Dr. Randa Herzallah is an Associate Professor at the University of Warwick with interdisciplinary expertise spanning control systems, quantum engineering, and machine learning. Her research develops probabilistic frameworks for complex systems control. Research interests focus on probabilistic control methods applied to energy grids, quantum systems, and biomedical applications. Recent work integrates machine learning with control theory for smart grid optimization and quantum system management. Publication analysis shows consistent focus on probabilistic control frameworks, with recent expansion into quantum applications and deep learning for industrial applications. Research funding includes EPSRC and Leverhulme Trust grants supporting quantum control and energy systems projects. Leads research in probabilistic control methodologies with industrial applications.
Amrita Basak serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on advancing metal additive manufacturing technologies, particularly for gas turbine applications. She maintains her laboratory in 233 Reber Building at University Park, PA. Her primary research interests center on laser-based additive manufacturing processes including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) and Laser Directed Energy Deposition (LDED). Specific expertise spans nickel-based superalloys, melt pool dynamics, microstructure-property relationships, fatigue behavior of additively manufactured components, and AI-driven process optimization. Her work addresses critical challenges in thermal distortion control, surface roughness effects, and high-temperature performance of turbine components. Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong emphasis on integrating machine learning with experimental methods to optimize additive manufacturing processes. Key trends include Gaussian process regression for melt pool modeling, Bayesian optimization for thermal management, reinforcement learning for parameter control, and multi-fidelity modeling approaches. Her research bridges fundamental materials science with practical engineering applications in aerospace and energy sectors. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2024) for gas turbine research DARPA Young Faculty Award (2022) for multi-laser additive manufacturing Materials Research Institute Roy Award (2023) Professor Basak actively mentors graduate students including R. Pal, N. Menon, and A. Kushwaha who appear as first authors on multiple publications. Her research is supported by significant grants including NSF CAREER funding, Office of Naval Research grants (2024), and DARPA funding. Current projects include 'On-Demand 3D Printing of Food-Grade Biopolymer-Encapsulated Ferrate(VI) for Individualized and Equitable Access to Drinking Water' and metal additive manufacturing research for gas turbine hot section components.
Cristina Butucea is a Professor of Statistics and Machine Learning at ENSAE-CREST, Institut Polytechnique de Paris . She was nominated an IMS Fellow (2019) for her contributions to nonparametric and high-dimensional statistics. She has co-organized major conferences like Fréjus 2018 , Luminy 2019-2020 , and Oberwolfach 2021 , and serves as Associate Editor for ALEA . Fields of interest: Nonparametric statistics, quantum statistics, differential privacy, inverse problems, machine learning. Awards: IMS Fellowship, conference organization leadership. Research trends: Focuses on optimal estimation under privacy constraints, quantum state reconstruction, high-dimensional inference, and adaptive nonparametric methods. Email: Cristina.Butucea@ensea.fr | Cristina.Butucea@ip-paris.fr
Neil Lawrence is the inaugural DeepMind Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge's Department of Computer Science and Technology. He also holds positions as a Senior AI Fellow at The Alan Turing Institute and a Visiting Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Sheffield. After three years as Director of Machine Learning at Amazon, Lawrence recently returned to academia, bringing extensive industry experience to his academic work. Lawrence's research focuses on the intersection of machine learning with the physical world, particularly in uncertainty quantification and end-to-end solutions for real-world applications. His work was initially inspired by deploying machine learning systems in African contexts, where comprehensive solutions are often required. His technical expertise spans over two decades in machine learning methods, with a growing interest in public understanding of machine learning, policy decisions, and data governance implications. His recent publications reveal a diverse research portfolio spanning climate science, healthcare applications, systems engineering for AI deployment, data governance, and theoretical machine learning. Lawrence's work demonstrates a consistent theme of bridging theoretical machine learning with practical applications across multiple domains, with particular attention to uncertainty quantification and the societal implications of AI systems. Lawrence serves on the board of the AISTATS conference and the ELLIS Foundation, and acts as the founding and series editor for the Proceedings of Machine Learning Research. He is also the co-host of the Talking Machines podcast, demonstrating his commitment to public engagement with machine learning concepts. At Cambridge, Lawrence teaches Advanced Data Science (Part II) and Machine Learning and the Physical World (MPhil ACS, Part III), contributing to both undergraduate and postgraduate education in computer science. His work with the Accelerate Programme for Scientific Discovery and the Data Trusts Initiative positions him at the forefront of developing frameworks for responsible and effective AI deployment in scientific and societal contexts.
