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Jan DreierView profile

Research Fellow

• Structural Graph Theory
• Algorithmic Meta-theorems
• Computational Complexity
• +1 more

Jan Dreier is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Logic and Computation at Vienna University of Technology. His research centers on structural graph theory and algorithmic meta-theorems, particularly exploring the boundaries of tractability for model checking problems. Dreier's work bridges theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics, focusing on graph decompositions, parameterized complexity, and logical expressiveness. Key research themes include monadic stability in graph classes, applications of model theory to computer science, and efficient algorithms for logical queries on structured graphs. His publication record shows consistent focus on graph sparsity concepts and algorithmic applications of logic, with recent work expanding into approximation methods for counting queries. Research demonstrates sophisticated applications of combinatorial methods to fundamental problems in computational complexity.

Wolfgang KunzView profile

Professor

• Hardware Safety and Security
• Formal Hardware Verification
• Embedded Computing Systems
• +5 more

Wolfgang Kunz is a Full Professor (C4, W3) and Chair of Electronic Design Automation at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern since 2001. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions, including Goethe-University Frankfurt/Main and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has held leadership roles such as Dean (2005-2007) and Vice-Dean (2007-2009) at TU Kaiserslautern. Habilitation (Dr. rer. nat. habil.), Computer Science, University of Potsdam (1996) Doctoral degree (Dr.-Ing.), Electrical Engineering, University of Hannover (1992) Dipl.-Ing. degree, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (1989) His research focuses on hardware verification, security, and optimization, particularly in embedded systems and processors. His work on formal verification methods has been commercialized by companies like Synopsys, Mentor Graphics, and Siemens EDA. His 2016-2021 publications address critical security issues such as Spectre/Meltdown and introduce innovative verification frameworks adopted by industry leaders like Infineon and OneSpin Solutions. Scientific awards include the IEEE Fellow (2006), German IT Society Award (2005), and TU Kaiserslautern Distinguished Teaching Award (2016). He has served on editorial boards of major journals and coordinated the Erasmus Mundus European Master Program in Embedded Computing Systems since 2010. Key students: Jörg Bormann, Raik Brinkmann, Tobias Ludwig Collaborations: Siemens EDA, Infineon, AbsInt, Intel SCAP Spin-offs: LUBIS EDA, OneSpin Solutions

Marta Zofia KwiatkowskaView profile

Professor

• Automated verification
• Probabilistic model checking
• Temporal logics
• +3 more

Professor Marta Zofia Kwiatkowska is Professor of Computing Systems and Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Oxford, where she has held a faculty position since 2007. She previously served as Professor of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham (2001–2007), Reader and Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (1994–2001), and Lecturer at the University of Leicester (1986–1994). Her academic career began as Assistant Professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland (1980–1988). Education: BSc/MSc in Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Kraków MA, University of Oxford PhD, University of Leicester Research Interests: Professor Kwiatkowska spearheaded the development of probabilistic and quantitative verification methods on the international stage. Her work bridges theory and practice through the PRISM model checker—the leading software tool in probabilistic model checking—used worldwide for research and teaching. Application domains include communication and security protocols , nanotechnology designs , power management , ubiquitous computing and systems biology . She investigates automated verification , temporal logics , semantic models for concurrency , real-time systems , and biological process modelling . Current grant funding exceeds £3.7 million from EPSRC, EU and ERC, including the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant VERIWARE. Scientific Awards & Honours: Fellow of the Royal Society Fellow of the ACM Fellow of the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science (EATCS) Fellow of the British Computer Society (BCS) Fellow of the Polish Society of Arts & Sciences Abroad ERC Advanced Grant VERIWARE (€2.046 M, 2010–2015) Top Cited Article Award, Theoretical Computer Science (2005–2010) Best Paper Award, QEST 2006 Doctoral Supervision & Grants: Professor Kwiatkowska actively supervises doctoral students (D.Phil. at Oxford) and post-doctoral researchers. She welcomes applications in areas aligned with her research interests, detailed here . Current students include Charlie Griffin, Daqian Shao, Matthew Yuan and Minghao Liu; past students and researchers number over twenty, many now in faculty or industry leadership roles. Laboratory & Teams: She leads the Oxford Quantitative Verification group within the Department of Computer Science. Ongoing projects include FUN2MODEL, ELSA, FAIR and the flagship PRISM probabilistic model checker. The group maintains strong collaborations with biological, robotics and engineering teams worldwide.

