David Lydon-Staley is an Associate Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, where he serves as Principal Investigator of the Addiction, Health, & Adolescence (AHA!) Lab. His research integrates neuroscience with communication science to examine substance use, media effects, and curiosity using fMRI, ecological momentary assessment, and network analysis. Education includes a Ph.D. in Human Development & Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University, an M.S. from Penn State, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Drexel University (2025), and a B.A. in Psychology and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin. Research focuses on three interconnected areas: curiosity in media environments and health communication, media engagement in emotion dynamics, and substance use through dynamic network perspectives. Work emphasizes intensive longitudinal measurement of brain-behavior interactions during daily life. Recent publications (2023-2025) predominantly explore tobacco behavior, neural mechanisms of addiction, curiosity modulation, and social media's emotional impacts. Articles demonstrate consistent themes: fMRI analysis of inhibitory control, real-time geospatial tracking of smoking triggers, curiosity-based health messaging, and emotion regulation networks. Research has been supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Jacobs Foundation, International Society for Behavioral Development, Center for Curiosity, and Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. Leads the Addiction, Health, & Adolescence (AHA!) Lab investigating substance use through network science approaches. Collaborates with the Complex Systems Lab at Penn's Department of Bioengineering.
Gerard Pons-Moll is a Professor at the University of Tübingen, endowed by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, and heads the Emmy Noether independent research group 'Real Virtual Humans'. He is a core faculty member at the Tübingen AI Center, a senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics (MPII), and faculty at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS) and the Saarland Informatics Campus. His research focuses on computer vision, graphics, and machine learning, particularly in creating virtual human models and analyzing human motion from video and sensor data. Education: PhD (with distinction) in 2014 from Leibniz University of Hannover, Master's in Telecommunications Engineering (Northeastern University, 2008), and B.S./M.Sc. in Telecommunications Engineering from the Technical University of Catalonia (2002–2008). Research Interests: 3D human modeling, pose estimation, human-object interaction, and applications in industry and research. His work emphasizes real-world applications like virtual avatars and motion capture systems. Awards: Emmy Noether Grant (2018), German Pattern Recognition Award (2019), Google Faculty Research Award (2019), and multiple best paper awards at top conferences (BMVC’13, Eurographics’17, 3DV'18, CVPR'20). Advising & Grants: Served as program chair of 3DV 2021, area chair for ECCV, CVPR, and IJCAI. Active in reviewing for DFG, ANR, and ISF. Supervises research in areas like neural rendering frameworks (Blendify) and synthetic data generation (STAGE). Labs/Teams: Leads the Emmy Noether group and collaborates with MPII, Tübingen AI Center, and IMPRS-IS on projects like XNect (real-time 3D motion capture) and Human 3Diffusion (avatar creation).
Yunan Yang is the Goenka Family Assistant Professor in Mathematics at Cornell University, within the Department of Mathematics, College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin (2018), supervised by Prof. Björn Engquist. Previously, he was a Courant Instructor at NYU (2018–2021), Simons-Berkeley Research Fellow (2021), and Advanced Fellow at ETH Zürich (2022–2023). His research focuses on computational mathematics, including inverse problems, optimal transport, machine learning, and nonconvex optimization. Notable contributions include applications of optimal transport to seismic inversion and PDE-constrained optimization. He has advised numerous students, including undergraduates and Ph.D. candidates at Cornell and other institutions. Yang teaches courses such as MATH 6220 (Applied Functional Analysis) and has published extensively in journals like SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing and Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in geophysics and computational science.
Rainer Gemulla is a Professor of Practical Computer Science I: Data Analytics at the University of Mannheim, heading the Data and Web Science Group within the School of Business Informatics and Mathematics. He has been a W3-Professor at the University since 2014, following positions as a senior researcher at Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik (2010-2014) and postdoctoral researcher at IBM Almaden Research Center (2008-2010). His research focuses on machine learning with structured and semi-structured data, particularly knowledge graphs, and developing efficient systems for data-intensive processing. Professor Gemulla's research spans multiple areas including machine learning with structured data (relational data), machine learning with semi-structured data (multi-relational graphs), combining these approaches with unstructured knowledge (text), and developing efficient, scalable methods for data-intensive processing. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, as evidenced by numerous open-source software projects including LibKGE, DistKGE, and AdaPM. His recent publications show a strong trend toward knowledge graph embeddings, parameter server architectures, and efficient training methods. The research demonstrates increasing focus on scalability challenges in graph learning, with particular attention to hyperparameter optimization, dynamic resource allocation, and benchmarking methodologies. His work consistently addresses the practical challenges of implementing machine learning systems at scale. Distinguished Reviewer Award at SIGMOD, 2025 Distinguished PC Member Award at EDBT, 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award at NeurIPS, 2021 Junior-Fellow of the Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI), 2013 IBM's 2011 Pat Goldberg Memorial best paper award Best paper of NIPS 2011 Biglearn workshop Professor Gemulla actively mentors PhD students and has supervised numerous successful doctoral candidates. His leadership extends to administrative roles including Head of examination board for MSc Business Informatics since 2017, and previously serving as Study dean of the WIM faculty (2016-2019) and CIO of University of Mannheim (2022-2024). His research is supported by grants including AWS in Education Research Grant Award (2013) and Google Focused Research Award (2011). The Data and Web Science Group develops multiple open-source software projects including LibKGE (knowledge graph embedding library), DistKGE (multi-GPU training), AdaPM (adaptive parameter manager), Lapse (parameter server), and various tools for information extraction and sequence mining. The group maintains active collaborations with industry partners and academic institutions worldwide, particularly in the areas of knowledge graph research and scalable machine learning systems.
