Maarten de Hoop is the Simons Chair and Professor of Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University, part of the George R. Brown School of Engineering. He holds visiting roles at MIT and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research spans seismic wave analysis, inverse problems, deep learning, and planetary seismology. He earned his Ph.D. in Technical Sciences from Delft University of Technology (1992), and earlier degrees from Utrecht University. Notable awards include the 1996 J. Clarence Karcher Award and 2001 Fellowship from the Institute of Physics. His work integrates computational mathematics with geophysics, focusing on extracting signal information from large datasets, developing novel inverse scattering methods, and applying deep learning to geoscience challenges. Recent studies include transformer models for in-context learning, semialgebraic neural networks, and seismic waveform foundation models like SeisLM. He leads the Geo-Mathematical Imaging Group, fostering interdisciplinary projects in planetary missions and data-driven discovery.
Christoph F. Schmidt is the Hertha Sponer Distinguished Professor of Physics at Duke University with cross-appointments in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Biology, and Biomedical Engineering. He serves as Co-Director of the Duke Materials Initiative and leads an active research program at the intersection of physics and biology. His educational background includes a D.R. from the Technical University of Munich (Germany) in 1988. Schmidt has established himself as a leading researcher in biophysics through decades of innovative work. Professor Schmidt's research spans multiple scales of biological organization, from single molecules to whole organisms. His lab investigates cellular mechanics using advanced techniques including optical trapping, atomic force microscopy, and microrheology. A significant innovation from his group involves single-walled carbon nanotubes for high-bandwidth intracellular tracking. Current research focuses on cardiomyocyte mechanics, Drosophila tissue dynamics, and computational analysis of complex biological systems. His work on motor proteins like Eg5 and ncd has provided fundamental insights into cellular division mechanics. His recent publications (2021-2025) demonstrate increasing integration of computational approaches with experimental biophysics, particularly in analyzing cardiac tissue mechanics and Drosophila sensory systems. The work shows progression from fundamental biophysical measurements toward applications in understanding disease mechanisms and biological function. Professor Schmidt teaches several courses including PHYSICS 995 (Graduate Training Internship), PHYSICS 493 (Research Independent Study), PHYSICS 415 (Biophysics II), PHYSICS 174 (Introduction to Frontiers of Biophysics), and BIOLOGY 425 (Biophysics II). He has successfully mentored numerous graduate students to completion, including recent PhD graduates Dr. Mingru Li and Dr. Xiaoxuan Jian. The Schmidt Lab, part of Duke's Physics Department and the Duke Soft Matter Center, maintains state-of-the-art equipment for optical trapping, atomic force microscopy, and advanced light microscopy. The lab participates in the Triangle Soft Matter Workshop, fostering collaborations with researchers from Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, and NC State University. Current research directions include mechanical responses of suspended cells, tracking non-equilibrium cellular fluctuations, nuclear mechanics, and bacterial membrane mechanics under turgor pressure.
Assoc Prof Ying Chen is an Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore , affiliated with the Department of Mathematics, Asian Institute of Digital Finance (as Academic Director of PhD Program in Digital FinTech 2022–2024), Risk Management Institute (2019–2023), Department of Statistics and Data Science (2019–2023), and Department of Economics (2018–2023). She also contributes to NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering since 2016. Research Interests include: AI forecasting and quantum computing for finance Nonstationary time series and functional data analysis Energy data analytics and precision medicine Network autoregression and spatial-temporal modeling Explainable AI and citation metrics Portfolio liquidation and market-making algorithms Article Trends demonstrate expertise in: Adaptive forecasting for gas flows and electricity prices Blockchain network influence detection Quantum computing applications in finance Functional autoregression with mixed predictors Credit rating fairness and explainability High-resolution implied volatility modeling Scientific Awards include: ISI Elected Member (2016–) International Statistical Institute Council (2023–2027) IASC Scientific Secretary (2017–2019, 2023–2025) Advisory roles for EU FIN-TECH and xAIM projects
Aaron D. Ames is the Bren Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Control and Dynamical Systems, and Aerospace at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He serves as the Booth-Kresa Leadership Chair and Director of the Center for Autonomous Systems and Technologies since 2025. His academic journey includes a BS in Mechanical Engineering and BA in Mathematics from the University of St. Thomas (2001), followed by an MA in Mathematics and a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from UC Berkeley (2006). Research Interests span theoretical and experimental work in hybrid systems, nonlinear control, and bipedal robotic locomotion. Specific focus areas include: Control Barrier Functions (CBFs) for safety-critical systems Powered prostheses and robotic assistive devices Legged locomotion for bipedal and quadrupedal robots Cyber-physical systems and autonomous control Model predictive control and real-time optimization Humanoid robotics and geometric safety filters Recent publications emphasize risk-aware control, safety verification, and locomotion on constrained environments, with applications to drones, exoskeletons, and quadrupedal robots. His work often integrates theoretical advancements with practical validation through the AMBER Lab. Scientific Awards & Honors : NSF CAREER Award (2010) Donald P. Eckman Award (2015) Leon O. Chua Award (2005) Bernard Friedman Prize (2006) Teaching includes graduate courses on nonlinear control, hybrid systems, and robotics at Caltech, alongside prior roles at Georgia Tech and Texas A&M. He leads the AMBER Lab (Bipedal Robotics) and has secured major grants from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and industry partners like Miso Robotics and SRI International.
