Shelley D. Dionne is the Dean and Professor of Management at the School of Management, Binghamton University. She holds a BS from the Rochester Institute of Technology, an MBA, and a PhD from Binghamton University. Her research focuses on leadership teams, multi-level organizational dynamics, and social network structures. Key interests include collective decision-making, leader emergence in virtual and face-to-face settings, and the impact of leadership on innovation and medical error reporting. Her work integrates agent-based simulations, evolutionary computation, and social network analysis to explore complex organizational phenomena. Notable contributions include studies on network connectivity effects on ideation, human-robot collaboration frameworks, and the role of psychological safety in healthcare environments. She has been recognized with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (2006-2007). Her academic leadership spans over two decades, with publications addressing transformative leadership, multilevel theory applications, and the intersection of technology with organizational behavior. Current research emphasizes digital-era leadership challenges and the optimization of team performance through structural and relational interventions.
Dr. Beate Vieth is a Researcher and Data Scientist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU), with a focus on genomic technologies and computational biology. She contributes to the Enard Group and Hellmann Group, specializing in RNA sequencing methodologies, single-cell analysis, and evolutionary genetics. Her work addresses challenges in transcriptomics data processing, statistical power in experiments, and cross-species gene expression studies. Dr. Vieth holds a Dr. rer. nat. degree and has developed innovative tools like Prime-seq and mcSCRB-seq, enhancing sensitivity in RNA sequencing. Her research spans topics including regulatory sequence evolution, marker gene reliability in embryonic models, and the impact of background noise in single-cell data analysis. Her publications highlight advancements in pipeline design (e.g., zUMIs), statistical frameworks (powsimR), and functional studies of genes like Foxp2 in behavior and neurodevelopment. While no formal awards are listed, her technical contributions to genomic methodologies reflect significant academic impact. Dr. Vieth’s work bridges computational and experimental biology, with applications in understanding evolutionary processes and improving genomic data analysis workflows.
Roel A. Ophoff, PhD, is Professor-in-Residence at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) , holding joint appointments in the Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Human Genetics . Since obtaining his PhD in Human Genetics from Leiden University in 1997, he has led an expansive research program investigating the genetic and genomic underpinnings of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Education: PhD in Human Genetics, Leiden University, The Netherlands, 1997 Research Focus: Ophoff’s work integrates large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS), whole-genome and exome sequencing, epigenomics, and metabolomics to dissect the biological basis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, ALS, and Alzheimer’s disease. His laboratory leverages multi-ethnic cohorts—including under-represented populations through the PUMAS and NeuroGAP-Psychosis consortia—to identify both common and rare genetic variants influencing disease risk, age at onset, and clinical heterogeneity. Key methodological advances include the development of DNA methylation predictors for pathogenic repeat expansions, cell-type deconvolution of bulk-tissue transcriptomes, and blended sequencing strategies that maximize variant discovery while minimizing cost. Scientific Output & Impact: Across more than 250 publications, his recent contributions reveal shared and distinct genetic architectures between bipolar disorder and major depression, novel risk loci for suicide attempt, and the role of fetal neurodevelopmental gene deletions in schizophrenia. These findings have been disseminated in Nature , Nature Genetics , Nature Neuroscience , and the American Journal of Psychiatry , collectively cited thousands of times. Funding & Current Projects: Principal Investigator, NIH R21AG072390: “Improving Prediction of Prognosis in Frontotemporal Dementia Using Epigenetic and Genetic Markers of Biological Aging and Disease” (2021–2023) Co-Principal Investigator, NIH U01MH125042: “Powering Genetic Discovery for Severe Mental Illness in Latin American and African Ancestries” (2020–2025) Principal Investigator, NIH R01MH114152: “Genetic, Imaging, and Cognition study of Positive Valence Systems in Psychotic Syndromes” (2018–2023) Principal Investigator, NIH RF1AG058484: “Genetics of CSF Metabolites in Alzheimer Disease and other Brain Disorders” (2018–2023) Principal Investigator, NIH T32NS048004: “Training Grant in Neurobehavioral Genetics” (2004–2026) Research Environment: Ophoff directs a multidisciplinary team embedded within UCLA’s Neurobehavioral Genetics Laboratory . The group collaborates closely with the ENIGMA consortium, Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC), TOPMed, and several international biobanks, providing trainees and staff access to cutting-edge computational resources, high-performance clusters, and large-scale genomic datasets exceeding 100,000 individuals.
