Christoph Koch is a Full Professor in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) , Switzerland. He has held academic positions at Cornell University (2007-2010, 2006), Saarland University (2005-2007), and TU Vienna (2001-2005). His research focuses on database systems, logic, programming languages, and data management.
Professor Marta Zofia Kwiatkowska is Professor of Computing Systems and Fellow of Trinity College at the University of Oxford, where she has held a faculty position since 2007. She previously served as Professor of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham (2001–2007), Reader and Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (1994–2001), and Lecturer at the University of Leicester (1986–1994). Her academic career began as Assistant Professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland (1980–1988). Education: BSc/MSc in Computer Science, Jagiellonian University, Kraków MA, University of Oxford PhD, University of Leicester Research Interests: Professor Kwiatkowska spearheaded the development of probabilistic and quantitative verification methods on the international stage. Her work bridges theory and practice through the PRISM model checker—the leading software tool in probabilistic model checking—used worldwide for research and teaching. Application domains include communication and security protocols , nanotechnology designs , power management , ubiquitous computing and systems biology . She investigates automated verification , temporal logics , semantic models for concurrency , real-time systems , and biological process modelling . Current grant funding exceeds £3.7 million from EPSRC, EU and ERC, including the prestigious ERC Advanced Grant VERIWARE. Scientific Awards & Honours: Fellow of the Royal Society Fellow of the ACM Fellow of the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science (EATCS) Fellow of the British Computer Society (BCS) Fellow of the Polish Society of Arts & Sciences Abroad ERC Advanced Grant VERIWARE (€2.046 M, 2010–2015) Top Cited Article Award, Theoretical Computer Science (2005–2010) Best Paper Award, QEST 2006 Doctoral Supervision & Grants: Professor Kwiatkowska actively supervises doctoral students (D.Phil. at Oxford) and post-doctoral researchers. She welcomes applications in areas aligned with her research interests, detailed here . Current students include Charlie Griffin, Daqian Shao, Matthew Yuan and Minghao Liu; past students and researchers number over twenty, many now in faculty or industry leadership roles. Laboratory & Teams: She leads the Oxford Quantitative Verification group within the Department of Computer Science. Ongoing projects include FUN2MODEL, ELSA, FAIR and the flagship PRISM probabilistic model checker. The group maintains strong collaborations with biological, robotics and engineering teams worldwide.
Dr. Rajkumar Buyya is a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the University of Melbourne and Founder & CEO of Manjrasoft , a spin-off commercializing cloud innovations. He has held visiting roles at Imperial College London , University of Birmingham , and Tsinghua University . Research Interests : His work spans Cloud Computing , Edge Computing , Grid Systems , and Energy-Efficient Computing , focusing on utility-driven resource allocation, simulation tools, and scalable IoT application frameworks. He pioneered the CloudSim toolkit and Aneka Cloud technologies. Scientific Awards : IEEE Fellow (2015), Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (2016-2021) Khwarizmi International Award (2020), Scopus Researcher of the Year (2017) Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award (2010), IEEE TCSC Medal (2009) Impact : Authored over 850 publications, including the widely adopted textbook Mastering Cloud Computing . Graduated 54 PhD students now in leadership roles at institutions like Newcastle University and companies such as IBM , Google , and Amazon . His research has driven global adoption of cloud/edge technologies in 50+ countries.
Janusz Bujnicki is a Professor and head of the Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering at the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), Poland. He holds concurrent roles in science policy advisory bodies, including the European Commission's Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (2015-2020, then expert) and the Polish Academy of Sciences’ advisory panel (2024-). He is also a founding member of the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG) and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of Life Science Center at Vilnius University. Academia Europaea Member (2018-) EMBO Member (2018-) Leadership Academy for Poland (2018) His research spans structural biology, RNA modification, computational biology, and molecular evolution. He has pioneered computational methods like ModeRNA, SimRNA, and ClaRNA for RNA structure prediction and analysis, and developed databases like MODOMICS for RNA modification pathways. His work has applications in understanding RNA function and drug design targeting RNA-processing enzymes. The 15 most recent publications focus on RNA structural modeling (e.g., ModeRNA, ClaRNA, SupeRNAlign), RNA-ligand interactions (LigandRNA), and RNA modification biology (MODOMICS database). These works bridge computational methods with experimental validation in RNA enzymology and structure-function relationships. Scientific Awards: ERC Starting Grant (2010), EMBO Member (2018), Crystal Brussels Sprout (2016), Prime Minister’s Award (2014), Knight’s Cross of Polonia Restituta (2014) Grants & Leadership: Founded RNA bioinformatics infrastructure at IIMCB, led EU science policy advisory groups, and organized international research competitions (RNA Puzzles)
Joseph Sifakis is a CNRS Research Director and founder of Verimag Laboratory in Grenoble, France. He holds the INRIA-Schneider endowed industrial chair since 2008 and has been instrumental in advancing concurrent systems specification and verification. Education: Electrical Engineering (Technical University of Athens), Computer Science (University of Grenoble) Research interests focus on component-based design , real-time systems , and correct-by-construction techniques . He pioneered the development of the BIP framework and contributed to model checking, a cornerstone of industrial system verification. Recent publications emphasize component-based modeling, formal verification, and distributed system design, reflecting his work's impact on embedded systems and critical applications like aerospace and telecommunications. Scientific awards include: Turing Award (2007) CNRS Silver Medal (2001) Test-of-Time Award (2012) Multiple honorary doctorates (2008-2011) Member of prestigious academies Industry collaborations span Airbus, ST Microelectronics, and the European Space Agency, with applications in aeronautics, telecommunications, and industrial software standards. He leads the ARTIST2 Network of Excellence and directs the CARNOT Institute 'Intelligent Software and Systems'.
