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Jyri BackmanView profile

Lecturer

• Sport Management
• Sports Law
• Commercial Sports
• +3 more

Jyri Backman is a Lecturer at the Department of Sport Sciences, Malmö University, specializing in Sport Management and Sports Law with a focus on commercial and professional sports. His academic credentials include a Jur.kand. (LL.B.) from Lund University, a Licentiate in Sport Science from Gothenburg University, and an Idrottslärare (Sports Teacher) qualification from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH). Education Jur.kand./Master of Laws, Lund University Fil.lic. in Sport Science, Gothenburg University Idrottslärare, Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH) His research examines legal and managerial frameworks in sports, particularly ice hockey and football, addressing issues like contractual stability, dispute resolution, and the impact of commercialization. His publications include analyses of Swedish sports law, tax regulations, and organizational structures, with a 2018 dissertation on the 'Americanization' of elite ice hockey in Sweden and Finland. Backman's articles span 2005–2013, focusing on contractual disputes, player agent licensing, and fan-related legal challenges in football. Later works analyze league structures, venture capital in sports, and the influence of the NHL on Nordic ice hockey. While no formal scientific awards are documented in the provided text, his contributions to scholarly discourse remain significant through critical legal commentaries and textbooks.

• Operations Research
• Multi-Criteria Decision Making
• Modeling and Optimization
• +7 more

Prof. Dr. İmdat Kara is a full-time faculty member at Başkent University's Industrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering, with a career spanning over four decades. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering (1976), an MS in Operations Research (1974), and a BSc in Mathematics (1968) from Anadolu University and Middle East Technical University respectively. His research focuses on Operations Research , Modeling and Optimization , and Multi-Criteria Decision Making . With an H-Index of 11, he has published extensively on vehicle routing problems, team formation in sports, integer programming formulations, and process improvement. His work includes 113 journal articles and 973 books/chapters. 2016: Operational Research Association Honor Award His recent publications (2023-2021) address drilling process optimization, electricity network design, sports team harmony modeling, and advanced formulations for traveling repairman problems. He has supervised 11 PhD and 12 master's theses, including work on time window constraints, heterogeneous fleets, and demand-selective routing. Collaborators include leading researchers like Prof. Dr. Berna Dengiz and Prof. Dr. Yusuf Tansel İç.

Craig EngstromView profile

Associate Professor

• Sports Medicine
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Musculoskeletal System
• +4 more

Associate Professor Craig Engstrom is an accomplished academic at The University of Queensland's School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. He serves as Program Coordinator for the Postgraduate Masters of Sports Medicine and is an Affiliate of the Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR). With over 100 publications including 47 journal articles, 52 conference papers, and a book chapter, his research spans sports medicine, musculoskeletal imaging, and innovative educational approaches. Bachelor of Human Movement Studies (Education) (Honours), University of Queensland MSc, Queen's University, Canada PhD, University of Queensland Professor Engstrom's research focuses on three primary areas: Sports Medicine with particular emphasis on injury mechanisms in athletes (especially cricket fast bowlers and water polo players), cutting-edge Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Musculoskeletal System for assessing joint morphology and pathology, and development of innovative web-based approaches for learning and assessment in health professional education. His work on the eCAPS (e-Clinical Assessment of Practical Skills) system demonstrates his commitment to educational innovation. His current research leverages advanced computational methods including deep learning, statistical shape modeling, and 3D segmentation techniques applied to musculoskeletal MRI data. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to medical imaging, particularly in knee and hip joint analysis. His work increasingly focuses on automated segmentation, anomaly detection, and quantitative assessment of joint morphology using 3D MRI. The Osteoarthritis Initiative dataset features prominently in his recent work, indicating a growing focus on osteoarthritis research alongside his longstanding interest in sports injuries. Award for Teaching Excellence (ATE) - Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) 2015-2018 Professor Engstrom actively supervises numerous PhD candidates working on projects related to medical image analysis, ACL registry development, and deep learning applications in healthcare. His current research is supported by significant funding including 'Cost effective and portable low-field musculoskeletal MRI for high performance sport' (2025-2027) and 'Quantum-Enabled Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging for High-Performance Sport' (2024-2027). His past funding includes NHMRC Development Grants, ARC Linkage Projects, and industry partnerships with Siemens Healthcare. His work bridges clinical practice, research, and education, with strong collaborations across The University of Queensland, particularly with researchers like Stuart Crozier and Shakes Chandra. His research group appears to focus on developing computational tools for quantitative analysis of musculoskeletal MRI, with applications in sports medicine, orthopedics, and rehabilitation.

