Victor M. Yakovenko is a Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. His research spans econophysics, condensed matter theory, and theoretical physics, with a focus on income/wealth distribution, entropy in economics, and quantum materials. He holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics (1987) and joined UMD in 1993, becoming a Full Professor in 2004. Notable awards include the Packard Fellowship and Sloan Research Fellowship. Research interests include applications of statistical physics to economic systems, dynamics of population growth, CO₂ emissions, and optical control of magnetism. He leads the Condensed Matter Theory group and is affiliated with the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI). Recent talks address econophysics, population trends, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Publications span econophysics models, energy inequality analysis, and topological materials. Grants include an Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) project on income distribution. His work bridges physics and socioeconomic systems, with media coverage in New Scientist , Science , and public policy discussions.
Dr Marcus Keogh-Brown is an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health and Development within the Faculty of Public Health and Policy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). His position is split between research focusing on macroeconomic modeling of health and serving as Deputy Programme Director for the school's public health distance learning program. Education: BSc in Mathematics and Statistics, Queen Mary University of London (1995-1998) MSc in Computer Studies, University of Essex (1998-1999) PhD in "A Statistical Model of Internet Traffic," Queen Mary University of London (1999-2004) PGCILT Modules 1 and 2, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2008-2012) Dr Keogh-Brown's research focuses on analyzing the macro-economic impact of health disorders and developing macro-economic models in health contexts. His areas of interest include infectious diseases (SARS, influenza, COVID-19, tuberculosis, malaria) and non-communicable diseases (Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia). He specializes in health-related applications of Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Modeling with GAMS, with current work on health and macroeconomic modeling of COVID-19, tuberculosis, child labor, and health-related food policies. His publication record shows a strong trend toward integrated macroeconomic-epidemiological modeling, particularly for infectious disease outbreaks and public health interventions. Recent work focuses on tuberculosis in India, Covid-19 impacts in Pakistan, and food policy interventions like the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy. His research consistently applies economic modeling frameworks to evaluate the health and economic impacts of disease and health policies across multiple countries including Ghana, India, Thailand, Myanmar, UK, and China. Grants: Current: "Modelling the health social care and macroeconomic impacts of dementia policies in the UK" (NIHR, 2025-2026) Current: "Co-designing food system fiscal policy for healthy people and planet" (University of Oxford, 2022-2025) Completed: "COVID-19 vaccine scenario analysis for health economic and social impacts" (WHO, 2022) Completed: "Evaluation of the impact of the UK industry levy of sugar-sweetened beverages" (University of Cambridge, 2017-2023) Completed: "Macroeconomic Burden of Alzheimers in China" (Jansen Global Services LLC, 2014-2015) Dr Keogh-Brown is affiliated with several research centers at LSHTM including the Malaria Centre, Global Health Economics Centre, and Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. His collaborative work spans multiple countries and addresses critical intersections between health, economics, and policy.
Gheorghe Craciun is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Biomolecular Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on mathematical and computational models in biology and medicine, particularly dynamical systems models of biological interaction networks. He has been a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences during the 2019-2020 academic year and has organized the Madison Workshops on Mathematics of Reaction Networks. Craciun's primary research interests include Mathematical Biology, Dynamical Systems, Chemical Reaction Networks, Computational Biology, Systems Biology, and Algebraic Geometry. He investigates systems of differential equations with polynomial right-hand sides, which are common in biochemical reaction networks, ecological interactions, and epidemiological models. His work often involves proving global stability, analyzing multistability, and characterizing steady states using tools from algebraic geometry and combinatorics. Recent publications demonstrate his focus on toric differential inclusions, endotactic networks, and the global attractor conjecture, extending to applications in biochemical networks and discrete Boltzmann equations. His extensive publication record reveals a strong trend toward algebraic and geometric methods for analyzing complex biological networks, with significant contributions to reaction network theory, stability analysis, and parameter characterization. Craciun's work bridges abstract mathematical concepts with practical applications in biochemistry, ecology, and medicine, including modeling vitellogenin production in trout and peptide mass distributions. He has collaborated extensively with international researchers including Alicia Dickenstein, Anne Shiu, Bernd Sturmfels, Casian Pantea, and Miruna-Stefana Sorea. In education, Craciun teaches graduate courses such as Math 703 and mentors students through the Madison Math Circle and Putnam Club, while organizing specialized workshops that foster collaboration in reaction network theory.