Luca Cardelli is a Principal Researcher and Assistant Director at Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK, since 1997. He holds visiting professorships at Imperial College London (Department of Computing, 2004–2009) and the University of Trento (2005–2007). He earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Edinburgh in 1982. His research spans type theory , molecular programming , and principles of programming languages , with applications to systems biology and concurrency theory. Notable contributions include formal frameworks for modeling biochemical systems (e.g., the stochastic π-calculus) and designing DNA-based circuits. Key achievements include the AITO Dahl-Nygaard Senior Prize (2007) and multiple Most Influential Paper Awards at POPL and ETAPS. His work bridges computer science and biology, advancing both theoretical foundations and practical molecular computing.
Prof. Pierre Jaïs serves as University Professor in Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at the University of Bordeaux and Head of the Electrophysiology Unit at Bordeaux University Hospital. He concurrently leads the Electrophysiology and Heart Modeling Institute (LIRYC) as CEO since 2021, driving innovation in cardiac rhythm disorder treatments through multidisciplinary research. His research revolutionized cardiac electrophysiology by identifying pulmonary veins as primary sources of atrial fibrillation, establishing pulmonary vein isolation as the global treatment standard. Current work focuses on pulsed field ablation—a non-thermal technique with potential to replace conventional ablation—and developing advanced imaging for precise arrhythmia targeting, reflecting his commitment to translating scientific discovery into clinical solutions. Analysis of recent publications (2017-2021) reveals dominant trends in pulsed field ablation optimization, comparative ablation techniques, and AI integration in cardiovascular imaging. These works consistently address atrial fibrillation treatment efficacy, safety profiles, and technological innovation, positioning him at the forefront of electrophysiology advancement. His distinguished contributions are recognized through prestigious awards including: 2019: Eli S. Gang Most Innovative Abstract Award (Heart Rhythm Society) 2018: Eric N. Prystowsky Lectureship Award 2012: Academy of Medicine Membership (Paris) 2009: Circulation Best Paper Award Multiple National Academy of Medicine honors Prof. Jaïs actively mentors electrophysiology trainees and secures substantial research funding, notably leading an EU-funded randomized trial comparing pulsed field versus thermal ablation. His LIRYC institute integrates cardiology, engineering, and computational expertise to accelerate therapeutic innovation. The LIRYC institute operates as a collaborative hub where clinicians, biomedical engineers, and data scientists develop next-generation electrophysiology tools. Current projects include real-time arrhythmia mapping systems, tissue-selective ablation protocols, and AI-driven predictive models for treatment personalization, fostering seamless translation from bench to bedside.
Hongbo Jiang is a Distinguished Professor and Vice Dean of the College of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at Hunan University, China. He holds concurrent roles as Director of the Trusted Systems and Networking Key Laboratory of Hunan Province and Director of the Hunan International Technical Cooperation Base for High-Performance Computing and Distributed Systems. His academic journey includes tenures as a Professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and a Hong Kong Scholar Research Fellow at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Case Western Reserve University, 2008), B.S./M.S. in Mathematics (Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2002). Research Interests: Distributed systems, mobile computing, smart sensing, wireless networks, IoT, and edge computing. Ongoing projects include mobile/wireless applications, data science in IoT, and edge computing platforms. His work emphasizes practical implementations such as DriverSonar for driving safety and SmileAuth for biometric authentication. Key Achievements: Elected Member of Academia Europaea (2022), Fellow of AAIA, IET, and BCS. Notable awards include the Wu Wenjun Science and Technology Award (2020) and multiple best paper recognitions. Over 100+ publications in top venues like ACM MobiCom, IEEE/ACM Transactions. Professional Contributions: Editorial roles across 8+ journals including IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing and ACM Transactions on Sensor Networks. Conference leadership includes co-founding ACM TURC and EAI ICECI. Active in technical committees for INFOCOM, MOBIHOC, and ICDCS. Labs/Teams: Leads research groups focused on networking, IoT, and edge computing. Current openings for PhD/MSc students and PostDoc researchers with strong mathematical and systems backgrounds.
