Kuanshi Zhong is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management at the University of Cincinnati. He holds a PhD from Stanford University (2021) in Civil and Environmental Engineering, with prior degrees from Stanford (Master, 2017) and Tongji University (Bachelor, 2015). His research focuses on earthquake engineering, structural resilience, and advanced computational methods for infrastructure safety. Key research interests include seismic design of tall buildings, probabilistic modeling of structural response (e.g., using Probabilistic Learning on Manifolds), and material failure mechanisms in reinforced concrete. He also explores multi-hazard resilience, regional risk assessment, and software tools for disaster simulation (e.g., R2DTool and EE-UQ). Dr. Zhong has secured grant funding as PI/Co-PI, including a National Science Foundation grant (2023-2026) for equitable building decarbonization strategies and a Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute grant (2024-2025) for bar performance improvements. He teaches graduate/undergraduate courses on concrete design and structural mechanics. His work spans collaborations with institutions like Stanford University and the SimCenter, contributing to open-source tools for regional loss assessments and hurricane impact modeling. Current projects address cascading hazards, steel reinforcement durability, and high-resolution seismic risk evaluation.
Li Cai is a Professor and Director at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) within the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His work focuses on quantitative methods in education, particularly psychometrics and statistical modeling. Ph.D. in Quantitative Psychology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Research and teaching interests center on psychometrics, latent variable models, item response theory, nonlinear mixed models, and statistical computation. His methodological work addresses advanced techniques for educational assessment and model evaluation. His representative publications include studies on covariance structure models, item response theory, bifactor analysis, and goodness-of-fit testing. These works often emphasize computational algorithms and practical applications in educational measurement. Li Cai is affiliated with CRESST at UCLA, a leading center dedicated to rigorous research, assessment design, and evaluation methodology across diverse educational contexts.
Maartje Bastings is an Associate Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) , leading the Programmable Biomaterials Laboratory (PBL) within the School of Engineering (STI) . She holds additional affiliations with the Institute of Materials (IMX) , IBI-STI (Bioengineering), and supervises doctoral programs in Biotechnology and Biological Engineering ( EDBB-GE ) and Materials Science and Engineering ( EDMX-GE ). Her research focuses on DNA-based supramolecular materials engineered to achieve dynamic reciprocity —a two-way interaction between synthetic materials and biological systems. By leveraging DNA as a programmable scaffold, she investigates structural mechanics, valency control, and geometric constraints governing self-assembly and cell communication at bio-interfaces. Key applications include immune system modulation, diagnostics , and vaccine development . Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a focus on multivalent interactions for T-cell activation, spatial patterning in immune signaling, and engineered coatings for DNA origami stability. Subfields span T cell receptor engineering , nanoscale protein dynamics , stimuli-responsive biomaterials , and bio-inspired therapeutic design . PhD Students: Chen Yuduo Hendrickx Pauline Bart M. Kononenko Artem Li Shujie Lou Yameng Meyer Pitt Narita Minako Rousseau Benjamin Bila Hale Caroprese Vincenzo Comberlato Alice Kurisinkal Eva Eugene Paloja Kaltrina Rodríguez Franco Hugo José Tekin Cem Wong Siu Ho Contact: maartje.bastings@epfl.ch
Carl Henrik Ek is a Professor of Statistical Learning at the Department of Computer Science and Technology (Computer Laboratory) at the University of Cambridge. He is also a fellow and Director of Studies at Pembroke College, and holds visiting positions at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Royal Institute of Technology. He serves as co-Director for the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Decision Making for Complex Systems, a collaboration between Cambridge and Manchester universities, and is involved with the Accelerate Program in the Computer Laboratory. Dr. Ek's educational background includes a MEng degree in Vehicle Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, followed by a PhD from Oxford Brookes University. During his PhD, he spent time at the University of Manchester and the University of Sheffield. His PhD supervisors were Professor Neil Lawrence and Professor Phil Torr, and his postdoctoral research was conducted at UC Berkeley with Professor Trevor Darrell and Professor Raquel Urtasun. Professor Ek's research focuses on statistical learning, particularly on developing data-efficient and interpretable machine learning methods. His work spans modeling and inference in machine learning, with special emphasis on Bayesian non-parametric methods and Gaussian processes. He explores how to specify assumptions that allow learning from small amounts of data, bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications in various domains. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward applying machine learning to healthcare, drug discovery, and engineering design. There's significant work on Gaussian processes, reinforcement learning, and generative models, with applications ranging from medical diagnostics to structural engineering. His research shows an increasing interdisciplinary focus, connecting machine learning with fields like cardiology, pharmacology, and computational geometry. Professor Ek has received numerous teaching awards throughout his career: Pilkington Price for Teaching Excellence (2024) Teacher of the year in Computer Science at University of Bristol (2016) Docent in Machine Learning at Royal Institute of Technology (2016) Teacher of the year at Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden (2015) Teacher of the year from Student chapter in Industrial Economics at Royal Institute of Technology (2015) Teacher of the year in Computer Science at Royal Institute of Technology (2012) Professor Ek teaches Advanced Data Science, Advanced topics in machine learning, and Machine Learning and the Physical World. He has supervised PhD students throughout his career but is not currently accepting new PhD students for 2025/26 or 2026/27. His research is supported by various grants, including his role as co-Director of the UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training. He is an active member of the ml@cl research group at Cambridge and has previously been involved with research groups at University of Bristol and Royal Institute of Technology. His work connects with several interdisciplinary initiatives, particularly in healthcare AI and engineering applications of machine learning.
