Michael Carbin is the Jamieson Career Development Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and leads the MIT Programming Systems Group. His research focuses on programming systems that address system uncertainty to enhance performance, energy efficiency, and resilience, particularly in environments involving neural networks , approximate computing , and unreliable hardware . His work spans probabilistic programming , quantum computing , and machine learning systems . Articles highlight contributions in pruning neural networks , quantum data structures , and compiler optimization , reflecting trends in deep learning , formal verification , and language-driven systems . Scientific Awards : MIT Frank E. Perkins Award (2020) Sloan Research Fellowship (2020) Facebook Research Award (2019) NSF CAREER Award (2018) Best Paper Awards at OOPSLA (2013, 2014) He has advised numerous graduate students and postdocs including Eric Atkinson, Cambridge Yang, and Charles Yuan, and served on program committees for conferences like POPL, OOPSLA, and ICLR. His group collaborates with institutions such as MIT CSAIL and explores applications in quantum algorithms and probabilistic inference .
Ashley Montanaro is Professor of Quantum Computation in the School of Mathematics at the University of Bristol, and co-founder of the quantum software startup Phasecraft. He is a member of the Quantum Information Theory research group at Bristol. His research focuses on the theory of quantum computing, with particular interest in quantum algorithms, computational complexity, quantum query and communication complexity, and classical algorithms. His work spans both theoretical foundations and practical applications of quantum computing. Montanaro's research output shows significant trends toward quantum algorithms for optimization problems, quantum computational supremacy, and bridging theoretical advances with practical implementation challenges. His publications span foundational quantum information theory to applied quantum algorithms, demonstrating a versatile research program that connects computer science with quantum physics. Among his professional activities, Montanaro served on the QIP steering committee (2016-2018) and was an editor for the Quantum journal until 2019. He has been active in conference organization, serving on program committees for ITCS 2018, AQIS 2017 and 2015, QIP 2015, and TQC 2014 and 2013, reflecting his standing in the quantum computing research community. He has supervised numerous PhD students including Josh Blake, Jorja Kirk, Sheila Perez Garcia, Sami Boulebnane, Jan Lukas Bosse, Lana Mineh, Joao F. Doriguello, Chris Cade, Sam Pallister, and Stephen Piddock. His teaching includes Quantum Computation (MATHM0023) which he has taught since 2014 and Advanced Quantum Information Theory which he taught in 2015 and 2016. As co-founder of Phasecraft, Montanaro is actively translating theoretical quantum computing advances into practical software solutions, positioning him at the intersection of academic research and quantum technology commercialization.
Felix Bott is a Researcher at Technische Universität München (TUM), currently affiliated with PainLabMunich at Rechts der Isar Hospital since September 2020. Previously, he served as a Research Associate and Teaching Assistant in the Mechanics & High Performance Computing Group at TUM from April 2018 to March 2020. His academic credentials include a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (TUM, 2018) and a Master de Sciences, Technologies, Santé specializing in multi-scale mechanics modeling (2019). Research Focus Bott's research specializes in computational mechanics, emphasizing mesh-free discretization techniques like Moving Kriging Collocation and Peridynamics. He develops probabilistic numerical methods for uncertainty quantification and inverse analyses, with applications in solid mechanics and engineering simulations. His work bridges theoretical computational frameworks with practical engineering challenges. Teaching & Advising As a teaching assistant, he led courses in Engineering Mechanics I (WS 2018/19) and Engineering Mechanics II (SS 2018, SS 2019). He supervised multiple student projects including Master's theses on peridynamics-based continuum modeling, Bachelor's theses on medical device mechanics, and research internships in dynamical systems visualization and impact phenomena simulation. Laboratory Affiliations Currently conducts research at PainLabMunich (Rechts der Isar Hospital), focusing on computational approaches for medical-mechanical problems. Previously contributed to the Mechanics & High Performance Computing Group at TUM, developing advanced numerical methods for engineering applications.
