Schloss Dagstuhl - Leibniz Center for InformaticsGermany
Florian Tramèr is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, leading research at the intersection of machine learning security, privacy, and AI safety. His work focuses on identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities in machine learning systems, particularly in large language models and other AI systems. Tramèr's primary research interests include adversarial machine learning, membership inference attacks, privacy-preserving AI, and the security implications of large language models. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how machine learning models memorize training data, how this memorization creates privacy risks, and how to evaluate the robustness of machine learning systems against various attacks. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on practical security challenges in deployed AI systems, including data extraction from language models, adversarial attacks against generative AI, and developing more rigorous evaluation methodologies for machine learning security. Tramèr's research has been published in top venues including ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML, and IEEE Security & Privacy. Tramèr is actively collaborating with leading researchers in the field including Nicholas Carlini, Matthew Jagielski, and Javier Rando, contributing to important initiatives like the International AI Safety Report. His work bridges theoretical security concepts with practical implications for real-world AI deployment.
Professor Rainer Böhme is a prominent academic in the field of IT security and privacy at the University of Münster's School of Business and Economics, Department of Information Systems. He also holds a professorship for Security and Privacy at the University of Innsbruck's Institute of Computer Science. His research spans multiple dimensions of digital security, with particular expertise in steganography, digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, and the economic aspects of cybersecurity. Dr. Böhme earned his Doctoral Degree from TU Dresden's Faculty of Computer Science in 2008, following studies in Communications, Economics and Computer Science at Technische Universität Dresden and Université Paris XII. His academic journey includes positions as Assistant Professor at the University of Münster (2010-2015), Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley (2009-2010), and Scientific Staff at TU Dresden's Chair of Privacy and Data Security. His research interests focus on steganography and steganalysis, digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, security and usability, economic and behavioral aspects of information privacy, virtual currencies, and the economics of information security. His work bridges technical security mechanisms with economic and behavioral considerations, creating a unique interdisciplinary approach to cybersecurity challenges. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward the economics of security, particularly regarding blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency, and privacy valuation. His work increasingly examines the intersection of technical security mechanisms with market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and user behavior. The research spans theoretical game-theoretic models, empirical studies of user behavior, and practical applications in digital forensics and privacy protection. Program Co-Chair, Financial Cryptography and Data Security (2015) Program Co-Chair, New Security Paradigms Workshop (NSPW) (2015) General Chair, 8th International Conference on IT Security Incident Management & IT Forensics (2014) Organizer and Program Co-Chair, 1st Workshop on Bitcoin Research (2014) Associate Editor, Electronic Commerce Research (since 2013) Associate Editor, EURASIP Journal on Information Security (since 2013) Professor Böhme has supervised multiple Master's theses in Information Systems, including work on static code analysis for smart contracts, remote maintenance protocol security, and application protection requirements in retail banking. His research is supported by significant grants from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the DFG, and the EU FP7 program, with projects focusing on digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, and cryptocurrency crime prevention. He leads the IT Security Research Group at the University of Münster, which investigates theoretical and applied aspects of information security with particular emphasis on the economic dimensions of security decisions.
Prof. Bryan Ford leads the Decentralized/Distributed Systems (DEDIS) lab at EPFL. He focuses on secure decentralized systems, including blockchain technology, privacy, and systems security. He earned his Ph.D. from MIT and held faculty positions at Yale University and EPFL. His work spans distributed consensus protocols, peer-to-peer networking, and privacy-preserving systems. Key projects include QuePaxa (timeout-free consensus), UIA (global connectivity for mobile devices), and MedCo (secure healthcare data sharing). He advises numerous PhD students and contributes to open-source projects like Bitcoin collective signing and privacy networks like Riffle. Education: Ph.D., MIT; Postdoctoral work at Yale Research interests include blockchain scalability, consensus algorithms, and cryptographic privacy. His lab develops systems like TRIP for coercion-resistant voting and F3B to mitigate blockchain front-running. His work on NAT traversal and peer-to-peer protocols (e.g., STUN/ICE) remains foundational in network architecture. He emphasizes practical, auditable security solutions such as CertiKOS and atomic cross-chain transactions (Atom). Notable contributions: CoSi (collective signing), OmniLedger (sharded blockchain), and privacy-preserving protocols like PURBs (Protected Unsealable Recursive Boxes). His lab collaborates with Swiss Post to audit e-voting systems and designs democratic cryptocurrencies like PoPCoin.
