Robert J Zatorre is a cognitive neuroscientist at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) of McGill University . He earned his PhD in experimental psychology from Brown University in 1981 under Peter Eimas and completed postdoctoral research at MNI with Brenda Milner. His work focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying auditory perception, music cognition, and brain plasticity, utilizing techniques such as fMRI and non-invasive brain stimulation. Key Research Areas : Neural substrates of auditory processing, dopamine’s role in musical reward, congenital amusia, and sensory-motor learning. Recent publications highlight his expertise in decoding brain activity related to developmental disorders, auditory perception, and the neural basis of musical reward. He actively contributes to journals like Frontiers in Neuroscience and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences as an editor and reviewer. Editorial Roles : Chief Editor for Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience, Frontiers in Neuroscience Guest Associate Editor for Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience and Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Peng Zhou is an Assistant Professor at the School of Advanced Engineering, The Great Bay University , and the Principal Investigator of the Embodied Manipulation Intelligence (EMAIL) Robotics Lab . His research integrates robotics, machine learning, and computer vision, with a strong focus on deformable object manipulation, robot perception, and task-motion planning. Education: Ph.D. in Robotics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Supervised by Dr. David Navarro-Alarcon) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Hong Kong (Advised by Dr. Pan Jia) Exchange Ph.D. Student, KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Supervised by Prof. Danica Kragic) Research Interests: Dr. Zhou's work spans robotics , machine learning , and computer vision , with specialized expertise in deformable object manipulation , robot perception and learning , and task and motion planning . His lab, EMAIL, pioneers solutions for robotic manipulation of soft and deformable materials. Scientific Awards & Honors: 2024 : Track 3 Champion, Zhuhai International Dexterous Manipulation Challenge 2023 : IEEE R10 Outstanding Volunteer Award 2022 : Outstanding Young Researcher Award, National Engineering Research Center 2022 : Best AI Implementation Award, Hong Kong AI Open Competition 2022 : IEEE MGA Young Professional Achievement Award Editorial & Leadership Roles: Dr. Zhou serves as an Associate Editor for IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters and has organized key workshops like the IROS 2025 Workshop on Contact and Impact-aware Manipulation . He is also a Guest Editor for special issues in Electronics and Frontiers in Robotics and AI .
Serge O. Dumoulin is a Professor of Perception, Cognition, and Neuroscience at Utrecht University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He leads the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging group at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and serves as Director of the Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging , a collaborative facility involving KNAW, AMC, VUMC, and VU Amsterdam. Education: M.Sc. in Biology (Utrecht University), Ph.D. in Neurology and Neurosurgery (McGill University) Research focuses on the intersection of perception, cognition, and neuroimaging, particularly the human visual system. He employs ultra-high field (7T) fMRI, computational modeling, and behavioral studies to explore neural mechanisms of visual perception, attention, and numerical cognition. His work has applications in clinical disorders and methodological advancements like the pRF method, used globally in 100+ institutions. Publications span neuroscience, neuroimaging, and cognitive processes, with a 2023 Advances in MRI Technology paper emphasizing gray-matter optimized fMRI. His 2018 Neuroimage article discusses systematic pRF variations, while a 2021 PNAS study links divisive normalization to visual hierarchy. Awards: Ammodo KNAW Award (2015), NWO Vidi/Vici grants, Neuroimage Editors' Choice Award (2013) Teaching includes courses at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam on perception, neuroscience, and fMRI data analysis. He emphasizes coding (Matlab/Python) in student internships.
Johannes Schöning is a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at the University of St. Gallen and leads the Ubiquitous Media Technology Lab . His research focuses on developing user interfaces that empower individuals and communities through data-driven decision-making, with interdisciplinary applications in geographic information science, public health, medical contexts, and extreme environments like space missions. He emphasizes methodological rigor from AI, computer graphics, and cognitive psychology. Organizes AlpCHI 2026 Chair of ACM Eugene Lawler Award Committee Editorial Board, AI Perspectives (Springer Nature) Research Trends : His publications from 2025–2024 reveal a focus on Mixed Reality (autoethnography, weight perception), Accessibility (visual impairment support), Environmental HCI (CO2 eco-feedback), and Geospatial Technologies (navigation externalities, map analytics). Interdisciplinary work appears in journals like Nature and PLOS ONE . Scientific Recognition : ACM Distinguished Member Best Paper & Accessibility Awards (Interact 2019, MobileHCI 2015) Junior Fellow, Gesellschaft für Informatik (2013) Academic Service : Active in conference leadership (SIGCHI Switzerland Chair 2021–2023, ISS 2016 Program Chair) and reviewing for top venues including ACM CHI , Ubicomp , and IEEE VR . Regular reviewer for European science foundations and DFG/BMBF proposals.
