Dr. ONG Ghim Ping Raymond is an Associate Professor and Deputy Head (Research) at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore (NUS). He concurrently serves as Director (Operations) at the Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) Singapore. His expertise spans sustainable pavements, multimodal transport infrastructure, and urban mobility systems. Dr. Ong holds a B.Eng (Civil) with First Class Honours and a PhD from NUS, followed by postdoctoral research at Purdue University. He has authored/co-authored over 85 peer-reviewed journal articles and 120 conference papers. His research focuses on circular economy applications in infrastructure, car-lite urban design, and mega-projects like Tuas Port and Changi Airport expansions. Dr. Ong actively engages in policy advisory roles, serving on international committees for ASCE, ASTM, and EASTS. He has received prestigious awards including the Alfred Noble Prize (ASCE) and Takeuchi Yoshio Award (OCDI). His teaching accolades include multiple NUS Faculty of Engineering commendations. He advises on critical infrastructure projects for agencies like Changi Airport Group and Defence Science and Technology Agency. Dr. Ong frequently contributes to public discourse on transport and urban planning via media interviews and policy consultations.
Professor Scott Sisson is Director of the UNSW Data Science Hub (uDASH) and Professor of Statistics and Data Science at the University of New South Wales, School of Mathematics and Statistics. His research focuses on computational statistics, particularly solving 'intractable' statistical problems through Bayesian methods, big data techniques, simulation algorithms, and extreme value theory with environmental applications. Education includes a PhD in Statistics from Bristol University (2002), MSc in Environmental Statistics from Lancaster University (1997), and BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from Lancaster University (1996). Research interests span: Bayesian statistics and uncertainty quantification Big data analytics and scalable algorithms Machine learning integration with statistical methods Extreme value modeling for climate/environment Computational techniques for intractable problems Recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on Bayesian computation, spatiotemporal modeling, and interdisciplinary applications in materials science, oncology, quantum computing, transportation policy, and ecology. Methodological innovations include likelihood-free inference, modular Bayesian analyses, and symbolic data modeling. Awards and honors: 2020 Service Award (Statistical Society of Australia) 2017 ARC Future Fellowship 2015 G. N. Alexander Medal (Engineers Australia) 2011 Moran Medal (Australian Academy of Science) 2010 J.G. Russell Award (Australian Academy of Science) 2010 Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship As Director of uDASH, he leads data science initiatives across UNSW. He maintains sustained ARC funding and supervises students in computational statistics, Bayesian methods, extreme value theory, and machine learning. Professional service includes editorial roles for Statistics and Computing and past presidency of Statistical Society of Australia.
Hyunghoon Cho is an Assistant Professor at Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Biomedical Informatics & Data Science, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Computer Science. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT (2019) and MS/BS in Computer Science from Stanford University (2013). His research focuses on computational challenges in biomedical data privacy, single-cell genomics, and network biology. Assistant Professor (Primary): Biomedical Informatics & Data Science Assistant Professor (Secondary): Computer Science Appointments: Yale School of Medicine | Broad Institute (Schmidt Fellow) Research Themes: Privacy-Enhancing Technologies for genomic and health data Scalable AI/ML tools for omics data analysis Structured biological modeling for system-level discovery His work includes secure GWAS, transcriptomic privacy assessment, and sfkit - a federated genomic analysis toolkit. He received the NIH Director's Early Independence Award and leads NSF-funded projects on confidential genome analytics. Awards: NIH Director's Early Independence Award Lab Members: Haris Smajlović (Postdoc), Vincent Angelo (CBB MS), Denis Loginov (Senior Software Engineer), Lucy Zheng (CBB PhD)
Stephen Billings is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, where he holds the Global Real Estate Capital Markets Chair position. He serves as the faculty director of the MS in Real Estate program and research director for the CU Real Estate Center. His work spans multiple research centers including the Center for Research on Consumer Financial Decision Making and the Michael A. Klump Center for Real Estate. Billings received his PhD in Economics from the University of Colorado, a MS in urban planning from the University of North Carolina, and a BS in economics from Georgetown University. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2016, he was faculty at the University of North Carolina Charlotte with appointments in both economics and public policy, where he also served as faculty director for the real estate center. His research focuses on the intersection of housing, schools, neighborhoods and crime, addressing critical policy issues including the impact of public investment in light-rail transit on neighborhoods, school segregation's influence on academic achievement and crime, neighborhood gentrification causes, lead-based paint in low-income housing, and the effects of sea level rise and natural disasters on neighborhood sorting and household finances. Billings employs sophisticated analysis of large micro-datasets with studies based on data and policies in Charlotte, NC and Denver, CO. His work connects urban economics with public policy, demonstrating how neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes across multiple dimensions. Billings' recent publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on