Massimiliano Esposito is a Full Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Luxembourg, affiliated with the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) and the Department of Physics and Materials Science. His research focuses on statistical physics, complex systems, thermodynamics, chemical networks, and quantitative biology. He holds positions such as ERC Fellow (2016-2021) and Attract Fellow (2012-2017). Education includes a Ph.D. in Sciences (2004) and a degree in Chemistry (2000) from the Free University of Brussels (Belgium), alongside a European Baccalaureate (1996) from Luxembourg. His work bridges stochastic thermodynamics, quantum thermodynamics, and chemical reaction networks, with contributions to fluctuation theorems, energy transduction, and non-equilibrium systems. Key achievements include seminal papers on nonequilibrium fluctuation-response relations, quantum thermodynamics, and chemical reaction network theory. He has been a guest editor for journals like Physica A and Physical Review X, and serves on editorial boards such as Physical Review Letters. His lab explores emergent phenomena in complex systems, with applications in biology and nanotechnology.
Benjamin Machta is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Yale University, affiliated with the Department of Physics and the QBio Institute. He holds a BS from Brown University and a PhD from Cornell University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University. His research focuses on applying theoretical physics to understand biological systems, particularly leveraging statistical physics and information theory to study biological membranes near critical points and the energetic constraints of biological signaling. Education: BS in Physics (Brown University), PhD in Physics (Cornell University), Postdoc at Princeton University (Lewis-Sigler Theory Fellow). Research Interests include: membrane criticality, phase transitions in biological systems, information-theoretic limits in organism function, and energy dissipation in biological processes. His work often bridges theoretical models with experimental data, such as collaborations with Sarah Veatch’s lab on membrane phase behavior. Publications highlight themes like membrane criticality, protein phase separation, and energy constraints in signaling. His group’s current projects explore cochlear mechanics, thermodynamic control in biological systems, and the role of criticality in sensory systems. Awards: 2019 Simons Investigator Award. Lab Affiliations: QBio Institute and Department of Physics at Yale, located in YSB-C164. Group members include postdocs Isabella Graf and Michael Abbott, and graduate students Asheesh Momi, Mason Rouches, and others.
Oscar P. Bruno is a Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds a Licenciado from the University of Buenos Aires (1982) and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from New York University's Courant Institute (1989). Since 1998, he has been a Professor at Caltech, previously serving as Associate Professor (1995–98) and Executive Officer for Applied Mathematics (1998–2000). His research focuses on developing high-performance numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDEs), addressing challenges in complex geometries, singularities, and high-frequency phenomena. Key contributions include the Fourier Continuation (FC) method and integral-equation techniques, enabling solutions to previously intractable PDE problems in science and engineering. Prof. Bruno's expertise spans computational electromagnetics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), solid mechanics, and mathematical physics. His work integrates numerical analysis, multiphysics modeling, and computational science to solve real-world problems in geophysics, optics, and fluid dynamics. He has received numerous awards, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences of Argentina (2020), the Vannevar Bush National Security Science and Engineering Fellowship (2016), and SIAM Fellow (2013). Bruno serves on editorial boards for journals like SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing and SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, and participates in national science advisory roles. His teaching includes advanced courses on applied mathematics methods (ACM/IDS 101 ab), emphasizing theoretical foundations and numerical techniques for PDEs. His research group develops cutting-edge solvers with applications in shock dynamics, optical tomography, and geophysical fluid dynamics.