Stuart Kurtz is a Professor in Computer Science and the College at the University of Chicago, and serves as Master of the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division. He holds the endowed position of George and Elizabeth Yovovich Professor. His research focuses on theoretical computer science, including computational complexity theory, randomness in computation, type theory, and formal logic. He has contributed to foundational areas such as the Berman-Hartmanis Isomorphism Conjecture and the computational properties of random sets. Kurtz is affiliated with the Theoretical Computer Science and Programming Languages Groups at the University of Chicago. He has been recognized with the 2009 Quantrell Award for teaching excellence. His service roles include Director of Undergraduate Studies and Department Chair in Computer Science. He actively mentors Ph.D. students and has advised multiple graduates in complexity theory and related fields. His academic background includes a Mathematics Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, supervised by Carl Jockusch. He approaches type theory as an intersection of formal logic and functional programming. Research interests span measure-theoretic randomness, computational logic, and complexity class separations. His recent work explores connections between theoretical computer science and interdisciplinary fields like physics and statistics. In teaching, Kurtz has instructed courses such as Formal Language Theory, Discrete Mathematics, and Honors Intro Programming. His service contributions include roles in the Computation Institute and Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago. His lab affiliations and collaborative work reflect a strong commitment to advancing theoretical foundations in computer science.
Robert Gorwa is a Research Fellow at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, specializing in technology policy, transnational regulation, and international political economy. His work focuses on platform governance, digital policy, and AI governance, with a particular interest in how governments and institutions shape online content moderation and platform ecosystems. He holds a DPhil in Politics and International Relations from the University of Oxford, an MSc in Media and Communication from the Oxford Internet Institute, and a BA from the University of British Columbia. Education: Doctorate (DPhil) in Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford MSc in Media and Communication (Internet Studies), Oxford Internet Institute Bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia Research Interests: Interdisciplinary studies on platform governance, AI intermediaries, automated content moderation, transnational digital policy, and the intersection of law, technology, and political economy. His 2024 book, The Politics of Platform Regulation , explores how governments influence online content moderation globally. Key Contributions: Founded and coordinates the Platform Governance Research Network (PlatGovNet) Organizes the WZB's Platform Politics and Policy Seminar series Authored influential works on AI governance, platform lobbying, and live-streaming content moderation Awards: Top departmental honors for his doctoral dissertation at the University of Oxford. Grants & Collaborations: Holds fellowships at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Weizenbaum Institute, and has collaborated with institutions like the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) and Stanford's Center for Philanthropy and Civil Society. Labs & Teams: Active in the Platform Governance Research Network and affiliated with the WZB's research group on Globalization, Work, and Production.
Paolo Papotti is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at EURECOM (France) since 2017, affiliated with the Data Science department. Previously, he was a senior scientist at QCRI (Qatar) and an assistant professor at Arizona State University (USA). He earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Roma Tre (Italy) in 2007, following an MEng in Computer Engineering from the same institution in 2003. His research focuses on scalable data management, data integration, data cleaning, and computational fact-checking. Notable contributions include work on knowledge graph rule discovery (Rudik), fact-checking frameworks (Scrutinizer), and data quality systems. His research has been supported by awards such as the 2020 Google Faculty Research Fellowship. Key publications include advancements in table representation learning, LLM-based data querying, and crowdsourced fact-checking validation. His work spans theoretical foundations and practical tools for improving data quality and information trustworthiness.
