Harri Lähdesmäki is an Associate Professor (tenured) at the Department of Computer Science, Aalto University, where he leads the Computational Systems Biology research group. His work focuses on probabilistic machine learning and deep generative models with applications in biomedicine and molecular biology. Key Research Interests: Probabilistic machine learning, deep generative models, computational biology, bioinformatics, longitudinal data modeling Contact: harri.lahdesmaki@aalto.fi | Konemiehentie 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland His recent publications highlight advancements in: Gaussian process priors for scalable deep generative models Single-cell analysis of immune repertoires in leukemia and diabetes Probabilistic deconvolution methods for RNA-seq data Epigenetic analysis using hidden Markov and mixed models Transformer-based survival prediction and missing data handling Harri’s work integrates mechanistic modeling with Bayesian inference, particularly applied to immunology, cancer biology, and early disease prediction.
Jennifer A. Smith, PhD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Research Associate Professor of Survey Research at the University of Michigan School of Public Health . She also serves as Director of the Certificate in Public Health Genetics and is Assistant Director of the Cohort Development working group for U-M Precision Health and the Michigan Genomics Initiative. Education: PhD, Epidemiology, University of Michigan (2011) MA, Statistics, University of Michigan (2009) MPH, Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan (2005) BS, Biological Sciences, Cornell University (2001) Research Interests: Dr. Smith is a genetic epidemiologist whose work lies at the intersection of genomics, epigenomics, and social epidemiology . She investigates how genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic variation influence age-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dementia, and cognitive decline. A major focus is understanding how social, psychosocial, and neighborhood determinants interact with genetic risk to shape socioeconomic and racial/ethnic health disparities . Research Projects: Her work leverages large, multi-ethnic cohorts including the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), GENOA, SWAN, MESA, and LASI. She is a core faculty member of the Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health (CSEPH) , and affiliated with MiCDA, the Center for Midlife Science, and the PNG Program . She also collaborates with leading consortia such as CHARGE and TOPMed. Selected Trends in Publications: Her recent work (2022–2025) emphasizes epigenetic mediation of social determinants on cardiovascular and cognitive health, polygenic risk scores across diverse ancestries , and multi-omics integration in aging and disease. These studies consistently highlight how social environments and genetic architecture jointly influence health outcomes across populations. Contact: Email: smjenn@umich.edu Office: 734-615-9455 Address: 2631 SPH I, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Trent K. Bollinger is a Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), and serves as Regional Director for the Western/Northern Region of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC). His academic credentials include a BSc (Honours) from the University of Saskatchewan (1984), a DVM (Distinction) from the University of Saskatchewan (1988), and a DVSc in Pathology from the Ontario Veterinary College (1992). Dr. Bollinger's research focuses on the pathology and epidemiology of diseases in wildlife and fish, with particular emphasis on chronic wasting disease in deer/elk and white-nose syndrome in bats. He has conducted extensive studies on disease transmission dynamics, wildlife population health, and the ecological impacts of emerging pathogens. His work bridges veterinary science, ecology, and conservation biology. His publications demonstrate expertise in viral and bacterial zoonoses, fungal pathogens affecting bats, and spatial epidemiology of wildlife diseases. Recent research highlights include investigating sylvatic plague in prairie dogs, coronavirus persistence in hibernating bats, and landscape connectivity's role in chronic wasting disease spread. His studies often combine molecular diagnostics, field observations, and ecological modeling. Dr. Bollinger collaborates with national and international wildlife agencies, contributing to disease surveillance and management strategies for endangered species. His work emphasizes the interconnectedness of wildlife health, ecosystem health, and public health concerns.
