Prof. Dr. Katja Dörschner Boyaci is a Professor at Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen , Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, leading the Perception & Active Exploration Group . Her research focuses on understanding how the human brain constructs rich perceptual experiences from sensory input, particularly in the perception of material properties like softness, glossiness, and roughness. Research Interests: Computational and neural mechanisms of material perception Integration of visual and haptic information Expectation-driven modulation of perception Neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) and psychophysical approaches Virtual reality and computational modeling Her work combines psychophysics , neuroimaging , and computational modeling to explore how humans judge material properties from static and dynamic images, and how prior experiences shape these perceptions. Scientific Contributions: Published extensively on material perception, with recent papers in Nature Human Behaviour , Journal of Neuroscience , and Vision Research . Leads the collaborative B8 project on integrating experience and sensory information in material perception. Collaborations & Funding: Co-leads the B8 project with Prof. Hüseyin Boyaci, funded to investigate neural mechanisms of expectation-based perception. Employs interdisciplinary methods including EEG, fMRI, VR, and behavioral experiments. Laboratory & Team: The Perception & Active Exploration Group at Giessen University studies how humans perceive intrinsic object qualities through active exploration and sensory integration, with implications for product design, computer graphics, and robotics.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Schütz is a faculty member at the Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg , leading the Sensorimotor Learning research group. His work explores the interplay between eye movements and visual perception , focusing on trans-saccadic integration, dynamic signal integration, and perceptual stability. Academic Affiliation: Department of General and Biological Psychology Key Collaborators: Karl Gegenfurtner, David Souto, Miriam Spering Research Interests Integration of bottom-up salience and top-down value signals in eye movement control Trans-saccadic information calibration and perceptual adaptation Individual differences in multistable perception and motor learning His 2024-2025 publications reveal trends in: Visual processing in rod vision and occlusion Optical flow models for eye movement prediction Neural mechanisms of cost-benefit trade-offs in visual search Perceptual biases in autism-psychosis spectra Visuotactile integration during spatial judgments Grants ERC Starting Grant PERFORM (2015-2020): Calibration of peripheral and foveal vision ERC Consolidator Grant SENCES (2021-2025): Processing of inferred vs. sensory visual information Laboratory Equipment : EyeLink 1000+ eye trackers, ViewPixx stereoscope, ProPixx projector, and Vizard VR platform for behavioral studies.
Fabrizio Martire is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Department of Communication and Social Research , Sapienza University of Rome. His expertise spans sociological theory, history of sociology, methodology of social research, public opinion analysis, and evaluation of social research outputs. Research Interests: Sociological theory and Merton’s contributions Methodology of social research (data collection, scaling, pretesting) Public opinion analysis in the era of big data Evaluation frameworks for social research quality Biosocial surveys integrating biological and social sciences Memberships & Networks: Advisory Board member, Research Network – Quantitative Methods (RN21), European Sociological Association Former Secretary (2015–2018), Section of Methodology, Italian Sociological Association Member, Scientific Committee, Editorial Series “Methodology of Human Sciences” Member, Teaching Board of the PhD program in “Communication, Social Research and Marketing” Publications: With nearly 70 publications in Italian and international journals, his work spans survey methodology, biosocial integration, and epistemological challenges in social sciences. Recent trends focus on big data impacts on public opinion analysis and interdisciplinary survey innovation.