Dr. Pooya Soltani is a Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire University's Digital, Tech, Innovation & Business School. His research bridges game technology with healthcare, sports performance, and human behavior analysis. He holds a PhD in Sports Sciences (Biomechanics and Human Energetics) from the University of Porto, and MSc/BSc degrees from Shiraz University. Key research areas include mixed reality technologies' impact on human behavior, VR applications in rehabilitation, and exergaming for diabetes management. He has secured significant grants, including Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (2018) and Collège de France Postdoctoral Funding (2018-2019). Teaching focuses on serious games, military game design, and project management. His work has been featured in BBC, Bloomberg, and Daily Mail, emphasizing public engagement in technology-driven health solutions. Professional highlights include: Designed VR-based training programs for motor control and deception analysis Developed exergame policies adopted by the Brazilian Society of Diabetes Conducted workshops on tech integration for SMEs and creative enterprises Recipient of Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023 for Facilities & Social Inclusion Current roles include academic leadership, operational management, and enterprise activities, alongside ongoing research in hyper-realistic avatars and their behavioral impacts.
Dr. Tamara Polajnar is a Visiting Researcher at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on computational linguistics and natural language processing, with particular emphasis on distributional semantics and semantic compositionality. Her research interests span multiple areas including computational semantics, distributional models, and semantic composition. She develops tensor-based methods for representing meaning and investigates techniques for semantic analysis of text at different levels from phrases to documents. Her work combines theoretical linguistics with practical machine learning approaches. Her publications primarily focus on compositional distributional semantics, exploring how to effectively combine word vectors to represent larger linguistic units. Recent work examines discourse-level representations and evaluation methods for semantic models. She has contributed datasets and frameworks that advance the understanding of how computational models can capture linguistic phenomena. She actively contributes to the research community through the development of specialized datasets and evaluation resources. Her work on RELPRON provides valuable resources for evaluating compositional distributional models, while her research on short scientific summaries addresses challenges in processing academic text.
Dr. Shiwen Zhuang is an Assistant Professor at Heriot-Watt University's School of Engineering & Physical Sciences and the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering. He specializes in bioprocess science, focusing on fermentation technologies for sustainable food, beverage, and biotech applications. His work integrates multidisciplinary approaches, including AI-driven process optimization and circular economy principles. Prior roles include Senior Fermentation Scientist at Scotland's Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and Fermentation Engineer at Calysta Ltd., where he developed gas fermentation processes. Education: PhD in Brewing Science and MEng from the University of Nottingham, followed by postdoctoral research at the National Food Institute (Denmark) and Carlsberg Research Laboratory. Research Interests: High-gravity fermentation for resource efficiency Alternative protein production via fermentation Valorization of agri-food waste (e.g., CO₂, distiller's grains) AI in bioprocess optimization Current Projects: Impact of High Gravity Fermentation on Distilled Products (2023-2027; funded by Diageo/Heriot-Watt) Microbial Biomass as Novel Food (2024-2028; funded by Albida Agriculture) Grants & Collaboration: Guidance Manual on C1 Gas Safety (BBSRC-funded) Active in industry-academia partnerships (e.g., University of Edinburgh Informatics) Labs & Affiliations: Member of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) and contributor to UN SDGs related to sustainable production and climate action.