Asia J. Biega is a tenure-track faculty member (W2) at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP), where she leads the interdisciplinary Responsible Computing group. She is also a principal investigator of the Cluster of Excellence CASA and the FINDHR consortium. Her work sits at the intersection of computing and society, focusing on responsible computing, data protection & governance, and digital well-being within data-driven and AI-based systems. Dr. Biega's research spans multiple disciplines including computer science, law, philosophy, and social sciences. Her work examines how principles of responsible computing can be computationally operationalized, with particular attention to data protection frameworks, privacy technology governance, and digital well-being. She actively collaborates across disciplinary boundaries to make technical contributions while supporting research in other fields. Her approach combines theoretical rigor with practical applications, often drawing from her industry experience at Microsoft and Google. Her publication record reveals a strong focus on the intersection of fairness, privacy, and transparency in information retrieval systems. She has pioneered work on data minimization compliance, fair ranking algorithms, and user perceptions of data collection practices. Her research consistently bridges technical and legal perspectives, particularly examining how GDPR principles can be computationally implemented. Recent work shows increasing attention to generative AI governance, algorithmic hiring systems, and the relational aspects of data in recommender systems. Dr. Biega has received several prestigious awards including the Council of Europe's Rodotà Award for innovative research in data protection, the SaTML Notable Reviewer Award, the GI-DBIS Dissertation Award of the German Informatics Society, and recognition as one of the '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics' in 2025. She has advised numerous PhD students and postdocs who have gone on to faculty positions at institutions including the University of Trieste, Penn State, and the University of Washington. Her research is funded by the Max Planck Society, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the European Union (Horizon Europe FINDHR). She serves as General Co-Chair for ACM FAccT 2025 and has held leadership roles in multiple academic conferences.
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and CompetitionGermany
Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckmann is a prominent academic and legal expert currently serving as a member of the Bavarian Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) Board of Directors and holding the Chair of Digital Law and Security at the Technical University of Munich . As a constitutional lawyer and judge at the Bavarian Constitutional Court, he bridges legal expertise with digital policy through advisory roles in the Federal Government's Data Ethics Commission and the Chancellor's National IT Summit. In 2020, he established the TUM Center for Digital Public Services to advance legally sound, common-good-oriented digitalization. His research focuses on digital education , digital administration , and healthcare digitalization , with particular emphasis on legal certainty for digital systems . Recent projects like ReDiKo (Regulating Digital Communication Platforms) and AFFAIRE (AI Regulation for Examinations) highlight his commitment to evidence-based digital governance. He has authored the juris Practical Commentary on Internet Law since 2021, shaping Germany's digital legal discourse. Professor Heckmann actively engages in public debates about digital sovereignty and platform regulation , most notably at the 2025 Nuremberg Digital Festival where he will discuss open-source foundations for digital sovereignty. His work spans constitutional law , data ethics , and AI policy , with recent publications analyzing social media harassment, AI's impact on education, and digital violence legislation.
Professor Dr. Prof. h.c. Thomas M.J. Möllers holds the Chair for Civil Law, Commercial Law, European Law, International Private Law and Comparative Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Augsburg. As a full professor, he leads research and teaching in multiple legal disciplines with a particular focus on German and European financial regulation, corporate law, and legal methodology. His work bridges traditional legal scholarship with contemporary challenges posed by digitalization and globalization. Professor Möllers' research interests span German and European Capital Markets law, German and European Company Law, Legal methods, Comparative Law, European Union Law, and Competition Law. His scholarly work demonstrates exceptional breadth, connecting doctrinal legal analysis with practical applications in evolving regulatory environments. He has made significant contributions to understanding the interface between national legal systems and EU regulation, particularly in financial markets. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on capital markets regulation, particularly regarding the Wirecard scandal and auditor liability, consumer protection in e-commerce, data protection across different legal systems, and the impact of AI on legal methodology. The trajectory of his work shows increasing engagement with comparative legal analysis between European, American, and Chinese legal systems, reflecting his growing international influence. TOP 1% Most Cited Books (2019-2023) - Legal Translations in China for his 'Legal Methodology' Honorary Professor at Central South University, Changsha, Hunan (2024) Professor Möllers has mentored numerous successful legal scholars who have gone on to academic and professional careers, including Dr. Liuhua Shen (now a professor at Jiangsu University), Dr. Maximilian Merwald, and Dr. Lisa Wolf. His research is supported by various grants, including DAAD funding for US exchange programs and participation in the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence - INspiRE on consumer protection, capital markets, and competition law enforcement. He leads the Research Center of Innovation and Legal Studies between China and Europe (RICE) and is actively involved in the Caplaw initiative, which provides resources on European and national business law. His work connects legal scholarship with practical applications through podcasts, student research showcases, and collaborative projects across multiple legal systems.
