Dr. Sarah OBrien is a Lecturer in Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick. Her work bridges oral history, memory studies, and migration research. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Research Interests : Specializing in oral history methodologies, her scholarship explores cultural memory, Irish diasporic communities, identity negotiations, and language-education intersections. Key themes include trauma narratives, transnationalism, and linguistic ideologies. Recent Publications : Focus on Irish immigrant life-writing in the Americas, memory's role in cultural inheritance, and educational frameworks addressing inequality (SDG 10). Her interdisciplinary approach connects historical sociology with pedagogical innovation. Networks : Collaborates with linguists and educators on transnational case studies, particularly Irish communities in Argentina and New Mexico. Maintains expertise in oral history techniques and cultural memory analysis.
Dr. Alberto Ceccato is a Lecturer at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He specializes in structural geology and tectonics, with a focus on crustal deformation mechanisms, fluid-rock interactions, and fault zone processes. His research integrates field observations, experimental studies, and numerical modeling to address questions in orogenic systems, subduction zones, and continental collision. His work spans diverse geological settings, including the Alps, Norwegian margin, and Western Alps meta-ophiolites. Key research interests include the role of fluids in fault activation, crustal rheology during collisional orogeny, and the structural evolution of fractured basement systems. Dr. Ceccato collaborates with international teams to advance understanding of subsurface connectivity, seismic hazard, and the interplay between tectonics and geochemical cycles. Recent studies highlight analyses of Alpine catchment hydrogeology, multiphase deformation in passive margins, and nanoindentation experiments on quartz mechanics. His publications emphasize methodological innovations, such as combining virtual outcrop models with discrete fracture network simulations to quantify fault zone properties.
Susanne Åkesson is a Professor at Lund University's Department of Biology, where she leads the Animal Navigation Lab and serves as Principal Investigator at the Center for Animal Movement Research (CAnMove), which she has directed since 2008. She is also a member of Lund University's Profile Areas: Natural and Artificial Cognition and Light and Materials, as well as part of eSSENCE: The e-Science Collaboration. Her research focuses on animal navigation and migration, particularly in birds, with expertise spanning sensory ecology, movement patterns, and the intersection of biology and physics. She studies how animals navigate using skylight polarization and Earth's magnetic field, with notable projects including continental-wide tracking of common swifts documenting their 10-month non-stop flights. Her work connects biology with physics through studies on Viking navigation, zebra coat coloration, and animal navigation mechanisms. Her 215+ publications reveal a strong focus on migration phenotypes, endogenous migration programs, and how animals adapt to long migrations. Recent work emphasizes conservation applications, with studies mapping migratory routes using pan-European telemetry networks and assessing threats to migratory species in the Anthropocene. Her research combines large-scale field experiments, tracking technology, and innovative remote sensing methods like lidar systems for monitoring insect movement. Awarded the Silver medal for excellence in research and communication from the Swedish Ornithological Society (2009), she is also a Fellow of the Royal Institute for Navigation in London (2006), the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund (2010), and the Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm (2016). Her popular science communication includes books nominated for the August Prize and regular contributions to Swedish National Radio's 'Naturmorgon' program since 2002. She teaches undergraduate courses in Evolutionary Animal Ecology and Ornithology and has developed Lund University's international PhD course on 'Ecology of Animal Migration' since 1999. Her current research projects include evolutionary ecology of avian migration (Swedish Research Council, 2023-2027) and species-specific adaptations to migration in songbirds (Carl Tryggers Foundation, 2024-2026).
Pablo Capilla Lasheras is an Affiliate Researcher at the School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow. His research focuses on ecology, urban impacts on wildlife, avian physiology, and evolutionary biology. He has been funded by organizations such as the Wild Animal Initiative and Wellcome Trust. 2023–Present: Research Associate (Wild Animal Initiative-funded) 2019–2023: Research Assistant, University of Glasgow 2015–2019: PhD in Biology, University of Exeter 2014–2015: MSc in Quantitative Methods, University of Glasgow 2009–2013: BSc in Environmental Biology, Complutense University of Madrid His research interests include urban effects on animal behavior, gut microbiome roles in migration, and evolutionary trade-offs in cooperative breeding. He has published widely on topics like urbanization impacts on avian health, clutch size dynamics, and chronotype effects on reproduction. Grants include: "It Takes Guts to Grow in the City": Wild Animal Initiative (2022–2023) "Animal and Human Health Consequences of Gut Microbiome Variation": Wellcome Trust (2022) His work explores urbanization’s multifaceted effects on wildlife, integrating physiological, behavioral, and ecological perspectives.
