Isabel Mogollon Figueroa is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Molecular Medicine (FIMM), University of Helsinki, specializing in bioimage profiling. Her work integrates advanced imaging techniques with computational analysis to address questions in developmental biology, cancer research, and dermatology. Her research spans Genetics, Developmental Biology, and Physiology , with a focus on cellular mechanisms in development and disease. Key areas include: Bioimage Analysis and High-content Screening Cancer Tumor Microenvironment Profiling Oral Ectodermal Development and Disease Modeling Application of Deep Learning in Microscopy Her recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a strong trend in leveraging self-supervised learning and vision transformers for multiplexed microscopy images, particularly in cancer and developmental contexts. She contributes to pan-cancer studies and rare disease drug testing, highlighting interdisciplinary innovation at the intersection of molecular biology and artificial intelligence. Dr. Mogollon Figueroa actively participates in multiple research projects funded by the Academy of Finland and Cancer Foundation. She is involved in projects such as "Uncovering patterns in cancer cells with visual representation learning" (2021-2026) and "Syöpäsäätiö 24-26/HORVATH PETER" (2024-2026), focusing on computational oncology and image-based drug discovery. She collaborates within the Bioimage Profiling group at FIMM and is a member of the Euro Bioimaging ERIC board. Her work involves close collaboration with the iCAN community and participation in events like the Cytodata Hackathon, fostering interdisciplinary teamwork in bioimage informatics.
Karin van IJsselmuide-Eijgenhuijsen is a Public Procurement Researcher at the KCI Knowledge Center Business Innovation, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, and serves as coordinator/figurehead for the SDG 12 alliance (Responsible Consumption and Production) in the Netherlands. She represents the university in the Procurement Workshop/Knowledge Hub, a collaboration of five universities of applied sciences. Her research centers on translating public sector procurement practices into tangible sustainability tools, focusing on conscious purchasing, circular economy transitions, and SDG 12 implementation. She develops frameworks to reduce ecological footprints through practical interventions in government and organizational purchasing behaviors, aiming to align Dutch resource consumption with global sustainability timelines. Karin actively mentors students through the Minor Procurement program (including hackathons) and conducts workshops for colleagues on sustainable procurement. She drives systemic change via initiatives like the CSR Manifesto and Sustainable Procurement Manifesto, mobilizing cross-sector partnerships to advance responsible consumption. She champions individual action through her three-question purchasing model: necessity assessment, exploration of alternatives (borrowing/repairing/second-hand), and sustainable sourcing. Her 2030 vision targets aligning the Dutch Earth Overshoot Day (currently April 1) with the global date (July 25) through procurement-driven resource conservation.
Valeria Borsotti is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, and affiliated with Medical Museion. Her work bridges computer science and anthropology to address critical issues of equity and accessibility in digital systems. Education: PhD in Computer Science, University of Copenhagen (awarded April 12, 2024) MS in Anthropology, Department of Anthropology (awarded November 20, 2011) Dr. Borsotti's research focuses on the complex mechanisms behind organizational change towards equity and accessibility. With a mixed background in Computer Science and Anthropology, she employs experimental, interventionist ethnographic approaches, mixed methods, and co-creation techniques - including game development - to investigate how digital systems can be made more inclusive. Her current work examines the ethical challenges and opportunities of digitizing human remains, while her previous research has explored equity and organizational accountability in tech institutions; accessibility and neurodiversity in higher education; and issues of access in public digital systems. Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on equity and accessibility across multiple domains. She has made significant contributions to understanding organizational barriers to accessibility in universities, developing design artifacts for equity in computer science education, and examining how humor and stereotypes affect institutional accountability in computing. Her innovative approach often involves creating interventions like DOREEN, a game designed to provoke new ambitions for equity in computing. Scientific Awards: DIKU PhD Community Leadership Award 2023 ACM-SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award - ICSE-SEET'18, Software Engineering Education & Training (2018) Jury's Prize (Prix "Choix du jury") UMIX Hackathon in Information Architecture - ENS de Lyon, France + ENSSIB (2014) As an active member of the academic community, Dr. Borsotti supervises students interested in her research areas and collaborates with organizations including the Bevica Foundation Universal Design Hub and the EASA Applied Anthropology Network. She is fluent in Italian, English, Spanish, and Danish, which enhances her ability to conduct cross-cultural research. Her work sits at the intersection of digital anthropology, human-computer interaction, and social justice, with practical applications in museum studies, higher education, and public sector digital services.