Alexander Westkamp is a Professor in Economics at the University of Cologne since 2018. His research focuses on matching markets , mechanism design , and behavioral economics , with significant contributions to understanding stability, strategy-proofness, and exchange mechanisms in complex market structures. Current position: Associate Professor (W2) with tenure , University of Cologne Prior roles: Assistant Professor , Maastricht University (2013–2015); Visiting Scholar , Stanford University (2012–2013) Affiliated with interdisciplinary research clusters like ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy , Germany’s first Cluster of Excellence in economics. His work has been published in top journals including the Journal of Political Economy , Games and Economic Behavior , and Theoretical Economics . Recent articles explore topics such as: Generalized matching with contracts and networks Stability and strategy-proofness in trading networks Tie-breaking mechanisms in priority-based matching systems Westkamp’s research often intersects with quantum computing and social behavior through collaborations at the University of Cologne’s Key Profile Area: Social and Economic Behaviour .
Joseph Francois is a Professor of Economics and Director at the World Trade Institute (WTI) , affiliated with the Economic Institute at the University of Bern. He previously served as Deputy Director of the NCCR Trade Regulation (2015–2017) and held professorships at Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Erasmus University Rotterdam, and other institutions. His research spans international economics, trade policy, globalization, environmental economics, and computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling. Key focus areas include cross-border production chains, trade in services, open economy competition policy, financial market integration, and the interplay between trade agreements and sustainability goals. Scientific distinctions include a Fellowship at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (London). His methodological expertise includes CGE modeling, econometric estimation of large nonlinear systems, and policy analysis of trade disputes, carbon border adjustments, and non-tariff measures. Education: Ph.D. in Economics, University of Maryland BA in Economics and History, University of Virginia He has contributed extensively to policy briefs and technical reports, particularly in analyzing trade impacts on employment, economic development, and environmental outcomes.
Yu Sheng is a Professor and Crawford Chair in Agricultural Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. He holds leadership roles including President of the East Asia branch of AARES, Vice-President of ASAE, and Co-Editor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics. He has authored ~50 journal articles in top-tier journals since 2011, focusing on climate change, agricultural productivity, and rural transformation. His work spans collaborations with institutions like ERS-USDA, OECD, and IFPRI. Education: Ph.D. in Economics (2003–2006), Australian National University Master of International Economics (1999–2002), Nankai University Bachelor of International Economics (1995–1999), Nankai University Research Interests: Science and technology policies, agricultural productivity, rural transformation, agricultural sustainability, climate change impacts, commodity trade analysis, and computable general equilibrium modeling. His work bridges economic theory with practical policy applications in agriculture and development. Collaborations & Activities: Global Agricultural Productivity Analysis Group Member (2018–present) Executive Committee Member, Chinese Economic Society in Australia (2013–present) Teaches courses at Peking University and Hong Kong Polytech University on agricultural economics, micro/macroeconomics, and quantitative methods. Research Trends: His publications emphasize empirical analysis of agricultural systems, climate resilience, and policy interventions. Recent work highlights the intersection of urbanization, labor markets, and environmental sustainability in China and global contexts.