• Sport psychology
• Coaching
• Understanding the person-in-context
• +7 more

Professor Cliff Mallett is a distinguished Professor at the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at The University of Queensland, where he has been a faculty member since 2000. He is also an Affiliate of the Parenting and Family Support Centre. With a dual career spanning elite coaching and academia, Professor Mallett has received numerous accolades including a National university teaching award (2011) and the prestigious August-Wilhelm Scheer Professorial Fellowship at Technische Universität München (TUM) in Germany (2017). His work uniquely bridges practical coaching experience with academic research, having previously served as an Olympic and World Championship medal-winning coach with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS). Professor Mallett's research focuses on two interrelated areas: sport psychology and coaching. His work examines the person-in-context approach, motivation of elite coaches and athletes through Self-Determination Theory, autonomy-supportive learning environments, mental toughness in elite sport, and players' leadership through a Social Identity Approach. He has made significant contributions to understanding high performance coach learning and development, exploring how coaches learn in workplace settings and function as sculptors, architects, performers and leaders. His research often takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from psychology, sociology, and education to provide comprehensive insights into sports performance and development. His recent publications demonstrate continued scholarly activity across multiple domains of sports psychology and coaching science. These works explore topics including emotional regulation in team sports, identity transitions for athletes, leadership development, and the mental health challenges faced by both athletes and coaches in high-performance environments. His research frequently addresses practical applications, with projects funded by organizations including the Australian Sports Commission and the Brisbane Broncos Rugby League Club Limited. Among his notable awards are the National university teaching award (2011), which recognizes his excellence in higher education, and the August-Wilhelm Scheer Professorial Fellowship at Technische Universität München (TUM) in Germany (2017), which acknowledges his significant research contributions to the field of sports science and coaching. Professor Mallett regularly consults with elite coaches, athletes, and national sporting organizations both in Australia and internationally. He has served as Chair and Co-Chair of the Research Committee for the International Council for Coaching Excellence (ICCE) from 2010-2019, demonstrating his leadership in the global coaching community. He has developed a world-renowned online program in sports coaching that has influenced coach education internationally.

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Digital Gaming Technologies
• Mental Health Assessment and Treatment
• +4 more

Regan Mandryk is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Victoria, Canada, and a former Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Digital Gaming Technologies and Experiences at the University of Saskatchewan. She has pioneered games research in HCI, with over 200 top-tier publications and 29 best paper awards/nominations. Research Focus: Designing technologies to enhance social, cognitive, and emotional wellbeing through gaming Leadership: Chair of ACM CHI 2018, SIGCHI Steering Committee Chair (2019–2022), founder of ACM CHI PLAY conference (2014) Community Building: Led Canadian GRAND Network games research, established SIGCHI gaming community, and co-founded SWaGUR.ca graduate training program Scientific Awards: Royal Society of Canada, College of New Scholars (2014) NSERC Steacie Fellowship (2018) SIGCHI Academy Induction (2023) Canadian Human Computer Communications Society Achievement Award (2023) Her work spans emotional player modeling, social connection facilitation, and mental health applications of games. She has served as PACM HCI GAMES track editor (2021–2022) and chairs ACM TOCHI editorial board initiatives.

Christian GuckelsbergerView profile

Assistant Professor

• Computational Creativity
• Artificial Intelligence
• Human-Computer Interaction
• +3 more

Christian Guckelsberger is an Assistant Professor in Creative Technologies at Aalto University, leading the Autotelic Interaction Research (AIR) group. He also serves as a visiting scholar at the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, and is a principal investigator (PI) at the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI) and a member of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS). His research focuses on engineering creative artificial systems that interact meaningfully with humans, leveraging intrinsic motivation as a core driver of creativity. He bridges disciplines such as artificial intelligence (AI), human-computer interaction (HCI), psychology, philosophy, and creative practice, with applications in videogames, fine art, and design. Recent research trends include modeling intrinsic motivation for AI creativity, developing formal theories of competence, applying reinforcement learning to game design, and exploring human perception of AI-generated content. His work emphasizes sustainable adoption of creative AI in society and the workplace. Scientific awards include: Honorable Mention (CHI PLAY 2023) Finalist in “AI Game Dev” Competition (2021) Best Paper Award (International Conference on Computational Creativity, 2020) Best Paper Award (IEEE Conference on Computational Intelligence and Games, 2018) Finalist in EPSRC’s “Creative Computing” Competition (2018) Best Paper Honourable Mention (CHI Play, 2017) Christian is actively involved in mentoring, offering opportunities for research visits, postdocs, PhD, and Master’s thesis projects. His work intersects AI, game design, and interdisciplinary creativity research.

