Kelly Arnold is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. Her research integrates systems engineering principles with immunology to investigate variability in immune responses across infection, vaccination, and injury, with a focus on computational modeling and clinical translation. Research Focus Systems-level immune response modeling Vaccination and antibody functionality Vaginal microbiome-host interactions Chronic lung disease progression Computational serology and proteomics Recent Work Her 2025 studies examine SARS-CoV-2 vaccination responses in cancer patients and computational frameworks for vaginal probiotics. Earlier works (2024-2007) span COPD progression, lupus fibrosis, HIV susceptibility, and tissue engineering for fertility preservation. Methodologies include proteomic profiling, network modeling, and microfluidic systems.
Oliver Bond is a Reader in Linguistics (Associate Professor) at the University of Surrey, affiliated with the Surrey Morphology Group (SMG) within the School of Literature & Languages. He holds a PhD from the University of Manchester and specializes in linguistic typology, morphology, syntax, and language documentation. His research focuses on the systemic properties of language, particularly in African and Himalayan languages, exploring features like agreement systems, case marking, and morphological complexity. Key roles include Deputy Director of SMG and PhD Coordinator. His research projects include studies on Nuer (South Sudan/Ethiopia), Tibeto-Burman languages of Nepal, and prominent internal possessors. He has received a prestigious British Academy Award for his work on language evolution and analogy in morphological change. Bond supervises PhD students in areas such as morphology, syntax, and language documentation. Notable former students include Dávid Győrfi and Tatiana Reid. His publications span typological studies, language documentation, and theoretical morphology, with recent work on contact effects in Tibeto-Burman languages and negation systems in African languages. Bond’s contributions include collaborative projects like the Nuer Literacy Initiative and the Manang Languages Project. He actively publishes in journals like Journal of Linguistics and Linguistic Typology , and maintains a comprehensive resource, the Nuer Lexicon .
G. Petur Nielsen, MD is a Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and serves as Subspecialty Head, Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital . With a clinical focus on bone and soft tissue tumors, his expertise spans diagnostic pathology, molecular genetics of neoplasms, and ancillary testing applications. Research interests center on Pathology and biology of bone/soft tissue tumors Molecular genetics of bone and soft tissue neoplasms Chordoma and sarcoma research Epithelioid vascular tumor differentiation Mesenchymal tumors of the female genital tract His work includes landmark studies on tumor misdiagnosis rates, immunohistochemical profiling, and genomic analysis of chordomas. Scientific contributions appear in leading journals like Nature and American Journal of Surgical Pathology , with major emphasis on Molecular tumor classification Mutational signature analysis Translational oncology Diagnostic accuracy improvement Genomic instability mechanisms
Professor Julia Schlüter is a distinguished academic in the Chair of English Linguistics within the Humanities Faculty at the University of Bamberg, Germany. She has served as Senior Lecturer at the Chair of English Linguistics and Language History under Prof. Manfred Krug since June 2008, holding the title of Professor following her habilitation in 2008. Her institutional profile demonstrates deep commitment to both research and teaching innovation, particularly through her leadership of the KorPLUS project and development of open educational resources for corpus linguistics. Her research interests span corpus linguistics for English language learners, empirical methods for studying language variation and change, and the application of corpus methods to teaching. She specializes in examining grammatical, phonological, and lexical differences between British and American English across historical periods from Middle English to present-day