Karoline Faust is an Associate Professor at KU Leuven, affiliated with the Laboratory of Molecular Bacteriology (Rega Institute) and the Faculty of Medicine . She contributes to the iSi Health and Leuven One Health institutes, and serves on senior academic councils. Her research spans microbial systems biology, focusing on community dynamics and network analysis. Education: PhD in bioinformatics (2010, KU Leuven) Affiliations: KU Leuven, ISME Journal editorial board, Belgian Society for Microbiology Her research investigates microbial community dynamics , systems biology approaches to microbiomes, and bioinformatics tool development . She specializes in modeling human gut microbiota , synthetic microbial communities , and environmental microbiomes (e.g., microplastic impacts on Daphnia microbiomes). Her work integrates metabolic modeling , network analysis , and experimental systems to understand microbial interactions. Recent publications highlight her contributions to microbial network inference , 16S rRNA sequencing protocols , microfluidics , and ecological modeling of microbiomes. She develops tools like manta , miaSim , and CoNet to analyze community structures. Teaching: Karoline co-teaches courses in microbiology, bioinformatics, and network analysis at KU Leuven, and has contributed to international workshops on microbial network inference. Scientific Engagement: She serves as Senior Editor at ISME Journal and Secretary of the Belgian Society for Microbiology .
Rex Ying is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Yale University's School of Engineering & Applied Science. He leads research in graph neural networks, geometric representation learning, and explainable AI, with applications spanning physical simulations, biology, knowledge graphs, and recommender systems. His lab actively recruits PhD students interested in geometric deep learning, graph neural networks, and trustworthy AI. Dr. Ying received his PhD in Computer Science from Stanford University under Jure Leskovec, with a thesis titled "Towards Expressive and Scalable Deep Representation Learning for Graphs." Prior to that, he graduated from Duke University in 2016 with highest distinction, majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. His research focuses on three interconnected areas: advancing graph neural network architectures for improved expressiveness, scalability, and interpretability; innovating in geometric representation learning for data with diverse characteristics; and developing real-world applications across scientific domains. He has pioneered influential algorithms including GraphSAGE, PinSAGE, and GNNExplainer, and developed the first billion-scale graph embedding services at Pinterest as well as graph-based anomaly detection algorithms at Amazon. His recent publication trends show a strong focus on hyperbolic geometry for foundation models, non-Euclidean representation learning, and multimodal applications in computational biology. The research demonstrates increasing integration of geometric deep learning with large language models and foundation model architectures. KDD 2022 Dissertation Award 2019 Baidu Scholarship in Artificial Intelligence Dr. Ying actively serves the research community as a committee member for major conferences including AAAI, ICML, NeurIPS, ICLR, KDD, and WebConf for over seven years, and as area chair for LoG 2022. He co-leads the open-source PyTorch Geometric project and has organized numerous workshops on graph learning. His industry collaborations include Pinterest, Amazon, Facebook AI Research, DeepMind, Siemens, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and Saudi Aramco. He teaches "Deep Learning for Graph-Structured Data" at Yale and mentors students in developing cutting-edge graph learning algorithms. His research lab collaborates with both academic institutions and industry partners to advance the state-of-the-art in graph representation learning, with particular emphasis on geometric deep learning and its applications to scientific discovery and real-world systems.
Sophie Sanchez is an Associate Professor at Uppsala University's Department of Organismal Biology, specializing in Evolution and Development. Her research focuses on vertebrate evolution, using advanced imaging techniques like synchrotron microtomography to study fossilized anatomy and developmental processes. She has contributed significantly to understanding sensory organ evolution in jawed vertebrates, early tetrapod development, and the structural adaptations of ancient fish. Key work includes studies on placoderms, osteostracans, and the molecular bases of evolutionary innovations. Her findings bridge paleontology with developmental biology, employing cutting-edge microscopy to reveal hidden biological details in fossils. Publications highlight her expertise in fossil musculature, bone histology, and genomic evolution, with high-impact contributions to journals like Nature and Science . Collaborative projects involve global teams analyzing Devonian and Permian vertebrates, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to evolutionary questions.
Dr. Sabine Krabbe is a Group Leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, Germany, where she leads research on neural circuit mechanisms underlying adaptive learning and state-dependent decision-making. Her work integrates neuroscience, molecular biology, and behavioral approaches to understand how internal states influence behavior and how these processes are disrupted in neurological disorders. Dr. Krabbe's research focuses on the interactions between midbrain circuits of the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area with their output structures such as the striatum and amygdala. She investigates how these networks integrate internal states with environmental cues to produce appropriate behavioral responses. Her laboratory employs state-of-the-art techniques including deep-brain calcium imaging at single-cell resolution in mice, opto- and pharmacogenetic manipulations, anatomical tracings, and molecular approaches to characterize neural circuit elements in detail. Her recent publications reveal significant insights into amygdala interneuron plasticity during fear learning, brain-wide representational drift in memory consolidation, and the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease progression. Her work demonstrates how activity patterns within specific neural circuits change in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases and how this dysfunction contributes to cognitive deficits and emotional disturbances. Dr. Krabbe is actively involved in the neuroscience community, organizing the BonnBrain Conference 2026 and sharing research through social media platforms. She has established herself as an emerging leader in the field of systems neuroscience with a particular focus on the neural basis of emotional states and decision-making processes.
