Professor Shaomin Wu is a faculty member at the University of Kent's Kent Business School, where he holds the academic rank of Professor of Business/Applied Statistics. He earned an MSc and PhD in applied statistics and has extensive industry experience, including a five-and-a-half-year stint at a global manufacturer in Shanghai before moving to the UK in 2001. He has held roles as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer before joining Cranfield University and later the University of Kent. His research focuses on recurrent event data analysis, machine learning, and reliability mathematics, with funding from the EPSRC and ESRC. His research projects include managing risk in warranty servicing policies, smart data analytics for local government, and sustainable supply chain demand forecasting. He teaches modules such as risk analysis, reliability engineering, and machine learning. Currently supervising PhD students in time series forecasting, explainable AI, and recurrent event data analysis, he also serves as a co-chair of international conferences, editorial board member, and external examiner for doctoral degrees. Notably, he ranks among the top 2% of global scientists by Stanford University. His work integrates machine learning with business analytics, resilience engineering, and environmental sustainability. Key contributions include IoT-driven resilience methodologies for smart grids and unmanned systems, as well as frameworks for corporate carbon disclosure and maintenance optimization under uncertainty.
Dr. Shanna Williams is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University's Faculty of Education. She holds clinical licensure in Quebec and Ontario, with expertise in forensic child psychology and maltreatment-related research. Her work focuses on child lie-telling, commercial sexual exploitation, moral development, and eyewitness testimony. Prior roles include a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law and forensic law enforcement collaboration in Los Angeles. Education: Ph.D., McGill University: School/Applied Child Psychology M.A., McGill University: Educational Psychology B.A., McGill University: Psychology Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow, University of Southern California Research Interests: Lie-Telling Dynamics: Investigating how cognitive and social factors influence children's deception across contexts. Child Maltreatment: Developing trauma-informed forensic interview protocols and assessing maltreatment impacts on memory and disclosure. Legal Systems: Enhancing child-witness support through improved questioning techniques and cross-cultural legal practices. Publications Trends: Her recent work emphasizes pandemic-era challenges in child protection, digital exploitation, and legal system adaptations. Over 20 peer-reviewed articles address topics like forensic interviewing methods, maltreatment detection, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Awards: SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016-2017) SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Doctoral Fellowship (2010-2013) Advising & Grants: Supervises graduate students in child psychology and maltreatment studies. Research funded by SSHRC, NSF, and NIH grants focusing on forensic child development. Labs/Teams: Child Interviewing & Witness Lab Canadian Child Interviewing Research Team
France Bouthillier is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at McGill University's School of Information Studies. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and multiple advanced degrees in library science, administration, and education from Quebec institutions. Her research focuses on competitive intelligence, healthcare information systems, and small business information needs. She has led major grants including a SSHRC-funded study on children’s cyber-safety and CIHR projects on evidence dissemination in healthcare. Education: PhD, Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto MBSI, École de bibliothéconomie et des sciences de l'information, Université de Montréal C. Admin, Département des sciences de l'administration, UQAM BEd, Département des sciences de l'éducation, UQAM Research Interests: Dr. Bouthillier investigates digital resource assessment in healthcare, cross-cultural competitive intelligence practices, and information needs of marginalized communities. She emphasizes collaborative information monitoring and user-centered design in information systems. Her work bridges theory and practice, addressing gaps in evidence-based decision-making. Grants & Awards: Competia Award (2003) for co-authored book on CI software assessment SSHRC Standard Research Grant (2005-2008) on CI technology use CIHR grants for healthcare evidence dissemination (2006, 2008) Professional Involvement: Editorial Board member of the Journal of Information Science Theory and Practice, ASIST member, and SSHRC grant reviewer. She co-developed the eSRAP system for patient-oriented research monitoring. Her lab focuses on interdisciplinary projects in information visualization and collaborative tools.
Srdjan Lukic is the Deputy Director of the FREEDM Systems Center and a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at North Carolina State University. His research focuses on power electronics, power systems, and electric vehicle infrastructure. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology (2007). His work emphasizes high-power converters, DC microgrids, and extreme fast charging (XFC) technologies for electric vehicles. Recent projects include the development of a 13.2 kV solid-state transformer for EV XFC stations and resilient distributed control frameworks for smart grids. He has contributed to wireless charging systems and modular medium-voltage fast chargers. Key Awards: University Faculty Scholars (2022) Grants: DOE-funded XFC projects, modular EV charging infrastructure Labs/Teams: FREEDM Systems Center, RIAPS control architecture development Publications highlight innovations in microgrid control, power electronics modeling, and privacy-preserving distributed systems. His work addresses grid resilience, cyber-physical integration, and high-efficiency energy conversion.