usage. Her work investigates phonological variation (particularly phonotactically controlled alternations), morphological change, and syntactic variation through corpus analysis, with special attention to functional grammar and grammaticalization theory. Professor Schlüter's recent publications (2022-2025) reveal a strategic evolution in her research focus, with increasing emphasis on the intersection of corpus linguistics and digital education. While maintaining her foundational work in historical English linguistics, she has developed significant expertise in applying corpus methods to language teacher education and evaluating AI writing tools. Her work demonstrates consistent methodological innovation, moving from traditional corpus analysis to blended learning approaches and digital educational resource development. Her scientific recognition includes: Winner of the 2025 Teaching Innovation Prize from the International Society for the Linguistics of English for the KorPLUS project University of Bamberg Prize for outstanding habilitation (2009) Lise Meitner Programme post-doctoral scholarship (2005-2006) Rectorate Prize from University of Paderborn for outstanding Ph.D. thesis (2005) Multiple DAAD scholarships for international study Professor Schlüter actively supervises doctoral research, currently guiding three Ph.D. candidates (Katharina Deckert, Aklima Nahar, and Nikolai Beland) while having successfully completed supervision for several others. She leads the KorPLUS project (2021-2025), funded by the Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, which develops open educational resources for corpus linguistics. Her research has been consistently supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and other funding bodies throughout her career. She heads the KorPLUS team (with Carina Großmann and Katharina Deckert) which develops the interactive Open Educational Resource platform for corpus linguistics. Her YouTube channel offers video tutorials on corpus basics, and she has created the Video Podcast Series "How to Update your Grammar" for English teachers. She regularly organizes in-service teacher trainings and collaborates with the Virtual Linguistics Campus at RWTH Aachen University to deliver her educational materials globally.
Alejandro Benjamin Balazs is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. His laboratory specializes in synthetic immunology, gene transfer technologies, and immune system engineering to combat HIV and emerging viral threats like SARS-CoV-2. Current research focuses include: Understanding sterilizing immunity mechanisms against HIV. Studying pathogen escape from immunological pressure. Optimizing AAV vector delivery for broadly neutralizing antibodies. Investigating innate immune responses in viral neutralization. His lab has published extensively on: Antibody-mediated prophylaxis against HIV and SARS-CoV-2. Viral evolution and immune escape dynamics. AAV-based gene delivery systems. Humoral immunity in vulnerable populations. Immune signatures in humanized mouse models. Scientific accolades include: NIDA Avenir New Innovator (DP2) Grant (2015) Gilead Sciences Research Scholars Award (2016) MGH Transformative Research Scholars Award (2016) Doctoral students mentored in his lab include: Jackie Brady (Harvard BBS Program, 2015-2020) Allen Lin (Harvard Systems Biology, 2015-2020) Meredith Phelps (Harvard Virology, 2018-2022)
Andreas Kautt is Assistant Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, investigating evolutionary mechanisms driving biological diversity through integrative approaches combining genomics, behavioral experiments, and fieldwork. Research focuses on two primary systems: North American deer mice and Missouri crayfish. Research themes include: Genomic basis of behavioral divergence and sensory evolution Molecular mechanisms of speciation in cichlid fish radiations Genetic assimilation in morphological evolution Development of novel genomic tools for speciation research Recent work explores olfaction genetics in deer mice, parallel evolution in pigmentation, and hybrid speciation mechanisms. Publications demonstrate expertise in evolutionary genomics, behavioral ecology, and molecular evolution across diverse vertebrate systems.
