Professor Christopher Foot is a Professor of Physics and Perenco Fellow and Tutor in Physics at St Peter’s College, University of Oxford. He holds a B.A. and D.Phil. in Physics from Oxford and has held roles including Tutorial Fellow at St Peter’s since 1991 and Senior Tutor from 2010–2014. His research focuses on ultracold atomic gases, Bose-Einstein condensation, and quantum systems manipulation using magnetic and radio-frequency fields. He leads experimental efforts to study large quantum systems and has pioneered techniques involving electric fields for ion confinement. Teaching responsibilities include Quantum Mechanics, Atomic/Molecular/Laser Physics, and graduate courses on Ultracold Quantum Matter. He coordinates the fourth-year option on Lasers and Quantum Information Processing. Awards include the Lindemann Trust Fellowship during his time at Stanford University. His work bridges fundamental quantum physics with advanced experimental techniques, enabling precise control of atomic systems. Collaborations involve developing novel methods to probe many-body quantum phenomena at extreme temperatures (tens of nanokelvin). Current projects aim to extend quantum system studies to biomolecular ions, leveraging interdisciplinary approaches.
Deborah Richards is a Professor in the School of Computing at Macquarie University, affiliated with the Ethics and Agency Research Centre, Performance and Expertise Research Centre, and Frontier AI Research Centre. She holds roles as Industry and External Relations Director for the School and Director of the Virtual Reality Lab. Her research focuses on Intelligent Virtual Agents, Virtual Reality applications in education and health, knowledge acquisition, and cybersecurity ethics. She has authored over 425 publications and led 19 research projects, including studies on AI in healthcare and ethical AI design. Education: PhD (Artificial Intelligence, Macquarie University), MAppSc (Information Studies), BBus (Computing and MIS), and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (Leadership and Management). She advises on PhD and MRes students in Intelligent Virtual Agents research. Research interests include virtual agents for health behavior change, AI ethics, and educational technology. Notable projects include the eADVICE web-based management system for urinary incontinence and the development of embodied conversational agents for wellbeing support. Awards include the ABC Science Media Fellowship (2005) and Vice-Chancellor’s Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2017). Grants and collaborations span health informatics, cybersecurity, and AI ethics. She co-leads initiatives like the Respectful Maternity Care study and the Virtual Reality Lab’s immersive learning environments. Future work emphasizes ethical AI integration in education and healthcare.
Rosa I. Arriaga is an Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology, where she directs the Ubicomp Health and Wellness Lab. Her research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Ubiquitous Computing, and mHealth, with applications in mental health, chronic disease management (e.g., diabetes), and pediatric asthma care. She designs technology systems to improve patient engagement, continuity of care, and clinician-patient communication. Research Areas: Chronic Care Management PTSD Therapy Support (PECSS project) Diabetes Management (DUCSS project) mHealth System Design AI in Healthcare Key Projects: PECSS: Leverages ubiquitous computing and machine learning to address clinical challenges in PTSD therapy. DUCSS: A diabetes management system to streamline patient education and self-monitoring, particularly for underserved populations. ZenVR: A virtual reality system for meditation education, validated through longitudinal studies. Teaching: Teaches undergraduate courses in HCI and graduate courses in Human-Centered Computing (HCC). Her Coursera course Intro to User Experience Design has over 50K learners. Grants & Partnerships: Funded by GT-Emory AI Humanity, American Diabetes Association, and Georgia Center for Diabetes Translation Research. Collaborations with Emory University, University of Rochester, and medical professionals. Labs & Teams: Leads the Ubicomp Health and Wellness Lab, fostering interdisciplinary research with graduate and undergraduate students focusing on health technology innovation.
