Thomas Ertl is a Professor at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), leading the Institute of Sanitary Engineering and Water Pollution Control. His research focuses on urban water systems, emphasizing sustainable drainage, climate change adaptation, and nature-based solutions. He has coordinated 55 projects, including international initiatives in Albania and Austria, addressing stormwater management, wastewater heat recovery, and sewer infrastructure resilience. Key Projects : Analysing re-activated watercourses for urban resilience (2024–2028) Resilient rainwater management in Austria (2024–2028) Assessing pollutant emissions in Albania (2024–2027) Research Themes : Building Information Modeling (BIM) in wastewater systems Uncertainty analysis under climate change Stormwater pollution and heat island mitigation Awards : 2018: Goldene Ehrennadel des ÖWAV 1993: Best student award at AGIT 93 His recent publications highlight multidisciplinary approaches to wastewater energy recovery, spatial compatibility of nature-based solutions, and prioritization of stormwater management sites. He has supervised numerous theses and contributed to media discussions on urban climate resilience, including articles in Austrian outlets like futurezone.at and Der Kurier.
Kristian Stokke is a Professor at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography , University of Oslo. His research focuses on Political Geography , Democratization , and Social Movements in South and Southeast Asia, particularly Myanmar, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. He is affiliated with the Center for South Asian Democracy (CSAD) and has led comparative studies on citizenship politics in Indonesia and Myanmar. Academic Interests : Democratization, Autocracy, Social Movements, Citizenship, Civil War, Peacebuilding Teaching : SGO2400 - Political Geography, HGO4401 - Democratization and Civil Society, SOSGEO4801 - Social Movements His recent publications analyze autocratization resistance in Tunisia and Myanmar, hybrid regime dynamics , and transformative citizenship frameworks . He has contributed to key debates in Political Geography , Democratization , and Development Studies . Scientific Awards : 2015 Progress in Human Geography Best Paper Prize 2013 Progress in Human Geography Essay Prize Stokke's work emphasizes contextual democracy , peacebuilding in post-conflict societies, and civil society's role in global development. He has published extensively in Palgrave Macmillan , Routledge , and Political Geography journal.
Professor Cathryn Birch is a leading academic in Meteorology and Climate at the University of Leeds' School of Earth and Environment. She holds a Professorship specializing in high-impact weather systems and climate modeling, with extensive collaborations across international meteorological services including the Indonesian Met Service (BMKG) and the UK Met Office. Her research focuses on tropical meteorology , particularly thunderstorm formation and extreme rainfall mechanisms in Southeast Asia. She employs convection-permitting models , satellite observations, and machine learning techniques to develop nowcasting systems that predict severe weather 2-3 hours in advance. Key research areas include: Weather and climate extremes in tropical regions Flood forecasting and early warning system development Climate impacts on health (particularly humid heat extremes) Machine learning applications for weather prediction Her recent publications demonstrate strong trends in applied meteorology with emphasis on real-world implementation - 60% of her 2023-2025 work involves operational forecasting systems, while 40% focuses on climate-health linkages. Notable methodological innovations include satellite-based humid heat early warning systems and deep learning frameworks for convection initiation. Major scientific recognition includes: 2024 Emerging Environmental Impact Award for flood early warning systems 2021 Queen's Anniversary Prize for tropical community resilience 2014 European Meteorological Society Young Scientist Award Professor Birch actively supervises 6 PhD students and 3 postdocs while leading multi-million pound projects including the £6M National Hub on Net Zero, Health and Extreme Heat (HEARTH). Her team develops practical forecasting tools currently being tested with African meteorological services and the Indonesian Met Service. She also serves on the European Meteorological Society Awards Committee and the Met Office K-scale project steering group.
