Raymond J. Mooney is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has been a faculty member since 1987. He is the Director of the UT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and affiliated with multiple research groups including the Machine Learning Research Group, UT Computational Linguistics Lab, and the UT Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics. He holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where his thesis was supervised by Gerald DeJong. His research spans diverse areas in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing: Natural Language Learning Connecting Language and Perception Statistical Relational Learning Information Extraction Transfer and Active Learning Abductive Reasoning Text Mining and Clustering Recommender Systems Knowledge-Base Refinement Recent publications highlight trends in grounded language processing, human-robot interaction, and multimodal reasoning. He has been recognized with prestigious fellowships including ACL (2014), ACM (2010), and AAAI (2005). Scientific awards: Fellow of the Association for Computational Linguistics (2014) Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (2010) Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (2005) Classic Paper Award (2019) Best Paper Awards (2007, 2004, 1996) He teaches graduate courses like CS 371R: Information Retrieval and Web Search (Fall 2025) and CS 395T: Grounded Natural Language Processing (Spring 2025). His research labs include: UT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Machine Learning Research Group UT Computational Linguistics Lab UT Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Birgitta König-Ries is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, University of Jena, Germany. She is a leading researcher in semantic technologies, ontology engineering, and knowledge graph management for biodiversity and life sciences. Her work focuses on reproducibility, provenance tracking, and data integration using semantic approaches. Research Interests: Semantic Web, Ontology Engineering, Knowledge Graphs, Biodiversity Informatics, Reproducibility of Scientific Experiments Key Collaborations: Sheeba Samuel, Nora Abdelmageed, Samira Babalou, Alsayed Algergawy, Felicitas Löffler, Vamsi Krishna Kommineni Her recent publications emphasize automated knowledge graph construction, domain-specific language models (e.g., BiodivBERT), benchmarking semantic table interpretation (KG2Tables, BiodivTab), and tools for provenance management (MLProvLab, MLProvCodeGen). She contributes to FAIR data principles and interdisciplinary research, particularly in biodiversity and public administration transparency. Her work bridges theoretical advances with practical implementations, including open-access benchmarks (tFood, tBiodiv, tBiomed) and collaborative platforms like BiodivPortal and fusion-jena. Notable Tools & Benchmarks: BiodivBERT, KG2Tables, BiodivTab, MLProvLab, tBiodiv, tBiomed
Sebastian Risi is a Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen , where he directs the Creative AI Lab and co-directs the Robotics, Evolution and Art Lab (REAL) . His work bridges computational evolution, deep learning, and collective intelligence for applications in robotics, art, and video game design. His research focuses on self-organizing AI systems that grow or assemble through local interactions, inspired by biological development. Key areas include neuroevolution , neural cellular automata , and generative modeling , with applications in adaptive robotics, game content creation, and damage-resilient AI. Recent publications highlight trends in self-assembling neural architectures (NDPs) and 3D functional machine generation (Minecraft experiments). Awards include ERC Consolidator Grant (2022), Best Paper at FDG’21 , and Google Faculty Award (2019). Scientific Awards : ERC Consolidator Grant (GROW-AI), Best Paper FDG’21, Runner-Up IEEE Games’20, GECCO 2017 Competition Winner, Sapere Aude Grant, Amazon/Google Faculty Awards He advises on projects like GROW-AI (EU-funded), AI-TESTER (game testing), and C2SIM (military systems). Media coverage includes Science , Wired , and Popular Science .