Viviana A. Zelizer is the Lloyd Cotsen ‘50 Professor of Sociology at Princeton University, where she has taught since 1988. Her work bridges economic sociology and cultural analysis, focusing on the intersections of money, social relations, and moral values. She is renowned for studies on life insurance, childhood valuation, and the socio-cultural dimensions of money. Key contributions include The Social Meaning of Money (1994), Pricing the Priceless Child (1985), and The Purchase of Intimacy (2005). Current research explores cross-class economic transactions among Princeton undergraduates with Lauren Gaydosh. Her research interests span economic ethics, consumption practices, and the cultural shaping of economic behavior. Awards include the 2023 ASA Lifetime Achievement Award. Upcoming events include a Paris conference (Jan 23, 2025) honoring her work and a UT-Austin workshop on global money studies. She has authored/co-edited over 20 books, including Money Talks (2017) and a forthcoming French translation of Fixing the Monetary Value of Children (2024). Recent articles address money’s role in power dynamics, gender relations, and socio-economic crises. Her work challenges simplistic market vs. intimate divides, showing how economic practices sustain social bonds.
Associate Professor Samantha Schulz is a sociologist of education at The University of Adelaide's School of Education, within the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics. She specializes in educational justice, focusing on First Nations education, race critical theory, affect studies, and gender equity. Her work spans international contexts including Kenya, India, China, and Australia's APY Lands. She is co-convenor of the Pedagogies for Justice Research Group, affiliated with CRESI and the Fay Gale Centre for Research on Gender. As Program Director for the Master of Teaching program, she emphasizes socially engaged pedagogies. Recent research includes the ARC-funded 'Culturally Responsive Schooling' project (2022-24) and studies on gender-based violence in educational settings. Her publications explore decolonial methodologies, critical race theory, and the intersection of affect and pedagogy. Her grants include leadership roles in projects addressing Indigenous sovereignty in education, culturally responsive curriculum design, and restorative practices. Notable collaborations involve UniSA and Open University of Cyprus. She co-edits the Routledge 'Local Global Issues in Education' series and actively publishes on topics ranging from toxic masculinity in academia to anti-racist policy frameworks. Her advising focuses on fostering critical scholarship in Masters and PhD candidates, with research supervision emphasizing justice-oriented educational practices. She leads initiatives like 'Teaching in an era of digital influence' and has contributed to policy discussions on preventing violent extremism in schools. Her work bridges theoretical rigor with practical advocacy for marginalized communities in education systems globally.
Di Bu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Finance at Macquarie University, leading the Macquarie University FinTech and Banking Research Centre. He holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Queensland (2015). His research focuses on FinTech innovations, climate finance, household finance, and behavioral finance, with an emphasis on embedding sustainability into financial systems. He has secured over AUD 4 million in research funding through ARC Linkage and Discovery projects, focusing on AI-driven credit assessments, Open Banking, ESG analytics, and climate resilience. Education PhD in Finance, University of Queensland (2015) Research Interests Di's work explores belief formation in financial decisions, sustainable lending practices, and climate adaptation tools. He pioneers projects such as AI credit scoring systems, behavioral interventions for sustainable investing, and digital platforms for climate resilience. His interdisciplinary approach bridges industry, government, and academia to address financial and environmental challenges. Projects & Funding AUD 4M+ in grants including two ARC Linkage and one ARC Discovery projects Current initiatives: Greenwashing detection, ESG rating divergence analysis, and climate-resilient finance platforms Labs/Teams Director of the FinTech & Banking Research Centre and affiliated with Data Horizons Research Centre and Frontier AI Research Centre at Macquarie University.
