Sri AravindaKrishnan Thyagarajan is a Lecturer at The University of Sydney's School of Computer Science, specializing in cryptography. He focuses on enhancing security and fairness in distributed systems, blockchains, and multi-party computations with applications in post-quantum cryptography. His work spans top-tier conferences like ACM CCS and IEEE SP. Education: B.Tech, Computer Science & Engineering, National Institute of Technology Trichy, India (2011–2015) M.Sc., Computer Science, Saarland University, Germany (2015–2016) Ph.D., Applied Cryptography, Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany (2016–2021) Research Interests: Cryptography (classical and post-quantum), blockchain security, cryptocurrencies, fairness in multi-party computations, privacy-preserving protocols, and decentralized systems. Recent Articles: Focus on cryptographic protocols for blockchains, threshold cryptography, verifiable randomness, and secure atomic swaps. Recent work includes advancements in post-quantum signatures, distributed randomness generation, and privacy-preserving payment systems. Awards: Nominated for GI Dissertationspreis 2021 Advising & Grants: Advising Ankit Kapoor. Active in program committees for CCS, IEEE SP, and FC. Currently Program Chair for Crypto Valley Conference 2025. Labs/Teams: Part of the Sydney Blockchain Centre and cybersecurity cluster at the University of Sydney. Collaborates globally with institutions like NTT Research, Carnegie Mellon University, and Bocconi University.
Professor Paolo Fornasiero is a Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Trieste, Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he has worked since 1998. He serves as Deputy Director of the department since 2021 and Scientific Responsible of the CNR Research Unit associated with the Institute of Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds (ICCOM) since 2008. His career spans EU projects, bilateral collaborations with China, India, and Argentina, and leadership roles in journals like ACS Catalysis (Executive Editor since 2021). Full Professor (2016–present) Associate Professor (2006–2016) Assistant Professor (1998–2006) Post-Doc, University of Reading (1996–1997) His research focuses on multi-functional metal-oxide nanosystems for energy and environmental catalysis, including green hydrogen production , CO2 valorization , and methane emission control . He pioneered core-shell catalysts and single-atom systems for stability and selectivity. His work extends to solid oxide fuel cells and photocatalytic water depollution . Recent publications highlight trends in photothermal catalysis , single-atom catalysts , and CO2 electroreduction . His 280+ papers (3 in Science , 2 in Nature Communications ) reflect expertise across Environmental Catalysis , Nanomaterials , and Green Energy . 2022 Malatesta Medal 2021 European Academy of Sciences member 2017 Edoardo Kramer Award 2016 Heinz Heinemann Award 2013 Chiusoli Gold Medal He oversees PhD/postdoc advising and participates in global capacity-building via UNIDO and World Academy of Sciences . His lab collaborates with institutions like KAUST , Czech Academy of Sciences , and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics .
Ulrich Vogt is a Professor in Applied Physics at Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) and leads the X-ray Optics and Nanoimaging group within the Bio-Opto-Nano unit. He serves as Vice-head of the Applied Physics department for undergraduate education. His research focuses on developing advanced X-ray microscopy techniques, particularly at synchrotron facilities like MAX IV’s NanoMAX beamline. He specializes in X-ray optics, nanoimaging, and diffractive optical elements for applications in materials science, biology, and medicine. Key contributions include the design of the NanoMAX beamline, optimization of X-ray zone plates via metal-assisted chemical etching, and advancements in multi-beam ptychography. Vogt has pioneered compact X-ray microscopy systems using laser-plasma sources and liquid-jet targets. His work integrates nanofabrication, computational imaging, and synchrotron instrumentation to achieve sub-100 nm resolution in hard and soft X-ray regimes. Teaching responsibilities include courses on experimental physics, photonics, and X-ray applications. His lab collaborates internationally on projects like the European XFEL, emphasizing high-brightness sources and radiation-resistant optics. Recent innovations include adaptive multi-beam ptychography and stereo X-ray imaging for 3D nanoscale visualization. Research highlights span over 100 peer-reviewed articles, with a focus on coherence characterization, beamline instrumentation, and nanostructured materials. Vogt’s grants include a Röntgen-Ångström Cluster award supporting multi-beam ptychography and cryo-microscopy advancements.
Dr. Daphné Chopard is a Researcher affiliated with the Professorship for Medical Data Science at ETH Zürich. Her work focuses on advancing medical data science through machine learning, clinical informatics, and multimodal learning applications in healthcare. She specializes in areas such as time-series analysis in critical care, generative models for medical data, and natural language processing for clinical texts. Her research emphasizes improving healthcare outcomes through innovative data-driven approaches, including projects like the SwissPedHealth pediatric data network and foundational work on multimodal variational autoencoders. Dr. Chopard’s contributions span clinical decision support systems, adverse event detection in trials, and acronym disambiguation in medical narratives. Her recent projects include studies on ventilation protocols in pediatric critical care and weakly-supervised learning applied to medical imaging datasets like MIMIC-CXR. She collaborates on initiatives to enhance representation learning in multimodal healthcare contexts, reflecting her commitment to bridging AI advancements with practical clinical applications.