Jindal Shah is a Professor and holds the Anadarko Petroleum Chair in Chemical Engineering at Oklahoma State University, where he also serves as the Graduate Program Director. He is affiliated with the Department of Chemical Engineering within the College of Engineering at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Shah received his educational training from prestigious institutions worldwide. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2005, followed by an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1999, and completed his undergraduate education with a B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in 1996. Dr. Shah's research focuses on the application of molecular simulation methodologies to understand molecular-level interactions that give rise to macroscopic phenomena. His primary research interests include Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Phase Equilibria, Ionic liquids, and Dye-sensitized solar cells. A significant portion of his work centers on designing novel biodegradable ionic liquids with properties suitable for chemical processes, with applications in next-generation batteries and carbon capture. He also investigates molecular-level interactions responsible for device efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells to rationally design novel dye molecules. Additionally, Dr. Shah employs data science and machine learning techniques to correlate properties of ionic liquids and generate new molecules with desired properties. An analysis of Dr. Shah's recent publications reveals a strong focus on ionic liquids and their applications in energy storage and carbon capture technologies. His work consistently bridges fundamental molecular-level understanding with practical applications, particularly in developing electrolytes for batteries and CO2 capture systems. A notable trend is the integration of machine learning techniques with traditional molecular simulation methods to accelerate materials discovery and optimization. His research demonstrates a progression from fundamental molecular simulations toward applied technologies with significant environmental impact, particularly in climate action (SDG 13) and affordable clean energy (SDG 7). Dr. Shah has secured substantial research funding from multiple prestigious sources including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and industry partners. His funded projects include 'Collaborative Research: Cyber Training-Implementation, Medium, Establishing Sustainable Ecosystem for Computational Molecular Science Training & Education' (NSF), 'Ionic Liquids for Direct Air Capture of CO2 using Electric-Field-Mediated Moisture Gradient Process' (DOE), and 'CAREER: Computation-Enabled Rational Design of Cytochrome P450 for Ionic Liquid Biodegradation' (NSF). These grants support his research in computational molecular science, CO2 capture technologies, and the development of biodegradable ionic liquids. As an educator, Dr. Shah has been actively involved in teaching graduate courses including Principles of Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Doctoral Thesis supervision, and specialized courses such as Machine Learning for Chemical Processes and Introduction to Chemical Process Analytics. His teaching philosophy integrates cutting-edge research with educational practice, preparing students for the computational challenges of modern chemical engineering. He has also mentored numerous doctoral students through their dissertation research, contributing to the development of the next generation of chemical engineers and computational scientists.
Benjamin Eysenbach is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University's School of Engineering and Applied Science since 2023. His research focuses on developing principled reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms that improve simplicity, scalability, and robustness in state-of-the-art systems, particularly through probabilistic inference techniques. Ph.D., Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University (2023) B.S., Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research interests center on reinforcement learning with emphasis on long-horizon reasoning, exploration strategies, and robustness. He explores intersections with probabilistic inference and self-supervised learning to enhance RL capabilities. Recent publications highlight trends in contrastive learning for goal-conditioned RL, temporal distance modeling , and hierarchical control . Key themes include reward-free learning, scalable architectures, and uncertainty quantification in decision-making systems. 2025: Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching, Princeton School of Engineering and Applied Science Eysenbach's work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations in AI training frameworks, emphasizing performance optimization and safety mechanisms.
Professor Moritz Rossner serves as Head of the Department of Molecular and Behavioral Neurobiology at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). His research integrates molecular and behavioral approaches to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Rossner's research interests focus on molecular neurobiology and behavioral analysis using mouse models. His laboratory employs advanced techniques including mouse genetics , behavioral phenotyping , biosensors , next-generation sequencing , and transcriptomics to investigate psychiatric risk genes and pathways. His work bridges cellular and molecular mechanisms with behavioral outcomes, particularly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder research. Analysis of Rossner's 15 most recent publications (2025) reveals a strong focus on precision psychiatry , neuroimaging biomarkers , and genetic mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders. His research increasingly incorporates multimodal approaches combining neuroimaging, genomics, and clinical phenotyping to develop biologically informed diagnostic and treatment frameworks. Key themes include blood-brain barrier dysfunction in schizophrenia, inflammatory contributions to symptom severity, and pathway-specific polygenic scores for treatment prediction. Rossner leads the Molecular & Behavioural Neurobiology working group at LMU's Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, which includes specialized units like the Mouse Behavioral Unit. His research program appears well-funded through multiple collaborative projects focused on understanding the molecular basis of psychiatric disorders and developing novel therapeutic approaches.