Jes Frellsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science (DTU) since 2016. Previously, he held academic positions at the IT University of Copenhagen (2016-2019), postdoctoral roles at University of Cambridge (2013-2016) and University of Copenhagen (2011-2013). Education: PhD in Bioinformatics (2011), University of Copenhagen MSc in Bioinformatics (2007), University of Copenhagen BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science (2005), University of Copenhagen EAP Exchange at University of California, Santa Cruz (2004-2005) Research Focus Jes Frellsen specializes in statistical machine learning , particularly generative AI and deep generative models with applications in bioinformatics . His work integrates Bayesian inference , directional statistics , and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to address challenges in macromolecular structure prediction and missing data imputation . Recent efforts explore uncertainty quantification in image segmentation and generative modeling for materials science. Advising & Collaborations He actively supervises PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in projects spanning news recommendation systems , medical imaging , and 3D structure generation . Collaborations include work with Zoubin Ghahramani (Cambridge) and Thomas Hamelryck (Copenhagen), with contributions to protein structure prediction and statistical methods in structural bioinformatics .
Jason Hartline is a Professor of Computer Science at the McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, with a courtesy appointment in Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences. His research bridges computer science and economics, focusing on mechanism design, auction theory, and approximation algorithms. Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Washington (2003) Postdoctoral Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University (2003-2004) Researcher at Microsoft Research (2004-2007) His work develops methodologies to analyze and design economic systems using computational theory, particularly in auction mechanisms and non-truthful settings. Key contributions include the textbook Mechanism Design and Approximation and frameworks for Bayesian and prior-independent mechanism design. Recent publications (2018-2023) span topics like non-truthful mechanism learning, multi-dimensional agent modeling, and computational law. Collaborations include researchers from Harvard, Microsoft, and institutions across economics and theoretical computer science. Grants include multiple NSF awards (CCF, ECCS, HDR TRIPODS) for projects in data economics, machine learning integration, and peer grading systems. Former advisees hold academic positions at Stanford, Yale, and Penn State.
Rianne Conijn is an assistant professor in the Human-Technology Interaction group at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Netherlands. Her research bridges data-driven methodologies (machine learning, statistical modeling) with human-centered design to enhance learning analytics, explainable AI, and writing process analysis. She holds a joint PhD (cum laude) from Antwerp University and Tilburg University, and an MSc (cum laude) in Human-Technology Interaction from TU/e. Academic Background: MSc (2015, TU/e, cum laude), PhD (2020, Antwerp University & Tilburg University, cum laude). Research Focus: Learning analytics, keystroke logging, explainable AI for education, data dashboards, and self-regulated learning dynamics. Teaching: Courses in Advanced Research Methods, Human-AI Interaction, Behavioral Research Methods, and AI ethics in education. Her recent publications explore parallel language planning in writing, longitudinal self-regulated learning strategies, and generalizability of academic performance prediction models. She leads an NWO Veni project on Human-Centered AI in education, emphasizing tailored explanations for student-AI collaboration. Scientific awards include cum laude distinctions for her MSc and PhD, and the NWO Veni grant. Collaborative work spans institutions in the Netherlands, Norway, and the U.S., with applications in intelligent tutoring systems and ethical AI deployment in exams. Key trends across her work: integration of machine learning with educational theory, leveraging keystroke data for cognitive process insights, and prioritizing actionable, explainable AI systems for student support. Publications span journals like the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , Computers and Education , and IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies . Scientific Awards: NWO Veni grant for Human-Centered AI in education Cum laude for MSc and PhD Grants & Collaborations: National Science Foundation grants (2016868, 2302644) for biometric feedback in writing UK Research and Innovation grant (ES/W011832/1) for real-time AI scaffolding TU/e Boost! Program grant for self-regulated learning analysis Labs & Teams: EAISI Foundational (Eindhoven AI Systems Institute) Human Technology Interaction group at TU/e Collaboration with Norwegian Reading National Center (University of Stavanger) Project teams for Waterproof ITS and ProWrite grants
Prof. Dr. Alexander Meyer-Gohde is a Professor of Financial Markets and Macroeconomics at Goethe University Frankfurt’s Faculty of Economics and Business, and a key figure at the Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS). His research spans macroeconomic theory, macro-finance, numerical methods, and econometrics, focusing on DSGE models, nonlinear dynamics, and the impact of risk and uncertainty on monetary policy. Education : PhD in Economics (Technische Universität Berlin), MA in Economics and Management (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), BA in Language, Literature & Culture (Colorado State University). Research Interests : Macroeconomics, macro-finance, numerical methods, recursive preferences, stochastic volatility, and model uncertainty. Grants : DFG Individual Research Grant (2021-2024) and MatlabMakro DigiTeLL Grant (2022-2023). Publications : Focus on DSGE model solution methods, numerical stability, term premia, and nonlinear dynamics in macroeconomics. Students : Supervises job market candidates Johanna Saecker and Mary Tzaawa-Krenzler. Leadership : Chair of Financial Markets and Macroeconomics at Goethe University (2018–present) and coimplementation of the IMFS “Project Monetary and Financial Stability”.
