Prof. Vinod Namboodiri is the Forlenza Chair in Health Innovation and Technology at Lehigh University's Department of Computer Science & Engineering and College of Health. He leads the Accessibility and Assistive Technologies (ACCESS) Lab, focusing on computing technologies to address health disparities affecting people with disabilities. His NSF-funded research develops navigation solutions for individuals with disabilities, with emphasis on smart communities and built environment accessibility. He holds a Ph.D. from UMass Amherst and previously served as Full Professor/Associate Director at Wichita State University and Adjunct Senior Scientist at Envision Research Institute. His research spans assistive technologies, applied computer vision, and smart health systems. Notable work includes MABLESim (indoor accessibility simulation), NaVIP (visually impaired navigation), and economic analyses of accessibility investments. His publications explore both technical innovations and policy implications of assistive technologies. Prof. Namboodiri has received multiple awards for research, teaching, and innovation. His work bridges computer science with disability studies, emphasizing real-world impact through interdisciplinary collaboration. Current projects address indoor navigation systems, cost-benefit analysis of accessibility infrastructure, and human-agent interaction platforms for disability empowerment.
Agostino Capponi is a Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at Columbia University, affiliated with Columbia Engineering and the Data Science Institute (DSI). He holds academic fellowships at the Luohan Academy (Alibaba Group) and the Fintech@Cornell Center. His research focuses on systemic risk, financial technology, blockchain economics, and machine learning applications in finance. He has authored a best-selling book on machine learning in financial markets and received prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award and the JP Morgan AI Faculty Research Award. Education: Master's and PhD in Computer Science and Applied & Computational Mathematics from Caltech (2006-2009). Professional roles include Editor of Management Science , co-editor of Mathematics and Financial Economics , and leadership positions in the Bachelier Finance Society and INFORMS Finance Section. His research has been funded by NSF, DARPA, J.P. Morgan, Ethereum Foundation, and others. Research interests span blockchain governance, decentralized finance protocols, and systemic risk mitigation in financial networks. Notable contributions include work on liquidity risk, crypto-economic systems, and causal inference in financial modeling. Media coverage includes American Banker, Vox, and Chicago Booth Review. He holds a patent in military network tracking and served as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Monideepa Tarafdar is the Charles J. Dockendorff Endowed Professor of Information Systems at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds a PhD in Management from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, specializing in Information Systems and Strategy. Her research focuses on technostress, AI ethics, and the societal impacts of digital technologies. She has held academic roles at Lancaster University and the University of Toledo, and visiting positions at MIT Sloan and LSE. A world-leading scholar, she was named AIS Fellow (2024) and featured in Stanford’s Top 2% Cited Scientists (2024). Her work examines technostress creators like overload, complexity, and invasion, offering coping strategies such as proactive reorientation and organizational support. She studies AI’s role in hiring bias, social media addiction, and gig economy well-being. As Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of AIS and coordinator of Isenberg’s PhD program, she drives interdisciplinary research in IS. Key achievements include over 120 papers, mentorship accolades, and grants addressing ICT-enabled inclusion and algorithmic transparency. Recent awards include the AIS Best Publication Award (2022), multiple Research Excellence Awards, and recognition for her impactful work on workplace resilience. She advises organizations on managing technostress and serves as a scientific advisor to Unplug (Dublin). Her current projects explore gender bias in job ads and the sociotechnical dimensions of climate change discourse.
Dr. Tarek Alskaif is an Associate Professor of Energy Informatics at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in the intersection of information technology and energy systems. He leads research on smart energy systems, focusing on electricity markets, distributed energy resources, and AI-driven solutions. His work integrates modeling, optimization, and big data analytics to advance the sustainable energy transition. Education: PhD in Energy Informatics (2012–2016, Cum Laude) from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain. Postdoc at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute (2016–2020). Current roles include coordinating the BSc Data Science Minor and teaching Python and Big Data courses. Research interests emphasize leveraging digitalization for energy systems, including smart grids, electric mobility, and battery storage. Notable projects include HighLO Energy Markets (EU-funded, using particle physics and AI for market transparency) and MESSM (coordinated via TKI Urban Energy). He also leads the AI ELSA Lab (NWO-funded). Editorial roles include Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and IEEE Power Engineering Letters . Member of IEEE, the Netherlands Institute for Research on ICT (4TU.NIRICT), and the Technical Program Committee for IEEE SmartGridComm and PSCC 2026. Has supervised over 50 students (MSc/BSc) and 7 PhDs. Projects address challenges like grid congestion, EV charging optimization, and decentralized energy trading. His work bridges academic research with industry collaborations, including partnerships with CERN and ACER.
