Aviv Bergman is a Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, holding appointments in the Department of Systems & Computational Biology, Department of Pathology, and Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience. He is also Founding Chairman of the Department of Systems & Computational Biology and Director of the Albert Einstein Institute for Advanced Study in the Life Sciences. His research integrates computational, mathematical, and experimental approaches with philosophical frameworks (phenomenology, hermeneutics, pragmatism) to study evolutionary and developmental systems biology, focusing on complex traits, biological networks, and the interplay between function, organization, and agency in living systems. Prior publications highlight his work on evolutionary capacitance, gene network topology, developmental canalization, and genome-wide amino acid patterns. He emphasizes iterative refinement of theoretical models through empirical data validation.
Catherine Bachewich is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Concordia University. Her research focuses on the regulation of the cell cycle, development, and virulence in fungi, particularly Candida albicans and Aspergillus nidulans. She investigates how cell cycle signals coordinate with differentiation and polar morphogenesis, aiming to identify novel drug targets for pathogen control. Her research programs include: Studying cell cycle control in Candida albicans, emphasizing the G1/S transition, mitosis, and hyphal development. Exploring the role of the polo-like kinase PLKA in mitotic regulation and sexual development in Aspergillus nidulans, revealing its evolutionary distinctness and novel functions. Bachewich's work has uncovered unique regulatory mechanisms in fungal pathogens, contributing to understanding their pathogenicity and potential therapeutic strategies. Her recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches in fungal genetics, cell cycle signaling, and morphogenesis.
Ying Xie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment at Northern Illinois University, College of Education. Her work bridges technology and pedagogy, with a focus on enhancing reflective learning, knowledge integration, and group cognition through innovative digital tools. Educational Background: Ph.D. in Instructional Systems, The Pennsylvania State University, with a minor in Educational Psychology B.S. in Computer Science and B.A. in Foreign Languages, University of Science and Technology of China Her research spans emerging technologies in education , including robotics in K–12 STEM learning, technology-assisted language acquisition, and mathematical problem posing. She explores how tools like word clouds, blogs, and mobile VR can scaffold reflective thinking and collaborative knowledge building. Her work is grounded in both cognitive and social learning theories. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on technology-enhanced learning environments , particularly using visual and interactive tools (e.g., tag clouds, blogs, VR) to support metacognition and collaboration. Her studies often employ mixed methods and design-based research, targeting diverse populations from K–12 to higher education. A growing interest in emergency remote learning and teacher self-efficacy is evident in her 2021 publications. Scientific Awards: No awards explicitly mentioned in the provided text. Dr. Xie actively advises graduate and doctoral students, as seen through her teaching of ETT 799 (Doctoral Research and Dissertation). She has contributed to curriculum development in instructional technology and research methodology. Her service includes participation in academic seminars and research guidance. She leads or contributes to research projects examining digital learning tools and their impact on cognition and engagement. Her lab or research team likely focuses on user experience in educational technology, possibly linked to the UX Lab mentioned in the departmental resources.
Marko Tkalčič is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies (FAMNIT) at the University of Primorska in Koper, Slovenia. He is affiliated with the Department of Information Sciences and Technologies and leads research in psychologically-informed recommender systems through the HICUP lab. His academic journey includes prior roles as Associate Professor and Assistant Professor at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and postdoctoral work at Johannes Kepler University and the University of Ljubljana. Research interests include computational psychology, user modeling, personality and emotion modeling, affective computing, and bias mitigation in AI. His work integrates machine learning, data mining, and user studies to enhance personalization systems by incorporating cognitive and emotional models. He focuses on music and film domains, with applications in social media, automotive interfaces, and multimedia. The recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward human-centric AI , exploring eudaimonic and hedonic user experiences, cognitive load in driver assistance, music relistening behavior, privacy in group recommendations, and emotion-based video and music prediction. His research increasingly blends cognitive science theories (e.g., ACT-R) with practical recommender system design. University of Primorska Golden Plaque Award (2024) Stanford List of Top Scientists Cited Worldwide Best Reviewer Award at ISMIR 2020 Italian National Habilitation for Full Professor (2020) Italian National Habilitation for Associate Professor (2017) He actively supervises PhD students, including Elham Motamedi, and has secured teaching and research roles within his team. He is a member of the editorial board for UMUAI and Frontiers in Psychology, and has co-edited books and special issues on group recommender systems and human-centered AI. He leads the HICUP lab, fostering interdisciplinary research at the intersection of psychology and computer science.