• Computer Security
• Cryptography
• Privacy
• +4 more

Matteo Maffei is a Full Professor at TU Wien, leading the Security and Privacy group. He joined in 2017 after 11 years at Saarland University's CISPA. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (2006). He coordinates the TU Wien Cybersecurity Center, the SecInt Doctoral School, and the FWF Special Research Program SPyCoDe. His research focuses on formal methods for security and privacy, blockchain technologies, and web security. Roles: Full Professor, Coordinator of TU Wien Cybersecurity Center, Module Head of Christian Doppler Lab for Blockchain Technologies (CDL-BOT), Board Member of Vienna Cybersecurity and Privacy Research Cluster (ViSP). His work emphasizes formal verification of cryptographic protocols, smart contracts, and decentralized systems. Key achievements include ERC Advanced (2024) and Consolidator (2018) Grants, and leadership roles in conferences like IEEE Computer Security Foundations Symposium (CSF). Research Interests: Formal methods, smart contracts, blockchain scalability, web security, privacy-preserving protocols, and decentralized systems. His recent projects include optimizing Lightning Network channels, secure multi-hop payments, and AI-driven robustness verification. Publications: Over 200 publications in top venues like CCS, IEEE S&P, and CRYPTO. Recent work includes advancements in blockchain interoperability (e.g., Alba bridges), light client protocols (Blink), and neural network verification techniques. Grants & Awards: ERC Advanced Grant (2024), ERC Consolidator Grant (2018), DFG Emmy Noether Fellowship (2009). Led projects funded by EU Horizon, FWF, and industry partners like ABC Research GmbH. Advising & Labs: Supervised over 20 PhD/Master theses. Active in the Christian Doppler Lab for Blockchain Technologies and the SPyCoDe SFB. Collaborates with institutions like SBA Research and Stanford University.

Joseph SifakisView profile

Researcher

• Model Checking
• Concurrent Systems Specification and Verification
• Component-Based Design
• +3 more

Joseph Sifakis is a CNRS Research Director and founder of Verimag Laboratory in Grenoble, France. He holds the INRIA-Schneider endowed industrial chair since 2008 and has been instrumental in advancing concurrent systems specification and verification. Education: Electrical Engineering (Technical University of Athens), Computer Science (University of Grenoble) Research interests focus on component-based design , real-time systems , and correct-by-construction techniques . He pioneered the development of the BIP framework and contributed to model checking, a cornerstone of industrial system verification. Recent publications emphasize component-based modeling, formal verification, and distributed system design, reflecting his work's impact on embedded systems and critical applications like aerospace and telecommunications. Scientific awards include: Turing Award (2007) CNRS Silver Medal (2001) Test-of-Time Award (2012) Multiple honorary doctorates (2008-2011) Member of prestigious academies Industry collaborations span Airbus, ST Microelectronics, and the European Space Agency, with applications in aeronautics, telecommunications, and industrial software standards. He leads the ARTIST2 Network of Excellence and directs the CARNOT Institute 'Intelligent Software and Systems'.

• Software Architecture
• Microservices
• Cloud Computing
• +7 more

Uwe Zdun is a Professor at the Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, where he serves as Vice-Director of Studies for Computer Science and Head of the Research Group Software Architecture. His teaching portfolio includes core courses such as Software Engineering 2, Advanced Software Engineering, and Practical Software Courses for Bachelor's and Master's theses across multiple semesters (2024W-2025S). His research spans software architecture with emphasis on microservices, cloud computing, and DevOps. Key focus areas include architectural design decisions, infrastructure-as-code conformance, security in distributed systems, and the integration of machine learning operations (MLOps/RLOps). He investigates cognitive aspects of architecture practices through controlled experiments and develops model-driven approaches for quality assessment in complex systems. Recent publications (2024-2026) reveal three dominant trends: (1) Security and coupling analysis in infrastructure-as-code deployments, (2) MLOps/RLOps integration for Industry 4.0 cyber-physical systems, and (3) Performance optimization patterns for CI/CD pipelines and autoscaling. His work bridges theoretical architecture models with industrial practice, particularly in microservice ecosystems and reinforcement learning applications. Professor Zdun leads the Research Group Software Architecture at the University of Vienna's Faculty of Computer Science. The group focuses on empirical validation of architectural patterns, tool development for conformance checking, and advancing design decision methodologies in cloud-native and AI-driven systems.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Vision
• Natural Language Processing
• +4 more