Professor Richard Bellamy is a leading scholar in political science and constitutional theory at University College London (UCL) and serves as a Senior Fellow at the Hertie School, Berlin. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and has held visiting positions across Europe and Australia. Doctor of Philosophy , University of Cambridge (1983) MA Cantab , University of Cambridge (1979) His research spans democratic theory , republicanism , constitutionalism , and EU studies , with a focus on Italian political thought and global ethics . His recent articles explore rule of law , data ethics , and EU differentiated integration . He has authored over 150 publications and 11 monographs, including the acclaimed Political Constitutionalism . Key awards include: Fellow of the British Academy (2022) 2016 PADEMIA Research Award Serena Medal (2012) David and Elaine Spitz Prize (2009) Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (2008) Member, Academia Europaea (2024) Bellamy has supervised 24 PhD students and led major Leverhulme , ESRC , and European Commission projects. His current work includes Defending the Political Constitution (Oxford UP) and The Democratic Prince (political leadership study). He co-edits The Cambridge Companion to Constitutional Theory and The Cambridge Dictionary of Political Thought .
Arya Mazumdar is a tenured Professor of Data Science and Computer Science at the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute (HDSI) , part of the School of Computing, Information and Data Sciences at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). He also holds affiliations with the Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments at UCSD. Previously, he was an Assistant and Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2015–2021), and held a postdoctoral position at MIT (2011–2012). He is an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (2023–2024) and recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2015–2020). Education : PhD in 2011 from the University of Maryland, College Park (advisor: Alexander Barg) Postdoctoral scholar at MIT (2011–2012, advisor: Greg Wornell) Internships at IBM Almaden (2010) and HP Labs (2008) Research Interests : Focus on algorithmic and statistical aspects of machine learning, error-correcting codes, optimization, signal processing, and distributed systems. Key areas include clustering algorithms, compressed sensing, federated learning, and information-theoretic foundations of data science. He has contributed to theoretical guarantees for learning mixtures, distributed optimization, and robust coding schemes. Recent Articles Trends : Recent work emphasizes distributed optimization (e.g., vqSGD, Byzantine-resilient algorithms), sparse recovery in high-dimensional models, and theoretical foundations of learning (e.g., support recovery, parameter estimation). His research bridges information theory and machine learning, with applications in storage systems and large-scale data processing. Awards & Roles : 2020 EURASIP JASP Best Paper Award Co-PI and co-leader of the NSF AI Institute for Learning-Enabled Optimization at Scale Editorships: IEEE Transactions on Information Theory and Foundations and Trends in Communications Grants & Labs : Leads the EnCORE Institute as UCSD Site Lead, focusing on theoretical perspectives of large language models and computational-statistical gaps. Active in organizing workshops on topics like LLMs, clustering, and distributed optimization. His research is funded by NSF and industry collaborations. Teaching : Courses include Algorithms for Data Science , Probability and Statistics for Data Science , and Coding Theory , emphasizing foundational theory and scalable methods.
Hubert Wagner is an Assistant Professor in Data Science at the University of Florida's Department of Mathematics, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He teaches courses such as Computational Applied Topology and Linear Algebra for Data Science. Prior to joining UF, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at IST Austria under Herbert Edelsbrunner and earned his PhD from Jagiellonian University under Marian Mrozek. His research focuses on developing topological algorithms and tools for practical applications in fields like astrophysics and biomedicine. Notably, he received the 2022 Google Research Scholar Award in Algorithms & Optimization for his work on Bregman divergences and topological methods in high-dimensional data analysis. His research interests span computational geometry, topological data analysis, machine learning, and algorithm engineering. Recent projects include optimizing topological computations for large-scale imaging data (e.g., cosmic microwave background analysis) and detecting adversarial attacks on neural networks using persistent homology. He emphasizes practical applications through collaborations with industry and interdisciplinary research. Hubert is actively involved in academic service, including course development and mentoring. His work has been published in leading venues such as SoCG and NeurIPS, with a focus on bridging theoretical foundations and real-world computational challenges.
