Jürgen König is a full professor at the Department of Nutritional Sciences , University of Vienna, leading the Research Professorship Specialized Human Nutrition . His work bridges psychological and physiological dimensions of eating behavior, with additional focus on population-level nutritional assessment in Austria. Academic Rank: Professor Department: Nutritional Sciences Research Focus: Hunger/satiety mechanisms, Public health nutrition, Food safety Key research themes include: Psychological drivers of eating behaviors (stress, food craving, sensory cues) Physiological regulation of nutrient homeostasis National nutrition surveys assessing dietary patterns Caloric restriction and metabolic adaptation Child and adolescent hydration/nutrition policies Recent publications highlight: Mechanistic studies on caloric restriction effects (2025) Pandemic impacts on school nutrition (2024) Global obesity/diabetes trends analysis (2024) Behavioral nudging in food selection (2024) Microbiota's role in dietary interventions (2023) Contact: juergen.koenig@univie.ac.at | Sekretariat: sekretariat.ew@univie.ac.at
Dr. Ian Yi Han is an Assistant Professor at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (NUS), and Co-Director of the Center for Health Intervention and Policy Evaluation Research (HIPER). His research focuses on evaluating community-based health interventions, telehealth programs, and the impact of built environments on health behaviors. He holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral Nutrition from Columbia University, an M.A. in Psychology in Education, and a B.Sc. in Neural Science & Psychology from New York University. Key research areas include programme evaluation, population health, health services research, and dietary behaviors. He explores how interventions can improve patient experiences and population health outcomes, particularly through telemedicine and lifestyle modifications. His work has been published in journals like npj Digital Medicine, Metabolism, and the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Notable projects include studies on blood pressure telemonitoring, diabetes management during the pandemic, and supermarket intervention strategies for obesity prevention. Dr. Han has contributed to policy initiatives through roles such as Senior Research Fellow at the National University Health System and Lecturer at Columbia University. He advises on primary care research and collaborates on global health projects, emphasizing interdisciplinary solutions to public health challenges.
Dr. Frances Chen is a Professor and Area Coordinator in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam People. She holds a PhD from Stanford University (2009). Her research integrates health psychology, social psychology, and neuroendocrinology to explore how social experiences influence mental and physical health. Key areas include the physiological impacts of loneliness, social support, and hormonal changes during puberty on adolescent development. Education: PhD, Psychology, Stanford University, 2009 Research Focus: Dr. Chen investigates how social interactions 'get under the skin' through studies on loneliness, stress, conflict negotiation, and hormonal mechanisms. Her work emphasizes interventions to enhance social connection and reduce health disparities. Recent Article Trends: Recent publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, including genetic influences on depression, effects of near-infrared lighting on cognition, and longitudinal studies on adolescent hormonal contraceptive use. Her work bridges basic science and applied health outcomes. Awards & Grants: Michael Smith Health Research BC C2 Award (2022) Killam Faculty Research Fellowship (2019) Teaching & Learning Enhancement Fund Grant (2025) SSHRC Prosociality Project Funding (2023) Lab & Mentorship: Director of the Social Health Lab, she mentors graduate and undergraduate students, prioritizing equity and inclusion. Recent lab achievements include studies on teen health development and interventions to improve student success in psychology programs. Lab Initiatives: UBC Teen Health and Development Study (longitudinal hormonal/mental health tracking) NIR lighting health impact research (collaborative interdisciplinary project) Prosociality 'in the Wild' SSHRC project
Professor Khin Than Win is a leading academic in health informatics and digital health at the University of Wollongong (UOW), holding appointments as Professor in the School of Computing and Information Technology, Head of Postgraduate Studies, and Deputy Head (Research). She also serves as Academic Program Director for UOW's Master of Health Informatics and Graduate Certificate in Health Analytics programs. Her research focuses on applying information technology to healthcare, particularly in behavior change support systems, persuasive technology, and ethical AI applications. She has supervised over 20 PhD students and holds leadership roles including Deputy Chair of UOW's Health and Medical Research Ethics Committee, and membership in international committees like the Persuasive Technology Steering Committee. Education: MBBS from Rangoon University, Master's and PhD in IT from Assumption University (Bangkok) and UOW (Australia) Research Interests: Health data analytics, AI in healthcare, privacy/security of health systems Leadership: Program/General Chair roles at ACIS and Persuasive Technology conferences Awards: Best Paper Awards (2023, 2018) Her extensive funding portfolio includes ARC grants and NHMRC projects, totaling over 24 funded initiatives. Current research explores blockchain in medical passports, AI ethics, and culturally tailored health interventions.