Elizabeth Yale is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Iowa, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where she also serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies. Her research lies at the intersection of the history of science, book history, and early modern European intellectual culture, with a focus on how knowledge was created and preserved in domestic and archival contexts. Her educational background includes a PhD in the History of Science from Harvard University (2008). She previously taught at Western Carolina University and Harvard before joining the University of Iowa. Dr. Yale's research explores the material and social practices of knowledge-making, particularly in early modern Britain. She emphasizes the role of families, manuscript culture, and archival infrastructures in the development of scientific thought. Her work spans themes such as gender, materiality, and the transmission of medical and natural knowledge. She teaches courses on early modern Europe, the history of science and medicine, book history, and gender, often incorporating hands-on analysis of texts through the University of Iowa Center for the Book. Her recent publications reveal a consistent interest in the material forms of knowledge—letters, lists, marginalia, and archives—and their role in shaping scientific epistemology. She frequently examines how women’s intellectual labor and domestic spaces contributed to scientific advancement. Her collaborative projects, including an NEH-funded initiative with Matthew Brown, aim to build innovative educational spaces for studying global print and manuscript cultures. Visiting Scholar, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin (2016) President, Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography (2021–2022) Senior Fellow, Andrew W. Mellon Society of Fellows in Critical Bibliography Dr. Yale has been active in mentoring and curriculum development, particularly through experiential learning programs like the Hawkeye History Corps. She has secured external funding, including an NEH Humanities Initiatives Grant, to support interdisciplinary teaching and research. Her advising likely extends to undergraduate and graduate students interested in history of science, gender studies, and material text analysis, though specific students are not listed. She is also engaged with public history, contributing accessible commentary to outlets like The Atlantic , Quartz , and Iowa Public Radio , bridging academic research with broader societal conversations on science, gender, and race. She is involved in collaborative scholarly communities, especially through the Rare Book School and the University of Iowa Center for the Book, where she contributes to projects that integrate book history with scientific and archival studies. These affiliations support a vibrant research and teaching environment centered on material knowledge practices.
Marlene Barros is a Full Professor at the Faculty of Dental Medicine (FMD), Portuguese Catholic University (UCP), where she also serves as Director since 2020. She is the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Health (CIIS), recognized as 'Very Good' by FCT, and leads the SalivaTec laboratory focused on saliva-based diagnostics. She has a strong academic background in biochemistry and biology, with leadership roles in education and research. Her educational qualifications include: PhD in Biochemistry (specialty: Enzymology and Protein Chemistry), University of Coimbra (1995) Agregação in Biology, University of Aveiro (2007) Marlene Barros' research is centered on protein chemistry and molecular mechanisms of disease, with a focus on identifying biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targeting. Her work spans proteomics, bioinformatics, oral biology, and microbiome analysis. She has coordinated academic programs such as the Master in Molecular Microbiology and the Degree in Biomedical Sciences. Her recent research articles reflect a strong trend in salivary proteomics, oral microbiome interactions, human-viral interactomics, and the development of bioinformatics databases (e.g., OralOme, OvisOme, CanisOme). These works emphasize translational applications in precision medicine, diagnostics, and functional food science. She has received the following scientific award: Prémio Melhor Poster SciComPT 2019 She has supervised numerous academic projects and is actively involved in national and international research collaborations. She has led or participated in significant funded projects such as SPRINT, OralTherm, RedSup4Health, and OeHMP, supported by Portugal2020 and Fundación 'la Caixa'. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in health and education. She is a key member of the SalivaTec laboratory and contributes to interdisciplinary teams in projects involving digital health, oral microbiome, and functional foods. Her leadership extends to pedagogical innovation and community-based learning in dental education.
