Find Academic Supervisors

Torsten HoeflerView profile

Professor

• Deep learning Systems
• Parallel programming models
• High performance and datacenter networking
• +8 more

Torsten Hoefler is a Full Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, with an adjunct appointment in Electrical Engineering. He previously held roles at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and Indiana University. Full Professor of Computer Science, ETH Zurich (2020–present) Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich (2020–present) Member at Large, ACM SIGHPC Executive Committee (2013–present) Leadership roles in the MPI Forum and Blue Waters project His research focuses on performance-centric system design , with emphasis on scalable networking, parallel programming models, and performance modeling. Key contributions include the Slim Fly network topology, Data-Centric Python framework, and innovations in parallel graph computations and RDMA-based systems. Recent publications span topics like LLM training networks , quantization geometry , chiplet interconnects , and AI-driven climate modeling , reflecting his interdisciplinary approach combining HPC, AI, and hardware-software co-design. ACM Gordon Bell Prize (2019) ERC Consolidator Grant (2020) IEEE TCSC Award for Excellence (2019) SIAM SIAG/SC Junior Scientist Prize (2012) Latsis Prize of ETH Zurich (2015) He has received multiple best paper awards at top conferences (SC10, SC13, SC14, SC19, IPDPS'15, HPDC'15, OOPSLA'16) and contributed to MPI-3 standardization.

Lukas EinkemmerView profile

Professor

• Numerical Analysis
• Plasma Physics
• Computational Mathematics
• +3 more

Prof. Lukas Einkemmer is a faculty member at the University of Innsbruck, holding a position in the Institute of Mathematics. He specializes in numerical analysis, plasma physics, and high-performance computing. His work focuses on developing advanced numerical methods for solving complex kinetic equations and PDEs, with applications in plasma simulation and computational fluid dynamics. Education: He earned a PhD in applied mathematics (2014) and MSc in physics (2013) from the University of Innsbruck, alongside BSc in applied mathematics (2010). He completed research stays at UC Merced and holds notable academic awards, including the SciCADE New Talent Award (2015) and participation in the Heidelberg Laureate Forum (2013). Research & Teaching: His research includes exponential integrators, dynamical low-rank methods, and semi-Lagrangian discontinuous Galerkin schemes. He teaches numerical methods, PDEs, and computational courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He also leads training programs in parallel computing (OpenMP/MPI) at the University’s Research Center for High-Performance Computing. Publications & Grants: Over 70 peer-reviewed articles in journals like J. Comput. Phys. and SIAM J. Sci. Comput. , focusing on numerical algorithms and their applications. He has secured grants from FWF and other agencies, advancing methods for plasma physics and kinetic theory. Awards & Recognition: Multiple honors, including the Oberwolfach Leibniz Graduate Student award (2014) and sustained scholarship support for academic excellence.

Joachim HermissonView profile

Professor

• Theoretical Population Genetics
• Mathematical Biology
• Molecular Evolution
• +13 more