Ying Zhang serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology within Clarkson University's Lewis School of Health & Life Sciences, where her research examines developmental trajectories of cognitive, social, and emotional functioning from early childhood through emerging adulthood. Her work emphasizes contextual influences including cultural dynamics, socioeconomic conditions, and family relationships on self-regulation development. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Psychology from Syracuse University (2021) M.Ed. in Education from Jilin University (2012) B.Eng. in Engineering from University of Jinan (2008) Grounded in Diversity Science , Dr. Zhang investigates ecological influences on child self-regulation, particularly examining how intimate partner violence exposure, parental mental health, and socioeconomic disparities create pathways for risk and resilience. Her methodological approach integrates advanced statistical modeling with longitudinal designs, latent profile analyses, and machine learning techniques to analyze large secondary datasets, generating insights applicable to real-world interventions for vulnerable populations. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2023-2025) reveals three dominant research streams: (1) intricate mechanisms linking intimate partner violence to child self-regulation through parenting stress pathways, (2) socioeconomic and cultural influences on developmental outcomes using machine learning methodologies, and (3) diversity promotion in higher education contexts. Her work increasingly incorporates technology applications, including AI-based violence detection systems. Dr. Zhang actively involves undergraduate researchers in her projects, as evidenced by numerous student co-authorships, and teaches courses including Introduction to Psychology, Cultural Psychology, Diversity Science, and Prenatal/Child Development. Her office is located in Clarkson's Science Center (Box 5825) with open hours Mondays and Fridays 1-3:30pm.
Bita Amani is an Associate Professor of Law at Queen’s University, affiliated with the Cultural Studies Graduate Program. She holds a BA in Sociology (York University), LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School, and SJD from the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on food law, intellectual property, privacy, and feminist legal studies, exploring intersections with technology regulation, sustainability, and gender equity. Key professional roles include: Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School (Part-Time Professional Development Program), Co-Director of Feminist Legal Studies at Queen’s, and consultant for governmental bodies like Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General. Her work addresses critical issues such as biopiracy, AI ethics, and privacy law implications of emerging technologies. Education: BA (York), LLB (Osgoode), SJD (Toronto) Awards: IWOO High Achiever Award (2017), IT.CAN Board Member (2009-11) Consultancies: Provincial genetic technology policy (2001), foreign polygamy recognition study (2005) Research spans food governance frameworks, algorithmic accountability, and regulatory challenges in biotechnology. She has authored/co-authored influential books like Trade-marks and Unfair Competition: Cases and Commentary on Canadian Law and State Agency and the Patenting of Life in International Law . Her interdisciplinary approach bridges law, science, and social policy. Recent work emphasizes AI’s impact on copyright frameworks and trademark law’s role in sustainability goals.
