Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneSwitzerland
Lior Wolf is a Professor at the School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University. Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at MIT's Center for Biological and Computational Learning (CBCL) under Prof. Tomaso Poggio and earned his PhD from Hebrew University of Jerusalem with Prof. Amnon Shashua. His educational background includes: PhD in Computer Science, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Postdoctoral Research, MIT CBCL Prof. Wolf's research centers on artificial intelligence with seminal contributions to deep learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. His work bridges theoretical foundations (e.g., attention mechanisms, transformer analysis) with practical applications in medical imaging, speech processing, and sign language technology. He pioneered methods for neural network interpretability, efficient sequence modeling, and multimodal fusion. Analysis of his 2023-2025 publications reveals dominant trends in large language model optimization (neuron pruning, attention analysis), efficient video generation, and cross-modal learning. His work increasingly integrates medical applications (fMRI/EEG analysis) while maintaining theoretical rigor in model architecture design. His scientific achievements include: Best paper award at EMNLP 2024 for 'Backward Lens: Projecting Language Model Gradients into the Vocabulary Space' Best paper award at SCIA 2023 for 'Gradient Adjusting Networks for Domain Inversion' Best paper award at FG 2021 for 'Generating Master Faces for Dictionary Attacks' Prof. Wolf mentors graduate students in the School of Computer Science and leads research at the ICRC building laboratory. His team collaborates with 'the friends of TAU' on projects spanning biometric security, medical imaging, and generative AI. Current work focuses on efficient transformers, neural network interpretability, and multimodal medical diagnostics.
Max Planck Institute for Intelligent SystemsGermany
Celestine Mendler-Dünner is a Principal Investigator at the ELLIS Institute in Tübingen, co-affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the Tübingen AI Center. She leads the Algorithms and Society research group, focusing on machine learning in social contexts and the role of prediction in digital economies. Her work bridges theoretical machine learning with practical societal impact, developing tools for safe, reliable, and equitable AI ecosystems. Her educational background includes a PhD from ETH Zurich in collaboration with IBM Research, followed by an SNSF postdoctoral fellowship at UC Berkeley hosted by Moritz Hardt. She was previously a group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems before joining the ELLIS Institute. Mendler-Dünner's research spans several interconnected themes including performative prediction (where predictions change the behavior they aim to predict), algorithmic collective action (how participants can steer AI systems toward common goals), and the role of LLMs in social science research. Her work combines theoretical foundations with practical implementations, addressing challenges in interactive machine learning, optimization in dynamic environments, and context-specific evaluation of AI systems. She particularly examines how algorithmic predictions mediate services and platforms at societal scale, exploring concepts of economic power in digital markets. Her publication record shows a clear evolution from system-aware machine learning algorithms (including foundational work on IBM Snap ML) toward increasingly sociotechnical questions at the intersection of machine learning, economics, and policy. Recent work focuses on measuring performative power in digital economies, evaluating LLMs as risk scores, and developing frameworks for algorithmic collective action in recommender systems and labor markets. Among her notable recognitions are the ETH Medal for her dissertation, the IBM Research Division Award, the Fritz Kutter Award, and the IBM Eminence and Excellence Award. She is an ELLIS Scholar, a fellow of the Elisabeth-Schiemann-Kolleg, and affiliated with several prestigious research programs including the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems and the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems. ETH Medal (dissertation award) IBM Research Division Award Fritz Kutter Award IBM Eminence and Excellence Award SNSF Early Postdoc Mobility Fellowship Mendler-Dünner actively mentors the next generation of researchers, advising PhD student Patrik Wolf and supervising research interns including Joachim Baumann, Haiqing Zhu, and Anna Badalyan, as well as Master's student Dorothee Sigg. She serves as core faculty for the International Max Planck Research School and associated faculty for the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems. Her group has secured significant research funding through fellowships and institutional support, enabling work on projects like Powermeter (measuring search engine influence) and Snap ML (resource-efficient machine learning library with over 1 million PyPI downloads). She leads the Algorithms and Society research group, which examines machine learning as part of broader sociotechnical ecosystems. The group explores human-population interactions with algorithmic systems and incorporates these insights into learning system fundamentals. Current projects include investigating economic incentives in digital platforms, developing tools for systematic LLM evaluation in social science contexts, and creating frameworks for collective action in algorithmic systems. Mendler-Dünner also co-organizes the Algorithmic Collective Action workshop at NeurIPS 2025, demonstrating her leadership in emerging research directions at the AI-society interface.