Anthony D. Joseph is a Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley, within the College of Engineering. He is a faculty member in the Computer Science Division and part of the RISE Lab and AMP Lab at UC Berkeley. His research spans multiple domains in computer science with a focus on security, distributed systems, and networking. Education: 1998, Ph.D., Computer Science, MIT 1988, S.M./S.B., Electrical Engineering and Computer Science/Computer Science and Engineering, MIT Professor Joseph's primary research interests include Computer and Network Security, Distributed Systems, Mobile Computing, Wireless Networking, Software Engineering, Operating Systems, Genomics, Secure Machine Learning, and Datacenters. His work has significant implications for both theoretical computer science and practical applications in industry. He leads multiple research projects including Mesos, SecML (Secure Machine Learning), D-Trigger, DETER, and Tapestry/Brochure. His research has been instrumental in advancing the fields of distributed systems and security, particularly in the context of machine learning applications. His publications reflect a strong focus on the intersection of security and distributed systems, with recent work emphasizing secure machine learning techniques and resource management in data centers. Professor Joseph's research has evolved from foundational work in networking and distributed systems to addressing contemporary challenges in cloud computing and AI security. Scientific Awards: Diane S. McEntyre Award for Excellence in Teaching Computer Science (2007) NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) (2000) Okawa Research Grant (1999) Professor Joseph has advised numerous graduate and undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to make significant contributions in academia and industry. His research has been supported by various grants, including the NSF CAREER award. He has been actively involved in teaching core computer science courses including CS162: Operating Systems and Systems Programming and CS262: Advanced Topics in Computer Systems. He leads several research groups including the AMP Lab (which focuses on data analytics) and has been instrumental in projects like Mesos (for resource sharing in data centers) and SecML (focusing on the security of machine learning systems). His labs work on cutting-edge problems at the intersection of systems, networking, and security, with applications ranging from cloud computing to critical infrastructure protection.
Professor David Taubman is a distinguished academic serving as Professor and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications (EE&T) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia. He is also co-director of Kakadu Software Pty. Ltd. and its affiliates Kakadu R&D and Kakadu GPU. With a career spanning over three decades, Professor Taubman has made significant contributions to the field of image and video compression, most notably as the author of the EBCOT coding algorithm adopted in the JPEG2000 international standard. Professor Taubman earned his B.Sc. in Mathematics and Computer Science (1986) and B.E. (Medal) in Electrical Engineering (1988) from the University of Sydney, followed by an M.Sc. (1992) and Ph.D. (1994) in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. His professional journey includes engineering work at the Electricity Commission of N.S.W. (1988-1990), research positions at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories in Palo Alto (1994-1998), and an academic career at UNSW where he progressed from Senior Lecturer (1998-2003) to Associate Professor (2004-2009) and finally to Professor (2009-present). He has held various leadership roles including Head of the EE&T Telecommunications Research Group (2003-2014), Head of the EE&T Signal Processing Research Group (2014-present), Director of Research for the School of EE&T (2011-2016), and Deputy Head of School (Research) since 2017. Professor Taubman's research interests center on image and video compression, with particular expertise in JPEG2000 standards and implementations. His work spans signal processing, wavelet transforms, scalable video coding, motion modeling, and multimedia systems. He has pioneered numerous compression algorithms and frameworks, including the EBCOT coding algorithm that became central to the JPEG2000 standard. His recent research focuses on efficient motion modeling with cuboidal partitioning, learned lifting-based transform structures, and high-throughput implementations of JPEG2000 for video applications. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, as evidenced by the commercially successful Kakadu Software tools that have garnered around 500 commercial licensees. Analysis of Professor Taubman's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on advancing compression technologies with particular emphasis on scalability, efficiency, and adaptability. His work spans traditional image compression (JPEG2000 extensions), video coding (cuboid-based partitioning for UHD/360-degree video), and emerging applications (nanopore sequencing data compression). A notable trend is the integration of machine learning techniques with traditional compression frameworks, as seen in his work on learned lifting-based transform structures. His research maintains strong connections to real-world applications across diverse domains including medical imaging, astronomical data processing, and genomic sequencing. IEEE Fellow Engineers Australia Fellow (by invitation) Professor Taubman has served as Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing for two four-year appointments (2003-2005 and 2010-2013). He has been actively involved in numerous research grants focused on image and video compression technologies, particularly those related to the JPEG2000 standard and its extensions. His work has received significant industry support, reflected in his consultancy with various U.S., Japanese, and Australian corporations. He has also contributed to international standards development as a member of Standards Australia Technical Committee MS-065 (mirroring ISO TC42 on Digital Photography) and as a constitutional member of Standards Australia Technical Committee IT-029 (Coded Representation of Picture, Audio and Multimedia/Hypermedia Information). Professor Taubman co-directs Kakadu Software Pty. Ltd. and its research affiliates Kakadu R&D and Kakadu GPU, which have developed the commercially successful Kakadu Software tools for JPEG2000. His research group at UNSW focuses on advanced image and video compression techniques, with particular expertise in wavelet-based methods, scalable coding, and motion modeling. The group maintains strong industry connections and has contributed significantly to the development and standardization of image compression technologies worldwide.