Oded Regev is a Silver Professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. He has previously held positions at Tel Aviv University and École Normale Supérieure, Paris (CNRS). His research spans theoretical computer science, cryptography, quantum computation, and machine learning applications in biological discovery. Education: PhD in Computer Science, Tel Aviv University (2001) Regev is renowned for his work in lattice-based cryptography, including the introduction of the Learning With Errors (LWE) problem and Gaussian measures. He also leads research using interpretable machine learning to decode RNA splicing logic and nuclear speckle dynamics, with implications in disease and therapeutics. His recent articles focus on quantum factoring, RNA localization, and geometric lattice bounds. Scientific Awards: European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant (2008) 2018 Gödel Prize 2019 Simons Investigator Award Best Paper Awards: STOC 2003, Eurocrypt 2006 Regev mentors students and postdocs in both theoretical computer science and computational biology. His lab has secured funding from NSF, NIH, and Additional Ventures. He co-founded the TCS+ online seminar series and serves as Associate Editor-in-Chief for Theory of Computing .
Leah Doane is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University (ASU) since 2025. She holds affiliations with the Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics and previously served as Associate Dean of Graduate Initiatives in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (2024). Her academic background includes a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University (2002), M.A. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Social Policy from Northwestern University (2006/2008), and a postdoc at the University of Chicago in Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience. Research focuses on developmental psychopathology, examining links between health behaviors, physiological stress (e.g., cortisol), and stressful experiences across childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood—with particular emphasis on Latinx youth and college transition challenges. Key themes include cultural adaptation, sleep health, epigenetic influences, and bicultural stress. Funded by NIH, CDC, and Army Research Institute, her work integrates ecological and ambulatory assessment methods. Leadership roles include Director of Faculty Success, Developmental Graduate Training Area Head, and Deputy Chair in ASU's Psychology Department. Awards include William T. Grant Foundation Scholar (2025-). Active in teaching advanced courses on research methods and thesis supervision, she mentors students through courses like Honors Thesis (PSY 493), Research (PSY 792), and Dissertation (PSY 799). Key grants include studies on Latino youth college pathways (Helios Education Foundation, 2015-2016), genetic/environmental influences on sleep and behavior (NICHD, 2015-2020), and culturally informed interventions. The Adolescent Stress and Emotion Lab (adolescentstressandemotionlab.org) serves as her research hub.
John Y. Campbell is the Morton L. and Carole S. Olshan Professor of Economics at Harvard University, affiliated with the Department of Economics within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He is on leave during Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. His research focuses on financial economics and macroeconomics, including asset pricing, household finance, and portfolio choice. Campbell has authored influential books such as Fixed: Why Personal Finance is Broken (2025) and Financial Decisions and Markets (2018). He served as President of the American Finance Association (2005), delivered the American Economic Association’s Ely Lecture (2016), and holds honorary doctorates from multiple institutions. His roles include Research Associate (former Director) at NBER’s Program in Asset Pricing, and board member of Arrowstreet Capital, a quantitative asset management firm. Education: Honorary doctorates from BI Norwegian Business School, Maastricht University, University of Paris Dauphine, and Copenhagen Business School. Professional affiliations include Fellowships with the Econometric Society, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, British Academy, and honorary fellowships at Oxford’s Corpus Christi College. Research interests emphasize asset pricing dynamics, macroeconomic influences on financial markets, and household financial decision-making. His work integrates empirical methods to address policy-relevant questions in consumer finance and institutional investing. Recent trends in his publications focus on systemic risk, mortgage market design, and sustainable long-term investment strategies. Key contributions include analyzing fiscal policy impacts, equity valuation frameworks, and behavioral biases in household finance. Scientific awards highlight his academic leadership: multiple honorary degrees, prestigious fellowships, and recognition in global economic institutions. His advisory roles extend to policy-making via the Squam Lake Report (2010) and co-founding Arrowstreet Capital, applying academic insights to practical asset management challenges. Grants and advising: Campbell’s research has been supported by NBER and institutional partnerships. He advises on macroeconomic stability, financial regulation, and university endowment management strategies. His work often bridges theory and practice, influencing both academic discourse and real-world financial systems.