Joachim Hermisson is a Professor of Mathematics and Biology at the University of Vienna, where he leads the Mathematics and Biosciences Group (MaBS). He is a principal investigator in the SFB Polygenic Adaptation and the founder of the evolVienna network, fostering collaboration in evolutionary biology across Vienna. His academic journey spans physics, philosophy, and evolutionary theory, reflecting a deeply interdisciplinary approach. Education: PhD in Theoretical Physics, University of Tübingen (1999); Habilitation in Evolutionary Biology, LMU Munich (2006) Appointments: Professor at University of Vienna (since 2012); Vienna Science Chair (2007–2012); Emmy Noether Group Leader, LMU Munich (2002–2007) Joachim Hermisson’s research lies at the intersection of theoretical population genetics and mathematical biology. He develops models to understand adaptation, speciation, and the role of polygenic traits under natural selection. His work integrates molecular and phenotypic approaches, focusing on coalescent theory, epistasis, robustness, and evolvability. He is particularly interested in how complex genetic architectures evolve and influence evolutionary trajectories. His recent publications reflect a strong emphasis on polygenic adaptation beyond classical selective sweeps, hybridization, introgression, and the genomic signatures of selection. The articles span mathematical modeling, stochastic processes, and genomic data analysis, demonstrating a consistent focus on theoretical innovation with empirical relevance. Marcus W. Feldman Prize in Theoretical Population Biology (2018) WWTF Vienna Science Chair (2006) Emmy Noether Fellowships (DFG, 2000–2007) Graduate Program Award, VolkswagenStiftung (2006) Doctoral Prize, University of Tübingen (1999) Hermisson has advised numerous PhD and Master’s students, many of whom have gone on to independent research careers at institutions such as MPI Cologne, University of Edinburgh, and University of Vienna. He has secured major grants from FWF, DFG, EU Marie Curie, and ERC programs. He serves as Associate Editor for Genetics and Evolution , and has been a referee for leading journals and funding agencies including Nature, Science, PNAS, and the ERC. He leads the MaBS group, a vibrant research team focused on mathematical modeling in evolutionary biology. The group includes postdocs, PhD students, and collaborators working on polygenic adaptation, speciation, and eco-evolutionary dynamics. The lab participates in the SFB Polygenic Adaptation and the Vienna Graduate School for Population Genetics, contributing to a strong training environment for early-career scientists.

Walter JörnView profile

Professor

• Epigenetics
• DNA Methylation
• Epigenetic Reprogramming
• +4 more

Walter Jörn is a Full Professor and Chair of Genetics at Saarland University since 2000. He holds a PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPI-MG) and has held postdoctoral positions at the MPI-MG and Babraham Institute (UK). His research focuses on epigenetics, including DNA methylation, reprogramming mechanisms, and genomic imprinting. He pioneered technologies for epigenetic mapping and discovered global demethylation in mouse zygotes. As a leader in international consortia like IHEC and DEEP, he coordinates large-scale epigenomic initiatives. He serves on the DFG Life Sciences Panel and advises the German Ministry of Science. Educations: PhD (MPI-MG Berlin), postdocs at MPI-MG and Babraham Institute Research interests span epigenetic reprogramming, transgene silencing, and single-cell omics. He co-founded the International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) and led EU programs like BLUEPRINT and SYSCID. Awards include roles in national and international research advisory boards. Awards: German Research Council roles, Berlin Brandenburg Academy task force membership Coordinates DEEP and LifeTime initiatives, advancing epigenomic technologies and systems biology. Active in policy advising and interdisciplinary collaborations across Europe.

Sascha HunoldView profile

Associate Professor

• Parallel Computing
• High-Performance Computing (HPC)
• MPI Collective Communication
• +4 more

Sascha Hunold is an Associate Professor at TU Wien, affiliated with the Department of Parallel Computing within the Faculty of Informatics. He holds roles as Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for Informatics Bachelor programs and Curriculum Coordinator for the Master's program in High-Performance Computing. His research focuses on parallel computing, MPI optimization, scheduling algorithms, and reproducible HPC experiments. Education: Habilitation (venia docendi) in Computer Science from TU Wien, PhD in Computer Science from the University of Bayreuth, and MSc in Computer Science from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Research interests include MPI collective communication performance, HPC benchmarking, algorithm selection, and task scheduling. He has contributed to tools like ReproMPI and Scheduling.jl. Key awards include Best Paper awards at IEEE CLUSTER 2020 and EuroMPI/Asia 2014, and recognition for reproducible research methodologies. His work emphasizes practical applications of parallel computing in large-scale systems. Teaching responsibilities include courses on parallel algorithms, scientific programming with Python, and HPC project supervision. Active in program committees for major conferences like IPDPS and SC.

