Wolfgang Merkle is a Privatdozent at Universität Heidelberg's Institut für Informatik, affiliated with the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. His research focuses on Theoretical Computer Science and Discrete Mathematics, particularly randomized algorithms and Kolmogorov complexity. He teaches courses including 'Randomized Algorithms' and seminars on Kolmogorov complexity for Bachelor and Master programs. Research interests span algorithmic randomness, computational complexity, and information theory, with significant contributions to understanding computability limits and the foundations of theoretical computer science. His recent publications explore the interplay between randomness and computational efficiency, with works examining superspeedability, relativized depth, and information distance theories.
Prof. Christoph A. Schalley is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at Freie Universität Berlin, leading the Schalley Lab in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research focuses on supramolecular chemistry, including gas-phase chemistry of non-covalent complexes, self-assembly, multivalent binding, and systems chemistry. He has held academic positions since 2005 and has been recognized with multiple teaching awards, including the Central Teaching Award of FU Berlin (2017). He holds adjunct and visiting professorships in China and Japan. Education & Career: PhD (1997) and Habilitation (2003) in Organic Chemistry Postdoc at Scripps Research Institute (1998-1999) Professor at Freie Universität Berlin since 2005 Adjunct Professor, Northwestern Polytechnical University (2017-2019) Research Interests: Supramolecular chemistry, gas-phase ion chemistry, self-sorting, molecular diversity, and emergent properties in chemical systems. Key projects include studies on anion-pi interactions, pseudorotaxanes, and stimuli-responsive gels. Awards: Mattauch-Herzog Award (2006) Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2016) Excellence in Teaching Awards (multiple years) Teaching: Leads courses such as 'Systems Chemistry' and 'Molecular Diversity'. Developed innovative teaching methods, including interactive seminars and video-based learning. Labs/Teams: Active in collaborative research initiatives like SFB 1349 (BioSupraMol) and SFB 765. His lab members include PhD candidates and postdocs working on cutting-edge supramolecular systems.
Ruben Martins is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science and serves as the program director of the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) . His research focuses on the intersection of constraint programming, program synthesis, analysis, and verification, with recent work aiming to make formal methods tools more accessible through automated reasoning. Ruben earned his Ph.D. with honors from the Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal (2013) , followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford (2014-2015) and UT Austin (2015-2017) . Research Interests : Ruben's work bridges constraint programming and program synthesis , with applications in software verification , optimization , and automated reasoning . He has developed award-winning tools like Open-WBO , a modular MaxSAT solver that has won gold medals in international competitions. His publications span top-tier venues such as POPL , PLDI , FSE , SAT , and CP , often addressing real-world challenges from program analysis to network security. Scientific Awards include: Distinguished Paper Award at PLDI 2018 Distinguished Paper Award at FSE 2021 Distinguished Paper Award at SAT 2022 Gold medals for Open-WBO in MaxSAT competitions Teaching & Advising : Ruben mentors Ph.D., Master’s, and undergraduate students in research projects related to program synthesis, formal methods, and constraint solving. He teaches courses such as Bug Catching: Automated Program Verification and Advanced Topics in Logic: Automated Reasoning and Satisfiability , emphasizing hands-on experience with tools like Why3. His advising spans topics from AI-driven program repair to network protocol verification , fostering collaboration across disciplines.
Prof. Dr. Martin Fassnacht is a Full Professor at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, where he holds the Otto Beisheim Foundation Chair of Business Administration specializing in Marketing and Trade. He serves as the Scientific Director of the Center for Market-Oriented Corporate Management, Speaker of the Marketing Group, and Academic Director of the Marketing & Communications Department. Additionally, he directs the Metro Business Program and Metro Business Program Advanced. His research spans price management, trade and service management, and market-oriented corporate management, with particular focus on consumer behavior in retail settings. Prof. Fassnacht has made significant contributions to understanding shopping convenience, price fairness, and service quality dynamics in business-to-consumer relationships. Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent focus on service marketing evolution, particularly examining how traditional product-focused businesses transition to service-oriented approaches. His work on shopping convenience and its impact on customer retention represents a significant research stream, while his contributions to service-dominant logic theory have advanced the understanding of value co-creation in service ecosystems. Outstanding Article of the Year 2003 (Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing) Best Paper Award in Services Marketing Track of AMA Summer Educator's Conference As an academic leader, Prof. Fassnacht bridges theoretical research with practical business applications through his Metro Business Program leadership and industry collaborations. His work demonstrates ongoing commitment to advancing marketing knowledge while maintaining strong connections with business practice, particularly in retail and service sectors.
