Prof. Dr. Felix Bierbrauer is a faculty member at the University of Cologne, affiliated with the Department of Economics and the Center for Macroeconomic Research (CMR). His research integrates economic theory with public economics , focusing on taxation, political competition, and public good provision. Research fields: Economic Theory, Public Economics, Mechanism Design, Income Taxation, Political Competition, Public Good Provision His academic work examines how political competition affects welfare outcomes, the design of tax systems under uncertainty, and incentive mechanisms for efficient governance. Publications from 2009–2017 reflect a consistent emphasis on robust mechanism design and nonlinear taxation models. Key trends in his research include the interplay between political economy and welfare economics , the role of game theory in policy design, and empirical analyses of tax incidence and public goods provision. He is associated with the research group led by Prof. Dr. Matthias Engels, contributing to collaborative projects in public economics.
Frank Canters is a Professor of cartography, GIS, and remote sensing at the Department of Geography of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), leading the Cartography and GIS Research Group. His research focuses on urban remote sensing, spatial modeling of urban environments, and urban ecosystem services. He is renowned for pioneering the Canters projection, a minimum-error world map projection, and has contributed extensively to urban land-use mapping and decision-support systems for urban planning. His work spans over three decades, with 281+ publications and collaborations across multiple disciplines. Key areas include urban form dynamics, remote sensing applications for vegetation and land-use analysis, and spatial justice in green infrastructure distribution. He has supervised 83 students and developed tools like the Q-LavHA plugin for volcanic hazard modeling. Recent research highlights include integrating public perceptions into green space accessibility models, assessing allergenic potentials of urban greenery via LiDAR, and advancing machine learning approaches for urban vegetation mapping. His contributions bridge geospatial technologies with urban sustainability and policy.
Matthias Lang is an Associate Professor of Economics at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, specializing in applied microeconomic theory. He holds a PhD from the Bonn Graduate School of Economics and is Principal Investigator of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 190 (CRC TRR 190) on 'Rationality and Competition.' He is also a CESifo Fellow. His research focuses on uncertainty, contract design, and behavioral economics, with applications to insurance fraud, tax evasion, and political competition. Lang has served as an Assistant Professor at Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt University Berlin, and was a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods. His work bridges game theory, mechanism design, and decision theory, addressing strategic uncertainty and contractual solutions to mitigate its effects. He has been awarded the Walther-Rathenau Award for Best Paper (2015) for his work on communicating subjective evaluations. His recent research explores ambiguous product information dynamics, narrative-based mechanisms, and the value of transparency in campaign promises. Lang actively contributes to academic communities through numerous presentations at international conferences and serves on editorial review boards for top journals.
Dr. Pavel Naumov is a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Southampton, affiliated with the Agents, Interaction, and Complexity research group. His work focuses on Responsible Mechanism Design , integrating scientific, philosophical, and legal principles to study shared responsibility in collaborative decision-making systems. He holds a PhD from Cornell University and a summa cum laude diploma from Lomonosov Moscow State University, specializing in mathematical logic and automated theorem proving. Naumov actively supervises PhD students including Qi Shi and Benjamin James Plummer, and collaborates internationally on projects spanning ethics, logic, and multi-agent systems. His research examines how social norms, trust, and knowledge influence accountability in both human and machine decision-making. Key areas include responsibility diffusion in multi-step decisions, ethical dilemmas in strategic games, and anonymization frameworks for data privacy. Naumov’s recent publications explore topics like three-valued logic, trust-based belief systems, and dynamic logic in clandestine operations. His work bridges formal logic with real-world applications, aiming to ensure transparency and fairness in complex systems.
