Neha Sharma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Auburn University. Her research focuses on nutrient recovery, electrochemical resource recovery, water reuse, trace metal cycling, and pollutant fate and removal.
Robert Jenssen is a Professor in the Machine Learning Research Group at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and serves as the Director of Visual Intelligence , an 8-year Research Council of Norway-funded SFI center. His research focuses on solving societal challenges in healthcare, marine mapping, energy, and Earth observation through collaborations with industry and public stakeholders. Director, Visual Intelligence (SFI) Center Professor, UiT Adjunct Professor, Pioneer Centre for AI (University of Copenhagen) and Norwegian Computing Center His methodological expertise spans neural networks, information-theoretic learning, self-learning, and explainable AI (XAI). Recent work emphasizes multimodal learning, uncertainty estimation, and medical image analysis. Scientific awards include: Best Paper, Pattern Recognition Letters (2024) Dissertation Award, Norwegian AI Society (2023) Best Paper, Color and Visual Computing Symposium (2022) IEEE GRS Society Letters Prize (2013) Prize for Young Researchers, University of Tromsø (2007) He contributes to international leadership as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, France's SequoIA AI Excellence Cluster, and Denmark's DIREC center.
Arthur Gretton is a Professor at University College London (UCL), leading the Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit and serving as director of the Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning. He also works as a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind. His research focuses on causal inference, representation learning, and nonparametric hypothesis testing with applications in machine learning and computational neuroscience. Academic Affiliations Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL Centre for Computational Statistics and Machine Learning, UCL Google DeepMind Arthur's research spans several key areas in modern machine learning, including: Kernel methods for causal effect estimation and two-sample testing Deep learning architectures for proxy causal learning with complex confounding Adaptive gradient flows for generative modeling Nonparametric statistical tests with theoretical guarantees Applications in distributional reinforcement learning and Bayesian inference His work addresses both methodological advancements and practical implementations, particularly for high-dimensional data settings. Recent publications demonstrate his focus on causal inference with hidden confounders (AISTATS 2025), deep learning adaptivity in instrumental variable regression (ICLR 2025), and novel approaches to two-sample testing with adaptive kernel selection (NeurIPS 2024). He has also contributed extensively to distributional reinforcement learning and hypothesis testing frameworks. As an advisor, he supervises multiple PhD students including Jakub Wornbard, Zikai (Steve) Shen, and Zonghao (Hudson) Chen, while co-supervising others. His methodological contributions are implemented in various software packages available at the Gatsby Unit, including tools for kernel-based covariate shift correction, independence testing, and maximum mean discrepancy calculations.
Tim G. J. Rudner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto, a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute, and a Title A Fellow at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He was previously an Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow at New York University. University: University of Toronto School: Faculty of Arts and Science Department: Department of Statistical Sciences Affiliation: Vector Institute, Trinity College (Cambridge) He holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MSc in Statistics from the University of Oxford, where he was advised by Yee Whye Teh and Yarin Gal, and a BS in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Yale University. PhD: Computer Science, University of Oxford MSc: Statistics, University of Oxford BS: Applied Mathematics and Economics, Yale University His research focuses on building robust, transparent, and trustworthy machine learning systems, particularly for high-stakes applications. He develops probabilistic models that improve generalization under distribution shifts, provide reliable uncertainty estimates, and enable fair and interpretable predictions. His work spans generative models, large language models, healthcare, and biomedical discovery. The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward function-space modeling, Bayesian regularization, and AI safety. Tim's work emphasizes principled uncertainty quantification, robustness to subpopulation and semantic shifts, and the development of frameworks for AI governance and specification. His research bridges theoretical advances with real-world applications, especially in safety-critical domains like medicine and defense. Tim has received numerous accolades including being named a Rhodes Scholar, Qualcomm Innovation Fellow, and 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI. He was awarded a $700,000 Foundational Research Grant and a $30,000 Apple Seed Grant for improving LLM trustworthiness. Rhodes Scholar Qualcomm Innovation Fellow AISTATS Notable Paper Award (2024) Outstanding Paper Award, ICLR GenAI4DM Workshop (2024) Apple Seed Grant ($30,000) Foundational Research Grant ($700,000) NeurIPS Spotlight Talk 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI He actively mentors students, particularly first-generation and low-income scholars, and has contributed to major policy frameworks including the OECD AI Classification Framework and a series of CSET issue briefs on AI safety. His work demonstrates a strong commitment to responsible AI development, combining technical rigor with societal impact. Tim leads research efforts at the intersection of machine learning theory and practical deployment, with ongoing projects in generative modeling, reliable LLMs, and AI governance. His lab produces high-impact work regularly published at top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, and AISTATS.
Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc. is the Director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute and Professor in the Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He holds the Samuel E. Durand Chair in Medicine and leads one of the nation's premier lymphoma programs. Dr. Friedberg is internationally recognized for his expertise in lymphoma treatment, particularly in developing novel therapies and clinical trial approaches. Dr. Friedberg's research focuses on lymphoma, with particular expertise in Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. His work spans the entire treatment continuum from diagnosis through novel therapies including autologous stem cell transplantation and CAR-T cell interventions. He has built a comprehensive lymphoma program with expertise spanning hematopathology, radiation oncology, dermatology, and neurology, in addition to hematology and medical oncology. His research interests include developing risk-adapted treatment strategies, investigating novel therapeutic agents, and improving outcomes for patients with various lymphoma subtypes. Dr. Friedberg's extensive publication record demonstrates his leadership in lymphoma research, with recent work focusing on immunotherapy combinations, predictive modeling, risk stratification, and novel treatment approaches for various lymphoma subtypes. His research has significantly contributed to the understanding and treatment of lymphomas, particularly in developing more personalized and effective treatment strategies. Scientific Awards: Faculty Academic Mentoring Award (2012) Scholar in Clinical Research (2008) America's Top Doctors Selection (2008) Jacob Gitelman Award (2007) Lawrence A. Kohn Senior Teaching Fellow (2004-2006) Clinical Investigator Career Development Award (2003) Clinical Oncology Research Fellowship "Immunotherapy of Hodgkin's Disease" (2001-2003) Rising stars program for innovative research (2001-2003) As Director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, Dr. Friedberg leads numerous clinical trials and research initiatives focused on advancing lymphoma treatment. He is actively involved in SWOG and has served in leadership roles for multiple clinical trials investigating novel therapies for lymphoma patients. His practice team includes Anna Morrison, R.N., and Kerri Hugelmaier, N.P., providing comprehensive care for lymphoma patients. Dr. Friedberg has established the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Consortium, a large observational cohort study supporting broad research on NHL prognosis and survivorship. His leadership extends to national organizations where he contributes to developing clinical practice guidelines and consensus recommendations for lymphoma treatment.
Ji Zhu is the Susan A. Murphy Collegiate Professor of Statistics at the University of Michigan, Department of Statistics. He holds affiliations with the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) and the Michigan Integrated Center for Health Analytics and Medical Prediction (MiCHAMP). His research focuses on statistical machine learning, network analysis, and health science applications. Education: B.Sc. in Physics (Peking University, 1996), M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Statistics (Stanford University, 2000 and 2003). Notable awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2008), Fellowships from the ASA (2013) and IMS (2015), and recognition as a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (2014–2020). Research interests span statistical methodologies for networks, survival analysis, and high-dimensional data. He co-authored influential papers on community detection, network cross-validation, and latent space models. Current editorial roles include Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of Applied Statistics and Action Editor for the Journal of Machine Learning Research. Advising: Supervised over 50 students and postdocs, many now in academia and industry. Notable former advisees include Tianxi Li (University of Minnesota), Yuan Zhang (Ohio State University), and Weijing Tang (Carnegie Mellon University). Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary projects at MIDAS and MiCHAMP, focusing on healthcare analytics and predictive modeling for diseases like hepatitis and cardiovascular outcomes.
Christopher Turbill is an Associate Professor in Animal Science at Western Sydney University's School of Science, where he maintains an active research program focused on animal physiological ecology. He is affiliated with the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment and serves as a Principal Investigator on multiple research projects while accepting HDR candidates for supervision. PhD from University of New England (2006) Thesis: Thermoregulatory Ecology of Tree-roosting Bats Supervised by Prof. Fritz Geiser Postdoctoral fellowships from Austrian Science Fund and Australian Research Council (DECRA) Former ecologist with NSW Government Professor Turbill's research integrates thermal and metabolic physiology with behavioral ecology to understand animal-environment interactions. His work has revealed significant ecological consequences of controlled body temperature variation in mammals and birds, linking these processes with metabolic energy expenditure, activity patterns, and life-history strategies. He specializes in bat biology and investigates conflicts between human environmental change and animal conservation requirements. His research keywords include ecophysiology, thermoregulation, energy expenditure, life-history ecology, body temperature, torpor, hibernation, and wildlife conservation. Analysis of Turbill's recent publications reveals a strong focus on thermal biology and conservation physiology, particularly regarding bats and birds. His work examines how animals manage energy through torpor, respond to climate change through thermal regulation, and adapt to anthropogenic disturbances. The research spans field studies of flying-foxes, microbats, and passerine birds across Australian ecosystems, with increasing emphasis on conservation applications related to white-nose syndrome, fire impacts, and wind energy development. Turbill leads significant research projects including the Ecology of the eastern horseshoe bat and its sensitivity to fire impacts (2024-2027), Vulnerability of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome (2021-2026), and Torpor use and burrowing behaviour in an arid zone passerine (2024). His work attracts funding from diverse sources including the Australian Research Council, Department of Planning and Environment, and various conservation organizations. Professor Turbill directs the BatsLab research group, which maintains a virtual hub for bat research at Western Sydney University. His team employs advanced methodologies including thermal imaging, GPS tracking, and physiological monitoring to study animal responses to environmental challenges. Current work focuses on developing conservation interventions for heat-stressed flying-foxes and assessing vulnerabilities of Australian bat species to emerging diseases.
