Prof. Margret Keuper is a Professor in the Department of Computer Vision and Machine Learning at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics. Her research focuses on advancing machine learning and computer vision techniques, with an emphasis on model fairness, adversarial robustness, and multimodal interactions. She leads interdisciplinary projects exploring topics such as dataset analysis, generative models, and climate action through visual narrative analysis. Research Interests: Her work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications in domains like adversarial training, image classification robustness, and robotics perception. She explores how vision-language models can be steered to align with human biases and develops methods for data-efficient learning and interpretability. Recent Contributions: Recent work includes FAIR-TAT (model fairness via adversarial training), VSTAR (video synthesis), and TikZero (zero-shot graphics program generation). Her publications in top venues like CVPR, ICCV, and ICLR highlight contributions to both methodological innovation and real-world impact. Collaborations: Works closely with researchers across Max Planck and academic partners, focusing on projects such as sensor layout optimization, climate discourse analysis via social media imagery, and domain-aware foundation model fine-tuning.
Jingchao Ni is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Houston. He previously worked as a researcher at NEC Labs America (2018-2022) and AWS AI Labs (2022-2024). He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from The Pennsylvania State University's College of Information Sciences and Technology in 2018 under Prof. Xiang Zhang. Research Interests: Machine Learning, Time Series Analysis (Cross-Modal/Multimodal Integration, LLM Reasoning), Graph Learning, Anomaly Detection, Generative Models, and applications in Healthcare (personalized systems, Cyber-Physical Systems, AIOps). His recent publications focus on multimodal time series analysis, vision models for temporal data, and interpretable graph neural networks, with deployments in AWS cloud systems. He has advised students on projects involving LLM agents, causal discovery, and robust forecasting. Awards include a AAAI 2019 Most Influential Paper (PaperDigest) and an ICLR 2022 Spotlight Presentation. He leads the Data-Driven Intelligence (D2I) Group and has contributed to tutorials at KDD 2025 and IJCAI 2025.
Dr. Dongmei Chen is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Queen's University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science. She holds cross appointments in the School of Environmental Studies and the Beaty Water Research Centre. Her research focuses on understanding human-environment interactions through GIS and remote sensing, with specialties in land use modeling, climate change impacts, and spatial data analysis. Education: PhD in Geography (2001, San Diego State University/UCSB); M.Sc. in GIS/Remote Sensing (Chinese Academy of Sciences); B.Sc. in Geography (Peking University). Pre-Queen's career included work as a GIS product specialist at ESRI. Research interests include geomatics, environmental science, and applying machine learning to remote sensing challenges. Recent work addresses flood susceptibility modeling, urban sprawl analysis, and spatial-temporal disease risk. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges geospatial technologies with environmental and social science. Active in research centers like LaGISA, she explores topics like air pollution monitoring and spatial data privacy. Grants and advising are integral to her role, though specific details are not detailed here. Collaborations span global contexts, including Brazil, Thailand, and China.
Melissa Caras is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Maryland, with an affiliation in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. She holds a B.S. in Neuroscience and Biology from Brandeis University and a Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington. Her postdoctoral training at New York University focused on auditory development and perceptual learning. Her research explores neural mechanisms of auditory learning and plasticity, employing techniques like electrophysiology, optogenetics, and telemetry. Research interests include auditory neuroscience, perceptual learning, neuroplasticity, and cognitive neuroscience. Her work emphasizes top-down modulation of sensory processing and the impact of non-sensory factors on auditory learning. Recent studies investigate orbitofrontal-auditory pathways in gerbils and neural correlates of perceptual plasticity in auditory circuits. Current students include Ying, Rose and Marissa, Renee. The CarasLab website (caraslab.org) highlights her lab’s focus on sensory plasticity mechanisms. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, but her research has contributed to understanding developmental hearing loss and neural variability in adolescents.
Xiuzhen Jenny Zhang is a Professor of Data Science at RMIT University , affiliated with the School of Computing Technologies. Her research bridges artificial intelligence, machine learning, and social media analysis, with a focus on text mining and trustworthy data science. Her recent publications highlight expertise in point-of-interest recommendation , misinformation detection , multi-task learning , and transformer-based NLP . Key trends include applications of large language models for social good, fairness in recommendation systems , and adversarial learning for robustness. Best Paper Award at TrustCom’12 Best Short Paper Award at ADCS’2009 She leads the Text And LanguagE (TALE) research group and has supervised over 20 PhD students. Research grants include Australian Research Council and Victoria state government funding.
