Prof. Dr. Bernd Skiera holds the first chair for electronic commerce in Germany at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main since 1999. He serves on the board of efl - The Data Science Institute and the Schmalenbach Society, while representing Germany at the European Marketing Community (EMAC). Chair of Marketing, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Board member, efl - The Data Science Institute National representative, European Marketing Community (EMAC) His research focuses on MarTech/SalesTech integration, customer value management, online advertising analytics, data-driven pricing models, and the economic implications of internet privacy regulations. He leads the ERC Advanced Grant project on cookie usage restrictions' economic consequences. Recent publications examine dynamic pricing in digital markets, competition visualization using big data, and AI applications in marketing analytics. The ERC Advanced Grant research has produced empirical analyses of GDPR impacts on advertising ecosystems. 2015 Journal of Marketing Best Paper Award 2013 International Journal of Research in Marketing Best Paper Award Multiple MSI/H. Paul Root Award recognitions He has mentored 17 doctoral students who became professors globally, including at London Business School and LMU Munich. His work bridges marketing analytics with financial valuation through customer equity modeling.
Prof Lars Olsen is a Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of St Andrews, based in the Mathematical Institute. His research focuses on fractal geometry, dynamical systems, and analysis, with particular emphasis on multifractal theory and metric number theory. He has supervised PhD student Luke Derry and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals such as Monatshefte für Mathematik , Mathematische Zeitschrift , and Acta Mathematica Hungarica . His work explores intricate mathematical structures such as fractal dimensions, measure-theoretic properties of metric spaces, and applications to number theory. Recent studies include analyses of digit frequencies in infinite iterated function systems, exponential densities of integer subsets, and average distances in self-similar fractals. These contributions bridge pure mathematics with applications in understanding complex natural phenomena through geometric and analytic frameworks. Prof Olsen’s research portfolio demonstrates a strong focus on advanced mathematical analysis, with over 30 peer-reviewed publications since 2017 alone. His investigations into Hewitt-Stromberg measures and Gromov-Hausdorff-Prohoroff spaces exemplify his commitment to advancing foundational theories in fractal geometry and measure theory. Collaboration with international researchers has yielded multidisciplinary insights into topics like Lq-dimension analysis and topological dynamics of continuous functions.
Christiana Mavroyiakoumou is a Courant Instructor/Assistant Professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. She specializes in fluid dynamics and fluid-structure interactions, with a focus on vortex dynamics, membrane flutter, and bio-inspired systems. Her research integrates modeling, numerical simulations, and experimental insights to study phenomena such as bird flock formations and fish swimming hydrodynamics. Mavroyiakoumou holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (2022), an M.Sc. from the University of Oxford (2017), and a B.Sc. from Imperial College London (2016). Education: PhD in Applied & Interdisciplinary Mathematics, University of Michigan (2017–2022) MSc in Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing, University of Oxford (2016–2017) BSc in Mathematics, Imperial College London (2013–2016) Her research interests span fluid-structure interactions, vortex dynamics, and collective locomotion. She investigates how fluid flows mediate interactions between bodies, such as the aerodynamics of bird formations and the hydrodynamics of flapping foils. Her work bridges theoretical models with experimental observations, contributing to both fundamental science and bio-inspired engineering. Mavroyiakoumou has received prestigious awards including the Joseph B. Keller Fellowship (NYU), Peter Smereka Award (U-M), and ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation (U-M). She actively engages in academic service, organizing conferences and mentoring students. Her teaching experience includes courses on mathematical modeling, differential equations, and algebra at NYU and the University of Michigan. Key Research Themes: Flow-mediated collective behavior and instability mechanisms Vortex wake interactions and their role in locomotion Membrane dynamics in inviscid and viscous flows She collaborates with experimentalists like Leif Ristroph and Jun Zhang at NYU's Applied Math Lab, focusing on experimental validation of theoretical models. Her recent work explores self-amplifying waves in bird formations and the aerodynamic origins of flight coordination.