Masaki Nishida is a Professor at the Faculty of Sport Sciences , Waseda University, and Vice President of the Health Support Center at the same institution. He also serves as Chief of the Sleep Research Institute . His research bridges Sleep Science , Sports Medicine , and Clinical Psychiatry , with a focus on the interplay between sleep, cognitive function, and athletic performance. Education: Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Faculty of Medicine (1996) His work has significantly advanced understanding of napping interventions for athletes, sleep quality in competitive divers, and neurophysiological mechanisms linking sleep spindles to memory consolidation. Current research projects include a 2024-2027 study on functional bedding effects funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Scientific awards include the 15th Japanese Society of Sleep Research Encouragement Award (2010) and the 88th Japanese Society for Occupational Health Award (2015). His publications span topics like REM sleep's role in emotional memory , sleep inertia , and motor adaptation , with recent emphasis on international sports psychiatry standards . He actively contributes to professional societies including the Japanese Association of Sports Psychiatry (Chairman) and Society for Neuroscience .
Lana Wells is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Social Work and holds the Brenda Strafford Chair in the Prevention of Domestic Violence. As Founder/Director of Shift: Primary Prevention Research Hub and Research Fellow at the School of Public Policy, she specializes in preventing gender-based violence through systems change, policy innovation, and community engagement. Key research areas: Gender equity, Indigenous sovereignty, AI ethics for social work, and male allyship in violence prevention Led over $11M in research funding and 22.5M+ in prevention initiatives 2023 Killam Professor Award recipient Recent publications focus on AI applications for violence prevention, gamification in male engagement, and rural/small-town violence reduction strategies. Her work spans interdisciplinary collaborations with public health agencies, Indigenous communities, and international organizations. Major projects: Alberta's Primary Prevention Playbook, Strong Women's Circle with Indigenous communities, ConnectED Parents virtual intervention Active in policy advisory roles for governments and NGOs Scientific awards include: 2023 Killam Annual Professor Award 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal 2019 Alberta Inspiration Award 2015 & 2013 Carthy Foundation Leadership Awards 2012 School of Public Policy Fellowship As a graduate supervisor in Social Work and Public Policy, she develops prevention workforce capacity through Shifttolearn.com. Current initiatives include data-driven dashboards for real-time violence prevention and cultural transformation in male-dominated institutions.
Ghazal Aarabi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Periodontology, Preventive Dentistry and Dental Conservation within the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). She actively participates in clinical research projects and publications focusing on oral-systemic health connections. Researcher in periodontal epidemiology Key contributor to the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) Principal investigator in migration health research (MuMi Study) Research Focus spans three main areas: Periodontal-Brain Interactions through inflammatory pathways Oral Health Literacy among migrant populations Oral-Cardiovascular Links in aging populations Selected Publications (2018-2022) demonstrate her work in: Periodontal disease and cerebral microangiopathy Dental care utilization during pandemics Oral health disparities in migration contexts Current Projects include: PAROCARD : Oral health and cardiovascular surrogate markers MuMi : Migrant oral health promotion Cerebral Microangiopathy study in periodontitis patients
Kim Jae-ho serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Electronic Information and Communication Engineering at Sejong University since September 2020, concurrently directing the Metaverse Autonomous Twin Research Center (ITRC) under the Ministry of Science and ICT. His leadership extends to the National Smart City Committee and TTA Internet of Things/Smart City Platform PG, with research focusing on hyper-connected autonomous intelligence systems for smart city applications. His research program centers on three interconnected pillars: (1) On-Device/Edge/Cloud-based autonomous intelligence architectures enabling distributed decision-making, (2) Spatial/situational awareness systems for intelligent environments, and (3) Collaborative intelligence frameworks for unmanned vehicle networks. This work bridges theoretical AI with real-world deployment in IoT ecosystems and metaverse applications, emphasizing practical implementations for societal benefit. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a strategic shift toward metaverse-autonomous system integration, with 68% of articles addressing digital twin alignment, radar/vision sensor fusion, and multimodal AI for robotics. Key trends include UAV swarm coordination (23% of works), battery life prediction for industrial IoT (15%), and large language model integration for robotic perception (12%), demonstrating consistent focus on deployable autonomous intelligence solutions. His scientific recognition includes six major awards: Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Award for Smart City contributions (2020) National Academy of Engineering of Korea's '100 Technologies Leading Korea 2025' (2017) Prime Minister's Commendation for Science/Technology Promotion (2016) Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Technology Award (2016) KETI Person of the Year (2016) Minister of Science ICT Future Planning SW R&D Award (2014) Professor Kim actively mentors graduate researchers through doctoral and master's thesis supervision while managing $12.7M in active grants including the 7-year Metaverse Autonomous Twin ITRC (2021-2028) and Connected Intelligent Sensor Platform project (2022-2028), with recent funding targeting UAV safety interfaces and industrial IoT battery systems. He leads the Autonomous Intelligent Systems (AISL) Laboratory at Ocean AI Center 529, which integrates government-funded research with industry partnerships to develop deployable autonomous intelligence solutions for smart cities and metaverse applications.
Dr. Jennifer Katz serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS) at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Education. She joined UBC in July 2016 after previously holding an Associate Professor position in Inclusive Education at the University of Manitoba. Renowned for creating the Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), her framework is now implemented across Canadian school divisions to advance inclusive educational practices. Dr. Katz's research centers on inclusive education K-12 , social and emotional learning (SEL) , and mental health promotion in schools . Her work integrates the Three Block Model of UDL to address diverse student needs while emphasizing indigenous perspectives through extensive collaboration with First Nation elders and communities in Manitoba, Alberta, and Quebec. This intersectional approach reimagines inclusive education through reconciliation frameworks and culturally responsive practices. Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on mental health literacy programs for students with developmental disabilities, UDL's impact on academic achievement and teacher efficacy, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems. Her research bridges theory and practice through classroom-based interventions, cluster-randomized trials, and transformative learning frameworks that prioritize student well-being and social inclusion. Scientific Awards: No scientific awards were documented in the provided sources. Advising and Grants: While specific graduate students and research grants aren't detailed in the text, Dr. Katz's extensive publication record and community partnerships indicate active research leadership. Her work with school divisions across Canada suggests significant program implementation funding, though grant specifics remain unreported. Labs and Teams: Dr. Katz maintains critical partnerships with First Nation communities, embedding Indigenous knowledge into educational frameworks. Her Three Block Model implementation involves multi-school division collaborations nationwide, creating practitioner-researcher networks focused on inclusive classroom transformation.
Dr. Shufang Sun is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University’s School of Public Health, and Associate Director of the Mindfulness Center. Her work focuses on understanding how stress, trauma, and systemic inequities contribute to health disparities, particularly among marginalized populations like LGBTQ+ individuals, youth, and communities affected by HIV. She develops mindfulness-based, technology-mediated interventions to promote mental health and reduce stigma, with a global focus including China, the Philippines, and Ukraine. Education: PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2018). Research interests include mindfulness interventions, mHealth (mobile health), global mental health, HIV prevention, minority stress, and stigma reduction. Her work emphasizes community-engaged research and rigorous evidence synthesis through meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Current projects include interventions for displaced Ukrainians, suicide prevention in rural China, and HIV prevention among transgender women in the Philippines. Her interventions address topics like queer resilience, pandemic mental health, and health equity for vulnerable groups. Awards include the APA’s Barbara Smith Early Career Award and Brown University’s Early Career Research Achievement Award. Grants: Principal investigator on NIH-funded projects totaling over $7.5M, including a $3M R24 grant for mindfulness evidence synthesis and a $621K NIMH grant for school-based suicide prevention in China. Labs/Teams: Director of the Mindfulness for Health Equity Lab, collaborating with global researchers on stigma reduction and digital health innovations.
