Find Academic Supervisors

Umberto MichelucciView profile

Professor

• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Astrophysics
• +5 more

Umberto Michelucci is a Professor of Scientific Machine Learning at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), Switzerland. He holds a PhD in Machine Learning applied to Physics and has over 20 years of industry experience. He is the Subject Head of Applied Data Intelligence in Continuing and Executive Education, Head of Certificates in Machine Learning/Data Engineering, and founder of TOELT LLC and the AI Center of Excellence at Helsana Versicherung AG. His research focuses on machine learning applications in science, astrophysics, uncertainty quantification, and sensor technology. Education PhD in Machine Learning applied to Physics (Portsmouth University) Master in Theoretical Physics (University of Florence) Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (Open University, UK) Research Interests Michelucci’s work bridges machine learning and scientific disciplines. Key areas include: Machine learning for astrophysics (INAF collaborations) Uncertainty analysis in high-stakes ML systems Deep learning for optical sensing (e.g., olive oil quality analysis) Foundational mathematical concepts for ML in science Awards & Recognition World’s Top 2% Scientists (Stanford List) Google Developer Expert in Machine Learning AI Global Ambassador (2022) TOP AI Influencer in Switzerland (2021) Grants & Collaborations He collaborates with institutions like INAF (Italy) and NVIDIA/Google, leading projects on AI for agrifood, medical imaging, and astrophysics. His work includes $multi-million industry partnerships and EU-funded research. Labs & Teams Director of the TOELT AI Lab and oversees HSLU’s Applied Data Intelligence programs. Active in open-source initiatives and global AI standardization efforts.

• Distributed Computing
• Parallel Algorithms
• Graph Theory
• +3 more

Christoph Grunau is a Researcher at ETH Zürich's Theoretical Computer Science department, affiliated with the Professorship for Computer Science. His work focuses on distributed computing, parallel algorithms, graph theory, and network decomposition. He has contributed to advancements in scalable MPC (Massively Parallel Computing) algorithms, efficient parallel derandomization techniques, and deterministic network decomposition methods. His research emphasizes algorithmic efficiency, theoretical guarantees, and applications in distributed systems, quantum computing, and dynamic graph problems. Key contributions include work on graph orientation, dynamic coloring algorithms, and clustering techniques such as k-center and k-means++. His publications span topics like shortest path algorithms with negative edge weights, probabilistic methods for algorithm analysis, and distributed symmetry breaking in sparse graphs. Grunau's research bridges foundational theory with practical distributed computing challenges, addressing scalability and efficiency in both classical and emerging computational frameworks.

Feiran ZhaoView profile

Researcher

• Data-Driven Control
• Adaptive Control
• Reinforcement Learning
• +2 more

Feiran Zhao is a Researcher at the Institute of Automatic Control, part of the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich. He holds a B.S. in Control Science and Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology (2018) and a Ph.D. from Tsinghua University (2024). His research focuses on data-driven control, adaptive control, reinforcement learning, and their applications in engineering systems. Zhao is currently a postdoc under Prof. Florian Dorfler at ETH's Automatic Control Lab. Research interests span topics like policy optimization for LQR systems, quantized feedback control, and model predictive control acceleration. His work bridges machine learning and classical control theory, with applications in robotics, power systems, and aerospace engineering. His publications (2019–2025) explore theoretical foundations of policy gradient methods, convergence analysis, and practical implementations in autonomous systems. Though no awards are explicitly listed, his active research in high-impact areas suggests potential recognition. As part of the Automatic Control Lab, Zhao collaborates on projects involving data-enabled control strategies and real-world system applications. No student advisees are currently listed.