Armin Kirchknopf serves as a Junior Researcher at the Media Computing Research Group within the Institute of Creative Media/Technologies, Department of Media and Digital Technologies at the University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten. His interdisciplinary work bridges artificial intelligence, computer vision, and social media analysis, with significant contributions to misinformation detection and disaster response systems. Based at Campus-Platz 1 in St. Pölten, Austria, he actively collaborates on EU-funded projects and publishes in top-tier AI venues. His educational journey spans humanities and technology: a Bachelor of Arts in Egyptology and Master of Arts in Classical Archaeology from the University of Vienna (including fieldwork at excavation sites across Austria, Germany, and Egypt), followed by a Bachelor of Science in Media Technology from FH St. Pölten. This unique background informs his human-centered AI research approach. Kirchknopf's research centers on explainable multimodal AI systems for real-world challenges. His recent work demonstrates expertise in transformer-based architectures for cross-lingual fake news detection, sexism identification, and flood monitoring through social media imagery. He pioneers techniques like Grad-CAM for object detection explainability and develops visualization tools for complex data interpretation, emphasizing transparency and social impact in AI deployment. Analysis of his 13 publications (2017-2022) reveals a strategic shift toward applied AI in societal contexts , particularly using social media data for disaster management and combating online toxicity. His projects consistently integrate computer vision with natural language processing, showing increasing sophistication in multilingual capabilities and model interpretability frameworks. His scientific recognition includes: Creative Business Award for co-developing the Tenjin learning quiz application No documented student advisement or grant leadership appears in current records, though he actively mentors through project-based collaborations. His work with the Media Computing Research Group drives innovation in educational technology and public safety applications. Kirchknopf contributes to the Media Computing Research Group's portfolio including Fake News Detection, SAiEX (Safe AI with explainable integrity), InfraBase (building footprint segmentation), and Ressel Center music therapy projects. His cross-disciplinary collaborations span computer scientists, archaeologists, and social scientists, reflecting the group's commitment to human-centric technological solutions .

• Financial Enterprise Management
• Enterprise Risk Management
• IT-based Enterprise Management
• +3 more

Prof. Walter Schwaiger is a Full Professor at TU Wien’s Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, leading the Institute of Management Science. His academic roles include serving as Head of the Faculty Council since 2010 and holding various curriculum committee positions. He teaches critical courses such as Financial Management, Enterprise Risk Management, and IT-based Management across bachelor’s and master’s programs. His research focuses on three core areas: Financial Enterprise Management (stochastic NPV modeling for renewable energy investments), Enterprise Risk Management (risk maturity assessments via ERMMA studies), and IT-based Management (ontology-driven accounting frameworks like OntoREA). Recent work includes predictive analytics applications in credit risk scoring and pandemic-driven default prediction studies. Prof. Schwaiger has authored influential textbooks like IFRS-Finanzmanagement series and pioneered the REA-based ERP-Control system. He actively contributes to management control research, publishing in venues like Controlling and WingBusiness , and collaborates with institutions like Funk Stiftung on large-scale ERM maturity studies. His professional service includes leading faculty strategy groups and quality management initiatives at TU Wien, reflecting his commitment to institutional governance and academic excellence.

• Model-Based Testing
• Automata Theory
• Machine Learning
• +5 more

Bernhard Aichernig is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. His work bridges formal methods, model-based testing, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on automata learning, digital twins, and AI-assisted programming. Institution: Institute of Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Key Research Areas: Model-Based Testing, Automata Learning, AI-Driven Verification His research explores the integration of machine learning into formal verification, enabling scalable testing of complex systems like IoT devices and reinforcement learning agents. Recent projects include AI-Augmented DevOps frameworks (AIDOaRT) and digital twin validation (LearnTwins). Notable scientific awards include multiple best paper recognitions at SEFM (2020, 2021) and the TAYSIR Competition first place (2023). His publications emphasize hybrid approaches combining genetic programming, SMT solving, and neural networks for system modeling. 2025 : AI-assisted programming, timed automata via domain knowledge 2024 : Stochastic environment modeling, Git system learning 2023 : Reinforcement learning under partial observability, digital twins for VPN servers He actively contributes to testing frameworks like AALpy and investigates explainable AI for fault diagnosis in cyber-physical systems.