Holger Fröning is a full professor at Heidelberg University’s Institute of Computer Engineering (ZITI), where he leads the Hardware and Artificial Intelligence (HAWAII) Lab. His research focuses on embedded machine learning , high-performance computing , and hardware-software co-design , with emphasis on resource efficiency, power optimization, and emerging architectures like analog , photonic , and resistive memory systems. He has held leadership roles including Managing Director of ZITI (2023–present) and Dean of Studies for Computer Science (2019–2022) , and has collaborated with institutions such as NVIDIA Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Graz University of Technology. Research Trends : His recent publications explore Bayesian neural networks , green machine learning , analog computing noise mitigation , and GPU/FPGA optimization . Articles highlight photonic computing for AI , memory-efficient training , and hardware-aware DNN compression . Scientific Awards : 2025 HiPEAC Paper Award (Nature Computational Science) 2014 Google Faculty Research Award Multiple Best Paper Awards (IPDPS, ICPP, ECML-PKDD workshops) Leadership & Service : Organized workshops (WEML, ITEM, F4HD), chaired tracks at EuroPar and ISC, and served on program committees for ICPR, ECAI, and FPL. Education & Affiliations : PhD and MSc from University of Mannheim (2007/2001). Sponsors include DFG, FWF, FFG, NVIDIA, SAP, and XILINX.
Peter Benner is a Professor and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg, where he leads the Computational Methods in Systems and Control Theory group. He also holds an Honorarprofessor position for Mathematics at Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg since 2011. Benner has previously served as Managing Director of the Max Planck Institute during multiple periods (2013-2014, 2021-2022, and 2025-2026), demonstrating his leadership in the field. Benner's research focuses on Scientific Machine Learning, Numerical Linear and Multilinear Algebra, Model Order Reduction and Reduced-order Modeling, Numerical Methods in Systems and Control Theory, PDE Constrained Optimization, High-performance and Power-aware Computing, and Mathematical Software development. His work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical engineering applications, particularly addressing challenges in large-scale dynamical systems. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on developing efficient computational methods for complex systems. Benner has pioneered approaches combining model order reduction with tensor methods to tackle high-dimensional problems in uncertainty quantification and PDE-constrained optimization. His work shows a consistent trend toward integrating data-driven techniques with traditional model-based approaches, particularly for nonlinear and parametric systems. Throughout his career, Benner has actively mentored students and collaborated with researchers worldwide, delivering numerous invited talks at prestigious institutions and conferences across Europe, North America, and Asia. His research has received significant funding, supporting the development of mathematical software and computational methods for industrial applications. Benner leads the Computational Methods in Systems and Control Theory department at the Max Planck Institute, which focuses on developing and implementing advanced numerical methods for large-scale dynamical systems. The group maintains strong connections with both theoretical mathematics and practical engineering applications, particularly in fluid dynamics, energy systems, and control theory.
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.
Vladimir Spokoiny is a Professor at the Departments of Mathematics and Economics of the Humboldt University of Berlin and Head of the Research Group "Stochastic Algorithms and Nonparametric Statistics" at the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) in Berlin, Germany. His research spans multiple areas of statistics, machine learning, and financial mathematics, with significant contributions to nonparametric statistics, high-dimensional data analysis, and statistical methods in finance. Spokoiny received his M.Sc. in applied mathematics from the Moscow Institute of Railway Engineering in 1981 and his Ph.D. in mathematics from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1988. He completed his Habilitation at Humboldt University in 1996. His academic career includes positions at the All-Union Institute of Railway Transport in Moscow, the Institute for Information Transmission Problems in Moscow, and the Institute for Applied Analysis and Statistics in Berlin before joining the Weierstrass Institute and Humboldt University where he has been a professor since 2002. Spokoiny's research focuses on adaptive nonparametric smoothing and hypothesis testing, high dimensional data analysis, statistical methods in finance, image analysis with applications to medicine, classification, and nonlinear time series. His work often addresses the challenges of nonstationarity in time series data and develops innovative methods for volatility estimation and risk management. He has made significant contributions to the development of adaptive weights smoothing procedures, which have applications in image processing, community detection, and manifold learning. His recent work has expanded into high-dimensional statistics, Bayesian inference, and optimization methods for machine learning, with publications demonstrating novel approaches to Gaussian approximation, Laplace methods, and statistical inference in non-Euclidean spaces. Spokoiny has supervised numerous PhD students including Oliver Reiss, Danilo Mercurio, Ying Chen, Elmar Diederichs, and Mstislav Elagin, whose research has focused on mathematical finance, time series analysis, and statistical methods. He serves as an Associate Editor for The Annals of Statistics (since 2004) and Statistics and Decisions (since 2002), and has previously served on the editorial board of the Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference. His professional activities include reviewing for major statistical journals including Annals of Statistics, Bernoulli, Econometrica, and Journal of American Statistical Association, as well as reviewing grant proposals for the National Science Foundation (USA), German Research Foundation, and Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Spokoiny is a member of several professional societies including the International Statistical Institute, American Statistical Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and Bernoulli Society. He is fluent in Russian (mother tongue), English, and German, and has good knowledge of French. His research group at WIAS focuses on developing novel statistical methodologies with applications across various scientific domains, particularly emphasizing adaptivity and robustness in complex data environments. The group's work has significant implications for financial risk management, medical imaging, and machine learning applications, with recent publications addressing fundamental questions in high-dimensional statistics and nonparametric inference.