Rafael M. Di Tella is the William Ziegler Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School (HBS), where he has been faculty since 1997. He teaches courses on business history, the business environment, and institutions/macroeconomics. His research focuses on political economy, crime and corruption, happiness studies, and welfare state design. He holds a D.Phil in Economics from Oxford University (1996) and a first degree in Economics from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (1990). Affiliations: Harvard Business School, Business, Government and the International Economy department Teaching: Business History, Macroeconomic Policy, Institutions Research interests span political economy mechanisms shaping institutional development, happiness economics (linking subjective well-being to policy design), and the economic roots of crime and corruption. Notable contributions include analysis of Latin American political economies, fiscal responses to crises, and the role of beliefs in economic behavior. Key projects: Impact of electronic monitoring on recidivism, media bias effects on corruption, happiness adaptation to income Recent work includes studies on strategic political platforms during U.S./French elections (2023), pandemic drug diffusion (2023), and social media's role in polarization (2021). He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and authored/co-authored books like The Economics of Crime (2010). His research frequently bridges theory with real-world policy challenges in developing economies. Receives frequent media attention for insights on populism, fiscal policy, and macroeconomic governance. Serves on editorial boards of top journals including the American Economic Review and Journal of Comparative Economics.
John O'Doherty is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Decision Neuroscience at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds a B.A. from Trinity College Dublin (1996) and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford (2000). His academic trajectory includes roles as Assistant Professor (2004–2007), Associate Professor (2007–2009), and Professor (2009–present), culminating in his current endowed chair since 2021. From 2013–2017, he served as Director of the Caltech Brain Imaging Center. Research Focus: O'Doherty’s work investigates how the brain processes decisions under uncertainty, encodes reward values, and learns from experience. His group studies neural systems involved in decision-making, including arbitration between model-based and model-free learning strategies, the role of prefrontal and striatal circuits in value representation, and social learning mechanisms. They utilize computational modeling combined with neuroimaging (fMRI) and electrophysiological techniques. Key Contributions: His research bridges cognitive neuroscience and psychiatry, addressing topics like gambling disorder, autism spectrum traits, anorexia nervosa, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. He has pioneered studies on the neural substrates of reward prediction errors, hierarchical decision-making, and the interplay between habitual and goal-directed actions. Affiliations: Caltech Brain Imaging Center (Former Director) Leading international collaborations in neuroeconomics and computational psychiatry Grants & Funding: Extensive support from NIH, NSF, and private foundations for projects on decision neuroscience and translational mental health research.
Dr. Xinxin Hu is an Associate Professor at the University of Houston-Downtown in the Department of General Business, Marketing, and Supply Chain under the Marilyn Davis College of Business. Her research focuses on decision-making under uncertainty, supply chain contracts, and retail management. PhD in Operations Management, University of Michigan MA in Statistics, University of Michigan BA in Operations Research, Fudan University Her research interests center on supply chain optimization, with a focus on lateral transshipment strategies, risk management, and sustainable operations. She has published in top journals like Management Science , OMEGA , and Production and Operations Management . Recent publications highlight her work in wind energy integration, decentralized inventory systems, and competitive distribution strategies. Her service roles include leadership positions in university academic policy and college-level scholarship committees.
Yanliu Huang is a Professor and Department Head of Marketing at LeBow College of Business, Drexel University. She holds a PhD in Marketing from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and combines field and lab studies to address critical marketing and consumer behavior questions. Education: PhD in Marketing (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania) Her research focuses on new technology in marketing , in-store decision making , consumer planning , and consumer welfare . She explores how digital interfaces influence planning, the psychology of indulgent choices, and the impact of store layouts on unplanned purchases. Recent publications examine voice-based shopping interactions , emoji usage in communication , and technology’s role in financial decision making . Her work bridges marketing science , neuroscience , and behavioral economics . Scientific Awards: MSI/H. Paul Root Award, Dean’s Excellence in Research Award, ExCITe Research Funding Award, Best Retail Proposal Award (Society for Marketing Advances) Editorial Roles: Associate Editor at Service Science; Editorial Review Board member at Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Retailing Dr. Huang’s research has been featured in Harvard Business Review , Wall Street Journal , and The Economist , with grants supporting studies on digital interfaces and consumer welfare.