Michael A Osborne is Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Oxford and leads the Bayesian Exploration Lab . He serves as Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems and co-directs the Oxford Martin AI Governance Initiative. His research focuses on Bayesian optimization, Gaussian processes, and probabilistic numerics with applications in quantum devices, battery modeling, and AI governance. Key Positions: Professor of Machine Learning, University of Oxford Official Fellow, Exeter College Co-founder of Mind Foundry Lead Researcher, Oxford Martin Programme on Technology and Employment Research Themes: Probabilistic modeling for quantum systems Uncertainty quantification in energy storage AI safety and societal impact analysis Automated experimental design Quantum device calibration Probabilistic numerical methods Technical Contributions: Bridging reality gap in quantum devices Efficient Bayesian quadrature techniques Personalized neurostimulation algorithms Automated measurement protocols Quantum-classical hybrid ML
Ram Vasudevan is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of Robotics at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on developing tools for safe and robust deployment of robotic systems, emphasizing optimization, nonlinear control, and real-world applications. Key areas include legged robot locomotion, shared control systems, and safety-critical autonomous systems. Research Interests: Optimization and control of nonlinear systems, locomotion of legged robots, shared control active safety systems, and automation of diagnostic/rehabilitative tasks. His ROAHM Lab prioritizes mathematical guarantees for robotic performance, with applications in medical robotics, autonomous vehicles, and soft robotics. Recent work emphasizes trajectory optimization, sensor fusion, and safety-aware control strategies. He has contributed to benchmarks for autonomous vehicle perception and novel methods in thermal image restoration using neural radiance fields. Awards: None explicitly listed in provided text. Labs/Teams: Directs the ROAHM Lab, collaborating on projects like robotic tail mechanics, real-time motion planning, and sensor data analysis. Active in academic conferences including RSS and ICRA.
Alex Wong is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Yale University, specializing in computer vision, robotics, and medical imaging. His research focuses on sensor fusion, unsupervised learning, 3D vision, robust perception under adverse conditions, and medical image analysis. He holds degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), including a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Computer Science. Wong’s work bridges theoretical advances with practical applications, particularly in depth estimation, autonomous systems, and medical diagnostics. He has received prestigious awards such as the NeurIPS Outstanding Student Paper Award (2011) and the ICRA Best Paper Award in Robot Vision (2019). His research often addresses challenges in unstructured environments, emphasizing robustness and adaptability. Recent projects include developing novel frameworks for unsupervised depth completion, adversarial robustness in vision systems, and multimodal fusion techniques. His contributions span conferences like CVPR, ICCV, and ICRA, with a strong focus on advancing AI for real-world applications in healthcare and robotics. Education: B.S., Computer Science, UCLA M.S., Computer Science, UCLA Ph.D., Computer Science, UCLA Awards: NeurIPS Outstanding Student Paper Award (2011) ICRA Best Paper Award in Robot Vision (2019) His lab at Yale Engineering focuses on AI-driven solutions for perception challenges, collaborating across disciplines to advance medical imaging and autonomous systems. Current efforts explore generative models, continual learning, and vision-language integration for robust scene understanding.
Alessio Lomuscio is a Professor of Safe Artificial Intelligence at Imperial College London, holding the prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies and recognized as an ACM Distinguished Member. He leads the Safe AI Lab, which focuses on developing methods and tools for the verification of AI systems to ensure their safe and secure deployment in applications of societal importance. His research spans verification and robust learning for neural networks and decision trees, robust machine learning in aviation and finance, monitoring of machine learning systems, assurance for autonomous systems and AI, and verification and validation of neuro-symbolic systems. Lomuscio has made significant contributions to formal verification methods for AI systems, particularly in the context of safety-critical applications. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on neural network verification techniques, with applications across multiple domains including finance, aviation, and autonomous systems. His work bridges theoretical advances in formal methods with practical applications in real-world AI systems, addressing critical challenges in AI safety and trustworthiness. Scientific Awards: Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies ACM Distinguished Member Lomuscio has served in numerous leadership roles, including as Co-Director (2023-present) and Deputy Director (2019-2023) of the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Safe and Trusted Artificial Intelligence. He has also held positions as Director of Strategy and Planning (2017-2020), Member of Management Committee (2013-2020), and Deputy Head of Department (2016-2017). His editorial service includes roles as Associate Editor for Artificial Intelligence Journal and Editorial Board Member for Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research and Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems. His research group actively mentors students and researchers, with current openings for PhD and postdoctoral positions focused on AI verification and safety. Lomuscio's work has established him as a leading figure in the field of safe and verifiable AI systems, with significant contributions to both theoretical foundations and practical applications.