Dr. Juan Manuel Berbel Pineda is a full Professor at the Department of Business Organization and Marketing at Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain. His academic work focuses on tourism economics, sustainable tourism practices, and international business strategies, particularly within the hotel industry and textile sector. Key research areas: Tourism Economics, Sustainable Tourism, International Business Strategy Affiliated with IMEGS (Innovation and Marketing for a Sustainable Global Environment) research group Doctoral Programs: Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Family Business His research explores tourism competitiveness and internationalization patterns through empirical studies on hotel chains in Latin America, fair trade impacts in emerging economies, and post-COVID-19 rural tourism development. Analysis of 15 recent publications reveals strong emphasis on structural equation modeling, cross-cultural comparisons, and market segmentation strategies. Current academic activity includes international collaborations with institutions like Massey University, Varna University of Management, and University of Mauritius. His 2020 work on Ecuadorian chia seed exports demonstrates methodology for EU market selection using 7-dimensional indicators, while his sustainable tourism studies provide frameworks for pandemic-era tourism revival through non-overcrowding strategies.
Alp Atakan Overview Alp Atakan is a Professor and Head of School in the School of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary University of London. He holds a PhD from Columbia University and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Northwestern University and Associate Professor at Koç University. His research focuses on Microeconomic Theory, Game Theory, Auction Design, and Information Economics. Key contributions include studies on reputation dynamics, search markets, and information aggregation in auctions. Education PhD in Economics (with distinction), Columbia University, 2003 MA in Economics, Columbia University, 2000 MBA, Columbia University, 1997 BS in Economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1993 Research & Grants Recipient of an ERC Consolidator Grant (2016–2021) for 'Market Selection, Frictions, and the Information Content of Prices'. Notable research includes work on bargaining dynamics, price discovery mechanisms, and the role of information asymmetry in auctions. He has published in top journals like Econometrica , Journal of Economic Theory , and American Economic Review . Teaching spans MBA/EMBA courses on managerial economics and microeconomic theory, alongside advanced graduate courses in game theory and dynamic programming. Grants & Projects ERC Consolidator Grant: Market Selection & Price Information (€1,089,000) Tubitak Grants: Sequential Debate (2014–2015) and Auctions & Information (2012–2014) His work bridges theoretical economics with practical market design, emphasizing strategic interactions in decentralized systems.
Jelani Nelson is a Professor and Department Chair in the UC Berkeley EECS Department (College of Engineering). His work focuses on theoretical computer science , particularly algorithms , data streams , dimensionality reduction , and privacy-preserving computation . Advising : Current students include Ishaq Aden-Ali, Xin Lyu, Mihir Singhal, and Hongxun Wu (co-advised with leading researchers). Education : PhD from MIT (George M. Sprowls Award), M.Eng from MIT. Research Highlights : Developed foundational results in Johnson-Lindenstrauss dimensionality reduction (optimality, sparse embeddings). Advancements in differential privacy (lower bounds, private mean estimation, threshold learning). Pioneering work on streaming algorithms for heavy hitters, norm estimation, and graph problems. Innovations in compressed sensing and oblivious subspace embeddings . Scientific Awards : PODS Best Paper Award (2011, 2022) IBM Pat Goldberg Memorial Best Paper Award (2011) George M. Sprowls Award for MIT doctoral thesis (2009) NeurIPS 2020 Spotlight Presentation
Ming Hu is a Professor and University of Toronto Distinguished Professor of Business Operations and Analytics at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He serves as Area Coordinator for the Operations Management & Statistics Area and holds editorial leadership roles including Editor-in-Chief of Naval Research Logistics and Associate Editor for multiple top journals. MS in Applied Mathematics, Brown University (2003) PhD in Operations Research, Columbia University (2009) His research focuses on sharing economy , social operations , and platform economics , examining how operational decisions can maximize societal benefit. Key areas include crowdfunding , two-sided markets , crowdsourcing , and group buying , with applications to DEI , sustainability , and AI-empowered operations . Recent work analyzes spatial operations in delivery systems, algorithmic fairness , and climate change adaptation in agricultural supply chains. His publications span top journals like Management Science and Operations Research , covering topics from blockchain traceability to quantum-inspired optimization . Scientific recognitions include: Wickham Skinner Early-Career Research Award (2016) Best Operations Management Paper in Management Science (2017) 2018 Poets & Quants Best 40 Under 40 MBA Professors As an Amazon Scholar (2022–) and Chair of Chain Analytics Institute (2023–), he bridges academic research with industry applications in AI-driven logistics and sustainable operations.