Carlos Alós-Ferrer is a Chair Professor of Economics at Lancaster University Management School and Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Economic Psychology. He has held full professor positions at the Universities of Zurich, Cologne, and Konstanz, and associate professor roles at the Universities of Vienna and Salamanca. He has also been a frequent Visiting Professor at New York University-Abu Dhabi. Originally from Spain, he speaks German fluently and currently splits his time between Switzerland and the U.K. Dr. Alós-Ferrer is an interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of (micro)economics, psychology, and decision neuroscience. His research focuses on understanding and improving human economic decisions, ranging from decisions under risk to strategic decisions (game theory) and voting. He employs multiple methodological approaches including decision neuroscience ("neuroeconomics"), behavioral experiments, and mathematical modeling. His work has significant implications for understanding cognitive processes in economic decision-making, belief updating, and social preferences. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the cognitive foundations of economic behavior, with particular attention to response times, belief updating, preference formation, and social decision-making. The research spans theoretical contributions to decision theory and experimental investigations of real-world economic behaviors. His 2022 Nature Human Behavior paper "Generous with individuals and selfish to the masses" received extensive media coverage worldwide, highlighting the broad impact of his work beyond academic circles. Dr. Alós-Ferrer maintains an active scholarly presence through his "Decisions and the Brain" blog at Psychology Today and a personal blog at WordPress. He has published extensively across top journals including Management Science, Nature Human Behavior, Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Journal of Economic Literature. His 2016 book "The Theory of Extensive Form Games" (co-authored with Klaus Ritzberger) is part of the official Springer Series of the Game Theory Society.
Mikael Johansson is a Professor at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH), specializing in Control Technology . He teaches and coordinates courses such as Distributed Optimization (FEL3311) and various advanced-level degree projects in computer science, electrical engineering, and systems engineering. His research spans Control Systems , Machine Learning , and Optimization , with a focus on asynchronous algorithms, federated learning, and applications in energy systems and construction. His work includes 15 recent publications on topics like neural networks, distributed optimization, and battery technology. Notable areas of contribution are in asynchronous learning, federated learning with privacy constraints, and quasi-Newton methods for optimization. His research bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in urban design, healthcare, and autonomous systems.
Dr. Lucie Kruse is a researcher at the Department of Informatics, University of Hamburg, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Virtual Reality (VR). Her work focuses on immersive user interfaces for cognitive and physical training, particularly for older adults and those with dementia. She has been an active member of the University of Hamburg's HCI group since 2018 and served on the Ethics Commission since 2023. Her research interests include: Virtual Reality Exergames Serious Games Assistive Technologies Accessibility in VR Mental Health Applications Her publications from 2021-2025 demonstrate expertise in designing VR systems for healthcare, analyzing age-related interaction patterns, and developing inclusive interfaces. She has received multiple awards including the 2024 Honorable Mention for Best Poster at ACM SUI and the 2023 Honorable Mention at ACM CHI. Scientific Awards: Honorable Mention for Best Poster Award at ACM SUI (2024) Runner-Up Prize at Metaverse for the Good (2024) Honorable Mention at ACM CHI'23 Interactive Demo (2023) Honorable Mention at ACM VRST (2021) She has supervised multiple theses on topics like AI agents for mental health, accessibility of chatbots for seniors, and VR exergame design. Her work spans collaborations with institutions like HITLab NZ and Western Sydney University's MARCS Institute.
