Mathieu Odijk is a Full Professor at the University of Twente's Faculty of Science and Technology, leading the Integrated Devices and Systems department. His research focuses on microfluidic systems, catalysis, and organ-on-chip platforms, with contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals through advanced material characterization and biomedical engineering. He has authored over 120 publications and holds an h-index of 27 with 1,820 citations. Expertise: Microfluidics, catalyst particle diagnostics, SERS substrates, organ-on-chip systems, and spectroscopic techniques. Collaborations include Weckhuysen (catalysis), van den Berg (microfluidics), and Meirer (materials science). Key projects: Modular organ-on-chip platforms (STARTER), droplet-based catalyst screening, and real-time reaction monitoring via ATR-IR systems. His research combines nanotechnology and chemical engineering to develop tools for sustainable energy, environmental remediation, and biomedical applications. Recent work includes microreactors for catalyst particle analysis, light-driven urea oxidation for wearable kidney devices, and standardized platforms for organ-on-chip research.
Professor Vikas Kumar is a leading academic in International Business at the University of Sydney Business School. He holds a BA from Delhi University, an MIB from IIFT, and a PhD from Saint Louis University. His research focuses on emerging market firms' internationalization strategies, institutional contexts, and business group dynamics. As Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Management, he influences global research trends in the field. He has authored numerous books and articles, including 'Global Outsourcing and Offshoring' (Cambridge University Press). Key roles include Director of the Emerging Markets Research Group (EMRG) and past visiting scholar at Stanford University. Awards include the University of Sydney Business School's Excellence in Research Award (2013) and recognition for impactful research on emerging market firms. His teaching spans Global Business, Strategy, and Cross-Cultural Management. Current students explore topics like ESG, behavioral strategy, and sustainability in global supply chains. Research highlights include studies on India's business groups, the role of institutions in firm strategies, and the impact of digitalization on international practices. He actively contributes to editorial boards of journals like Journal of Management Studies and Management International Review.
Zohreh Sharafi is an Assistant Professor of Software Engineering in the Department of Computer and Software Engineering (GIGL) at Polytechnique Montréal. Previously, she served as a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she worked with Dr. Westley Weimer and was awarded the prestigious NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a software engineer at Morgan Stanley, contributing to the firm's electronic trading platform and serving as principal architect of SURF, a market data simulator. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from École polytechnique de Montréal under the supervision of Dr. Giuliano Antoniol and Dr. Yann-Gaël Guéhéneuc, a Master of Applied Science in Software Engineering from Concordia University, and a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from the University of Tehran. Dr. Sharafi leads the SENSE Lab, a multidisciplinary software engineering research laboratory focused on understanding problem-solving strategies developers use during software development, with particular attention to human factors such as gender and native language. Her research combines human-centric design with experimental methodologies, investigating cognitive processes involved in software development using biometric measures including eye tracking and neuroimaging. Current active projects include evaluating trustworthiness perceptions of software artifacts and studying the role of creativity in software engineering tasks. She has made significant contributions to understanding how gender influences program comprehension and code review processes. Her publication record demonstrates a strong focus on empirical methods in software engineering, particularly eye tracking and neuroimaging techniques to study developer cognition. Her work spans program comprehension, code review, requirements engineering, and the impact of human factors on software development processes. She has developed methodological frameworks for conducting eye tracking studies in software engineering and has made notable contributions to understanding how visualization techniques affect software development tasks. NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship NSERC Discovery Grant Program and Launch Supplements (Sep 2024-Sep 2029) IVADO Startup & Operation Fund (Jan 2022-Jan 2023) Scholarship for Doctoral Studies from Fonds de Recherche du Quebec Distinguished Reviewer Awards from IEEE ICPC 2020 and ACM FSE 2024 Dr. Sharafi actively mentors students including Mahta Amini (PhD Candidate, IVADO Scientifique en résidence 2024 Laureate), Cameron Cherif (PhD Candidate), Sara Yabesi (Master's Student), and Anthonia Njoku (Graduate research intern). She serves on numerous conference organizing committees including as Local Arrangement Chair for SANER 2025, Program Co-chair for SEMLA 2024, and as a reviewer for top-tier journals including IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering and ACM Computing Surveys. Her research is supported by multiple grants focused on understanding human factors in software engineering through empirical methods. At Polytechnique Montréal, Dr. Sharafi directs the SENSE Lab which brings together computer scientists, cognitive scientists, and software engineering researchers to investigate the cognitive aspects of software development. The lab employs advanced methodologies including eye tracking, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study how developers comprehend, navigate, and modify software systems. Current projects examine trustworthiness perceptions in code review, the role of creativity in software engineering tasks, and gender differences in software development processes.