Felipe Augusto de Araujo is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Lehigh University's College of Business. His research spans labor economics, behavioral economics, and experimental economics, with a focus on decision-making under uncertainty and strategic interactions. Research Interests: His work examines how on-the-job experience affects cognitive biases in professionals, the limitations of regret theory when applied to dynamic settings, and the interplay between unawareness and risk preferences. He also investigates public sector wage gaps in Brazil and theoretical extensions of regret theory incorporating reference points. Teaching: Courses include Behavioral Economics Game Theory Principles Statistical Methods at Lehigh University and University of Pittsburgh.
Yana Litovsky is a behavioral scientist and postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Banking and Finance, University of Innsbruck. Her work focuses on decision-making processes related to time, attention, information, and health, with a particular emphasis on curiosity and news consumption. She explores how individuals prioritize and engage with critical resources, including their psychological underpinnings and real-world implications. Research Interests Her primary research areas include: - Behavioral science frameworks for understanding resource allocation (time, information) - Curiosity-driven decision making and its applications in health contexts - Psychology of information seeking and news consumption patterns - Consumer behavior in time-money tradeoffs and economic decisions - Global entrepreneurship trends with a focus on youth and gender disparities Recent Research Trends Her recent work (2024) emphasizes leveraging curiosity to counteract health information avoidance, offering insights into behavioral interventions for public health. Earlier studies (2013-2017) explored entrepreneurship dynamics, particularly youth and women's roles in global markets. She also investigates cognitive biases in decision-making, such as loss aversion, and their impact on information preferences. Advising & Grants No formal advisees/students are listed in her current profile. Her research has been concentrated on collaborative projects like the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) reports.
Stephen G. Dimmock is a Professor in the Department of Finance at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and a fellow of the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economics Research. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan. Research Interests: Household Finance Portfolio Choice Financial Misconduct Behavioral Finance Endowment Fund Management Capital Gains Taxation Publications reveal expertise in financial advisor misconduct, portfolio underdiversification, H-1B visa impacts on entrepreneurship, and regulatory oversight of hedge funds. His work appears in journals like the American Economic Review, Journal of Finance, and Management Science. Scientific Awards: Best paper awards at leading international conferences Multiple teaching awards at NUS Teaching: Dr. Dimmock has taught investments, fixed income, and options courses at MBA, MSc, and undergraduate levels.
Naser Pourazad is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Flinders University, with affiliations to the Centre for Social Impact, Australian Industrial Transformation Institute, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, and Torrens Resilience Initiative. His work bridges digital marketing, community resilience, and cultural diversity. PhD in Marketing, Flinders University (2018) MA in Business Administration, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (2010) BSc in Statistics, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (2008) Research focuses on digital transformation, agricultural resilience, defence capability, and social impact. His projects emphasize resilience frameworks, cross-cultural marketing, and data-driven decision-making. Articles highlight influencer marketing, mobile app engagement, and digital inclusion. 2023 Research Excellence Award (Early Career) 2023 Journal of Advertising Research Keynote 2021 Reviewer of the Year, Journal of Consumer Behaviour He chairs the CBGL Business Research Strategy Group and HDR Journal Club, mentors early-career researchers, and applies industry experience from Iran Dairy Industrial Co. to academic work.
Professor Liu Hongyan is a full-time Professor in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, where he has served since 1994, achieving the rank of Professor in 2011 after previously holding positions as Associate Professor (2003-2011) and Teacher. His research bridges theoretical data science with practical applications across e-commerce, healthcare, and social media platforms. Education: PhD in Management, School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University (2001) His research focuses on big data management , machine learning , and business intelligence with specialized expertise in personalized recommendation systems , medical/financial data analysis , and computer vision applications . Recent work integrates large language models and causal inference to solve complex problems in short video platforms, live streaming, and healthcare analytics, emphasizing real-world impact through industry collaborations. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong trajectory toward multimodal AI systems combining recommendation engines with computer vision, particularly in 3D animation for advertising and healthcare. Key trends include LLM-enhanced display advertising, emotion-aware facial animation, and medical image annotation using adversarial learning, while maintaining core contributions to behavioral data mining in social networks. Scientific recognition includes: National Archives Administration's Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievement Award Multiple Best Paper Awards at international conferences Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Supervisor designation from the Society for Management Science and Engineering Special Award for National Natural Science Foundation project on user behavior pattern discovery Professor Liu has secured leadership roles in major National Natural Science Foundation projects including Innovation Research Groups and international cooperation initiatives. His industry impact is demonstrated through patented recommendation systems adopted by multiple companies, particularly in personalized content delivery for live streaming and short video platforms. As an Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Supervisor, he mentors the next generation of data science researchers. He serves as Deputy Director of Tsinghua University's Center for Artificial Intelligence and Management Research and holds key positions in national academic societies including the E-Commerce and Cyberspace Management Committee (China Management Modernization Research Association) and the Information Systems Engineering Committee (Chinese Society for Systems Engineering).
