Prof. Karen Alim is a Professor of Biological Physics and Morphogenesis at the Department of Physics, Technische Universität München (TUM), affiliated with the TUM School of Natural Sciences. She holds a PhD from the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2010) and conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University (2010–2015) before leading a Max Planck Research Group in Göttingen. Her research focuses on non-neuronal information processing in living systems, particularly using Physarum polycephalum to study physical principles of network adaptation, fluid dynamics, and morphogenesis. Education: PhD in Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2010) Studies at Universität Karlsruhe, LMU München, and University of Manchester Research Interests: Prof. Alim explores how biological systems process information without neurons, emphasizing adaptive flow networks, mechanical signaling in plants, and collective behavior in active matter. Her work combines theoretical modeling with experimental systems like slime molds and plant tissues. Awards: ERC Starting Grant (2020) Elisabeth-Schiemann-Kolleg Fellowship (2013–2018) DAAD Stipendium (2011–2014) John Birks Award (2004) Advising & Grants: While specific grant details beyond the ERC award are not listed, her research has been supported by major funding bodies. No student advisees are explicitly listed in the provided materials. Labs/Teams: Leads the Biological Physics and Morphogenesis group at TUM, focusing on interdisciplinary studies of living systems' physical principles.
James Bremer is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus. His research focuses on developing efficient numerical algorithms for solving elliptic boundary value problems, integral equations, and special function transforms.
Mary K. Firestone is Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley. Her research revolutionized understanding of soil microbial processes, particularly oak regeneration techniques and microbial mediation of carbon/nitrogen cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Firestone's work examines microbial responses to environmental change, including drought, rewetting, and warming scenarios. Her lab develops innovative methods like quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP) to trace microbial activity in complex soil environments. Research spans grassland, rangeland, and agricultural ecosystems. Honors include election to the National Academy of Sciences (2017), Soil Ecology Society Career Achievement Award (2017), and American Geophysical Union Fellowship (2016). She holds the Betty and Isaac Barshad Chair in Soil Sciences. Current PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers in the Firestone Lab investigate viral-bacterial interactions in soil, mycorrhizal carbon transfer, and drought impacts on soil carbon persistence. Field studies at California's Hopland Research Center examine grassland responses to climate variability.
Manex Aguirrezabal Zabaleta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the University of Copenhagen. He previously held positions as a Postdoc (2017-2019) and Assistant Professor at the same institution. His educational background includes: PhD in Natural Language Processing from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), conducted at the IXA NLP group. Master's degree in Natural Language Processing from UPV/EHU. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (5 years) from UPV/EHU. Dr. Aguirrezabal's research focuses on the computational analysis of poetry , particularly stress patterns in English. He explores whether computers can effectively analyze poetic structures, a field with roots in the 1980s but revitalized by modern techniques. Additionally, he investigates language generation , computational morphology and phonology , and finite-state methods . His work bridges traditional linguistic inquiry with cutting-edge natural language processing. Recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate a diverse engagement with computational linguistics, including poetry generation, multimodal corpus development, clickbait analysis, and fact-checking. His research often employs zero-shot learning and language models, reflecting current trends in AI-driven linguistic analysis. He has contributed to international collaborations such as ParlaMint (multilingual parliamentary corpora) and the GEHM Zoom corpus. While specific grant details are not provided, his active publication record indicates ongoing research support. Dr. Aguirrezabal maintains a strong connection to his Basque heritage, having pursued his early education in the Basque language.
Jeremy Dahl is a Professor of Radiology (Pediatric Radiology) at Stanford University School of Medicine. He directs the Ultrasound Imaging & Instrumentation Lab and serves as Director of Research Academic Affairs in the Department of Radiology since 2020. He holds multiple affiliations across Stanford including Bio-X, the Cardiovascular Institute, Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute, Stanford Cancer Institute, and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Dr. Dahl received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati (1999) and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University (2004). His research focuses on developing ultrasonic beamforming and image reconstruction methods for diagnostic imaging applications, particularly techniques that generate high-quality images in difficult-to-image patients. His laboratory specializes in B-mode and Doppler imaging techniques that utilize additional information from ultrasonic wavefields to improve image quality and develop real-time imaging systems for clinical applications including cardiac, liver, and fetal imaging. Dr. Dahl's research has led to significant advancements in ultrasound molecular imaging platforms, sound speed estimation, aberration correction, and reverberation noise suppression. His work often bridges engineering innovation with clinical applications for cancer detection and other diseases. His recent publications demonstrate strong focus on machine learning applications in ultrasound, distributed aberration correction, and molecular imaging techniques. Fellow, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (2021) Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (2020) Distinguished Investigator Award, The Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research (2018) Outstanding Paper Award, IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society (2011) Dr. Dahl serves in editorial roles for major journals including IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging (2017-2024) and IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control (2013-Present). His laboratory has successfully translated numerous innovations into clinical applications, with multiple patents including recent developments in pulsed focused ultrasound therapy and speed of sound quantification.