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Hadi Meidani is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine , specifically within the Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . He teaches courses in Civil and Environmental Engineering, including topics like Systems Engineering & Economics , Machine Learning in CEE , and Uncertainty Quantification . Ph.D., Civil Engineering, University of Southern California (2012) M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California (2012) M.S., Structural Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (2005) B.S., Civil Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology (2002) Dr. Meidani's research focuses on uncertainty quantification , scientific machine learning , and optimization under uncertainty for engineering systems. His work spans stochastic multiscale analysis , physics-informed machine learning , and model reduction techniques. His recent publications emphasize machine learning for infrastructure systems , graph neural networks , physics-informed models , and traffic assignment . Key trends include deep learning , multi-fidelity modeling , and neural operator transformers applied to metamaterial design , seismic reliability , and autonomous freight delivery .
Bei Wang Phillips is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing and a faculty member at the Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute at the University of Utah. She holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Duke University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Bridgeport. Her research focuses on Topological Data Analysis (TDA), data visualization, computational topology, and machine learning, with applications in scientific data exploration and analysis. She has received prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2022) and the PECASE Award (2025). Her work spans projects funded by NSF, NIH, and DOE, including multiparameter TDA and topology-aware data compression. She advises numerous students and collaborates on interdisciplinary initiatives in astrophysics, climate science, and AI fairness. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, Duke University (2010) B.S. in Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Bridgeport (2003) Research Interests: Topological techniques for large-scale data analysis Integration of topological, geometric, and machine learning methods Applications in visualization, bioinformatics, and network analysis Key Projects: NSF-funded TDA research (DMS-2301361, OAC-2313124) DOE project on topology-preserving data compression Collaborations with NASA, Argonne National Lab, and Carnegie Institution of Washington Awards: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2025) NSF CAREER Award (2022) DOE Early Career Research Program (2020) Advising and Grants: Mentored over 30 students and postdocs Recipient of multiple NSF and DOE grants totaling millions
Professor Anders C. Hansen is a mathematician at the University of Cambridge and University of Oslo, leading the Applied Functional and Harmonic Analysis group. His work bridges functional analysis, artificial intelligence, and computational mathematics, focusing on the Solvability Complexity Index (SCI) hierarchy and stability issues in deep learning. He has held prestigious fellowships, including a Royal Society University Research Fellowship and Peterhouse Bye-Fellowship. Educated at the University of Cambridge, UC Berkeley, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology Developed groundbreaking theories in compressed sensing and deep learning, revealing algorithmic instability paradoxes Organized workshops on computational mathematics and AI interpretability His research explores the SCI hierarchy , exposing computational barriers in AI, quantum mechanics, and inverse problems. Key projects include Smale’s 18th problem and analyzing neural network stability. His work has transformed understanding of compressed sensing, particularly in medical imaging. Recent scientific awards include the Whitehead Prize (2019), IMA Prize (2018), and Leverhulme Prize (2017). Collaborations span institutions like Caltech, MIT, and the University of Vienna. As an educator, he teaches NST Part IA Mathematical Methods , Part II Numerical Analysis , and a Part III course on Compressed Sensing . His group has mentored 17 PhD and postdoctoral researchers since 2012.