Xuming He is an Associate Professor at the School of Information Science and Technology (SIST), ShanghaiTech University, where he leads the PLUS Lab. His research spans computer vision and machine learning with a focus on developing algorithms that operate effectively under limited supervision and evolving data conditions. His core research interests include weakly-supervised and few-shot learning for scenarios with sparse annotations, continual learning frameworks for knowledge retention during sequential task acquisition, semantic segmentation techniques for scene understanding, and multimodal vision-language representations. He emphasizes interpretable machine learning to build transparent AI systems capable of human-understandable reasoning, addressing critical challenges in model trustworthiness and deployment reliability. Recent publications reveal strong trends toward novel class discovery in long-tailed recognition scenarios, physics-informed generative modeling for scientific applications, and robust segmentation under distribution shifts. His work increasingly integrates large language models for multimodal reasoning while maintaining focus on efficiency in resource-constrained environments like robotic grasping and medical imaging analysis. He actively mentors students, having supervised Qian He to PhD completion and Chuanyang Hu to Master's degree in 2023. He welcomes prospective graduate students through ShanghaiTech's Computer Science & Technology program and offers undergraduate research projects requiring minimum six-month commitments. The PLUS Lab under his direction drives innovation in learning under supervision constraints, with recent work spanning medical tumor analysis, cross-view geolocation, photonic computing, and semiconductor design verification. The lab's research bridges theoretical advances with practical applications across healthcare, robotics, and scientific discovery domains.
Andrea Del Prete is an Associate Professor in the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Trento (Italy) since 2022. His research focuses on robot control, reinforcement learning, trajectory optimization, and numerical algorithms for dynamic systems. He leads the Interdepartmental Robotics Lab (IDRA) and has previously held roles as a tenure-track assistant professor at the University of Trento (2019-2021), a research scientist at the Max-Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (2018), and an associated researcher at LAAS-CNRS (2014-2017) working with the HRP-2 humanoid robot. Earlier, he conducted PhD and post-doc research at the Italian Institute of Technology (2010-2013) on iCub robot control. PhD in Robotics (2013) - Italian Institute of Technology MEng in Computer Engineering (2009) - University of Bologna BSc in Computer Engineering (2006) - University of Bologna Dr. Del Prete specializes in merging learning and model-based techniques for safe robot control, particularly in legged systems. His work bridges trajectory optimization (TO) with reinforcement learning (RL) to overcome local minima challenges (CACTO/CACTO-SL algorithms) and develops robust controllers for humanoid and quadrupedal robots in unstructured environments. He explores viability kernels in MPC, safety certificates, and bi-level optimization for co-designing hardware/control policies. Key application areas include mountain rescue robotics (ALPINE platform), aerial maneuver recovery, and energy-efficient legged locomotion. His recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize numerical optimization algorithms, multi-contact locomotion, and hybrid control frameworks. Topics span from analytical integral optimization (2025) to climbing robots for mountain operations (2025), demonstrating a trajectory from theoretical algorithm development to real-world robotic applications. Research keywords include robotics, numerical optimization, and machine learning, with sub-fields like MPC for dynamic systems, humanoid control, and terrain adaptation. As an educator, he teaches advanced courses on: Optimization and Learning for Robot Control (48-hour master's course) Optimization-based Control of Legged Robots (12-hour PhD course) Task-Space Inverse Dynamics (3-hour PhD course) Current PhD advisees include Mohammad Hasan Yeganegi (generalization bounds for imitation learning), Pietro Noah Crestaz (numerically-efficient RL), Veronica Campana (ergodic control for defect detection), Elisa Alboni (data-efficient model-based RL), and Gianni Lunardi (MPC for legged locomotion).