Qi TangView profile

Research Fellow

• Hydrogeology
• Data Assimilation
• Earth System Modeling
• +3 more

Qi Tang is a Research Fellow in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Basel and concurrently serves as Coordinator of the Swiss Water Earth Systems PhD School at the University of Neuchâtel. His expertise spans hydrogeology, data assimilation, and Earth system modeling. He holds a PhD in Hydrogeology from RWTH Aachen University (2017) and has held postdoctoral positions at institutions including the Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany), the University of Basel, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Education: PhD in Hydrogeology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany (2012–2017) MSc in Hydrology and Water Resources, Beijing Normal University (2009–2012) BSc in Applied Mathematics, China Agriculture University (2005–2009) Research Interests: Qi Tang focuses on advancing coupled Earth system models through data assimilation techniques. His work integrates hydrological, oceanographic, and climatic processes to improve predictive accuracy. Key areas include river-aquifer interaction dynamics, satellite data integration in ocean-atmosphere models, and cloud computing for real-time water resource management. His research bridges theoretical modeling with practical applications in environmental monitoring and climate prediction. Publications: His articles emphasize data-driven approaches to environmental systems. Recent work highlights coupled model improvements using satellite data (e.g., ocean-atmosphere interactions), ensemble Kalman filtering for flood simulations, and Bayesian networks for precipitation modeling. These studies underscore his expertise in both computational methods and field applications. Advising & Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, his postdoctoral roles suggest involvement in mentoring junior researchers. No specific grants are mentioned in the provided texts. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Hydrogeological Processes group at the Center for Hydrogeology and Geothermal Energy (CHYN), University of Neuchâtel. This group specializes in geothermal energy, hydrochemistry, and stochastic hydrogeology.

Matteo BiagiolaView profile

Researcher

• Software Testing
• Test Generation
• AI for Software Testing (AI4SE)
• +4 more

Matteo Biagiola is a Researcher in the Faculty of Informatics at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland, and a PostDoctoral researcher at the University of St. Gallen (HSG). He specializes in software testing, particularly test generation for Web applications, deep reinforcement learning systems, and autonomous driving software. His work focuses on enhancing AI robustness through testing and improving software testing via AI techniques. Biagiola holds a Ph.D. from Università degli Studi di Genova (Italy) in collaboration with Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento. He has conducted postdoctoral research at USI on the Precrime ERC Advanced Grant project under Paolo Tonella. His research tools include μPRL (mutation testing for RL agents), STILE (web test parallelization), and GenBo (boundary state generation for autonomous systems). Education: Ph.D.: Università degli Studi di Genova / Fondazione Bruno Kessler (2016–2020) M.Sc.: Università Politecnica delle Marche (2014–2016) Affiliations: PostDoc & Scientific Collaborator: University of St. Gallen / USI (2025–present) PostDoc: USI (2020–2025) Visiting Ph.D. Student: University of British Columbia (2018) His research interests span AI-driven testing tools, autonomous system validation, and simulation-based testing. He has received the Distinguished Paper Award at ICST 2025 and serves on program committees for major conferences like FSE, ICSE, and ICST. He co-organizes workshops like DeepTest (co-located with ICSE) and the Cyber-Physical Systems tool competition (SBFT).

• Natural Language Processing
• Machine Translation
• Speech Processing
• +3 more

Popescu-Belis Andrei serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), specifically within the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (IICT) at HEIG-VD campus in Yverdon-les-Bains. His academic work spans teaching computer science fundamentals and advanced natural language processing concepts across both undergraduate and graduate programs. His research interests focus on Natural Language Processing , Machine Translation , and Human-Machine Dialogue systems, with particular emphasis on low-resource language scenarios. His work addresses challenges in speech-to-speech translation, subword tokenization, neural machine translation optimization, and creative applications like poem generation. Recent publications through 2025 demonstrate his ongoing contributions to the field, particularly in multilingual NMT training schedules and low-resource language processing pipelines. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on practical solutions for language barriers, with increasing attention to reinforcement learning applications and creative language generation. His work on GPoeT demonstrates the intersection of traditional literary forms with modern language models, while his research on low-resource translation pipelines addresses real-world community interpreting needs. He has led significant research projects including Digital Lyric (2019-2020), a collaboration with UNIL (University of Lausanne) to develop systems for aiding poem generation for a public exhibition at Morges Castle. This project demonstrates his interdisciplinary approach bridging computational linguistics with creative applications. His academic contributions include: Development of specialized training pipelines for low-resource neural machine translation Innovative approaches to speech-to-speech translation for community interpreting Novel methods for constrained language model applications in creative writing Significant contributions to understanding subword tokenization mechanics Popescu-Belis maintains active research collaborations across institutions, as evidenced by his work with UNIL and various international conference publications. His teaching portfolio includes courses in natural language processing, data preparation, unsupervised machine learning, and computer science fundamentals, demonstrating his commitment to both theoretical and practical aspects of the field.