Christof Lutteroth is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath and Director of the REal and Virtual Environments Augmentation Labs (REVEAL). His work focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with emphasis on eye-gaze interaction and virtual reality (VR), particularly for health, exercise, and learning applications. He leads multiple research projects funded by organizations like EPSRC, The British Academy, and The Royal Society. Research Interests include developing gaze-controlled interfaces, immersive VR systems, and adaptive UI/UX for fitness and cognitive training. He explores affective design tools, emotion recognition in VR exergaming, and biometric data analysis for health applications. Recent Publications highlight advancements in gaze-based text entry, emotion measurement in VR, AI-driven UI development, and cross-European XR innovation networks. His work spans from foundational HCI methodologies to applied projects in rehabilitation and immersive learning. Grants include EPSRC IAA, British Academy, and Royal Society funding for projects like TapGazer, Hyper-immersive XR, and Affective Design Tools for VR. He collaborates with institutions across Europe through the EMIL project. Laboratory : REVEAL Lab at the University of Bath drives research in immersive technologies, motion analysis, and augmentation of human interaction with digital environments.
Hui Wang is a Professor and Associate Chair for PhD Studies and Research in the Department of Computer Science at the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology. She also serves as the Director of the Data Science PhD Program and holds leadership roles in multiple institutional committees, including the Doctoral Committee, Faculty Mentoring Program, and Strategic Planning initiatives at both departmental and university levels. Research Interests: Dr. Wang's research focuses on building trustworthy machine learning systems by integrating privacy, fairness, and accountability . Her work aims to fortify ML models against privacy attacks, eliminate algorithmic biases, and ensure auditable decision-making. She explores intersections between machine learning, data mining, and cybersecurity, with applications across domains requiring ethical and secure AI deployment. Recent Research Trends: Her recent publications and funded projects reflect a strong emphasis on privacy-preserving machine learning , fairness-aware systems , and verifiable computing . Themes include securing graph embeddings, federated learning with fairness guarantees, and audit mechanisms for black-box models. Supported by NSF, Cisco, and Google, her work bridges theoretical rigor with practical system design. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award, 2014 Advising and Grants: Dr. Wang actively mentors PhD students and hosts visiting scholars. She leads multiple NSF-funded projects, including Securing Network Embedding against Privacy Attacks and Privacy for All: Ensuring Fair Privacy Protection in Machine Learning . Her research is supported by substantial grants from the National Science Foundation, Cisco, and Google, reflecting her leadership in trustworthy AI. Labs and Teams: While not explicitly named, Dr. Wang leads a research group focused on trustworthy machine learning, advising students and collaborating with industry partners. She is deeply integrated into the Data Science PhD program and CS faculty leadership, shaping research and academic strategy at Stevens.
Dr. Yongchao Huang is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in the School of Natural and Computing Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, where he has been employed since August 2023. He also holds affiliations with the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge through past postdoctoral and collaborative roles. He is actively involved in research, teaching, and academic service, and is currently accepting PhD students. His educational background includes: DPhil in Engineering Science, University of Oxford (2013–2017) Additional training in Machine Learning at Oxford (2015–2019) Dr. Huang's research focuses on fundamental and physics-informed machine learning, with core interests in Bayesian inference, variational methods, generative modeling (especially score-based), reinforcement learning, and interdisciplinary AI applications in mechanics, biology, energy, climate, and finance. A central theme of his work is the inference and sampling of probability densities, particularly through innovative particle-based and physics-inspired computational frameworks. He founded the Computational and Physical Learning (CPL) lab at Aberdeen in 2023. His recent publications (2020–2025) reflect a strong trend in probabilistic machine learning, with increasing focus on physics-based inference methods such as electrostatics, fluid dynamics, and material point methods. These works bridge machine learning with applied mathematics and physical simulation, demonstrating a unique interdisciplinary approach. Topics span Bayesian neural networks, acoustic wave propagation, mortality modeling, and adversarial cybersecurity. Dr. Huang has received academic recognition through invitations to serve on program committees and editorial roles: Program Committee Member, ECAI 2024 Organizing Committee, Bioinference 2024 Guest Editor, Journal of Theoretical Biology Senior Scientific Advisor to a UK firm He has supervised 57 MSc theses independently and currently supervises one PhD student. He has secured research engagement through collaborations with institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, and industry partners. His teaching includes courses such as Introduction to Software Engineering , Software Process and Management , and Computational Intelligence at Aberdeen, as well as practicals in inference at Cambridge. Dr. Huang leads the Computational and Physical Learning (CPL) lab at the University of Aberdeen, a curiosity-driven research group focused on foundational advances in machine intelligence. Though currently a solo researcher due to limited resources, the lab emphasizes end-to-end research and open collaboration. He encourages student mobility and interdisciplinary exploration.