Dr. Yue Qian is a Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia (Faculty of Arts) , focusing on gender, family, work, and inequality in global contexts. Her research spans assortative mating, occupational segregation, and migration dynamics , with significant work on the social and mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic . She has published over 60 articles in top-tier journals like Nature Human Behaviour and PNAS . PhD, The Ohio State University (2016) MA, The Ohio State University (2012) BA, Renmin University of China (2010) Her research examines how gender intersects with family, work, and population processes to shape well-being and societal inequality. Key areas include patterns of assortative mating, family/work gender inequality, and health dynamics. Recent work investigates digitalization of family life and gendered pandemic impacts . Articles show trends in cross-national family sociology , digital dating , and mental health during crises . UBC Killam Research Prize (2023) Public Engagement Award (2023) Canadian Sociological Association’s Early Investigator Award (2022) Alexis Walker Award (2019) Dean of Arts Faculty Research Award (2019) Dr. Qian mentors graduate students in knowledge production , co-authoring with them on topics like digital dating and gender adaptation in China . She actively engages with public sociology through her WeChat blog "Ms-Muses" (60,000+ subscribers) and TED-style talks viewed 3M+ times. Her work influences UN, World Bank, and WHO policy discussions.
Alla Sheffer is a Professor and Associate Head of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Science. She is affiliated with multiple research centers including CAIDA (Centre for Artificial Intelligence Decision-making and Action), the Institute of Applied Mathematics, and ICICS (Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems). B.Sc., Hebrew University, Jerusalem (1991) M.Sc., Hebrew University, Jerusalem (1995) Ph.D., Hebrew University, Jerusalem (1999) Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1999-2001) Assistant Professor, Technion, Israel (2001-2003) Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia (2003-2008) Associate Professor, University of British Columbia (2008-present) Professor Sheffer's research focuses on geometry processing, addressing algorithmic challenges in digital shape modeling and manipulation. Her work primarily deals with discrete geometry representations, specifically meshes (polygonal model representations), with applications in computer graphics and computer-aided engineering. She utilizes tools from computational and differential geometry, discrete mathematics, and graph theory to generate, manipulate, and edit discrete geometric models. Her research spans virtual and augmented reality, visual computing, and 3D modeling, with significant contributions to sketch-based modeling, mesh processing, and cloth simulation. The 15 most recent publications reveal a consistent research trajectory in geometry processing, with recent work focusing on vector sketch processing, VR drawing tools, and advanced mesh manipulation techniques. Her work demonstrates a strong connection between human perception and computational methods, particularly in the interpretation of freehand sketches and the generation of perceptually-accurate geometric representations. The recurring themes across her publications include flowlines, curve networks, mesh parameterization, and the application of perceptual studies to improve algorithmic outputs. Eurographics Fellow ACM Fellow IEEE Fellow Royal Society of Canada Fellow SIGGRAPH Academy Member UBC Killam Research Prize NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement IBM Faculty Award Professor Sheffer has supervised numerous doctoral and master's students, with recent theses focusing on geometric mesh processing, vector sketch interpretation, VR drawing tools, and garment modeling. Her research group maintains strong connections with industry through various partnerships and has received substantial grant funding to support their innovative work in geometry processing and computer graphics. She teaches courses in computer graphics, geometric modeling, and video game programming, contributing significantly to both undergraduate and graduate education in computer science.