Dr. Jennifer Bennett is an accomplished surgical pathologist specializing in gynecologic pathology at the University of Chicago Medicine. She serves as faculty in the Department of Pathology at the Pritzker School of Medicine, where she conducts cutting-edge research on gynecologic neoplasms and contributes significantly to diagnostic pathology. Dr. Bennett's educational background includes: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA - Robert E. Scully Fellow in Gynecologic Pathology (2014) Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA - Residency in Anatomic Pathology (2013) University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL - MD in Medicine (2010) University of Florida, Gainesville, FL - BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2005) Her research program focuses on integrating morphological, immunohistochemical, and molecular features to better characterize gynecologic neoplasms. Dr. Bennett's primary expertise lies in uterine mesenchymal neoplasms and ovarian epithelial carcinomas, with particular contributions to understanding STK11 adnexal tumors, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors of the uterus, and various rare gynecologic neoplasms. Her work bridges diagnostic pathology with molecular characterization, advancing how pathologists classify and understand tumor behavior. Analysis of Dr. Bennett's publication record reveals a clear progression from morphological descriptions to integrated molecular-pathological analyses. Her recent work (2022-2025) increasingly focuses on molecular markers like p16 as surrogates for CDKN2A deletion, ROS1 fusions in uterine tumors, and comprehensive genomic profiling of endometrial and ovarian carcinomas. This evolution reflects the broader shift in pathology toward precision medicine approaches. Among her notable achievements is the prestigious Robert E. Scully Fellowship in Gynecologic Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, recognizing exceptional promise in the field. Dr. Bennett maintains an extensive collaborative network, frequently publishing with Dr. Esther Oliva and other leading researchers in gynecologic pathology. Her work has been cited extensively, with several publications receiving over 30 citations. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available text, her productive research output spanning multiple years suggests successful grant funding to support her laboratory investigations and clinical research. Based on her publication patterns and co-author networks, Dr. Bennett appears to lead or be a key member of a research team focused on advancing diagnostic criteria for gynecologic tumors through multidisciplinary collaboration with clinicians, molecular biologists, and other pathologists.
Alessandro Del Tomba is a Tenure-Track Researcher in Linguistics and Glottology at Sapienza University of Rome, specializing in historical linguistics, Indo-European studies, and Central Asian philology. He holds a PhD in Linguistics from Sapienza and Comparative Indo-European Linguistics from Leiden University. Historical linguistics Indo-European studies Eastern Iranian philology Language contact theories His research focuses on Khotanese and Tocharian languages, with recent publications analyzing manuscript transmission, morphological variation, and phonological developments. He serves as Principal Investigator for the FIS project "Khotanese language and texts in contexts (KhoTxt): A multimodal approach to the classification and periodisation of the Khotanese language and its texts within the cultural and historical framework of medieval Central Asia". He teaches General Linguistics at undergraduate levels and Linguistics courses at the graduate level in Modern Philology. Active in international academic networks, he participates in conferences across Italy, Europe, and Asia.
Tanja Ackermann is a Professor of German Linguistics with a focus on Variation and Change at Bielefeld University , holding the position since 2023. She serves as project leader in two subprojects of the Collaborative Research Center 1646: Linguistic Creativity in Communication (projects A06 and B03), and as a member of BiSEd (Bielefeld School of Education). Her academic affiliations include the Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies and its Habilitation Committee . Doctorate in Linguistics (2017) Habilitation, Venia legendi in German Linguistics (2023) Prior academic roles: Acting Professor at University of Mainz (2020–2022), Research Associate at Freie Universität Berlin (2011–2023), and short-term lectureship at Peking University (2017). Research interests span diachronic and synchronic analysis of language variation (areal/sociolinguistic), language change (functional/contrastive), historical grammar (morphology/morphosyntax), and pragmatics (speech acts, address forms, (im)politeness, expressivity). She specializes in onomastics (name grammar, sociopragmatic aspects, phonology) and interactive linguistic creativity (interrogative forms, indirect meaning). Publications reflect trends in Germanic morphosyntax, historical pragmatics, and onomastic variation. Key themes include inflectional erosion , possessive markers , and gendered phonological patterns in proper names. Scientific Recognition Awarded Wilhelm von Humboldt Prize by the DGfS in 2019 Affiliation Highlights Project leader for SFB 1646 (linguistic creativity in communication) Previous involvement in SRC 980 'Episteme in Motion' (subproject C08, 2016–2020)