• Formal Methods
• Software Verification
• Concurrent Systems
• +6 more

Thomas Henzinger is a Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), where he leads the Henzinger Thomas Group focused on improving software reliability through mathematical methods. He previously served as ISTA's President (2009–2022) and held academic positions at EPFL, Max Planck Institute, UC Berkeley, and Cornell University. Education: Dipl.-Ing. in Computer Science (Johannes Kepler University, Austria), M.S. in Computer and Information Sciences (University of Delaware), PhD in Computer Science (Stanford University), and Honorary Doctorates from Fourier University (France) and Masaryk University (Czech Republic). The group's research spans concurrent systems , embedded systems , quantitative model checking , runtime monitoring , and trustworthy AI . They develop tools like HyTech and VAMOS, emphasizing predictability, robustness, and fairness in safety-critical software. Recent publications highlight trends in quantitative automata , fairness in AI , quantum algorithms , and automata theory , reflecting interdisciplinary applications from cyber-physical systems to neural networks. Collaborative projects include SPyCoDe (security foundations) and VAMOS (software monitoring). Honors & Awards: 2024 Fellow of the Royal Society 2020 Member, US National Academy of Sciences 2015 Royal Society Milner Award 2012 Wittgenstein Award 2006 ACM and IEEE Fellow 1995 NSF CAREER and ONR Young Investigator Awards Henzinger advises current and former PhD students including Mahyar Karimi, Pavol Kebis, and Mathias Lechner. His grants include ERC Advanced Grants (QUAREM, VAMOS) and FWF funding (Wittgenstein Award, NFN RISE). Labs & Teams: He leads the Henzinger Thomas Group at ISTA, collaborating with FORSYTE (TU Wien) and contributing to EU-funded initiatives. The group integrates postdocs, PhD students, and interns in formal methods and system verification.

Ana SokolovaView profile

Professor

• Computer Science
• Theoretical Computer Science
• Formal Methods
• +3 more

Ana Sokolova is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Salzburg. She is affiliated with the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences and actively contributes to research in theoretical computer science. University: University of Salzburg Faculty: Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences Department: Computer Science Email: ana.sokolova@plus.ac.at Her research focuses on probabilistic systems , concurrency theory , convex algebras , and formal verification . This work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in distributed computing and programming semantics. Recent publications highlight advancements in trace semantics , determinization , probabilistic anonymity , and coalgebraic modeling . Key trends include the integration of Markov chains , nondeterministic systems , and algebraic structures for formal verification.

Wil van der AalstView profile

Professor

• Business Process Management
• Data Mining
• Simulation
• +6 more

Wil van der Aalst is a full professor at RWTH Aachen University since 2018, leading the Process and Data Science (PADS) group. He serves as Chief Scientist at Celonis and is part-time affiliated with Fraunhofer FIT . Additional roles include deputy CEO of the Internet of Production Cluster of Excellence , co-director of the RWTH Center for Artificial Intelligence , and speaker of the RWTH ICT Profile Area . Previously, he led the Architecture of Information Systems group at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) until 2017 and was a member of Tilburg University's Board of Governors (2015–2023). Research interests focus on process mining , business process management , Petri nets , and model-based analysis . His work bridges formal methods with real-world applications, influencing software development, standardization committees, and commercial tools like Celonis, SAP, and YAWL. Developed foundational WorkFlow nets (WF-nets) and soundness criteria for workflow modeling Pioneered the Workflow Patterns initiative (with Arthur ter Hofstede and Nick Russell), impacting process modeling standards Founded the YAWL open-source workflow system and ProM process mining framework Chaired steering committees for major conferences (Business Process Management, IEEE Task Force on Process Mining) Scientific honors include IEEE, ACM, and IFIP fellowships, the Alexander von Humboldt Award (2018), and memberships in prestigious academies such as Academia Europaea and the German Academy of Science and Engineering. He has an H-index of 182 (Google Scholar) and over 155,000 citations. He has served on the editorial boards of journals including Business & Information Systems Engineering , IEEE Transactions on Services Computing , and Transactions on Petri Nets and Other Models of Concurrency . He also co-founded the BPM User Group Foundation and led the Data Science Center Eindhoven (DSC/e) until 2017.