neighborhood effects, school choice impacts, crime economics, and housing market dynamics. His work frequently examines the intersection of race, housing, and economic outcomes, with particular attention to policy implications. He has developed innovative methodological approaches to studying residential amenities and neighborhood spillovers, with increasing attention to climate change impacts on housing markets. His research appears in top journals including The Quarterly Journal of Economics, American Economic Review: Insights, and Journal of Urban Economics. As an educator, Billings teaches undergraduate and masters classes in real estate finance and economics, as well as doctoral and masters level courses on cost-benefit analysis and statistical methods. He has extensive consulting experience conducting economic impact studies, including assessments of North Carolina's public higher education system, affordable housing needs in Colorado communities, and the economic effects of marijuana legalization on property markets. His practical policy work complements his academic research, creating a bridge between theoretical insights and real-world applications. Billings leads significant research initiatives through the CU Real Estate Center, where he directs studies examining the impact of business improvement districts and other urban development policies. His work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, making substantial contributions to our understanding of how housing, education, and neighborhood environments shape individual outcomes and community development. His December 2023 memo on the HUD Officer Next Door Program exemplifies his engagement with current housing policy issues.
Dr. Robert Huber serves as a Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zürich, specializing in Agricultural Economics and Policy. His research focuses on the integration of interdisciplinary knowledge to analyze and evaluate management and policy options that promote sustainable development in the agricultural sector. Institution: ETH Zürich Department: Agricultural Economics and Policy Research Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Policy Methodologies: Bio-economic and agent-based modeling Dr. Huber's research explores how multifunctional agricultural sectors can provide essential non-market goods and services while maintaining their primary economic function of food production. His work applies bio-economic and agent-based modeling techniques to understand farmers' decision-making processes regarding ecosystem services provision, coupled with economic valuation techniques to analyze societal demand for these services. His research aims to identify effective and efficient policy measures that align supply and demand for ecosystem services at landscape scale. His recent publications demonstrate strong expertise in agricultural policy analysis, climate change mitigation strategies, sustainable farming practices, and innovative modeling approaches. His work spans topics from herbicide-free agriculture using remote sensing technologies to biodiversity enhancement in agricultural landscapes and the cost-effectiveness of different climate change mitigation policies at various scales. Remote sensing applications in sustainable agriculture Behavioral aspects of farmer decision-making Policy evaluation methodologies Climate change adaptation in farming systems Economic valuation of ecosystem services Digitalization impacts on agricultural policy Dr. Huber has published extensively in high-impact journals including Journal of Agricultural Economics, People and Nature, and Q Open. His collaborative research often involves interdisciplinary teams addressing complex agricultural sustainability challenges. His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on practical policy implications derived from rigorous empirical analysis.
Bernadka Dubicka is a Clinical Professor and Honorary Clinical Chair in the Division of Neuroscience at the University of Manchester. She holds dual roles as a research lead at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust and as the child and adolescent mental health research lead for Health Innovation Manchester. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and previously served as Chair of the Child and Adolescent Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2017–2021). Her academic qualifications include a BSc in Psychology and MBBs from University College London, followed by FRCPsych accreditation in child psychiatry. She earned a gold medal for her MD thesis on behavioral disorder implications in depression. Dubicka’s research focuses on adolescent depression, mood disorders, and brief interventions, including the IMPACT and STADIA trials evaluating psychological treatments and standardized diagnostic assessments. Her work also addresses technology’s role in youth mental health and the eco-crisis’s mental health impacts. Education: BSc Psychology, University College London MBBs, University of London MD Thesis (Gold Medal), University College London FRCPsych, Royal College of Psychiatrists Her research spans depression treatment efficacy, behavioral activation, and cross-national studies on pediatric bipolar disorder. She collaborates internationally and has led over 49 publications. Awards include a gold medal for her thesis and recognition as an RCPsych Fellow. Her work also emphasizes policy advocacy, such as addressing digital rights for children and mental health responses to climate change (e.g., COP26 contributions). She trains clinicians in brief psychosocial interventions and behavioral activation through academic programs and national courses. Grants & Funding: Co-investigator on the £1.1M HTA-funded STADIA trial evaluating remote mental health assessments. Principal investigator on the IMPACT trial, one of the largest adolescent depression trials globally. Labs/Teams: Collaborations include the University of Cambridge (IMPACT trial), University of Nottingham (STADIA), and international taskforces on treatment-resistant depression.