Dr. Judith Paridaen is a Scientific Coordinator at the CogniGron initiative within the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen. She holds a PhD from Utrecht University (2009) and completed postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden. Her work focuses on neural stem cell biology , investigating how stem cells make division and fate decisions during brain development using zebrafish and mouse models. Research interests include: Asymmetric cell division mechanisms Role of subcellular structures (centrosomes, cilia) in neurogenesis Stem cell fate decisions in developing and adult tissues Single-cell genomics and lineage tracing techniques Key achievements include: Rosalind Franklin Fellowship (2016) NWO-Vidi Grant (2017) Member of Young Academy Groningen (2019) Teaching responsibilities include coordinating the Current Themes in Healthy Ageing course and supervising research projects in M.Sc. programs. Her lab actively seeks motivated students for collaborative research projects.
Professor Jean-Philippe Platteau is a leading expert in Development Economics and Economics of Institutions at the University of Namur. He serves as a co-director for major research projects including Economic Development and Institutions (EDI) funded by DFID and the Gender and Development Project by WIDER. His work intersects with Sub-Saharan Africa and South Korea , focusing on institutional challenges in early development stages. PhD in Economics Research interests include informal credit/insurance markets, collective action problems in natural resource management, food security under market imperfections, social norms in development, formal vs. customary law, gender issues, family economics in poor countries, and the political economy of religion. Recent publications address aid allocation with optimal monitoring (2025), migration impacts on inheritance (2024), and institutional challenges (2023). His academic output spans theoretical models, empirical studies in Bolivia and Benin, and policy analyses. Dudley Seers Prize (1996) Francqui Chair (KUL 1999-2000, ULB 2011-2012) Raymond Barre Chair (Goethe 2018) He supervises major projects on topics like social norms dynamics , land markets , and religious influence on governance . His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty reduction and institutional development.
Julia Stephens is an Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University and serves as the Vice Chair for Undergraduate Education in the Department of History. She has been at Rutgers since 2016 and previously taught at Yale, Cambridge, and Harvard. Education: Ph.D., Harvard University M.Phil., Trinity College, Cambridge B.A., Harvard College Research Interests: Her research centers on how law has shaped religion, family, and economy in colonial and post-colonial South Asia and the wider Indian diaspora. Her first book, Governing Islam: Law, Empire, and Secularism in South Asia (2018), explores the colonial construction of the religious/secular binary and its contested legal and social implications. Her current project, Worldly Afterlives: Death and Diaspora in the Indian Ocean , investigates inheritance practices among Indian migrants across the Indian Ocean world, using estate records to trace the lives and legal entanglements of diasporic families. This work involves archival research in India, South Africa, Zanzibar, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK. Publications Overview: Her publications span legal history, Islamic law, colonial governance, and transnational history, with a consistent focus on South Asia and the Indian Ocean. Her work often combines archival legal sources with broader cultural and social analysis, reflecting an interdisciplinary approach bridging history, law, and anthropology. Grants and Fellowships: Award for Distinguished Contribution to Undergraduate Education, Rutgers (2019) InterAsia Research Fellowship, SSRC (2016–2017) Kempf Memorial Fund, Yale (2015–2016) Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cambridge (2013–2014) Sidney R. Knafel Completion Fellowship, Harvard (2012–2013) Jacob K. Javits Fellowship, U.S. Dept. of Education (2008–2012) Teaching and Advising: She teaches surveys on modern South Asia and political Islam, and offers specialized seminars on Islamic law, postcolonial and subaltern theory, and diasporic family histories. She also plays a key administrative role as Undergraduate Vice Chair in the History Department.