Victor Vianu is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, San Diego and holds the INRIA International Chair at INRIA-Saclay in Paris. He has maintained continuous faculty status at UC San Diego since 1983 while developing extensive international collaborations, particularly with French research institutions including INRIA, ENST-Paris, ENS-Paris, and the University of Paris. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California (1983) and undergraduate studies in Mathematics and Informatics at the University of Bucharest (1974-1977). Professor Vianu's research spans computational logic, database systems and theory, and automatic verification. His work uniquely bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in XML processing, workflow systems, and data-driven applications. He has made seminal contributions to understanding the theoretical underpinnings of database query languages and their expressive power, particularly in the context of XML technologies and workflow systems. His research demonstrates a consistent trajectory from theoretical computer science to practical database systems applications. His publication record reveals significant contributions to database theory spanning over three decades, with particular emphasis on XML technologies, workflow systems, and formal methods for data-driven applications. His work shows a clear evolution from foundational theoretical work to practical applications in business processes and web technologies. INRIA International Chair (2013) Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2013) ACM PODS Alberto O. Mendelzon Test-of-Time Award (2010) Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) (2006) Professor Vianu has held significant leadership roles including Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious Journal of the ACM, numerous program committee chair positions for major database conferences (PODS, ICDT, ASIAN), and General Chair for ACM SIGMOD conferences. He has served on the executive committees of SIGMOD (1998-2000) and PODS (1993-2004), and was a member of the ICDT Council (1997-2007), demonstrating sustained influence in the theoretical database community. His extensive invited talks at major conferences including College de France, ACM PODS, and International Conference on Database Theory highlight his international recognition.
Lloyd Nicholas Trefethen is Professor of Numerical Analysis and Fellow of Balliol College at the University of Oxford, a position he has held since 1997. He also has concurrent appointments as Global Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at New York University (2013–2019) and has served as Von Neumann Professor at TU Munich and Matheon Professor at TU Berlin in 2010. Education: PhD (Computer Science/Numerical Analysis), Stanford University, 1982 MS (Computer Science/Numerical Analysis), Stanford University, 1980 AB summa cum laude (Applied Mathematics), Harvard College, 1977 Research Interests: Trefethen’s work centers on numerical mathematics, with particular emphasis on spectral methods , numerical linear algebra , approximation theory , numerical conformal mapping , quadrature , and pseudospectra . His research often bridges rigorous mathematical theory and practical algorithms, most notably through the widely used Chebfun software system. Recent publications illustrate a trend toward developing fast, high-accuracy algorithms for solving classical problems such as the Laplace and Helmholtz equations, rational approximation via the AAA algorithm, and stability analysis in fluid mechanics without traditional eigenvalue techniques. Scientific Awards: Pólya Prize for Mathematical Exposition (SIAM, 2017) Naylor Prize (London Mathematical Society, 2013) Gold Medal (Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, 2011) Fellow of the Royal Society (2005) Member of the US National Academy of Engineering (2007) ERC Advanced Grant (2012–2017) Honorary doctorates from Stellenbosch University and University of Fribourg (2019) Advising & Grants: Trefethen has supervised 24 PhD/DPhil students at MIT, Cornell, and Oxford; twelve have launched academic careers. He has held major grants including an ERC Advanced Grant on “Computing with functions instead of numbers” (€2.4 M, 2012–2017) and EPSRC funding for the Chebfun System (2006–2010). Labs & Teams: He leads the Chebfun Team at Oxford, an interdisciplinary group developing open-source software for numerical computing with functions. The team collaborates globally with researchers in mathematics, computer science, and engineering.
Zeshui Xu is a Full Professor at the Business School of Sichuan University, China, with concurrent roles as Adjunct Professor at multiple prestigious institutions including Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Southeast University. He has held distinguished positions such as Chair Professor at PLA University of Science and Technology and was part of the Cheung Kong Scholars Program. His research focuses on decision-making theory, information fusion, clustering algorithms, and fuzzy systems. He is a highly cited researcher (2014–2021) and holds fellowships from IEEE, RSA, IFSA, and others. Education: M.Sc. in Operations Research and Cybernetics, Qufu Normal University Ph.D. in Management Science, Southeast University Research Contributions: Dr. Xu has authored 18 Springer monographs and 700+ SSCI/SCI papers, achieving over 73,000 citations with an h-index of 138. His work includes groundbreaking contributions to intuitionistic fuzzy aggregation operators, hesitant fuzzy systems, and probabilistic linguistic decision-making frameworks. Awards & Recognition: Member of EASA and IASCYS Fellowships: IEEE, RSA, ORS, AAIA, and others Natural Science Awards (Ministry of Education) State Council Expert with Special Allowance Editorial Roles: Associate Editor/Editorial Board Member for over 30 journals, including IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics and Fuzzy Systems. Invited to 50+ academic conferences.