Giancarlo Frosio is a Professor of Intellectual Property and Technology Law at Queen's University Belfast's School of Law, where he directs the Global Intellectual Property and Technology (G-IPTech) Centre. He also leads the LLM in Intellectual Property Law program and holds visiting professorships at institutions including the University of Turin, Strasbourg University, and the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. His research focuses on the intersection of law, technology, and creativity, emphasizing digitization, AI, intermediary liability, and platform regulation. Frosio is a Non-Residential Fellow at Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society (CIS) and a Faculty Associate at Turin's NEXA Research Center. He has advised international bodies like the European Commission and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). His work includes seminal publications such as Reconciling Copyright with Cumulative Creativity: The Third Paradigm (2018) and the Oxford Handbook of Online Intermediary Liability (2020). Education : S.J.D. (Doctoral Degree) and LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from Duke Law School; LL.M. in IT and Telecoms Law from Strathclyde University. Research Interests : Intellectual Property law, AI regulation, digital governance, intermediary liability, platform accountability, creativity economics, and EU policy frameworks. Professional Roles : Director of G-IPTech Centre, Programme Lead for QUB's LLM in IP Law, former Associate Professor at CEIPI (Strasbourg University), and founder of the World Intermediary Liability Map (WILMap) at Stanford CIS. He regularly contributes to policy debates on digital services acts, copyright reform, and online platforms. Grants and Collaborations : Collaborations include projects with the European Commission, WIPO, and interdisciplinary initiatives on AI ethics and digital rights. Labs/Teams : Directs the G-IPTech Centre, a hub for interdisciplinary research on tech law and policy.
Professor Patrik Wikstrom is a computational communication scholar at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), leading the School of Communication. He serves as Chief Investigator in QUT's Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC) and Associate Investigator in the Australian Research Council's ADM+S Centre. His expertise spans digital media's impact on music and meme cultures, algorithmic systems, and cultural economics. Education: PhD in Media and Communication Studies (Karlstad University), MScEng (Chalmers University). Former roles include Director of DMRC, Associate Dean (Research) at QUT's Creative Industries Faculty, and academic leadership at Northeastern University, Jönköping International Business School, and Karlstad University. Research focuses on digital technologies' societal impacts, including recommender systems, platform governance, and music industry dynamics. Key publications include TikTok: Creativity and Culture in Short Video and The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud . Active in grants like the Australian Cultural and Creative Activity Analysis project (LP160101724). Supervised over 10 doctoral and master's students on topics ranging from platform governance to decolonizing copyright. Current projects explore algorithmic culture, AI ethics, and fair payment models for artists. Labs/Teams: DMRC and ADM+S collaborate on automated decision-making's societal implications. Advocates for responsible AI and interdisciplinary computational methods in social sciences.
Margherita Pagani is a Full Professor and Director of the SKEMA Centre for Artificial Intelligence at SKEMA Business School in Paris. She holds a Ph.D. in Management and an HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches). Her roles include Research Affiliate at UC Berkeley’s APEC Study Center and Advisor to the European Economic Social Committee (EESC) on virtual worlds and the Metaverse. Previously, she founded and led the MSc in Digital Marketing & Data Science and the AIM Research Center at emlyon business school. She has held visiting roles at MIT, UCLA, Georgetown, NUS, and Redlands University. Education: Ph.D. (2015, Lyon), HDR (2016, Évry), MSc (1995, Bocconi), MIT Certifications (2005-2006). Research: Focuses on AI in consumer engagement, digital ecosystems, robotics in services, and metaverse applications. Over 130 publications in journals like MIS Quarterly, MIT Sloan Management Review, and Harvard Business Review. Awards: 2023 International Marketing Trends Award, 2022/2023 Top 2% Cited Scientist (Elsevier), 2009 Mobile Marketing Academic of the Year. Her work bridges AI and marketing creativity, emphasizing human-centric systems. She leads initiatives like the SKEMA AI School and organizes conferences on ethics, AI in education, and service recovery. Active in editorial roles for journals like Micro & Macro Marketing and Industrial Marketing Management . Key affiliations include the Association Française de Marketing and involvement in policy initiatives. Supervised over a dozen PhD students, focusing on AI applications in marketing and entrepreneurship.