Dr. Vasileios Stavropoulos is the Associate Dean, Higher Degree Research at RMIT University's Department of Health and Biomedical Sciences. His research focuses on behavioral addictions, digital phenotyping, and the psychological impacts of digital media, particularly in gaming and social media contexts. He supervises numerous research projects addressing topics like cyber-phenotyping via text mining, disordered gaming, and the interplay between digital media and mental health. Key research interests include the psychological mechanisms underlying problematic gaming and social media use, network analysis of addiction symptomologies, and the role of user-avatar bonds in behavioral disorders. His work integrates machine learning and behavioral science to predict and analyze addictive behaviors. Dr. Stavropoulos has published extensively on gaming disorder, social media addiction, and the mental health implications of digital media use. His collaborations span clinical psychology, public health, and computational methods, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to addressing modern behavioral challenges. He is actively engaged in higher degree research governance at RMIT, overseeing doctoral programs and fostering innovation in research methodologies. His contributions include developing scales for measuring addiction behaviors and advancing longitudinal studies on mental health correlations with digital engagement.
Una-May O'Reilly is a Principal Research Scientist at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), leading the ALFA group. She holds a PhD in Computer Science from Carleton University (1995), with prior roles including a postdoctoral appointment at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Her research focuses on cybersecurity, adversarial AI, software security, and disinformation dynamics, applying evolutionary algorithms and machine learning to address arms races in cyber defense and societal challenges like climate change communication. Education: B.Sc., University of Calgary M.C.S., Carleton University Ph.D., Carleton University (1995) Research Interests: Adversarial machine learning for secure systems Coevolutionary algorithms in cybersecurity and healthcare Program comprehension via neuroscience and AI Climate disinformation mitigation on social media Large language model applications in code synthesis and threat hunting Key Projects: Adversarial Cyber Security : Modeling cyber attack-defense arms races GIGABEATS : AI-driven medical sensor data analysis for critical care MOOC Learner Project : Data science for online education insights Awards: EvoStar Award (2013) for contributions to evolutionary computation Fellow of ACM Sig-EVO Leadership & Service: Co-founder and Vice-Chair of ACM Sig-EVO Former Chair of GECCO (2005), major evolutionary computation conference Editorial roles in Evolutionary Computation and Genetic Programming and Evolvable Machines Labs & Groups: Leads the AnyScale Learning for All (ALFA) group at CSAIL, focusing on scalable AI for cybersecurity, healthcare, and education.
Aybars Tuncdogan is a Reader in Digital Innovation and Information Security at King’s Business School, King’s College London. He holds affiliations with the King’s AI Institute, King’s Cybersecurity Centre (Informatics), and King’s Cybersecurity Group (War Studies). A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he also serves on the editorial review board of Industrial Marketing Management . Education : PhD in Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University MPhil in Business Research (Distinction), Erasmus University Bachelor’s in Business Management & Computer Science (Honors), Earlham College Research Interests : His work focuses on three pillars of digital innovation: generation (crowdsourcing, AI), marketing (digital brand personality, sales ambidexterity), and protection (information security, corporate espionage). He integrates psychology (individual differences, social identity) and computer science (machine learning/AI) frameworks. Publications Trends : Recent work addresses cybersecurity challenges in retail, AI ethics in healthcare, and interdisciplinary innovation. He frequently publishes in top-tier journals like Journal of Management and Scientific American , blending academic rigor with practitioner impact. Awards & Contributions : 2015 Best Paper Award (shared) Edited books including Oxford Handbook of Individual Differences and Strategic Renewal Teaching & Pedagogy : Develops innovative teaching methods like inquiry-based learning to foster student creativity. Taught modules on digital marketing, consumer behavior, and research methods. Labs/Teams : Contributes to cybersecurity initiatives at King’s, focusing on AI-driven defense mechanisms and organizational cyber resilience strategies.