Professor Phil Purnell is a Professor of Materials and Structures at the School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds. His expertise spans materials science, infrastructure systems, circular economy, and interdisciplinary research. He leads projects addressing decarbonization, waste-to-resource systems, and sustainable construction materials. His roles include Deputy Head of School and advisor to UKRI, DEFRA, and the UK Government’s Circular Economy Taskforce. He holds visiting positions at the Royal College of Art and University of Cambridge. Education: PhD, BEng (Civil), and teaching qualifications (PCPCE, ACTLHE). His research focuses on circular economy applications in textiles, offshore wind, and foundational industries. Notable projects include the Textiles Circularity Centre, Yorkshire Circular Economy Living Lab, and Complex Value Optimisation for Resource Recovery (C-VORR). He advocates for systemic approaches to sustainability, integrating economic, technical, and environmental values. Research outputs emphasize decarbonization pathways, material lifecycle assessments, and robotics in infrastructure management. Collaborations with industry and policy bodies drive practical solutions for resource efficiency. His work bridges engineering, economics, and environmental science to address global challenges like waste management and climate change.
Oleg Kozlovski is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick. His research focuses on dynamical systems, ergodic theory, mathematical physics, and financial mathematics. He has held an EPSRC Advanced Fellowship (2001–2006) for research in Complex Dynamics and Fast Dynamo Theory. His work combines pure mathematical analysis with applications to economics and physics. Teaching responsibilities include MA132 Foundations. His research explores hyperbolicity, rigidity phenomena, and bifurcation theory in dynamical systems. Notable contributions include studies on unimodal maps' density in C^k topologies and rigidity of real polynomials. Grants include £1.9M EPSRC funding for foundational dynamical systems research. His work bridges pure mathematics with applied fields like economic modeling and nonlinear dynamics.
Fabian Pfrengle is a full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Institute of Organic Chemistry , Department of Natural Sciences and Sustainable Resources , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU). He previously led research groups at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (2013-2020) and worked at The Scripps Research Institute (2010-2013). Research Focus: His work bridges carbohydrate chemistry and plant biology , specializing in plant cell wall glycans and glycosyltransferases . He develops synthetic glycan arrays for enzyme characterization and investigates immune response triggering mechanisms in plants through oligosaccharide fragments . His projects include automated polysaccharide synthesis and liposome-based immune tolerance applications. Publication Trends: His 15 most recent articles emphasize chemical synthesis of sugar nucleotides , plant glycan arrays , and enzyme specificity analysis , reflecting his focus on carbohydrate engineering and plant immunity . Key subfields include UDP-sugar derivatization , Xylan structure-function relationships , and Glycosyltransferase profiling . Grants & Projects: Currently leads 5 major projects including Automated Algal Polysaccharide Synthesis (EU-funded, 2023-2028) and Synthetic Glycan Ligands for Plant Immune Receptors (FWF-funded, 2022-2026). His research also explores thrombocyte biology and Rhamnogalacturonan-II fragments with support from FWF and City of Vienna . Community Service: Serves on editorial boards ( Monatshefte für Chemie , 2021-present) and as reviewer for 12 journals including JACS Au , Nature Communications , and Angewandte Chemie . Member of professional societies: Gesellschaft Österreichischer Chemiker (2020), Deutscher Hochschulverband (2019), and Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (2008).
Rahul Kapoor is a Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he also serves as the Chair of the Management Department. His research focuses on innovation management, business ecosystems, and technology strategy, with a particular emphasis on how firms navigate technological and organizational challenges in dynamic industries. University: University of Pennsylvania School: Wharton School Department: Management Department Academic Rank: Professor His research explores the interplay between organizational design, external collaboration, and innovation outcomes. Recent work includes studies on forecasting strategies, ecosystem interdependencies, and the role of setbacks in technology development. He has contributed to leading journals such as Strategic Management Journal and Research Policy , with a recurring focus on technology ecosystems and modular innovation. Kapoor’s research spans both theoretical and applied dimensions. He has examined how firms can optimize value creation in business ecosystems, the impact of organizational design on invention sourcing, and the dynamics of technology emergence. His studies often integrate historical case analyses and simulation models to uncover patterns in innovation management. Scientific Awards: Inaugural Academy of Management Emerging Scholar Award Strategic Management Journal Best Paper Prize Wharton Teaching Excellence Award (multiple years) Editorial Roles: Associate Editor, Strategic Management Journal Contributing Editor, Strategy Science Teaching: Undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and PhD courses on technology and innovation strategy Leadership in Wharton’s Executive Education programs He has advised firms on innovation initiatives and draws on over seven years of industry experience in high-tech, including roles at Texas Instruments and co-founding a startup, to inform his academic work.