Dr. Todd D. Murphey is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University's Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. He serves as Director of Transformative Research and Director of the Master of Science in Robotics Program at Northwestern, leading initiatives in computational dynamics, control systems, and robotics. His work bridges engineering, neuroscience, and biomedical applications, with a focus on developing systems that interact effectively with humans and their environments. Dr. Murphey received his Ph.D. in Control and Dynamical Systems from the California Institute of Technology in 2002, with a thesis titled "Control of Multiple Model Systems." Prior to that, he earned a B.S. in Mathematics, summa cum laude, from the University of Arizona in 1997. Dr. Murphey's research centers on computational methods in dynamics and control, with applications spanning neuroscience, health science, robotics, and automation. His work in the Interactive & Emergent Autonomy Lab focuses on computational models of embedded control, biomechanical simulation, dynamic exploration, and hybrid control. The group develops mathematical approaches that lead to orders of magnitude improvement in computational efficiency for real-time implementation. Key application areas include assistive exoskeleton control, stabilization of energy networks, bio-inspired active sensing, entertainment robots, robotic exploration, and software-enabled stroke rehabilitation. Analysis of Dr. Murphey's recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on human-swarm interaction, algorithmic matter, and control of cyber-physical systems in uncertain environments. His work increasingly integrates information theory with physical systems, exploring how both autonomous and biological systems interact with environments to learn and improve behaviors. Recent trends show growing applications in rehabilitation technology, with particular focus on human-machine interaction in biomedical devices and embodied intelligence. Dr. Murphey has received numerous honors and awards for his contributions to robotics and engineering: Named Director of Transformative Research at Northwestern University (2025) Appointed IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Vice President of Publication Activities (2022) Co-recipient of Best Paper Award for IEEE Transactions on Robotics (2020) Appointed to Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (2019) Recipient of ABB Best Student Paper Award for CPL-SLAM research (2019) Cole-Higgins Award from Northwestern Engineering (2015) Dr. Murphey has supervised numerous graduate students including Taosha Fan, Giorgos Mamakoukas, and Ian Abraham, with research spanning robotic exploration using electrosense and mechanical contact, human-in-the-loop control, and shared control for rehabilitation devices. His lab has secured significant funding from the National Science Foundation, DARPA, and industry partners including Siemens and Ekso Bionics, supporting research in algorithmic matter, emergent behavior, and human-swarm collaboration. The Interactive & Emergent Autonomy Lab, led by Dr. Murphey, investigates how both autonomous systems and biological systems interact with their environments to learn and improve behaviors. Current projects include active learning and data-driven control, active perception in human-swarm collaboration, algorithmic matter and emergent computation, control for nonlinear and hybrid systems, cyber physical systems in uncertain environments, harmonious navigation in human crowds, information maximizing clinical diagnostics, reactive learning in underwater exploration, robot-assisted rehabilitation, and software-enabled biomedical devices. The lab collaborates with researchers across Northwestern and institutions including Georgia Tech, MIT, and industry partners.
Adrian Weller is a Director of Research in Machine Learning at the University of Cambridge and Head of Safe and Ethical AI at The Alan Turing Institute, where he also serves as a Turing Fellow. He additionally directs the Trust and Society programme at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. His career includes senior roles in finance and advisory positions for governmental AI ethics bodies. His research integrates technical and societal dimensions of artificial intelligence, with major foci including: Foundational ML : Statistical methods, high-dimensional inference, causality, and Monte Carlo techniques Trustworthy AI : Fairness, privacy, bias mitigation, and algorithmic transparency Applied Domains : Computer vision, reinforcement learning, and bio-applications of ML Socio-technical Systems : Policy frameworks, human perceptions of algorithms, and ethical deployment Notable recognition includes an MBE (2022) for pioneering contributions to digital innovation. His work actively informs UK and EU AI policy discussions.
Kevin Chenchuan Chang is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the FORWARD Data Lab and the Data and Information Systems Laboratories. His research focuses on bridging structured and unstructured data through natural language processing, data mining, machine learning, and information retrieval, with applications in web search, social media analytics, and knowledge acquisition. He co-founded Cazoodle and developed GrantForward.com, a funding discovery platform used by leading institutions globally. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University (2001), B.S. from National Taiwan University. Professional roles include service on program committees for SIGMOD, VLDB, KDD, and NeurIPS, as well as editorial roles for PVLDB, TKDE, and the Encyclopedia of Database Systems. His awards include the ICDE 10-Year Test of Time Award (2022), NSF CAREER Award (2002), and multiple UIUC teaching excellence recognitions. He teaches courses such as CS 411 (Database Systems), CS 598 KCC (Understanding LLMs), and CS 511 (Advanced Data Management). Research contributions span graph algorithms (e.g., Geom-GCN, SimRank), social network analysis (ROSE), and NLP (DEER, Open Relation Modeling). The FORWARD Lab emphasizes real-world impact through systems like GrantForward and tools for analyzing large-scale data.
