Geoffrey E. Hinton is a distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. He is renowned for his foundational contributions to machine learning, particularly in the development of deep learning and neural networks. His research focuses on understanding learning processes in both artificial and biological systems, with key contributions including Boltzmann machines, backpropagation, and deep belief networks. He teaches advanced machine learning courses such as CSC2535, emphasizing topics like graphical models, variational inference, and deep learning architectures. His work has been published extensively in top journals and conferences, with recent papers exploring forward-forward algorithms, analog diffusion models, and scalable neural network training methods. Hinton has advised numerous PhD and master's students and collaborates with institutions like Vector Institute. He is a central figure in the global AI community, regularly presenting at conferences (e.g., 2023 talks on CBS 60 Minutes, BBC, and PBS). His lab focuses on advancing machine learning theory and applications, addressing challenges in vision, language, and generative models.
Aleksandar Jeremic is an Associate Professor in both the Electrical & Computer Engineering department and the McMaster School of Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University. His research focuses on biomedical signal processing, statistical signal processing, and biometrics, with applications in healthcare and biomedical systems. He holds a Dipl. Ing. from the University of Belgrade, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. His expertise spans physiological signal analysis (e.g., ECG/EEG), medical imaging, and machine learning for biomedical applications. He has authored over 50 technical articles and two book chapters, and has been recognized with a teaching award from the McMaster Electrical and Computer Engineering Society (2018). He supervises graduate students in both theoretical and applied research areas. Dr. Jeremic teaches advanced courses such as Biomedical Signal Modeling and Processing and Advanced Probability and Random Processes , emphasizing practical applications of signal processing in healthcare. His work includes clinical implementations like neonatal seizure monitoring software and microwave imaging for breast cancer detection.
Dr. Xiaoxiao Li is an Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of British Columbia (UBC), with joint appointments in Computer Science (Associate Member) and the School of Medicine at Yale University (Adjunct Assistant Professor). She is also a Canada CIFAR AI Chair and Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Responsible AI. Her research focuses on enhancing trustworthiness, fairness, and efficiency in AI algorithms and foundation models, particularly in healthcare applications. Education: B.S. (Honors) in Zhejiang University (2015), Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University (2020), Postdoc at Princeton University (2020-2021). She leads the Trusted and Efficient AI (TEA) Lab at UBC, which develops algorithms for federated learning, medical imaging analysis, and interpretable AI systems. Research interests include federated learning, generative models, medical image analysis, AI fairness, and graph-based methods for neuroimaging. Recent projects include GMValuator (data valuation for generative models), FairMedFM (fairness benchmarking in medical AI), and FedTextGrad (textual gradient-based FL optimization). Grants: Canada Foundation for Innovation Grant (2023), UBC Green Lab Fund (2023), Vector Institute funding Teaching: Courses on machine learning, federated learning, and AI ethics at UBC Awards & Recognition: Best Paper Award at FL@FM WWW 2024, Editorial Board Member of Medical Image Analysis , multiple top-tier conference acceptances (NeurIPS, ICLR, CVPR, MICCAI). Lab & Teams: TEA Lab collaborates with industry and hospitals to translate AI research into clinical tools. Current projects address AI fairness in healthcare, federated learning for medical data, and multimodal medical analytics.