Stefana ParaschoView profile

Assistant Professor

• Digital Fabrication
• Robotic Construction
• Sustainable Architecture
• +3 more

Stefana Parascho serves as Tenure Track Assistant Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) within the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), specifically in the Institute of Architecture (IA). She leads the Laboratory for Creative Computation (CRCL) and concurrently heads the Diversity Office at ENAC, demonstrating dual commitments to technological innovation and institutional equity. Her research pioneers intersections of digital fabrication, robotics, and sustainable architecture, with particular focus on transforming construction waste into valuable resources. Through computational design and robotic assembly, she develops novel methodologies for upcycling concrete rubble and timber into structurally sound building components, directly addressing circular economy challenges in construction. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with physical prototyping, emphasizing human-robot collaboration and material reintegration. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a cohesive trajectory toward waste valorization through digital processes, with concrete rubble masonry and timber reuse forming the core technical pillars. These investigations consistently integrate robotic fabrication, structural validation, and circular design principles across 15+ publications since 2023, establishing new paradigms for resource-efficient construction. As an academic advisor, she supervises four PhD candidates (Grangeot Maxence, Skevaki Eleni Maria, Vallat Gabriel Rémi, Wang Jingwen) while contributing to architectural education through courses like "Digital design and making: A critical introduction" that merge technical skill development with theoretical critique. Her leadership extends to the ENAC Teaching Committee and institutional diversity initiatives, reflecting comprehensive engagement with academic community development. Her operational base at CRCL (https://crcl.epfl.ch) provides the technical infrastructure for robotic experimentation, while her Diversity Office role (https://www.epfl.ch/schools/enac/about/diversity-office/) demonstrates parallel commitment to inclusive academic environments. This dual focus positions her at the forefront of both technological innovation and cultural transformation within architectural academia.

• Multiscale/multiphysics modeling
• Biophysics
• Cellular and molecular biomechanics
• +6 more

Igor V. Pivkin is a full professor at the Institute of Computing within the Faculty of Informatics at the University of Lugano (USI). He holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mathematics from Novosibirsk State University, followed by an M.Sc. in Computer Science and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Brown University. Before joining USI, he was a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His research focuses on multiscale/multiphysics modeling , numerical methods, and large-scale simulations of biological and physical systems. Key areas include biophysics, cellular/molecular biomechanics, stochastic modeling, and coarse-grained molecular simulations. He leverages high-performance computing and particle-based methods to address complex biological phenomena. His work spans diverse applications, including cancer cell dynamics, bioleaching bacterial biofilms, and erythrocyte mechanics in human spleen circulation. He has pioneered computational tools such as the Bayesian recursive global optimizer (BaRGO) and the in-silico lab-on-a-chip framework, enabling petascale simulations of microfluidic systems at cellular resolution. Pivkin collaborates extensively with institutions like the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics and has contributed to advancing methodologies for multi-model scientific simulations. His research integrates experimental data with computational models to bridge gaps between microscopic and macroscopic biological processes.