Thomas S. Lontzek is Professor of Economics at RWTH Aachen University, holding the Chair of Computational Economics within the School of Business and Economics since October 2016. His research develops numerical methods for economic decision-making with focus on climate change and environmental risks. His educational background includes economics studies at Maastricht University and UC San Diego (1999-2003), followed by PhD from University of Kiel (2009). Prior positions include Assistant/Senior Assistant at University of Zurich (2010-2016) and visiting scholar at Stanford's Hoover Institution (2012). Lontzek's research spans Economic Growth, Quantitative Macroeconomics, Resource and Energy Economics, Computational Economics, Climate Risk Management, and Decision Making under Uncertainty. His work emphasizes unconventional methods for analyzing economic processes through multidimensional, nonlinear stochastic optimization while incorporating ethical principles into economic analysis for sustainability challenges. His publication record reveals a consistent focus on climate economics, particularly the social cost of carbon, climate tipping points, and integrated assessment modeling. These works demonstrate how accounting for economic and climate risks, especially potential tipping points, necessitates more aggressive climate policies than traditional models suggest, often requiring sophisticated computational techniques to handle high-dimensional uncertainty. 2021 Erik Kempe Award for work on calculating an optimal CO2 tax Lontzek actively mentors students through research seminars and teaching, emphasizing methodological diversity and interdisciplinary approaches. He leads the Global Challenges Research Seminar through the Global Challenges Lab, providing students with opportunities to conduct innovative research using quantitative decision-making techniques for sustainable development challenges. His teaching portfolio for Summer Semester 2025 includes Quantitative Macroeconomics, Sustainable Finance, and specialized research seminars. He heads the Chair of Computational Economics, which includes scientific staff members Dr. Marco Thalhammer, Dr. Yifan Zhao, and Philipp Olivier, M.Sc., working collaboratively on climate economics and computational methods. The chair's research bridges theoretical economic modeling with practical policy applications, developing dynamic stochastic integrated assessment models capable of handling complex climate-economy interactions under uncertainty.
Prof. Nicolas Perkowski is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Freie Universität Berlin, specializing in Stochastic Analysis and Probability Theory. He holds roles such as Vice Spokesperson of DFG CRC/TRR 388 (since 2024) and Chair of the Master of Mathematics Examination Board. His research focuses on stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs), rough paths, and applications in mathematical physics. Notable contributions include work on singular SPDEs, fractional processes, and the KPZ equation. Perkowski has authored/co-authored numerous publications in top journals like the Annals of Probability and Communications in Mathematical Physics, and he serves as an associate editor for several journals. His institutional responsibilities include leadership in research collaborations and academic governance. Education: PhD and diploma in stochastic population models (details not explicitly provided in text). Research Interests: Stochastic Analysis, Probability Theory, SPDEs, Mathematical Physics, Nonlinear Filtering. Recent Articles: Focus on fractional processes, SPDEs with singular terminal conditions, and stochastic sewing lemmas. His work bridges theoretical probability with applications in physics and engineering, with a strong emphasis on rigorous mathematical frameworks for complex stochastic systems.