Sanjay Purushotham is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Systems at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), with a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC) and a postdoctoral background in Computer Science at USC's Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC). His research focuses on machine learning, data mining, and their applications in biomedical informatics, social network analysis, and multimedia data mining. Key contributions include survival analysis models using pseudo values and federated learning frameworks for healthcare data. He has received awards including the Best Paper Award at SIGSPATIAL 2014 and a Best Poster Runnerup at SCMLS 2016. Education: PhD in Electrical Engineering (USC), Postdoc in Computer Science (USC) His work spans interdisciplinary areas such as domain adaptation for remote sensing, thermal face translation, and interpretable neural networks for medical applications. Recent projects include federated survival analysis models and climate-informatics frameworks for cloud property retrieval. He teaches courses in artificial intelligence, healthcare informatics, and statistical learning at UMBC. Research highlights include developing MedFuseNet for multimodal medical question answering and VDAM for multi-sensor cloud data analysis. His work on fair survival analysis models addresses algorithmic bias in healthcare predictions. Current grants include a NSF CAREER award for trustworthy federated learning in computational healthcare.
M. Granger Morgan is the Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University , with appointments in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy , Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , and H. John Heinz III College . He co-directs the NSF Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making and the Electricity Industry Center at CMU. Education: Ph.D., Applied Physics and Information Science, University of California, San Diego (1969) M.S., Astronomy and Space Science, Cornell University (1965) B.A., Physics, Harvard College (1963) His research spans science, technology, and public policy with focus areas in energy systems , climate change mitigation , electric grid resilience , and uncertainty characterization in policy analysis . Recent publications analyze hydrogen market barriers , carbon sequestration timelines , and interdependent energy infrastructure risks . Scientific leadership includes: Member, National Academy of Sciences Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Co-chair, NAS Report Review Committee Board member, International Risk Governance Council Foundation Advisory Board, E.ON Energy Research Center, RWTH Aachen DOE Electricity Advisory Committee member Former EPA Science Advisory Board Chair Fellow of AAAS, IEEE, and Society for Risk Analysis Contact: Office 5220 Wean Hall, Phone 412-268-2672, Email granger.morgan@andrew.cmu.edu
Magda Posani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Aalto University, focusing on building physics, hygrothermal behavior of materials, and environmental sustainability. Her research explores the use of bio-based insulation, thermally massive stone and earth walls, and additive manufacturing techniques to enhance indoor comfort and address climate change challenges in Nordic regions. Integrated Master's Degree in 'Building Engineering and Architecture' from the University of Bologna (Italy) Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) and the University of Porto (FEUP, Portugal) Postdoctoral Research at ETH Zürich (Switzerland) Her research integrates vernacular solutions with modern technology, such as combining additive manufacturing with super-hygroscopic materials to develop components for passive humidity regulation. She addresses critical issues like occupant comfort, health risks from improper humidity, and climate change impacts on traditional constructions. The articles highlight her work on low-carbon materials, 3D-printed building components, and strategies for enhancing hygrothermal performance in both modern and historic structures. Key themes include moisture buffering, thermal insulation compatibility, and climate-resilient renovation.