Aleksey Sikstel is a part-time faculty member at RWTH Aachen University , holding the title of Vertr.-Prof. (Part-Time Lecturer). His research focuses on advanced numerical methods for hyperbolic conservation laws, including Discontinuous Galerkin schemes, stochastic Galerkin formulations, and error estimation techniques. Key research areas: Numerical Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics, and Applied Mathematics Primary affiliation: Faculty 10 Institutions at RWTH Aachen University Contact: aleksey.sikstel@rwth-aachen.de His work emphasizes coupling hyperbolic systems, entropy-stable discretizations, and adaptive grid methods. Recent publications analyze Baer-Nunziato-type models, multiresolution strategies, and boundary control for hyperbolic equations.
Silvia Pogliaghi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences at the University of Verona. She holds academic roles in the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, contributing to interdisciplinary research on exercise physiology and aging. Her work focuses on the physiological mechanisms of exercise responses in healthy and clinical populations, with an emphasis on designing evidence-based interventions for health promotion across the lifespan. Roles: Academic leadership in departmental governance, participation in faculty councils, and membership in research committees. Teaching: Courses in Human Physiology, Sport Nutrition, and Exercise Prescription at undergraduate and graduate levels. Research: Leads projects on muscle metabolism, cardiovascular responses to exercise, and technology-driven solutions for sarcopenia prevention. Awards: No specific scientific awards listed, though her work aligns with national research grants (e.g., FFABR 2017). Research Interests : She investigates exercise physiology in aging populations, the role of physical activity in chronic disease management, and novel sensing technologies for real-time physiological monitoring. Key areas include muscle oxidative metabolism, metabolic adaptations to exercise, and the application of wearable devices in exercise science. Recent Work Trends : Her publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, combining biomechanics, sensor technology, and clinical physiology. Recent studies explore gait analysis in Parkinson’s patients, telemedicine solutions for sarcopenia, and heart rate modeling in exercise prescription. She also investigates the impact of exercise on mental health conditions like borderline personality disorder. Grants & Projects : Principal investigator on initiatives like STEX (wearable textiles for muscle activity monitoring) and studies on mitochondrial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes. Collaborates on projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (FFABR). Labs/Teams : Active in research groups focused on exercise physiology and health promotion, leveraging facilities like the Department’s Neurophysiology and Muscle Biology laboratories. Leads multidisciplinary teams in developing innovative exercise interventions for aging and clinical populations.
Inkyu Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management at California State University, East Bay. His research focuses on organizational processes, healthcare management, and technology integration in clinical workflows. He explores topics such as routine dynamics, process disruption recovery, and the application of digital trace data to improve organizational efficiency. Key areas of interest include processual shadows, clinical documentation systems, and the suitability of workflows for automation. His work combines empirical analysis with strong process theory to address challenges in healthcare informatics and technology adoption. Kim’s recent studies analyze the effects of concurrency in service organizations and the transformation of emerging technologies. He has contributed to understanding narrative networks in routines and the impact of team documentation on patient satisfaction. He holds no listed awards but has published extensively in healthcare process management and organizational behavior. His teaching and advising focus align with his research in management and IT systems.
Nicolai Konow is an Associate Professor and Co-Director of the UMOVE initiative at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), affiliated with the Department of Biological Sciences within the Kennedy College of Sciences. His research focuses on biomechanics, muscle physiology, and ecomorphology, particularly examining form-function-mechanics relationships in feeding and locomotion across vertebrates. Education: Ph.D., James Cook University; Postdoctoral training at Harvard, Brown, Johns Hopkins, and Hofstra Universities. Key Roles: Leads the Konow Lab, emphasizing experimental approaches to understand muscle-tendon interactions and their evolutionary implications. Research Interests: Investigates how biological movements arise from mechanical interactions between muscles, tendons, and skeletons. Current projects explore ecological transitions (e.g., terrestrialization), human health implications (e.g., muscle injury, aging), and biomechanical adaptations in salamanders, moles, and hummingbirds. Publications: Over 60 peer-reviewed articles, including studies on elastic recoil in feeding systems, muscle dynamics in rats, and the biomechanics of flight in bats and hummingbirds. Recent work bridges genomic and phenotypic studies of muscle function. Teaching: Instructs courses like Form Feeds Function in Vertebrate Evolution and Biology of Movement , emphasizing hands-on dissection and student-led research projects. Lab Collaborations: Partners with institutions such as Brown University, Harvard, and the University of British Columbia, focusing on comparative biomechanics and functional morphology.