Maiken H. Mikkelsen is the James N. and Elizabeth H. Barton Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, with a joint appointment in the Department of Physics . Her research focuses on quantum nanophotonics , plasmonics , and light-matter interactions in nanoscale materials, aiming to advance optoelectronics, quantum science, and biomedical diagnostics. Education B.S. in Physics, University of Copenhagen (2004) Ph.D. in Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara (2009) Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley Her work explores nanophotonic engineering for quantum optics , spintronics , and ultrafast optoelectronics , with recent studies on nonlinear metasurfaces and plasmonic enhancement of immunoassays for point-of-care diagnostics. Publications highlight 2D semiconductor emission control , ultrafast single-photon sources , and metasurface-based photodetectors . Scientific Awards Maria Goeppert Mayer Award (2017) NSF CAREER Award (2015) Moore Inventor Fellow (2021) ONR/Air Force/Army Young Investigator Awards (2015-2017) Cottrell Scholar (2016) Stansell Family Distinguished Research Award (2021) She advises graduate students in Duke’s Electrical & Computer Engineering and Physics programs and leads the Mikkelsen Lab , which emphasizes ultrafast spectroscopy and quantum material development . The lab has graduated PhD students like Eunso Shin and Hengming Li (2025).
Sergio Carrera serves as Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Justice and Home Affairs Unit at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a prominent Brussels-based think tank. Additionally, he holds the position of Adjunct Professor at the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) in SciencesPo, France, where he contributes to academic teaching and research in international affairs. Dr. Carrera's academic background includes a Ph.D. on immigration and citizenship from Maastricht University (The Netherlands), an LL.M. in European, Comparative and International Law from the University of Maastricht, and a Law Degree from Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. His extensive educational foundation in European and international law underpins his expertise in EU justice and home affairs policy. His primary research interests focus on EU justice and home affairs (JHA) law and the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice policy, with particular emphasis on migration, asylum, citizenship, and Schengen policies. Dr. Carrera's expertise also extends to EU criminal justice law and police cooperation, examining their impacts on data protection, privacy, and the rights of the defense. His work consistently addresses the intersection between security measures and fundamental rights within the European context. Dr. Carrera has produced an extensive body of scholarly work, with over 190 published publications according to the available information. His recent research has particularly focused on EU-US data transfers, rule of law challenges in the context of migration management, global asylum governance, and the evolving landscape of EU security policy. His publications demonstrate a consistent concern with ensuring that security and migration policies uphold fundamental rights and the rule of law. Among his notable contributions are policy analyses on the European Green Deal's implications for climate policy, assessments of the EU's response to the Ukraine crisis, and examinations of the impact of the Trump administration on EU security policy. His research often bridges academic analysis with practical policy recommendations for EU institutions. Dr. Carrera leads and participates in numerous research projects addressing critical issues in EU policy. Current initiatives include "Reclaiming our past, rebuilding our future: new approaches to fighting antigypsyism" (2024-2026) and the "Study on Mapping Civil Dialogue Practices in the EU Institutions" (2024-2025). Previous significant projects include "Global Asylum Governance and European Union's Role" (ASILE, 2019-2023), "Pan-European Response to the ImpactS of COVID-19" (PERISCOPE, 2020-2023), and "IT tools and methods for managing migration FLOWS" (ITFLOWS, 2020-2023). His work has been commissioned by various EU institutions, including the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs, demonstrating the policy relevance and impact of his research. Dr. Carrera's expertise is frequently sought for task forces addressing timely issues such as EU-US data transfers, digital justice, and cross-border cooperation in criminal matters.
Kunihiko Kaneko is a Professor at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, with a distinguished career in theoretical biophysics and complex systems. He received his PhD and MSc in Physics from the University of Tokyo, and has held leadership roles at the Universal Biology Institute and Center for Complex Systems Biology. PhD Physics, 1984 - University of Tokyo MSc Physics, 1981 - University of Tokyo His research spans five primary areas: Universal Biology, Evolutionary Constraints, Ecosystem Dynamics, Neural Cognition, and Universal Anthropology. He has published extensively on multi-level consistency principles, dimensional reduction in biological systems, and reciprocity between robustness and plasticity across scales. Recent publications show strong focus on microbial ecosystems (2025), evolutionary game theory (2025), neural modular architectures (2024), and dimensional reduction in cellular systems (2024). His work bridges physics and biology through dynamical systems theory applied to diverse phenomena from protocells to human societies.
Dr. June Cao is an Associate Professor at the University of Southampton . Her research focuses on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Accounting , Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) , and Sustainability Reporting , with a particular emphasis on Greenwashing , Carbon Emission Trading , and Accounting Education . Key research areas include ESG, CSR, and sustainability frameworks. Prominent publications analyze environmental regulation, green revenues, and digital transformation in sustainability. Her recent work explores greenwashing behaviors, peer benchmarking, and labor investment dynamics. Scientific Awards : None explicitly mentioned in the data. Notable collaborations include co-authoring papers with scholars from Curtin University , Satya Wacana Christian University , and Xiamen University . Her contributions to Systematic Literature Reviews and Bibliometric Analysis highlight her methodological expertise.