Professor Ross Cameron is a faculty member at the School of Architecture and Landscape, University of Sheffield, specializing in Environmental Horticulture . His research focuses on the intersection of urban green infrastructure, climate change adaptation, and human well-being through plant selection. PhD in Horticulture BSc in Biological Sciences Research interests include: Green infrastructure for climate mitigation (city cooling, flood tolerance) Plant-ecosystem interactions (thermal insulation, biodiversity enhancement) Sustainable resource use (water, soil amendments, energy) Human-plant relationships (well-being, therapeutic landscapes) Recent publications highlight trends in: Phylogenetic approaches to urban tree survival Thermal regulation via green walls and roofs Floral color psychology and mental health Mediterranean species adaptation to urban stress Microbial implications in green infrastructure Scientific awards include: National Horticultural Fellowship (2011) DEFRA LINK project with top rating (9/10) Teaching excellence awards He leads research on plant-people dynamics, advises UK policymakers, and supervises PhD projects in urban ecosystem services. His work bridges applied horticulture with interdisciplinary collaborations across ecology, architecture, and public health.
Dr. Dominique Claveau-Mallet is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. She holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Water Treatment in Decentralized or Small-Scale Facilities and serves as Co-Director of the Environmental Engineering Laboratory. Her affiliations include membership in the Center for Research, Development and Validation of Water Treatment Technologies and Processes (CREDEAU) and the Geothermal and Hydrogeology Research Group. Her research focuses on innovative solutions for water treatment challenges, with emphasis on: Decentralized wastewater systems and small-scale treatment facilities Microplastics capture and pollution mitigation strategies Phosphorus removal technologies using reactive filters Membrane filtration processes and hydraulic performance optimization Hydrogeology of contaminants in groundwater systems Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong research trends in microplastics characterization (capture methods, environmental fate, citizen science approaches), advanced filtration systems (reactive filters, membrane technologies), and sustainable wastewater treatment solutions for decentralized applications. Her work frequently combines experimental research with practical implementation studies. Awards & Recognition: Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (2020-present) Recipient of federal/provincial research grants including NSERC Discovery Grants She actively supervises graduate students, having recently directed 2 doctoral theses and 5 master's theses on topics spanning membrane filtration, phosphorus removal, and microplastics mitigation. Her research receives significant media coverage for its environmental impact, particularly regarding microplastics capture technologies and septic system management. Dr. Claveau-Mallet leads interdisciplinary teams at the Environmental Engineering Laboratory and collaborates extensively with municipal partners and citizen science initiatives. Current investigations focus on developing next-generation filtration systems and optimizing existing water treatment infrastructure for climate resilience.
Professor Fang Liu serves as a Professor of Operations Management at Durham University Business School (DUBS). She joined Durham University in 2023 after academic positions at The University of Chinese Academy and Nanyang Technological University, bringing extensive expertise in supply chain systems and operational resilience. Her educational foundation includes a doctoral degree in Operations Management from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, USA. Liu's research centers on Supply Chain Resilience, Inventory Management, E-commerce and Warehouse Management, and Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Her work develops innovative frameworks for mitigating disruption risks while optimizing resource allocation, with direct applications in global logistics networks and sustainable operations. She bridges theoretical rigor with practical implementation across diverse sectors. Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals a strategic evolution from foundational inventory theory toward contemporary challenges in e-commerce logistics and sustainable supply chains. Her recent work increasingly addresses healthcare operations and carbon-neutral supply chain design, consistently published in premier journals like Operations Research and Production and Operations Management. Professor Liu has secured multiple competitive research grants as Principal or co-Principal Investigator. She actively translates academic insights into practice through collaborations with organizations including Cummins, Singapore IFRC, and Meide, focusing on operational optimization and resilience building. While specific lab structures aren't detailed, her industry partnerships demonstrate applied research engagement, particularly in developing solutions for complex operational challenges faced by multinational corporations and humanitarian organizations.
