Thierry Badard is an Associate Professor at the Department of Geomatics Sciences , Université Laval, where he also serves as Director of the Center for Research in Geospatial Data and Intelligence (CRDIG) . With over 28 years of experience in geospatial science, he leads research initiatives at the intersection of GeoAI , LiDAR processing , and smart city technologies . Director, CRDIG (2016-2022) Steering Committee Member, Big Data Research Centre (CRDM) Researcher, Institute for Intelligence and Data (IID) Research Expertise spans geospatial big data, GeoNLP, and IoT applications for digital twins. His work addresses flood risk modeling , 3D urban analytics , and environmental monitoring through AI-driven solutions. Recent publications focus on contrastive learning for LiDAR segmentation and geospatial ontologies for early warning systems. Grant Leadership includes collaborative projects on smart insurance analytics (2018-2025), Arctic bioaerosol research (2019-2025), and Quebec-Morocco digital twin partnerships (2022-2023). He has advised 15+ graduate students in geomatics and related fields.
Lisa Wills serves as Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Duke University's Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and holds a joint appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering since 2019. Her research bridges computer architecture and domain-specific applications, with a focus on hardware acceleration for computationally intensive fields. Dr. Wills earned her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 2014. Her academic journey reflects a deep commitment to advancing hardware-software co-design methodologies for real-world computational challenges. Her research centers on developing efficient hardware accelerators for big data analytics, particularly in genomics, graph processing, and database systems. She pioneers frameworks that simplify accelerator deployment while tackling critical bottlenecks in genomic data analysis, protein structure prediction, and privacy-preserving computing. Current work focuses on hardware-aware machine learning systems and energy-efficient architectures for emerging AI applications. Analysis of her publication record reveals a clear trajectory: from foundational work in database processing units (2014-2016) to specialized genomic accelerators (2019-2021), then evolving toward ML-enhanced design automation (2022-2023) and cutting-edge architectural abstractions (2024-2025). Her research consistently targets the intersection of hardware efficiency and domain-specific computational demands, with increasing emphasis on AI/ML workloads. Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award (2025) Dr. Wills actively mentors doctoral students including Chris Kjellqvist (lead architect of Beethoven accelerator framework), Mason Ma (PyTFHE FHE framework), and Mansi Choudhary (COCOSSim accelerator simulator). Her research is supported by significant grants including the NSF AI Institute: Athena ($20M, 2021-2027), Meta-funded ProSE accelerator project (2023-2026), and NSF CAREER award (2021-2026), totaling over $25M in active funding. She directs the APEX Lab (Application-driven Programmable Efficient Accelerated Systems), which develops open-source frameworks like Beethoven for FPGA/ASIC accelerator deployment and focuses on lowering barriers for non-hardware researchers to leverage custom acceleration in genomics, AI, and big data applications.
David Zhigang Pan is a Professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He also holds the Silicon Laboratories Endowed Chair. Prior to joining UT Austin, he was a Research Staff Member at IBM T. J. Watson Research Center from 2000 to 2003. His academic journey began with a B.S. from Peking University, followed by M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from UCLA. Research Areas: Electronic Design Automation (EDA), Machine Learning Hardware, FPGA Prototyping, Optical Computing, Hardware Security, and CAD for Emerging Technologies Academic Timeline: Assistant Professor (2003-2008), Associate Professor (2008-2013), Full Professor (2013-present) His research focuses on design automation for mixed-signal circuits , GPU-accelerated EDA tools , and hardware-software co-design for AI . Recent work explores FFT-based optical neural networks and deobfuscation techniques for integrated circuits , reflecting his interdisciplinary approach at the intersection of machine learning , computer architecture , and semiconductor manufacturing . Key publication trends reveal expertise in: VLSI design , lithography optimization , and deep learning applications for EDA tools. His work has been recognized with multiple Best Paper Awards at top conferences including DAC , ASP-DAC , and HOST . Awards: IEEE Fellow (2014), SPIE Fellow (2017), ACM SRC Graduate Category Honors for students Patents: 8 U.S. Patents in electronic design and hardware optimization Prof. Pan has mentored 40 PhDs and postdocs who now hold key positions in academia and industry. He leads research initiatives involving GPU acceleration frameworks and optical computing architectures . His lab focuses on vertical integration of architecture, CAD tools, and fabrication technologies for next-generation hardware solutions.
Tao Hou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oregon, where he conducts research at the intersection of computational topology and machine learning. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University, a M.E. in Software Engineering from Tsinghua University, and a B.E. in Software Engineering from Beijing Institute of Technology. His research focuses on improving computational methods for topological data analysis, particularly through efficient algorithms for zigzag persistence and its applications across domains like neuroscience and materials science. Interdisciplinary applications in neuroscience (MICCAI 2024) and computational materials science (Comp. Mat. Sci. 2022) Developed open-source Python software packages for persistent cycle computation Contributed to advancements in zigzag persistence computational complexity Current research explores topological machine learning through projects like FastZigzag and LvlsetPersCyc . He teaches graduate courses on topological data analysis and algorithms theory, and actively seeks PhD students interested in combining mathematics with computer science.