Emily Cook is an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University, focusing on higher education economics, policy analysis, and institutional decision-making. Her research examines topics such as college pricing structures, STEM education funding, vaccine mandate impacts, and market dynamics in education and aviation sectors. She employs rigorous empirical methodologies to evaluate policy outcomes and institutional behaviors. Her work highlights how federal funding influences STEM curricula, how tuition policies affect student major choices, and the role of peer institutions in shaping reopening strategies during crises. Cook also investigates the equity implications of college pricing models and the structural evolution of industries such as airlines and higher education markets. Notable areas of focus include the interplay between public health policies and educational continuity, the competitive landscape of US universities, and the socioeconomic factors influencing student transitions from high school to college.
Roles and Affiliations : Dimitris Kolovos is a Professor of Software Engineering at the University of York's Department of Computer Science. He leads the Automated Software Engineering (ASE) research group and is an Eclipse Foundation committer, leading development of the Epsilon open-source platform. His roles include research leadership, teaching, and academic service. Education : PhD in Software Engineering - University of York MSc in Software Engineering with Distinction - University of York First Class Honours Degree in Informatics - Athens University of Economics and Business Research Interests : Kolovos focuses on advancing Model-Driven Engineering (MDE), GenAI integration in software development, low-code platforms, and data analytics. His work emphasizes scalable modeling tools, education technology (e.g., MDENet platform), and industry collaboration with organizations like NASA, BAE Systems, and Siemens. Labs and Projects : He leads the Epsilon project under the Eclipse Modelling initiative, developing tools for model transformation, validation, and code generation. His research group also explores AI-driven model transformations and hybrid graphical-textual editors.
Prof. Dr. Sven Höfling is the Head of Chair and leader of the '2D Materials' Group at the Department of Technical Physics, University of Würzburg. His research focuses on semiconductor nanostructures, photonic systems, and quantum materials, with expertise in low-dimensional systems and light-matter interactions. He leads projects in the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat and collaborates on EU, DFG, and industry-funded initiatives in quantum technology and nanophotonics. Affiliations: Chair of Technical Physics, University of Würzburg Address: Am Hubland, P1 Building (Room AU26), 97074 Würzburg, Germany Research highlights include topological polariton lasers, quantum dot photonics, and mid-infrared optoelectronics. His work spans experimental physics with strong ties to theoretical models, emphasizing applications in quantum computing and optoelectronic devices. Recent advances include room-temperature polariton lasers and strain-tunable single-photon sources. Key projects include the Würzburg-Wroclaw Nanophotonics Center and collaborations with KAIST-JMU on quantum technology. His lab employs advanced fabrication techniques like circular Bragg gratings and resonant tunneling diodes.
Jordan Boyd-Graber is a Full Professor at the University of Maryland, affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). His research focuses on machine learning, natural language processing, computational linguistics, topic models, and question answering. He has made significant contributions to the development of interactive topic modeling systems and evaluations of large language models. His work often bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, such as improving human-AI collaboration and enhancing the interpretability of machine learning models. Boyd-Graber’s research also addresses challenges in adversarial examples, calibration of models, and the ethical implications of AI systems. His recent publications span cutting-edge topics like evaluating topic models through ProxAnn, mitigating hallucinations in vision-language models, and exploring human-AI complementarity in question answering. He collaborates extensively with researchers in computer science, linguistics, and social sciences to advance interdisciplinary applications of NLP and ML.
Dr. Imad El Haddad serves as Group Head of the Molecular Cluster and Particle Processes group at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry (LAC), part of the Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland, since 2018. Previously, he held positions as Tenured Scientist and Deputy Head (2018-2019), Senior Scientist in the Smog Chamber group (2015-2018), and Postdoctoral Fellow (2011-2015) at PSI. His research aims to quantify how anthropogenic emissions alter atmospheric pollutant composition and impact Earth's climate and public health through molecular-level analysis using advanced mass spectrometry techniques. His academic background includes: Ph.D. in Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Provence, Marseille (2007-2011) Master's in Environmental Sciences (with distinction, rank 1/9), University of Provence (2006-2007) Master's in General Chemistry (with distinction, rank 1/10), Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (2005-2006) Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (with distinction, rank 1/14), Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (2002-2005) El Haddad's work centers on molecular fingerprinting of atmospheric aerosols , utilizing mass spectrometry (GC/MS, HPLC/APCI-MS2, HPLC/ESI-MS2) to identify primary and secondary molecular markers. He conducts smog chamber experiments to characterize emissions from wood burning, traffic, and cooking processes, determining secondary organic aerosol potential and oxidation state evolution. His group also studies in-cloud aqueous-phase aging and collaborates with global modelers to link aerosol composition to climate forcing and health outcomes like oxidative stress. Recent publications (2025-2024) reveal three dominant trends: (1) rigorous molecular-scale analysis of secondary aerosol formation under varying humidity/temperature, (2) source apportionment breakthroughs in diverse regions (India, Europe, Arctic) using 14C and AMS data, and (3) quantification of health-relevant aerosol properties such as oxidative potential through DTT assays. High-resolution mass spectrometry is a consistent methodological thread across these studies. His scientific awards include: MENRT research fellowship from French ministry of research (2007-2010) Excellence Scholarship (top 1% student, University of Saint Joseph, 2005) Distinction Prize (best student, University of Saint Joseph, 2005) As Group Head, El Haddad oversees the Molecular Cluster and Particle Processes group's research direction and mentorship of junior scientists. While specific grant details are absent from the text, his leadership in multi-institutional publications (e.g., CERN CLOUD, iCUPE) implies active grant management and international collaboration. The group's work bridges laboratory simulations, field deployments, and health/climate modeling to address air pollution complexities. The Molecular Cluster and Particle Processes group develops cutting-edge online/offline mass spectrometers for 1 Hz-resolution atmospheric analysis. They deploy instruments in laboratory smog chamber experiments and global field studies, focusing on molecular marker identification, emission source characterization, and aging process quantification. Collaborations with biochemists and climate modelers extend their impact beyond pure aerosol physics into health risk assessment and policy-relevant climate science.