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUnited States
Zhun Deng is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research bridges machine learning, statistics, and theoretical computer science, focusing on rigorous frameworks for responsible AI systems. He previously held postdoctoral positions at Columbia University and completed his Ph.D. at Harvard's Theory of Computation group under Cynthia Dwork. Ph.D. in Computer Science, Harvard University (2022) B.Sc. in Mathematics, Chu Kochen Honors College, Zhejiang University His research spans theoretical foundations of machine learning, including: Quantile-based risk control and conformal prediction Fairness guarantees in algorithmic decision-making Uncertainty quantification for LLMs Copyright frameworks for generative AI Physics-informed hybrid models Multi-agent reinforcement learning with constraints Recent work analyzes LLM alignment through distribution-free methods (ICML 2025), explores performativity challenges (ICML 2025), and develops calibration techniques (ICLR 2024). Collaborations include research interns from Stanford, MIT, and NYU. Students in his group include: Ruomeng Ding (Ph.D., UNC) Xiaowei Yin (Ph.D., UNC) Kaicheng Zhang (Ph.D., UNC)
Andreas Vlachos is a Professor of Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, and holds the Dinesh Dhamija Fellowship at Fitzwilliam College. His research spans dialogue modeling, automated fact-checking, imitation learning, semantic parsing, biomedical text mining, and trustworthiness in AI systems. PhD in Computer Science, University of Cambridge (supervised by Ted Briscoe and Zoubin Ghahramani) Lecturer at University of Sheffield Postdoctoral roles at UCL, University of Cambridge (NLIP group, Stephen Clark), and University of Wisconsin-Madison (Mark Craven) Current research focuses on evaluating and mitigating biases in language models, advancing fact-checking methodologies, and improving model robustness through interpolation, reinforcement learning, and causal reasoning. His work integrates natural logic, knowledge graphs, and multimodal evidence for verification tasks. Recent publications address uncertainty quantification, temporal planning benchmarks, and ethical framing of NLP artifacts. Grants from ERC, EPSRC, Facebook, Google, and the Alan Turing Institute fund his research team. Collaborations include Sebastian Riedel, Stephen Clark, and Mark Craven. Key projects explore disinformation detection, long-form generation, and confidence calibration in AI systems.
Pascal Poupart is a Professor and Canada CIFAR AI Chair at the Vector Institute, affiliated with the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He leads research in reinforcement learning, probabilistic models, and federated learning systems. Research spans: Bayesian optimization efficiency improvements Inverse constraint learning from demonstrations Uncertainty quantification in neural networks Federated learning architectures Recent publications show 70% focus on reinforcement learning applications, with new methods developed for confident inverse constraint learning and preference-based generation. Manages the AI research group developing algorithms for material design and conversational agents.
Zaid Harchaoui is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Washington. His research focuses on machine learning, generative AI, and algorithmic optimization, with applications spanning ecology, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. He explores learning under distributional shifts and develops tools for scalable generative models in language and vision domains. University: University of Washington Department: Statistics Research Focus: Learning from data with computational, inferential, and mathematical rigor; distributional shift adaptation; generative model scaling Email: zaid@uw.edu His recent work emphasizes generative AI applications in ecology and neuroscience, stochastic optimization for robustness, and algorithmic efficiency in large-scale learning. Key contributions include techniques for distributionally robust optimization, interpretable authorship obfuscation, and uncertainty quantification in behavior classification. Scientific awards and honors are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text. Collaborative efforts often intersect with nonlinear control algorithms, spectral analysis, and privacy-preserving machine learning frameworks.
Matthias Hein is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Tübingen. His research focuses on Machine Learning , Adversarial Robustness , and Out-of-Distribution Detection , with applications in computer vision and medical imaging. He has received notable recognition including the Best Paper Honorable Mention Prize at ICLR 2021 and Outstanding Paper Award at CVPR 2021. His work includes developing benchmarks like RobustBench and Spurious ImageNet , and frameworks such as Sparse-RS and DIG-IN . His recent publications emphasize adversarial robustness across multiple domains (vision, text), counterfactual explanations for classifiers, and improved OOD detection methods . Collaborators include prominent researchers like Francesco Croce, Julian Bitterwolf, and Alexander Meinke. Scientific Awards : Best Paper Honorable Mention (ICLR 2021) CVPR 2021 Outstanding Paper Award Key Research Areas : Adversarial Robustness Vision-Language Models Medical Imaging AI Neural Network Calibration
Fei Fang is an Associate Professor in the Software and Societal Systems Department at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) , where she explores the intersection of artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems . Her work integrates machine learning with game theory to address challenges in security , sustainability , and mobility , aligning with the AI for Social Good mission. Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of Southern California (2016) B.Eng. in Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University (2011) Recent research focuses on reinforcement learning , large language models (LLMs) , and human-AI collaboration . Her team’s work has been recognized with 15+ awards across prestigious venues like IAAI, AAAI, and IJCAI. Notable accolades include the 2023 Allen Newell Award , 2022 Sloan Fellowship , and NSF CAREER Award (2021) . She actively contributes to educational initiatives , including teaching "Demystifying AI for Everyone" at CMU, and has sought part-time teaching assistants for course development. Her research spans 15+ domains , including AI ethics , cyber defense , traffic optimization , and public health .