• statistics
• applied statistics
• Bayesian modelling
• +3 more

Dr. Edgar Santos Fernandez is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Mathematical Sciences within the Faculty of Science at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). His work focuses on advanced statistical methodologies with applications across various scientific domains. Dr. Santos Fernandez's primary research interests include: Statistics and applied statistical methods Bayesian modeling and computation Data science and analysis of complex datasets Anomaly detection in spatio-temporal data Environmental and ecological data analysis His research demonstrates a strong focus on developing and applying innovative statistical techniques to address real-world challenges, particularly in environmental monitoring, ecology, and health sciences. Dr. Santos Fernandez has made significant contributions to the development of Bayesian methods for spatio-temporal data analysis, with applications to stream networks, sensor data, and citizen science projects. Dr. Santos Fernandez has been actively involved in several interdisciplinary research collaborations, working with experts in ecology, environmental science, and health. His work on the Virtual Reef Diver project demonstrates his commitment to applying statistical methods to important environmental conservation efforts. He has developed statistical software tools including clusterBMA for Bayesian model averaging in clustering and SSNbayes for Bayesian spatio-temporal modeling on stream networks, contributing to the statistical computing community through R package development.

Pascal LesselView profile

Researcher

• Gamification
• Games
• Behavior Change Support Systems
• +4 more

Dr. Pascal Lessel is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) within the Ubiquitous Media Technology Lab at Saarland Informatics Campus. He coordinates aspects related to the Media Informatics program at Saarland University while teaching various courses including GameCraft seminars, scientific writing proseminars, and Media Projects. His educational background includes a doctorate (Dr.-Ing.) with research focused on gamification and human-computer interaction. His teaching portfolio spans from Winter 2012/2013 through Summer 2025, demonstrating long-term commitment to academic instruction in game design, gamification, and media informatics. Dr. Lessel's research focuses on gamification , behavior change support systems , live-streaming of games , and crowdsourcing . His work explores how user-created gamification elements impact engagement, how to personalize gamified experiences based on user types, and how to enhance audience participation in game live-streams. His research combines theoretical frameworks with practical implementations, often developing prototype systems for evaluation. His publication record shows consistent output since 2012 with over 50 publications, demonstrating expertise in gamification design, user experience evaluation, and audience participation systems. His recent work (2021-2022) shows increasing focus on personalization, user-created gamification, and the psychological impacts of different gamification approaches. Honorable Mention at CHI 2015 for 'Analysis of Recycling Capabilities of Individuals and Crowds' Honorable Mention at CHI Play 2019 for 'Crowdjump: Investigating A Player-Driven Platform Game' Active reviewer for CHI, CHI Play, UIST, INTERACT, and other top HCI conferences since 2014 Member of Game Award Saar 2023 jury Member of GamesTalente jury since 2020 Dr. Lessel has supervised numerous bachelor's and master's students, with thesis topics spanning gamified task management, audience-participation games, behavior change interventions, and live-streaming enhancements. His students have developed practical applications for fitness motivation, waste separation, receipt capturing, and audience influence in streaming contexts. He also serves as a reviewer for major conferences in human-computer interaction and game research, demonstrating recognition within his academic community. His research lab work focuses on developing and evaluating systems that bridge the gap between theoretical gamification frameworks and practical implementations, with particular attention to user autonomy, personalization, and audience participation in digital experiences.

Marc SchubhanView profile

Researcher

• Gamification
• Interactive Systems
• Ubiquitous Computing
• +3 more

Marc Schubhan is a doctoral researcher at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) , associated with the Ubiquitous Media Technology Lab (UMTL) on the Saarland Informatics Campus . He contributes to research in gamification, ambient interfaces, and interactive systems. Research Interests: Gamification, Interactive Systems, Prototyping, Human-Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, User Experience Teaching: Supervised bachelor's and master's theses on gamification, sound feedback, and interactive design; involved in lectures like "Grundlagen der Medieninformatik". Projects: Participated in initiatives such as MarKIeR and Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Handel, focusing on gamification, ambient interfaces, and VR applications. Publications: Co-author on 14+ papers in CHI, CHI Play, MUM, and MindTrek, addressing topics like gamified hygiene systems, ambient plant-based interfaces, and multi-modal VR interactions. Contact: Email: Marc.Schubhan@dfki.de