Long Cai is a Professor at the California Institute of Technology, affiliated with the Biology and Biological Engineering department. He pioneered the field of spatial genomics and co-developed transformative technologies such as seqFISH and MEMOIR. Research Interests: His work focuses on decoding biological systems through spatial genomics, integrating molecular imaging with computational analysis to uncover cellular organization in tissues. Key areas include developmental biology, neuroscience, kidney regeneration, and cancer biology. Publications: Recent studies highlight applications of spatial transcriptomics in kidney disease, brain nuclear architecture, and multi-omics tissue mapping. His research emphasizes creating high-resolution atlases of cellular dynamics. Scientific Awards: NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2022) Labs & Collaborations: He leads the Cai Lab, which develops cutting-edge imaging tools in collaboration with the Elowitz Lab and other interdisciplinary teams.
Jennifer L. Clarke is a Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Director of the Quantitative Life Science Initiative. She holds leadership roles in enabling big data integration across the University of Nebraska system through collaborative research programs. Her affiliations include the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dr. Clarke's research focuses on statistical methodology for high-dimensional data, computational biology, bioinformatics, and bacterial genomics. Her work bridges statistical innovation with applications in oncology, microbiome analysis, and agricultural phenomics. Key areas include predictive modeling, machine learning, and genomic/metagenomic data integration. Her recent publications span cancer biomarker discovery, plant phenotyping methodologies, and microbial community analysis, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach. Articles emphasize translational applications like therapeutic target identification and precision agriculture. Dr. Clarke leads initiatives fostering collaboration between statisticians and domain scientists, including the Quantitative Life Science Initiative and contributions to the Agricultural Genome-to-Phenome Initiative (AG2PI). Her work advances data-driven solutions for healthcare and food security challenges. Notable projects include developing statistical tools for microbiome studies, analyzing root architecture via 3D imaging, and investigating cranberry-derived compounds' cancer-inhibitory mechanisms. Her methodological contributions include hybrid clustering techniques and predictive model validation frameworks.
Xiang Ji is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Tulane University, affiliated with the School of Science & Engineering. His research focuses on statistical phylogenetics, computational biology, and bioinformatics, particularly in viral evolution and genomic epidemiology. He collaborates with Dr. Wu-Min Deng on cancer biology research from a bioinformatics perspective. Education: Ph.D., 2017: Bioinformatics and Statistics (Co-Major), North Carolina State University M.S., 2013: Material Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University B.S., 2011: Economics (Double Major) and Physics, Peking University Research Interests: Dr. Ji develops statistical models and computational tools for phylogenetic analysis, including scalable algorithms for large-scale genomic data. His work spans viral evolution, zoonotic disease surveillance, and parallel computing libraries for Bayesian inference. He emphasizes practical implementations such as Torchtree and TreeFlow . Articles Trends: Recent publications emphasize viral evolution dynamics (e.g., SARS-CoV-2, avian influenza), genomic surveillance strategies, and computational methods for phylogenetic inference. His work often bridges statistical theory with real-world applications in public health and epidemiology. Advising & Grants: While specific grant details are not listed, his active research program indicates involvement in funding initiatives related to computational biology and viral evolution. He teaches advanced courses in data analysis, linear models, and probability theory. Labs & Teams: Collaborates with Tulane’s Cancer Biology group and maintains partnerships with institutions globally, focusing on genomic epidemiology and phylogenetic software development.