Professor Henning Grosse Ruse Khan is a leading academic in International and European Intellectual Property (IP) Law at the University of Cambridge, where he serves as Professor of Law, Co-Director of the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Law (CIPIL), and Fellow of King’s College. He also holds affiliations with the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law and has been a Global Hauser Visiting Professor at New York University (2024). Education: Dr iur (University of Münster, Germany) Research Focus: His work bridges IP law with trade, investment, and technology, emphasizing sustainable development, environmental law, and the ethical implications of automation. Recent projects explore AI regulation, data access, and the legal dimensions of the Anthropocene. Key Article Trends: His publications analyze TRIPS-Plus agreements, investor-state disputes, and the intersection of IP with environmental and human rights frameworks. Themes include platform governance, data law, and historical justice. Scientific Honors: Distinguished Fellow, Hanken School of Economics (2016-2017) Global Hauser Visiting Professor, NYU (2024) Senior Fellow, Max Planck Institute (2013-2022) Co-Founder, Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) IP Network Advising & Grants: He advises the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and contributes to policy reports, including the UN ESCAP Handbook on Negotiating Development-Oriented Provisions in Trade and Investment Agreements (2017). His research has been funded by the 6th EU Framework Programme and other international bodies. Labs & Teams: As Co-Director of CIPIL, he leads research on global IP governance. He is affiliated with the Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences (LML) and the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL).
Simon Colreavy Donnelly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Information Systems at the University of Limerick. He is a member of the Interaction Design Centre and focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, educational technology, and healthcare informatics. His work spans machine learning applications in medical data analysis, virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) for inclusive education, and deep learning techniques in chemical analysis and spectroscopy. Research Interests: His primary areas of investigation include generative AI for education equity, semisupervised learning algorithms, virtual learning environments design, and the ethical deployment of immersive technologies in healthcare and palliative care. He also explores NMR spectroscopy analysis using deep learning and develops tools for nutritional content estimation through image processing. Collaborations: His recent collaborations span international teams addressing challenges in toxicity-free online discourse (PAN 2024), semisupervised learning distribution mismatches, and VR applications for post-pandemic blended learning. His work integrates computational methods with real-world applications in education, healthcare, and chemical analysis. Labs/Teams: Active within the Interaction Design Centre at UL, his research group develops practical solutions for accessibility in digital education and healthcare systems, emphasizing user-centered design principles for extended reality applications.
Georg Langs is a Full Professor of Machine Learning in Medical Imaging at the Medical University of Vienna and Founding Director of the Computational Imaging Research Lab (CIR). He leads a 25-member interdisciplinary team focusing on machine learning methodologies for medical image analysis. Key roles include Director of the Joint Initiative on AI in Medical Imaging (European Institute of Biomedical Imaging Research) and Scientific Lead of the Respiratory Disease Phenotype Observatory (ZODIAC, UNO/IAEA). He is affiliated with MIT’s CSAIL and serves on advisory boards for global AI initiatives. Education: PhD in Computer Science, Graz University of Technology (2007) M.Sc. in Mathematics, Vienna University of Technology (2003) Research Interests: Machine learning-driven precision imaging, neuroimaging, clinical data phenotyping, and cross-species brain connectivity analysis. His work bridges imaging biomarkers with biological mechanisms and large-scale clinical data integration. Grants & Funding: Over €6M in competitive grants as Principal Investigator in the last two years. Projects include ARTEMIS (fatty liver disease digital twins) and AI-POD (personalized risk scores via imaging). Awards: 2022 IS3R Emerging Leaders Club 2022 National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leader Programme 2018 Advisor, AI Mission Austria 2030 Lab & Teams: CIR Lab focuses on AI-driven medical imaging solutions. Co-founded contextflow GmbH , a MedUni spin-off developing AI software for imaging analysis.
Associate Professor Ida Asadi Someh is affiliated with the UQ Business School at The University of Queensland and serves as a research affiliate at the Centre for Information Systems Research (CISR) , MIT Sloan School of Management. She completed her PhD at The University of Melbourne in 2015, receiving the best PhD thesis award from the Melbourne School of Engineering and the Vice Chancellor’s PhD Prize . Her research spans business analytics , artificial intelligence , and data governance , focusing on the organizational and societal impacts of data and AI. Key areas include ethics of AI , privacy , accountability , and synergy in analytics systems . Recent publications highlight generative AI in business transformation, algorithmic fairness in public welfare systems, and data governance frameworks for ethical AI. Her work addresses digital transformation in both corporate and public sectors. Scientific awards include the best PhD thesis and Vice Chancellor’s PhD Prize at The University of Melbourne. She supervises PhD and Master’s students in data-driven organizations , privacy-preserving AI , and sepsis management through data .