Dr. Robert Lieck is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Durham University. His research focuses on interdisciplinary applications of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing interpretability, robustness, and ethical considerations. He explores computational models in music cognition, communication dynamics, and medical image analysis, aiming to bridge theory and practical tools for domain experts. Before Durham, he was a postdoctoral researcher at EPFL's Digital and Cognitive Musicology Lab (2018–2021) and earned his PhD from the Learning and Intelligent Systems Lab in Stuttgart/Berlin (2012–2017). His work combines probabilistic modelling, neuro-symbolic systems, and reinforcement learning to address challenges in music analysis, autonomous decision-making, and medical robotics. Key research themes include: Music structure and perception modelling Symbol emergence in multi-agent communication Ethical AI and autonomous systems governance Medical imaging applications (CT/MRI analysis) Recent projects involve developing patient-agnostic diabetes management systems using deep reinforcement learning and surgical workflow anticipation through graph learning algorithms. He actively contributes to conferences such as NeurIPS, ISMIR, and AAAI, with publications spanning music informatics, robotics, and biomedical engineering. Current supervision includes four postgraduate students focusing on AI applications in healthcare, music technology, and autonomous systems. His work bridges technical innovation with societal impact, addressing challenges in policy, legislation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Michael C. Hughes ("Mike") is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Tufts University's School of Engineering, where he develops statistical machine learning methods for healthcare applications. His work focuses on building predictive models that extract actionable insights from complex clinical data, including electronic health records and medical imaging. PhD, Computer Science, Brown University (2016) MS, Computer Science, Brown University (2012) BS, Computer Science, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (2010) Research interests center on: Bayesian hierarchical models for documents, sequences, and medical images Optimization algorithms for approximate inference Model fairness and interpretability in clinical contexts Semi-supervised learning for medical diagnostics Recent publications demonstrate these capabilities through applications in cardiovascular disease diagnosis, opioid overdose forecasting, and ICU risk prediction. His lab emphasizes reproducibility through open datasets like TMED-2 and open-source tools like BNPy. Grants include NIH R01 funding for heart valve disease detection, NSF CAREER support for model interpretability, and NSF GCR funding for educational uncertainty research. Scientific awards include: NIH R01 Award (PI) for heart valve disease detection (2025) NSF CAREER Award (2024) NSF GCR Grant (2024) Best Poster Award at Time Series Workshop (ICML 2021) Top 10% Reviewer Awards at AISTATS (2023, 2022) Teaching activities include courses on Bayesian Deep Learning, Introduction to Machine Learning, and Statistical Pattern Recognition. He previously served as postdoctoral fellow at Harvard SEAS.
Forest Agostinelli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, where he is also affiliated with the AI Institute. His research focuses on designing AI algorithms for pathfinding problems, integrating deep learning, reinforcement learning, heuristic search, and formal logic. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine, an M.S. from the University of Michigan, and a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University. Research Overview : Agostinelli’s work emphasizes solving pathfinding problems in domains like robotics, theorem proving, and molecular optimization. His group develops explainable AI methods to enable collaboration between humans and machines. Key projects include DeepCubeA (solving the Rubik’s Cube via deep reinforcement learning) and neural activation function research. Funding & Awards : He has secured grants from NSF, NASA EPSCoR, and South Carolina’s ASPIRE and MADE programs. Notable awards include the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the Graduate Education for Minority Students Fellowship. Teaching : He teaches courses in Artificial Intelligence (CSCE 580) and Deep Reinforcement Learning and Search (CSCE 790), mentoring over 15 students at undergraduate and graduate levels. Labs & Collaborations : Active in AI-driven education and interdisciplinary projects, his lab contributes to tools like ALLURE for children’s learning and Bioinformatics platforms like CircadiOmics.