Jon R. Parquette is a Professor at The Ohio State University specializing in synthetic organic chemistry, with research focusing on functional macromolecules that self-assemble into nanostructures for applications in catalysis, drug delivery, and optoelectronics. His interdisciplinary work bridges chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering. His academic background includes: B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley (1988) Ph.D. from Stanford University (1994) under Barry M. Trost as an American Chemical Society Fellow Postdoctoral research at Caltech (1996) with Peter Dervan as an American Cancer Society Fellow Parquette's research program centers on designing foldable macromolecules for enantioselective catalysis, targeted cancer therapies, and electronic materials. Key projects include supramolecular organocatalysis using dynamically chiral ligands, peptide-dendron nanostructures for optoelectronics, and stimuli-responsive systems for drug delivery. His collaborative approach integrates oncology, electrical engineering, and energy research to address national priorities in biomedicine and sustainable technology. Analysis of his 2007-2011 publications reveals dominant themes in supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology, particularly peptide-based self-assembly for n-type semiconductors, chiral amplification in dendrimers, and biomedical applications of nanostructures. His work consistently bridges fundamental organic synthesis with real-world applications in optoelectronics and cancer treatment. His scientific recognition includes: National Science Foundation CAREER AWARD (1999) American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry Fellowship American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship Supported by NSF funding, Parquette mentors students in synthetic organic techniques while developing expertise in peptide chemistry and supramolecular systems. His laboratory investigates functional dissipative systems that change structure in response to stimuli, enzyme encapsulation for carbon capture applications, and co-assembly strategies for advanced optoelectronic materials through cross-disciplinary collaborations. Current initiatives focus on developing dynamic nanostructures for controlled drug release, enhancing enzyme activity through supramolecular encapsulation, and engineering peptide-dendron hybrids for next-generation electronic devices, with strong emphasis on translating molecular design to biomedical and energy solutions.
Simon Hengeveld is a Researcher and Software Developer for Health Research at Wageningen University. He holds a PhD from Université de Rennes (2024), and bachelor's/master's degrees in Computer Science from Utrecht University. His research focuses on computational geometry, protein structure determination via Distance Geometry, and human motion analysis. He has developed applications like the UNESCO World Heritage Collect app, combining software engineering with historical and travel interests. Education: Bachelor's/Master's in Computer Science, Utrecht University PhD in Structural Biology/Computational Geometry, Université de Rennes 1 Research Interests: His work bridges computational methods with biological applications, including protein structure determination using NMR data and optical computing. He also explores human motion retargeting and geometric algorithms for adaptive maps. Simon emphasizes practical implementations, such as GPU-based solutions for 1D Distance Geometry problems. Publications: His articles span computational geometry, bioinformatics, and algorithm design, with contributions to journals like Journal of Optics and conferences such as SOCG, GSI, and BIBM. Key themes include optical processors for matrix operations and geometric algorithms for skeletal posture analysis. Awards: No scientific awards explicitly mentioned. Advising/Grants: No formal advising roles or grants detailed in the text. Labs/Teams: Developed the UNESCO World Heritage Collect app with collaborators, though no formal university lab affiliation is noted.