Elena Anagnostopoulou is a Professor of Theoretical Linguistics at the Department of Philology, University of Crete, where she has been a faculty member since 1998. Her academic career spans theoretical linguistics with a focus on syntax, morphology, and historical linguistics, particularly in the context of Greek language. Dr. Anagnostopoulou earned her PhD from the University of Salzburg in 1994, followed by postdoctoral research at the MIT Institute of Linguistics (1997-1998). She served as Assistant Professor (1998-2005), Associate Professor (2005-2009), and has been Professor of Linguistics at the University of Crete since 2009. She was a Visiting Professor at MIT in 2007 and received the prestigious Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2013. Her research focuses on theoretical and comparative syntax, formal linguistic typology, morphology and historical morphosyntax, with particular emphasis on the interface of syntax, morphology and lexicon. She has made significant contributions to understanding argument alternation, declension, agreement, person, gender, inflections, control and autopathic structures. Her work often centers on Greek language but extends to cross-linguistic comparisons. Anagnostopoulou's recent publications demonstrate her ongoing research in gender features, case theory, argument structure, and the historical development of Greek syntax. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics with historical and comparative approaches, examining how linguistic features evolve across time and space. She has increasingly incorporated evolutionary biology methods into linguistic research. Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award (2013) Elected member of Academia Europaea (since 2019) As scientific director of multiple research projects funded by the Hellenic Research Foundation, including 'Using tools from Evolutionary Biology to reveal relationships among languages' (2019-2023) and 'Modeling language genesis,' she has secured significant research funding. She co-directs the 'Open Generative Syntax' series and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Greek Linguistics, Linguistic Inquiry and Syntax. Her work extends to educational applications, with research on learning disabilities, remedial intervention programs, and language acquisition in socioeconomically diverse populations in Greece.
Dr. Tanya Ní Mhuirthile is a Senior Lecturer and Head of School at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University (DCU). She previously held roles at Griffith College and University College Cork (UCC). Her research focuses on the intersection of law and corporeality, particularly how legal frameworks conceptualize gender recognition, intersex rights, and consent in medical ethics through human rights, feminist jurisprudence, and interdisciplinary approaches. Education: BCL, LLB, and PhD from UCC; Masters of Drama from Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Research Themes: Depathologisation of gender recognition; consent in medical interventions for intersex individuals; transformative potential of legal education. Advisory Roles: Legal consultant to Transgender Equality Network Ireland and IntersexUK; advised Irish government ministers and NGOs on Gender Recognition Act 2015, FGM legislation. Her publications address gender identity, intersex rights, and medical law, with a focus on policy development and legislative frameworks. She has contributed to books and presented internationally on these topics. Dr. Ní Mhuirthile also explores legal education's role in social justice, co-authoring a textbook on the Irish legal system.
Mark D. Scherz is an Associate Professor at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen. His work focuses on evolutionary biology, taxonomy, and herpetofauna of Madagascar, integrating molecular and morphological approaches. ERC Starting Grant (GEMINI) for vertebrate miniaturization genomics Co-PI on DFG Taxon-OMICS grant Develops integrative taxonomic methods using micro-CT and museomics Research Interests : Specializes in the evolutionary dynamics of giant pseudo-island systems like Madagascar, investigating macroevolution, convergent evolution, and speciation. Key projects include: Phylogenetic analysis of microhylid and mantellid frogs Comparative osteology of miniaturized vertebrates Biofluorescence mechanisms in geckos and chameleons Biogeographic patterns in Malagasy reptiles/amphibians Publication Trends : Recent work emphasizes cross-disciplinary approaches (2025: skull morphology in snakes; 2024: amphibian genomics) 2021 studies on fluorescence and miniaturization Long-term taxonomic revisions of amphibians (2019-2024) Scientific Awards : ERC Starting Grant (2025) DFG Priority Programme participant (Taxon-OMICS) Collaborations : Works closely with Miguel Vences (Technical University of Braunschweig) and Frank Glaw (Bavarian State Collection of Zoology), focusing on Malagasy amphibians and reptiles.