Professor Peter F. Driessen is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Victoria, with a cross-appointment in the School of Music. He holds a BSc and PhD from the University of Victoria and is a Professional Engineer (PEng). His research focuses on communication systems, signal processing, control, and interdisciplinary projects in computer music and wireless technologies. Key areas include audio/video signal processing, radio propagation, sound recording, and multimedia systems. He leads the University of Victoria Propagation Laboratory, which explores radio wave propagation and Amateur radio integration with engineering education. His work spans theoretical research and applied projects like ECOSat satellite systems, software-defined radio (SDR), and innovative musical instruments such as the Radio Drum. He supervises undergraduate and graduate projects in these domains through ELEC 499 courses. Notable contributions include the APEGBC Editorial Board Award for Best Paper (2002) and patents in wireless networking and signal processing. His teaching includes courses in signal analysis and electromagnetics, and he collaborates on interdisciplinary programs like the Music/Computer Science degree. Education: BSc in Electrical Engineering, University of Victoria PhD in Electrical Engineering, University of Victoria Research Interests: Audio and video signal processing for music and media Software-defined radio and Amateur radio technologies Satellite communication and ground station development Gesture-based interfaces and musical instrument design Error mitigation in streaming audio/video Optical and microwave-photonic systems Labs & Collaborations: Propagation Laboratory (radio wave research) UVic Experimental Radio Group (Amateur radio club) UVic Satellite Design Team (ECOSat projects) UVic Centre for Aerospace Research Grants & Awards: APEGBC Editorial Board Award (2002) Multiple US patents in wireless systems and signal processing
Dr. Crystal Senko is an Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Trapped Ion Quantum Computing at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) , University of Waterloo. Her research focuses on quantum simulations, quantum computing with trapped ions, and qudit-based systems. She holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Maryland (2014) and a B.Sc. in Physics from Duke University (2009). Her research interests span Quantum Computing , Quantum Simulation , Trapped Ion Manipulation , and Photonics . Key projects include optimizing qudit-based quantum computing protocols and developing photonic crystal waveguides for atom-photon interactions. Recent work emphasizes trapped ion efficiency, laser noise mitigation, and programmable quantum simulators. Dr. Senko has authored influential papers on trapped ion systems, including studies on multi-level qudit control, nanophotonic cavity coupling, and non-thermalization in spin chains. Her work bridges theoretical quantum models and experimental advancements in scalable quantum hardware. Awards: Canada Research Chair (Trapped Ion Quantum Computing) Teaching: Courses include Quantum Physics 2 (PHYS 334), Quantum Mechanics 1 (PHYS 701), and Special Topics in Quantum Information Processing (PHYS 768/QIC 890). Labs/Teams: Affiliated with IQC and previously contributed to Harvard’s Center for Ultracold Atoms.
Professor Diana Inkpen is a faculty member at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto's Department of Computer Science and degrees from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania (M.Sc. and B.Eng.). Her research focuses on computational linguistics, natural language processing (NLP), and artificial intelligence, with specialties in natural language understanding/generation, lexical semantics, and semantic web agents. Education: Ph.D., Computer Science, University of Toronto M.Sc., Computer Science and Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca B.Eng., Computer Science and Engineering, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca Affiliations: Director, NLP Lab Editor-in-Chief, Computational Intelligence journal Associate Editor, Natural Language Engineering journal Her research has led to roles such as program co-chair for AI 2012 and leadership in organizing international workshops. She has received funding from NSERC, SSHRC, and OCE, and was honored with a Visiting Professor title at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. Her teaching spans courses like Information Retrieval, Natural Language Processing, and Prolog programming. Professor Inkpen's work bridges NLP innovations with societal challenges, including mental health surveillance via social media analysis and bias mitigation in AI systems. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary projects, such as detecting hate speech and legal text entailment, while maintaining a global research network through collaborations and international conference involvement.
Angel Xuan Chang is an Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University's School of Computing Science, where she leads research at the intersection of natural language processing, computer vision, and 3D scene understanding. She holds the prestigious Canada CIFAR AI Chair position and is affiliated with multiple research groups including 3DLG, GrUVi, SFU NatLang, SFU AI/ML, and VINCI. PhD in Computer Science, Stanford University MSc in Computer Science, Stanford University M.Eng in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT BSc in Computer Science and Engineering, MIT Professor Chang's research primarily focuses on connecting language to 3D representations of shapes and scenes, with particular emphasis on grounding language for embodied agents in indoor environments. Her work spans natural language processing and understanding, linking natural language with visual and 3D representations, multimodal grounding of language, embodied AI, and machine learning applications for biodiversity monitoring through the BIOSCAN project. She has developed methods for synthesizing 3D scenes and shapes from natural language and created various datasets for 3D scene understanding. Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward integrating language understanding with 3D scene generation and manipulation, with increasing focus on practical applications in embodied AI and biodiversity monitoring. The research shows progression from foundational work on text-to-3D scene generation to more sophisticated approaches for evaluating semantic coherence in generated scenes and developing efficient methods for zero-shot scene modeling. Canada CIFAR AI Chair TUM-IAS Hans Fischer Fellow (2018-2022) Best paper award at 3DV 2025 for 'An Object is Worth 64x64 Pixels: Generating 3D Object via Image Diffusion' Professor Chang actively advises numerous graduate students who appear as first authors on her publications, indicating a strong mentoring program. Her research is supported through multiple channels including the CIFAR AI Chair position and likely various research grants supporting her BIOSCAN-related work and 3D scene understanding projects. She has been involved in organizing multiple workshops at major conferences including ICML, CVPR, and ICLR. Her research is conducted through several interconnected groups: 3DLG (3D Language and Graphics), GrUVi (Graphics, Vision, and Interaction), SFU NatLang (Natural Language Processing), SFU AI/ML, and VINCI. These groups work collaboratively on problems spanning language grounding, 3D scene understanding, embodied AI, and biodiversity applications, creating a rich interdisciplinary research environment.