John C. Doyle is the Jean-Lou Chameau Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems, Electrical Engineering, and BioEngineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he holds appointments in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science with primary affiliation in the Control and Dynamical Systems Department. His research bridges theoretical foundations with applications across biological, technological, medical, and ecological networks. He earned a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT (1977) and a PhD in Mathematics from UC Berkeley (1984), followed by consultancy at Honeywell Systems and Research Center (1976-1990). MIT: BS & MS in Electrical Engineering (1977) UC Berkeley: PhD in Mathematics (1984) Doyle's research centers on universal laws and architectures in complex systems, emphasizing robustness-efficiency tradeoffs, speed-accuracy tradeoffs (SATs), diversity-enabled sweet spots (DeSS), bowtie/hourglass structures, and evolvability. His work pioneers System Level Synthesis (SLS) for control systems with sparse, local, saturating, delayed, noisy, quantized, and distributed (SLSDNQD) components, integrating control theory, computation, communication, and machine learning to address challenges from neural networks to infrastructure resilience. Key concepts include virtualization, horizontal transfer, and virality in multiscale systems. Analysis of his publication trends reveals consistent interdisciplinary impact across neuroscience (brain connectivity modeling), systems biology (metabolic oscillations), network science (internet topology), and physics (turbulence, earthquakes), with recurring themes of robust-efficiency limits and architectural principles governing complex networks. His work demonstrates exceptional translation from abstract theory to practical tools like the Matlab Robust Control Toolbox and Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML). His scientific recognition includes: 1990 IEEE Baker Prize (ranked among top 10 most important mathematics papers 1981-1993) Three IEEE Automatic Control Transactions Awards (1998, 1999, 2021) ACM Sigcomm Paper Prize (2004) and Test of Time Award (2016) IEEE Control Systems Field Award (2004) Multiple early-career honors including IEEE Centennial Outstanding Young Engineer (1984) Doyle has mentored generations of students whose contributions include foundational software tools adopted globally. His research has secured sustained funding from NSF, NIH, and other agencies supporting theoretical advances in control frameworks and their applications to biomedical systems, network infrastructure, and environmental modeling. The SBML initiative exemplifies his group's impact in standardizing computational biology research. He leads a highly collaborative research ecosystem at Caltech that integrates engineers, biologists, neuroscientists, and computer scientists to develop universal principles for complex networks. Current efforts focus on translating theoretical insights into health technologies, resilient infrastructure, and climate-responsive systems through the application of robust-efficiency frameworks to emerging challenges in cyber-physical and biological domains.
Zvonimir Dogic is a Research Associate Professor of Physics at the Martin A. Fisher School of Physics, Brandeis University. He leads the Dogic Lab, focusing on self-assembly of active and soft materials, with interdisciplinary work spanning statistical mechanics, biochemistry, and biophysics. His research explores how particle shape, chirality, and entropic forces drive emergent structures in colloidal systems and active matter. He holds a PhD from Brandeis University (2001) and has supervised numerous PhD students now in academic and industrial roles. Notable honors include the 2010 Cozzarelli Prize and the 2013 Andor Insight Award for his work on oscillating microtubule bundles. Research interests include active matter dynamics, liquid crystalline phases, and biomimetic systems. Recent work includes studies on microtubule-based active gels, chiral colloids, and self-organized cilia-like structures. His lab collaborates with institutions like Harvard, the Mayo Clinic, and the Francis Crick Institute. Key funding sources include the NSF MRSEC, W.M. Keck Foundation, and NIH. The lab’s YouTube channel and Science Blog posts highlight breakthroughs like self-propelled emulsions and entropy-driven membrane formation.
Marjorie Corman Aaron serves as Professor of Practice and Director of the Center for Practice at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she teaches negotiation, client counseling, trial practice, mediation, and decision analysis. Her leadership oversees the law school's trial practice program and student competition teams in dispute resolution. Her academic foundation includes a BA from Princeton University and JD from Harvard Law School. Professor Aaron's research revolutionizes lawyer-client communication through structured decision-making frameworks. She pioneered methodologies for counseling clients through legal uncertainties, emphasizing decision tree analysis to quantify risks and outcomes. Her seminal works "Client Science" and "Risk and Rigor" bridge psychological insights with practical legal strategy, transforming how attorneys navigate complex negotiations and settlement discussions while maintaining ethical rigor. Her scholarly trajectory reveals consistent innovation in dispute resolution pedagogy, evolving from foundational decision analysis techniques to contemporary explorations of mediator neutrality in politically charged contexts and ethical implications of nondisclosure agreements. Her distinguished recognition includes: Harold C. Schott Scholarship Award (2019) Goldman Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2010) University President’s Excellence Award for Teaching (2006) American College of Civil Trial Mediators Education/Training Achievement Award (1998) CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution Second Prize for Excellence (1995) As an educator, she mentors students through national competition teams while extending her impact via workshops for law firms, corporations, and government entities. Her digital platforms (clientsciencecourse.com and riskandrigor.com) provide global resources for legal educators, complemented by frequent guest lectures at Harvard, Michigan, and international institutions. The Center for Practice functions as an experiential learning hub under her direction, integrating theoretical knowledge with hands-on trial advocacy training and dispute resolution simulations that prepare students for real-world legal practice.