Aslan Askarov is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Aarhus University, where he leads research in computer security and programming languages. He is a member of the Logic and Semantics Group and maintains an active research program with several ongoing projects. Dr. Askarov's research interests span computer security and privacy, with a focus on foundations, information-flow, covert channels, metadata privacy, and formal methods for security. He also works extensively in programming languages, particularly in semantics, design, type systems, and program analysis. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical security applications, particularly in web and mobile security contexts. His active projects include Troupe, a programming language for concurrent and distributed programming with dynamic information flow control, and DenIM, a protocol for secure instant messaging with metadata privacy. These projects reflect his commitment to developing practical security solutions grounded in formal methods. Dr. Askarov has published extensively in top security and programming languages venues, with recent work focusing on metadata privacy in instant messaging, separation logic for virtual machine security, and oblivious execution techniques for reactive programs. His research demonstrates a consistent pattern of addressing fundamental security challenges through formal methods and language-based approaches. CSF 2026 ESOP 2026 PLDI 2025 CSF 2025 CSF 2022 CSF 2021 CSF 2020 PriSC 2020 Nordsec 2019 (co-chair) POST 2019 Euro S&P 2018 PLAS 2017 FCS 2017 (co-chair) HotSpot 2017 FCS 2016 (co-chair) CSF 2016 ESSOS 2015 FCS-FCC 2014 ARES 2014 FCS 2013 ARES 2013 PLAS 2013 ARES 2012 PLAS 2011 (co-chair) ISARCS 2010 PLAS 2009 VODCA 2008 Dr. Askarov teaches advanced courses in computer science, including Compilers in Fall 2024 and Language-Based Security in Spring 2024. He is actively recruiting PhD students and postdocs to work in the areas of Programming Languages and Computer Security, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to mentoring the next generation of researchers.
Prof. Akash Kumar is a Professor at the Chair of Embedded Systems at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. He previously held professorships at TU Dresden (2015–2024) and the National University of Singapore (NUS; 2011–2015). His research focuses on design automation of embedded systems, reliability optimization, and approximate computing, with a strong emphasis on FPGA and emerging technologies. He leads projects such as Lean-MICS (DFG-funded) and SecuREFET-II, addressing cross-layer reliability and secure circuits. Education: PhD in Multimedia Multiprocessor Systems from Eindhoven University of Technology (TUe) and NUS (2005–2009), Master of Technological Design (Embedded Systems) from NUS (2003–2004), and B.Eng (Computer Engineering) from NUS (1999–2002, First Class Honours). Research interests span embedded systems, reconfigurable architectures, and hardware-software co-design. His work includes optimizing energy efficiency, fault tolerance, and cross-layer approximation techniques. Recent publications highlight advancements in FPGA-based accelerators, machine learning optimizations, and mixed-criticality systems. Active in grants and leadership, Kumar is Principal Investigator on multiple DFG and industry-funded projects, emphasizing collaborative research in distributed computing and approximate architectures. His contributions bridge theory and practice, with applications in edge AI, IoT, and cybersecurity.
Dr. Anand Mishra is an Assistant Professor and Student Advisor at the Department of Cultural and Religious History within Heidelberg University's South Asian Institute. He joined the university in 2009 and specializes in ancient Indian knowledge systems, particularly Sanskrit grammar and ritual studies. His research includes formal modeling of Pāṇinian grammar and investigations into medieval Hindu traditions. Education : Mathematics from IIT Kanpur, Computational Linguistics & Classical Indology from Heidelberg University His publications explore interdisciplinary connections between Sanskrit studies, computer science, and comparative religious analysis. Key works include "Modeling the Pāṇinian System of Sanskrit Grammar" (2019) and contributions to the "Ritual Dynamics" research program. His research interests intersect with Heidelberg University's Flagship Initiative Transforming Cultural Heritage. He teaches courses on Indian philosophy, Sanskrit grammar, and digital editing of Indic texts. Current projects engage with transcultural knowledge dynamics and historical epistemology in South Asian contexts.