Xihong Lin is a Professor of Statistics at Harvard University and a Professor of Biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a distinguished academic, holding membership in both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. Her research focuses on scalable statistical inference for big data, statistical machine learning, causal inference, and integrative data analysis, with applications in genomics, public health, and precision medicine. Lin’s work addresses challenges in analyzing large-scale genomic and multi-ancestry data, including methods for rare variant association testing, ancestry-adjusted sample analysis, and scalable computing frameworks. Her contributions span biobank studies (e.g., UK Biobank, TOPMed) and clinical applications in lung cancer, cardiovascular health, and smoking cessation. Her scientific awards reflect her leadership in statistical genetics and public health. Key research trends include leveraging single-cell sequencing for functional genomics, developing ensemble machine learning methods for health subtyping, and enhancing polygenic risk prediction across diverse populations. Lin’s methodologies prioritize interpretability and scalability, enabling impactful analyses of complex observational and genomic datasets. Awards: Member, National Academy of Sciences; Member, National Academy of Medicine Her grants and advising efforts focus on interdisciplinary collaborations, bridging statistics, AI, and domain sciences. Lin leads initiatives to improve genomic data management and ethical use of federated data (e.g., FADI framework). She is affiliated with labs advancing statistical genetics and cloud-based workflows (e.g., STAAR workflow).
Lars Augestad Lochstoer is a Professor of Finance at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he teaches Empirical Methods in Finance and Data Analytics and Machine Learning in the Master of Financial Engineering program. He previously held faculty positions at Columbia University and London Business School, and served on the Asset Allocation Advisory Committee for the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund from 2016 to 2022. Dr. Lochstoer earned his Ph.D. in Finance from the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business in 2005, following his Sivilingeniør Business Economics degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in 1999. His research focuses on understanding the economic mechanisms that drive asset prices, including stock market return dynamics, cross-sectional stock returns, exchange rates, and commodity markets. He has made significant contributions to asset pricing literature, particularly in volatility expectations, risk-return tradeoffs, and currency risk. His publication record reveals a strong focus on behavioral aspects of asset pricing, with recurring themes of investor expectations, volatility dynamics, and market anomalies. His work often combines theoretical models with empirical evidence, frequently incorporating quantitative methods and data science approaches. Recent publications show increasing attention to currency risk and multi-horizon risk-return relationships, reflecting evolving market conditions and research interests. EFA Viz Risk Management Prize for best paper in Energy Markets, Securities and Prices (2009) Michigan Ross School of Business Mitsui Finance Symposium Best Discussant Award (2012) UCLA Anderson Excellence in Teaching Award (2017, 2020, 2021) RFS Distinguished Referee Award (2021) As an active member of the academic finance community, Lochstoer serves as an associate editor for the Review of Finance and the Critical Finance Review, having previously served in the same capacity for the Review of Financial Studies. His professional service includes committee roles in major finance associations and extensive reviewing for top finance and economics journals. He has also contributed to practical finance through his service on the Asset Allocation Advisory Committee for the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Steven Berry is the David Swensen Professor of Economics at Yale University and the inaugural Faculty Director of the Tobin Center for Economic Policy at Yale. He specializes in empirical analysis of markets in equilibrium, with a focus on industrial organization, product differentiation, and dynamic market structures. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989) and a BA from Northwestern University (1980). His research explores competition policy, environmental economics, international trade, and labor market power. He has served as Economics Department Chair at Yale and Director of the Division of Social Sciences. Berry is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) and has advised governments on antitrust, environmental, and trade policies. He is an elected Fellow of the Econometric Society and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, having won the Frisch Medal in 2017. His work integrates micro and macro data to analyze markets like automobiles, airlines, and media, emphasizing structural econometric methods. Key Research Themes: Empirical industrial organization, demand estimation, dynamic policy analysis. Awards: Frisch Medal, Distinguished Fellow of the Industrial Organization Society. Consulting: Government and private-sector antitrust policy, environmental regulation.
Dr. Michele Piffer is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at King’s Business School, King’s College London, and a Senior Researcher in the Modelling Team at the Bank of England. He holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics (2014), an MSc in Economics (distinction) from LSE (2008), and a Laurea Triennale + Specialistica in Economics (cum laude) from Università Cattolica, Milano (2007). His research focuses on Bayesian Econometrics, Time Series Analysis, Macroeconomics, and Monetary Policy. Key areas include uncertainty shocks, structural VAR models, and unconventional monetary policy impacts on fiscal balances. He has organized academic events such as the 'QuickTalks: Macroeconometrics and Applied Macro' (2022) and the 'Workshop in Structural VAR Models' (2020). Recent work emphasizes methodological advancements in Bayesian estimation and applied macroeconomic analysis, with contributions to journals like Quantitative Economics , The Econometrics Journal , and Journal of the European Economic Association . His research aids central banks and statistical agencies in understanding market trends through quantitative analysis.