Raul Sanchez Reillo is a Full Professor at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), affiliated with the Grupo Universitario de Tecnologías de Identificación (GUTI). His research focuses on biometric systems, mobile authentication, and security technologies. Key areas include presentation attack detection, vein recognition, and ECG biometrics. He leads projects involving smartphone-based biometric solutions, 3D printed markers, and standards development for biometric interoperability. Research interests span multiple modalities: fingerprint authentication, dynamic signature verification, gait recognition, and vascular biometrics. He emphasizes usability and accessibility in mobile environments, exploring ergonomics and user interaction challenges. His work integrates machine learning (transformers, RNNs) with hardware solutions like FPGA-based systems. Publications highlight innovations in spoofing detection, medical applications (ECG/vein analysis), and low-cost hardware implementations. He contributes to European standards (BioAPI, Hand Data Interchange Format) and evaluates security practices for R&D compliance with EU data protection regulations. Current initiatives include enhancing biometric systems for critical infrastructure security and improving accessibility for elderly users. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations, he leads the Mobile Pass project evaluating user interaction in biometric systems. His lab (GUTI) develops open testing methodologies for biometric performance under Common Criteria and environmental stressors. Recent work addresses vulnerabilities in mobile fingerprint sensors and the ethical implications of biometric-as-a-service models.
Kangkang Yin is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University (SFU). His research focuses on computer animation, computer graphics, humanoid robotics, machine learning, and multimedia analysis. He teaches courses such as Computer Animation and Scientific Computing, and holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia (2007), MSc from Zhejiang University (2000), and BSc from Zhejiang University (1997). His work bridges robotics and animation through projects like physics-based character controllers, motion diffusion models, and robotic manipulation. Key contributions include the SIMBICON biped locomotion framework and research into emotion-driven dance animation. Recent efforts emphasize reinforcement learning applications in motion synthesis and robust visual navigation for unmanned ground vehicles. Yin's publications span over two decades, addressing challenges in motion control, physics-based simulation, and machine learning applications. His lab contributes to both academic advancements and practical robotics solutions. Current research trends show strong emphasis on combining generative AI with traditional animation techniques, as seen in recent work on auto-regressive motion models (AAMDM) and physics-augmented reinforcement learning (PARC).
Noel Cressie is a Distinguished Professor of Statistics at the University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia, affiliated with the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics and the National Institute for Applied Statistics Research Australia (NIASRA). He is also the Director of the Centre for Environmental Informatics (CEI). His academic journey includes a PhD from Princeton University (1975) and a B.Sc. with First Class Honours from the University of Western Australia (1972). His research focuses on spatial and spatio-temporal statistics, Bayesian methods, environmental informatics, and applications in climate science. Notable projects include work on atmospheric CO2 flux inversion (WOMBAT framework), Antarctic environmental research (SAEF initiative), and statistical remote sensing for NASA. He has secured over $20 million in research funding and authored four influential books, including Statistics for Spatial Data . Cressie has received prestigious awards such as the COPSS R.A. Fisher Award (2009), Pitman Medal (2014), and Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science (2018). He leads interdisciplinary teams addressing global challenges like carbon cycle dynamics and biodiversity modeling. His contributions to statistical methodology and environmental science have been recognized through international collaborations and advisory roles.
Mohamed Sarwat is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University specializing in databases , spatial data management , and recommender systems . His research focuses on GeoSpark —a cluster computing framework for spatial data—and its extensions like GeoSparkViz for visualization and GeoSparkSim for traffic simulation. Key Contributions: LARS* (Location-Aware Recommender System), Horton* (Graph Reachability), Sindbad (GeoSocial Platform), and Riso-Tree (Graph Database Indexing) Research Themes: Integration of spatial/temporal data with machine learning, efficient indexing for big geospatial datasets, and scalable frameworks for mobility data science His work spans collaborations with 23+ co-authors across institutions like University of Minnesota, University of Melbourne, and University of Salzburg. Current projects emphasize GeoTorchAI —a spatiotemporal deep learning system—and mobility data science infrastructure.