Professor Astrid Nordin holds the Lau Chair of Chinese International Relations at King's College London's Lau China Institute, within the School of Global Affairs. Previously, she was a Professor and Director at Lancaster University's China Centre. Her research bridges Chinese studies and critical international relations, focusing on relational theories and China's global role. Key areas include Chinese foreign policy, surveillance technologies, and decolonial approaches. Education: Peking University, Jilin University, City University Hong Kong, University of Warwick, University of Manchester Research Interests: Chinese world order concepts, relational approaches, critical social theory, and ontology of war. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, impacting policy, media, and cultural sectors. Notable projects include the 'Chinese Anger Diplomacy' study and the 'ESRC IAA: Community-led support for overseas Chinese' initiative. She co-edited the Routledge Handbook of Social Futures (2021) and contributes to public discourse on China's global influence. Awards: KingsCAT Tool Development (2024) alongside interdisciplinary team.
Prof. Dr. Ina Christin Meier serves as Head of Department and Head of Research Unit for Functional Forest Ecology at the University of Hamburg, within the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences. She is affiliated with the Institute of Wood Sciences (Institut für Holzwissenschaften) in the Department of Biology, where she leads research on forest ecosystem responses to global environmental changes at Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609 Hamburg. Dr. Meier's research focuses on the impacts of global change factors —including increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration, summer drought, nitrogen deposition, and intensified management—on the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of temperate, boreal, Mediterranean, and global forest biomes. Her work spans functional ecology of forest trees and grasslands , interactions between roots, mycorrhizal fungi and soil , ecophysiology , and long-term changes in forest ecosystems . She has made significant contributions to understanding root carbon allocation, tropical forest responses to climate change, and the role of mycorrhizal relationships in forest ecosystems. Analysis of Dr. Meier's publication record reveals a strong emphasis on belowground ecology and global change biology , with particular attention to root systems across diverse biomes. Her research bridges plant physiology, ecosystem ecology, and climate science, often synthesizing data from multiple studies to identify broader patterns. She frequently investigates how carbon allocation to root exudates affects soil sequestration and drought response, and has developed important frameworks for understanding root trait responses to multiple global change drivers. Dr. Meier actively collaborates with international research teams across continents. Her work on Nature's Contributions to People has demonstrated that securing essential ecosystem services requires maintaining at least 20-25% semi-natural habitat in human-modified landscapes. She also investigates the chemical complexity of root exudates and their ecological significance, contributing methodological advances to this challenging area of research.
Eduardo Azevedo is the John M. Bendheim and Thomas L. Bendheim Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School , University of Pennsylvania. He holds a courtesy appointment as Professor of Economics and was awarded the 2016 Sloan Foundation Fellowship. His research integrates economic theory with practical applications across science and business domains. His research interests include: Market design Selection markets Social science genetics Experimental economics Game theory Recent publication trends focus on: Economic theory applications to healthcare and digital markets Empirical Bayes methods in A/B testing Adverse selection in insurance markets Strategic behavior in two-sided matching Evolutionary behavioral economics He serves as an instructor for BEPP2500 - Managerial Economics , emphasizing real-world application of microeconomic theory to business problems. His work also involves software development for economic research, including MATLAB-based empirical Bayes tools for analyzing treatment effects in large-scale experiments. Scientific awards : Sloan Foundation Fellow (2016)
Prasanna (Sonny) Tambe is a Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in the economics of technology and labor markets. His research explores AI’s impact on workforce dynamics, HR algorithms, and the gender wage gap in tech industries. Education: Ph.D. in Managerial Science and Applied Economics (Wharton, UPenn); S.B. and M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (MIT). His work leverages internet-scale data from job platforms and patent databases to analyze trends in skill acquisition, remote work diversity, and algorithmic bias in hiring. Recent studies examine AI’s role in HR decision-making, the economics of emerging technologies, and labor market responses to IT innovation. Scientific Awards: Best Undergraduate Professors (Poets & Quants, 2020) Best Paper Awards (Management Science, Information Systems Research) ISS Sandra A. Slaughter Early Career Award (2016) Tambe co-directs Wharton Human-AI Research, focusing on ethical AI integration in organizations. His teaching includes award-winning courses on AI’s societal implications and data-driven business strategies.