Dr Henry Moss is a Researcher at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics within the School of Physical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. His work focuses on machine learning applications in climate modeling, Bayesian optimization, and Gaussian processes, bridging computational mathematics with environmental science and chemistry. His research interests include: Bayesian optimization for environmental and chemical systems Reinforcement learning in climate modeling Gaussian processes for molecular property prediction High-throughput machine learning in scientific domains Interpretable AI for coastal flooding prediction Hybrid ML-physics modeling Dr Moss's publications highlight his contributions to federated learning for climate models, sparse Gaussian process techniques, and multi-objective optimization frameworks. These works span applications in weather prediction, chemical engineering, and oceanography. Email: hwm26@cam.ac.uk
Mayank R. Mehta is a Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), holding joint appointments in the Departments of Physics & Astronomy, Neurology, and Neurobiology. He is a member of the Brain Research Institute and the W. M. Keck Center for Neurophysics at UCLA. His research bridges experimental and theoretical neuroscience, focusing on how neuronal networks encode space-time, the role of brain rhythms in learning and memory, and the impact of sleep and virtual reality on neural dynamics. His recent publications highlight breakthroughs in understanding hippocampal spatiotemporal selectivity, dendritic activity during behavior, and the causal influence of visual cues on memory neurons. Notable findings include the discovery that dendrites generate ten times more spikes than neuronal cell bodies and the modulation of hippocampal theta rhythms in virtual reality. Research Themes: Neurophysics of spatial-temporal coding Dendritic contributions to learning Virtual reality and brain plasticity Neural oscillations in memory consolidation Key Collaborators: Bert Sakmann (Max Planck Florida Institute) Thomas Hahn (Bernstein Center Heidelberg/Mannheim) Maryam Ghorbani (UCLA) Mehta's lab at UCLA trains graduate and postdoctoral researchers in cutting-edge techniques combining hardware development, electrophysiological recordings, and biophysical modeling. His work has significant implications for treating learning and memory disorders like Alzheimer's disease.
Ting Lu is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the School of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, focusing on microbial synthetic biology and systems biology. Their research bridges biology, engineering, and physics to reprogram cellular functionalities through gene regulatory networks. Ph.D. in Biophysics, University of California at San Diego (2007) B.S. in Physics, Zhejiang University (2002) Ting Lu's work explores microbial ecosystems, synthetic gene circuits, and their applications in biotechnology and medicine. By combining experimental approaches with mathematical modeling, they investigate bacterial communication networks, metabolic pathways, and spatial dynamics in microbial communities. Selected research trends include microbial consortia engineering for bioremediation and bioproduction, complexity reduction in microbiomes, and predictive modeling of synthetic gene networks. Their publications span high-impact journals such as Nature Communications , Nature Chemical Biology , and eLife . Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2022) Future Insight Prize (2021) Donald Biggar Willett Faculty Scholar (UIUC) (2020) NIH Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (2019) NSF CAREER Award (2015) AHA National Scientist Development Grant (2012) Ting Lu's lab has received grants from NIH, NSF, ONR, and industry partners. They offer undergraduate research opportunities in synthetic and systems biology, and teach advanced courses such as BIOE 430 - Intro Synthetic Biology and BIOE 432 - Systems Biology .
Terry C. Lansdown is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Sciences and Department of Psychology at Heriot-Watt University. His expertise lies in Human Factors, particularly focusing on driver safety, workload management, and attentional distraction in transportation contexts. Prior to his academic role, he worked as a senior researcher at the Transport Research Laboratory, contributing to numerous EU-funded and government-sponsored projects. His research integrates ergonomics principles with real-world applications, addressing issues like automated driving systems, social distractions in vehicles, and occupational health in construction industries. Key research interests include: Driver behavior and road safety Human factors in automated systems Workload and attentional demands in complex tasks Health and safety in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) He has led studies on pandemic response strategies, such as the CHARIS project analyzing behavioral adherence during the COVID-19 crisis. Lansdown’s work frequently bridges psychological theory with practical interventions, including text messaging campaigns to improve construction worker safety and experimental designs to evaluate automation failure responses. Collaborations span academic and industrial sectors, with publications addressing topics ranging from UV exposure in outdoor workers to the cognitive impacts of in-vehicle distractions. His contributions align with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health (SDG 3) and sustainable cities (SDG 11).