Dr. Dong Gong is a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow (2023-2026) at the School of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), UNSW. He holds an adjunct position at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML), University of Adelaide. His research focuses on machine learning challenges in dynamic environments, including continual learning, foundation models, generative models, and applications in interdisciplinary areas like mining and agriculture. Research interests include learning with non-ideal supervision, foundation model adaptation, generative models, and interdisciplinary problems combining CV/ML with domain-specific applications. His work often addresses real-world scenarios such as mineral exploration and soil trait analysis using CV/ML technologies. Outstanding Reviewer: NeurIPS 2018 Outstanding Area Chair: ACM MM 2024 ARC DECRA Fellowship (2023-2026) Advising and grants: Actively supervises PhD/MPhil students in computer vision and ML. Collaborates with industry and government on research projects. Utilizes advanced infrastructure like UNSW's Katana supercomputing cluster and Gadi (NCI). Labs/Teams: Involved in interdisciplinary research groups at UNSW CSE and AIML, focusing on dynamic learning paradigms and real-world applications of AI.
Hamidreza Mahyar is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering , McMaster University , and an Associate Member of the Computing and Software department. His academic journey includes postdoctoral work at Boston University and TU Wien , and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Sharif University of Technology . Research Focus: Mahyar's work bridges machine learning and network science , emphasizing graph neural networks for applications in social networks , recommendation systems , drug discovery , and generative AI . His research spans industrial AI (Industry 4.0 projects at Infineon Technologies), biomedical engineering (organoid morphology analysis), and semiconductor manufacturing (wafermap modeling). Scientific Recognition: McMaster Teaching Merit Award (2022) Vector Scholarship in AI (2023) NSERC USRA Award (2022) Google Cloud Platform for Research Award (2018) Best Paper Selection, Complex Networks (2018) Academic Leadership: He mentors PhD students (Taraneh Ghandi) and MSc students (Reza Namazi, Mohammad Khodadad, Ali Shiraei), while leading AI initiatives at Mind Lab 56 and BrainMaven . Former mentees include industry leaders at Google, Accenture, and ETH Zurich.
Dr. Benjamin Evans is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science & AI (Informatics) at the University of Sussex , affiliated with the School of Engineering and Informatics . His research integrates computational neuroscience and artificial intelligence, focusing on biologically inspired neural networks. Current Position: Assistant Professor, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex Previous Roles: Research Associate at University of Bristol, University of Exeter, Imperial College London, and University of Oxford Education: DPhil in Computational Neuroscience (University of Oxford), MSc in Intelligent Systems (UCL), BA in Experimental Psychology (Oxford) His research centers on how neural systems self-organize to produce intelligent behavior, studied through both biological and computational modeling. He investigates spiking neural networks , convolutional neural networks , and the role of biological constraints in enhancing AI robustness and human-like perception. He is particularly interested in how spike-based information processing contributes to adaptive cognition in noisy environments. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in evaluating deep neural networks as models of human vision, questioning their biological plausibility while proposing bio-inspired improvements. He also works on optogenetics simulation (e.g., PyRhO platform), developmental biology modeling , and reproducible data science through containerization tools like Docker. His scientific contributions have been recognized through publications in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications , PLoS Computational Biology , and Behavioral and Brain Sciences . EPSRC Grant: "Exploring the multiple loci of learning and computation in simple artificial neural networks" (2023–2024) EPSRC Grant: "Using ant biology and natural environments to enhance models of vision and robot navigation" (2022–2026) Dr. Evans actively contributes to open science through GitHub repositories (e.g., PyRhO, DPE, BioNet) and promotes reproducible research. He has no listed advisees in the provided data, but leads funded research projects involving junior researchers. He is a core member of the Informatics research group at Sussex, contributing to both AI and neuroscience domains.