Prof. Igors Gorbovickis is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the Department of Mathematics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Constructor University (formerly Jacobs University Bremen). His research focuses on complex dynamical systems, including topics such as renormalization theory, bifurcation analysis, Julia sets, and applications to mathematical physics. He also contributes to discrete geometry, particularly exploring conjectures like the Kneser-Poulsen problem. His work bridges pure mathematics with interdisciplinary applications, emphasizing rigorous analysis of nonlinear systems and geometric configurations. Key areas of investigation include critical point accumulations, Hausdorff dimension estimates, and equidistribution phenomena in parameter spaces. Recent publications highlight advancements in understanding chaotic systems, circle maps, and the interplay between algebraic structures and dynamical behavior. Prof. Gorbovickis collaborates internationally, with co-authored papers appearing in journals like Advances in Mathematics , Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems , and Nonlinearity . His office is located at Research I, Room 128 on the Constructor University campus in Bremen, Germany.
Dr. Abdullah Bal is a researcher at Georgia State University's College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Computer Science, with over 25 years of academic experience. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Yildiz Technical University (2002) and has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in algorithms, machine learning, and optical pattern recognition. B.Sc., Electronics and Communication Engineering, Istanbul Technical University (1993) M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University (1997) Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University (2002) His research focuses on data science, machine learning, and hyperspectral imaging applications in fields ranging from forensic analysis to historical structure preservation. He has led projects funded by the U.S. Army Research Office and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, including real-time target detection systems and digital imaging for historical structures. Recent publications demonstrate his expertise in kernel-based transforms, ensemble learning, and hyperspectral data analysis. His work spans food safety inspection, infrared target tracking, and biometric verification systems. Faculty Outstanding Research Publication Award (2006) Turkish Air Force Academy Science Competition Winner (2009) Best Paper Award at ICFCT (2016) Previously, he chaired YTU's Informatics Department (2009-2016) and participated in academic governance through the Electrical and Electronics College Executive Committee (2012-2015). You can contact him at abal@gsu.edu in room 739, 25 Park Place.
Qingguo Li is a Professor and Associate Head at the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering , Queen's University , and a member of the Ingenuity Labs Research Institute . He specializes in biomechanical system design, energy harvesting, wearable sensors, gait analysis, and load carriage systems. His research integrates robotics, biomedical engineering, and sensor technology to develop human-centric devices and mobility aids. Current Roles : Professor, Associate Head, Queen's University Research Institute : Ingenuity Labs Research Institute Lab : Bio-Mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory His work focuses on biomechanical energy harvesting , IMU-based motion analysis , and assistive device development . Key applications include stroke rehabilitation, gait monitoring, and wearable power generation systems. Articles span cable-driven robots , smart walkers , and 3D printing mechanisms , emphasizing human-robot interaction and dynamic modeling . The lab explores sensor calibration , adaptive control algorithms , and human movement optimization . Areas of impact include rehabilitation engineering , load carriage stability , wearable sensor accuracy , and assistive robotics . His team develops solutions for gait asymmetry detection , post-stroke mobility , and low-cost energy systems , leveraging machine learning and kinetic modeling .
Jon Keating is a Professor at the University of Oxford affiliated with the Mathematical Institute . His research spans Mathematical Physics , Number Theory , and Stochastic Analysis , with a focus on Random Matrix Theory and its applications to quantum systems and number theory. Research Trends: His recent work explores connections between random matrices and number-theoretic functions, with contributions to understanding moments of L-functions, characteristic polynomials, and quantum chaos. Key themes include asymptotic analysis, recursive structures, and interdisciplinary applications in nonlinear systems. Publications: Highlights include studies on CUE characteristic polynomials, the Ratios Conjecture, and collaborations in Nonlinearity , International Mathematics Research Notices , and Transactions of the American Mathematical Society .
Professor Ben Goldys is a distinguished academic at The University of Sydney's School of Mathematics and Statistics, where he conducts research at the intersection of pure mathematics and applied sciences. His work spans multiple disciplines including stochastic analysis, partial differential equations, and financial mathematics, with significant contributions to both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in science and finance. Goldys' research interests center on stochastic (ordinary and partial) differential equations and their applications. His specific focus areas include stochastic partial differential equations, stochastic geometric PDEs, stochastic boundary value problems, stochastic fluid dynamics, ergodic theory of infinite-dimensional diffusions, and applications in financial mathematics such as interest rate derivatives, credit risk, and stochastic volatility. His work bridges pure mathematical theory (Functional Analysis, PDEs, Ergodic Theory) with complex real-world problems across multiple domains. His research aligns with the University of Sydney Faculty of Science Research Strengths including Understanding the Universe, Fundamental Laws of Nature, Complex Systems, and Next Generation Materials. Professor Goldys has secured multiple significant research grants from the Australian Research Council, including recent projects such as 'Mathematics for future magnetic devices' (2024), 'Mathematics for breaking limits of speed and density in magnetic memories' (2019), and 'Novel Approaches for Problems with Uncertainties' (2015). His current research projects focus on geometric stochastic partial differential equations and applications in micromagnetism, mean field games in finance, stochastic boundary value problems, and stochastic Navier-Stokes equations on the rotating sphere. He maintains extensive international collaborations with institutions in Germany (University of Tuebingen), Italy (LUISS University), Poland (Institute of Mathematics Polish Academy of Sciences), and the United Kingdom (University of York), working on projects involving optimal control, stochastic systems with memory, and geometric stochastic PDEs. Goldys is an active member of the Applied Mathematics Research Group and The University of Sydney Nano Institute, contributing to interdisciplinary research initiatives that connect mathematical theory with cutting-edge technological applications.