Inga Kristina Trauthig is a dual-affiliation academic serving as a Research Professor at Florida International University’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and a Visiting Fellow at King’s College London’s Institute of Middle Eastern Studies (IMES). She holds a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London, focusing on Libya, and an MLitt in Middle East Security from the University of St Andrews. Her research spans terrorism, disinformation, emerging technologies, and Middle Eastern political dynamics, with particular expertise in Salafism and security sector analysis. She has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and policy-focused articles, including work in Conflict, Security & Development and Political Research Quarterly . Her consulting work addresses causes of war and insecurity for UN bodies, governments, NGOs, and private firms. She has provided oral evidence to the UK Parliament and appeared on platforms like BBC’s Digital Human and Lawfare Blog . Trauthig convenes King’s MENA Research Group within IMES and has held student representation roles across faculty levels. Her research highlights include analyzing generative AI’s political risks, disinformation strategies in MENA, and the role of messaging apps in authoritarian governance.
Dr. Silvia Baiocco serves as Assistant Professor at University of Rome Tor Vergata, teaching entrepreneurship, tourism management, and marketing courses across Bachelor and Master programs including 'Creation of Enterprises and Entrepreneurship' (Master), 'Fundamentals of Service Management' (Bachelor), and 'Tourism and Cultural Management for Sustainability' (Bachelor). Her institutional affiliation centers on Business Economics (sector ECON-07/A) with research rooted in co-evolutionary theory. Her research critically examines sustainable business model innovation through three interconnected lenses: (1) tourism-destination co-evolution in historic villages and Alberghi Diffusi, (2) university-industry knowledge exchange for sustainable spin-offs via PNICube Observatory frameworks, and (3) technology integration in smart tourism through AI-driven destination management. She emphasizes context-specific adaptation in both high-income (Italy) and low/middle-income settings (Ghana), with strong focus on social impact and heritage preservation. Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals accelerating focus on digital tourism transformation (AI applications, smart city integration) and resilience-building in accommodation firms. Her work consistently applies co-evolutionary frameworks to decode organizational adaptation, particularly in sustainable entrepreneurship contexts. The PNICube Observatory reports highlight her policy-relevant contributions to university research valorization. As educator, Dr. Baiocco actively shapes future business leaders through courses spanning startup creation to sustainable destination management. Her research trajectory indicates deepening engagement with technology-mediated sustainability solutions and cross-sectoral innovation ecosystems, particularly through ongoing PNICube Observatory initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Øyvind Eide is a Professor in Digital Humanities at the University of Cologne, affiliated with the Department of Digital Humanities under the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. He holds a PhD in Digital Humanities from King’s College London (2013). His research focuses on transformative digital intermedial studies, critical spatial formalization of cultural heritage information, and the relationship between texts and maps as media. He previously served as Chair of the European Association for Digital Humanities (EADH) from 2016–2019 and is actively involved in ICOM’s CIDOC committee. Eide’s work bridges theoretical and practical dimensions of digital humanities, emphasizing spatial analysis, ontology modeling, and interdisciplinary methodologies. His academic contributions include seminal works on network visualization in humanities, cultural heritage ontologies, and the application of critical formalization in media studies. Current research explores the interplay between verbal and spatial expressions of geography in historical narratives. Eide teaches courses such as 'Modelling and Digital Maps' and 'Digital Cultural Heritage,' reflecting his commitment to both research and education. Notable projects include the Ibsen Manuscripts digitization initiative, the GeoModelText tool for spatial narrative analysis, and contributions to archaeological document interconnection through the CIDOC CRM framework. He is Vice Director of the Scholarly Platform: Reflecting and Shaping the Digital Age at the University of Cologne.