Sidonie Christophe is a Senior Researcher (Directrice de Recherche, DR1) at UMR LASTIG, a joint research unit of Université Gustave Eiffel, IGN-ENSG, and EIVP. She serves as co-director of the LASTIG laboratory and leads research in geovisualization, map design, and interactive spatial data exploration. She also holds a part-time advisory role (60%) at the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research in the domain of digital technology, environment, climate, and sustainable urban development. PhD in Geographic Information Sciences Senior Researcher, DR1, MTECT Co-Director, LASTIG Laboratory (since 2021) Former Team Leader, GEOVIS (Geovisualization, Interaction, and Immersion) Advisor, Environment and Urban Climate, French Ministry of Higher Education & Research Her research centers on innovative methods for 2D/3D and nD geospatial data visualization, with a focus on enabling spatio-temporal understanding through visual and non-visual spatial thinking. Her work integrates principles from geographic information science, human-computer interaction, and computer graphics. Key areas include urban climate visualization, tactile and augmented reality for accessibility, expressive cartographic rendering, and cognitive aspects of map design. She investigates how aesthetic and semiotic choices impact map comprehension and utility. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong trend in interactive and accessible geovisualization, particularly for urban and environmental applications. Topics include neural map style transfer, 3D urban climate analysis, tactile maps for the visually impaired, augmented reality in geography, and visual analytics for crisis and climate data. There is a consistent emphasis on user-centered design, interdisciplinary integration, and the development of tools for decision-making under uncertainty. Scientific Recognition and Service: Invited speaker at major conferences (IEEEVIS, AGILE, ICC, CPGIS) Co-organizer of international workshops (e.g., GeoVIS, ISPRS AR/VR sessions) Leader of national research projects (ANR ORACLES, ANR ACTIVmap, ANR ECOCIM) Recipient of international mobility grants (AMICI I-SITE FUTURE) Contributor to national glossaries and research strategy (e.g., French photogrammetry glossary) Advising and Grants: Sidonie Christophe actively supervises PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, including Markie Jiang, Maria-Jesus Lobo, and Alexandre Mielniczek. She leads or participates in multiple funded research projects such as ANR ORACLES (marine flooding visualization), ANR ACTIVmap (tactile 3D maps), and ANR ECOCIM (eco-design of city information models). Her advisory role at the MESR involves shaping national research strategy in digital and environmental sciences. Labs and Research Teams: She is a core member of the GEOVIS team (Geovisualization, Interaction, and Immersion) at LASTIG and previously served as its leader. As co-director of LASTIG, she plays a central role in the leadership and strategic direction of the entire laboratory, which comprises over 100 researchers across four teams: ACTE, GEOVIS, MEIG, and STRUDEL.
Stefan Treue is a Professor and Director at the German Primate Center (DPZ) in Göttingen, Germany, where he heads the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory. He is affiliated with the Department of Cognitive Neurosciences and contributes to the Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences (GGNB) in programs including Neurosciences (IMPRS), Sensory and Motor Neuroscience, Systems Neuroscience, and Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience. His research focuses on the neural basis of visual perception, particularly how attention modulates sensory processing in the primate brain. Using electrophysiological recordings in macaque monkeys, human psychophysics, and functional brain imaging, his lab investigates attentional mechanisms in cortical area MT, especially in motion processing and perceptual accuracy. Key themes include attentional gain, receptive field dynamics, saccade-locked attention shifts, and multifocal attention. The recent publications reflect a consistent focus on attentional modulation in visual cortex, with a strong emphasis on neurophysiological and behavioral evidence from non-human primates. His work bridges cognitive theory and neural mechanisms, contributing significantly to systems and computational neuroscience. Scientific Awards: None explicitly mentioned in the text. Advising and Grants: Prof. Treue mentors students through the GGNB and IMPRS programs, indicating active graduate student supervision. While specific grants are not listed, his long-standing research program and high-impact publications suggest sustained funding from major research agencies. Labs and Teams: He leads the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory at DPZ, a multidisciplinary team employing electrophysiology, psychophysics, and theoretical modeling to study attention and perception in primates.
Krista A. Ehinger is an Associate Professor and co-lead of the AI group at the University of Melbourne's School of Computing and Information Systems. She holds a PhD from MIT and has held postdoctoral positions at York University and Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the intersection of human and computer vision, including scene recognition, visual search, and depth perception. Methodologically, she combines Bayesian models, deep learning, and behavioral experiments like eye tracking. Current projects explore AI applications in space systems (e.g., SpIRIT satellite) and ethical implications of workplace surveillance via computer vision. Recent work emphasizes amodal completion (e.g., reconstructing occluded objects) and AI reasoning systems. She collaborates on medical imaging (TCAM-Diff model), autonomous driving (truck speed detection), and 3D reconstruction. Her lab actively engages in open-source tools like the SUN Database for scene understanding. Professional activities include AI ethics discussions and academic service. She advises students on Masters/PhD projects and contributes to conferences like CVPR and NeurIPS.