Hao-Chuan Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of California, Davis, with affiliations in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Program. He previously served as a faculty member at National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, from 2012 to 2018, where he was promoted to tenured Associate Professor. He holds a Ph.D. in Information Science from Cornell University and has conducted postgraduate research at Carnegie Mellon University and Academia Sinica. His research lies at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), and Human-Centered AI, with a strong emphasis on collaborative systems, hybrid and remote work, video-mediated communication, and inclusive design for education and wellbeing. He employs mixed-method, human-centered approaches to design systems that support knowledge transfer, equity, and social interaction in distributed environments. His recent publications focus on AI-supported learning, fairness in group work, reflective tools, and cross-cultural interactions with large language models. These works are published in top-tier venues such as CHI, CSCW, CUI, and WWW, reflecting his impact in the HCI community. His scientific contributions have been recognized with several awards, including Best Student Paper at The Web Conference 2021, Best Demo Award at Augmented Humans 2021, Distinguished Paper Award at PACM IMWUT 2018, and multiple Honorable Mention awards at CHI and CSCW. Best Student Paper Award, The Web Conference (WWW) 2021 Best Demo Award, Augmented Humans International Conference 2021 PACM IMWUT Distinguished Paper Award, Ubicomp 2018 Honorable Mention Paper Award, CHI 2015 Honorable Mention Paper Award, CHI 2018 Honorable Mention Paper Award, CSCW 2018 Best Poster Award, ITS 2006 Wang actively contributes to the academic community through leadership roles in ACM SIGCHI, including serving as VP Finance (2024–2027), Workshop Chair for CHI 2025–2026, and Associate Editor for the Journal of Information Science and Engineering. He has advised numerous students whose research appears in major conferences, and his work bridges computer science, communication, design, and learning sciences, reflecting a deeply interdisciplinary and impactful scholarly profile.
José A. Pérez Díez is a Lecturer in Early Modern Drama at the School of English, University of Leeds, where he also serves as Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes and Programme Leader for the MA in English Literature. He is actively involved in major editorial projects, including The Complete Works of John Marston (OUP) and The Revels Plays , and leads the Playhouse Lab, a practice-as-research initiative. Licenciado, Complutense University of Madrid MA in Shakespeare and Theatre, University of Birmingham PhD, University of Birmingham PGCert in Academic Practice, Open University His research centers on Jacobean drama, particularly the works of John Marston, John Fletcher, and Shakespeare, with a strong focus on Anglo-Spanish cultural relations in the Renaissance. He investigates how Spanish imaginative literature influenced English drama through diplomatic, bibliographic, and performance channels. His Leverhulme-funded project traced the material circulation of Spanish books in Jacobean England, analyzing ownership, patronage, and intellectual networks. He also engages deeply with theatre history and performance studies, having worked as dramaturg for the Royal Shakespeare Company and participated in over twenty Shakespearean productions. The recent articles reflect a consistent focus on textual editing, performance, and cross-cultural literary influence. His publications span critical editions, scholarly editing, book history, and dramaturgy, emphasizing both philological rigor and practical engagement with early drama. The keywords and sub-fields highlight interdisciplinary work across literature, history, bibliography, and theatre practice. His scientific recognition includes the prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2020–2023). He is also professionally active as Joint Chair of the British Shakespeare Association and Events Organiser for the Malone Society. José supervises postgraduate research and teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, integrating performance workshops into his pedagogy. He leads the Playhouse Lab, which hosts script-in-hand performances to explore early drama practically. His work bridges academic scholarship and theatrical practice, contributing significantly to both the study and staging of Renaissance drama.
Dr. Tillman Weyde is a Reader in the Department of Computer Science at City, University of London , where he has been employed since 2021. He leads the Machine Intelligence and Media Informatics Research Group and is a member of the Machine Learning Group . Prior to this, he served as Senior Lecturer (2009–2021) and Lecturer (2005–2009) at City, and worked as a researcher at the University of Osnabrück (2001–2005), coordinating the MUSITECH project. His academic background includes PhD in Music Technology (2002), MSc in Computer Science (1999), and MSc in Mathematics, Music, Philosophy & Pedagogy (1994), all from the University of Osnabrück. Research Focus: Machine learning and signal processing methods for data analysis with applications in finance, audio, NLP, music, health, security, and education. His recent work emphasizes inductive biases in neural networks for rule-learning, extrapolation, generalization, and interpretability. Grants & Projects: Principal Investigator for the AHRC-funded Digital Music Lab (2012–2017) and Integrated Audio-Symbolic Model of Music Similarity (2017–present). Co-investigator in Innovate UK and EPSRC projects on safer gambling ( Advancing Consumer Protection , 2015–2018) and Raven (2012–2021). Collaborations: Affiliated with the Institute of Cognitive Science (Osnabrück), Intelligent Systems Research Laboratory (Reading), and the MPEG Ad-Hoc Group on Symbolic Music Representation. Awards: Co-author of the 2000 Comenius Medal-winning educational software Computer Courses in Music Ear Training and co-editor of the Osnabrück Series on Music and Computation . Publications: Over 150 peer-reviewed works including conference papers, journal articles, and book chapters, focusing on interdisciplinary applications of machine learning in music, health, and finance. Students: Supervised 13 PhD students across topics like grammar bias in neural networks, emotion recognition from audio, extrapolation behavior in neural networks, relation-based patterns, legal text parsing, and more.