Dr. Anna Butzin is a researcher in the Innovation, Space, and Culture research area at the Institute for Work and Technology (IAT), part of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences. She also serves as a lecturer at the Faculty of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University since 2016, where she teaches urban and regional economics. Her academic career includes substitute professor positions at the University of Bayreuth (2018-2019) and the University of Kassel (2022-2023). Dr. Butzin's research focuses on structural change and transformation in cities and regions, innovation and regional development, startup ecosystems, and the spatial dimensions of innovation processes. Her work particularly examines how entrepreneurial ecosystems can support development in lagging regions, with a focus on the Ruhr area in Germany. She has developed expertise in innovation biographies as a methodological approach to understanding knowledge dynamics in innovation processes from spatial and temporal perspectives. Her current research projects include Engaging entrepreneurial ecosystems for the youth (Ecosys4you) , The Regional Studies Association Research Network on Transformative Regions (TRAKR) , and Industry analysis of bicycle production (BikeProd) . Her publications and presentations consistently address themes of transformative knowledge, societal innovation capacity, and regional development strategies for structurally challenged regions. Dr. Butzin's work has been recognized through various projects including the University Pearl of the Month award for the Ecosys4you project in September 2025. Her research demonstrates how entrepreneurial ecosystems can create tangible impacts in economically challenged regions like the Ruhr area, emphasizing the importance of success stories and visible startups for regional innovation. She actively participates in numerous academic conferences and workshops, presenting on topics ranging from bicycle manufacturing networks to transformative knowledge capacities. Her methodological approach often involves innovation biographies to analyze knowledge generation in innovation processes across different spatial scales.
Daniela Kadiiska is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema, Advertising and Show Business at New Bulgarian University (NBU), where she has taught for over 25 years as a co-founder of the Advertising Bachelor's program. She delivers courses on communication strategies, integrated marketing communications, and digital advertising execution while mentoring award-winning student teams at international competitions including Ad Venture and BAAwards. Her academic credentials include: PhD in Theatre and Film Arts (Cinematics, Film Art and Television specialty) from NBU (2015) Master's degree in Cinema and Television from NBU (2000) Bachelor's degree in Advertising from NBU (1999) Professor Kadiiska's research centers on product positioning within entertainment media, examining ethical dimensions of brand integration in cinema and television. Her work explores color psychology in advertising, narrative-driven communication strategies, and the evolution of product placement into virtual environments. She connects theoretical frameworks with practical industry applications through publications analyzing consumer perception and advertising effectiveness across traditional and digital platforms. Her publication timeline (2011-2019) reveals progressive expansion from classical cinema product placement studies to contemporary digital/virtual advertising contexts. Key themes include ethical analysis of tobacco branding in films, innovative magazine advertising solutions, mobile communication limitations, and virtual product positioning's impact on brand communication. This trajectory demonstrates consistent bridging of academic research and real-world advertising practice. As an academic advisor, she has guided student teams to victory at major competitions including Ad Venture (Edcom initiative), BAAwards (Bulgarian Association of Advertisers), and Bulgaria Innovation Hackathon. Her mentorship cultivates industry-ready professionals through hands-on campaign development and competition preparation. Beyond academia, Professor Kadiiska serves on the Effie Bulgaria jury since 2022 as NBU's sole academic representative, and maintains creative industry engagement through film production and screenwriting projects including a TEDxSofia 2019 talk on "Metamorphoses".
Martin Evlogiev is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architectural Technology, Faculty of Architecture, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG) in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has been teaching since April 2022, with previous experience as a part-time lecturer from February to April 2022. His teaching responsibilities include courses on computer technologies in architecture, building construction, and architectural structures for various year levels. Dr. Evlogiev received his architectural education at UACEG, Faculty of Architecture, where he completed his Master's degree in Architecture specialization with a focus on "Public Buildings" between 2009 and 2015. His earlier education includes attending secondary schools "Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy" (1997-2004) and "Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin" (2004-2009) in Sofia. He further enhanced his expertise with a Specialized Course in Cultural Heritage Conservation at Ecole de Chaillot from 2017 to 2019. Martin Evlogiev's research focuses on the intersection of architecture and advanced digital technologies. His work explores how artificial intelligence, building information modeling (BIM), and 3D visualization tools can transform architectural design processes and education. He investigates both the technical applications and ethical implications of these technologies in architectural practice. His research spans from practical software implementation challenges to broader questions about how digital tools reshape creative workflows and professional standards in architecture. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on artificial intelligence applications in architecture, with particular attention to visualization techniques, ethical considerations, and design automation. He also conducts research on educational aspects of technology adoption in architectural curricula and explores specialized applications of BIM and virtual reality in architectural practice. Dr. Evlogiev has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work: November 2024: Special Prize by Chaos for great contribution at AEC Hackathon in Sofia October 2022: Nomination in the "Computer Graphics" category at International Computer Art Forum "Computer Space" November 2020: Audience Award at Sixth national exhibition-competition for graduate thesis December 2019: First Prize in Logo Competition for the "Bulgarian Flying Disc Federation" September 2014: First prize as part of "Niconsult" team in Competition for the reconstruction of the monument "1300 years of Bulgaria" December 2013: Audience Award at Sofia Architectural Hall October 2013: First Prize in "Architecture" - Highest Architectural Potential Award at ArchHackathon April 2013: Special Award at Positive/Negative Competition May 2013: Third prize at "Keep caml & make DVOR" competition With extensive professional experience in architectural practice since 2013, Dr. Evlogiev brings real-world insights to his academic work. He has worked at firms including "Archont" (2019-2025), "Ivo Petrov Architects" (2015-2019), and "Niconsult" (2014-2015). His practical experience spans architectural design, computer-generated architecture, and internships at various architectural studios. He is also actively involved in research projects, including the "Sozopol 2021 Architectural Studio" analyzing the historic center of Sozopol. Dr. Evlogiev is a member of several professional organizations including CAB (with PPP), SAB ("SPA 15" Company, where he serves as Deputy Chairman), and BANHA. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies independently since 2025 and continues to develop his expertise in advanced architectural technologies.