Sean Ren is an Associate Professor in Computer Science at the University of Southern California, where he holds the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair. He directs the INK Research Lab and serves as Research Team Leader at USC's Information Sciences Institute. Affiliated with the USC NLP Group and Machine Learning Center, his research focuses on developing robust NLP systems through knowledge-aware architectures and data-efficient learning. His research interests include: Evaluation methods exposing NLP limitations in reasoning tasks Augmenting models with commonsense/knowledge via novel algorithms Graph neural networks for relational inference Model robustness verification and enhancement Neural-symbolic integration for interpretable AI Recent publications demonstrate strong emphases on language model reasoning, knowledge distillation, and compositional generalization. His group's ACL/NeurIPS papers frequently address robustness gaps in state-of-the-art models. Honors include: ACL Outstanding Paper (2023) MIT TR Innovator 35 Asia Pacific (2023) NSF CAREER Award (2021) Forbes 30 Under 30 (2019) ACM SIGKDD Dissertation Award (2018) Research is supported by NSF, DARPA, IARPA, and industry partners (Google, Amazon, Meta). He leads the INK Lab with focuses on label-efficient learning and knowledge-guided NLP, while actively recruiting PhD students for projects bridging symbolic and neural paradigms.
Lisa Wu Wills is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, leading the APEX Lab (Application-driven Programmable Efficient Accelerated Systems Lab). Her research focuses on hardware acceleration for big data analytics in genomics, graphs, and databases to advance healthcare and natural sciences. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Columbia University, 2014 Research Interests: Dr. Wills pioneers computer architecture and hardware-software co-design to create efficient accelerators for emerging applications. Her work targets genomics , graph analytics , and database systems , emphasizing simplified hardware deployment and energy efficiency for scientific breakthroughs in healthcare and AI. Publication Trends: Her 2022-2025 publications reveal a strong focus on open-source frameworks (Beethoven, PyTFHE) for accelerator development, hardware acceleration in privacy-preserving computing, and optimization for large language models. Key themes include transfer learning for EDA, domain-specific architectures for genomics, and energy-efficient image processing. Scientific Awards: Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award (2025) Advising and Grants: Dr. Wills mentors three PhD students: Chris Kjellqvist (Beethoven framework architect), Mason Ma (PyTFHE lead for FHE applications), and Mansi Choudhary (COCOSSim simulator creator). Her 2025 Google award funds research on accelerating vector databases and retrieval-augmented generation for LLMs. Labs and Teams: She directs the APEX Lab at Duke, developing tools like Beethoven (open-source accelerator composer) and PyTFHE for hardware-software integration, enabling domain scientists to leverage custom acceleration with minimal hardware expertise.
Alessandro Aliakbargolkar is a Professor at the Department of Space Systems Design under the School of Aerospace Engineering at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech). His research focuses on Federated Satellite Systems, CubeSat constellations, and Spacecraft Systems Architecture, with applications in Earth observation, messaging services, and networked satellite systems. He has an extensive publication record in these areas, including work on technology roadmapping and digital twin implementation. Key Research Areas: Satellite federation and resource sharing CubeSat constellation design Network performance optimization Integration of systems engineering models with AI Selected Trends: Recent work explores digital twin technologies for CubeSats, federated satellite network analysis, and large language model applications in spacecraft design. Publications often combine theoretical frameworks (e.g., network theory) with practical implementations (e.g., LoRa-based messaging services). ORCID Profile: 0000-0001-5993-2994
Andrei Kutuzov is an Associate Professor in the Language Technology Group (LTG) within the Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo. He serves as the Norwegian on-site manager of the High-Performance Language Technology (HPLT) project and has made significant contributions to computational linguistics and natural language processing. His research primarily focuses on computational linguistics and natural language processing, with specialized expertise in semantic change detection, diachronically aware language models, distributional semantics, and large language models. Kutuzov has been instrumental in developing Norwegian language resources including NorBERT, NorELMo models, and the very large-scale NORA.LLM generative models. He created WebVectors, a web service for exploring neural distribution models for Norwegian and English texts. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on semantic change modeling, multilingual dataset development, and Norwegian language technology. His work spans from theoretical linguistic analysis to practical applications in language modeling, with significant emphasis on low-resource and Nordic languages. Kutuzov's research demonstrates a consistent trajectory toward improving language models' understanding of semantic evolution and developing robust evaluation frameworks for Norwegian language processing. Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium (NORA) award as Distinguished Early Career Researcher (2022) Kutuzov teaches several advanced courses including IN5550 - Neural Methods in Natural Language Processing (2019-2025) and IN3050 - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (2024-2025). He has received research funding through the HPLT project which focuses on developing high-performance language technologies. His laboratory work centers around the Language Technology Group at UiO, where he collaborates on developing Norwegian language resources and models, with particular emphasis on diachronic semantic analysis and multilingual capabilities.