Michael U. Gutmann is a Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning at the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, and a member of the Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation. His research lies at the intersection of machine learning, statistics, and scientific applications, with a focus on developing inference methods for complex and implicit models. Education: PhD in Computational Neuroscience, University of Tokyo MSc in Engineering and Applied Mathematics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich MSc, Ecole Centrale Paris His primary research interests include Bayesian inference, likelihood-free inference, optimal experimental design, unsupervised learning, and applications in computational biology and neuroscience. He is best known for introducing Noise-Contrastive Estimation (NCE), a foundational technique for training unnormalized statistical models. His recent work spans variational inference, density ratio estimation, flow models for missing data, and AI-driven experimental design in behavioral and biological sciences. His publications, including in NeurIPS , ICML , JMLR , and eLife , demonstrate a strong emphasis on methodological innovation for scientific discovery. He has contributed to open-source tools such as ELFI (Engine for Likelihood-Free Inference) and developed practical implementations of robust inference algorithms. Scientific Awards: No specific awards listed in the provided texts. Michael Gutmann actively supervises students and collaborates with leading researchers in machine learning and computational biology. He has secured research funding from EPSRC and BBSRC for projects in generative modeling and infectious disease epidemiology. He teaches advanced courses such as Probabilistic Modelling and Reasoning and Data Mining, reflecting his deep engagement with both theoretical and applied aspects of machine learning. Labs and Research Groups: Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation (ANC), University of Edinburgh Former affiliations with Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and Aalto University
Pengtao Xie is an Associate Professor (with tenure as of June 2025) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California San Diego. He also serves as Associate Adjunct Professor in the Division of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Medicine, and holds affiliate appointments with the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, School of Biological Sciences, Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and multiple research institutes including the AI Group, Center for Machine-Intelligence, Computing and Security, Institute of Engineering in Medicine, and Institute for Genomic Medicine. Education: PhD in Machine Learning, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University Research Interests: His research focuses on machine learning inspired by human learning skills, such as self-explanation, small-group learning, and learning by teaching. He applies these techniques to large language models, foundation models, healthcare, and biomedicine. His work spans generative AI, medical imaging, protein modeling, and drug discovery. Recent Research Trends: His 2024–2025 publications emphasize generative AI for ultra-low-data medical image segmentation, multimodal large language models for biomedical applications, protein function prediction, and novel training strategies like task-adaptive pretraining and bi-level optimization for model adaptation. Scientific Awards: NIH MIRA Award (2025) NSF CAREER Award (2024) Best Graduate Teacher Award – UCSD ECE (2023) ICLR Notable-Top-5% Paper (2023) Global Top-100 Chinese Young Scholars in AI (2022) UCSD Faculty Career Development Award (2022) Tencent Faculty Award (2021) Outstanding Reviewer – ICLR (2021) AMIA Doctoral Dissertation Award Finalist (2020) Amazon AWS Research Award (2020) Tencent AI-Lab Faculty Award (2020) Innovator Award – Pittsburgh Business Times (2018) Siebel Scholarship (2014) Advising and Grants: He currently advises PhD students, postdocs, and master’s students. He has received major grants including the NIH MIRA and NSF CAREER awards, and actively mentors Schmidt AI in Science postdocs and graduate students. Teaching and Labs: He teaches ECE285 Deep Generative Models and ECE175B Probabilistic Reasoning and Graphical Models . His lab focuses on foundational and translational AI research with applications in biomedicine and healthcare.