Dr. Kimon Krenz is a Senior Research Fellow at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, where he works at the Space Syntax Laboratory. As a spatial data scientist and urban health researcher, his work focuses on the spatial determinants of health and inequality. He has developed novel methodologies to measure individual-level environmental exposures and link them to large-scale health datasets, resulting in internationally recognized publications. With over £9 million secured in research funding, he bridges architecture, urban planning, and public health through interdisciplinary collaboration. Doctorat, University College London (2018) Master of Science, University College London (2013) Bachelor of Science, University of Applied Sciences (2012) Recognized by the HEA as a Fellow (2017) Dr. Krenz's research centers on using computational methods to quantify and analyze the built environment to study how space shapes human behavior, particularly focusing on how spatial data science can uncover social, health, and spatial inequalities. His expertise lies in spatial data science and space syntax, with particular emphasis on advanced computational methods to analyze and model the built environment and its use. His work informs evidence-based planning and public health interventions, often working with cohort studies, primary and secondary health data, and in data anonymization and secure research environments. His research spans urban morphology, environmental exposure, network analysis, and the intersection of architecture with public health. Analysis of Dr. Krenz's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the relationship between urban form and health outcomes. His work employs sophisticated spatial analysis techniques to measure environmental exposures across multiple domains including air quality, road traffic, greenness, public transport, food environment, and street centrality. He frequently works with the Born in Bradford cohort study, examining how spatial factors influence mental health, social isolation, childhood obesity, and common mental disorders. His methodological contributions include developing innovative approaches to measure individual-level environmental exposures and creating taxonomies of urban form. ATQ03 - Recognised by the HEA as a Fellow (2017) Dr. Krenz has extensive teaching experience since 2014 as a Course Coordinator, Tutor, and Teaching Fellow for MSc programmes at UCL, specializing in spatial analysis, GIS, and urban health. He has supervised student projects including field trips to Rio de Janeiro and Venice, with a focus on informal settlements. His research funding includes projects such as ActEarly – Healthy Places, Connected Bradford Health and Environment, Migrant Mobility and Access to Public Urban Resources, and the Urban Dynamics Lab. He combines a flipped classroom approach with active learning and real-world applications in his teaching methodology. Dr. Krenz leads and participates in the Space Syntax Laboratory seminars series and is actively involved in the Urban Dynamics Lab at UCL, which is part of a five-year EPSRC-funded research project exploring questions at the intersection of city and regional economic development and urban modeling.
José Luis Caballero Bono is a faculty member at the Facultad de Filosofía of the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca , specializing in Logic and Philosophy of Science . His research group, ICS. Innovación en Ciencias Sociales , bridges philosophical inquiry with social science frameworks. He earned his doctorate from Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1999 with a thesis on Xavier Zubiri’s pluralist emergentism. Research Interests: Political philosophy, phenomenology, history of logic, ethics, science-religion dialogue, and ecological philosophy. Key Contributions: Analyzing evolutionary biology through Zubiri’s philosophy, exploring Edith Stein’s attitudes toward Nazism, and applying Cusanus’ ludus globi to theological-political metaphors. Publications: His recent work focuses on the interplay between tradition and political power (2024), empathy in Stein (2022), and Kantian critiques (2010). Articles span from 2025 to 2001, with recurring themes in Spanish philosophical identity and analogical reasoning. Collaborations: Supervised by Dr. Alfonso López Quintás, he engages with thinkers like Edith Stein, Xavier Zubiri, and Jürgen Habermas.
Hana Bida is a researcher at the University of Geneva's Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, actively contributing to the Technologies de formation et d'apprentissage (TECFA) research group. Her work centers on digital education implementation within Swiss educational contexts, particularly examining how beginning teachers develop and apply digital competencies in classroom settings. Her research investigates critical intersections between educational psychology and technology integration, focusing on teachers' self-efficacy, digital skill transfer from training to practice, and environmental barriers to technology adoption. Key themes include the psychological dimensions of digital competence development, curriculum reform implementation challenges, and individual factors influencing teachers' capacity to integrate digital learning objectives. This work directly addresses Switzerland's Romandy curriculum digital reform (plan d'étude romand), providing empirical insights for educational policymakers. Analysis of her 2023-2024 publications reveals a cohesive research trajectory examining beginning teachers' experiences through multiple methodological lenses. Her studies consistently identify environmental constraints and individual variables as primary determinants of successful digital education implementation, while highlighting gaps between teacher training programs and classroom realities. The research demonstrates how perceived value of training correlates with effective digital skill application, offering practical frameworks for improving teacher preparation. Scientific Awards: No awards documented in available sources Advising and Grants: Hana Bida has not supervised any theses or dissertations per institutional records (Supervised works: 0). No research grants or funding sources are explicitly referenced in her publication metadata, though her work aligns with Swiss educational reform initiatives that typically involve institutional funding. Labs and Teams: She operates within TECFA (Technologies de formation et d'apprentissage), a prominent UNIGE research group specializing in technology-enhanced learning design, implementation, and evaluation. TECFA's interdisciplinary work bridges educational theory, cognitive science, and digital innovation, providing the methodological foundation for Bida's classroom-focused investigations into digital pedagogy and teacher development.