Peter Sewell is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, where he builds rigorous foundations for real-world computer systems to enhance robustness, security, and formal verification of hardware-software interactions. His educational background includes undergraduate studies at the University of Cambridge and University of Oxford, followed by a PhD from the University of Edinburgh in 1995 under Robin Milner's supervision. Professor Sewell's research focuses on concurrency models (x86, ARM, Power, C/C++11), verified compilation, formal semantics for C/linking/filesystems/TLS, and applied semantics tools. He pioneers executable ISA specifications through projects like Sail and Cerberus, addressing relaxed-memory concurrency and capability-based security architectures. His 2020-2026 publications reveal a clear trajectory toward formal verification of hardware security properties, with increasing emphasis on capability systems (Arm Morello, CHERI) and real-world applicability of concurrency models across ARM, RISC-V, and MIPS architectures. Scientific recognition: Royal Society University Research Fellowship (1999-2007) He leads major research initiatives in systems security formalization, supported by Cambridge positions and collaborative projects with industry partners. His work bridges theoretical formal methods and practical systems engineering through executable semantics frameworks. As a core member of Cambridge's Systems Research Group, he directs projects including Sail (ISA semantics), Cerberus (C semantics), and verification frameworks for capability architectures, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across hardware and software security domains.
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Kahle is a faculty member at the University of Tübingen in the Faculty of Philosophy . He holds the academic rank of Professor and his research focuses on Mathematical Logic , Philosophical Logic , Philosophy of Mathematics , and History of Logic . He also investigates the Societal Relevance of Science and Philosophy of Language . Education : Studium der Mathematik, Philosophie und Informatik in Göttingen, Zürich und München (1987-1993) Diplom in Mathematik, LMU München (1993) Promotion in Informatik, Universität Bern (1997) Habilitation in Informatik, Universität Tübingen (2007) Habilitation in Mathematik, Universidade de Coimbra (2008) Awards : Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker-Stiftungsprofessor für Theorie und Geschichte der Wissenschaften, University of Tübingen (2019) Publications : Advances in Proof Theory (2016, co-editor) Gentzen's Centenary: The quest for consistency (2015, co-editor) Over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters focusing on proof theory, mathematical logic, and philosophical implications of formal systems
Britta Peis is a Professor of Management Science at RWTH Aachen University since September 2013. She studied Mathematics and Sports Sciences at the University of Cologne and German Sport University Cologne, respectively. Her academic journey includes positions at TU Dortmund (2006-2007), TU Berlin (2007-2010), and a visiting professorship at Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg (2010-2011). Her research focuses on Combinatorial Optimization , Algorithmic Discrete Mathematics , Routing and Scheduling , Robust Optimization , and Algorithmic Game Theory . Her work spans theoretical and applied domains, including network flow analysis, auction algorithms, and strategic decision-making in complex systems. Recent publications (2025-2024) highlight advancements in dynamic auction mechanisms, Stackelberg game formulations, and train routing algorithms. Earlier works (2022-2018) explore matroid theory, packet routing with priority lists, and sensitivity analysis in polymatroid optimization. Key trends include algorithmic design for competitive networks and robustness in time-dependent flows. She is affiliated with the Graduiertenkolleg UnRAVeL (Aachen Institute for Discrete Mathematics and Logic) and contributes to the Chair of Management Science's research agenda in combinatorial optimization and algorithmic game theory.
Dr. Théo Winterhalter is a researcher at the Deducteam within INRIA Saclay and the Laboratoire de Méthodes Formelles (LMF) at École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay. Previously, he held a postdoctoral position at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP) in Bochum, Germany. He completed his PhD in computer science at the University of Nantes under the supervision of Nicolas Tabareau and Matthieu Sozeau, focusing on the formalization and meta-theory of type theory. His research centers on proof assistants, particularly Coq, and involves advancing formal methods for security, type systems, and dependent type theory. Winterhalter's work includes contributions to the MetaCoq project, enabling meta-programming and formal reasoning about Coq itself. He is also involved in developing verified cryptographic frameworks like SSProve and SecRef*, ensuring secure integration of verified and unverified code. His educational background includes a PhD in type theory and prior work in cryptographic algorithms, such as randomized scalar multiplication. He actively participates in academic communities, serving on program committees for ICFP, TYPES, and POPL. His teaching includes co-teaching the MPRI course on proof assistants with Yannick Forster. Supervision activities include PhD student Yann Leray and multiple interns focusing on Coq extensions and formal verification.