Sheila Jasanoff is the Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she founded and directs the STS Program. Previously, she was the founding chair of the STS Department at Cornell University. She holds AB, JD, and PhD degrees from Harvard University, along with honorary doctorates from the Universities of Twente and Liège. Current Position: Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies (2002-present) Previous Position: Professor of Science Policy and Law at Cornell University (1991-1998) Education: AB (Mathematics) from Radcliffe College, PhD (Linguistics) and JD from Harvard University Professor Jasanoff's research explores the role of science and technology in the law, politics, and policy of modern democracies, with particular attention to environmental and biotechnology regulation in Europe and the U.S. She is a pioneer in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), having authored over 130 articles and chapters and written or edited more than 15 books, including The Fifth Branch , Science at the Bar , Designs on Nature , The Ethics of Invention , and Can Science Make Sense of Life? Her recent scholarly work focuses on climate communication, genome editing ethics, and the integration of STS perspectives into engineering and public policy. Jasanoff's publications demonstrate a consistent engagement with how different societies conceptualize scientific knowledge and incorporate it into governance structures, with particular attention to sociotechnical imaginaries and civic epistemologies. Holberg Prize (2022), often dubbed the 'Nobel Prize for social science and humanities' SSRC's Hirschman Prize Humboldt Foundation's Reimar-Lüst Award Guggenheim Fellowship Ehrenkreuz from the Government of Austria Foreign memberships in the British Academy and the Royal Danish Academy Jasanoff has served on the AAAS Board of Directors and as President of the Society for Social Studies of Science. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Her sponsored projects include the Global Observatory on Genome Editing funded by the John Templeton Foundation and Belmont Forum Collaborative Research on Governance of Sociotechnical Transformations funded by the National Science Foundation. She has held distinguished visiting appointments at leading universities worldwide and serves on numerous scientific advisory boards including at the Holberg Foundation, National Academy of Sciences, and University of Cambridge.
Professor Emily So serves as Deputy Head of the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Cambridge and directs the Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment (CURBE). A chartered civil engineer with extensive field experience, she holds leadership roles in the Open-Oxford-Cambridge AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership and chairs the Faculty EDI Committee. Her research focuses on urban risk and resilience , particularly in earthquake-prone regions. Combining structural engineering with epidemiological approaches, she develops innovative casualty estimation models and engages directly with affected communities worldwide. Her work spans seismic safety, disaster epidemiology, and remote sensing applications for rapid damage assessment. Professor So's publication trends reveal strong emphasis on machine learning for disaster risk modeling , with recent work featuring graph neural networks, deep clustering for urban morphology, and LSTM-based population forecasting. Her research bridges engineering, social sciences, and data science to address resilience in developing nations. 2010 Shah Family Innovation Prize (Earthquake Engineering Research Institute) Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE) Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) member advising UK government As Director of CURBE, she leads interdisciplinary collaborations with EEFIT, Global Earthquake Model (GEM), World Bank, and USGS. Her field investigations following major earthquakes inform practical solutions for vulnerable communities, notably contributing to the 2017 World Building of the Year design in China. Current work includes sabbatical research for 2025-2026 focused on decolonizing architectural approaches to disaster resilience. Professor So maintains active roles in professional organizations and international disaster response frameworks, with her CURBE team developing methodologies now implemented globally for seismic safety improvements.
Prof. Senthold Asseng is a Professor of Digital Agriculture at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), leading the Hans Eisenmann Forum for Agricultural Sciences since 2021. His research focuses on climate-plant-soil systems modeling, addressing global food security, sustainable agriculture, and digital technologies like vertical farming and autonomous robotics. He holds a PhD from Humboldt University Berlin and habilitation from TUM, with prior roles at CSIRO Australia and the University of Florida (as Full Professor and Director of the Florida Climate Institute). His honors include AAAS Fellow, Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, and multiple teaching/mentorship awards. Education: BSc/MSc in Agronomy & Horticulture, Humboldt University Berlin (1989-1990) PhD in Agronomy, Humboldt University Berlin (1994) Habilitation in Agronomy, TUM (2004) Research Interests: Climate change impacts on crops, digital agriculture technologies, systems analysis for autonomous farming, and vertical farming sustainability. His work integrates modeling, robotics, and environmental control to enhance agricultural resilience and productivity. Awards: AAAS Fellow (2019) Highly Cited Researcher (2019) UF Research Foundation Professor (2016-2019) Grants & Leadership: Led interdisciplinary projects like AgMIP-Wheat, SECC, and FAO advisory roles. Active in editorial roles for journals like Global Change Biology and Environmental Research Letters . Labs/Teams: Chair of Digital Agriculture at TUM, collaborating on projects like Smartfield and Proteins4Singapore , focusing on automation, controlled environment agriculture, and climate-smart solutions.