Giorgia Ramponi is an Assistant Professor with Tenure Track at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics at the University of Zurich. She is also an affiliated professor at the ETH AI Center and the Data Science and AI, Computer Science and Engineering department at Chalmers University of Technology. Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Information Technology from Politecnico di Milano (completed June 2021 with honors), advised by Marcello Restelli, and a Master of Science in Computer Science with Honours Programme (110/110 cum laude) from la Sapienza (July 2017), advised by Flavio Chierichetti and Alessandro Panconesi. Dr. Ramponi's research focuses on machine learning and mathematical modeling, with particular emphasis on reinforcement learning and multiagent learning. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, exploring how learning algorithms can make optimal decisions in complex environments. She has made significant contributions to areas including inverse reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems, constrained Markov decision processes, and human-AI interaction through preference learning. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward addressing fundamental challenges in reinforcement learning, particularly in multi-agent settings, constrained optimization, and learning from human feedback. Her work combines theoretical rigor with practical applications across robotics, economics, and decision-making systems. Hassler Research Grant for "Unified Feedback Integration Framework for Reinforcement Learning" Dr. Ramponi actively contributes to the academic community through conference participation, invited lectures (including at the Mediterranean Machine Learning Summer School), and teaching. She designed and taught the "Data Science and Machine Learning" course for the ETH-Ashesi Master program. She is also a member of the ELLIS community, which connects excellence in AI research across Europe. Her research group focuses on developing frameworks for reinforcement learning with various feedback types, including preferences, rewards, and demonstrations. The group aims to advance the theoretical understanding of learning algorithms while addressing practical challenges in real-world applications.
Anna Korba is an Assistant Professor at École Polytechnique, specifically affiliated with ENSAE/CREST in the Statistics Department since September 2020. She is also a co-administrator of the Master Data Science program at École Polytechnique. Her academic journey has positioned her as a leading researcher in machine learning, with particular expertise in kernel methods, optimal transport, and statistical optimization. Dr. Korba received her PhD from Telecom ParisTech in 2018 under the supervision of Prof. Stephan Clémençon. Prior to her current position, she was a postdoctoral researcher at University College London's Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit working with Arthur Gretton from December 2018 to August 2020. Her academic foundation includes a Master's degree in Machine Learning and Computer Vision (MVA) from ENS Cachan and ENSAE in 2015. Anna Korba's research primarily focuses on machine learning with emphasis on kernel methods, optimal transport, optimization, particle systems, and preference learning. Her work bridges theoretical statistics with practical machine learning applications, particularly in developing novel sampling and optimization methods. She has made significant contributions to understanding Wasserstein gradient flows, density ratio estimation, and variational inference techniques. Her publication record demonstrates a strong trajectory in top-tier machine learning conferences including ICML, NeurIPS, AISTATS, and ICLR. Her research shows a clear evolution from foundational work on ranking and preference learning during her PhD to more recent contributions in Wasserstein-based optimization, sampling methods, and deep probabilistic modeling. The interdisciplinary nature of her work connects statistics, optimization theory, and practical machine learning applications. Top 10% Oral Presentation at AISTATS 2022 Top 15% Long Oral Presentation at ICML 2021 She actively mentors PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, currently advising seven PhD candidates and having successfully guided several alumni to prestigious positions. Dr. Korba also contributes to the academic community through her role in administering the Master Data Science program and collaborating with researchers across institutions worldwide. As part of the CREST research center, Dr. Korba works within a vibrant team of researchers focused on statistics, machine learning, and their applications to economic and social sciences. Her research group includes current PhD students and postdocs working on various aspects of her research interests, creating a dynamic environment for advancing the field of statistical machine learning.
Dr Dee Wu serves as a Senior Lecturer at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), specializing in the integration of computational mechanics, machine learning, and engineering design. With a strong research profile focused on structural reliability and safety assessment, Dr Wu develops innovative frameworks that bridge theoretical mechanics with practical engineering applications, particularly in the realm of composite materials and uncertain structural behavior. Dr Wu's research interests center on computational stochastic and non-stochastic mechanics, with particular emphasis on machine-learning-aided engineering safety assessment, nondeterministic methods for isogeometric analysis with polymorphic uncertainties, and AI techniques for composite material design. Their work addresses critical challenges in structural engineering where uncertainty quantification becomes essential for safety evaluation. The research output reveals a clear trajectory toward developing virtual modeling techniques that significantly enhance computational efficiency while maintaining accuracy in structural analysis. Dr Wu's publications demonstrate expertise in phase-field methods, support vector regression variants (including Extended SVR, Capped SVR, and Twin SVR), and uncertainty quantification frameworks that handle both aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties. These techniques have been successfully applied to fracture mechanics, buckling analysis, vibration analysis, and impact assessment problems. Dr Wu actively pursues funded research in three main areas: Digital twin applications in Civil Engineering, Machine learning aided engineering analysis and design, and Safety assessment for Smart City initiatives. Currently, they are a key participant in the ARC Discovery Project 'Assessment of Dynamic Pile Driving Using Machine Learning' (DP230102781), running from June 2023 to May 2026, working alongside researchers Khabbaz M, Fatahi B, and Zhang X. In teaching, Dr Wu delivers courses including Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering (48310), Advanced Engineering Computing (48371), and Finite Element Analysis (49047), demonstrating commitment to both foundational and advanced engineering education. Their ORCID identifier is 0000-0002-7284-5024, and they maintain an active Google Scholar profile reflecting their substantial research contributions in computational structural engineering.