Diego Mastroeni is a Research Associate Professor at Arizona State University (ASU), affiliated with the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center and the Biodesign Institute. His work focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with a strong emphasis on epigenetics, mitochondrial dysfunction, and microglial biology. He holds a PhD in Neuroscience from Maastricht University and conducted postdoctoral training at the Banner Sun Health Research Institute. Research Interests: Epigenetic mechanisms in neurodegeneration Microglial and neuronal heterogeneity Single-cell transcriptomics Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers Age-related neurodegeneration Key Projects: Ongoing Alzheimer’s Association grant (2018–2021): Investigating gender effects in Alzheimer’s cell populations NOMIS Foundation-funded project (2018–2023): Creating a public resource of brain cell RNA sequencing data EU JPND Research initiative (2017–2021): Targeting epigenetic dysregulation in Alzheimer’s Publications: Over 40 peer-reviewed articles, including seminal work on DNA methylation in Alzheimer’s and laser capture microdissection techniques. Recent focus on microglial transcriptomics and novel therapeutic targets. Teaching: Involvement in undergraduate research courses (e.g., BCH 392, BIO 495) emphasizing research techniques and honors thesis supervision.
Rob Rioux is the Friedrich G. Helfferich Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Chemistry at Pennsylvania State University. He serves as Associate Department Head of Chemical Engineering. His research focuses on catalysis, nanomaterials, and energy-related applications, with emphasis on intermetallic compounds, single-atom catalysts, and catalytic reaction mechanisms. Key areas include heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, and the design of novel catalysts for selective hydrogenation, CO2 capture, and biomass conversion. Education details are not explicitly provided in the text, though his roles and publications suggest advanced training in chemical engineering and chemistry. The Rioux Lab at Penn State conducts interdisciplinary research, involving postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers. Notable collaborations include work with the Matsoukas group on energetic materials and Janik’s group on catalytic hydrogenation mechanisms. Research interests span catalyst synthesis (e.g., intermetallics, gamma-brass alloys), nanocrystal growth mechanisms, and surface chemistry. Techniques employed include isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and density functional theory (DFT). Recent studies highlight the role of chloride ions in nanoparticle synthesis, solvent effects on catalytic reactions, and the development of high-throughput catalyst evaluation methods. Publications emphasize catalytic selectivity, reaction kinetics, and material characterization. The lab actively explores applications in renewable energy, including hydrogen evolution from photocatalysts and CO2 sequestration. Equipment includes advanced spectroscopic and calorimetric tools for in situ analysis of catalytic processes.
Emanuel Vonach is a PreDoc Researcher at the Institute of Visual Computing & Human-Centered Technology at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), specializing in virtual reality, haptics, and tangible user interfaces. His work focuses on developing innovative VR systems with robotic haptic feedback, health monitoring technologies for children, and motion capture applications. He maintains an active research profile with publications spanning from 2011 to 2025, demonstrating continuous contribution to the field of human-computer interaction. Vonach's research interests primarily center around enhancing virtual reality experiences through physical interaction. His work explores how robots can provide haptic feedback in VR environments, developing systems like CoboDeck (a large-scale haptic VR system using collaborative mobile robots) and Action-Origami inspired haptic devices. He has also pioneered applications in health monitoring for children through projects like MediCubes, which transforms medical examinations into engaging storytelling experiences using tangible interfaces. His research bridges the gap between theoretical computer science and practical applications in healthcare, education, and emergency response. His publication record shows a clear progression from foundational work in motion capture and tracking systems to increasingly sophisticated haptic VR applications. Recent publications focus on environment-independent locomotion prediction for haptic VR and safety monitoring systems for encountered-type haptics, indicating a maturation of his research toward more complex, real-world applications. The consistent funding from organizations like the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and European Commission demonstrates recognition of his work's significance. Vonach actively supervises graduate students, with thesis topics covering mobile collaborating robots for haptics, in-situ questionnaires for haptic experience, and visual assessment with eye-tracking displays. His role as a PreDoc Researcher with FWF funding suggests he is either completing or has recently completed his doctoral studies while maintaining an active research program. His collaborations with Professor Hannes Kaufmann and other researchers at TU Wien form a cohesive research group focused on advancing VR and haptic technologies.