Dr. Sheng-hsun Lee is a Lecturer at the School of Languages and Cultures, University of Queensland, specializing in intercultural and public health communication. As a core member of the Centre for Community Health and Wellbeing, their research employs multimodal discourse analysis to explore how language, gestures, and material objects co-construct meaning in social contexts. Key research areas include: Public health crisis communication Intercultural communication during study abroad Language learning in classroom and naturalistic settings Recent publications analyze pandemic communication strategies through 600+ hours of press conferences and 2M+ online comments, culminating in the 2025 monograph Health Crisis Communication: Multimodal Classification for Pandemic Preparedness . Current work examines food safety crises like Taiwan's rice noodle poisoning incident in the upcoming Numbers Talk in Health Crisis Discourse . Award highlights: 2021 Australian Academy of the Humanities Traveling Fellowship 2025 North America Taiwanese Professors' Association Young Scholar Research Award Actively supervising PhD/MPhil/Honours projects on health discourses, intercultural communication, and language pedagogy, Dr. Lee's work bridges applied linguistics with practical communication strategy development for policymakers and health professionals.
Nicola Carboni is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois. His research bridges Ontological Modeling , Cultural Heritage Data Management , and Digital Humanities , focusing on formalizing knowledge structures for heritage objects and visual culture. Key Affiliations : School of Information Sciences (University of Illinois), Visual Contagions Project, CIDOC CRM research. Research Themes : Develops ontological frameworks for spatiotemporal data, cultural heritage documentation, and semantic modeling of art exhibitions. His Ontological Patterns methodology has advanced semantic web applications in cultural heritage, particularly through projects like the Buon Fresco Digital Atlas and Ethiopian Rock Church Documentation . Recent work explores Twentieth-Century Illustrated Periodicals and Art Reproduction Circulation using digital tools. Publications span Journal of Open Humanities Data , Artl@s Bulletin , and conferences like MTSR 2024 , emphasizing Knowledge Graphs , Visual Analysis , and Digital Preservation . Collaborates with researchers including B. Joyeux-Prunel, G. Bruseker, and L. de Luca.
Dr. Paul Asunda is an Associate Professor at Purdue University , with primary appointments in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute's Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation and the College of Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction . He is also an Affiliate Faculty Member at the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST) . His research focuses on: Integrating engineering design and computational thinking into STEM education across P-16 levels Developing career and college success initiatives through CTE programs Implementing assessment and evaluation strategies in integrated STEM disciplines International STEM teacher preparation projects in Peru, Kenya, and Kazakhstan His work has been recognized through: Seed for Success Award (2018) for securing major external funding Gerhard Salinger Award (2018) for enhancing i-STEM education Distinguished Service Awards (2017, 2012) from ACTE and NAITTE ACTE Fellowship (2010) for leadership development Dr. Asunda actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students interested in: Integrated STEM initiatives Instructor development Curriculum evaluation in career and technical education Global STEM partnerships Recent projects include: $24,000 U.S. Embassy-Kazakhstan grant for STEM instructional methods development Fulbright Scholar designation (2023-2024) for Kenyan STEM education projects $900,000 NSF award (2024) for engineering problem-solving research
Wako Yoshida is Professor of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, leading research at the intersection of computational neuroscience, decision theory, and social cognition. Her work focuses on neural mechanisms of belief construction during partially observable decision-making and social interactions, with particular emphasis on prefrontal cortex function. Her research interests include: Computational modeling of uncertainty resolution in cognitive decision-making Neural basis of Theory of Mind during cooperative social interactions Pain neuroscience and aversive learning mechanisms Application of hyper-scanning fMRI for group decision-making studies Brain-machine interfaces for pain control through co-adaptive learning Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2016-2024) reveals three dominant trends: (1) Neural mechanisms of hierarchical belief inference in spatial navigation and social contexts, (2) Uncertainty processing in pain modulation involving prefrontal-periaqueductal circuits, and (3) Development of computational frameworks for brain-machine interfaces targeting chronic pain management. Her work consistently bridges machine learning concepts with human neuroimaging. Scientific awards: No awards mentioned in source material. Advising and grants: Source text provides no details about students, advisees, or grant funding. Yoshida directs the Pain and Aversive Learning research group at Oxford, collaborating with Ben Seymour and others to investigate computational and neural mechanisms underlying pain, aversion, and decision-making using fMRI, hyper-scanning, and computational modeling approaches.