Joseph D. Tucker is a Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Professor of Global Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He serves as Director of the UNC Project-China, and as a Working Group Member of TDR Global. His work bridges infectious disease medicine and social innovation, with a focus on developing novel approaches to improve global health outcomes through community engagement and open collaboration. Tucker received his B.A. from Swarthmore College (2000), MD from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2004), completed Internal Medicine training at University of California San Francisco, Infectious Diseases fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital, earned an A.M. in Regional Studies East Asia from Harvard University (2010), and completed his PhD in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2014) under supervision of Professors Rosanna Peeling and Heidi Larson. As an infectious diseases physician and social scientist, Dr. Tucker specializes in crowdsourcing and participatory research methods. His work focuses on applying open innovation approaches to address challenges in HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis prevention and treatment, with particular emphasis on China and Nigeria. He has pioneered the adaptation of hackathons to design health interventions (designathons) and developed pay-it-forward approaches to increase health service utilization. His research on syphilis burden in China helped inform China's national syphilis screening program. Dr. Tucker has led over 100 crowdsourcing open calls to improve health, with finalist ideas informing regional, national, and global guidelines. Dr. Tucker's recent publication portfolio demonstrates a consistent focus on applying innovative methodologies like crowdsourcing and pay-it-forward models to improve health service delivery across diverse contexts. His work spans multiple continents (particularly China, Nigeria, and the United States) and addresses key health challenges including HIV prevention, hepatitis vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and sexual health services. A notable trend is the increasing application of community engagement strategies to make health interventions more inclusive, particularly for marginalized populations such as older adults, people with disabilities, and sexual minorities. Crowdsourcing research identified by TDR in 2017 as one of the top global innovations Pay-it-forward research recognized at the 2018 World Health Summit Pay-it-forward research featured at the 2019 UNAIDS Health Innovation Exchange Pay-it-forward research awarded at the 2020 World Health Organization Re-Boot Challenge Mid-career Award from the National Institutes of Health for HIV research mentorship 1st place in WHO Re-Boot Health Challenge Dr. Tucker has secured significant research funding including NIH grants for "Enhancing Partner Services Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV" and "Mentoring Multidisciplinary Global HIV Patient-Oriented Research." He has contributed to six World Health Organization guidelines or guidance documents, including leading the development of a TDR/SIHI/SESH Practical Guide on Crowdsourcing in Health and Health Research. He has served on multiple WHO committees in locations including Kampala, Nairobi, Geneva, Jakarta, New Delhi, and Tokyo. Dr. Tucker founded and leads the SESH (Social Engagement to Spur Health) initiative, a partnership joining individuals from the Southern Medical University Dermatology Hospital, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of North Carolina-Project China. SESH serves as the Social Innovation in Health Initiative Hub for China and has organized numerous crowdsourcing open calls to develop public health interventions and community engagement practices. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped organize the Carolina Collective, a crowdsourcing open call to inform UNC Chapel Hill's fall semester planning. His team has developed multiple WHO-TDR guides on social innovation, crowdsourcing, public engagement, research mentorship, and participatory health research.