Dr. Ruohong Jiao is an Assistant Professor in Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, currently on leave. Specializing in fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology, his research investigates orogenic processes and landscape evolution through field studies and computational modeling. Research focuses on tectonic exhumation patterns, mountain building processes, and fluvial system responses to tectonic forcing. Recent methodological innovations include applications of physics-informed neural networks for thermochronological data inversion. Field areas span Vancouver Island, Tibetan Plateau, Tian Shan, and Yangtze River regions. Publications demonstrate expertise in reconstructing tectonic histories using low-temperature thermochronometry, with emphasis on coupling between surface processes and deep crustal dynamics. Professional service includes graduate student committee supervision.
Giacomo Pasini is a Full Professor and Director of the Department of Economics at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. He holds multiple leadership roles including Chair of the Department's Committee and membership in the Academic Senate. His research spans econometrics, health economics, labor markets, and social security systems. Key interests include retirement policies, intergenerational transfers, health burden of occupational stress, and economic aspects of aging populations. Professor Pasini serves as associate editor for Health Economics and Research in Economics, and sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Pension Economics & Finance. He is affiliated with Netspar, a European research network for pension and aging studies.
Professor Paul Bou-Habib is a Professor and Director of Postgraduate Studies in the Department of Government at the University of Essex. He holds a PhD in Politics from Princeton University (2001), alongside BSc and MSc degrees from the London School of Economics. His research bridges the history of political thought and contemporary issues, with a focus on migration ethics, distributive justice, and climate justice. He is currently writing a book on the ethics of skilled migration entitled The Brain Drain: A Moral Assessment . Notable awards include a Marie Curie award from the European Commission and a research fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust. His work explores themes such as liberal neutrality, intergenerational equity, and institutional responsibility in addressing global challenges. Recent scholarship includes contributions to debates on planetary wellbeing, climate justice, and aging equality. Professor Bou-Habib’s academic leadership includes directing postgraduate studies and maintaining active teaching roles. His publications span over two decades, addressing topics ranging from Locke’s political thought to modern issues like racial profiling and climate ethics. He has contributed to policy discussions on migration, sustainability, and university roles in advancing global goals.
Prof. Ali Ünlü is a full professor in Methods of Empirical Educational Research at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), affiliated with the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology. His research focuses on mathematical and statistical methods in behavioral sciences, educational measurement, and large-scale assessment. He earned his mathematics degree from TU Darmstadt (2000), a doctorate in psychometrics from TU Graz (2004), and habilitation in statistics from the University of Augsburg (2009). Awards include the 2005 Memorial Guest award from Purdue University. His work emphasizes latent variable models for knowledge assessment and has been published in journals like Methodology and Journal of Mathematical Psychology . He has held visiting professorships and led the Center for International Comparative Educational Studies (2011–2016). His recent studies explore β-cell biology and diabetes mechanisms, reflecting interdisciplinary research interests. Education: PhD in Psychometrics/Mathematical Psychology (2004) Habilitation in Statistics (2009) Research emphasizes quantitative methodologies applied to educational and behavioral sciences. Key themes include: Statistical modeling in large-scale assessments Latent variable models for competence diagnostics Interdisciplinary cell biology studies (e.g., β-cell dynamics) Recent publications highlight cellular mechanisms in diabetes and pancreatic development. His work bridges educational measurement and biomedical research, leveraging advanced statistical techniques. Awards: Winner Memorial Guest, Purdue University (2005) Grants and advisory roles include leadership at the Center for International Comparative Educational Studies. Collaborations span institutions like UC Irvine and Purdue University.