Thomas Ugelvik is a Professor of Criminology at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo. He has held this position since 2017 and is currently on sabbatical leave until autumn 2025. His academic work focuses on penology, with particular attention to the practical execution of punishment, subjective experiences of punishment, and the aftereffects of punishment in Scandinavian contexts. Ugelvik earned his PhD in 2010 with a thesis examining everyday life in Oslo prison, with a specific focus on staff-prisoner relationships and the interplay of power and resistance. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Prisons Research Centre at the University of Cambridge in 2012, further developing his expertise in comparative penology. His educational background provides a strong foundation for his ethnographic and narrative approaches to criminological research. Professor Ugelvik's research interests span multiple interconnected areas within penology. He is particularly known for his work on narrative criminology, examining how stories and storytelling shape both criminal behavior and penal responses. His research on health in prisons challenges conventional understandings of the 'healthy prisons' initiative, exploring the complex relationship between illness and imprisonment. Ugelvik also conducts significant research on desistance from crime, investigating the processes through which individuals move away from criminal behavior, with particular attention to trust dynamics and social relationships that facilitate this transformation. His methodological approach is primarily qualitative, employing ethnographic and narrative methods to capture the lived experiences of those within penal institutions. Analysis of Ugelvik's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on Scandinavian penal exceptionalism, narrative approaches to understanding crime and punishment, and the intersection of health and incarceration. His work frequently examines how theoretical concepts like desistance and trust manifest in practical prison settings. There's a notable emphasis on qualitative methodologies and narrative analysis across his publications, reflecting his commitment to understanding the subjective dimensions of punishment and rehabilitation. Founding Editor-in-Chief of Incarceration: An International Journal of Imprisonment, Detention and Coercive Confinement (2020-present) Co-editor of the Palgrave Studies in Prisons and Penology book series Member of the National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (NESH) Recipient of research funding for multiple projects including ORES and PRISONHEALTH As an educator, Ugelvik teaches courses KRIM1300, KRIM2904/4904, and KRS4106 at the University of Oslo. He has supervised numerous students who have gone on to contribute to the field of criminology, particularly in areas related to penology, narrative approaches, and Scandinavian penal exceptionalism. His podcast 'Kriminologene' serves as an important platform for disseminating criminological knowledge to both academic and broader audiences, featuring interviews with prominent criminologists discussing their research and theoretical perspectives. Ugelvik's research is characterized by its strong connection to real-world penal practices while maintaining theoretical depth. His work frequently appears in leading criminological journals including The British Journal of Criminology , Crime, Media, Culture , Ethnography , and Punishment and Society . His current research trajectory suggests a continued focus on the intersections between penal culture, health, and desistance processes within the distinctive context of Scandinavian penal systems.