Dr. Siân Brooke serves as an Assistant Professor and MacGillavry Fellow at the Digital Interactions Lab (DIL), University of Amsterdam. Her interdisciplinary work bridges data science and critical social research to investigate gender and intersectional equality in technology interactions, with a focus on ethical AI and human-centered computing systems. Her research centers on gender dynamics in technology , inclusive platform design , and systemic bias mitigation in digital environments. Brooke employs mixed-methods approaches combining large-scale data analysis of platforms like GitHub and Stack Overflow with ethnographic studies and controlled experiments. Key themes include how programming styles reflect gender differences without impacting quality, how online labor markets perpetuate discrimination through design choices, and how internet memes reinforce toxic masculinity in physical tech spaces like hackathons. Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on exposing and redesigning discriminatory mechanisms in technology. Her 2024 work demonstrates how platform interventions (community composition, identity flairs) can reduce hiring discrimination in online labor markets, while her GitHub study proves gendered programming styles exist but don't correlate with code quality. A unifying thread across all work is the development of concrete design solutions for more equitable technology ecosystems. Dr. Brooke's recognition includes: NWO Veni Grant (€320,000) for "Human-Centered Code: Building Accessible IDEs for Neurodiverse Women in Computing Education" Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship examining gender in collaborative computing environments She actively mentors through hiring a PhD candidate for her NWO project (closing November 2024) and serves on the Open Tech Fund Advisory Council guiding global internet freedom initiatives. Her commitment to research transparency led to implementing Open Science Badges as Associated Editor for Data and Ethics, recognizing reproducible practices in scholarly work. Brooke leads the Digital Interaction Lab's research on technology equity, including the "Mock-Freelancer.com" experimental platform testing anti-discrimination interventions in online labor markets. Her lab collaborates across disciplines to develop accessible computing environments and policy recommendations for inclusive technology design, with recent work featured in LSE Research explaining gender disparities in programming.
Rhys Davies is a Senior Research Fellow and Co-Director at WISERD (Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods) within Cardiff University's School of Social Sciences. As an applied quantitative researcher, Davies specializes in employment and labor market analysis, with expertise in large-scale data collection and administrative data research. They also serve as Associate Director of the Wales Administrative Data Research Centre, managing the User Support function of ADR-Wales. Rhys Davies' research focuses on labor economics, trade union membership, skills development, and workplace dynamics. Their work examines geographical variations in employment patterns, gender pay gaps, disability and work, and the impact of administrative data on social research. Davies is particularly known for their expertise in analyzing trade union membership patterns across Great Britain, developing the UnionMaps tool to visualize these variations. They also lead research on the Skills and Employment Survey, investigating how work patterns and job quality have evolved in the UK. Davies has been instrumental in numerous research projects including the Skills and Employment Survey 2024, the Continuity of Learning in Wales project, and the Productivity Outcomes of Workplace Practice, Engagement and Learning (PrOPEL) Hub. Their research output shows a strong focus on labor market dynamics, with recent work examining post-pandemic work patterns, remote working arrangements, and the evolving nature of trade union membership across geographical areas. Davies has collaborated extensively with researchers across UK institutions and has presented findings to various policy bodies including the TUC Congress. As part of the PrOPEL Hub, they've organized hackathons for HR managers focused on improving job quality and have contributed to policy discussions on careers guidance in Wales.
Benjamin Zierock serves as Professor of Design and Innovation Development at SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg since January 2019, concurrently holding the position of Program Director for Digital Transformation until August 2024. His professional trajectory includes coordination of GamesHub Heidelberg (2021-2023) and partnership at KickAss Sports GmbH (2020-2022), demonstrating applied industry engagement alongside academic work. His educational foundation includes a Diplom Medienkünstler degree from Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe, establishing his expertise in media arts and design. Professor Zierock's research interrogates innovation ecosystems through design thinking lenses, with particular emphasis on agile methodology adaptation across sectors. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical implementation in digital transformation contexts, examining user experience optimization in healthcare systems and sustainability integration in software development lifecycles. The cross-pollination of LEGO SERIOUS PLAY techniques with rapid prototyping methodologies represents a distinctive methodological signature in his scholarly contributions. Analysis of his 2022-2024 publications reveals three dominant thematic clusters: agile education transformation (OKR/SCRUM frameworks), sustainable technology development (green software, smart city data governance), and participatory design systems (hackathons, radical usability). These streams consistently prioritize human-centered approaches while addressing systemic challenges in digital adoption. His scientific recognition includes: Publikationspreis SRH Hochschule 2024 for outstanding scholarly contributions German Web Awards Winner 2021 for digital innovation excellence EIT Health Design Award 2018 for healthcare solution design While formal student advisement structures aren't documented in available materials, Professor Zierock's leadership in GamesHub Heidelberg and Democratia-Aqua-Technica Initiative demonstrates mentorship through project-based learning environments. His cross-sector initiatives including KickAss Sports GmbH reveal entrepreneurial grant-seeking approaches focused on practical innovation implementation. Current operational environments include GamesHub Heidelberg (fostering game development ecosystems) and ongoing involvement with the Democratia-Aqua-Technica Initiative, which employs cross-media strategies for sustainable project development aligned with European SDG frameworks. These platforms serve as living laboratories for testing his research on collaborative innovation and participatory design systems.