Ilya KarlinView profile

Lecturer

• Fluid Dynamics
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Thermodynamics
• +3 more

Prof. Ilya Karlin is a Lecturer at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich. His research focuses on advanced computational fluid dynamics, particularly leveraging lattice Boltzmann methods for simulating complex fluid phenomena. Key areas include non-ideal fluid behavior, multiphase flows, combustion processes, and hydrodynamic closures. He has contributed extensively to improving numerical methods for compressible flows, turbulent systems, and reactive mixtures in porous media. His work bridges kinetic theory with continuum mechanics, addressing challenges in hydrodynamic manifolds and non-local effects. Dr. Karlin's publications emphasize rigorous mathematical analysis alongside computational innovation, such as spectral closure techniques and entropy-based models. His research often explores the interplay between microscopic kinetic descriptions and macroscopic hydrodynamic equations. He has developed novel algorithms like the 'particles on demand' method for handling strong discontinuities in flows. Recent work includes studies on rarefaction effects, capillarity-viscosity balance, and exact hydrodynamic manifolds for BGK equations. His studies span diverse applications from microfluidics and phase transitions to detonation modeling and environmental fluid mechanics. While no specific awards are listed in the provided text, his prolific publication record indicates significant contributions to the field of computational fluid dynamics.

Renato PajarolaView profile

Professor

• Computer Graphics
• Scientific Visualization
• 3D Modeling
• +5 more

Prof. Dr. Renato Pajarola is the Head of the Visualization and MultiMedia Lab at the Department of Informatics, University of Zurich. His research focuses on computer graphics, scientific visualization, and geometric processing, with applications in 3D scanning, point cloud analysis, and real-time rendering. He leads a team developing advanced visualization techniques for high-dimensional data, parallel rendering frameworks, and interactive systems for complex datasets. Key research areas include: 3D reconstruction of indoor environments Tensor approximation for volume visualization Interactive ray tracing and point cloud processing Parallel rendering frameworks (e.g., Equalizer) Scientific computing and sensitivity analysis His recent publications emphasize: High-dimensional data exploration using tensor methods Efficient rendering techniques for large-scale point clouds Integration of citizen-reported weather data for environmental analysis Prof. Pajarola’s lab collaborates on projects like VIAN (visual annotation tool for film analysis) and Terrender (web-based terrain visualization). His Erdős number is 3, reflecting interdisciplinary research connections in mathematics and computer science.

• Distributed Computing
• Computer Science
• Communication Systems
• +3 more

Abdellah El Mrini is a Doctoral Assistant at the Distributed Computing Laboratory (DCL) within the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He is affiliated with the Doctoral Program in Computer and Communication Sciences (EDIC), indicating his active pursuit of a PhD while contributing to research and academic activities at the institution. His work is centered in the field of distributed computing, with research interests spanning distributed systems, fault tolerance, cloud computing, and communication technologies. These interests align closely with the mission of the DCL, a leading research group in scalable and reliable computing infrastructures. The publications and research output in this domain typically focus on system reliability, consensus algorithms, and large-scale data processing frameworks. Although no specific articles are listed, the trends in such labs often involve practical implementations and theoretical advancements in distributed algorithms. No scientific awards or honors are mentioned in the provided text. As a Doctoral Assistant, Abdellah El Mrini likely contributes to teaching, mentoring, and research supervision within the DCL. While no formal advisees are listed, his role may involve supporting graduate students and collaborating on research projects funded by national or European grants. He is part of the Distributed Computing Laboratory (DCL), a prominent research group at EPFL focused on building robust, scalable, and secure distributed systems. The lab is known for its work on blockchain technologies, consensus protocols, and decentralized applications.