Netina Tan is University Scholar and Associate Professor of Political Science at McMaster University, where she conducts research on authoritarian resilience, digital technology, and political representation of women and ethnic minorities, with a focus on East and Southeast Asia. Her scholarly work has gained international recognition, with publications referenced in 24 Wikipedia pages and covered by 32 news outlets. Dr. Tan earned her PhD in Comparative Politics from the University of British Columbia, a Master's in Political Science from the University of Regina, a Master's in Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology from the National University of Singapore. She was also a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto. Her research interests center on authoritarianism, democratization, and representation in Asian contexts, with particular attention to how digital technology affects political systems. She investigates how women and ethnic minorities gain political representation in authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes across Southeast Asia, examining electoral systems, quota mechanisms, and party strategies that either facilitate or hinder inclusion. Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on democratic backsliding in Southeast Asia, especially Singapore; the relationship between digital technology and authoritarian resilience; electoral manipulation tactics in Asian contexts; and gender representation through quotas and electoral systems. Her work bridges comparative politics, gender studies, and technology studies with regional expertise in Southeast Asia. University Scholar at McMaster University Dr. Tan has advised graduate students including Cassandra Preece, with whom she has co-authored publications. Her research has attracted significant scholarly attention with hundreds of readers on academic platforms like Mendeley. She regularly contributes expert commentary to media outlets on Southeast Asian politics, particularly regarding elections in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Her scholarly activities include directing research projects on electoral malpractice in Asia and gender equality in Myanmar politics, with recent books including 'Putting Women Up Gender Equality and Politics in Myanmar' (2024) and 'Electoral Malpractice in Asia Bending the Rules' (2023).
Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt is Principal of Jesus College Oxford and Professor of Computing Science at the University of Oxford. He is Chairman and Co-founder of the Open Data Institute which he established with Sir Tim Berners-Lee. His career spans multiple prestigious institutions including the University of Southampton and University of Nottingham, where he held leadership roles in AI research. He has served in significant government advisory positions including as Information Advisor to the UK Prime Minister and member of the Public Sector Transparency Board. Nigel Shadbolt earned his undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Newcastle (1st Class Honours, 1978) followed by a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the University of Edinburgh. His academic journey includes positions as the Allan Standen Professor of Intelligent Systems at Nottingham and leadership of the Web and Internet Science Group at Southampton before joining Oxford. Shadbolt's research spans the interdisciplinary field of Web Science, which he helped originate, focusing on human-centered AI, social machines, open data, and ethical considerations in technology. His work examines how humans and computers integrate at web scale to create novel applications, with recent emphasis on children's digital autonomy and privacy. He has published over 500 articles exploring topics from cognitive psychology to computational neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence to the Semantic Web. His notable contributions include the development of data.gov.uk and leadership in establishing Oxford's Institute of Ethics in AI. His 2018 book 'The Digital Ape: how to live (in peace) with smart machines' has been described as a 'landmark book' in the field. Knighted in 2013 for services to science and engineering Fellow of The Royal Society (FRS) Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS) Technology Pioneer status by the Davos World Economic Forum UK national BT Flagship IT Award As an advisor, Shadbolt has supervised numerous PhD students who have gone on to positions at Google DeepMind, the World Bank, and other prestigious institutions. His research has been supported by multiple grants including SOCIAM, KOALA, and ReTiPS projects. He co-founded Garlik Ltd, which was acquired by Experian, demonstrating his commitment to translating research into practical applications that benefit society. Shadbolt leads the Web and Internet Science research group at Oxford, focusing on social machines - applications that succeed at web scale by integrating humans and computers in novel ways. His work on the KOALA Hero Toolkit and CHAITok system addresses critical challenges in children's data autonomy on social media platforms, reflecting his commitment to ethical technology design.