Huy T Tran is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's College of Engineering, with additional appointments at the Applied Research Institute. His research focuses on the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and multi-agent systems, with applications spanning autonomous navigation, critical infrastructure resilience, and intelligent transportation. Dr. Tran earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2015, following advanced degrees from Georgia Tech and University of Wisconsin-Madison. His academic journey includes research assistant professor positions before achieving his current assistant professor role in 2021. He previously worked as a Senior Multi-Disciplinary Systems Engineer at The MITRE Corporation and served as a Visiting Scholar at the Air Force Institute of Technology. His research interests encompass Autonomy, Reinforcement Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Multiagent Systems, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Critical Infrastructure Resilience. As director of the Lab for Intelligent Robots and Agents (LIRA), he leads cutting-edge research in autonomous systems that interact with humans and other robots. His work has evolved from foundational resilience modeling in aerospace systems toward increasingly sophisticated AI applications in multi-robot coordination and explainable decision-making. Dr. Tran's publication record demonstrates a clear trajectory toward explainable AI and human-AI collaboration, with recent work focusing on generating explanations for reinforcement learning policies, coordination in ad hoc teams, and neuro-symbolic approaches to robot policy interpretation. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in air traffic control, field robotics, and critical infrastructure management. Best Paper Award: Theoretical (2016 Complex Adaptive Systems Conference) Selected for oral presentation at IROS 2023 Workshop 27% full paper acceptance rate at AAMAS 2022 44% acceptance rate at ICRA 2020 As an educator, Dr. Tran teaches core aerospace courses including Computational Systems Engineering, Aerospace Numerical Methods, and Reinforcement Learning. He has secured significant research funding from NASA's Transformational Tools and Technologies program, ARL A2I2 program, ONR Science of AI program, and DARPA. His current projects span ad hoc teaming in multi-robot systems, collective autonomous air mobility, hierarchical reinforcement learning, and interpretable AI agents.
Regula Hänggli Fricker is a Full Professor at the Department of Communication and Media Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences and Management, University of Fribourg, Switzerland. She previously held positions at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR) and has been a visiting researcher at ETH Zurich (TdLab and COSS initiative), Northwestern University, and the University of Bergen. Her research focuses on Political communication Comparative perspectives on institutional reforms Digital democracy Public debate and opinion formation Media dialogue in political contexts Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals trends in participatory budgeting, digital governance, media framing of religious/political topics, and computational social science applications. These works span disciplines like political science, computer science, and media studies, with subfields including AI debates, voting system design, religious representation, and polarization dynamics. Her academic credentials include a PhD from the University of Zurich and a Master's in Political Science (major) and Economics (minor) from the University of Bern. Collaborations with Evangelos Pournaras, Dirk Helbing, and others highlight interdisciplinary projects in smart city ethics and democratic innovation.
Keunhyun (Keun) Park is an Assistant Professor of Urban Forestry at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Department of Forest Resources Management . He also holds an Adjunct Professor position at Utah State University in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. Education: BSc and MSc in Landscape Architecture from Seoul National University; PhD in Urban Planning and Design from the University of Utah Research Lab: Faculty lead of the Urban Nature Design Research Lab ( under_lab ) His research focuses on designing healthy, just, and resilient cities through urban nature , with particular emphasis on: Environmental justice and equitable access to urban green spaces Human behavior in public spaces using drone/sensor/VR technology Smart growth urban design impacts on public health and ecological systems Recent publications demonstrate expertise in GIS applications , pedestrian behavior analysis , and urban planning across 20+ studies from 2013-2025. Collaborations include the Vancouver Park Board , Metro Vancouver , and Wasatch Front Regional Council .
Professor Richard North (University College London, Department of English Language and Literature) is a leading expert in Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse studies. His career spans teaching and research in Old English, Middle English, and Old Icelandic literatures, with particular focus on Beowulf , medieval sensory perception , and pre-Christian Germanic religions . Affiliated with UCL since 1989, he was promoted to Reader in 1999 and Professor in 2007. Research interests include: Anglo-Saxon paganism and Christian syncretism Old Norse mythological analysis (Freyr, Loki, Baldr) Viking Age cultural exchange between England and Scandinavia Historical linguistics across Germanic languages Medieval manuscript studies His publications demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches combining literary analysis with archaeology, agronomy, and sensory studies. Recent works explore Cnut's political ideology , Old English poetic meter , and medieval animal symbolism .