Gauthier Gidel is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research (DIRO) within the Faculty of Arts and Science at Université de Montréal, where he also holds the prestigious Canada CIFAR AI Chair position. He is a core faculty member of Mila, Quebec's AI research institute, and maintains active research collaborations with leading institutions. His academic journey includes a PhD in Computer Science under the supervision of Simon Lacoste-Julien, with internships at Sierra, ElementAI, and DeepMind during his doctoral studies. Dr. Gidel's research spans multiple critical areas in machine learning, with particular emphasis on generative modeling , adversarial machine learning , and variational inequalities for machine learning. His work explores the intersection of optimization theory and practical AI systems, focusing on challenges like LLM safety alignment, multi-agent cooperation, and robustness against adversarial attacks. He is particularly known for his contributions to understanding the theoretical foundations of generative adversarial networks through variational inequality frameworks. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward addressing critical challenges in large language model safety and alignment, with numerous 2024-2025 papers focusing on adversarial robustness, safety evaluation methodologies, and alignment techniques for LLMs. Simultaneously, his foundational work continues in optimization theory, particularly in variational inequalities and performative prediction, demonstrating his dual focus on practical AI safety concerns and theoretical machine learning foundations. Canada CIFAR AI Chair Core member of Mila Organizer of popular NeurIPS workshops on smooth games Co-founder of the ICLR blog post track Dr. Gidel actively supervises an extensive research group with approximately 10 current graduate students and numerous alumni who have secured positions at leading institutions including Inria Lyon, Oxford, and industry research labs. His research is supported by multiple substantial grants from CRSNG, MITACS, and IVADO, including the prestigious CRSNG Discovery Grant program and MITACS Acceleration Québec projects focused on fraud detection in music streaming and conditional generation. His laboratory maintains strong connections with both academic and industry partners, fostering a collaborative environment focused on advancing AI safety and theoretical understanding.
F. Ömer Ilday is a distinguished physicist and Alexander von Humboldt Professor at Ruhr University Bochum since July 2023, holding a joint appointment in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and Faculty of Physics and Astronomy. His pioneering work in ultrafast laser technology has transformed non-linear laser-matter interactions, with applications spanning precision manufacturing, medical surgery, and nanofabrication. Education: PhD in Physics, Cornell University (2003) Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003-2005) Ilday's research centers on ultrafast laser development and materials science, focusing on GHz-repetition-rate burst-mode systems, nonlinear laser lithography, and self-organization phenomena. His interdisciplinary approach bridges photonics, plasma physics, and materials engineering to enable breakthroughs in nanostructuring, silicon processing, and laser-based manufacturing. Current work emphasizes developing high-power laser sources and exploring fundamental laser-matter interaction mechanisms for next-generation applications. His recent publications (2023-2025) reveal dominant trends in high-repetition-rate burst-mode lasers (up to 50 GHz), ablation efficiency optimization, and nonlinear laser lithography for 3D silicon structuring. These works demonstrate strong convergence between fundamental physics and industrial applications, particularly in medical surgery, nanofabrication, and materials synthesis, with increasing emphasis on self-organization principles in laser systems. Scientific awards: Turkish Academy of Sciences Outstanding Young Scientist Award (2006) Marie Curie International Reintegration Grant (2006) ERC Consolidator Grant (2014) - Turkey's first ERC Advanced Grant (2022) Election to Academia Europaea Election to Turkish Academy of Sciences Membership in Turkish and American Physical Societies Ilday has secured major competitive grants including two ERC awards and a Marie Curie fellowship, directing research teams at Bilkent University's Ultrafast Optics & Lasers Laboratory (UFOLAB) which developed technologies adopted globally. At RUB, he is establishing the Center for Complex Laser-Matter Interactions as an interdisciplinary hub fostering collaborations between photonics, plasma research, and materials science, with explicit goals for spin-off company formation and transdisciplinary innovation in manufacturing technologies. As founding director of UFOLAB at Bilkent University, Ilday developed laser systems deployed by research institutions worldwide and established Turkey's first laser company. His RUB center integrates electrical engineering and physics expertise to advance complex laser-matter interaction research, focusing on self-organizing laser systems, nanostructuring techniques, and applications in semiconductor manufacturing and medical technology through close industry partnerships.