Ana Sokolova is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Salzburg. She is affiliated with the Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences and actively contributes to research in theoretical computer science. University: University of Salzburg Faculty: Faculty of Digital and Analytical Sciences Department: Computer Science Email: ana.sokolova@plus.ac.at Her research focuses on probabilistic systems , concurrency theory , convex algebras , and formal verification . This work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in distributed computing and programming semantics. Recent publications highlight advancements in trace semantics , determinization , probabilistic anonymity , and coalgebraic modeling . Key trends include the integration of Markov chains , nondeterministic systems , and algebraic structures for formal verification.
Angel Rubio is a distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Hamburg and holds concurrent roles as Director of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter, and Distinguished Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). He leads the Wolfgang Pauli Centre and the Nano-bio Spectroscopy group. His academic journey includes Full Professorships at UPV/EHU (2001–2014) and positions at the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute, UC Berkeley, and the Fritz Haber Institute. Rubio is a global leader in computational quantum physics, particularly in TDDFT and nanomaterials. Education : Ph.D. in Physics, University of Valladolid, 1991 (Summa Cum Laude) B.S. in Physics, University of Valladolid, 1988 (Summa Cum Laude) Research Focus : Rubio’s work centers on electronic structure methods, time-resolved spectroscopy, and quantum many-body theory. He pioneered the open-source octopus code for ab initio simulations, widely used globally. His contributions span nanocapillarity, nanoplasmonics, and strong light-matter interactions, with applications in novel materials and energy systems. Grants & Leadership : Holder of two ERC Advanced Grants (DYNamo and QSpec-NewMat), Rubio directs the European Theoretical Spectroscopy Facility (ETSF). His research has garnered over 28,000 citations (H-index 82) and 65 papers with >100 citations. He is a vocal advocate for computational physics, organizing >50 international workshops and advising major institutes like the Psi-k Network. Recognition : Top 0.3% in the American Physical Society’s Author Rank Honor Prize for Best Ph.D. Thesis (1992) Member of multiple national academies and advisory boards
Thomas Henzinger is a Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), where he leads the Henzinger Thomas Group focused on improving software reliability through mathematical methods. He previously served as ISTA's President (2009–2022) and held academic positions at EPFL, Max Planck Institute, UC Berkeley, and Cornell University. Education: Dipl.-Ing. in Computer Science (Johannes Kepler University, Austria), M.S. in Computer and Information Sciences (University of Delaware), PhD in Computer Science (Stanford University), and Honorary Doctorates from Fourier University (France) and Masaryk University (Czech Republic). The group's research spans concurrent systems , embedded systems , quantitative model checking , runtime monitoring , and trustworthy AI . They develop tools like HyTech and VAMOS, emphasizing predictability, robustness, and fairness in safety-critical software. Recent publications highlight trends in quantitative automata , fairness in AI , quantum algorithms , and automata theory , reflecting interdisciplinary applications from cyber-physical systems to neural networks. Collaborative projects include SPyCoDe (security foundations) and VAMOS (software monitoring). Honors & Awards: 2024 Fellow of the Royal Society 2020 Member, US National Academy of Sciences 2015 Royal Society Milner Award 2012 Wittgenstein Award 2006 ACM and IEEE Fellow 1995 NSF CAREER and ONR Young Investigator Awards Henzinger advises current and former PhD students including Mahyar Karimi, Pavol Kebis, and Mathias Lechner. His grants include ERC Advanced Grants (QUAREM, VAMOS) and FWF funding (Wittgenstein Award, NFN RISE). Labs & Teams: He leads the Henzinger Thomas Group at ISTA, collaborating with FORSYTE (TU Wien) and contributing to EU-funded initiatives. The group integrates postdocs, PhD students, and interns in formal methods and system verification.
Theresa Scharl-Hirsch is a Senior Scientist and Deputy Scientific Director at the Core Facility Bioinformatics, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). She holds concurrent appointments at the Institute of Statistics, BOKU, and has extensive experience in bioprocess modeling, machine learning, and statistical computing. Her work bridges biochemical engineering with advanced data science methodologies. Her research focuses on real-time monitoring of biopharmaceutical processes, clustering of high-dimensional data (particularly RNA sequencing), and application of explainable machine learning techniques. She has developed statistical models for process optimization and quality prediction in antibody capture and protein purification, with a strong emphasis on industrial implementations using R programming. Key trends in her publications include three-way data analysis, matrix-variate Gaussian mixture models, and permutation-based variable importance methods for deep learning architectures. Her work spans bioprocess engineering, bioinformatics, and industrial data science applications.