Soo Jeon is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo, part of the Faculty of Engineering. He holds a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley (2007) and prior degrees from Seoul National University. His research focuses on mechatronics, dynamic systems, and control, with applications in robotics, autonomous systems, and precision motion control. He has held roles as Assistant Professor (2009–2015), Associate Professor (2015–2024), and Full Professor (2024–present). Professor Jeon’s expertise includes intelligent sensing and control for mechatronic systems, nonlinear dynamics, and autonomous systems. He has received notable awards such as the 2022 Engineer of the Year Award (AKCSE/KOFST), 2015 NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement, and 2010 ASME Rudolf Kalman Best Paper Award. He serves as an Associate Editor for several journals, including the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems and IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering. His research interests span robotics, control systems, and automation, with recent work on autonomous navigation, tactile exploration, and model predictive control. He supervises graduate students in MASc and PhD programs and teaches courses like ME 649 (Control of Machines and Processes) and ME 360 (Introduction to Control Systems). Jeon holds patents in areas like low-power magnetic locks and remote plasma source seasoning. His lab, the Waterloo Mechanical Systems & Control Laboratory (WMSCL), focuses on advanced mechatronics and robotics projects, including collaborations with international institutions such as the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM).
Guillaume Lajoie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Université de Montréal and a Core Academic Member of Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. He holds a Canada CIFAR AI Research Chair and a Canada Research Chair in Neural Computation and Interfacing. His research focuses on the intersection of AI and neuroscience, particularly in understanding neural network dynamics and developing brain-machine interfaces for clinical and scientific applications. He is affiliated with the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM), the Interdisciplinary Center for Research on the Brain and Learning (CIRCA), and the UNIQUE initiative. Education: PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington (Seattle), postdoctoral fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and the University of Washington Institute for Neuroengineering. Awards include the FRQS Scholar designation and leadership roles in strategic research initiatives like UNIQUE and CIRCA. Research interests include neural computations, recurrent neural networks, neurotechnology, and responsible AI development. Supervised students include François Paugam (PhD), Giancarlo Kerg (PhD), and others. Key grants include projects on adaptive neuroprosthetics, neural decoding, and Canada Research Chairs funding.
Olga Veksler is a Professor at the University of Waterloo's Department of Computer Science, part of the Faculty of Mathematics. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. from Cornell University (1999) and a B.A. from New York University (1995). Her research focuses on computer vision, machine learning, and discrete optimization, with notable contributions to image segmentation, graph algorithms, and deep learning integration. Her work emphasizes semantic segmentation, salient object detection, and efficient optimization techniques for graphical models. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Cornell University, 1999 M.Sc. in Computer Science, Cornell University, 1999 B.A. in Computer Science, New York University, 1995 Her research explores intersections between machine learning and traditional computer vision challenges, particularly leveraging graph-based optimization and CRF models. Recent trends in her work include weakly supervised learning, sparse non-local CRF applications, and test-time adaptation strategies for salient object detection. She has pioneered methods for shape priors in multi-object segmentation and efficient graph-cut algorithms. Her advising and grant activities are foundational to her research, though specific grant details are not listed here. She maintains a lab focused on advancing computer vision through algorithmic innovation, with contributions to both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in medical imaging and scene understanding.
Frederick A. A. Kingdom is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, focusing on Perception, Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience . His research explores the interplay between early visual feature detection (edges, bars) and intermediate stages forming contours, textures, and surfaces through spatial vision, color vision, stereopsis, texture perception, brightness/lightness perception, and transparency studies . Email: fred.kingdom@mcgill.ca Key research domains include: Perceptual Mechanisms : Lateral inhibition, contrast normalization, spatial bandpass filters, and their role in brightness/lightness perception and illusions like simultaneous brightness contrast. Color Vision : Red-green vs blue-yellow system distribution, chromatic contrast requirements for stereopsis, color-based depth processing limitations, and color-shading effects that parse surfaces vs illumination. Texture Analysis : Detection thresholds for orientation/frequency/contrast modulated textures, co-circularity in texture perception, and texture statistical sensitivity (e.g., kurtosis importance). Shape Processing : Shape-frequency/shape-amplitude aftereffects, global vs local shape coding, and contour inflection adaptation. His work combines psychophysics , fMRI , image processing , and computational modeling to dissect visual system architecture, particularly how color and luminance signals are integrated/separated in early cortical processing.