Dr Oscar Zhou serves as a Lecturer in Media Studies and Director of Studies for Planning, Culture and Environment (PGT) at the School of Arts, University of Kent, following prior academic appointments at the University of Sussex, University of Brighton, and University of Hertfordshire. His scholarly trajectory includes a PhD in Media and Cultural Studies from the University of Sussex and a Masters in Globalisation and Communications from the University of Leicester. His educational credentials: PhD in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Sussex Masters in Globalisation and Communications, University of Leicester Undergraduate training in communication and technical science Zhou's research critically examines intersections of digital culture, gender/sexuality studies, and media technologies, with concentrated focus on LGBTQ+ communities' engagements in transnational contexts. Employing digital and algorithmic ethnography, he investigates queer digital cultures, critical health communication, and platform politics—particularly analyzing how algorithms reconfigure power dynamics around gender, sexuality, and youth wellbeing in Chinese digital ecosystems like Douyin/TikTok. Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent exploration of Chinese digital media landscapes, emphasizing queer visibility on platforms such as Douyin and Zhihu, danmei fan cultures, and gender politics in television. His work also addresses digital activism, influencer economies, and geopolitical representations in fandom, demonstrating methodological innovation through short-video platform analytics and participatory youth research. Professional recognition: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy As an active PhD supervisor, Zhou seeks candidates with qualitative and ethnographic expertise in digital culture, particularly welcoming projects on Chinese media, algorithmic governance, and queer health communication. He chairs the UK-China Media and Cultural Studies Association while contributing to the Centre for Health and Medical Humanities, currently leading collaborative research on short-video apps' societal impacts through the lens of gender, sexuality, and youth wellbeing.
Beata Csatho PhD is a Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University at Buffalo, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on remote sensing, glaciology, climate change, and geophysics. She holds a PhD in Geophysics from the University of Miskolc, Hungary (1993). Her work integrates geophysical, remote sensing, and climatic data to study ice sheet dynamics and cryospheric changes. She leads the Remote Sensing lab and teaches courses like GLY 465/565 (Environmental Remote Sensing) and GLY 325 (Geophysics). Recent research emphasizes Greenland and Antarctic ice dynamics, ICESat-2 validation, and developing tools like Ghub for collaborative glaciology. She advises PhD and Master's students and collaborates on major projects like ISMIP7 and IceBridge. Her lab focuses on advancing laser altimetry, DEM correction, and cryosphere observation techniques.
Ben Williamson is a Chancellor’s Fellow at the Centre for Research in Digital Education and the Edinburgh Futures Institute, University of Edinburgh, where his research examines intersections of educational policy, digital technologies, and institutional practices in schools and universities. His scholarly focus spans Educational Technology, Digital Education, and AI in Education, emphasizing critical analysis of data-driven systems. Williamson authored the seminal book Big Data in Education: The digital future of learning, policy and practice (Sage, 2017) and over 30 research articles; his 2024 policy brief Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good highlights governance gaps in educational AI deployment. Williamson actively contributes to public discourse through platforms like the NEPC Talks Education podcast (November 2020), discussing real-world implications of edtech in K–12 and higher education settings.
Christine A. Parlour is the Sylvan C. Coleman Chair of Finance and Accounting at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. She co-directs the Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence. Her research focuses on Fintech, digital payments, and market microstructure, particularly in cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). She has served on the Nasdaq Economic Advisory Board and the New Special Study of Securities Markets steering committee. Education: PhD and MA in Economics from Queen’s University (Kingston), BSocSci from University of Ottawa. Her work explores payment system externalities, blockchain protocols, and banking innovation. Recent research includes analysis of Bitcoin transaction fees, decentralized exchange liquidity, and systemic risks in DeFi markets. Publications span top finance journals, addressing topics like Uniswap’s AMM model, miner collusion in Bitcoin, and the impact of Fintech on traditional banking. She frequently engages with policymakers on digital currency regulation and CBDC design.
Dong-Bo Wang is a Researcher at imec, a research hub affiliated with Ghent University in Belgium. His current employment at imec began in March 2020 and continues to the present. He holds a doctoral degree (PhD), as indicated by the title 'Dr.' associated with his profile. His research focuses on advancing photonics technologies, particularly in the areas of quantum cascade lasers, silicon photonics integration, and micro-transfer printing techniques. His work bridges optoelectronics and materials science to develop novel photonic integrated circuits and heterogeneous systems. Recent publications highlight contributions to the integration of quantum cascade lasers on silicon platforms and the application of micro-transfer printing for creating advanced photonic devices. These efforts aim to enhance performance and scalability in optoelectronic systems. No academic awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided information. Collaborations include researchers from imec and affiliated institutions, reflecting a team-oriented approach to solving complex photonics challenges.