Joost-Pieter KatoenView profile

Professor

• Model Checking
• Formal Verification
• Probabilistic Models
• +5 more

Joost-Pieter Katoen is a full Professor at RWTH Aachen University and Head of its Computer Science Department since 2012. He also holds a part-time (20%) Professorship at the University of Twente . His research focuses on model checking , probabilistic verification , formal semantics , and software verification , with applications in aerospace systems. His work has led to significant tools like MRMC (probabilistic model checker), COMPASS (AADL analysis tool-set), and libalf (learning automata library). He has authored over 18 international projects (total €5.2 million) and graduated 12 PhD students. Scientific Awards : Member, German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina), 2024 ACM Fellow, 2020 ERC Advanced Grant, 2018 Honorary doctorate, Aalborg University, 2017 Teaching Award, RWTH Aachen, 2010 Philips Early Career Development Award, 1988 Research Trends (from articles): His recent work spans probabilistic program verification , quantitative game theory , Markov chain analysis , and parameter synthesis for stochastic systems, with applications in AI, quantum computing, and fault tree analysis. Leadership & Service : Katoen co-founded the QEST conference , chairs ETAPS steering committee, and has led numerous program committees (CONCUR, TACAS, QEST). He has served on editorial boards and organized conferences/seminars globally.

Tom HenzingerView profile

Professor

• Formal Methods
• Software Engineering
• Computer Science
• +5 more

Tom Henzinger is a Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), leading the Tom Henzinger Group. His research focuses on formal methods to enhance software quality, addressing challenges in concurrent systems, real-time and embedded systems, quantum computing, neural networks, and biochemical reaction networks. He has advised numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, contributing to advancements in these fields. His work emphasizes mathematical rigor in software analysis and verification. Current projects include VAMOS (Middleware for best-effort third-party monitoring) and SPyCoDe (Semantic and Cryptographic Foundations of Security and Privacy by Compositional Design). Past projects involved model checking and runtime verification techniques. Research interests span concurrent software synthesis, quantitative modeling of reactive systems, predictability of real-time systems, and formal methods applied to quantum computation and neural networks. He is also engaged in exploring hardware-optimal solutions for quantum algorithms. Administrative Assistant Ksenja Harpprecht supports the group. Courses taught include 'Formalisms Every Computer Scientist Should Know,' focusing on logics, automata, and semantics. The group hosts regular seminars, such as the Tuesday group seminar and the Wednesday joint formal methods seminar with TU Wien's FORSYTE group.

Orna KupfermanView profile

Professor

• Formal verification
• Reactive systems
• Automata theory
• +11 more

Orna Kupferman is a Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she has been a faculty member since 1998 and a full professor since 2008. She currently serves as the Vice Rector of the Hebrew University (since 2012) and has previously held leadership positions including Chair of the School of Engineering (2008-2011) and Head of the Computer Science Department (2005-2007). Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from The Technion, Israel (1995). She has held visiting positions at prestigious institutions including Rice University, UC Berkeley, and Microsoft Research. Professor Kupferman's research focuses on the theoretical foundations of formal verification and synthesis of computer systems. She is renowned for her work on the automata-theoretic approach to branching-time model checking and synthesis, as well as her influential work on safraless decision procedures for automata on infinite words. Her research spans several key areas: Formal verification and synthesis of reactive systems Automata theory and temporal logic Model-checking and game-based verification approaches Sanity checks in formal methods (vacuity, coverage, query checking) Formal measures of quality for reactive systems Professor Kupferman has published extensively with over 40 journal papers and 140 conference papers. She chaired the IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science (LICS) in 2013 and has been a keynote speaker at major conferences including LICS, CONCUR, ICALP, and TACAS. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ACM Transactions on Computational Logic and is on the Editorial Board of Formal Methods in System Design and Logical Methods in Computer Science. Her notable awards include: ERC starting grant (2012-2017) for "From Correct to High-Quality Reactive systems" Michael Milken Prize for long-standing Excellence in Teaching Professor Kupferman has advised 5 PhD students and has secured numerous competitive grants, including those promoting international research cooperation between Israel and the United States, and Israel and Germany. Beyond her academic work, she volunteers by giving encouraging talks at high schools and drug-addiction centers.