David Ardia is a Full Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences at HEC Montréal, promoted to this position on June 1, 2025. Previously, he served as an Associate Professor from June 2020 to May 2025. He holds the Research Professorship in Sentometry and is a member of the Study and Research Group on Decision Analysis (GERAD) and the International Statistical Institute. Ardia is also an elected member of the ISI Louis Bachelier Fellow and serves as Associate Editor for both the International Journal of Forecasting and the Journal of Statistical Software. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Financial Econometrics from the University of Fribourg, a Master of Applied Sciences in Quantitative Finance from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and University of Zurich, and a Master of Science in Financial Engineering from the University of Neuchâtel. Ardia's research focuses on the intersection of quantitative finance, machine learning, and natural language processing, with particular emphasis on sentometrics (textual sentiment analysis in finance), risk management, and climate finance. His work spans financial econometrics, volatility modeling, and the application of advanced statistical methods to asset allocation and economic forecasting. He has pioneered methods for analyzing climate change concerns in financial markets and has made significant contributions to understanding green versus brown stock performance. His publication record shows a strong trajectory in high-impact finance and statistics journals, with recent work examining Robinhood trading patterns, cryptocurrency markets, climate finance, and innovative methodological approaches to financial time series analysis. His research demonstrates increasing focus on sustainability applications within quantitative finance. Prix de la qualité des données ouvertes 2024 (Canadian Open Data Community) Prix de recherche pour les professeures et professeurs agrégés (HEC Montréal, 2024) Prix pour l'excellence en pédagogie (HEC Montréal, 2022) Best Paper Award at the 38th International Conference of the French Finance Association Best Paper Award 2018-2019 from International Journal of Forecasting eRum 2020 COVID19 contest winner for the COVID-19 Data Hub Ardia actively supervises numerous graduate students, with over 70 mentorship activities documented in the past five years, spanning both thesis supervision and supervised projects. His research is supported by collaborations with institutions including IVADO, the R Consortium, and the University of Lugano. He co-created the influential COVID-19 Data Hub platform, which integrates epidemiological data with policy measures and spatial databases to analyze pandemic impacts. His research group focuses on developing computational tools for financial analysis, particularly through R packages like MSGARCH for Markov-switching GARCH models and sentometrics for textual sentiment analysis. This work bridges academic research with practical applications in financial institutions and policy analysis.
Massimo Franceschetti is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), with faculty affiliation at Calit2. His research spans mathematical engineering, focusing on control, communication, computation, and sensing, particularly in complex networks and systems. He integrates tools from statistical physics, wave propagation, and information theory to analyze and design networked systems. Born in Naples, Italy, he studied at the University of Naples Federico II and the University of Edinburgh (European exchange program), graduating in 1997. He earned his M.Sc. (1999) and PhD (2003) from Caltech, where he received the Walker von Brimer Award and the C.H. Wiltz Prize for outstanding research and thesis. After postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley (2003-2004), he joined UCSD as faculty and held visiting positions at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, EPFL (Switzerland), and the University of Trento (Italy). He became an IEEE Fellow in 2018 and was nominated a Guggenheim Fellow in 2019. His research includes networked control systems , stochastic geometry , electromagnetic information theory , and social dynamical systems . Recent work explores non-invasive emotional contagion in social networks, quantum limits on information entropy, and the physics of wave propagation. His publications bridge information theory , machine learning , and network science , often applying percolation theory and random walks to explain scaling laws and wireless signal behavior. Scientific accolades include the S.A. Schelkunoff Transactions Prize , IEEE Communications Society Best Tutorial Paper Award , and the IEEE Ruberti Young Researcher Prize . He co-authored two books: Random Networks for Communication (2007) and Wave Theory of Information (2018). His students have pursued careers in academia (e.g., IIT-Bombay, Notre Dame) and industry (e.g., Google, IBM, Tesla). He teaches courses on network science , information theory , and control systems , emphasizing data-driven analysis and the physical foundations of communication. His group’s work impacts cyber-physical systems , quantum network coding , and epidemic modeling on networks .