• Parallel Algorithms
• Parallel Computing
• High-Performance Computing (HPC)
• +4 more

Prof. Jesper Larsson Träff is a Full Professor and Head of the Research Unit in Parallel Computing at Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien). His academic role is centered within the Department of Computer Engineering. He holds an MSc and PhD, and has contributed extensively to the field of parallel computing through his research and leadership in international projects. His research focuses on parallel algorithms, scheduling, and optimization of the Message Passing Interface (MPI), with emphasis on high-performance computing (HPC) systems and distributed architectures. Key projects include the Process Mapping initiative (2019–2024), Autotune (2021–2025), and contributions to Exascale Programming Models. He has also led efforts in evaluating MPI performance tools and their reproducibility challenges. Research Areas: Parallel Algorithms, MPI Optimization, HPC, Process Mapping, Collective Communication, and Memory Models. Notable Achievements: Awarded the Best Paper at EuroMPI 2014 and recognized by the Innovation Radar for his work on PGAS-based MPI interoperability in 2018. Teaching: Teaches courses such as Advanced Multiprocessor Programming, Bachelor/Master Thesis supervision, and seminars in Computer Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science. Prof. Träff’s advising includes students researching topics like lock-free data structures, MPI datatype optimization, and task scheduling. His grants span Austrian and EU funding bodies, addressing challenges in exascale computing and reproducible experimental research. He is affiliated with the Vienna Mapping and Sparse Quadratic Assignment (Vienna Mapping) project and actively contributes to international workshops and conferences.

• High Performance Computing
• MPI Programming
• Parallel Algorithms
• +2 more

Ioannis Vardas is a Researcher in Parallel Computing at TU Wien's Faculty of Informatics. His work focuses on optimizing high-performance computing systems through advanced process mapping, MPI programming, and performance analysis tools. Key research areas: Topology-aware process mapping for HPC MPI library development and optimization Performance profiling of parallel applications Resource allocation in hierarchical architectures Energy-efficient parallel computing He contributes to projects improving MPI performance tools and develops methods for efficient resource utilization in supercomputing environments.

Jerala RomanView profile

Professor

• Synthetic Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry
• +6 more

Prof. Jerala Roman is a Full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, and Head of the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology at the National Institute of Chemistry. He leads the Synthetic Biology research area at the Centre of Excellence EN-FIST. His career includes postdoctoral research at the University of Virginia (1994-1995) and a long tenure at the National Institute of Chemistry since 1996. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications and 11 patents, focusing on synthetic biology, protein engineering, and immunology. Education: BSc (1986) and PhD (1993) in Chemistry from the University of Ljubljana. Research interests include designed bionanostructures, synthetic biology applications in medicine, antimicrobial peptides, and mechanisms of innate immunity. Notable achievements include inventing coiled-coil protein origami and elucidating TLR4/TLR3 activation pathways. He has coordinated major projects like the ERANET Bioorigami (2014-2017) and participated in EU Horizon 2020 initiatives. Recognitions include EMBO membership (2017), Zois Award (2009), and multiple iGEM competition accolades as team leader. He has delivered over 70 invited lectures globally, collaborating with leading institutions like Harvard, Cambridge, and MPI Martinsried. Grants and leadership: Coordinator of national and international research programs, including Horizon 2020 MSCA Tollerant (2015-2018). Active in COST actions (CM1304, CM1306, CA16122). Labs/Teams: Directs the Department of Synthetic Biology and Immunology, integrating interdisciplinary research in biomolecular engineering and immunology.