Damek Davis serves as an Associate Professor of Statistics and Data Science and Co-Academic Director of the Dual Master's Degree in Statistics at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His academic base is the Department of Statistics and Data Science within the Wharton School, with his office located at the Academic Research Building in Philadelphia, PA. His research expertise centers on optimization theory for data science, with deep specialization in nonsmooth and stochastic optimization problems. Key focus areas include convergence analysis of first-order methods, variance reduction techniques, and theoretical guarantees for algorithms in nonconvex settings. His work bridges mathematical rigor with practical applications in machine learning and statistical inference, particularly in developing efficient computational frameworks for large-scale data analysis. Analysis of his 2022-2024 publications reveals dominant themes in optimization for modern data challenges: nonsmooth stochastic approximation, linear convergence under sharpness conditions, and global optimality in mixture models. His research consistently appears in premier venues across optimization (Mathematical Programming, SIAM Journal), statistics (The Annals of Statistics), and machine learning (IEEE Transactions), demonstrating cross-disciplinary impact in both theoretical foundations and computational methodologies.
Tracey Galloway is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM), where she conducts critical research on Indigenous health disparities and policy interventions in northern Canada. Her work bridges medical anthropology, public health, and community-based participatory research to address systemic inequities affecting circumpolar populations. Education: PhD, McMaster University, 2008 MA (institution unspecified) BA (institution unspecified) BScN (institution unspecified) Dr. Galloway's research program centers on chronic disease risk assessment and health system improvement in Indigenous communities, with specific expertise in nutrition transition, food security, child growth patterns, and public health policy evaluation. She examines the impact of federal programs like Nutrition North Canada while developing community-led solutions for health equity. Her methodological approach combines quantitative analysis of health outcomes with qualitative community engagement, emphasizing Indigenous research sovereignty and decolonizing methodologies. Her publication record reveals consistent thematic focus across 15 recent articles, demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration between anthropology, epidemiology, and health economics. Key trends include rigorous evaluation of colonial impacts on Indigenous food systems, innovative analysis of subsidy program effectiveness, and centering Indigenous patient experiences in healthcare design. Her work consistently prioritizes community-defined research questions and actionable policy recommendations. Dr. Galloway actively mentors graduate students including Darci Belmore, Carly Checholik, Neda Maki, and Hiliary Monteith, guiding research on Indigenous health determinants and policy interventions. While specific grant details aren't publicly enumerated, her collaborative projects involve partnerships with Indigenous communities across Northern Canada and interdisciplinary teams addressing complex health system challenges. She maintains strong community partnerships for her applied research, particularly in Nunavut and Northwestern Ontario, working directly with Anishinabeck and Inuit communities to translate findings into culturally safe health initiatives and policy reforms that address the root causes of health inequities.
Joakim Westerlund is a Professor at the Department of Economics at Lund University, Sweden. His research focuses on econometrics, especially panel data econometrics, with expertise in estimation theory, unit root testing, and structural breaks. He teaches econometrics at all academic levels and has supervised numerous bachelor, master, and PhD theses. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals through methodological advancements in economic analysis. Westerlund has held a Wallenberg Academy Fellowship (2019–2028) and received the Journal of Applied Econometrics Distinguished Author Award in 2018. He collaborates internationally and actively contributes to academic conferences. His research spans theoretical econometrics, empirical applications, and econometric software development. Current PhD supervision includes students working on topics like robustness to structural breaks and human capital analysis. Key research interests include panel unit root tests, interactive effects models, and methodological innovations for handling cross-sectional dependence. His recent work addresses structural breaks in panel data and the New Keynesian Phillips Curve in European economies. He has published widely in top journals such as the Journal of Applied Econometrics and the Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics.
Jennifer L. Clarke is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Director of the Quantitative Life Science Initiative. She holds leadership roles in enabling big data integration across the University of Nebraska system through collaborative research programs. Her affiliations include the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dr. Clarke's research focuses on statistical methodology for high-dimensional data, computational biology, bioinformatics, and bacterial genomics. Her work bridges statistical innovation with applications in oncology, microbiome analysis, and agricultural phenomics. Key areas include predictive modeling, machine learning, and genomic/metagenomic data integration. Her recent publications span cancer biomarker discovery, plant phenotyping methodologies, and microbial community analysis, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach. Articles emphasize translational applications like therapeutic target identification and precision agriculture. Dr. Clarke leads initiatives fostering collaboration between statisticians and domain scientists, including the Quantitative Life Science Initiative and contributions to the Agricultural Genome-to-Phenome Initiative (AG2PI). Her work advances data-driven solutions for healthcare and food security challenges. Notable projects include developing statistical tools for microbiome studies, analyzing root architecture via 3D imaging, and investigating cranberry-derived compounds' cancer-inhibitory mechanisms. Her methodological contributions include hybrid clustering techniques and predictive model validation frameworks.
