Dr Peninah Murage is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in the Department of Public Health, Environments and Society under the Faculty of Public Health and Policy. She specializes in environmental epidemiology with a PhD in Health Geography and focuses on health impacts of environmental changes, particularly climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Affiliation: Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health Her research explores climate change effects on health outcomes like heat-related mortality, cardiovascular diseases, and cognitive development in children. She integrates GIS/spatial analysis with public health and policy frameworks to identify nature-based solutions for sustainable development. Current work examines systemic inequalities in heat risk exposure and interventions such as tree-based strategies in low-income settings. Key grants include: Health Protection Research Unit on Climate Change and Health Security (2025-2030, NIHR) Climate Change and Non-Communicable Diseases in Senegal (2024-2027) Pathfinder 2: Accelerating Climate Action for Health (2023-2026) She actively contributes to the Lancet Pathfinder Commission and serves on the Executive Committee of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (African Chapter).
Professor Mohammad FARD is a faculty member at RMIT University's School of Engineering, specializing in Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent Systems. He leads research in autonomous vehicles, crash safety, and driver monitoring using AI. His industry experience includes six years at Nissan Technical Centre, focusing on vehicle body design. He holds a PhD from Tohoku University and has collaborated across Engineering, Health, and Science disciplines, achieving international media coverage for work on driver drowsiness and road safety. Research Interests: Autonomous Vehicles Advanced Crash Safety Driver State Monitoring AI in Noise/Vibration Human Factors/Ergonomics Teaching & Projects: Teaches Advanced CAE, Vehicle NVH, and research supervision in areas like crash simulation and vibration control. Current projects include Formula One safety barriers and driver education for autonomous vehicles. Awards & Labs: No awards listed. Active in cross-disciplinary teams and labs addressing automotive innovation and safety.
Bo Li is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science. Her research focuses on trustworthy machine learning, emphasizing robustness, privacy, and security in AI systems. She leads the Secure Learning Lab (SL²), exploring adversarial attacks and defenses across digital and physical domains. Key contributions include foundational work on adversarial examples, robust learning frameworks, and privacy-preserving techniques. Her academic roles include advisory board positions at the Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation (CAII) and membership in the Information Trust Institute (ITI). She collaborates with institutions like the Advanced Digital Science Center (ADSC) and the Quantum Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST). Notable recognitions include the IJCAI Computers and Thought Award (2022), MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators Under 35 (2020), and multiple best paper awards. Recent work addresses AI safety through frameworks like ShieldAgent and AutoRedTeamer, aiming to enhance system resilience against adversarial threats. Her research spans theoretical guarantees, practical defenses, and ethical AI deployment. Students advised include Chulin Xie, Linyi Li, and Boxin Wang, who have received prestigious fellowships such as the IBM PhD Fellowship and Rising Stars in ML Awards. Advising: Guides PhD students in adversarial ML, privacy, and security. Labs/Teams: Secure Learning Lab (SL²), collaboration with ALERT program. Grants/Funding: NSF CAREER Award, Amazon/Google Faculty Awards, and industry partnerships.