Yakov Shlapentokh-Rothman is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Toronto St. George and the Department of Mathematical and Computational Sciences at the University of Toronto Mississauga. His research focuses on the intersection of partial differential equations, general relativity, and geometric analysis, with particular emphasis on black hole physics and the Einstein field equations. Education: PhD: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2015) BS with Honors: Stanford University (2010) Research Interests: Shlapentokh-Rothman's work explores fundamental problems in mathematical relativity, including black hole stability, singularity formation, wave propagation in curved spacetimes, and the asymptotic behavior of solutions to Einstein's equations. His research combines rigorous PDE analysis with deep geometric insights. Publications focus on: black hole dynamics, scattering theory in curved spacetimes, stability analysis of Kerr and Reissner-Nordström solutions, cosmic censorship conjectures, and self-similar solutions to Einstein's equations. Recent work examines the structure of naked singularities and decay properties of fields in black hole backgrounds. Awards and Recognition: Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship in Mathematics Advising and Grants: Currently advising PhD student: Avyay Venkat Viswanath Research supported by NSERC Discovery Grants (RGPIN-2021-02562, DGECR-2021-00093)
Stephanie Wilson is a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at City St George's, University of London, and Co-Director of the Centre for HCI Design (HCID). She co-founded the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Diversity in Data Visualization (DIVERSE CDT) and contributes to the Institute for Creativity and AI. Her research emphasizes inclusive interaction design, data visualization, co-design, and innovative digital technologies for healthcare, particularly for people with aphasia. She has supervised 17 PhD students to completion and led significant projects like EVA Park and INCA, which explore accessible virtual worlds and digital tools for aphasia. Her work has earned multiple awards, including ACM SIGCHI Honorable Mention Awards and the Tech4Good Accessibility Award Finalist. Stephanie has secured over £10 million in research funding, including grants from EPSRC and Innovate UK, and actively contributes to academic governance through roles like Chair of the Research Degrees Committee and establishing the Women++ group. She advocates for participatory design and ethical research practices in healthcare technology.
Prof. Peter Müller-Buschbaum is a Full Professor and Head of the Chair of Functional Materials at the Physics Department of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). He has held this position since April 2018 and also served as Scientific Director of the Research Neutron Source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM-II) and the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Center (MLZ) from 2018 to 2023. His leadership extends to multiple roles including Core Member of the Integrated Research Institute Munich Institute of Integrated Materials, Energy and Process Engineering (MEP) since 2021, and Head of the Renewable Energies Network (NRG) at MEP. Full Professor (W3), Head of the Chair of Functional Materials at TUM School of Natural Sciences (since 04/2018) Deputy Editor of "ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces" (since 01/2024) Supervising Professor "Electronics Laboratory" at TUM School of Natural Sciences (since 11/2023) Member of TUM Sustainability Board (since 05/2023) Core Member of MEP Institute (since 10/2021) Head of Renewable Energies Network at MEP (since 10/2021) Prof. Müller-Buschbaum's research spans energy materials for photovoltaics and battery technologies, smart responsive materials that adapt to environmental stimuli, and nanocomposite materials with tailored properties. His group employs advanced scattering techniques to characterize materials at the nanoscale, providing insights into structure-property relationships critical for developing next-generation energy technologies. His extensive publication record demonstrates particular expertise in perovskite solar cells, lithium-ion battery technologies, and polymer-based functional materials, with recent work focusing on improving device stability and efficiency while understanding fundamental degradation mechanisms. His publications reveal a strong emphasis on energy conversion and storage technologies, with particular attention to interfacial engineering in both photovoltaic and battery systems. The research shows sophisticated integration of materials synthesis, advanced characterization, and device engineering to address critical challenges in renewable energy technologies. His work bridges fundamental science with practical applications through collaborations with major international research facilities. Scientific Service and Recognition Member of the Council of the Cluster of Excellence "ORIGINS" (since 01/2019) Spokesperson of the Chemical Physics and Polymer Physics Association of DPG (03/2021-10/2022) Member of the European Spallation Source Scientific Advisory Panel (since 03/2011) German representative at the European Polymer Federation for polymer physics (since 03/2011) Chairman of the Keylab "TUM.solar" in the Bavarian research project "Solar Technologies Go Hybrid" (since 03/2012) Prof. Müller-Buschbaum actively contributes to academic community through editorial work, having served as Associate Editor (2012-2022), Executive Editor (2023), and currently Deputy Editor (2024-present) of "ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces". He maintains strong international collaborations with synchrotron and neutron facilities worldwide, reflecting his expertise in advanced materials characterization techniques essential for cutting-edge materials research.