Oliver Lomp is a researcher at the Institute for Neuroinformatics (INI) within the Faculty of Computer Science at Ruhr University Bochum. His work focuses on integrating perception and object recognition into dynamic field theory frameworks for robotic systems. He actively contributes to publication and teaching in neurorobotics and cognitive systems. Contact details: Email: oliver.lomp@ini.rub.de Office: NB 02/77, Ruhr University Bochum Campus Research trends include: Dynamic Field Theory applications in robotics Neurodynamic architectures for autonomous systems Object recognition with concurrent pose estimation Development of cognitive frameworks like CEDAR
Valerie E. Kelly, PT, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She directs the Kelly Research Group focused on mobility impairments in neurodegenerative conditions, particularly Parkinson disease. Dr. Kelly has over 20 years of clinical and research experience working with individuals with Parkinson disease. Her educational background includes: Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Rehabilitation Science, University of Washington (2006) PhD in Movement Science, Washington University in St. Louis (2003) MS in Physical Therapy, Washington University in St. Louis (1999) BA in Physical Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania (1996) Dr. Kelly's research focuses on understanding mechanisms underlying movement impairments in Parkinson disease and developing innovative interventions to improve mobility. She examines how cognitive and genetic factors influence gait and balance, with particular interest in dual-task walking performance and freezing of gait. Her work bridges clinical rehabilitation with advanced motion analysis techniques, including virtual reality environments and quantitative gait analysis. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on Parkinson disease rehabilitation, with increasing emphasis on genetic factors and virtual reality applications. Her work demonstrates strong interdisciplinary collaboration across neurology, engineering, and rehabilitation fields, producing clinically relevant insights about cognitive-motor interactions in mobility disorders. Dr. Kelly actively mentors research trainees at pre-doctoral and post-doctoral levels, with current mentees including Raima Amin, MD and Niffer Supowit, DPT. Her research has been supported by significant funding from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Stolov Research Fund, Institute for Translational Health Science, and Royalty Research Fund. She leads the Kelly Research Group, which operates within the Amplifying Movement and Performance Laboratory. The group employs advanced motion capture technology with over 50 reflective markers to analyze kinematic traces during walking tasks, including virtual reality simulations of environments known to provoke freezing of gait.
Krista Uibu is a Professor of Primary Education at the Institute of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tartu. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades in educational research and practice, she has made significant contributions to the fields of primary education, teacher education, language teaching, and intercultural competence. Her research interests encompass primary education methodologies, teacher beliefs and practices, language teaching and text comprehension, intercultural education for migrant students, and climate education. She has pioneered work on teachers' roles in the social-cultural context, mathematics education in primary schools, and the development of Estonian educational thought. Professor Uibu's recent publications reveal a strong focus on contemporary educational challenges including climate change education, teaching strategies for migrant students, and the relationship between teacher beliefs and student outcomes. Her work demonstrates consistent engagement with both theoretical frameworks and practical classroom applications. 2023 Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, The second award in Estonian National Contest of Educational Research 2023 Letter of appreciation from the Rector of the University of Tartu for promoting Estonian educational thought 2021 Recognition for outstanding social activity in the Faculty of Social Sciences 2018 Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, The first award in Estonian National Contest of Educational Research As the founder and long-term editor of the Estonian Journal of Education, Professor Uibu has significantly shaped educational discourse in Estonia. She has supervised doctoral students, including Triinu Kärbla whose thesis won first prize in the Estonian National Contest of Educational Research. Her leadership extends to national and international committees including the Estonian Academy of Sciences education committee and editorial boards of international journals. Professor Uibu leads research projects on climate education and has been instrumental in developing Estonia's national climate education strategy, demonstrating her commitment to addressing contemporary societal challenges through educational innovation.
Jonas Vinther is a Research Fellow at the Department of Computer Science , University of Copenhagen, specializing in Machine Learning and its intersections with quantum computing, medical data analysis, and sustainability. He is also an external PhD student in the Quantum Information Science & Technology program at the Niels Bohr Institute. Email: jonas.vinther@nbi.ku.dk , jonas.vinther@di.ku.dk Location: Universitetsparken 1, 2100 København Ø His research spans quantum machine learning , AI ethics , medical imaging , and environmentally sustainable AI , with recent publications on topics ranging from quantum neural networks to fairness in recommender systems . He contributes to the SCIENCE AI Centre and collaborates on initiatives like TreeSense for global tree resource monitoring.