Dr. Koustuv Saha is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), leading the OnCARE lab. He holds a PhD from Georgia Tech and a B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur. His research focuses on computational social science, social computing, and ethical AI applications in mental health and wellbeing. His work bridges computer science with psychology, sociology, and public policy to address societal challenges. Education: PhD in Computer Science (Georgia Tech, 2021), B.Tech in CSE (IIT Kharagpur, 2012). Previous roles include Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research Montreal (FATE group) and industry research experience in Silicon Valley. Research interests include wellbeing sensing technologies, algorithmic fairness, and large language models’ societal impacts. Recent work examines caregiver mental health, deceptive wellness apps, and AI ethics in content moderation. His studies combine causal inference, NLP, and multimodal data analysis. Publications span top venues like CHI, CSCW, ICWSM, and JMIR. Notable awards include Georgia Tech’s Outstanding Dissertation Award (2022) and Snap Research Fellowship (2020). He advises on AI governance and collaborates with policymakers, clinicians, and industry. OnCARE lab explores human-centered AI for societal good, with projects on mental health support systems, ethical tech design, and algorithmic transparency in health contexts. Current focus includes caregiver AI tools, LLM-based empathetic systems, and workplace wellbeing interventions.
Prof. Dr. Oliver Crönertz serves as Dean and Professor of Business Administration and IT-Supported Business Processes at the Faculty of Digital Transformation , HTWK Leipzig. His work bridges digital transformation with business management, focusing on interdisciplinary project management, digital business models, and sustainability. Current roles: Dean, supervising professor for HTWK Robots/nao Team Research areas: Digital Transformation, Business Analytics, Industry 4.0, Stoffstrommanagement Research Trends : Recent publications emphasize digital solutions for environmental management, business process optimization, and smart urban logistics. His work connects Industry 4.0 with financial sustainability and societal impacts of digitalization. Projects : Leads Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Leipzig-Halle, involved in EXIST-Potentiale, Future Parking, and FAssMII (Feedback-based E-Assessment in STEM).
Prof. Dr. Martin Johns serves as Chair of Application Security at the Institute for Application Security within the Carl Friedrich Gauss Faculty at Technical University Braunschweig. He joined TU Braunschweig after working as Research Expert at SAP Security Research, where he shaped security strategy and led software security teams. Prior to SAP, he worked as software engineer in Germany at companies like TC Trustcenter and Infoseek Germany. Academic qualifications include a PhD in Computer Science (University of Passau, 2009) and a Diploma in Computer Science (University of Hamburg, 2003). His research focuses on web security and software security , particularly secure programming , vulnerability detection , and attack mitigation strategies. Recent publications cover topics like GDPR compliance frameworks , WebAssembly security , federated learning privacy , and server-side request forgery (SSRF) defenses. His work appears in top conferences including IEEE S&P, CCS, WWW, and ACM CODASPY.
Daniel Schnurr holds the Chair of Machine Learning, especially Uncertainty Quantification at the University of Regensburg since August 2022, where he conducts research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data economics, and digital market regulation. Previously, he headed the Data Policies research group at the University of Passau, building his expertise in the economic and regulatory aspects of digital markets. His educational background includes a doctorate in business informatics from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (2016), where he also worked for three years as a research associate at the Institute for Information Systems and Marketing. He completed his undergraduate and master's studies in Information Systems at KIT (2007-2013), with international experience at Concordia University in Canada and Singapore Management University. Professor Schnurr's research focuses on the technical, economic, and social implications of new machine learning methods and data as a decisive competitive factor and driver of innovation in digital markets. His work examines how data functions as both an economic asset and regulatory challenge, particularly in contexts of market power, competition policy, and AI governance. He investigates uncertainty quantification in machine learning systems while considering their broader economic and societal impacts. His publication portfolio demonstrates consistent output in top-tier journals including Management Science, Journal of Information Technology, and Journal of Competition Law & Economics, with recent work increasingly focusing on AI regulation, data access remedies, and uncertainty-aware AI systems. The trajectory shows evolution from telecommunications infrastructure research to contemporary digital market and AI regulation issues. As a Research Fellow at the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) since 2022, he has authored numerous policy reports addressing regulation of cloud computing services, digital platforms, and data economy frameworks. His policy contributions bridge academic research with practical regulatory implementation, particularly regarding the European AI Act and Digital Services Act. His research program involves experimental approaches to understanding data markets, human-AI interaction dynamics, and regulatory effectiveness. Through his work at CERRE and collaborations with international scholars, he contributes to shaping evidence-based digital policy in the European context while maintaining strong connections to academic research communities in information systems and economics.