Irving Hoffman serves as a Research Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. He holds dual leadership positions as Director of International Operations for the IGHID and International Director of UNC Project-Malawi. With over 30 years of continuous service since joining the UNC faculty in 1992, Hoffman has established himself as a leading figure in global infectious disease research with a focus on HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Hoffman's research spans multiple critical areas in global health including HIV treatment as prevention, sexually transmitted infection control, and vaccine development for diseases like malaria and TB. His work has had significant practical impact, notably as a key investigator in HPTN 052 which proved the power of HIV treatment as prevention, and leading the Malawi team that tested the first effective pediatric malaria vaccine (RTSS). His research interests encompass Global Public Health, HIV prevention among vulnerable populations, gonorrhea surveillance, and international academic site development. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on molecular epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections, particularly syphilis and gonorrhea, with extensive work conducted in Malawi. His research increasingly integrates genomic approaches to understand pathogen evolution and antibiotic resistance patterns in resource-limited settings. A consistent theme across his work is the translation of research findings into practical public health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. Hoffman has authored over 235 peer-reviewed publications throughout his career, with recent work appearing in high-impact journals including The Lancet Microbe, Nature Communications, and the New England Journal of Medicine. His HPTN 052 study represented a landmark finding that transformed global HIV prevention strategies. As an academic leader, Hoffman has provided extensive technical assistance to HIV and STI control programs across fifteen countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. He co-directs the STI clinic in Malawi that conducts syphilis vaccine development studies and gonococcal surveillance with the WHO. His international operations leadership oversees academic centers in Malawi, Zambia, Nicaragua, Vietnam, and China. Hoffman founded UNC Project Malawi 25 years ago and has served continuously as its international director in Lilongwe. His laboratory and research teams have made significant contributions to understanding HIV transmission dynamics, particularly in the male genital tract, and developing effective prevention strategies for vulnerable populations including female sex workers and people who inject drugs.
Julie McElrath is a Professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and holds the Joel D. Meyers Endowed Chair . She serves as Director of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division and Principal Investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Laboratory Center . Her work spans international HIV vaccine trials, mucosal immunity studies, and collaborations with institutions like the University of Washington (Department of Medicine, Global Health, and Laboratory Medicine & Pathology) and the Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD) . Education: MD, Medical University of South Carolina (1980) PhD, Medical University of South Carolina (1978) Dr. McElrath’s research focuses on multi-disciplinary approaches to HIV vaccine development, immune correlates of protection, and mucosal transmission mechanisms. Her lab investigates innate immune responses to vaccines and conducts longitudinal studies on long-term non-progressors. Recent work includes collaborations on coronavirus , malaria , and tuberculosis vaccines, leveraging systems biology tools. She leads initiatives like the Seattle HIV Vaccine Trials Unit and the Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory . Her publications highlight immune profiling in HIV vaccine trials, adenovirus vector immunogenicity , and vaccine-induced antibody functions . She advocates for improving assay standardization and cross-pathogen immunity through networks like the Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium (IDCRC) .
John Fitzpatrick is a Professor at the Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, leading the Fitzpatrick Lab. His research integrates experimental and phylogenetic comparative approaches to study sexual selection's role in animal evolution, focusing on pre-mating competition, mate choice, sperm competition, and co-evolutionary dynamics between sexes. Department of Zoology: Ethology Wallenberg Academy Fellow President-elect, International Society for Behavioral Ecology Co-organizer, Biology of Spermatozoa biennial meeting Key Research Areas: Trade-offs among sexual traits in halfbeak fishes Macroevolution of reproductive behaviors in sharks, rays, and mammals Sperm behavior evolution across animal phyla Coloration evolution under natural and sexual selection Scientific Leadership: Editor, Behavioral Ecology (2014-2018) Board of Reviewing Editors, Journal of Evolutionary Biology (2011-2015) Collaborative Networks: Collaborations with National University of Singapore, University of Manchester, University of Western Australia, and Stockholm University's Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences department for pollen evolution studies. Awards: Wallenberg Academy Fellowship
