Lena Funcke is an Assistant Professor of Theoretical Physics at Bonn University. Her research focuses on quantum computing, lattice field theory, and machine learning applications in physics. She explores topics such as topological phases, gauge theories, and quantum simulations. Her work bridges high-energy physics and computational methods, with a particular emphasis on overcoming noise challenges in quantum algorithms and leveraging machine learning for optimization tasks. Funcke’s research projects include C01 and C03, focusing on Hamiltonian lattice formulations and quantum computing methods for gauge theories. She investigates hybrid approaches combining Monte Carlo simulations with quantum computing to study quantum electrodynamics and topological systems. Her contributions highlight the interplay between theoretical physics and cutting-edge computational tools. Her publications span quantum algorithms for particle physics experiments, error mitigation strategies, and the application of normalizing flows to complex systems like the Hubbard model. She actively contributes to advancing the theoretical foundations of quantum computing and its practical implementation in solving fundamental physics problems.
Max Wardetzky is a Professor at the Institute for Numerical and Applied Mathematics within the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Göttingen, Germany. His office is located at Lotzestraße 16-18, 37083 Göttingen, and he can be reached via email at wardetzky@math.uni-goettingen.de or by phone at +49 551 39 26778. Professor Wardetzky leads the Discrete Differential Geometry Lab at the University of Göttingen, where he conducts research at the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and geometry processing. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in computer graphics and scientific computing. His primary research interests include: Applied Geometry Discrete Differential Geometry Numerical Analysis Geometry Processing Physical Simulation Computer Graphics Professor Wardetzky's extensive publication record demonstrates significant contributions to the field of discrete differential geometry and its applications. His work shows a consistent focus on developing mathematically rigorous yet computationally efficient methods for geometric problems. Key trends in his research include the development of discrete analogues of smooth geometric objects, the study of convergence properties between discrete and continuous models, and the application of these methods to problems in computer graphics and physical simulation. Professor Wardetzky has made substantial contributions to the theoretical foundations of discrete differential geometry while maintaining strong connections to practical applications. His work on discrete Laplacians, curvature approximations, and geometric flows has influenced both theoretical mathematics and practical geometry processing algorithms.
Paul J. Kennedy is a Professor at the University of Technology Sydney's Centre for Artificial Intelligence. He holds a PhD from the same institution (1999). His research focuses on machine learning applications in healthcare, bioinformatics, medical imaging, and data mining. Key areas include developing algorithms for genomic data analysis, healthcare pathway modeling, and edge-cloud frameworks for omics data. Education: PhD in Artificial Intelligence (1999, UTS). Research interests span machine learning, health informatics, and data compression. Notable work includes studies on administrative health records, lung nodule detection, and virtual reality-based cancer cohort analysis. He has co-authored over 100 publications across journals like BMC Bioinformatics, IEEE Transactions, and Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. Advising: Collaborates extensively with students/researchers but no explicit student list provided. Grants and labs: Active in interdisciplinary projects involving medical and computational teams, though specific grants are not detailed here.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Richard Membarth is a Research Professor for System-on-a-Chip and AI at the Edge Computing at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI). He is affiliated with the Hardware-Software Co-Design group and holds a secondary position at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) Saarbrücken. Co-creator of DSL frameworks like AnyDSL and Hipacc Key contributor to MetaDL (AI metaprogramming) and PRIME (predictive rendering) His research bridges GPU computing , domain-specific languages , and compiler technology , with recent work on Vulkan SPIR-V compilation and device-driven SpMV algorithms . Notable awards include the HiPEAC Paper Award (2018) and multiple Best Paper Awards for his compiler frameworks.
Mohamed Sarwat is an Associate Professor at Arizona State University specializing in databases , spatial data management , and recommender systems . His research focuses on GeoSpark —a cluster computing framework for spatial data—and its extensions like GeoSparkViz for visualization and GeoSparkSim for traffic simulation. Key Contributions: LARS* (Location-Aware Recommender System), Horton* (Graph Reachability), Sindbad (GeoSocial Platform), and Riso-Tree (Graph Database Indexing) Research Themes: Integration of spatial/temporal data with machine learning, efficient indexing for big geospatial datasets, and scalable frameworks for mobility data science His work spans collaborations with 23+ co-authors across institutions like University of Minnesota, University of Melbourne, and University of Salzburg. Current projects emphasize GeoTorchAI —a spatiotemporal deep learning system—and mobility data science infrastructure.