Thomas Berger is a Professor at the University of Hohenheim , affiliated with the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and leading the Department of Economics of Land Use . He also contributes to the Computational Science Hub and Hohenheim Tropics initiatives. Focus Areas: Climate change adaptation, land-use modeling, biodiversity-productivity trade-offs, agent-based simulation, and machine learning in agricultural systems. Key Projects: Simulation frameworks for smallholder resilience in Ethiopia, bioeconomic modeling in the Amazon, and hybrid intelligence applications in European agricultural policy. Recent Publications: 2025 study on climate change effects on insecticide reduction in Germany, 2024 work on reconciling biodiversity with productivity via hybrid models, and 2023 methodological contributions to surrogate modeling and seasonal forecast integration. Research Trends: Interdisciplinary integration of climate science, agricultural economics, and computational modeling, with increasing emphasis on AI-assisted decision support systems and sustainability policy validation. Teaching & Outreach: Offers Agricultural Economics seminars and Hohenheim Tropics discussions, requiring advance email registration for office hours.
Prof. Dr. iur. Dipl.-Soz. Marion Albers holds the Chair for Public Law, Information and Communication Law, Health Law and Legal Theory at the Faculty of Law, University of Hamburg. She has been a Full Professor at Hamburg University since October 2009 and serves as Managing Director of multiple research institutions including the Cyber Law Clinic and the Hamburg Center for Bio-Governance. Her academic career spans prestigious positions at the University of Augsburg, Humboldt-University Berlin, and international collaborations with institutions in Brazil, Japan, and the United States. Education: Studies of Law, Sociology, Political Sciences and Economy at the Free University of Berlin and University of Bielefeld State Exam in Law and Diploma in Sociology Doctorate of Law in Crime Prevention and Provisions for Prosecution at University of Bielefeld Habilitation in Informational Self-Determination at Humboldt-University Berlin Professor Albers' research focuses on the intersection of law, technology, and human rights, with particular expertise in data protection law, digital constitutionalism, bioethics, and health law. Her work examines how traditional legal frameworks adapt to emerging technological challenges, especially regarding informational self-determination in the digital age. She has pioneered research on the horizontal effect of fundamental rights, the legal implications of biotechnologies, and the balance between security measures and privacy protections. Her scholarship consistently bridges theoretical legal concepts with practical applications in rapidly evolving technological contexts. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trajectory toward digital constitutionalism, with increasing focus on data subject rights within digital governance frameworks. Her work demonstrates sophisticated engagement with EU data protection regulations while simultaneously exploring comparative approaches across jurisdictions including Japan and Brazil. A consistent thread throughout her scholarship is the exploration of how constitutional principles apply in digital environments, particularly regarding the protection of personal data as a fundamental right. Scientific Awards and Fellowships: Scientific award of the Claussen-Simon-Foundation (2015) Opus Magnum-Fellowship of the Volkswagen Foundation (2015-2016) Fellow at Alfried Krupp Wissenschaftskolleg Greifswald (2014) Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study Berlin (2017/2018) Professor Albers has secured significant research funding including the Volkswagen Foundation's Opus Magnum Fellowship and has served as Principal Investigator for the German/Brazilian DAAD/CAPES PROBRAL Research Project "Internet regulation and internet rights" (2015/2018). She has supervised numerous doctoral candidates and established productive international research collaborations, particularly with Brazilian institutions. Her advisory work extends to governmental bodies including service as an expert in the German Council for Scientific Information Infrastructures (RfII) since 2018 and previous membership on the Bundestag's Advisory Committee "Ethics and Law of Modern Medicine" (2003-2005). She directs the Hamburg Center for Bio-Governance (since 2013) and the Cyber Law Clinic at the Faculty of Law (since 2012), creating interdisciplinary research environments that bridge legal scholarship with practical applications in bioethics, health law, and digital governance. Her leadership extends to editorial roles including the book series "Schriften zum Bio-, Gesundheits- und Medizinrecht" and numerous edited volumes on data protection and constitutional law.