Ki-Woong Park is a tenure-track full Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Security at Sejong University. He leads the System Security and Computer Engineering Research (SysCore) Lab, which focuses on system security research with numerous ongoing projects funded by major Korean research institutions including IITP, NRF, and KRIT. Sejong University, Department of Computer and Information Security System Security and Computer Engineering Research (SysCore) Lab Leader Member of IEEE, IEEE Computer Society, and ACM Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST (Advisor: Prof. Kyu-Ho Park) M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, KAIST (Advisor: Prof. Kyu-Ho Park) B.S. in Computer Science, Yonsei University (Summa Cum Laude) Exchange Student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Professor Park's research focuses on designing, building, and analyzing secure systems, particularly for cloud computing, networked systems, and embedded systems. His work often involves reevaluating existing security mechanisms and actual system implementations with subsequent evaluation in real computing environments. He has made significant contributions to areas including cloud security, IoT security, ransomware detection, moving target defense, and metaverse security. His research approach emphasizes both theoretical foundations and practical implementation, with numerous publications in top-tier security and systems venues. His recent publications (2023-2024) demonstrate a strong focus on emerging security challenges in modern computing environments, particularly in metaverse platforms, UAV systems, and edge computing. These works span both theoretical security frameworks and practical implementations, with an emphasis on visualization techniques, hardware-based security mechanisms, and AI-enhanced security analysis. His research shows a clear progression from traditional cloud and network security toward next-generation security challenges in immersive virtual environments and cyber-physical systems. Scientific Awards: Microsoft Research Fellowship (2009-2010) Best Poster Gold Award at WISA 2020 Best Paper Award at MobiSec'18 Professor Park actively mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students through the SysCore Lab, with current members including Ph.D. students, MS students, and undergraduate researchers. His research is supported by multiple significant grants, including the NRF Outstanding Researcher-Mid-career Researcher project, IITP Information Security Core Source Technology Development, and Defense Technology Advancement Research Institute projects. These grants total tens of billions of Korean won and address critical national security challenges in cyber defense, cloud security, and metaverse technologies. The SysCore Lab, under Professor Park's leadership, maintains a strong industry and government collaboration network, with part-time researchers from organizations including Hyundai Duty Free, Astron Security, Korea University, and various military cyber commands. This unique structure enables the lab to address both theoretical security challenges and practical implementation issues in real-world systems.
Profile Roles and Affiliations: Michael Smets is a Professor of Management at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. He is also a Research Fellow at Green Templeton College and a member of the Centre for Professional Service Firms. His academic contributions span institutional theory, practice theory, and strategic management. Education: Bachelor’s equivalent in Business and Economics, Cologne University, Germany MSc in Management Research, Saïd Business School DPhil in Management, Saïd Business School Postdoctoral Researcher at Saïd Business School and University of Alberta’s School of Management Research Interests: Michael’s work examines professional service firms (PSFs) through three core lenses: Global Operations: Internationalisation challenges in law, consulting, and reinsurance firms, with a focus on institutional complexity and regulatory systems. Innovation & Career Systems: How evolving career structures in PSFs can simultaneously drive innovation and address work-life balance demands. Recent studies highlight ambidextrous career paths and their strategic leverage. Methodological Innovation: Pioneering video- and team-ethnography to capture micro-level organisational practices. His ‘fly on the wall’ study at Lloyd’s of London is a landmark in this domain. Academic & Industry Impact: His research has been translated into industry-relevant outputs, including reports for the reinsurance sector and handbooks for legal firms. The 2013 ESRC Award for Outstanding Impact in Business recognises this translational work. Academically, he has received the 2012 Academy of Management Journal Best Article Award and multiple best paper awards. Teaching & Executive Education: Michael teaches strategic management, innovation, and business development in executive programmes for Commerzbank, Deloitte, and other global firms. He is Programme Director for the Oxford Leading Professional Service Firms Programme, emphasizing interactive, case-study driven pedagogy. His teaching philosophy prioritises critical thinking over rigid models, as he states: ‘It is critical to understand under which circumstances which models work, and which ones don’t.’ Labs & Collaborations: Affiliated with the Centre for Professional Service Firms and the Oxford Initiative on Rethinking Performance. He collaborates with institutions like Cass Business School and Aston Business School on ethnographic studies. His work also intersects with the Insurance Institute of London and the International Bar Association for practitioner-focused outputs.
Laura Albert is a Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and former David H. Gustafson Department Chair (2021-24). She serves as a Fellow of AAAS and IISE, and previously held the INFORMS presidency. Her research focuses on optimizing public-sector systems, with applications in critical infrastructure protection, emergency response, and cybersecurity. She advocates for public engagement through op-eds and blogs like 'Punk Rock Operations Research.' Education: PhD in Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2006) MS in Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2001) BS in Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2000) Research Interests: Dr. Albert’s work bridges operations research and public policy, addressing challenges in emergency medical services, voting system security, law enforcement strategies, and opioid treatment diversion programs. She employs mathematical optimization, game theory, and stochastic modeling to design resilient systems. Awards: INFORMS Impact Prize (2018) NSF CAREER Award (2011) Fulbright Award (2020) AAAS Fellow (2020) Advising & Grants: While explicit student names aren’t listed, her research has been supported by grants from the NSF, Army Research Office, and other agencies. She advises on interdisciplinary projects involving public health, cybersecurity, and disaster management. Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative efforts across the College of Engineering, including affiliations with the Electrical & Computer Engineering department. Leads initiatives on resilient infrastructure and emergency response systems.