Prof. Massimo Fornasier holds the Chair of Applied Numerical Analysis at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), within the School of Computation, Information and Technology and the Department of Mathematics. His research focuses on mathematical modeling, numerical analysis, and data-driven methods, particularly in areas like compression, sparse recovery, and optimization. He has made significant contributions to consensus-based optimization, control of multiagent systems, and applications in image/signal processing. Education: PhD in Computational Mathematics, University of Padua (2003) Postdoctoral fellowships at University of Vienna, Sapienza University of Rome, and Princeton University Awards: ERC Starting Grant (2012) START Prize (2011) Prix de Boelpaepe (2009) His work bridges theoretical analysis and computational methods, with applications ranging from compressive sensing to machine learning. Recent research emphasizes consensus-based optimization frameworks and their global convergence properties. Editorial roles include journals like Networks and Heterogeneous Media and Calcolo . He leads research groups in areas such as Data Science and Numerical Analysis at TUM.
Oliver Hohlfeld is a Professor at the University of Kassel, where he leads the Distributed Systems group. He previously held academic positions at Brandenburg University of Technology and RWTH Aachen University, and was a visiting scholar at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research focuses on network security, Internet measurements, and Quality of Experience (QoE). He completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science at TU Berlin under Anja Feldmann and holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Darmstadt University of Technology. He also worked at Fraunhofer IGD on telemedical network architectures. His research adopts a data-driven approach, combining large-scale Internet measurements, user studies, and machine learning to understand and improve Internet performance and security. Key areas include DDoS detection, QUIC, HTTP/2, TLS deployment, and BGP analysis. He investigates how protocols like QUIC and HTTP/2 impact user experience and network efficiency, often through empirical studies of real-world deployments. His recent publications highlight a strong trend in network security and protocol analysis, with significant work on DDoS attacks, traffic ingress detection, and web consolidation. He also explores social media dynamics and censorship circumvention through user reviews. 2022 IETF/IRTF Applied Networking Research Prize Best of CCR (2021) for TLS 1.3 deployment study ACM Senior Member (2020) IEEE QoMEX 2019 Best Reviewer Award ACM IMC Community Contribution Award (2018) He has advised numerous Master’s and Bachelor’s students, primarily at RWTH Aachen, and has been a principal investigator in major projects such as AIDOS (AI-based DDoS mitigation), DFG SFB MAKI, COMTEX, and the EU-funded SSICLOPS. He actively serves on the technical program committees of top-tier conferences including SIGCOMM, NSDI, IMC, and CoNEXT, and is a frequent reviewer for leading journals in networking and systems. He leads the Distributed Systems group at the University of Kassel, which conducts research on Internet observability, secure infrastructures, and scalable networking solutions.
Prof. Dr. Markus Bachmayr is a full professor at the Institute for Geometry and Practical Mathematics, RWTH Aachen University, holding the chair for Applied Mathematics. His research focuses on nonlinear approximation, high-dimensional partial differential equations (PDEs), uncertainty quantification, and numerical methods in quantum chemistry. He leads the ERC Consolidator Grant project Computational Complexity of Highly Nonlinear Approximations (COCOA) and contributes to CRC 1481 Sparsity and Singular Structures, and RTG 2326 Energy, Entropy, and Dissipative Dynamics. His recent work emphasizes adaptive low-rank and sparse approximation techniques for parametric and stochastic PDEs, including applications in radiative transfer and poroviscoelastic flow modeling. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of Foundations of Computational Mathematics and Associate Editor for multiple journals. Scientific Awards: John Todd Award 2013 Borchers Plakette 2014 Erwin Wenzl Preis 2007 He has taught courses such as Numerische Analysis I/II, Numerische Mathematik für Elektrotechniker, and seminars on numerical methods and approximation theory.