Andrew Melnyk is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Missouri . His research focuses on philosophy of mind , philosophy of science , and metaphysics , particularly defending physicalism (or materialism) through the lens of realization theory. He is a member of the Heterodox Academy and the Academic Freedom Alliance . Education : B.A. in Literae Humaniores, Oxford University (1985) B.Phil. in Philosophy, Oxford University (1987) D.Phil. in Philosophy, Oxford University (1991) Research Interests : Defending physicalism via realization theory Philosophical methodology and naturalism Mind-body problem and phenomenal consciousness Reductionism vs. non-reductive physicalism Empirical evidence for materialism in neuroscience His publications, including the 2025 book Phenomenal Properties and the Intuition of Distinctness , critically engage with two-dimensionalism, supervenience, and the scientific plausibility of physicalism. His teaching includes Philosophy of Mind and Philosophy of Science courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels.
Marie Candito is a Lecturer at the School of Linguistics, Paris Cité University. She serves as Deputy Director of the Laboratoire de Linguistique Formelle (LLF, CNRS) since January 2025 and Head of the M2 Computational Linguistics program at Paris Cité University. Her research focuses on natural language processing, computational linguistics, and linguistic abilities of large language models. Current Projects : Co-PI of ANR SELEXINI (2021-2025) and scientific coordinator for LLF in ANR PANTAGRUEL (2023-2025) Past Projects : PI of ANR ASFALDA-French FrameNet (2013-2016), scientific coordinator for ANR PARSEME-FR (2015-2019), and member of ANR SEQUOIA (2010-2013) Her work involves measuring and mitigating biases in language models, inducing semantic lexicons from corpora, and studying human vs. LLM word associations. She supervises PhD students including Maria Andueza Rodriguez, Anna Mosolova, and David Kletz.
Tania Allen is an Interim Department Head and Professor of Media Arts, Design and Technology at North Carolina State University's College of Design. She serves as a Faculty Fellow with the Center for Geospatial Analytics and co-directs the design research group co-lab, which focuses on critical mapping as a participatory design research tool. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications in community engagement and social justice. Her educational background includes: B.A. in History with Minors in Fine Arts/Graphic Design from Washington University Certificate in Visual Communication from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago Master of Graphic Design from North Carolina State University Allen's research centers on critical cartography and critical mapping as tools for design research. Building on theories from anthropology, action research, placemaking, and participatory design, her work seeks to 'thicken' the way data is visualized and the stories at the core of data collection and communication. Her approach emphasizes the reciprocal activity of encoding and decoding, bridging the researcher's perspective with the subject's lived experience. She challenges assumptions embedded in mapping processes while embracing cartography as both an analytic and synthetic research tool. Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals a clear evolution from foundational explorations of critical mapping toward concrete applications addressing social justice issues. Her recent work increasingly focuses on Confederate memorialization, urban development, and oppressive infrastructures, demonstrating her commitment to using design as a catalyst for community engagement and social change. This progression reflects growing sophistication in applying critical cartography to address systemic inequities. As a Faculty Fellow with the Office of Faculty Development, Allen helped create an online certificate program focused on higher-order thinking through critical and creative pedagogy. Her contributions to the TH!NK initiative have transformed campus teaching culture toward student-centered instruction that promotes critical thinking across disciplines. She has also taught Design Thinking, focusing on creative research strategies for beginning design students. Allen co-directs the cross-institutional colloquium 'Oppressive Infrastructures: Examining Systems of (in)Equity In/Through/By Data,' which investigates how data systems perpetuate inequality. Through her professional practice, she has worked with organizations including the Chicago Botanic Garden, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Accenture, MIT, and Harvard University, consistently focusing on design as a participatory process that empowers communities to address social issues and create change from the ground up.