• Deep Reinforcement Learning
• Evolutionary Robotics
• Computational Logistics
• +3 more

Djordje Grbic is a Lecturer at the IT University of Copenhagen, actively contributing to research in artificial intelligence, robotics, and maritime logistics. He is affiliated with the Creative AI Lab, Robotics, Evolution, and Art Lab, and The Maritime Hub Robotics, Evolution and Artificial Life Lab. His research focuses on: Deep reinforcement learning for complex planning tasks Evolutionary computation in artificial life systems AI optimization of maritime container stowage Procedural content generation for games Sequence evolution simulations for biological systems Recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate expertise in applying deep reinforcement learning to maritime logistics problems and developing systems for sequence evolution simulation. Collaborations span computational logistics, bioinformatics, and game design domains. Current affiliations include: Creative AI Lab (ITU Copenhagen) Robotics, Evolution, and Art Lab The Maritime Hub for logistics research

• Artificial Intelligence
• Game and Play Studies
• Game Technology
• +6 more

Johannes Pfau is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, specializing in the intersection of video games, artificial intelligence, analytics, and data science. He is part of the Interaction/Multimedia group within the Information and Computing Sciences department. His academic journey includes a Doctor of Engineering degree (Computer Science) from the University of Bremen and a Master of Science degree in Cognitive Science from Osnabrück University. Pfau's research focuses on applying AI and data science techniques to video games, with particular emphasis on Deep Player Behavior Modeling (DPBM), player-driven analytics, and the psychology of play. His work often involves direct collaboration with the gaming industry to implement and evaluate innovations. He runs Wingman, the largest endgame analytics platform for Guild Wars 2, which has sparked numerous tools and studies based on behavioral data and close engagement with player communities. His research spans multiple domains including game analytics, player behavior modeling, applied games, and the psychology of play. Analysis of his recent publications shows a strong trend toward player-centered approaches to game design and analytics, with increasing focus on cultural dimensions of gaming, player performance optimization, and the application of advanced data mining techniques to understand complex player behaviors across diverse game genres. Best Paper Finalist: Dungeons & Replicants: Automated Game Balancing via Deep Player Behavior Modeling Honorable Mention: Player-Driven Game Analytics: The Case of Guild Wars 2 Best Paper: A Data-Driven Design of AR Alternate Reality Games to Measure Resilience Student Game Competition Runner-Up: The Reversed Turing Test Pfau has advised multiple PhD students including Zhaoqing "Jimmy" Teng, Ioannis Bikas, and Sai Siddartha Maram. His teaching portfolio includes developing and teaching the full course "AI-Driven Content Generation" at Utrecht University (2024-25), as well as contributing to courses on Gamification and Applied Games, Scientific Methods for Computing Science, and guest lecturing at UC Santa Cruz and University of Bremen. His industry collaborations span major game companies including ArenaNet (Guild Wars 2), NCSoft (Aion, Lineage II), Daedalic Entertainment, and Riot Games (League of Legends).

Kurt HornikView profile

Professor

• Statistical Data Processing
• Statistical Learning
• Machine Learning
• +5 more

Kurt Hornik is a Professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) , where he heads the Institute for Statistics and Mathematics and the Research Institute for Computationally Intensive Methods . He is renowned for his co-development of the R programming language, a cornerstone in statistical computing with over 15,000 extension packages. His research spans statistical data processing, machine learning, and quantitative risk management, focusing on combining ordinal ratings (e.g., credit scores) into consensus-based models. Education: Technical Mathematics (PhD, 1987, Vienna University of Technology) Postdoctoral work in statistics and mathematics Research Interests: Hornik's work addresses challenges in statistical modeling of ordinal preferences, particularly in creditworthiness assessment. He developed composite likelihood methods to improve calibration of credit rating systems, which underpin key Eurosystem monetary policies. His recent publications explore hyperspherical variational autoencoders, Watson distributions, and Kummer's function bounds, reflecting his contributions to computational statistics and high-dimensional data analysis. Scientific Awards: Golden Decoration of Merit for Services to the Republic of Austria (2007) Contributions: Hornik's research has produced widely used R packages like colors , ROI , and mvord , advancing statistical software infrastructure. He collaborates globally, with publications in journals such as Journal of Statistical Software and Annals of Applied Statistics .