Qi Alfred Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), within the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. He also holds affiliations with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Irvine (ITS-Irvine), the Center for Embedded and Cyber-physical Systems (CECS), the Institute for Software Research (ISR), and the UC Irvine Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute (CPRI). His research focuses on network and systems security, with particular emphasis on autonomous vehicle and IoT security. Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2018. His educational background has prepared him for his current research in security of critical computer systems. His work bridges theoretical security principles with practical implementations in real-world systems. Chen's research interests center on network and systems security , with a major focus on smart systems and IoT security , particularly in transportation and autonomous vehicle systems . His work addresses security challenges through systematic problem analysis and mitigation, discovering and mitigating security problems in next-generation transportation systems, smartphone OSes, network protocols, DNS, GUI systems, and access control systems. His research has high impact in both academic and industry contexts, with over 10 top-tier conference papers, a DHS US-CERT alert, multiple CVEs, and coverage in major news media like Fortune and BBC News. His publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational work on network protocols and smartphone security toward increasingly sophisticated security analyses of autonomous vehicle systems and AI-powered transportation technologies. The research trajectory demonstrates growing technical sophistication and real-world impact, with recent work focusing on physical-world adversarial attacks against autonomous driving perception systems, LiDAR spoofing, and security of multi-sensor fusion in autonomous vehicles. NSF CAREER Award (2022) on securing the AI stack in emerging autonomous and connected CPSs Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship, UC Irvine (2021) 5th place nation-wide at National CCDC competition (2021, as faculty advisor) 1st place (Gold Medal) at CCDC Western Regional competition (2021) ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, University of Michigan (2019) Dr. Chen has mentored numerous successful students, including PhD candidates and undergraduates who have gone on to positions at major tech companies like Meta, Uber, Amazon, and Intel. His research group has secured significant funding, including an NSF CAREER award, and has made substantial contributions to the field through high-impact publications and vulnerability disclosures. He is also the co-founder of the ISOC VehicleSec Symposium and has organized the AutoDriving CTF contest at DEF CON. Chen leads the AV & IoAT Security Research Group at UCI, focusing on security challenges in autonomous vehicles and the broader Internet of Autonomous Things. His team has developed numerous attack demonstrations and security analyses that have received significant media attention and influenced industry practices. The group maintains an active YouTube channel showcasing their security research.
Dhruv Jain is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Michigan , with affiliations in the School of Information and Michigan Medicine . He leads the Soundability Lab , focusing on transforming hearing into a programmable interface through human-centered AI systems. PhD from University of Washington MS from MIT Media Lab Formerly worked at Microsoft Research, Google, and Apple Research Interests intersect Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) , Audio AI , Accessibility , and Hearing Health . His work develops systems like SoundWatch (smartwatch-based sound awareness) and HomeSound (IoT sound visualization) to expand auditory access for DHH individuals and other domains. Recent Publications (2023–2025) span top venues like CHI , ASSETS , and ICMI , with trends including generative AI for real-time captioning , adaptive soundscapes , and clinical communication tools . SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award (2023) William Chan Memorial Dissertation Award (2023) Best Poster Award at ASSETS 2024 Google Academic Research Award (2024) NIH Grant ($450k, 2023) William Demant Foundation Grant ($740k, 2025) Teaching includes Accessible Computing (undergraduate) and Advanced Accessibility (graduate), alongside global DIY workshops in five countries. The Soundability Lab collaborates with neuroscientists, clinicians, and Deaf scholars to create deployable systems like clinical communication tools now at Michigan Medicine and features integrated into Apple devices.
Dr. John Francis Clinton is the Director of Seismic Networks and Head of the Earthquake Monitoring Section at the Swiss Seismological Service (SED), ETH Zurich. He leads the Marsquake Service for NASA's InSight mission and oversees Switzerland's broadband and strong-motion seismic networks. His expertise spans earthquake early warning systems, seismic instrumentation, and glacial seismology. Clinton is also a Co-Investigator on the Mars InSight mission and involved in international projects like EPOS and RAMSIS. Education PhD in Civil Engineering (Minor in Geophysics), California Institute of Technology (2004) MSc in Civil Engineering, California Institute of Technology (1998) BEng in Civil Engineering, University College Dublin (1997) Research Interests Dr. Clinton focuses on real-time seismology, seismic instrument design, structural health monitoring, and glacial seismology. His work bridges engineering applications with geophysical data analysis, particularly in earthquake early warning systems and induced seismicity studies. He collaborates internationally on projects such as the Valais Near Fault Observatory and Nicaragua’s Earthquake Early Warning development. Publications Overview His 15 most recent papers (2011–2015) highlight advancements in seismic network optimization, Marsquake detection algorithms, and glacial icequake mechanisms. Key themes include improving early warning accuracy, understanding subglacial dynamics, and validating high-rate GPS for structural monitoring. Awards & Memberships Member, Swiss Academy of Sciences (since 2008) Member, IRIS Quality Assurance Advisory Committee (since 2013) Chair, European Integrated Data Archives (EIDA) (2013–2015) Labs & Teams Clinton directs the SED’s Earthquake Monitoring team and collaborates with ETH Zurich’s Geophysics Masters Program. His group manages Switzerland’s seismic networks and leads the Marsquake Service, which analyzes InSight lander data for Martian seismic events.