Alexander Steen is an Assistant Professor (Juniorprofessor) at the University of Greifswald within the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science. His research focuses on computational logic, automated reasoning, and theoretical computer science, with significant contributions to higher-order logic (HOL) and non-classical reasoning systems. He leads the development of the Leo-III automated theorem prover, a versatile system supporting classical HOL with choice, polymorphic logics, and higher-order modal/deontic logics. Steen's academic journey includes a Dr. rer. nat. (summa cum laude) from Freie Universität Berlin (2018), followed by post-doctoral work at the University of Luxembourg (2018-2021) as a principal investigator for the AuReLeE project on legal reasoning automation. He holds a 2024 nomination for the University of Greifswald Teaching Award and was elected Fellow of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg (2022). Key Research Areas: Higher-Order Logic, Automated Reasoning, Non-Classical Logics, Legal Tech, Formal Methods in AI, Computational Ethics. Major Projects: Leo-III (DFG-funded automated prover), AuReLeE (FNR-funded legal reasoning), MET (modal logic embedding tool). His recent publications (2025-2022) explore diverse applications of HOL in non-classical reasoning, legal formalization, argumentation frameworks, and TPTP infrastructure extensions. Steen actively contributes to AI governance as co-speaker of the GI AI section and deputy member of Greifswald's Senate. He also engages in science communication through works like the 2024 science comic book Was wissen wir schon (What Do We Know?), featuring his automated reasoning research. Scientific Honors: CLAR 2023 Best Paper Award, IRIS 2020 LexisNexis Best Paper Award, CASC-27 LTB Division Winner, Woody Bledsoe Travel Awards (CADE 2018, 2016), GI Junior Fellowship (2018). Advising: Supervises ongoing PhD/MSc/BSc theses in logic-based AI, modal reasoning, and legal tech at University of Greifswald and Freie Universität Berlin.
Michał Turek is a Professor at the Department of Applied Informatics within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Automatics, Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Poland. His primary workplace is located in room 303a of building C-2, and he maintains active contact through email (mitu@agh.edu.pl) and phone (+48 12 617 52 03), indicating current academic engagement. His research spans Software Engineering with particular emphasis on Workflow Management Systems integration with industrial applications, Image Analysis for 3D surface inspection, and Agile Methodologies implementation. Turek has pioneered innovations in Scrum adaptation for multi-project environments and software product lines, while developing formal verification frameworks for business processes and service-oriented architectures. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical industrial solutions, especially in automated damage identification systems and workflow optimization. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent focus on workflow system intelligence (2020-2022), with significant contributions to automatic correction mechanisms and smart procedure integration. Earlier works (2010-2016) demonstrate deep expertise in formal verification methods, Scrum economics, and 3D surface analysis techniques. The publications show interdisciplinary convergence between software engineering, computer vision, and industrial automation, with recurring themes of system resilience and process optimization across both English and Polish scholarly outputs.
Prof. Fabio Galasso is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Sapienza University of Rome, where he heads the Perception and Intelligence Lab (PINLab). His research focuses on fundamental innovation in computer vision and machine learning, with particular emphasis on distributed intelligent systems, perception frameworks, and general intelligence within sustainable and interpretable AI contexts. His research interests span multiple domains of computer vision including video segmentation , motion forecasting , distributed intelligent systems , and shape reconstruction . Galasso's work emphasizes sustainable AI approaches that operate within constrained computational resources while maintaining interpretability and verifiability. His research bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications across retail, smart cities, and industrial settings. His recent publications demonstrate a clear progression toward increasingly complex human motion understanding and forecasting, with a strong emphasis on real-world applications. The research trajectory shows movement from foundational video segmentation techniques toward sophisticated motion prediction systems and anomaly detection frameworks that integrate multiple modalities. Key themes include temporal consistency, computational efficiency, and practical deployability in resource-constrained environments. His scientific achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards: 2019 IoT/WT Innovation World Cup 2019 Digital Champions Award 2018 Deutscher Digital Award Galasso has coordinated significant research initiatives including a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions project (Horizon 2020) and served as Principal Co-Investigator in multiple German-funded projects from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Economics. His industry experience includes founding and directing OSRAM's Computer Vision Department in Munich, where he led R&D efforts connecting AI research with smart lighting applications, resulting in successful innovation transfers like the award-winning VISN product. He leads the Perception and Intelligence Lab (PINLab) at Sapienza University of Rome, fostering research that spans fundamental computer vision techniques to practical implementations in retail, smart cities, and industrial applications. The lab maintains strong connections with both academic institutions (including previous collaborations with University of Cambridge and Max Planck Institute) and industry partners.