Asunción Gómez Pérez is a Spanish computer scientist and Full Professor at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) . She currently serves as Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Doctoral Studies at UPM and holds a seat at the Real Academia Española . She has authored over 300 publications and accumulated 20,000 citations. Education : PhD in Computer Science (UPM, 1993), MBA (Comillas Pontifical University) Leadership Roles : Director of the Department of Artificial Intelligence (2008–2016), Academic Director of AI Master’s/PhD programs (2009–2016), Executive Director of UPM’s Artificial Intelligence Lab (1995–1998) Her research focuses on Semantic Web and Ontology Engineering , with applications in knowledge representation, machine-machine communication, and multilingual data integration. She pioneered methods for ontology validation, metadata licensing, and AI-driven social inclusion. Key publication trends include: Ontology evaluation frameworks (e.g., OOPS!) Linked Data quality models and validation tools Multilingual and cross-lingual AI applications Interoperability solutions for smart cities and healthcare Machine Learning for social exclusion prediction Ontology-driven library and lexicography systems Scientific Awards Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences Ada Byron Prize She has led projects like the NeOn Methodology for ontology development and contributed to the European framework for linked data rights (LD Terms). Her work bridges theoretical research with practical implementations in AI and Semantic Technologies.
Daniel Hershcovich is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science (Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen) specializing in Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning . His research focuses on cross-cultural adaptation of language models, integrating human values into AI, and analyzing food-related cultural narratives for sustainable diets. Education: Ph.D. in Computational Neuroscience from Hebrew University of Jerusalem B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science from Open University of Israel Recent publications highlight his work on multimodal models (haptic captioning, visual assistants for the blind), historical text analysis (Danish/Norwegian literature, euphemism detection), and cross-cultural NLP (recipe adaptation, cultural value alignment, climate awareness). His projects frequently combine AI ethics with domain-specific applications like food studies, historical linguistics, and accessibility research. Key collaborative networks include institutions in Denmark, Israel, and international partnerships through conferences like ACL, EMNLP, and workshops on cross-cultural NLP. The NLP section at DIKU serves as his primary affiliation for these efforts.
Dr. Marzieh Amini is an Associate Professor at Carleton University, cross-appointed to the School of Information Technology and Department of Systems and Computer Engineering . She coordinates the Optical Systems and Sensors undergraduate program and leads research in computer vision, sensor fusion, and biomedical signal processing . PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2016), Concordia University Postdoctoral Fellow (2020), McGill University Research Interests focus on autonomous vehicle perception systems integrating machine learning and statistical modeling . Her work addresses multi-sensor integration for reliable operation in diverse environments, including biomedical applications and critical infrastructure monitoring . Recent publications emphasize wildfire management , LiDAR-based infrastructure monitoring , and adverse weather adaptation in autonomous systems . She has received grants from NSERC, NRC, and FRQNT . Honors & Awards include: Volunteer Recognition Awards (IEEE Montreal, 2022 & 2019) FRQNT Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018) IEEE ISCAS Travel Support (2016) Professional Service includes leadership roles in IEEE committees and conference organization.
Ali Shojaie is a Professor of Biostatistics and Statistics at the University of Washington, serving as Associate Chair for Strategic Research Affairs in the Department of Biostatistics. He leads the Summer Institute for Statistics in Big Data (SISBID) and the Data Management and Statistics (DMS) Core for the UW Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. His research focuses on developing statistical and machine learning methods for high-dimensional data, with applications in genomics, neuroscience, and public health. Shojaie's work includes advancements in graphical models, Granger causality, and spatial statistics. He has contributed to methodologies for analyzing networks from time series and spatial data, with applications in understanding gene regulatory networks and brain connectivity. His recent projects involve NIH-funded grants exploring gene-phenotype associations using omic data and explainable machine learning for brain stimulation research. Scientific awards include the 2022 Leo Breiman Award from ASA's Statistical Learning and Data Science section, and election as a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) and American Statistical Association (ASA). He serves on editorial boards for journals like the Journal of the American Statistical Association and Biometrika. Shojaie advises numerous PhD students and postdocs, many of whom have secured academic and industry positions. His lab develops open-source software tools, including the netgsa and ngc packages for network analysis and Granger causality estimation.