Yen-Chi Chen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of Washington. He also holds positions as a Data Science Fellow at the UW eScience Institute and as a co-investigator and statistician at the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center. His academic career spans multiple interdisciplinary fields including statistics, data science, and astrostatistics. Chen's educational background includes a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, where he received prestigious awards including the Umesh K. Gavasakar Thesis Award (2017) and the William S. Dietrich II Presidential Ph.D. Fellowship Award (2015). His research focuses on nonparametric statistics, topological data analysis, missing data methodologies, cluster analysis, manifold learning, and applications in large-scale structure analysis and astrostatistics. Chen has made significant contributions to the development of statistical methods for analyzing cosmic web structures, GPS data, and causal inference with continuous treatments. His work bridges theoretical statistics with practical applications in astronomy, neuroscience, and public health. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on developing novel statistical frameworks for complex data structures, particularly focusing on density-based methods, manifold learning, and approaches that address challenges in missing data and causal inference without standard assumptions. ASA Noether Early Career Scholar Award, American Statistical Association (2022) CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (2022-2027) Umesh K. Gavasakar Thesis Award, Carnegie Mellon University (2017) William S. Dietrich II Presidential Ph.D. Fellowship Award, Carnegie Mellon University (2015) Chen has advised numerous graduate students across multiple publications, with a focus on developing new statistical methodologies. His research has been supported by major funding agencies including the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. He is actively involved in several research groups including the UW Geometric Data Analysis Group, the UW Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences, and the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center.
Dr. Lunting Wu is currently an Associate at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) since October 2024. Previously, he served as a Lecturer at the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR) from April to September 2024 and a Researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) from August 2023 to March 2024. Since September 2019, he has been an Associate within the Cluster of Excellence 'Contestations of the Liberal Script' and completed his doctoral research at Freie Universität Berlin until May 2023. His research focuses on Foreign Policy Analysis, International Political Economy (particularly geoeconomics), Emotional Diplomacy, and China’s role in global order. Key professional experiences include a Visiting Scholar role at the United Nations Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (2019), an Assistant Researcher position in an EU-funded H2020 project at the University of Lisbon (2019), and prior roles as a Research Intern at the same UN institute (2018) and a Government Affairs Assistant at the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (2017–2018). His research integrates global governance, regional integration dynamics, and the interplay of emotions in diplomatic strategies, with particular attention to China’s evolving foreign policy narratives.
Karina Gibert is a Full Professor at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), specifically at the Faculty of Computer Science of Barcelona (FIB) in the Department of Statistics and Operations Research. With a permanent teaching position since 1990, she contributes to research and education with a focus on Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Explainable AI, and Ethics in AI. Full Professor, UPC (since 1990) PhD in Informatics Engineering Postgraduate in Higher Education Teaching Director and co-founder of IDEAI research center Dean of the Official Professional College on Informatics Engineering of Catalonia Active in bridging the gender gap in STEAM through multiple initiatives Her research focuses on extracting strategic knowledge from data and intelligent systems with ethical and explainable perspectives. She has led various projects including Diet4You for personalized diets, INSESS-COVID19 for social vulnerability analysis, Top Rosies Talent for female AI development, and ciutadanIA for AI culture promotion. Her work spans health, environment, sustainability, tourism, and social technology applications. As an editor of Environmental Modeling and Software journal and active academic, she contributes to international conferences, working groups, and research collaborations. Her service includes membership on various ethics and AI strategy committees and advisory boards. Women Tech Award 2023 National Informatics Engineering Award in Digital Dissemination 2022 Ada Byron Award 2022 Honorific Mention of Creu Casas award 2021 donaTIC 2018 Award Finalist at AMETIC Awards 2021 Finalist of European Social Services Awards 2021
