor Labbe leads efforts to establish connections with faculties and departments across five partner universities, integrating them into IVADO's research and knowledge transfer activities. Her leadership role positions her at the forefront of advancing data science research and applications in Quebec's academic ecosystem.
Professor Ioannis Katakis is a Faculty Member at the University of Nicosia, where he is affiliated with the School of Sciences and Engineering and the Department of Computer Science. He has held various academic positions across multiple institutions including Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Cyprus, Cyprus University of Technology, Open University of Cyprus, Hellenic Open University, Athens University of Economics and Business, and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His educational background includes a PhD in Machine Learning for Automated Text Classification (2005-2009), a Master's in Information Systems (2005-2007), and a Bachelor's in Computer Science (2000-2004), all from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Professor Katakis specializes in several cutting-edge areas of computer science and data analysis. His primary research interests include Mining Social, Web and Urban Data , Sentiment Analysis and Opinion Mining , Data Streams , and Multi-label Learning . His work bridges theoretical machine learning approaches with practical applications in social media analysis, healthcare informatics, privacy protection, and smart city technologies. He has published extensively in top venues including CIKM, ECML/PKDD, IEEE TKDE, and ECAI. His recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward applying machine learning techniques to real-world problems with societal impact. He has focused on areas such as GDPR compliance in smart devices, sentiment analysis in crowd-sourced content, healthcare applications including drug reaction classification and brain disease monitoring, and privacy protection in wearable technologies. His work often involves multi-modal data analysis and addresses challenges in data streams and multi-label classification. Professor Katakis has made significant contributions to his field, with his research cited over 4,200 times. He serves as an Editor for the journal Information Systems and has edited four special issues in journals such as DAMI and InfSys. He regularly contributes to the academic community by serving on program committees for major conferences including ECML/PKDD, WSDM, DEBS, and IJCAI, and by reviewing for prestigious journals like TPAMI, DMKD, TKDE, TKDD, JMLR, TWEB, and ML. He has been actively involved in European research projects, notably serving as Quality Assurance Coordinator and Senior Researcher for projects such as VAVEL (www.vavel-project.eu) and INSIGHT (www.insight-ict.eu). His grant activities demonstrate a strong focus on collaborative, interdisciplinary research with practical applications in urban data management, social media analysis, and healthcare informatics. He has organized three workshops at major conferences (ICML, ECML/PKDD, EDBT/ICDT) and has extensive experience translating research into practical applications through his involvement in European projects.
Sara Erlandsson is a Senior Lecturer at Stockholm University's Department of Social Work , focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of disability, aging, and social policy. She leads projects analyzing care systems through a critical lens, examining how organizational structures and marketization affect service quality. Senior Lecturer in Social Work Department of Social Work, Stockholm University Her research explores age-based discrimination in support systems, highlighting contradictions between universalist welfare principles and age-determined access to care. Current projects include User participation and innovation to increase person-centering in social services and Social inequalities in aging (SIA) , while completed work includes studies on occupational threats in social interventions. Recent publications analyze care discourses (2013-2016), revealing lower ambitions in eldercare compared to disability services. She employs governmentality theory to deconstruct how users and providers are constituted in welfare narratives. The Care Research Group, where she contributes, studies how policy frameworks shape long-term care delivery and citizen experiences. Her work critiques neoliberal trends in Nordic welfare systems through empirical analysis of policy documents and service marketization processes.
Joseph Johnson is an Associate Professor in the Marketing department at the Miami Herbert Business School, University of Miami. His research spans multiple domains of marketing with a particular focus on the intersection of artificial intelligence and marketing strategy, demonstrating significant scholarly productivity with publications from 2017 through 2023. Professor Johnson's research interests include: Marketing Strategy and Business Turnaround Artificial Intelligence Applications in Marketing Healthcare Service Quality and Patient Satisfaction International Business Expansion Strategies Mutual Fund Advertising and Consumer Perception Organizational Process Optimization Social Media and Multimedia Content Analysis His publication record reveals a consistent trajectory toward integrating advanced analytical methods with traditional marketing challenges. Johnson has published extensively on applying predictive analytics to email marketing effectiveness, healthcare service quality improvement, and organizational process efficiency. His work bridges theoretical marketing concepts with practical business applications across diverse industries including finance, healthcare, and international business, with several publications appearing in top-tier journals such as Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and Marketing Science. Johnson's research has garnered attention across academic and professional platforms, with his publications being referenced in patents and discussed on social media and news outlets. His collaborative approach is evident through co-authorship with researchers from healthcare, computer science, and neuroscience fields.
Dr. Eunice Eunhee Jang is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto. Her research focuses on synergistic learner modeling, dynamic assessment systems, and the intersection of language testing with educational measurement. PhD with specializations in language testing, educational measurement, and program evaluation Develops interactive digital assessment interfaces for struggling readers Author of "Focus on Assessment" (2014) and co-author of OECD Reviews on Evaluation and Assessment in Education Research Interests Dr. Jang's work explores prismatic assessment analytics to understand learner potential and predict learning pathways. She integrates natural language processing and machine learning to create diagnostic feedback systems that support cognitive, metacognitive, and affective growth in technology-rich classrooms. Scientific Awards Jacqueline Ross TOEFL Dissertation Award Caroline Clapham IELTS Master’s Award Tatsuoka Measurement Award Professional Contributions She has served on major advisory boards including EQAO provincial assessments and TOEFL Committees of Examiners. Currently, she is an elected board member for the International Language Testing Association and contributes to the Broader Measures of Success Advisory Committee for People for Education.