Myriam Dunn Cavelty serves as Deputy Head of Research and Teaching at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich, where she leads significant academic initiatives in cybersecurity and digital governance. She holds formal affiliations as an associate researcher at the Center for Advanced Security Theory at the University of Copenhagen, and has held prestigious visiting positions at Brown University, the University of Darmstadt (as a Mercator Fellow), and the Central European University. Her research expertise centers on how digital technologies influence political behavior and societal values, with particular attention to governance arrangements for digital technologies and their embedding in social, political, and economic processes. Her scholarly contributions span cybersecurity politics, cyber warfare, critical infrastructure protection, and strategic foresight, reflecting an interdisciplinary approach that bridges political science, international relations, and technology studies. Dunn Cavelty's publication record demonstrates remarkable consistency and impact, with works spanning from 2008 to the present. Her research shows an evolution from early analyses of cyber-threat construction to contemporary examinations of AI in security contexts and the political dimensions of cybersecurity governance. Her work consistently addresses the intersection of technological capabilities and political constraints, examining how states and other actors navigate security challenges in the digital domain. Mercator Fellow at the University of Darmstadt Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Security Policy Advisory work for governments, international institutions, and corporations As an academic leader, she has advised numerous doctoral students and supervised research projects examining the political dimensions of cybersecurity. Her work with the Center for Security Studies involves directing research programs that connect academic inquiry with policy relevance, particularly in the areas of risk analysis and strategic foresight. She has established herself as a leading voice in European cybersecurity scholarship, with particular expertise in the Swiss context and broader European security frameworks.
Dr. Simon Beaumont is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Durham University , with additional responsibilities as Associate Dean (PGR) in the Faculty of Science. His research program integrates heterogeneous catalysis , nanomaterials , and in situ spectroscopic techniques to develop sustainable chemical processes. BA & MSci Natural Sciences, University of Cambridge (2003-2007) PhD in Heterogeneous Catalysis, University of Cambridge (2010) Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley (2010-2012) Research foci include mechanistic studies of catalytic processes, nanoparticle synthesis , and in situ characterization via X-ray absorption (NEXAFS), DRIFTS, and Raman. His work addresses challenges in CO2 hydrogenation , biomass conversion , and environmental remediation , supported by national/EU/industrial funding. Recent publications highlight trends in selective hydrogenation (furfural), multi-functional catalysts (acid-base systems), and nanoparticle stability under reactive conditions. All studies emphasize molecular-level understanding for practical catalyst design. Scientific awards include Leverhulme Trust and Addison Wheeler fellowships. Teaching portfolio spans first-year laboratories , organic chemistry tutorials , and advanced catalysis lectures . Supervision of five research postgraduates and leadership of industry-funded projects further demonstrate his academic impact.
Kyle Bellucci Johanson serves as a Visiting Critic in Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, Department of Art. Holding an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and a BA in Art and Reconciliation Studies from Bethel University, he merges artistic practice with critical theory through performance architecture and collaborative media. Whitney Independent Study Program (2022–23) Founding fellow at land's edge free school (Los Angeles) Teaching experience at SAIC, UIC, CUNY, and Cooper Union His research investigates: Power structures through spatial interventions Critical theory applications in art practice Post-capitalist imaginaries Hauntology and historical materialism Transdisciplinary approaches to social critique Project trends reveal: Reinterpretation of Soviet design principles Investigation of worker identity in post-industrial contexts Temporal and spatial dislocation in artistic practice Monument critique through performative methods Quantum theory-inspired architectural concepts Reimagining of common spaces as political sites Scientific awards include: Creative Research Grant (2025) Whitney ISP participation (2022–23) Automata Studio Residency (2022) Artists Run Chicago Grant (2021) BOLT Residency (2020–21) Through projects like KLUB WRKR —a nomadic workers' club reimagined for the gig economy—and table (2018–2022), a Chicago-based experimental space for artistic practice, he interrogates institutional frameworks while fostering community through discursive meals and collaborative exhibitions.