Michael Sammler is an Assistant Professor leading the Programming Languages and Verification Group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). He holds a PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (MPI-SWS) and was a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zürich. His research focuses on formal verification of low-level systems code, combining foundational proofs with automation. Key projects include RefinedC (C verification), Islaris (assembly code verification), and DimSum (multi-language interoperability). Education: PhD at MPI-SWS/Saarland Informatics Campus, postdoc at ETH Zürich. Research interests emphasize tool development for safety-critical systems, including Rust verification (RefinedRust), OCaml/C interoperability (Melocoton), and decentralized multi-language semantics (DimSum). Awards: Runner-Up for Informatics Europe 2024 Best Dissertation Award, Dr. Eduard Martin Prize, Distinguished Paper Awards at PLDI/POPL/USENIX, and Google PhD Fellowship. Labs/Teams: Programming Languages and Verification Group at ISTA, collaborations with MPI-SWS and international researchers. His work bridges foundational theory with practical tools for industry-relevant verification challenges.
Matteo Viale is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Torino. He specializes in mathematical logic with a focus on set theory, forcing axioms, and generic absoluteness. He is an active member of the Turin Logic Group and maintains international collaborations in foundational mathematics. His research explores advanced topics in set theory including forcing techniques, large cardinals, cardinal arithmetic, and their applications to mathematical foundations. Recent work investigates connections between forcing axioms and category theory, as well as absoluteness principles across different mathematical structures. Viale has advised numerous graduate students on theses covering boolean-valued models, forcing techniques, set-theoretic topology, and applications of logic to functional analysis. His pedagogical contributions include comprehensive lecture notes on forcing iterations, model companionship, and semiproper forcing. Notable recognitions include the Kurt Gödel Research Prize Fellowship (2010), Premio Fubini (2010), and Sacks Prize (2006) for his doctoral thesis on forcing axioms and cardinal arithmetic.
Dominique Unruh is a Professor at RWTH Aachen University , leading the Chair for Quantum Information Systems . Additionally, they hold a Professorship in Cryptography at the Institute of Computer Science of the University of Tartu , Estonia. Their research spans quantum computing , quantum cryptography , post-quantum cryptography , and formal verification of cryptographic protocols and programs. Research Focus : Quantum programs, zero-knowledge proofs, lattice-based cryptography, and quantum random oracle model. Key Contributions : Advancements in NTRU encryption efficiency, quantum Hoare logic, and rewinding techniques for security proofs. Tools : Active development in the EasyCrypt framework for cryptographic verification. Email : unruh@cs.rwth-aachen.de
Benjamin Lucien Kaminski is a Professor at Saarland University and a Lecturer at University College London . He specializes in quantitative aspects of formal program verification , with a focus on probabilistic and quantum programs , incorrectness logic , and non-classical computation models . His research includes semantics , probabilistic program verification , expected runtimes , and explainable verification . He leads the Examination Board for B.Sc. Computer Science (English) and actively mentors PhD, Master’s, and Bachelor’s students in logic and verification. 2025 : A Taxonomy of Hoare-Like Logics (POPL), Partial Incorrectness Logic (TPSA) 2024 : Quantitative Weakest Hyper Pre (OOPSLA), Caesar: A Verifier for Probabilistic Programs (Dafny), Hoare-Like Triples (Incorrectness-track) 2023 : A Deductive Verification Infrastructure (OOPSLA), Lower Bounds (OOPSLA), A Calculus for Amortized Expected Runtimes (POPL) He has received notable awards including the Ackermann Award (2020), Best Paper at LOPSTR 2020 , and EATCS Best Paper Award at ETAPS 2016 . He has also served on program committees for leading conferences like CAV , POPL , and LICS , and reviewed for prestigious journals such as Journal of the ACM and TOCL .