Jean Laurens is a Group Leader at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute (ESI) for Neuroscience in Cooperation with Max Planck Society in Frankfurt, Germany, where he heads the Laurens Lab. His research focuses on understanding how we sense our own motion and orient ourselves in three-dimensional space through neural mechanisms. His research interests include: Three-dimensional navigation and the neural basis of the 'brain compass' through head-direction cells in the limbic system Sensory signals for spatial navigation and how the brain integrates self-motion signals with visual landmarks Self-motion sensation and how the brain merges multiple sensory signals from the inner ear, vision, and proprioception with motor commands Laurens employs a multidisciplinary approach combining mathematical modeling and extracellular neuronal recordings in behaving Marmoset monkeys. His work spans computational neuroscience, systems neuroscience, and vestibular research, with significant contributions to understanding 3D orientation coding, gravity sensing in neural circuits, and spatial cognition. Recent publications demonstrate his focus on neural attractor networks, multisensory integration, and the representation of spatial orientation relative to gravity. His laboratory team includes researchers Francesca Lanzarini, Farzad Ziaie Nezhad, and Deepak Surendran, with Sogand Ghiasi managing laboratory operations. The Laurens Lab has been featured in media outlets including Süddeutsche Zeitung, with coverage of their work on balance mechanisms published in November 2020 and an article titled 'Du kannst mich Affe nennen' published on August 30, 2024.
Jenny Huangfu Day, a Professor of History and the Francis Young Tang '61 Chair in China Studies at Skidmore College, specializes in the intellectual, diplomatic, and legal history of late imperial and modern China. She earned a PhD from the University of California San Diego (2012) and a BA from the University of Washington (2007). Education: PhD in History, University of California San Diego (2012) BA in History, University of Washington (2007) Research Interests: Her work bridges intellectual history , legal history , and diplomacy to examine how China negotiated sovereignty and political legitimacy from the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era. Current projects analyze the politicization of historical education and transnational legal negotiations . Her publications include monographs on Qing diplomatic missions and extradition law , alongside peer-reviewed articles in Law and History Review , Modern Asian Studies , and 中华文史论丛 . She has also contributed to digital humanities projects like Visualising China and public intellectual forums such as 澎湃新闻 . Scientific Awards: Outstanding Academic Title of 2019 by ACRL Choice for *Qing Travelers to the Far West* Academic Leadership: As Interim Chair of the History Department at Skidmore College (Fall 2025), she oversees curriculum development and faculty mentorship, with a focus on integrating interdisciplinary methodologies into China studies.
Teresa Hirzle is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science , University of Copenhagen , specializing in Human-Centred Computing . Her research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) , Virtual Reality (VR) , Extended Reality (XR) , and Gaze-Based Interaction . Research Interests: Designing interaction techniques for immersive environments Eye movement analysis for educational applications Addressing digital eye strain in interactive systems Evaluating user experience in VR/AR Recent Research Trends: Her recent publications examine AI representation in VR co-creation, VR sickness in locomotion, eye strain in gaze-driven systems, and hybrid applications of comics/AR. She also explores pedagogical implications of eye tracking in remote learning. Contact: Email: tehi@di.ku.dk Office: Sigurdsgade 41, 2200 København N.
Felipe Thomaz is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and Deputy Director of the Oxford Future of Marketing Initiative. He holds a PhD in Marketing from the University of Pittsburgh and previously taught at the University of South Carolina. His research focuses on marketing strategy, AI ethics, illicit markets, and ESG integration, with notable contributions to frameworks like Ad Net Zero for net-zero advertising emissions. He collaborates with UN agencies, NGOs, and tech companies to address global sustainability goals and wildlife trafficking networks. Education: PhD in Marketing (University of Pittsburgh), MSc in Marketing & Finance (University of Pittsburgh), BSc in Animal Sciences (University of Florida). Research interests include digital marketing channels, brand performance via social networks, AI-driven marketing strategies, and conservation science linked to wildlife trade. His work bridges academia and industry, resulting in spinouts and IP transfers from Saïd Business School. Key projects include: Ad Net Zero: Global standard for reducing advertising emissions UN collaboration on wildlife trafficking through dark web analysis UNESCO partnerships on eliminating stereotypes in advertising His interdisciplinary approach spans marketing, mathematics, and conservation science, with publications in top journals like Journal of Marketing and Conservation Science and Practice .