Alexander Manevitz is an Assistant Professor at the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, Baruch College (City University of New York), specializing in African American history, 19th-century U.S. history, and historical memory. His research explores urbanism, race, and capitalism, particularly through the lens of Seneca Village, a free Black community displaced during Central Park’s creation. Education: Ph.D., U.S. History, New York University (2016) B.A., History, Trinity College (Hartford) His research focuses on the intersection of race, property regimes, and urban development in antebellum New York City. He is currently finalizing a book manuscript with Cornell University Press titled The Rise and Fall of Seneca Village: Remaking Race and Space in Nineteenth-Century New York City , analyzing how marginalized communities navigated systemic discrimination and urban transformation. Manevitz’s recent publications and media contributions examine themes like urban capitalism, Reconstruction’s legacy, and archival recovery. His 2022 article in the Journal of Urban History investigates racial and economic inequalities in 19th-century New York City, while his 2020 Washington Post piece connects Reconstruction-era failures to contemporary racial justice issues. Scientific Awards: Robert Friedman Professor of American History (2024) Faculty Fellowship Publication Program (CUNY, 2023) Bernard and Irene Schwartz Postdoctoral Fellow (2019) Junior Faculty Research Fellowship (Trinity College, 2017) Bessie and George Levy Award for Excellence in American History (2014) Manevitz teaches courses in American history, African American history, and urban capitalism, employing interdisciplinary methods to amplify diverse voices. He has collaborated with institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New-York Historical Society, emphasizing public scholarship and community engagement.
Arvind Narayanan is a Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University and Director of the Center for Information Technology Policy (CITP). His research focuses on the societal impact of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, with emphasis on policy implications, fairness, and privacy. He leads interdisciplinary efforts connecting technical research with real-world policy challenges. Dr. Narayanan earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Austin in 2009. His academic journey has established him as a leading voice in the critical examination of AI systems and their societal consequences. Narayanan's research spans multiple domains where technology intersects with society. His work on AI includes critical analysis of AI capabilities versus marketing claims (AI Snake Oil), fairness in machine learning systems, and the reproducibility crisis in ML-based science. In privacy research, he led the Princeton Web Transparency and Accountability Project which uncovered how companies track users online, developing the OpenWPM tool used in over 100 studies. His early work demonstrated fundamental limits of de-identification techniques and how machine learning reflects cultural stereotypes. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on demystifying AI capabilities while identifying genuine opportunities and risks. Narayanan's work bridges technical computer science with policy relevance, emphasizing the importance of evidence-based approaches to AI governance. His research increasingly addresses the limitations of prediction systems, the challenges of evaluating AI systems, and the need for transparency in foundation models. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Privacy Enhancing Technologies Award (twice recipient) Privacy Papers for Policy Makers Award (three-time recipient) TIME's inaugural list of 100 most influential people in AI 2025 Graduate Mentoring Award Narayanan is recognized as an exceptional mentor, receiving Princeton's Graduate Mentoring Award in 2025. His policy engagement extends to congressional testimony, advisory roles, and frequent media commentary. He has secured significant research funding supporting his work on web transparency, AI policy, and cryptocurrency analysis. His research group has produced influential tools like OpenWPM for web privacy studies and contributed to foundational textbooks on cryptocurrencies and fairness in machine learning. At Princeton, Narayanan leads the Web Transparency and Accountability Project, a major research initiative that has conducted large-scale measurements of online tracking across millions of websites. He also co-founded and directs the CITP's AI Policy Initiative, which brings together researchers from multiple disciplines to address pressing AI governance questions. His work frequently involves collaboration with social scientists, legal scholars, and policymakers to develop practical solutions to technology governance challenges.