Shiva Nejati is a Professor at the University of Ottawa 's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science . He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and previously worked as a Senior Scientist (2012-2019) and Scientist (2009-2012) at the SnT Centre (University of Luxembourg) and Simula Research Laboratory. Research focus: Software engineering for cyber-physical systems (autonomous vehicles, IoT), blending formal verification, machine learning, and search-based testing Key tools developed: ARIsTEO, SOCRaTEs, SimCoTest, EPIcuRus Editorial roles: Associate Editor for EMSE Journal (2025–), ASE Journal (2025–), IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (2020–2024) His work combines formal methods , empirical software engineering , and AI/ML to address verification challenges in complex systems, particularly through evolutionary algorithms and surrogate modeling . Notable collaborations include industry partners in telecommunications, automotive, and aerospace sectors. Recent publications emphasize large language models for requirements analysis, adversarial testing of vision systems, and multi-objective optimization for test generation. His Sedna Research Lab actively trains graduate students in these cutting-edge methodologies.
Mahmoud El-Sakka is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Western Ontario since 1999. Previously, he was a faculty member at the University of Waterloo (1997–1999). He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Alexandria University (Egypt) and a Ph.D. in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on medical imaging, image processing, and computer-aided diagnostics. He has served as Chair of the graduate program (2002–2007) and undergraduate program (2017–present) in Computer Science at Western Ontario. El-Sakka is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario. His work spans grants from NSERC, internal university funding, and industry collaborations. Major research areas include image compression, segmentation, and medical applications like vascular analysis and echocardiography. He has led over 20 funded projects since 1999, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches in healthcare technology. Academic contributions include advisory roles in summer programs, thesis evaluations, and conference participation. His service includes roles as Pro-Chancellor at convocations and involvement in equipment purchasing committees. Collaborations include consulting with NCR Canada and VRP Web Technology.
Mark Crowley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo , with a cross-appointment in the Cheriton School of Computer Science . He is actively involved in the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute (WAII) , the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation (WICI) , and serves as National Secretary for the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association (CAIAC) , coordinating the Canadian Conference on AI . Research interests span the theoretical and applied aspects of Reinforcement Learning , Deep Learning , Manifold Learning , and Ensemble Methods . His work addresses challenges in domains with spatial dynamics, multi-agent systems, and uncertainty, particularly in Computational Sustainability (forest fire management, sustainable forestry), Autonomous Driving , Medical Imaging , and Material Design . Recent research focuses on integrating causal modeling with generative representation learning to improve out-of-distribution robustness in motion forecasting applications. Key publications include foundational work on ChemGymRL environments for safe chemical process reinforcement learning, Generative Causal Representation Learning for robust forecasting, and collaborative work on multi-advisor reinforcement learning in multi-agent settings. He co-authored a textbook Elements of Dimensionality Reduction and Manifold Learning (Springer, 2023) with Prof. Ali Ghodsi and Prof. Fakhri Karray. Teaching includes graduate and undergraduate courses in Algorithm Design , Computational Intelligence , Reinforcement Learning , and Data Modeling at the University of Waterloo since 2018. His research group has produced several notable graduates including Benyamin Ghojogh (2021), who continued as a postdoc until 2022.
Yuanzhu Chen is a Professor in the School of Computing at Queen’s University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science. He previously served as Professor and Department Head at Memorial University of Newfoundland (2005–2021). His research focuses on computer networking, mobile computing, complex networks, and applied machine learning, emphasizing wireless innovation beyond traditional wired systems. He holds a PhD from Simon Fraser University (2004) and a B.Sc. from Peking University (1999). Education: PhD in Computing Science (Simon Fraser University, 2004); B.Sc. in Computer Science (Peking University, 1999). Earlier roles include Post-doctoral Researcher at Simon Fraser University (2004–2005) and leadership positions at Memorial University, including Department Head (2019–2021). Research Interests: Network Coding and Opportunistic Routing Mobile and Wireless Network Protocols Complex Network Analysis Machine Learning Applications Indoor Positioning Systems Social Network Dynamics Selected Awards: Recipient of Queen’s University President's Award for Distinguished Teaching. Lab Affiliation: Director of the Wireless Networking and Mobile Computing Lab (WineMocol). Active in collaborative projects involving smartphone sensors, community-based environmental monitoring, and stock market prediction using web data.