• Epigenetics
• Chromatin
• Histone modifications
• +8 more

Thomas Jenuwein serves as Director of the Department of Epigenetics at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, Germany, and holds an Honorary Professorship at the University of Freiburg. Previously, he was Senior Scientist (2002-2008) and Group Leader (1993-2001) at Vienna's Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP). Education: University of Erlangen, Germany (1978-1980) University of Heidelberg, Diploma in Molecular Biology (1980-1983) PhD in Molecular Biology at EMBL, Heidelberg (1983-1987) Postdoctoral fellow at UCSF, San Francisco (1988-1993) Research Interests: Jenuwein's pioneering work centers on epigenetic mechanisms including chromatin dynamics, histone lysine methylation, and heterochromatin formation. His laboratory investigates how histone modifications regulate gene expression, chromosome stability, and cellular inheritance patterns using mammalian Polycomb/Su(var) systems and mouse developmental models. Scientific Awards: Elected member of EMBO (2002) Member Faculty of 1000 (Nuclear Structure and Function) (2002-2007) Sir Hans Krebs Medal of FEBS Society (2005) Erwin Schrödinger Prize, Austrian Academy of Sciences (2007) Grants and Leadership: He secured 8 major grants (1996-2016) from EU, DFG, and BMBF, including coordination of the GEN-AU Programs 'Epigenetic Plasticity of the Mammalian Genome' (2003-2008) and EU FP6 Network of Excellence 'The Epigenome' (2004-2009). As ERC panel member (2009) and IHEC Steering Committee member (2009-2011), he shaped international epigenetics research. His textbook 'Epigenetics' (2007) remains a field standard. Laboratory: The Department of Epigenetics at MPI Freiburg investigates fundamental epigenetic mechanisms through chromatin biochemistry, mouse genetics, and genome-wide analyses, with significant contributions to understanding epigenetic inheritance and disease.

Majid SalimibeniView profile

Research Fellow

• High Performance Computing
• Parallel Computing
• Message Passing in Large-scale HPC systems
• +6 more

Majid Salimibeni is a PostDoc Researcher and Research Fellow at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) , affiliated with the Parallel Computing research unit. He previously held a Postdoc position at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Salerno, Italy (2024), and has been a visiting researcher at TU Wien (2023). Currently based in Vienna, Austria, his work focuses on High Performance Computing (HPC) and its interdisciplinary applications. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Salerno, Italy (2020–2024) M.Sc. in Computer Engineering (Software), Shiraz University, Iran (2017–2020) B.Sc. in Computer Engineering (Software), University of Birjand, Iran (2012–2016) Salimibeni's research explores High Performance and Parallel Computing , with a focus on optimizing GPU communication via NCCL , improving energy efficiency in heterogeneous computing environments , and enhancing MPI collective algorithms for large-scale systems. His work bridges HPC infrastructure with emerging applications in Distributed Deep Learning and AI . Recent publications highlight his expertise in GPU frequency scaling , NCCL profiling , and process arrival pattern analysis to improve distributed system performance. These works appear at top conferences like IPDPS , Cluster Computing , and ASHPC . Scientific Awards: Best Paper Award, Bench 2022 Salimibeni contributes to academic committees as a program committee member for IEEE ICPP 2025, ISC 2025, and BigHPC 2024, and serves on artifact evaluation committees for ASPLOS and CF conferences.

• Software Engineering
• Formal Methods
• Program Analysis
• +7 more

Prof. Maria Christakis is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Informatics at TU Wien, leading the Rigorous Software Engineering Group and the Software Engineering Research Unit (E194-01). Her research focuses on developing reliable software tools, emphasizing formal methods, program analysis, and automated testing. She holds leadership roles including Curriculum Coordinator for Software Engineering programs and Faculty Council membership. Her research interests span automatic test generation, program verification, and improving developer productivity through novel techniques. Notable projects include the 'Sherlock' framework for testing program analyzers and 'Olympia' for Solidity fuzzer benchmarking. Awards include Amazon and Google Research Awards, and she actively contributes to conferences like CAV, ASE, and IJCAI. Prof. Christakis advises over 15 students (PhD, Master's, and project students) and has supervised numerous alumni. She teaches core courses like Advanced Software Engineering and oversees Bachelor/Master curricula. Her work bridges formal verification and systematic testing, with tools like 'queryFuzz' and 'LIBRA' addressing neural network fairness and SMT solver reliability. Current projects include the 'Nomos' specification language for machine learning safety and the 'LaZ' framework for lazy testing. She co-leads the Automated Reasoning doctoral school and collaborates with institutions like MPI-SWS and Microsoft Research.