Ravi Dhar is the George Rogers Clark Professor at the Yale School of Management and holds an affiliated appointment as a Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He serves as Director of the Center for Customer Insights , focusing on consumer behavior, branding, and marketing strategy through psychological and economic frameworks. Ph.D. in Marketing, University of California at Berkeley (1992) MS, University of California at Berkeley (1990) MBA, Indian Institute of Management (1987) BTech, Indian Institute of Technology (1986) His research examines preference formation, self-regulation, and the interplay of conflicting goals in consumer decisions. Recent work explores sustainability, mobile commerce, and how guilt paradoxically enhances consumer pleasure. He has published over 50 articles and advised Fortune 100 companies across industries. Key trends in his publications include behavioral economics , eco-conscious consumption , and technology-mediated decisions . His studies address choice overload, goal systems, and the psychological drivers of indulgence versus self-control. Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award (Society for Consumer Psychology, 2012) Yale SOM Alumni Teaching Award (2012) William O'Dell Award Finalist (2004, 2008, 2012) AMA Doctoral Consortium Fellow (1991) Dhar consults firms on customer insights and has held visiting roles at HEC Paris , Erasmus University , and Stanford/NYU . He edits top journals like Journal of Consumer Research and Marketing Science , shaping academic and industry discourse.
Juergen Schmidhuber is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Informatics of Università della Svizzera italiana and a leading researcher at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI). He is also Chief Scientist at NNAISENSE, a company dedicated to building practical general-purpose AI. His work has profoundly influenced modern artificial intelligence, particularly through the development of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks in 1991, now deployed across billions of devices for speech recognition, machine translation, and virtual assistants. His research interests span Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Recurrent Neural Networks, Universal AI, Meta-Learning, Algorithmic Information Theory, Artificial Curiosity, Robotics , and Low-Complexity Art . He has pioneered mathematically rigorous frameworks for self-improving AI systems and formal theories of creativity and beauty. His work bridges theoretical foundations with real-world applications in computer vision, natural language processing, and autonomous robotics. The recent articles reflect a consistent trajectory of innovation, combining deep theoretical insights with scalable machine learning architectures. His publications emphasize sequence modeling, universal learning, intrinsic motivation, and computational creativity , demonstrating both foundational contributions and industrial impact. From LSTM to Goedel machines, his work consistently targets the long-term goal of self-improving general AI. Scientific Awards: Numerous awards in AI and machine learning (specific names not listed) Schmidhuber leads a research group at IDSIA, where he mentors students and researchers in advancing the frontiers of AI. His lab has secured significant recognition and industrial collaboration, though specific grants are not detailed. He promotes the 'New AI'—general, sound, and relevant to physics—and continues to explore the convergence of intelligence, computation, and the universe. Labs and Teams: Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI) NNAISENSE (as Chief Scientist)
Gerald Pruckner is a Professor at the Department of Economics, Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU), where he serves as Head of the Institute of Health Economics and Dean of the Kurt Rothschild School of Economics and Statistics (RoSES). His academic career spans over three decades with significant leadership roles including heading the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Aging, Health, and the Labor Market (2014-2021), and serving on the board of the Austrian Health Economics Association (ATHEA). He teaches multiple courses including Introductory Microeconomics, Empirical Economics, and Health Economics for the 2025W semester. Pruckner earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Linz in 1993. His academic journey began as an Assistant Professor at JKU (1989-2002), followed by a Professorship at the University of Innsbruck (2002-2006), then returning to JKU as Associate Professor (2006-2010) before his current Professorship (since 2011). He has held visiting positions at the University of Adelaide and UC Berkeley. His research focuses at the intersection of health economics, behavioral economics, and aging, examining healthcare systems, physician behavior, and the relationship between labor markets and health outcomes. Recent work investigates hospital crowding effects, gender differences in medical practice, chronic disease screening effectiveness, and child health services. His research consistently applies economic principles to understand healthcare delivery with emphasis on the Austrian context, often utilizing register data for evidence-based policy insights. Analysis of Pruckner's publication trends shows a sustained focus on practical healthcare issues with policy relevance. His work spans hospital management challenges, gender differences in medical practice, chronic disease screening effectiveness, and child health services. The research consistently bridges academic inquiry with practical health policy applications, with increasing attention to pandemic impacts and digital transformation in healthcare. Board member of Austrian Health Economics Association (ATHEA) since 2015 Member of Health Economics Committee (Verein für Socialpolitik) since 2013 Deputy head of national research network 'The Austrian Center for Labor Economics and the Analysis of the Welfare State' (2008-2013) Head of Christian Doppler Laboratory for Aging, Health, and the Labor Market (2014-2021) Pruckner actively mentors graduate students through dissertation colloquia and master's thesis supervision. His research portfolio includes 23 projects with significant funding, including current work on health services research in Upper Austria and empirical analysis of Linz healthcare provision. As Dean of RoSES and Head of the Health Economics Institute, he provides institutional leadership while maintaining an active research agenda with over 100 publications. He leads multiple research teams focused on health services research, with current projects examining healthcare provision in Linz, health indicators for the region, and broader health system analysis. His work bridges academic research and practical health policy applications through collaborations with regional health authorities and participation in professional associations.