Carey Rappaport is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University. He serves as deputy director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s ALERT Center (Awareness and Localization of Explosive-Related Threats) and associate director of the Gordon-CenSSIS Center (Bernard M. Gordon Center for Subsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems). His research focuses on microwave and millimeter-wave sensing technologies for homeland security and biomedical applications, including tunnel detection, airport security systems, and breast cancer diagnostics. His work on explosives detection involves standoff and portal-based millimeter-wave radar, X-ray backscatter, IR and Terahertz spectroscopy for trace detection, and electronic sensing of hidden triggers. He has emphasized balancing technological effectiveness with privacy, health, and cost considerations in security systems. His projects include developing airport scanners with improved imaging and analyzing challenges in securing "soft targets" like public events. Rappaport's research has been highlighted in media outlets such as Boston Herald, The Economist, and Northeastern University news. He has discussed technical limitations of ground-penetrating radar in tunnel detection and policy implications for international airport security measures, including the 2011 Moscow airport bombing and 2023 Gaza Metro tunnel network analysis.
Prof. Catherine O'Sullivan is a Professor of Particulate Soil Mechanics at Imperial College London's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, part of the Faculty of Engineering. She leads the Geotechnics Section and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. Her research focuses on particulate soil mechanics, employing Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) and micro-CT imaging to study sand behavior, reservoir sandstones, and internal erosion. Notable recognitions include the 2016 Shamsher Prakash Research Award and the 2021 President’s Teaching Innovation Award. Education : PhD in Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley (2002) MEngSc in Civil Engineering, University College Cork (Ireland) BEng (Civil Engineering), University College Cork (Ireland) Research Interests : Prof. O'Sullivan's work integrates computational and experimental methods to explore granular material behavior. Key areas include DEM validation, μCT analysis, and pore network modeling. Her group collaborates across disciplines, involving physicists and mechanical engineers alongside civil engineers. Awards & Recognition : 2015 Geotechnique Lecture Student Choice Supervision Award (nominated twice) 2023 Alert Geomechanics Special Lecture Advising & Grants : She supports PhD and postdoctoral researchers through Imperial scholarships and fellowships. Her students often explore particulate soil behavior, with many securing prestigious awards. Labs & Teams : Leads the Geotechnics Section at Imperial, fostering interdisciplinary research in geomechanics and computational modeling.
Dr. Ryan Carney is an Associate Professor of Digital Science at the University of South Florida's Department of Integrative Biology (College of Arts and Sciences). His research bridges paleontology and epidemiology, using cutting-edge technologies like 3D imaging, AI, and VR/AR. He studies dinosaur biomechanics (e.g., Archaeopteryx flight mechanics) and mosquito-borne diseases (e.g., malaria, Zika) through NSF/NIH-funded collaborations with agencies like NASA and the CDC. His work integrates citizen science platforms (iNaturalist, Mosquito Alert) for disease surveillance and develops AI tools for mosquito classification. Education: PhD (Brown), MPH/MBA (Yale), B.A.'s in Biology & Art (UC Berkeley) Lab: SCA 107 (focuses on digital paleontology and disease modeling) Research interests span dinosaur functional morphology, epidemiological modeling using GIS/remote sensing, and translating science through immersive technologies. He received awards like the National Geographic Emerging Explorer and multiple USF teaching/research accolades. Awards: CAS Liberal Arts Teaching Award, Outstanding Research Achievement, etc. Grants include NSF funding for AI-driven mosquito surveillance and NIH support for disease control. His lab's innovations include the Global Mosquito Observations Dashboard (GMOD) and VR reconstructions of prehistoric species.