Jörn WalterView profile

Professor

• Epigenetics
• DNA methylation
• Epigenetic reprogramming
• +4 more

Jörn Walter is a Full Professor (Chair of Genetics) at Saarland University, Germany, since 2000. He is a leading figure in epigenetics, with a focus on DNA methylation, genomic imprinting, and epigenomic reprogramming. Walter co-founded the International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) in 2009 and led the German Epigenome Program (DEEP) from 2011. His career spans key roles at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Molecular Genetics and the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK. Chair of Genetics, Saarland University (2000–present) Group Leader, MPI for Molecular Genetics (1994–2000) Postdoctoral Fellow, MPI for Molecular Genetics and Babraham Institute (1990–1994) PhD Student, MPI for Molecular Genetics (1986–1990) His research explores epigenetic mechanisms in development, disease, and evolution, including global demethylation in mouse zygotes, DNA methyltransferase cloning, and single-cell epigenomics. Walter pioneered epigenomic analyses across human chromosomes and contributed to large-scale EU programs like BLUEPRINT and SYSCID. Walter has been recognized as an elected member of the Life Science Panel of the Deutsche Forschungs-Gemeinschaft (DFG) and a key advisor to the German ministry of science and education. He co-led national and international networks, including the European Flagship initiative LifeTime (2018), and serves as co-chair of IHEC’s scientific steering board.

Amparo Acker-PalmerView profile

Professor

• Developmental Neurobiology
• Synaptic plasticity
• Neurovascular Link
• +4 more

Amparo Acker-Palmer is a Full Professor and Chair of the Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology at Goethe University Frankfurt's Biology Faculty, holding this position since 2011. She is also a Faculty member of the Focus Program Translational Neurosciences (FTN) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since 2012, and a Max Planck Fellow at the MPI for Brain Research in Frankfurt since July 2014. Education: Bachelor of Biology (Biochemistry), Valencia University (1986-1991) PhD from Valencia University (1992-1996) with thesis on 'Characterization of the proteasome in different subcellular locations' (summa cum laude) Visiting research scientist at University of Leicester's Department of Biochemistry (1992/93/94) Amparo Acker-Palmer's research spans multiple interconnected fields at the intersection of neuroscience and vascular biology. Her work focuses on developmental neurobiology, particularly synapse formation, dendritic arborization, and cortex development. She investigates synaptic plasticity mechanisms involving Eph/ephrin and reelin signaling, and has pioneered research on the neurovascular link, examining how blood vessels instruct neuronal migration and synapse formation. Her studies on the Blood Brain Barrier explore Reelin, VEGFR and ephrinB signaling, while her angiogenesis research covers both developmental retinal angiogenesis and pathological tumor angiogenesis. Her tumor biology work addresses glioma progression and brain metastasis. Her publication record reveals strong emphasis on molecular mechanisms underlying neurovascular interactions, with consistent high-impact publications in top journals including Nature, Cell, and PNAS. The research shows evolution from early work on proteasomes and receptor signaling toward increasingly sophisticated investigations of neurovascular coupling mechanisms. Scientific Awards: Max Planck Fellow (2014) Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (2012) Gutenberg Forschungskolleg (GFK) Fellow (2012) Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstädter Prize for Young Investigators (2010) Ph.D. Extraordinary Award by Valencia University (1997) Amparo Acker-Palmer has established herself as a leading researcher through her independent group leadership at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology (2001-2007) and subsequent W2 Professorship in the Cluster of Excellence 'Macromolecular Complexes' at Goethe University Frankfurt (2007-2011). She leads the Research Group Neurovascular Link at the MPI for Brain Research and maintains affiliations with multiple prestigious research networks including the Cluster of Excellence 'Macromolecular Complexes' (CEF) and Cluster of Excellence 'Cardio-Pulmonary System' (ECCPS). Her collaborative work spans multiple institutions and has secured significant recognition including the Paul Ehrlich Prize for Young Investigators. She directs the Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology at Goethe University Frankfurt, leads the Neurovascular Link research group at the MPI for Brain Research, and participates in the Focus Program Translational Neurosciences at Johannes Gutenberg University. Her laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between the nervous and vascular systems during development and in disease contexts, with particular emphasis on Eph/ephrin signaling pathways.