Dolorès Bertrais is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Geneva's Department of Geography and Environment (UNIGE, Switzerland). Her work focuses on the political ontology of the living in urban contexts, materiality of cities (especially sand and aggregates), and environmental/socio-spatial justice across Southeast Asia and East Africa (Rwanda). After defending her 2024 thesis on Green City models in Phnom Penh and Kigali, she continues researching urban dynamics and production of space. Teaching: Courses on urban history, territorial projects, and globalization in the Global South Key Conferences: Presented at Geneva, Montreal, Mexico City, and Málaga events on Green City discourse and urban materiality Publications: 15+ works on urban ecology, including 2024 article on Phnom Penh policy analysis and 2025 book chapter on graphical ethnography
Ridha Khedri is a Professor in the Department of Computing and Software at McMaster University . His research spans formal methods in software engineering, cybersecurity, information security ontology, network segmentation, and covert channels analysis. Full Professor since 2000 Contact: khedri@mcmaster.ca Research Interests : Prof. Khedri develops algebraic frameworks for software security, with recent work on network segmentation , ontology engineering , and covert channel detection . His interdisciplinary efforts include hybrid machine learning-ontology models for environmental predictions (e.g., river ice breakup) and digital twin healthcare systems . Article Trends : His 15 most recent works (2016-2025) focus on network security , knowledge representation , and formal verification . Notable trends include automated security testing , ontology modularization , and multi-context reasoning systems . Teaching : He has taught courses like Software Design (CAS 703), Discrete Mathematics (SFWRENG 2DM3), and Algebraic Methods in Software Engineering (CAS 738) since 2017.
Dame Til Wykes is a Clinical Professor at King’s College London, leading the School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences and the Service User Research Enterprise (SURE) . Her work focuses on psychological treatments for schizophrenia , cognitive remediation therapy , and digital mental health services , with international impact on research strategies through projects like European ROAMER and UK Mental Health Research Goals . Education : PhD (University of Sussex), MPhil (King’s College London), BSc (University of Nottingham) Leadership : Head of School (2020–present), Co-Director of SURE, NIHR Maudsley BRC Cluster Lead Research Themes : • Cognitive Remediation Therapy for schizophrenia and psychosis • Digital Mental Health Tools (RADAR-CNS, CIRCuiTS™ software) • Service User Involvement in research design and implementation • Ward Design and Therapeutic Environments in psychiatric inpatient care Selected Scientific Awards : British Psychological Society (2014) GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for Largest Mental Health Lesson Damehood from the Queen (2016) EPA Outstanding Achievement Award SIRS Lifetime Achievement Award (2024) Leadership and Collaborations : President of the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS), Fellow of multiple academies (Medical Sciences, Social Sciences), and Trustee of Weight Concern. She co-leads projects like ECLIPSE and MEMReD , and has contributed to 17 Pharmacological and Psychosocial Treatments in Schizophrenia (3rd ed.).
Dr. Summer Han serves as Associate Professor of Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Epidemiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. She leads research through the Quantitative Sciences Unit (QSU) in the Biomedical Informatics Research Division of the Department of Medicine and maintains joint appointments in the Department of Neurosurgery. Her work bridges statistical methodology development with clinical applications in cancer screening and neuroscience. Her research program focuses on statistical genetics, molecular epidemiology, and risk prediction modeling for complex diseases. Key areas include developing novel methods for analyzing high-dimensional genomic data, creating dynamic risk prediction models under competing risks, and establishing evidence-based cancer screening strategies. Her team integrates genetic, environmental, and clinical factors to improve early detection of lung cancer and second primary malignancies, with particular attention to reducing racial disparities in screening outcomes. Dr. Han's scientific contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards including the NCI R37 MERIT Award for Early-Stage Investigators and the Department of Medicine Teaching Award in Biomedical Informatics Research. Her team has developed impactful tools such as the SPLC-RAT for second primary lung cancer risk assessment and RAMBO for brain metastasis prediction in lung cancer patients. She actively mentors PhD students and postdoctoral fellows, with several former trainees securing faculty positions at institutions including Cornell University and IIT Roorkee. Current research initiatives include the Oncoshare-Lung database integrating EHRs from Stanford Health Care and 23+ Sutter Health sites across Northern California, and the Cancer Data Science Shared Resources Core which she co-directs at the Stanford Cancer Institute. NCI R37 MERIT Award (Early-Stage Investigator) 2022 Department of Medicine Teaching Award in Biomedical Informatics 2024 SCI Equity Impact Research Grant 2024 Neurosurgery Research Seed Grant Award Multiple NCI R01 grants (CA226081, CA282793) Her laboratory collaborates extensively across Stanford Medicine, working with thoracic oncologists, neurosurgeons, and epidemiologists to translate statistical innovations into clinical practice. Current projects address socioeconomic factors in cancer risk stratification, real-time physical activity monitoring in spine surgery recovery, and machine learning approaches for genomic data analysis.