Maurits Haverkort is a Professor at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University (Germany). His research focuses on quantum many-body systems , strongly correlated electrons , and X-ray spectroscopy of complex materials under strong fields. University of Cologne (PhD in Physics, 2005) University of Groningen (M.Sc. in Physics, 2002) Research Interests : He investigates orbital and magnetic properties in heavy fermion systems , actinide materials , and correlated oxides using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) , ARPES , and computational tools like Quanty . His work spans crystal field theory , spin-orbit coupling , and ultrafast electron dynamics . Scientific Awards & Activities : 2018 – Editorial Board Member, Physical Review Letters 2017 – Beam Time Allocation Panel, ESRF Grenoble 2016–2018 – Swedish Research Council Panel NT-4 2012–2016 – Scientific Selection Panel, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin Recent Publications highlight 5f electron counting , photon-modulated bonding , and precision neutrino mass experiments , reflecting his expertise in quantum materials and advanced spectroscopy .
Géza Giedke is an Ikerbasque Research Professor at the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. His research focuses on quantum information theory and its implementation in solid-state and quantum optical systems, with particular emphasis on entanglement, quantum channels, and the dynamics of open quantum systems. His educational background includes a Dr. rer. nat. (Doctor of Natural Sciences) from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. Prior to his current position, he has held research positions at the University of Innsbruck (Austria), Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching and Technical University of Munich (Germany), and ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Dr. Giedke's research interests span multiple areas of quantum physics and quantum information science. His work explores the theoretical foundations of quantum information processing while also addressing practical implementation challenges in solid-state systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding entanglement in fermionic systems, quantum channels, and the application of quantum information concepts to condensed matter physics. His recent work has increasingly focused on quantum phenomena in graphene-based nanostructures and their potential for quantum information processing applications. His publication record demonstrates a strong trajectory from fundamental quantum information theory to more applied work connecting quantum information concepts with condensed matter physics, particularly in the realm of graphene nanostructures and quantum transport phenomena. Dr. Giedke has secured significant research funding, including the recently granted GRAFIQ project (2023-2027) on 'Harnessing quantum spin states, dynamics, and transport in graphene-based nanostructures' and the TENINT project (2023-2025) on 'Tensor network methods for interacting electrons in quasi-1d graphene nanostructures.' He actively mentors PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, currently supervising several researchers working on various aspects of quantum information in solid-state systems. Dr. Giedke also organizes major scientific events, including the Basque Quantum Science and Technology Workshops and the Nanotechnology meets Quantum Information Summerschool.
Bernd Sturmfels is a leading mathematician serving as Director of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences in Leipzig since 2017. He is also Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds honorary professorships at the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Leipzig. His research bridges pure and applied mathematics, with foundational contributions to algebraic geometry, combinatorics, and computational biology. Education: Sturmfels earned dual Ph.D. degrees in 1987 from the University of Washington and Technische Universität Darmstadt, followed by an honorary doctorate from Goethe University Frankfurt in 2015 and additional honorary doctorates from the University of Bern (2023) and the University of Chicago (2024). Research Interests: His work spans algebraic geometry , combinatorics , commutative algebra , algebraic statistics , convex optimization , and computational biology . He explores deep connections between abstract algebraic structures and practical applications in statistics, optimization, and the life sciences. Publications and Trends: With over 300 research articles and 11 books, his recent work (2022–2025) focuses on advanced topics like Grassmannian geometry, tropical implicitization, quantum chemistry applications, and algebraic statistics. His research increasingly integrates computational methods with theoretical insights, addressing problems in machine learning, phylogenetics, and optimization. Awards and Honors: Sturmfels has received numerous prestigious awards, including: George David Birkhoff Prize in Applied Mathematics (2018) SIAM von Neumann Lecturership (2010) Humboldt Senior Research Prize (2007–2008) David and Lucile Packard Fellowship (1992–1997) Fellowships of the AMS and SIAM Membership in the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities Mentoring and Grants: He has supervised 60 doctoral students and numerous postdocs, with many securing positions at leading institutions. His mentoring philosophy emphasizes diversity and excellence, as highlighted in his Notices of the AMS article. Funding sources include the NSF, DARPA, and the German National Science Foundation (DFG). Labs and Teams: At the Max Planck Institute, he leads the Nonlinear Algebra group, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between mathematics and the sciences. His team focuses on developing algebraic methods for data analysis, optimization, and theoretical physics.