Sadaf Salehkalaibar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. She holds an office in the EITC building (E2-416) and has previously held academic positions at the University of Tehran, University of Toronto as a research associate, and visiting roles at McMaster University, Telecom Paristech, and National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on explainable artificial intelligence, generative models, and information theory with an emphasis on rate-distortion-perception tradeoffs in video and image processing. Her educational background includes teaching courses such as Signals and Systems, Digital Signal Processing, and Network Security at the University of Tehran. She currently teaches COMP4190 (Artificial Intelligence) at the University of Manitoba. Research interests revolve around developing efficient algorithms for AI systems, with key contributions in learned video compression, federated learning, and privacy-preserving techniques. Notable work includes the M22 algorithm for communication-efficient federated learning and the NSERC Discovery Grant-funded project on data-driven learning efficiency. Recent publications highlight advancements in perception loss functions, Gaussian vector source analysis, and secure distributed hypothesis testing. She actively serves on editorial boards (e.g., IEEE Transactions on Communications) and conferences (ISIT, ITW). Awards include the prestigious NSERC Discovery Grant (2025). Supervision highlights 13 MSc students at the University of Tehran, focusing on topics like privacy-preserving systems and distributed learning. Labs/teams: Leads research group at University of Manitoba focusing on AI and information theory applications in multimedia systems.
Ioannis Z. Emiris is a Professor in the Department of Informatics & Telecoms at the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens and concurrently serves as President and General Director of the ATHENA Research Center in Greece. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Princeton University (1989) and a PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley (1994). His research spans computational geometry, algebraic algorithms, robotics, structural bioinformatics, and optimization. He is a leading expert in sparse elimination theory, geometric modeling, and algorithmic algebra. Affiliations: ATHENA Research Center, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, INRIA Sophia Antipolis (France via joint AROMATH team). Education: BSc (Princeton), PhD (UC Berkeley). Research Interests Emiris's work focuses on geometric algorithms, algebraic systems, and their applications. His contributions include advancements in sparse elimination theory, computational geometry for high-dimensional data, and robotics. He has developed algorithms for polynomial system solving, Voronoi diagrams, and geometric predicates for ellipses. Articles Overview His recent work bridges theoretical advances with practical applications, such as deep learning for protein structure prediction (HydraProt) and geometric algorithms for high-dimensional data analysis. He explores intersections between algebraic geometry and computational methods, with applications ranging from robotics to bioinformatics. Scientific Awards Best Paper Award at ISSAC 2003 and 2010 MSCA Network GRAPES (2019-2023) Advising & Grants Emiris has supervised numerous students and researchers, contributing to interdisciplinary projects. He has secured grants for initiatives like the GRAPES network and has led teams in algorithm design and geometric software development. His work on MARS (Maple/Matlab/C Resultant-Based Solver) exemplifies his focus on practical algorithm implementation. Labs & Teams He directs the Lab of Geometric & Algebraic Algorithms and collaborates with the AROMATH team at INRIA. His research group develops open-source tools for computational geometry and algebraic computations.
Anup Basu is a Professor in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on computer graphics, computer vision, and multimedia communications. He holds an B.S. in Math & Statistics from the Indian Statistical Institute (1980), an M.E. in Computer Science from the Indian Statistical Institute (1983), and a Ph.D. in Computing Science from the University of Maryland (1990). His work emphasizes Quality of Service (QoS) in multimedia delivery for e-commerce and telelearning, adaptive bandwidth monitoring, and 3D visualization tools. He pioneered foveated image compression and stereo visualization techniques, contributing to MPEG-4 coding standards. He leads major initiatives like the ASRA/TelePhotogenics/IBM 3D Medical Imaging project ($2M+ funding) and developed patented SHR Stereo/3D scanning technologies. Awards include the American Neurological Association Fellowship. He has held leadership roles as General Chair for IEEE International Conferences on SMC (2017), Multimedia & Expo (2013), and SMC (2014). His research integrates interdisciplinary collaborations across universities and industry partners, leveraging advanced equipment like the CAVE system for immersive visualization.