Jianhua Xing is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh , affiliated with the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences . His research focuses on applying physics-based approaches to study biological systems, particularly cell phenotypic transitions (CPTs) and their underlying dynamics. He integrates quantitative single-cell measurements with computational and theoretical analyses to understand how cells transition between stable states. Key research areas include: Nonequilibrium systems and rate theories for biological transitions Single-cell trajectory analysis and live-cell imaging Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) dynamics Gene regulatory networks and stochastic processes Biological applications of dynamical systems theory Recent work highlights the coupling between EMT and cell cycle arrest, leveraging machine learning frameworks (e.g., LivecellX ) for high-resolution imaging analysis. His lab also explores chromosomal dynamics and mechanotransduction in stem cell aging. Publications emphasize data-driven modeling and theoretical insights, with contributions to frameworks like GraphVelo and Graph-Dynamo for inferring cellular state transitions. Collaborative efforts bridge physics, biology, and computational science to address fundamental biological questions. No awards or grants are explicitly listed in the provided texts. His research group focuses on advancing systems biology through interdisciplinary methods, with a lab dedicated to quantitative analysis of cellular processes.
Anand Bhattad is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, starting Fall 2025. Previously, he held positions as a Research Assistant Professor at the Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (TTIC) and a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the intersection of computer vision, generative modeling, and physical reasoning, aiming to develop perception-driven and physics-aware visual models. His academic journey includes a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign under David Forsyth, with mentorship from Derek Hoiem, Svetlana Lazebnik, Greg Shakhnarovich, and Shenlong Wang. Prior to his PhD, he earned dual master’s degrees in Computer Science and Civil and Environmental Engineering at UIUC and a bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from NITK Surathkal, India. Research interests center on how generative models encode physical and perceptual knowledge, with key contributions in intrinsic image emergence, projective geometry limitations, and physics-aware relighting techniques. His work bridges classical computer vision concepts with modern deep learning, producing state-of-the-art methods for 3D scene synthesis and image editing. Articles span topics like 3P Vision , diffusion models, and 360° video datasets, reflecting interdisciplinary approaches in computer graphics and computational photography. Scientific awards include Outstanding Reviewer at ICCV 2023, CVPR 2022 Best Paper Finalist, and multiple conference service roles as workshop organizer and area chair. He designed the TTIC course Past Meets Present: A Tale of Two Visions , teaching connections between historical and modern computer vision research.
Jack B. Soll is the Gregory Mario & Jeremy Mario Distinguished Professor of Management and Organizations at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. He joined Duke in 2005 after roles at INSEAD and visiting positions at Chicago and Wharton. His Ph.D. from the University of Chicago focused on behavioral science and economics. Research : Soll specializes in the psychology of judgment and decision making, particularly overconfidence, group decision making, and behavioral policy implications. He has pioneered studies on: Overconfidence's societal impacts Wisdom of crowds dynamics Decision biases in hiring and energy policy Teaching : Teaches decision making, leadership, and statistics across executive and MBA programs. Known for bridging academic research with practical managerial insights. Awards : Decision Analysis Publication Award (2021) Key Contributions : Co-created the 'MPG Illusion' concept showing consumer misunderstandings of fuel efficiency Pioneered 'self-blinding' techniques to reduce decision biases Advanced understanding of advice-taking dynamics in organizations