Rosemary Fisher is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Swinburne University of Technology's School of Business, Law and Entrepreneurship. She holds a PhD from Swinburne and multiple advanced degrees in business and arts disciplines. Her career spans academic leadership roles including Head of Commerce at Box Hill Institute and Course Director for the Master of Entrepreneurship at Swinburne. Fisher combines teaching with impactful research in entrepreneurship education, higher education pedagogy, and innovative teaching strategies like flipped learning. Education: PhD, Swinburne University of Technology MBA, University of Melbourne Master of Business (Professional Accounting), Victoria University Bachelor of Arts, Canberra College of Advanced Education Research Interests: Focuses on pedagogical innovations such as flipped learning's impact on student outcomes, entrepreneurial resilience, and strategies to enhance teacher status. Active in curriculum design for entrepreneurship programs and digital education solutions. Current projects explore AI's role in business education and EFL teaching methodologies. Awards: 2017 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award Academy of Management Distinguished Reviewer (2012, 2014) 2011 Outstanding PhD Thesis Award Grants & Projects: Lead researcher on initiatives addressing teacher retention, aged care feedback systems, and migrant business training. Recent grants include "$60K for AI in Entrepreneurial Education" and "$45K for EFL Flipped Learning Research". Professional Engagement: Editorial Board member for Active Learning in Higher Education and Journal of Effective Teaching . Serves on international committees for entrepreneurship education and pedagogical innovation. Active in policy development for social entrepreneurship and educational technology adoption.
Professor Klaus McDonald-Maier is a full Professor in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (CSEE) at the University of Essex , where he leads the Embedded and Intelligent Systems (EIS) Research Laboratory and heads the Intelligent Embedded Systems and Environments Research Group . He is also Director of Impact , Visiting Professor at the University of Kent, and Visiting Research Affiliate at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Education PhD in High-Performance Parallel Neural Network Architectures, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena (Germany, 1999) Electronic Engineering studies, University of Ulm (Germany) Electronic Engineering studies, Cardiff University (Wales) Electronic Engineering studies, École Supérieur de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon (CPE-Lyon) (France) Research Interests Professor McDonald-Maier’s research integrates embedded systems , System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures , and AI-driven robotics . He pioneers visual place recognition techniques that remain robust under severe appearance and viewpoint changes, develops cybersecurity frameworks based on ICMetrics for autonomous vehicles and IoT, and designs approximate real-time computing solutions for energy-constrained multicore and FPGA platforms. His work on radiation-tolerant systems supports space and nuclear applications, while his bio-inspired algorithms enable lightweight, neuromorphic perception on resource-limited robots. Publication Trends Between 2022 and 2025 his output converges on FPGA-accelerated AI , secure edge intelligence , visual navigation for autonomous systems , and healthcare analytics . He repeatedly couples rigorous algorithmic innovation with practical hardware deployment, yielding energy-efficient, real-time systems validated in domains ranging from autonomous driving to post-stroke rehabilitation. Scientific Awards & Recognition Best Paper Award – IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Computing (2024) Best Paper Award – IEEE/ACM DATE (2024) Best Paper Award – IEEE Systems Journal (2022) Best Paper Award – IEEE Sensors Journal (2021) Best Paper Award – IEEE Access (2020) Research Grants & Industrial Collaboration He has secured major funding from EPSRC , EU Horizon 2020 , Innovate UK , and industry partners. Current projects span trustworthy autonomy, radiation-hardened edge AI, and AI-enhanced rehabilitation technologies. He is Chief Scientist of UltraSoC Technologies Ltd and CEO of Metrarc Ltd , commercialising University research in semiconductor debug and cybersecurity respectively. Laboratory & Team Leadership As Director of the Embedded and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (EIS Lab) , he oversees a multidisciplinary team of researchers and PhD students, providing state-of-the-art FPGA, robotics, and embedded-systems facilities. The lab collaborates closely with NASA JPL, UK Atomic Energy Authority, and leading semiconductor firms to translate fundamental research into high-impact industrial solutions.