Dr. Simon A. Morrison is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Communication, Screen & Performance within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Chester. He serves as Programme Leader for the Music Journalism degree, which he helped design, build and deliver from its first cohort in 2014. With 25 years of experience as a writer, broadcaster, and academic, Morrison brings extensive industry knowledge to his teaching and research, having worked as a music journalist reporting from locations worldwide including Beijing, Brazil, Moscow, and Marrakech. Dr. Morrison holds a PhD from the University of Leeds (completed 2018), an MA from the University of Manchester (1995-1997), and a BA Hons from the University of Manchester (1989-1992). Prior to his position at Chester, he worked as an Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University (2012-2014) and as a Visiting Lecturer at Leeds University (2011-2013). His academic journey follows a substantial career in media where he presented TV for Rapture TV, hosted radio shows in Ibiza, produced and presented for Kiss Radio, and appeared on BBC Breakfast and BBC 5 Live. Dr. Morrison's research centers on the intersection of words and music , with particular focus on Popular Music , Musico-Literary Intermediality , and Electronic Dance Music Culture . His work explores how music subcultures, particularly rave and dance music scenes, are represented in literature and journalism. He examines the connections between different countercultural movements, notably drawing parallels between the Beat Generation writers and contemporary 'Chemical Generation' authors who write about club culture. His research also investigates the relationship between music journalism and subcultural movements across different historical periods. His recent publications reveal a clear trajectory connecting historical dance music developments across continents and eras. Morrison's work traces the evolution of electronic dance music from its American roots in Chicago and Detroit through its transatlantic journey to Europe and back again, examining how cultural exchange shaped musical innovation. His analyses of Pink Floyd demonstrate how rock bands interact with media landscapes, while his investigations of music journalism document the changing nature of music criticism in digital eras. The recurring theme across his scholarship is the examination of how subcultural experiences are translated into written form, whether through journalism, fiction, or academic analysis. Dr. Morrison actively supervises undergraduate dissertation projects and Negotiated Study production projects across all three years of undergraduate study. He has successfully supervised an MRes project to completion and examined PhDs (including one internal and two external, one being an Australian PhD by Artefact & Exegesis). He has served as an External Examiner for Music Journalism programs at Southampton Solent University (2016-2019) and BIMM London, Birmingham and Manchester (2016-2020). His teaching spans modules including Introduction to Journalism, Live Journalism, Dancing About Architecture: Popular Music Media, Histories and Technologies, The Cultural Politics of Music Journalism, The Politics of Social Media, Magazine Publishing and Music PR and Promotional Writing.
Hugo de Boer is a Professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development , Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University. He serves as scientific lead for the Delta Climate Center in Vlissingen and coordinates MSc programs in Water Science and Management and Water Management for Climate Adaptation . His research explores climate-ecosystem interactions, focusing on plant ecophysiology, ecosystem dynamics, and nature-inclusive climate adaptation in deltas. Research Themes: Future Deltas, Pathways to Sustainability, Integrative Bioinformatics Projects: LEMONTREE, CloudRoots, 'From losers to winners' (ancient plant lineages under elevated CO2) Teaching Expertise: System thinking for sustainability, quantitative statistics, plant ecophysiology Research Trends emphasize interdisciplinary approaches to climate change impacts on ecosystems, with publications spanning plant-cloud processes, CO2 acclimation, and eco-evolutionary optimality models. His work bridges biogeochemistry, land-atmosphere interactions, and sustainable development frameworks. Projects & Collaborations include experimental studies on ancient plant lineages (Equisetum) and integrative field campaigns in Amazon and temperate forests. He contributes to modeling climate-vegetation feedbacks, pesticide emission scenarios, and social-ecological system transitions.