Diana J. Laird is a principal investigator at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her research spans epigenetics, developmental biology, stem cell biology, and environmental health, focusing on germ cell potential, environmental influences on reproductive development, and germ cell roles in aging. She is Deputy Director and Pilot Core Director of the P30 Center for Environmental Research and Translation for Health (EaRTH) at UCSF, a federally-funded lab advancing human health through reproductive science. Stanford University, Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (2003) Sloan Kettering Institute, Postdoctoral Research in Developmental Genetics (2007) Her lab investigates: • Equal potential of germ cells to become functional gametes • Environmental impacts (chemicals, stress) on germ cell development • Germ cell roles in ovarian and systemic aging • Transgenerational effects of exposures • Genetic infertility mechanisms (e.g., Fragile X syndrome) • Comparative biology using mouse models, human cells, and naked mole-rats Current research trends include: • 3D imaging of ovarian development • Glucocorticoid signaling in germ cells • Genomic adaptations in naked mole-rats • DNA methylation dynamics in gametogenesis • Cell competition and apoptosis in germ cell quality control Tektronix Scholarship (1990) NSF Predoctoral Fellowship (2002) Jane Coffin Childs Fellow (2008) NIH New Innovator Award (2016) Deleage Prize (2019) Keck Foundation Award (2025) Laird's NIH-funded work includes projects on: • Stress and chemical interactions in germ cell reprogramming • Ovary-based anti-aging approaches • FMR1 gene function in fertility • Transgenerational phthalate effects
Masaki Shirayama is an Assistant Professor at the UMass Chan Medical School , affiliated with the RNA Therapeutics Institute under the T.H. Chan School of Medicine . His research focuses on Cell Biology , Molecular Biology , and Developmental Biology , with a specialization in C. elegans genetics and RNA regulatory mechanisms. Education : PhD in Biology from the University of Tokyo , Japan. Shirayama's work explores the roles of Argonaute proteins , piRNAs , and epigenetic signals in germline gene expression and RNA interference . He investigates asymmetric cell division , chromosome segregation , and Wnt signaling pathways using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. His publications (15 most recent) highlight themes in RNA regulation , epigenetic inheritance , germline genome surveillance , and developmental gene networks . Key subfields include piRNA function , Argonaute pathways , cytokinesis , cell polarity , and RNA-binding protein interactions . Shirayama collaborates with researchers such as Craig Mello , Darryl Conte , and Zhiping Weng within the RNA Therapeutics Institute. His work spans genetics , embryology , and molecular mechanisms of gene regulation.
Mikael Elinder is a Professor and Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Uppsala University. He serves as Director of the Uppsala Center for Fiscal Studies and is a co-founder of Prexpect and Pregspect. His research combines applied economics with interdisciplinary approaches, focusing on empirical analysis of policy-relevant issues. Research Interests: Elinder's work spans public economics, behavioral economics, and health policy. Key areas include: Inheritance patterns and wealth inequality Voting behavior and political economy Pension systems and household finance Refugee migration preferences Energy consumption and pricing mechanisms COVID-19 vaccination behaviors His current research emphasizes health economics, prosocial behavior, and predictive modeling in healthcare. Publication Trends: Elinder maintains high scholarly output with recent work (2022-2025) focusing on: Intelligence-prosocial behavior relationships Ukrainian refugee migration patterns Pension literacy COVID-19 policy responses Environmental pricing reforms His empirical approach leverages large-scale registry data and behavioral experiments. Leadership & Affiliations: Beyond academia, Elinder co-founded health-tech companies Prexpect and Pregspect. He leads the Uppsala Center for Fiscal Studies, facilitating policy-relevant economic research.
Joseph Price is a Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University (BYU), where he directs the Record Linking Lab. He is also a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and a Fellow at the Wheatley Institute. His research integrates family history data with machine learning to create large linked datasets, focusing on intergenerational mobility, labor economics, and family structure analysis. PhD in Economics from Cornell University (2007) BA in Economics from Brigham Young University (2003) Price's work spans economic history, demographic studies, and educational policy, with over 50 publications in top journals like the Quarterly Journal of Economics and Journal of Labor Economics . He mentors over 60 undergraduate research assistants and 400 BYU Pathway students in Africa. His key projects include the Census Tree—linking 700 million historical U.S. census records— and studies on marriage premiums, NBA referee bias, and farm succession. Recent research trends include multigenerational mobility analysis (2025), lifespan transmission studies (2023), and machine learning applications in historical record linking (2019). His work often addresses socioeconomic disparities, policy impacts, and structural changes over time. NBER Faculty Research Fellow Wheatley Institute Fellow Price advises numerous mentored research projects and contributes to policy discussions through grants and datasets. His lab develops methods for analyzing historical socioeconomic mobility and family dynamics. Personal details include being a father of seven children (two at BYU, one in Uruguay missionary service).