Assoc Prof Ng Teng Yong is an Associate Professor at the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (NTU), specializing in numerical modeling and simulation. With a background as Research Manager at A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, his work spans materials science, nanotechnology, and aerospace engineering. Current focus on graphene-based desalination membranes Expertise in molecular dynamics simulations Investigates nanoscale fluid mechanics and structural dynamics Recent publications highlight advancements in energy-efficient electrodialysis, smart robotics, and nonlinear vibration analysis. His interdisciplinary approach integrates computational methods with experimental validation in additive manufacturing and soft material mechanics.
Andrea Liu is the Hepburn Professor of Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, leading the Department of Physics and Astronomy. As Director of the Penn Center for Soft and Living Matter, she bridges physics, biology, and materials science. She joined Penn in 2004 after faculty roles at UCLA (1994-2004) and postdoctoral research at Exxon and UCSB. Her research focuses on theoretical studies of soft and living matter, particularly jamming transitions, glass physics, and emergent phenomena in biological systems. She pioneers the application of machine learning to physical systems, designing self-learning materials and circuits. Education Ph.D., Cornell University (1989) B.A., University of California, Berkeley (1984) Research Interests Soft matter: Glass transition, jamming, and plasticity in disordered solids Living matter: Collective behavior in tissues, fluidization mechanisms, and biopolymer networks Machine learning: Physical implementations, energy-efficient circuits, and adaptive systems Her work combines analytical theory and computation to explain how complex systems achieve functionality through structural and dynamical principles. Publications Trends Recent work emphasizes physical learning networks, clogging dynamics in granular systems, and biophysical tissue mechanics. Key themes include emergent learning in analog systems, topology-driven material design, and interdisciplinary approaches to biological and engineering challenges. Awards 2025 American Physical Society Leo P. Kadanoff Prize 2021-2025 Simons Investigator in Theoretical Physics Member, National Academy of Sciences (2017) Labs & Teams Her research group collaborates on the Center for Soft and Living Matter, advancing theoretical frameworks for adaptive materials and biological systems. Ongoing initiatives focus on machine learning-informed materials design and experimental validation of theoretical models.
Prof. Dr. Michael Ulbrich is a full professor and Chair of Mathematical Optimization at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), within the School of Computation, Information and Technology. He has held this position since 2006 and previously served as Dean of Studies (2007–2010) and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics (2012–2015). His research focuses on nonlinear optimization, optimal control, and numerical analysis, with applications in fluid dynamics, shape optimization, and PDE-constrained systems. He leads projects in the DFG SPP 1962 and IGDK 1754, and has received prestigious awards including the Howard Rosenbrock Prize (2015) and the Doctoral Award from the TUM Association of Friends (1996). Ulbrich is Editor-in-Chief of Optimization and Engineering and contributes to multiple journals. His work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications, including CO2 sequestration, fluid-structure interaction, and distributed optimization algorithms. Education: PhD (1996), Habilitation (2002) in Mathematics at TUM. Research stays at Rice University (USA) under DFG funding. Research Areas: Semismooth Newton methods, PDE-constrained optimization, optimal control of Navier-Stokes equations, and distributed parameter systems. Awards: Rosenbrock Prize, Teaching Excellence Awards, and recognition for doctoral work. Leadership Roles: Department Head of Mathematics (2022–), Member of TUM Senate (2019–2022), and Co-Chair of GAMM 2018. Ulbrich has authored influential textbooks like Semismooth Newton Methods for Variational Inequalities and Nichtlineare Optimierung . His recent projects include OptiGeoS (2024–2026) and collaborations on nonsmooth optimization and stochastic algorithms. His academic contributions span over 100 publications, emphasizing both algorithmic innovation and rigorous mathematical analysis.