Antonino Vallesi is a Full Professor in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Padua. He holds a master's degree in Psychology (University of Padua, 2003) and a PhD in Neuroscience (SISSA, Trieste, 2007). He has held roles as Assistant and Associate Professor at SISSA and the University of Padua before achieving his current rank. His research focuses on executive functions, cognitive aging, and temporal processing, employing neuroimaging, EEG, and experimental psychology methods. He has supervised over 10 PhD students, 13 postdocs, and 65 trainees. Education: PhD in Neuroscience, SISSA, Trieste (2007) Master's in Psychology, University of Padua (2003) Research Interests: The anatomo-functional organization of executive functions, cognitive aging, temporal processing, and neuropsychological methodologies. His work explores these areas through advanced techniques like EEG, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation. Awards: Bertelson Award (2011) Outstanding Young Person Award (2011) SIPF Prize (2017) ERC Starting Grant (2013) Advising & Grants: Supervisor of over 10 PhD students and 13 postdocs. Secured significant funding including an ERC grant. Involved in grant reviewing for EU programs (e.g., Horizon 2020) and international agencies. Labs & Teams: Leads the Executive Function Lab at the University of Padua, focusing on cognitive neuroscience and clinical applications.
Rainer Gemulla is a Professor of Practical Computer Science I: Data Analytics at the University of Mannheim, heading the Data and Web Science Group within the School of Business Informatics and Mathematics. He has been a W3-Professor at the University since 2014, following positions as a senior researcher at Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik (2010-2014) and postdoctoral researcher at IBM Almaden Research Center (2008-2010). His research focuses on machine learning with structured and semi-structured data, particularly knowledge graphs, and developing efficient systems for data-intensive processing. Professor Gemulla's research spans multiple areas including machine learning with structured data (relational data), machine learning with semi-structured data (multi-relational graphs), combining these approaches with unstructured knowledge (text), and developing efficient, scalable methods for data-intensive processing. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, as evidenced by numerous open-source software projects including LibKGE, DistKGE, and AdaPM. His recent publications show a strong trend toward knowledge graph embeddings, parameter server architectures, and efficient training methods. The research demonstrates increasing focus on scalability challenges in graph learning, with particular attention to hyperparameter optimization, dynamic resource allocation, and benchmarking methodologies. His work consistently addresses the practical challenges of implementing machine learning systems at scale. Distinguished Reviewer Award at SIGMOD, 2025 Distinguished PC Member Award at EDBT, 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award at NeurIPS, 2021 Junior-Fellow of the Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI), 2013 IBM's 2011 Pat Goldberg Memorial best paper award Best paper of NIPS 2011 Biglearn workshop Professor Gemulla actively mentors PhD students and has supervised numerous successful doctoral candidates. His leadership extends to administrative roles including Head of examination board for MSc Business Informatics since 2017, and previously serving as Study dean of the WIM faculty (2016-2019) and CIO of University of Mannheim (2022-2024). His research is supported by grants including AWS in Education Research Grant Award (2013) and Google Focused Research Award (2011). The Data and Web Science Group develops multiple open-source software projects including LibKGE (knowledge graph embedding library), DistKGE (multi-GPU training), AdaPM (adaptive parameter manager), Lapse (parameter server), and various tools for information extraction and sequence mining. The group maintains active collaborations with industry partners and academic institutions worldwide, particularly in the areas of knowledge graph research and scalable machine learning systems.
Prof. Dr. Heiko Paulheim is a Professor of Data Science and currently serves as University Vice President at the University of Mannheim. He leads the Data and Web Science Group (DWS), which focuses on Web Data Mining, Knowledge Graphs, and Semantic Web technologies. His research group contributes to open source knowledge graphs like DBpedia and develops new knowledge graphs such as WebIsALOD and DBkWik. As of October 1, 2024, he has limited teaching capacity due to his vice presidential duties. Prof. Paulheim's research interests span Knowledge Graphs, Semantic Web, Web Data Mining, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. His work particularly focuses on knowledge graph refinement, embedding techniques (notably RDF2vec), and applications in various domains including news recommendation, biomedical informatics, and environmental monitoring. His group develops practical tools like the RapidMiner Linked Open Data Extension and RDF2vec for knowledge graph applications. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on knowledge graph embeddings, with particular attention to RDF2vec variants, applications in news recommendation systems, biomedical data integration, and spatio-temporal knowledge graphs for environmental monitoring. His work bridges theoretical advances in knowledge representation with practical applications across multiple domains. Among his notable achievements are a nomination for the Best Paper Award at CAiSE 2025 and securing an Open Science Grant for the SpatialBenchRAG project. His research has significant impact in both academic and industrial contexts, with multiple papers accepted at top conferences like ISWC and ESWC. Prof. Paulheim has supervised numerous PhD students including Alexander Brinkmann and Michael Schlechtinger, and has led several research projects including the DFG Project Mine@LOD, State of BW Project SyKoW², and BMBF Project DS4DM. His group maintains strong industry connections with partners like SAP AG, Daimler AG, and IDS.