Dr. Martin Stürzlinger is a Part-Time Professor for Digital Archiving at the Department of Information Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. He also operates his consulting firm Archiversum, advising organizations on long-term information storage (www.archiversum.com). His work bridges academic research with practical applications in digital preservation. Research Interests: Dr. Stürzlinger specializes in digital archiving, focusing on the OAIS model, life-cycle management, and archival description standards like Records in Contexts (RiC). His research addresses organizational challenges in digital preservation, legal compliance (e.g., GDPR), and metadata design for accessibility. Recent Publications: His selected works explore OAIS implementation, the impact of GDPR on private archives, and the evolution of archival description standards. These contributions highlight trends in digital preservation, emphasizing interoperability, sustainability, and cross-institutional collaboration. Collaboration & Standards: He actively contributes to international working groups, including ICA-EGAD (Archival Description) and nestor's certification standards for digital archives. His efforts in standardization include the Austrian implementation of ISAD(G) and ISDIAH, as well as Swiss guidelines for electronic records management. Teaching & Outreach: Dr. Stürzlinger has lectured extensively, including courses on archive management at BFI Vienna and IT applications in archives at the University of Vienna. He has delivered over 40 lectures globally, addressing topics like cost estimation for digital archiving and the role of corporate archives in business efficiency.
Professor Christian Deutscher is a prominent sports economist at Bielefeld University's Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, specializing in the Department of Sport Science within Division V - Sport and Business. As both Research Officer and Internationalization Officer, he leads significant work in sports economics, particularly focusing on betting markets, match-fixing detection, and sports integrity. His research has attracted funding from major institutions including the German Research Foundation. Deutscher's research interests span sports economics, betting market efficiency, match-fixing detection, sports management, and the business aspects of professional sports. His work combines advanced statistical modeling with practical applications in sports integrity monitoring. He has extensively analyzed live betting markets, Bundesliga economics, and the impact of technological innovations like VAR in football. His research often examines the intersection of sports performance, economic incentives, and market behavior. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on empirical studies of sports betting markets, particularly live and in-play betting dynamics. His work demonstrates sophisticated use of state-space models and other advanced statistical techniques to detect market inefficiencies and potential integrity issues. Deutscher frequently collaborates with statisticians and economists to develop warning systems for match-fixing, with particular attention to German football leagues. His research bridges theoretical economics with practical applications in sports governance. Professor Deutscher actively contributes to the European Sport Economics Association (ESEA), having edited special issues of conference proceedings and serving in editorial capacities. His work has been published in leading journals including Journal of Sports Economics, Economic Inquiry, and Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry. As Research Officer for the Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, Deutscher oversees research initiatives and international collaborations. His current projects include data-based fraud detection in live betting markets, funded by the German Research Foundation across multiple phases. He also serves on various university committees including the Quality Improvement Commission and Examination Board for the Department of Sport Science. Deutscher maintains strong connections with sports organizations and betting industry stakeholders, ensuring his research has practical relevance for sports integrity monitoring. His work on betting market inefficiencies has direct applications for regulatory bodies seeking to protect the integrity of sporting competitions.
Uwe Cantner is a Full Professor of Economics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and holds a professorship at the University of Southern Denmark/Odense. He has held significant roles such as Vice President for Young Researchers and Diversity Management at FSU Jena (2014–2024), Chairman of the German Federal Government's Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI), and Spokesman of the DFG-GRK 1411 Research Training Group. His work focuses on the economics of innovation, evolutionary economics, industrial economics, productivity measurement, and public finance. Education : Dipl.oec. in Business Administration/Economics (1985) from University of Augsburg; MA in Economics (1984) from Wayne State University; Dr.oec.publ. (1990) and Dr.rer.pol.habil. (1996) from Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich. Cantner's research bridges theoretical and empirical analyses of innovation systems, technological sovereignty, and entrepreneurial ecosystems. He has contributed to debates on missions-oriented innovation policy, productivity dynamics in global value chains, and the role of institutional transparency in regional development. His recent publications analyze industrial policy frameworks (2023), digitalization challenges in European higher education (2022), and corruption-innovation linkages (2020). Articles span evolutionary economics, environmental economics, and policy analysis, with cross-cutting themes in sustainability, governance, and regional development. Cantner actively shapes academic discourse as President of the International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society (since 2015) and editorial roles in journals like the Journal of Evolutionary Economics . He has directed graduate programs and contributed to EU energy transition research through expert surveys.