Ulrich Berger is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics of WU Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna). He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Games and is actively involved in promoting science through the Vienna Skeptics Society. His research focuses on game theory, including non-cooperative, evolutionary, behavioral, and experimental variants. He has been recognized with multiple awards, including the WU Best Paper Award and an Outstanding Reviewer Award. His work explores dynamics of cooperation, reputation systems, and strategic behavior in economic contexts. Key research areas include evolutionary stability in reputation games, indirect reciprocity, and cognitive hierarchies in strategic interactions. His publications span peer-reviewed journals like PLoS ONE and Scientific Reports , as well as popular science articles in outlets like derStandard.at . Berger has led research projects on topics such as cognitive hierarchies in minimizer games and has contributed to policy discussions on access pricing in telecommunications. His academic contributions reflect a blend of theoretical rigor and practical engagement, with recent work emphasizing evolutionary mechanisms of deterrence and experimental validation of equilibrium concepts.
Peter Oppeneer is a Professor in the Materials Theory group within the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University, Sweden. His research program focuses on theoretical condensed matter physics with emphasis on ultrafast phenomena and magnetic materials. His research interests span femtosecond magnetism, ultrafast spin and orbital currents, out-of-equilibrium magnon and phonon dynamics, unconventional superconductivity, multipolar and hidden order parameters, and orbitronics. The group develops both analytical theories and numerical simulation codes, combining ab initio methods with model Hamiltonian approaches. Key research thrusts include ultrafast demagnetization mechanisms, spin-crossover materials, molecular spintronics, and topological quantum states in magnetic materials. Analysis of recent publications reveals strong focus on altermagnetism, terahertz spin dynamics, Dirac semimetals, and laser-induced phase transitions. The group's work bridges fundamental quantum theory with applications in next-generation spintronic devices and ultrafast magnetic switching technologies. Collaborative activities include work with experimental groups on ultrafast spectroscopy, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and terahertz emission studies. The group maintains active collaborations across Europe and internationally, particularly in the areas of femtosecond magnetism and topological materials. Research infrastructure includes development of specialized computational codes for Eliashberg theory, dynamical mean field theory, and ultrafast spin dynamics simulations. The group contributes to major international facilities including synchrotron and free-electron laser sources for time-resolved studies.
Miklós Koren is a Professor of Economics at Central European University and Senior Research Fellow at the HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies. His work bridges international trade , economic development , and managerial economics , focusing on trade policy, productivity spillovers, and the role of managers in development. Ph.D., Harvard University (2005) M.A., Central European University (2000) M.Sc., Budapest University of Economics (1999) His research explores trade facilitation , managerial impact on firm performance , and technological diversification . Recent work includes studies on expatriate managers, pandemic-related business disruptions, and the legacy of communist-era management practices. Key trends in his publications (2020–2024) emphasize managerial mobility and firm productivity (2024) machine learning vs. gravity models (2024) trade volatility and development (2023) data transparency standards (2022) Scientific awards include ERC Starting Grant (2012) Nicholas Káldor Prize (2014) Young Economist Award (2002, 2004) As Data Editor for Review of Economic Studies and Associate Editor for Journal of International Economics , he shapes methodological rigor in empirical research. His 2013 paper on technological diversification remains foundational for understanding volatility in developing economies.