Laura Vaughan is Professor of Urban Form and Society and Director of the Space Syntax Lab at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. Her research examines the relationship between urban form and society using space syntax methodologies, addressing critical urban challenges including spatial inequalities, health disparities, poverty, housing, and socioeconomic vitality. She maintains active policy engagement through memberships in the West Yorkshire Scientific Advisory Group and as Chair of the International Space Syntax Executive Committee. Education includes: Doctor of Philosophy, University of London (1995-1999) Master of Science, University of London (1992-1994) Bachelor of Design, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design (1985-1989) Her research integrates space syntax methodology with urban geography and architecture to analyze how spatial configurations influence social patterns. Key interests include the historical evolution of urban segregation mechanisms, morphological predictors of community vitality, and geospatial determinants of public health outcomes. She maintains cross-disciplinary collaborations spanning public health, history, anthropology, and urban planning. Publication trends show consistent focus on urban morphology's societal impacts, with recent work emphasizing longitudinal health studies, historical cartography, and high street resilience. Methodological innovations include developing individual-level environmental exposure metrics and integrating geospatial analysis with cohort studies. Research consistently demonstrates how spatial configurations mediate social processes across temporal scales. Scientific recognition includes: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (elected 2005) Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (elected 2015) As Director of the Space Syntax Lab, she leads research on socio-spatial systems and advises PhD students. She teaches the 'Urban Form and Society' module in the MSc/MRes Space Syntax program, exploring urban design's relationship with crime, health, and inequality. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes integrating research with design practice and historical analysis.
Gary Rochelle is the Carol and Henry Groppe Professor in Chemical Engineering and a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin . His research focuses on developing fundamental insights into kinetic and mass transfer phenomena in aqueous technologies for air pollution control and acid gas treating, particularly for carbon dioxide and mercury removal. Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley (1977), M.S./B.S. from MIT (1971) His work addresses critical challenges in CO2 capture using amine scrubbing, including process design optimization, solvent degradation mitigation, and pilot plant validation. Recent studies emphasize energy efficiency, oxidation inhibition, and environmental impacts such as amine aerosol emissions. The Texas Carbon Management Program , which he contributes to, aims to improve amine scrubbing technologies for retrofitting power plants and enabling geological sequestration or enhanced oil recovery. His group has validated concentrated aqueous piperazine (PZ) with an advanced flash stripper as the most efficient open-literature system.
David S. Eisenberg is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he also serves as Director of the UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics and as an HHMI Investigator. His research focuses on protein interactions, particularly the structural basis for conversion of normal proteins to the amyloid state and conversion of prions to the infectious state. Dr. Eisenberg earned his undergraduate degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard College and his D.Phil. degree in theoretical chemistry from Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship. His postdoctoral research was on ice and water with Walter Kauzmann at Princeton and in protein crystallography with Richard Dickerson. He joined the UCLA faculty after his postdoctoral studies. Dr. Eisenberg and his research group focus on protein interactions in amyloid and prion diseases. These diseases involve protein aggregation where normal functional proteins convert to abnormal aggregated forms. Systemic amyloid diseases like dialysis-related amyloidosis result from fiber accumulation until organ failure, while neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and prion conditions appear to be caused by smaller oligomers. In 2005, his team determined the atomic-level structure for the amyloid fiber spine, revealing a 'steric zipper' of two parallel beta sheets packed across a dry interface. Since then, they've determined approximately 90 amyloid spines from 15 disease-related proteins. In 2010, they identified the structure of a toxic amyloid-related oligomer consisting of six anti-parallel beta strands forming a cylindrical barrel. His recent publications demonstrate continued innovation in amyloid research, with focus areas including structural prediction of amyloid formation, mechanisms of tau fibril disassembly in Alzheimer's disease, cryo-EM analysis of amyloid polymorphism, and structure-based design of inhibitors for amyloid toxicity. His work integrates computational, structural, and biochemical approaches to understand protein aggregation across multiple disease contexts. Dr. Eisenberg has received numerous prestigious awards and honors: National Academy of Sciences Member American Philosophical Society Member Institute of Medicine Member Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Biophysical Society Emily M. Gray Award Harvard Westheimer Medal UCLA Seaborg Medal Technion - Israel Institute of Technology Harvey Prize in Human Health As Director of the UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics and an HHMI Investigator, Dr. Eisenberg leads significant research initiatives in protein structure and aggregation. His laboratory combines X-ray crystallography, bioinformatics, and biochemical techniques to investigate protein interactions, with particular emphasis on amyloid-forming proteins and their role in disease. The Eisenberg Lab, located in Boyer Hall at UCLA, maintains an active research program investigating the structural basis of protein aggregation. The lab continues to build on its landmark discoveries of amyloid structures while exploring new frontiers in understanding protein misfolding diseases and developing potential therapeutic interventions.