Dr. Baijian "Justin" Yang serves as the Associate Dean for Research at Purdue Polytechnic Institute and is a Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Michigan State University, with Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Automation (EECS) from Tsinghua University. Dr. Yang has established himself as a leader in multiple interdisciplinary research domains. Dr. Yang's educational background includes: PhD in Computer Science, Michigan State University (2002) MS in Automation (EECS), Tsinghua University (1998) BS in Automation (EECS), Tsinghua University (1995) His research interests span multiple cutting-edge domains with practical applications: Cybersecurity : Developing novel approaches for threat intelligence, security education, and network defense Big Data : Creating innovative algorithms for dimension reduction, regression with categorical variables, and tensor decomposition Applied Machine Learning : Implementing AI solutions in healthcare, manufacturing, and forestry applications Digital Forestry : Using UAV imagery and remote sensing for forest management and tree species classification Dr. Yang's publication record demonstrates significant impact across multiple disciplines, with recent work focusing on spatial transcriptomics analysis (SiGra), delirium detection using limited-lead EEG, and visual localization technologies. His research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications in healthcare, manufacturing quality control, and environmental monitoring. The interdisciplinary nature of his work is evident in collaborations spanning computer science, healthcare, forestry, and manufacturing domains. His scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards: 2023 HRSA Building Bridges to Better Health Competition Winner (Phase 1) and 2nd place ($100,000 prize) in Phase 3 2023 Outstanding Faculty Award in Engagement, Department of Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University 2021 Leadership in Manufacturing Award, Manufacturing Times Digital (MxD) 2021 Good to Great Award, Purdue Polytechnic 2020 Outstanding Faculty Award in Discovery, Department of Computer and Information Technology 2019 University Faculty Scholars, Purdue University As an educator and mentor, Dr. Yang has advised numerous graduate students through their PhD and Master's research. His leadership extends to significant service roles including serving as Faculty Champion for the Holistic Safety and Security research impact area at Purdue Polytechnic from 2018 to 2021, board membership with ATMAE (2014-2016), and participation in the IEEE Cybersecurity Initiative Steering Committee (2015-2017). He holds valuable industry certifications including CISSP, MCSE, and Six Sigma Black Belt, demonstrating his commitment to bridging academic research with industry practice. Dr. Yang leads multiple research projects including "Digital Forestry" for developing tools to quantify forest function, "CHEESE" (Cyber Human Ecosystem of Engaged Security Education), and "CICI" (Supporting Controlled Unclassified Information with a Campus Awareness and Risk Management Framework). His work on "Applied Machine Learning" focuses on solving real-world problems, while his "Dimension Reduction and Memory Amnestic Big Data Regression" project innovates computational algorithms for large-scale data analysis.
Xiuwei Zhang is the J.Z. Liang Early-Career Assistant Professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering (SCoSE) at Georgia Institute of Technology, part of the College of Computing. Her research focuses on computational biology and bioinformatics, particularly in developing machine learning methods for analyzing single-cell omics data, including multi-modal, temporal, and spatial data integration. She leads a lab that designs tools like scDART , scMoMaT , and scMultiSim , which address challenges in multi-omics integration, lineage reconstruction, and simulation. Before joining Georgia Tech, she held postdoctoral positions at UC Berkeley (Nir Yosef’s group), the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). She earned her PhD in computer science from EPFL under Bernard Moret. Her Erdős number is 3, reflecting her collaborative work across computational fields. Her research spans four key areas: multi-batch/single-cell data integration, temporal analysis of cell differentiation, spatial-temporal omics dynamics, and simulation tools for benchmarking methods. She has received prestigious awards, including the NSF CAREER Award (2022) and NIH MIRA (2021). She actively participates in conferences (RECOMB, ISMB) and serves on editorial boards (Journal of Computational Biology). Her group’s recent work includes the scMultiSim simulator (2025), which generates multi-omics spatial data, and LinRace (2023), reconstructing cell lineage histories. She mentors over 15 students and collaborates internationally on projects like the InQuBATE Workshop on Single-Cell Transcriptomics.
Claire Donnat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Chicago, specializing in statistical and machine learning methods for graph-structured and high-dimensional data. Her work bridges theoretical innovation with applications in biomedical research, environmental science, and public health. Education: B.S. and M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Ecole Polytechnique; Ph.D. in Statistics from Stanford University (2020). Her research focuses on three methodological directions: (1) statistical foundations for graph neural networks (GNNs), (2) structured estimation with graph constraints, and (3) multimodal data integration with uncertainty quantification. Key applications include thermotolerance in photosynthetic microbes, family network analysis for child welfare, and spatial transcriptomics. The 15 most recent publications highlight her work in GNNs, CCA, tensor modeling, and epidemic analysis, with keywords spanning statistics, machine learning, and network science. Her methodological contributions address challenges in sparsity, graph topology, and heterogeneous data fusion. Scientific Awards: Facebook Research Award (2021), C3.AI COVID Grand Challenge winner (2020), Lumiata hackathon winner (2020), Stanford Centennial Award (2019), and others. Claire's research group actively recruits postdocs and students for projects involving graph-based modeling, data integration, and biomedical applications. She also provides research consulting in statistical methodology and graph modeling for life sciences.