Jeanette Willert is an Associate Professor at the Department of Accounting , Copenhagen Business School , specializing in Management Control Systems and Accounting Information Systems . Her research explores cross-cultural management practices, corporate governance, and digital transformation in accounting. Education: PhD in Management Control Systems, Copenhagen Business School (2016) She has published extensively on cultural influences on management controls, regulatory compliance in digital systems, and organizational performance. Her work includes empirical studies across Nordic, Anglo-Saxon, and Germanic cultural regions. Advising: Supervises graduate and diploma theses in Accounting Information Systems She also contributes to media discussions on Danish accounting legislation and participates in projects analyzing ERP system effectiveness.
Edith C. H. Ngai is an Associate Professor in the Department of Information Technology at Uppsala University, Sweden. She leads the Smart City Arena initiative and serves as project leader for the national GreenIoT project on energy-efficient IoT for sustainable city development funded by Vinnova. Her academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions including Chinese University of Hong Kong, Imperial College London, Simon Fraser University, UCLA, and Tsinghua University. Dr. Ngai's research focuses on Internet-of-Things, mobile crowdsensing, network security and privacy, cloud computing, and data analytics, with particular applications in smart cities and healthcare. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations for sustainable development. She has pioneered research in energy-efficient IoT systems, data privacy in participatory sensing, and mobile health monitoring applications. Her recent publications demonstrate strong trends in IoT for smart cities, privacy-preserving techniques in social sensing, and energy-efficient data collection systems. The research spans both theoretical contributions and practical implementations, with applications ranging from urban environmental monitoring to healthcare solutions. Her work consistently addresses the tension between functionality and privacy in connected systems. Professional recognition includes: ACM Senior Member (2016) IEEE Senior Member (2015) ACM/IEEE IPSN Best Paper Runner-Up (2013) IEEE IWQoS Best Paper Runner-Up (2010) VINNMER Fellow from Swedish government agency (2009) Dr. Ngai actively mentors PhD and Master's students, with numerous graduates working at leading technology companies including Google. She serves as Associate Editor for IEEE Access, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, and IEEE Internet-of-Things Journal. Her current research projects include EU SimpliCITY, EU CRUNCH, and the GreenIoT platform for sustainable development, with funding from European Commission, Swedish Research Council, and Vinnova. She leads the Uppsala Urban Computing Lab, which focuses on IoT and mobile crowdsensing for smart cities, network security and data privacy, and smart sensing for healthcare applications. The lab develops integrated decision support tools for smart cities and citizen engagement platforms.