Duane WindenView profile

Professor

• Pulmonary Biology
• Inflammatory Diseases
• Immunology
• +3 more

Duane Winden is a Professor at Roseman University of Health Sciences, serving as Associate Dean for Accreditation and Compliance. He holds a PhD in Pulmonary Biology and has extensive experience in biomedical research and education. Brigham Young University BS Human Biology (1992) Brigham Young University MS Human Biology (1994) Grand Canyon University MSN/ed Nursing and Education (2012) Brigham Young University PhD Pulmonary Biology (2014) His research focuses on the biology of RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end-products), a key player in inflammatory diseases. Using genetically engineered mouse models, he investigates RAGE's role in pulmonary pathogenesis, secondhand smoke effects, and ceramide-mediated cellular dysfunction. His work bridges molecular mechanisms with clinical implications in cardiology and pulmonology. Winden's recent publications primarily examine RAGE signaling in pulmonary inflammation, ceramide accumulation in cardiomyocytes, and developmental consequences of maternal smoke exposure. These studies span molecular biology, toxicology, and metabolic dysregulation. Scientific recognition includes: Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing (2011) Alpha Chi Honor Society for Nursing (2012) Body Worlds 3 Community Advisory Panel (2008) Professional affiliations include the American Heart Association, Human Anatomy and Physiology Association, American Nursing Association, and American Association of Anatomists. He mentors 9-12 undergraduate research students annually and teaches advanced anatomy courses for dental students.

• Sports Law
• Sports Business
• Sports Policy
• +3 more

Andrew Brandt serves as Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law at Villanova University School of Law. He concurrently holds roles as a featured columnist for Sports Illustrated and The Athletic, and hosts the weekly podcast "The Business of Sports with Andrew Brandt" averaging over 20,000 listeners. His academic credentials include: JD (cum laude) from Georgetown University Law Center BA in American Studies from Stanford University Professor Brandt specializes in sports law and business, with research focusing on NFL contract negotiations , salary cap management , and the evolving landscape of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in college athletics. His work examines the intersection of legal frameworks and business operations within professional sports leagues, particularly analyzing how American sports models differ from European structures. His publications consistently address current industry trends including media rights valuation, franchise finance, and labor relations. Recent articles explore DraftKings partnerships, NFL expansion strategies, and the financial implications of the 18th regular-season game proposal. As Executive Director of the Moorad Center, he oversees nationally recognized events including the annual Moorad Symposium addressing controversial sports topics. He serves on Villanova's Professional Sports Counseling Panel advising student-athletes on agent selection and career development, and contributes to the University's Strategic Planning Committee for Athletics. The Moorad Center functions as both academic hub and industry nexus, hosting speakers from league offices, team management, and player representation firms while developing specialized curricula including four sports law courses.

Manuel Máiquez GosálvezView profile

Professor

• Sports Dentistry
• General Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry
• +4 more

Prof. Dr. Manuel Máiquez Gosálvez serves as Professor of Sports Dentistry at the Catholic University of San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM), Spain, within the Department of General Dentistry and Sports Dentistry. He maintains an active private dental practice in Murcia specializing in general, sports, restorative, endodontic, and prosthetic rehabilitation dentistry. His academic credentials include a Graduate in Dentistry and Doctor of Dentistry from the University of Murcia, Spain, and a Master di II Livello in Sports Dentistry from the University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Italy. Dr. Máiquez Gosálvez's research centers on Sports Dentistry with emphasis on athlete-specific oral health, dental occlusion-posture relationships, and specialized sports mouthguard development. His work spans diverse athletic populations including rowers, volleyball players, military parachutists, and eSports gamers, addressing critical issues like dental trauma prevention, bruxism in digital athletes, and epidemiological patterns of oral pain. Analysis of his 2015-2022 publications reveals a dominant focus on sports dentistry applications, particularly in rowing (6 epidemiological studies across multiple languages) and emerging fields like eSports dentistry. His research consistently examines oral health conditions, self-reported pain, and biomechanical relationships between dental occlusion and posture, while maintaining foundational interests in bone regeneration as demonstrated by his 2015 canine study on flavonoid-induced osteogenesis. Professional recognitions include: FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine Expert certification in endodontics and restorative dentistry from San Pablo CEU Business School Dr. Máiquez Gosálvez holds significant leadership positions including President of the Spanish Society of Sports Dentistry (SEOD), Vice-President of the Spanish Society for the Study of Dental Materials (SEMO), and President of the Scientific Committee of the Official College of Dentists of the Region of Murcia. He actively contributes to dental education through textbooks including the "Dental Pathology Handbook" (2019) and "Dental Pathology Booklet" (2020), while serving on the Governing Board of the Murcian Dental College and maintaining membership in international societies like the Italian Society of Sports Dentistry (SIOS).