Professor Chengzhong (Michael) Yu is a Research Professor at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), University of Queensland. His research focuses on functional nanomaterials for healthcare, energy, and environmental applications. He holds over 400 publications with 36,000+ citations and has received prestigious awards like the NHMRC Leadership Fellowship and ARC Future Fellowship. Education: PhD in Chemistry from Fudan University. Research Interests: Silica-based nanoparticles for drug/gene delivery, energy storage materials (e.g., aluminum-ion batteries), sustainable catalysis, and nano-pesticides for agriculture. His group develops biomaterials for cancer therapy, immunotherapy, and mRNA vaccine platforms. Recent Trends in Publications: Focused on advancing nanocarrier systems for therapeutics, electrocatalytic H₂O₂ synthesis from seawater, and sustainable energy solutions. Collaborates with industry partners like N4 Pharma and Baosteel for translational applications. Awards & Grants: Multiple ARC Discovery/Linkage grants, NHMRC funding, and industry partnerships totaling millions. Notable projects include mRNA delivery platforms and rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries. Supervision & Labs: Mentors over 20 PhD/Master’s students. Leads the Yu Group, collaborating on projects like ‘Designer Nanoparticles for mRNA Factories’ and ‘Nanotechnology for Flystrike Control in Livestock’.
Professor Emma Rich is affiliated with the University of Bath as a Professor of Physical Activity and Health Pedagogy and Director of the SPHERE Research Centre (Centre for Sport, Physical Activity and Health Equality). Her work bridges sociology and education , focusing on intersections between digital health technologies , body politics , and health inequities in educational and sport contexts. University: University of Bath Role: Professor & Research Centre Director Research Interests : Emma’s expertise spans critical pedagogy , digital health studies , obesity policy critique , and gendered body narratives . She pioneers feminist new materialist approaches to analyze how digital platforms shape health identities and practices among youth. Recent Publications examine digital health’s impact on body dissatisfaction , teacher mind maps , and spatial dynamics in digitized health education. These works emphasize datafication and quantified self trends in adolescent health behaviors. Awards & Recognition : Elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (2022) Nominated for FSHI Book Prize (2024) Bristol Bath Healthcare Research Impact Award (2019) Leadership & Collaborations : She leads international projects like the Wellcome Trust-funded Digital Health Generation and DigiHealthPE (UNA Europa), collaborating with institutions across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Her work integrates UN Sustainable Development Goals , particularly those addressing health equity and digital inclusion .
Jana Cason, DHSc, OTR/L is a Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the Graduate College of Health Sciences, Hawai'i Pacific University. With a career spanning diverse practice settings—including hand therapy, outpatient rehabilitation, and telehealth—she has significantly advanced the use of telehealth in occupational therapy through research, policy development, and international collaboration. Doctorate in Health Science (DHSc) from the University of Indianapolis MHS and BS in Occupational Therapy from the University of Indianapolis and University of Alabama at Birmingham Her research focuses on telehealth implementation, compassionate care, and early intervention. She has authored peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and standards for telehealth practice, and serves as Senior Associate Editor for the International Journal of Telerehabilitation . Dr. Cason has presented globally and contributed to resolving licensure portability challenges for telerehabilitation professionals. Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (FAOTA) Developer of telehealth protocols and frameworks Advocate for uniform state licensure requirements She integrates clinical practice, research, and education, emphasizing cultural competence in Hawaiian and Pacific Asian contexts while maintaining three rescue dogs and cats with her family.
Razan AlSalah is a Lecturer in Communication Studies at Concordia University, based in Tio'tia:ke/Montreal. She is a Palestinian artist and teacher co-directing the Feminist Media Studio with Krista Lynes, focusing on the material aesthetics of dis/appearance of places and people in colonial image worlds. Her research intersects film, media arts, and postcolonial critique, examining how colonial histories shape visual cultures. She has exhibited internationally at festivals and galleries including Art of the Real, Prismatic Ground, Sharjah Film Forum, and Sursock Museum. Razan is actively involved in academic leadership as co-director of the Feminist Media Studio, a platform for feminist research-creation in media arts.