Robert Raussendorf is a Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics, part of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Leibniz University Hannover. He leads the research group focusing on quantum information, particularly measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC) and quantum fault-tolerance. His work includes the invention of the one-way quantum computer (QCc), a paradigm where quantum computations are performed via local measurements on entangled cluster states. Raussendorf’s research bridges foundational quantum mechanics with practical applications, emphasizing the role of contextuality and resource states in quantum advantage. Research Interests: His primary areas include quantum computation models, quantum cellular automata, topological error correction, and the foundational aspects of quantum mechanics. He explores how quantum principles like entanglement and contextuality enable computational power, with recent focus on symmetry-protected systems and efficient quantum architectures. Articles Trends: Recent publications highlight advancements in measurement-based computation, error correction strategies, and theoretical frameworks like contextuality and cohomology. Notable work includes high-error-threshold architectures and the application of dual-unitary circuits in one-dimensional systems. Lab/Team: His team includes postdocs (e.g., Markus Frembs, Martin Plávala) and doctoral candidates (e.g., Arnab Adhikary, Ruben Campos Delgado), collaborating on topics like quantum error tolerance, computational phases of matter, and algorithm optimization. The group also engages in interdisciplinary projects with institutions like the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute.
Andrea Walther is a Professor of Mathematical Optimization at the Humboldt University of Berlin, holding a position within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. She leads the Mathematical Optimization research group at the Institute of Mathematics, focusing on algorithmic differentiation, nonlinear optimization, and applied mathematics. Her academic journey includes a Diploma in Business Mathematics (1996, University of Bayreuth), a PhD (1999, TU Dresden), and habilitation (2008, TU Dresden). She has held roles such as Junior Professor at TU Dresden (2007–2008) and Professor at the University of Paderborn (2009–2019) before joining Humboldt in 2019 as a MATH+ Professor. Education : 1991–1996: Studies in Business Mathematics, University of Bayreuth 1996: Diploma in Business Mathematics, University of Bayreuth 1999: PhD in Mathematics, TU Dresden 2008: Habilitation, TU Dresden Her research interests center on optimization methods, particularly algorithmic differentiation (e.g., ADOL-C software), nonsmooth optimization, and applications in engineering and machine learning. She leads initiatives like the Cluster of Excellence MATH+ and contributes to projects such as the Transregio 154. Key Projects: Co-PI of DFG Project 'Mixed-integer non-smooth optimization for gas market problems' (2020–2022) Principal Investigator in MATH+ Projects (EF3-7, AA2-7) Co-developer of ADOL-C, a widely used tool for algorithmic differentiation Notable awards include being a SIAM Fellow. Her work bridges theoretical advancements and practical applications, with contributions to energy sector optimization, inverse problems, and computational frameworks for solving complex systems.
Lars Grasedyck is a Professor of Numerical Analysis at RWTH Aachen University. His research focuses on hierarchical matrices, tensor approximation, and numerical methods for partial differential equations and matrix equations. He has contributed to applications in biomedical engineering, particularly EEG/MEG inverse problems, and is involved in software development (HLIB, HLIB-pro). Education: Diploma and Ph.D. in Mathematics at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (1998, 2001), Postdoctoral work at Max Planck Institute, Leipzig (2002-2010). Research: Specializes in high-dimensional numerical methods, low-rank matrices, and tensors with applications in PDEs, uncertainty quantification, and biomedical modeling. Projects: Leads DFG-funded initiatives on adaptive tensor networks for parametric PDEs and tumor progression modeling. Advising: Supervises doctoral students including Thong Le, Maren Klever, and Dieter Moser. Software: Developed HLib and HLib-pro for hierarchical matrix computations. Conferences: Active in GAMM Fachausschuss Numerische Analysis, organizing workshops and symposia globally.