Dr. İsmail ÖZTEL serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering at Sakarya University's Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences. He has been a faculty member since 2019, following his tenure as a Research Assistant from 2012-2019 at the same institution. His educational background includes: Doctorate in Computer and Information Engineering (2014-2018) from Sakarya University with thesis on "Facial expression detection on partial and full face images using machine learning methods" Master's Degree in Computer and Information Engineering (2012-2014) from Sakarya University with thesis on "Driver simulator for educational purposes" Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering (2007-2011) from Sakarya University Dr. ÖZTEL's research focuses on artificial intelligence, deep learning, and computer vision with significant applications in healthcare, mobile technology, and public safety. His work has evolved from foundational facial expression recognition to sophisticated medical applications including skin disease classification using smartphones, monkeypox detection from skin lesions, and pandemic response systems for face mask detection. His research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between computer science and healthcare. An analysis of his publication trends reveals a clear progression toward increasingly complex deep learning architectures applied to real-world problems, with recent work emphasizing medical applications using mobile technology and public health safety systems. His 2023-2025 publications show particular focus on skin disease classification, intelligent vehicle systems, and hybrid feature extraction methods for pandemic response. Dr. ÖZTEL has served as a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals including Expert Systems With Applications (multiple years), World Wide Web, Multimedia Tools and Applications, and Journal of King Saud University - Computer and Information Sciences, demonstrating his recognition in the academic community across multiple domains. His research projects include work on facial expression detection in open scientific databases (2020), performance evaluation of transfer learning approaches (2019), and current projects on brain tumor classification systems and earthquake safety education for individuals with developmental disabilities. His international research experience includes collaboration with Filiz Bunyak in 2017, indicating global engagement in his field.
Mikael B. Skov is a Vice Dean and Professor at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design of Aalborg University , Denmark. His research spans human-AI interaction, robotics, and user experience, with a focus on trust signaling in clinical AI, swarm robotics, and sound zones for domestic environments. Role: Vice Dean for Research Department: Computer Science Research Interests: Skov investigates how humans interact with AI and robots in healthcare and domestic settings, emphasizing trust calibration, alert design, and acoustic comfort. His work includes developing frameworks for UX maturity in robotics organizations and studying long-term adoption of sound zone systems. Recent Projects: As principal/co-investigator, he leads the HERD project on human-AI collaboration in robot swarms (2021–2025) and supervises Data og Bæredygtig Mad (2020–2023), an HCI perspective on sustainable food systems. Publications: His 2024 work includes studies on AI explanations in clinical training, music applications with intermittent interactions, and multi-robot supervision. Earlier projects (2001–2020) focused on mobile device usability, UX practices, and context-aware computing.
Gang Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science. He also holds affiliate roles in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Informatics Program (School of Information Sciences), and the Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL). He joined UIUC in 2019, previously serving as an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Santa Barbara (2016), advised by Ben Y. Zhao and Heather Zheng; B.E. from Tsinghua University (2010). Awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2018), Amazon Research Award (2021), and multiple best paper awards in top conferences like USENIX Security and ACM CCS. Research focuses on Security and Privacy, Internet Measurement, and Data Mining. Key areas include email spoofing vulnerabilities, adversarial machine learning, and AI-driven security tools. Recent projects involve explainable AI for phishing detection, benchmark contamination in LLMs, and mitigating deepfake disinformation. Publications span top venues like USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, ACM CCS, and IMC. He collaborates with industry partners and researchers in HCI and AI. Current roles include Associate Director of the Capital One Illinois Center for Generative AI Safety (ASKS) and leadership in NSF-funded initiatives like the ACTION AI Institute.