Nathan Nunn is a Professor at the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia. He holds a Canada Research Chair in cultural economics and is affiliated with multiple prestigious research organizations including the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and BREAD. His office is located in the Iona Building 172 at UBC. Professor Nunn's primary research interests span political economy, economic history, economic development, cultural economics, and international trade. His work focuses on the historical and dynamic processes of economic development, particularly examining how institutions and cultures evolve across societies. He has published extensively on historical factors crucial for economic development, including distrust, gender norms, religiosity, conflict, immigration, state formation, and support for democracy. His contemporary research examines the effects of Fair Trade certification, CIA interventions during the Cold War, foreign aid, school construction, climate shocks, and trade policies, with particular emphasis on how local context influences development policy effectiveness. Nunn's recent publications reveal a strong focus on the relationship between culture, institutions, and economic outcomes. His work increasingly examines how zero-sum thinking affects economic behavior and political divides, the persistence of traditional religious beliefs in Africa, and the historical roots of contemporary economic phenomena. His publications frequently appear in top economics journals including the Quarterly Journal of Economics, Econometrica, American Economic Review, and Science. His scientific contributions have been recognized through fellowships and editorial positions, including serving as an editor at the Quarterly Journal of Economics. He has advised numerous PhD students who have gone on to faculty positions at leading universities worldwide. Professor Nunn actively disseminates his research through various media channels, including podcasts, online courses, and public lectures. His teaching includes courses on economic history, development economics, and political economy, with a particular focus on how historical perspectives inform contemporary economic issues.
Lucas Paoli is a Researcher and Course Instructor at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. He leads the Paoli Lab (Microbiome Immunity and Ecology) within the Global Health Institute (GHI) under the School of Life Sciences (SV). His roles include scientific collaboration and teaching responsibilities in life sciences engineering. Paoli holds a PhD in Microbiome Research from ETH Zürich (2018-2023), an M.Phil. in Environmental Policy from the University of Cambridge (2017-2018), and an M.Sc. in Ecology and Evolution from École normale supérieure (2015-2017). Research Focus: His work bridges microbial immunity and ecology, investigating how microbes defend against viral infections across ecosystems like oceans and human microbiomes. Techniques include global-scale metagenomics and functional genomics to study immune strategies and ecological interactions. Key themes involve microbial community dynamics, viral defense mechanisms, and the impact of environmental factors on microbial immunity. Lab & Education: The Paoli Lab explores microbiome-immunity interactions with a focus on ecological contexts. Paoli supervises PhD students in Life Sciences Engineering. His research outputs span microbial ecology, metagenomic tool development, and marine microbiome studies. Contact: lucas.paoli@epfl.ch, AAB 1 39, +41 21 693 16 99.
Professor Shaun Gregory is the Director of the Centre for Biomedical Technologies at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where he also serves as Co-Director of the Artificial Heart Frontiers Program, Founder and Director of the Heart Hackathon student team competition, and Director of the CardioRespiratory Engineering and Technology Laboratory. He holds appointments in the Faculty of Engineering, School of Mechanical, Medical & Process Engineering. His educational background includes Bachelor, Masters (research), and PhD degrees, all awarded by QUT. He also holds both NHMRC and Heart Foundation fellowships, demonstrating his significant contributions to cardiovascular research. Professor Gregory's research applies a translational approach to cardiovascular engineering with a particular focus on devices used to support or replace the heart. His work brings together multidisciplinary teams of engineering, biomedical science, design, and medicine to develop novel technical solutions for clinically relevant problems. His research has changed clinical practice on numerous occasions and assisted with the regulatory approval of medical devices. His areas of interest include mechanical circulatory support, artificial heart development, cardiovascular device engineering, and hemodynamics. His publication portfolio demonstrates a strong focus on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ventricular assist devices, and cardiovascular device testing. His recent work has explored computational fluid dynamics in blood flow analysis, novel cannula design for circulatory support, and the hemodynamic effects of various cardiovascular devices. His research often bridges engineering principles with clinical applications, resulting in practical innovations in cardiac support technologies. NHMRC Fellowship Heart Foundation Fellowship President-Elect of the International Society for Mechanical Circulatory Support Professor Gregory has successfully secured more than $65 million in research funding and has published over 100 research articles in his field. He is actively involved in mentoring the next generation of researchers, currently accepting Honours, Masters, and PhD students. His CardioRespiratory Engineering and Technology Laboratory serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research that brings together engineering, biomedical science, and clinical expertise to address critical challenges in cardiovascular medicine.
Steven Kelts is a Lecturer at Princeton University, affiliated with the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and the Department of Computer Science . He leads the Integrated Ethics in CS program and has served as Director of the non-profit All Tech Is Human. Research Focus: Kelts examines ethical frameworks in technology innovation, historical political economies, and the intersection of democratic theory with corporate responsibility. His work spans Measuring ethics education in computing Evolving corporate structures for ethical action Locke's economic justice theories Machiavelli's republican ideals Madison's institutional designs Publications reveal trends in: Utilitarian logic in Agile teams Roman censorship models 17th-century English economic debates Mill's social value legislation Scientific Recognition: Recipient of Princeton's Council on Science and Technology grants for Agile Ethics program Google seed grant for corporate ethics frameworks University-wide award for GradFutures AI ethics leadership Advisory Roles: Includes ethics advisor to the Responsible A.I. Institute and institutional design mentor for political theory projects.