Fazl BarezView profile

Research Fellow

• AI Safety
• Mechanistic Interpretability
• Technical AI Governance
• +3 more

Fazl Barez is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford leading research on Technical AI Safety and Governance. He is also affiliated with Cambridge's CSER, NTU's Digital Trust Centre, Edinburgh's Informatics, and is a member of ELLIS. Previously, he was a researcher at Amazon and Huawei, and Co-director and Head of Research at Apart Research. He currently serves as an advisor to Martian and has worked with Anthropic's Alignment team (2024-2025). University of Oxford: Senior Research Fellow Cambridge CSER: Affiliate NTU Digital Trust Centre: Affiliate Edinburgh Informatics: Affiliate ELLIS: Member Anthropic: Alignment Team Collaborator (2024-2025) Martian: Advisor Dr. Barez's research focuses on ensuring AI systems remain safe, interpretable, and beneficial as they grow in capability. His work spans four interconnected areas: Interpretability (developing methods to reveal how AI models process information internally), Safety and Alignment (creating tools to detect and address deceptive behaviors), Technical Governance (translating technical insights into governance frameworks), and Societal Impact (examining broader implications of AI on society). His research is funded by OpenAI, Anthropic, Schmidt Sciences, Future of Life Institute, and NVIDIA. The trends in Dr. Barez's publications show a consistent focus on making AI systems more transparent and safer. His recent work explores mechanistic interpretability techniques like sparse autoencoders, investigates how language models relearn removed concepts, examines machine unlearning for safety applications, and develops frameworks for value alignment measurement. His publications appear in top venues including NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, and EMNLP, reflecting his significant contributions to both theoretical and practical aspects of AI safety. Future of Humanity Institute PhD Affiliate (2022-2024) EPSRC PhD Student Scholarship (2019-2023) MSc Scholarship (2017-2018) BA (Hons) Sports Performance Scholarship (2013-2017) Dr. Barez has mentored numerous students who have gone on to prominent positions at organizations like Microsoft Research, DeepMind, and Martian. His research is generously funded by major AI organizations including OpenAI, Anthropic, Schmidt Sciences, Future of Life Institute, and NVIDIA. He has served as an Area Chair for ACL 2025 and on program committees for major conferences including ECAI 2024. His work has practical impact, with algorithms like N2G adopted by OpenAI to evaluate sparse autoencoders for interpretability. Dr. Barez leads research at the intersection of technical AI safety and governance. His work connects with multiple research groups including the UK AI Security Institute, Alan Turing Institute, and various university centers. He has co-organized workshops such as the first Mechanistic Interpretability workshop at ICML 2024 and actively collaborates with researchers across the AI safety ecosystem. His research bridges the gap between theoretical safety research and practical implementation in real-world AI systems.

• Computational Mechanics
• Finite Element Analysis
• Contact Mechanics
• +1 more

Mohit Pundir is a Lecturer at ETH Zürich's Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. He specializes in computational mechanics, focusing on finite element methods, contact mechanics, and fracture simulations. Research Focus: His work emphasizes: Eulerian phase-field approaches for contact problems FFT-based methods in solid mechanics Computational modeling of material behavior High-performance fracture simulation frameworks Recent Publications: Pundir's 2023-2025 articles demonstrate strong themes in numerical methods for materials science, including topology-optimized structures, corrosion prediction in porous media, and physics-consistent ML models for materials.

• Computer Architecture
• Distributed Systems
• Cloud Computing
• +3 more

Javier Picorel is a former researcher at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), affiliated with the Parallel Systems Architecture Lab (Parsa). His work focuses on computer architecture, distributed systems, and cloud computing, with an emphasis on optimizing storage systems, near-data processing, and high-performance computing. Picorel has contributed to advancements in scalable serverless computing, secure data center architectures, and accelerator design. His research interests include storage-class memory hierarchies, virtual machine performance optimization, and software-defined systems. Key projects include BlockNDP for block-storage acceleration, IndiLog for stateful serverless systems, and SPARTA for accelerator address translation. He has collaborated extensively with the Parsa group and published widely in top conferences such as ISCA, MICRO, and PACT.

• Database Systems
• Storage Systems
• Hardware Acceleration
• +3 more

Alberto Lerner is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Informatics within the Interfaculty Informatics Department at the University of Fribourg. His research focuses on advancing database systems, storage architectures, and hardware-software co-design. He holds a strong interest in computational storage, network-accelerated query processing, and the integration of modern hardware technologies like CXL into database engines. Lerner's work emphasizes performance optimization and scalable solutions in data-intensive computing environments. His research interests include database architecture, storage co-design, hardware acceleration, and network-driven computing. Recent publications highlight innovations in point cloud data processing, reprogrammable storage devices, and software-defined controllers for NAND flash systems. Lerner's articles reflect a trend toward leveraging modern hardware advancements to enhance database and storage performance. He has contributed to frameworks like BABOL and Data Pipes, advancing declarative control over data movement and network-based graph mining.