Helen Walker is a Professor of Operations and Supply Management and Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University. She leads the Logistics and Operations Management section's research strategy, PhD programme, Awayday programme, seminar series, and journal club. Previously, she served as Deputy Head of Section at both CRiSPS, University of Bath School of Management and the OM Group, Warwick Business School. Professor Walker's research primarily focuses on sustainable procurement, sustainable supply chain management, ethical issues in purchasing and supply, collaborative procurement, and supply strategy. Her work examines how organizations can integrate sustainability considerations into their procurement and supply chain practices across both public and private sectors. She has made significant contributions to understanding modern slavery risks in supply chains, sustainable public procurement, and the theoretical foundations of sustainable supply chain management. Her research often employs mixed methods approaches including case studies, interviews, and surveys to investigate complex sustainability challenges in supply chains. Analysis of Professor Walker's recent publications reveals a strong trend toward examining ethical and sustainability challenges in supply chains, particularly focusing on modern slavery, deforestation, and workers' rights. Her work increasingly integrates theoretical frameworks like institutional theory and doughnut economics to address complex sustainability problems. She has been systematically building knowledge in sustainable procurement across different contexts including public sector, private sector, and global supply chains. Her research demonstrates a progression from foundational work on sustainable procurement concepts to more nuanced examinations of specific sustainability challenges and their interconnections with broader societal issues. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management Best Paper Award (2015) International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management Highly Commended Literati Award (2015) Public Administration Review Louis Brownlow Award (2014) IPSERA Conference Nantes IFPSM Best Paper Relevant to Practice Award (2013) Public Administration Review Louis Brownlow Award (2012) IPSERA Conference Wiesbaden Best Paper Award (2009) Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management Best Paper Award (2008) International Public Procurement Conference Fort Lauderdale Best Manuscript Award (2004) Professor Walker has successfully raised over £1 million in research funding and has advised numerous public sector bodies including the United Nations, NHS, DEFRA, and local government on sustainable procurement issues. She has also conducted research with private firms such as PepsiCo and Boots. Her work bridges academic research and practical implementation, making significant contributions to both theoretical development and practical application in sustainable supply chain management. As a Research Affiliate of the Sustainable Places Research Institute at Cardiff University, Professor Walker contributes to interdisciplinary research on sustainable supply chain management. She has served as President of the International Purchasing and Supply Education and Research Association (2014-17) and has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply Sustainable/Responsible Procurement Group and the cross-government Sustainable Procurement Task Force.
Pietro Rombola' is a PhD candidate (39th cycle, 2023-2026) and external lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Turin's Department of Management and Production Engineering (DIGEP). His academic appointment includes part-time teaching responsibilities alongside doctoral research under the supervision of Paolo Neirotti and Danilo Pesce. Teaching Activities: He serves as course collaborator for: Technology and Innovation Management module (Master's in Agritech Engineering, 2024/25) Challenge@PoliTo industry projects with EDISON NEXT SpA and NODES Spoke 1/IREN SpA (Engineering and Management, 2023/24) Future of Work curriculum (Bachelor's in Management Engineering, 2024/25) Research Focus: His work centers on Business Model Innovation with applications in sustainable energy transitions. Primary interests include: Managerial tensions in innovation implementation Sustainability-driven business model redesign Energy sector case methodologies Cross-industry convergence dynamics Publication Trends: His conference proceedings (2023-2025) demonstrate consistent focus on business model innovation frameworks within energy markets, employing empirical case studies to examine sustainability trade-offs, organizational adaptation, and performance impacts in transitional economies.
Dr. Esther H. Chen is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. She provides clinical care at both UCSF Medical Center and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Additionally, she serves as the associate program director for UCSF's residency program in emergency medicine, playing a key leadership role in graduate medical education. Dr. Chen earned her undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Stanford University, followed by her medical degree from the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. She completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Pennsylvania and has since established herself as a prominent educator and researcher in the field. In 2017, she completed UCSF's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, reflecting her commitment to advancing equity in medicine. Dr. Chen's research spans multiple critical areas in emergency medicine and medical education. Her work on gender disparity in analgesic treatment for abdominal pain has been widely cited (over 92 citations), establishing her expertise in identifying and addressing bias in clinical practice. She has made significant contributions to medical education methodology, developing innovative approaches to residency training including flipped classroom models and game-based learning for high-risk obstetric emergencies. Her research also focuses on diagnostic imaging utilization, shared decision-making in time-constrained settings, and quality improvement initiatives with a particular emphasis on sustainability and financial incentives for resident engagement. More recently, Dr. Chen has emerged as a leader in addressing systemic issues in academic medicine, with publications examining racism in emergency medicine research and practice, reporting of race and ethnicity in medical literature, and strategies for handling microaggressions in the workplace. Her work on the Standardized Letter of Evaluation has shed light on how quiet students are perceived in residency applications, contributing to more equitable evaluation practices. As associate program director, Dr. Chen mentors numerous residents and fellows while implementing educational innovations that have influenced emergency medicine training nationwide. Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent commitment to improving both clinical practice and educational methodologies in emergency medicine through rigorous research and thoughtful application of findings to real-world settings.