Xilin Liu is an Assistant Professor at the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering (University of Toronto) and the Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA) . He obtained his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and previously worked at Qualcomm Inc. in California. Expertise in integrated circuits and systems for brain-machine interfaces , neuromodulation , and edge AI Published in top venues including Nature Electronics , IEEE JSSC , and ISSCC Recipient of multiple best paper awards and IEEE Senior Member His research spans three main themes: High-speed data converters for wireless/wireline communication IC design for neural interfacing Accelerating machine learning via hardware Recent publications focus on closed-loop neuromodulation , ultra-wideband transceivers , and flexible biomedical sensors . These works integrate analog IC design , edge AI , and real-time neural interfacing across medical rehabilitation , parkinson's monitoring , and memory research . Awards include: IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Predoctoral Achievement Award (2016) Best Paper Award at BioCAS (2015) ECE Department Teaching Award (2022) Multiple conference best paper finalists His lab collaborates with UHN , EMBS , and global institutions while maintaining strong commitments to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in research practices.
Dorte Hammershøi is a Professor in the Department of Electronic Systems at The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Aalborg University, Denmark. Her research focuses on acoustics, sound engineering, and hearing science with significant contributions to human hearing, ear canal acoustics, and audio technology applications. Her research interests include: Temporary Threshold Shift and frequency resolution in human hearing Ear canal acoustics and sound pressure level measurement Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission (DPOAE) analysis Impulse response and acoustic impedance studies Hearing aid technology and rehabilitation methodologies Virtual reality audio interfaces and accessibility applications Professor Hammershøi's recent publications demonstrate a strong clinical-engineering interdisciplinary approach, bridging theoretical acoustics with practical hearing rehabilitation applications. Her work on hearing aid fitting methodologies, occupational noise exposure effects, and virtual reality audio interfaces shows consistent innovation in translating engineering principles to clinical practice. The research shows particular attention to individualized hearing solutions and accessibility technologies. Her scientific contributions have been recognized with: Dansk Lydpris 2020 (awarded November 17, 2021) Ambassadør for Aalborg (awarded September 15, 2004) Professor Hammershøi has supervised 5 PhD students and led numerous research projects including the ongoing "Audio Only VR for Blind Gamers" project (2024-2028) funded by the Independent Research Foundation of Denmark, and the completed "BEAR: Better Hearing Rehabilitation" project (2016-2022). Her research has attracted significant media attention with 110 press/media appearances discussing hearing damage prevention, tinnitus, and public health implications of noise exposure. She maintains active professional engagement through committee memberships (46 documented activities), international collaborations, and contributions to clinical practice guidelines. Her work continues to influence both academic research and practical applications in hearing science and audio engineering.
Ravi Dhar is the George Rogers Clark Professor at the Yale School of Management and holds an affiliated appointment as a Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He serves as Director of the Center for Customer Insights , focusing on consumer behavior, branding, and marketing strategy through psychological and economic frameworks. Ph.D. in Marketing, University of California at Berkeley (1992) MS, University of California at Berkeley (1990) MBA, Indian Institute of Management (1987) BTech, Indian Institute of Technology (1986) His research examines preference formation, self-regulation, and the interplay of conflicting goals in consumer decisions. Recent work explores sustainability, mobile commerce, and how guilt paradoxically enhances consumer pleasure. He has published over 50 articles and advised Fortune 100 companies across industries. Key trends in his publications include behavioral economics , eco-conscious consumption , and technology-mediated decisions . His studies address choice overload, goal systems, and the psychological drivers of indulgence versus self-control. Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award (Society for Consumer Psychology, 2012) Yale SOM Alumni Teaching Award (2012) William O'Dell Award Finalist (2004, 2008, 2012) AMA Doctoral Consortium Fellow (1991) Dhar consults firms on customer insights and has held visiting roles at HEC Paris , Erasmus University , and Stanford/NYU . He edits top journals like Journal of Consumer Research and Marketing Science , shaping academic and industry discourse.