Prof. Dr. Gert-Ludwig Ingold is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Materials Engineering, University of Augsburg. His research spans multiple areas of theoretical physics with emphasis on quantum phenomena in nanoscale systems. His work on the Casimir effect explores interactions between various geometries including spheres, plates, and dielectric materials, with applications in nanotechnology and biophysics. His research on dissipative quantum systems investigates thermodynamic anomalies and quantum Brownian motion. In mesoscopic physics, he studies charge transport through nanoscale structures and quantum interference effects. His work on quantum systems in phase space connects classical and quantum dynamics, while his semiclassical research examines quantum revival patterns and phase-space trajectories. Prof. Ingold's publications reveal a strong focus on the Casimir effect, with numerous papers examining interactions between different geometries and materials. His work demonstrates expertise in both theoretical modeling and numerical methods, as evidenced by his development of the CaPS software for Casimir effect calculations. He frequently collaborates with international researchers, particularly with Paulo A. Maia Neto, Tanja Schoger, and Benjamin Spreng. Prof. Ingold has made significant contributions to physics education through textbooks and popular science books, including Quantentheorie: Grundlagen der modernen Physik and Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen: Moderne Physik . He has co-authored the Python-based educational resource Numerische Physik mit Python and maintains extensive online teaching materials including lecture notes and video tutorials.
Amol Deshpande is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, College of Engineering. With over 160 publications spanning from 2000 to 2025, his research has significantly impacted the database systems community. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical systems, evidenced by numerous publications in top-tier venues including SIGMOD, VLDB, and ICDE. Professor Deshpande's research focuses on database systems, with particular expertise in graph databases, data management, probabilistic databases, query optimization, and data provenance. His work addresses fundamental challenges in managing complex data, including efficient graph analytics, dataset versioning, streaming data processing, and privacy-preserving data management. Recent research directions include entity-relationship abstractions beyond traditional relations, standalone catalog engines for large data systems, and graph theoretical approaches to dataset versioning. His publication trends show a consistent focus on evolving database technologies, with early work on probabilistic databases and query optimization, transitioning to graph analytics and data provenance, and more recently addressing modern challenges in data cataloging, privacy-first data management, and serverless stream processing. His research spans both theoretical contributions (e.g., approximation algorithms for stochastic optimization) and practical systems building (e.g., RStore, TreeCat). Professor Deshpande has mentored numerous PhD students who have become active researchers in the database community, including Hui Miao, Souvik Bhattacherjee, and Konstantinos Xirogiannopoulos. His collaborative work spans across institutions, with frequent collaborations with researchers from MIT, University of Maryland, and other leading institutions. His research has been supported by major funding agencies and has influenced both academic research and industry practices in data management. The evolution of his work reflects the changing landscape of data management, from traditional relational systems to modern graph and streaming data challenges.
Bruce Allen is the Director of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) in Hannover, Germany, where he also heads the Observational Relativity and Cosmology department. He holds dual academic appointments as Honorary Professor of Physics at Leibniz Universität Hannover and Adjunct Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. His career spans over three decades in gravitational physics research, with a leadership role in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration from 1997 to 2018. Dr. Allen's research focuses on gravitational wave detection and data analysis, early universe cosmology, de Sitter space, curved-space quantum field theory, cosmic strings, inflationary models of the early universe, and gravitational radiation emission by cosmic strings. His work extends to large-scale cluster computing and public distributed computing projects like Einstein@Home, which has led to significant discoveries in gravitational wave astronomy. His recent publications demonstrate expertise in pulsar timing arrays, Hellings-Downs correlation analysis, and optimization of computational methods for gravitational wave detection. Allen's scientific contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the Richard A. Isaacson Award (2020), the Bruno Rossi Prize (2017), the Princess of Asturias Award (2017), and the Special Breakthrough Prize (2016), all shared with the LIGO team for groundbreaking gravitational wave discoveries. He is also an Elected Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics, UK. As a research leader, Allen has secured approximately $10 million in research funding from the National Science Foundation (1987-2018) and has mentored numerous students and researchers in gravitational physics. His work on Einstein@Home has engaged the public in scientific discovery through distributed computing, leading to several important astrophysical findings including gamma-ray pulsar discoveries.