Berdien van der Donk is a PhD fellow at the Centre for Private Governance (CEPRI) within the Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen. She previously served as a Lecturer in EU Internet Law at Copenhagen Business School (2019-2023) and in IT Law at Copenhagen University (2019-2020). Professionally, she works as a Legal Analyst for trademark and domain name cases at Clarivate's Darts-IP in Brussels. Her academic work includes visiting research positions at Tilburg University's TILT Institute (2021-2022) and the University of Bologna's CIRSFID (2022), along with participation in Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center Research Sprint on Takedowns and Transparency (2022). Her educational background comprises a PhD from the University of Copenhagen (2019-2023), a cand.jur (LL.M.) from the same institution (2018), an LL.M. in Corporate Law from Leiden University (2017), and an LL.B. from Utrecht University (2015). She maintains C2 proficiency in Danish, Dutch, and English, with C1/B2 proficiency in Italian, facilitating multilingual legal scholarship across European jurisdictions. Dr. van der Donk's research centers on the legal frameworks governing digital spaces, with particular emphasis on content moderation systems, access rights on social media platforms, and the application of fundamental rights in privately governed online environments. Her doctoral dissertation, 'Digital Bouncers: A European roadmap to navigate access rights and moderation issues on social media platforms,' develops a four-layer framework (foundational, access, content, and enforcement) to address the complex legal challenges surrounding platform governance. Her work critically examines how private companies function as de facto rule-makers in digital public spheres. Her scholarly output reveals consistent focus on the intersection of intellectual property law, platform regulation, and fundamental rights protection, with increasing attention to the implementation of the Digital Services Act across European jurisdictions. Her publications demonstrate methodological diversity, combining comparative legal analysis, doctrinal study, and case law examination to develop practical frameworks for resolving platform governance challenges. Award of a travel grant from the Reinholdt W. Jorck og Hustrus Fond (December 2021) HBI-GIG ARTS Emerging Scholars Grant (April 2022) Stipend for participation in Harvard University's Takedowns and Transparency Research Sprint (May 2022) Dr. van der Donk actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organization (including the Legal Tech Hackathon and Law, Innovation & Vulnerability conference) and participation in international research networks like the Global Digital Human Rights Network. Her 'Digital Bouncers' framework offers a structured approach to resolving legal ambiguities in content moderation, with implications for judges, platforms, and out-of-court dispute resolution bodies across Europe. Her research remains closely affiliated with CEPRI at the University of Copenhagen while extending through international collaborations with institutions across the Netherlands, Italy, and the United States, reflecting the inherently transnational nature of digital platform governance challenges.
Michael Philip Ciuchta is an Associate Professor in the Department of Marketing, Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the University of Massachusetts Lowell's Manning School of Business. His academic career bridges organizational theory, entrepreneurship, and behavioral approaches to business institutions. Dr. Ciuchta received his PhD in Strategy/Organization Theory from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010, an MBA in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1990, and a BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1986. His educational background reflects the interdisciplinary nature of his research interests. His research adopts a behavioral approach to studying institutions and entrepreneurship with particular focus on organizational learning, identity, and entrepreneurial finance. Ciuchta's work spans organizational improvisation, crowdfunding dynamics, entrepreneurial decision-making, and technology commercialization. His publications appear in top journals including Journal of Management, Small Business Economics, Journal of Business Venturing, and Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal. Ciuchta's research demonstrates consistent evolution toward understanding the psychological and behavioral aspects of entrepreneurial finance and decision-making. His recent work increasingly examines equity crowdfunding, gender bias in funding, and the psychological perspectives of raising capital, reflecting the growing importance of alternative funding mechanisms in entrepreneurship. Fulbright Scholar Award (2022) Teaching Excellence Award (2017) Best Article Award: Business Horizons 2015 (2016) Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Dissertation Fellowship (2007) Dr. Ciuchta has secured multiple research grants including Experiments in Entrepreneurial Decision Making (2024), research on flame retardant coatings for military applications (2021), and 3-D textile-based energy systems (2021). His work demonstrates strong connections between academic research and practical business applications, particularly in entrepreneurial finance and decision-making contexts.