Yuka Kobayashi is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in China and International Politics at SOAS University of London. Currently on leave as a British Academy Global Innovation Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), she specializes in China's global governance strategies, economic diplomacy, and international law. Her research integrates fieldwork-based analysis of trade (Belt and Road Initiative/WTO), climate change, human rights, and technology. Education: LLB (Kyoto University, Public International Law specialization), MPhil & DPhil (Oxford University, International Relations). Research focuses on China's economic activities in Central Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Pacific Islands, alongside UK-Japan collaborative projects on geopolitical partnerships. Key advisory roles include specialist advisor to the UK government (2021) and advisory board member for Stiftung Asienhaus (2019-2021). Publications span over two decades, addressing China's compliance with international trade norms, climate diplomacy, and evolving global governance frameworks. Supervises PhD students examining China's Pacific Island strategies and EU-China tech competition dynamics.
Dr. Vishal Sharma is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen's University Belfast. His research focuses on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), 5G/6G Security, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Blockchain, and Digital Twins. He has held roles at institutions like Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Soonchunhyang University, South Korea. Notable achievements include Best Paper Awards at ICCMIT 2017, IEEE SITE 2024, and HUCAPP/VISIGRAPP 2025. He leads the Innovation-by-Design Lab and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Research Interests: Cyber Defence, UAV Security, Secure Computing, Network Security, and Sustainable Edge Computing. He has collaborated on projects like RapidRANDefender (QRICSec) and Traceable Procurement for Net-Zero Processes. Awards include the Royal Society International Exchanges Committee appointment (2025) and QUB's Individual Performance Award (2024). Grants and Projects: Principal Investigator for projects such as Exploring Operational Capabilities of Arm Morello for UAV Security (2023) and TUDOR: Ubiquitous 3D Open Resilient Network (2023). Active in editorial roles for IEEE Communications Magazine and IET Networks. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to climate action and innovation. Publications span 150+ articles in top journals/conferences, with a focus on secure communication, edge computing, and UAV networks. Supervises PhD students in cyber defence, AI security, and distributed ledger technologies.
John C. Doyle is the Jean-Lou Chameau Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems, Electrical Engineering, and BioEngineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where he holds appointments in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science with primary affiliation in the Control and Dynamical Systems Department. His research bridges theoretical foundations with applications across biological, technological, medical, and ecological networks. He earned a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT (1977) and a PhD in Mathematics from UC Berkeley (1984), followed by consultancy at Honeywell Systems and Research Center (1976-1990). MIT: BS & MS in Electrical Engineering (1977) UC Berkeley: PhD in Mathematics (1984) Doyle's research centers on universal laws and architectures in complex systems, emphasizing robustness-efficiency tradeoffs, speed-accuracy tradeoffs (SATs), diversity-enabled sweet spots (DeSS), bowtie/hourglass structures, and evolvability. His work pioneers System Level Synthesis (SLS) for control systems with sparse, local, saturating, delayed, noisy, quantized, and distributed (SLSDNQD) components, integrating control theory, computation, communication, and machine learning to address challenges from neural networks to infrastructure resilience. Key concepts include virtualization, horizontal transfer, and virality in multiscale systems. Analysis of his publication trends reveals consistent interdisciplinary impact across neuroscience (brain connectivity modeling), systems biology (metabolic oscillations), network science (internet topology), and physics (turbulence, earthquakes), with recurring themes of robust-efficiency limits and architectural principles governing complex networks. His work demonstrates exceptional translation from abstract theory to practical tools like the Matlab Robust Control Toolbox and Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML). His scientific recognition includes: 1990 IEEE Baker Prize (ranked among top 10 most important mathematics papers 1981-1993) Three IEEE Automatic Control Transactions Awards (1998, 1999, 2021) ACM Sigcomm Paper Prize (2004) and Test of Time Award (2016) IEEE Control Systems Field Award (2004) Multiple early-career honors including IEEE Centennial Outstanding Young Engineer (1984) Doyle has mentored generations of students whose contributions include foundational software tools adopted globally. His research has secured sustained funding from NSF, NIH, and other agencies supporting theoretical advances in control frameworks and their applications to biomedical systems, network infrastructure, and environmental modeling. The SBML initiative exemplifies his group's impact in standardizing computational biology research. He leads a highly collaborative research ecosystem at Caltech that integrates engineers, biologists, neuroscientists, and computer scientists to develop universal principles for complex networks. Current efforts focus on translating theoretical insights into health technologies, resilient infrastructure, and climate-responsive systems through the application of robust-efficiency frameworks to emerging challenges in cyber-physical and biological domains.