Prof. Willy Tinner is a leading academic at the University of Bern, serving as Head of the Paleoecology section and Vice Executive Director within the Institute of Plant Sciences. His research focuses on reconstructing past environmental changes through pollen analysis, vegetation dynamics, and human-ecosystem interactions. Tinner's work integrates paleoecological data with climatology, archaeology, and conservation biology to understand long-term ecological processes. His expertise spans Holocene climate impacts, Neolithic land use patterns, and biodiversity conservation challenges in alpine and Mediterranean ecosystems. Notable research includes studies on Fagus-Quercus forest coexistence in Italy, Abies alba climatic adaptations, and human-driven vegetation changes across Europe. Tinner collaborates internationally, contributing to projects in Greece, Ukraine, and the Balkans. He has published extensively on topics such as fire regimes, lake sediment archives, and the ecological consequences of ancient agricultural practices. His leadership positions reflect his role in shaping Switzerland's ecological research priorities through institutions like WSL Cadenazzo.
Richard E. Turner is a Professor of Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering and Research Lead for AI for Weather Prediction at the Alan Turing Institute. He serves as Cambridge Lead for the EPSRC Probabilistic AI Hub and previously held roles including Visiting Researcher at Microsoft Research, Co-Director of the AI4ER CDT, and Course Director for the Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence MPhil program. Current research focuses on probabilistic machine learning fundamentals, environmental prediction (weather/climate), and spatio-temporal modeling combining deep learning with Bayesian methods Supervised 26 PhD students (13 graduated) and 7 research assistants/associates Secured over £30M in research funding from EPSRC, Microsoft, Toyota, Google, DeepMind, Amazon, and Improbable Featured in BBC Radio 5 Live's The Naked Scientist, BBC World Service's Click, and Wired Magazine His recent publications demonstrate expertise in diffusion models for PDE simulations, Gaussian Processes for environmental applications, and Bayesian methods for spatio-temporal forecasting. Key trends include climate modeling using ML, neural PDE solvers, and scalable probabilistic inference. Awards : Cambridge Students' Union Teaching Award for Lecturing; supervised Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship winner Collaborations : Microsoft Research (AI4Science), Alan Turing Institute, EPSRC Probabilistic AI Hub Turner leads the Turner Group within Cambridge's Machine Learning Group, focusing on uncertainty-aware ML for scientific applications. Current research assistants work on topics like meta-learning, Bayesian inference, and climate science applications.
Professor Ana Mijic is a leading academic in water systems integration at Imperial College London's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Faculty of Engineering). Her work focuses on developing systems tools to balance economic growth with sustainable water use, flood management, and water quality under future uncertainties. She leads high-profile projects like the EPSRC VENTURA initiative and the NERC CAMELLIA impact programme, emphasizing adaptive planning and grey/green infrastructure integration in urban systems. Education: BEng (First Class) in Civil Engineering from the University of Belgrade (Serbia), MSc (Distinction) in Hydrology for Environmental Management, and PhD in Earth Science & Engineering from Imperial College London (2013). Previously served as a teaching assistant in Fluid Mechanics and Hydrometry at Belgrade University. Research interests include whole-water system modelling, socio-hydrological interactions, and nature-based solutions for resilient urban water systems. Her work bridges academia and practice through partnerships with regulators like the UK Environment Agency and global initiatives like the IAHS HELPING programme. Awards include the Satish Dhawan Visiting Chair Professorship (2022) and the 2019 Imperial President’s Award for Excellence in Research (as part of her Hydrology team). She co-leads Imperial’s Transition to Zero Pollution (TZP) Urban Ecosystems theme and serves on editorial boards for journals like Water Security . Her contributions span over 50 peer-reviewed articles (2020–2025), focusing on integrated water management frameworks, AI-driven monitoring, and systemic approaches to urban resilience. She advocates for participatory decision-making and policy coherence in water governance.