Dr. Angela Capel Cuevas is an Assistant Professor at the University of Cambridge's Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics since April 2024. Previously, she held a Junior Professorship (W1) at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen's Mathematical Physics area (2021-2024), and was an MCQST Distinguished PostDoc at Technische Universität München (2020-2021). Her research sits at the intersection of Quantum Information Theory and Quantum Many-Body Systems , focusing on quantum dissipative evolutions and their mathematical characterization through quantum functional inequalities and entropic bounds . 2023-26: CRC TRR 352 grant on "Mathematics of Many-Body Quantum Systems" (7M€) 2024-27: QuantERA project "Towards a useful quantum advantage" (TouQan, 1.25M€) Her recent work demonstrates rapid thermalization in 1D quantum systems with logarithmic time scaling and establishes exponential mutual information decay for Gibbs states. She co-organized BIRS-IMAG workshops on quantum information theory and received the Jack Keil Wolf ISIT Student Paper Award (2023). Her PhD thesis (ICMAT/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2019) introduced quasi-factorization techniques for relative entropy, leading to groundbreaking results in quantum functional inequalities. 2023: Simons Emmy Noether Fellowship at Perimeter Institute 2023: Forbes 30 Under 30 Spain 2022: Vicent Caselles RSME-FBBVA Award
Abdelhak M. Zoubir is a Professor of Signal Processing and Head of the Signal Processing Group at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. He has held leadership roles including Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (2012–2014 and 2020–2022), and President of the European Association for Signal Processing (EURASIP, 2017–2018). His research focuses on statistical signal processing with applications in radar imaging, biomedical engineering, and automotive systems. Zoubir has authored over 500 publications and is a Fellow of IEEE and EURASIP. He currently leads projects on radar communication integration, robust signal processing algorithms, and radiation-hardened sensor development. Education: Dipl.-Ing. (BSc/MSc) from Fachhochschule Niederrhein and Ruhr-Universität Bochum, followed by a Dr.-Ing. (PhD) in Electrical Engineering from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (1992). Research Interests: Bootstrap techniques, robust detection/estimation, cooperative sensor networks, radar for landmine detection, and automotive safety systems. He has pioneered methods in robust statistical signal processing, including low-rank matrix completion and sparsity-aware algorithms. Recognition: Recipient of the IEEE Meritorious Service Award (2018), IEEE Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award (2017), and the M. Barry Carlton Award (2014). He has been a keynote speaker at major conferences such as ICASSP and EUSIPCO, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine (2012–2014). Current Projects: Focus on automotive radar signal processing, radiation-hardened sensors (MALTA), and distributed learning robustness. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in defense, healthcare, and automotive industries.
Professor Danilo P. Mandic, affiliated with Imperial College London, UK, is a leading researcher in signal processing, machine learning, and biomedical signal analysis. His work spans quaternion algebra, tensor networks, and neural networks for real-world applications. 2025: Published 11+ works on EEG/PPG analysis, quantum learning, and tensor-based LLM compression 2024: Active in interpretable transformers, graph learning for financial data, and hearable devices Research focuses on hypercomplex signal processing, graph neural networks, and medical AI applications. Recent work explores quaternion calculus for signal processing, tensor network structures for LLMs, and hearable device optimization. Key publication trends include: 2025 emphasis on quantum-aware learning, 2024 graph-based time series clustering, and 2023 foundational work on graph CNNs and matched filtering approaches. Collaborates extensively with Dongpo Xu, Sayed Pouria Talebi, Clive Cheong Took, and Tobias Reichenbach on projects involving ear-EEG, ECG enhancement, and financial sentiment analysis.
Frank Hannig is a Professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, specializing in computer architecture and high-performance computing. His research focuses on FPGA acceleration, hardware-software co-design, neural network optimization, and embedded systems. He has collaborated extensively with co-authors such as Jürgen Teich and Oliver Reiche, producing over 200 publications since 2001. His work emphasizes domain-specific languages (DSLs) for image processing (e.g., Hipacc) and compiler optimizations for FPGAs. Key contributions include techniques for quantized neural networks on microcontrollers, CGRA toolchain evaluation, and efficient mapping of CNNs onto processor arrays. Hannig also explores energy-efficient architectures and reconfigurable computing for emerging applications like edge AI and automotive systems. Publications span conferences like ASAP, FPL, and ARC, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to bridging algorithm design and hardware implementation. His research often addresses practical challenges in deploying machine learning models on resource-constrained devices while maintaining performance and energy efficiency.