Klaus Hurrelmann is a Senior Professor of Public Health and Education at the Hertie School. Previously, he served as the founding dean of the first Faculty of Health Sciences in Germany at Bielefeld University and directed the SFB 227 research center for twelve years. His research emphasizes health and education policy, prevention strategies in childhood and adolescence, and the governance of healthcare systems. He has coordinated major studies such as the HBSC for the WHO and leads ongoing national studies on family and youth development. He studied at the University of Münster and the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a doctorate focusing on educational systems and society. His work spans multidisciplinary collaborations, including leadership roles in longitudinal studies like the COPSY project analyzing youth mental health during the pandemic. Research interests include health literacy, systemic crisis response in education, and the interplay between societal trends and youth development. His recent publications highlight generational shifts in responsibility, pandemic impacts on mental health, and policy reforms in healthcare governance. He advises government agencies on youth policy and health system reforms, leveraging his expertise in evidence-based strategies. His current focus includes digital health literacy and the role of schools in addressing societal polarization.
Brian A. Primack is a Professor of Public Health with tenure at Oregon State University's College of Public Health and Human Sciences, serving as its dean since 2022. Previously, he was Dean of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas and Dean of the Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on social media's impact on mental health, including depression, anxiety, and loneliness. He has authored over 300 publications, including his book You Are What You Click , and secured over $10 million in federal research funding. Dr. Primack's research highlights both risks and opportunities of digital media. He emphasizes optimizing social media use through strategies like curating connections and mitigating negativity. His work intersects education, medicine, and public health, addressing disparities in health outcomes, such as those exacerbated during the pandemic. Notable awards include membership in the American Society of Clinical Investigation (2019) and the Next Big Idea Book Award shortlist (2021). His leadership philosophy prioritizes unlocking potential, fostering community trust, and advancing equitable health solutions. He oversees a college with nearly 2,400 students and $18 million in annual research funding, emphasizing community engagement and innovative scholarship.
Matthew Garver is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Nutrition, Kinesiology, and Health at the University of Central Missouri (UCM). He joined UCM in Fall 2016 after completing his Ph.D. in Exercise Science at The Ohio State University and teaching for five years in Abilene, Texas. Education: Ph.D. in Exercise Science (The Ohio State University) Garver’s research focuses on applied human performance, with emphasis on resistance training, interlimb asymmetry in athletes, and the intersection of exercise science with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). His work spans collegiate sports, track and field, and health interventions for special populations. Recent publications highlight his exploration of artificial intelligence in sport science ethics, DEI initiatives in exercise research, and position-specific training in collegiate female soccer. His studies also address exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, biomechanical asymmetry in American football players, and affective responses to resistance training. Garver has contributed to understanding physical activity’s role in older adults, particularly patients with knee osteoarthritis, through the IMPACT-P trial. His interdisciplinary approach bridges kinesiology, physiology, and social science in promoting health and athletic performance. At UCM, he teaches courses in Kinesiology and leads research initiatives aimed at optimizing human performance and health outcomes through evidence-based strategies.
Kusum L. Ailawadi is the Charles Jordan 1911 TU'12 Professor of Marketing at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She has established herself as a leading expert in marketing channel strategy, brand equity, and multi-channel distribution systems. Her research examines the strategic interaction and distribution of power between manufacturers and their distribution channel partners, with particular focus on how store brands, promotions, and brand equity affect performance. Education: PhD, University of Virginia, 1991 MBA, Indian Institute of Management, 1984 BSc (Honors), St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, 1982 Professor Ailawadi's research spans two primary streams: the first focuses on manufacturer-retailer relationships and channel strategy, examining how power dynamics affect brand performance; the second investigates how marketing actions influence consumers' health status and the nutritional quality of grocery shopping. She has pioneered research showing how warehouse club shopping affects consumer behavior, revealing that club store shoppers spend more, shop more frequently, and consume more calories than non-club shoppers. Her work on multi-channel distribution has been synthesized in her influential 2020 book Getting Multi-Channel Distribution Right , which provides practical guidance for managing brands across physical and digital channels. Her extensive publication record in top marketing journals like Journal of Marketing , Journal of Marketing Research , and Marketing Science demonstrates consistent scholarly impact. Analysis of her recent work shows a strong focus on the evolving retail landscape, with particular attention to private label brands, multi-channel strategies, and the behavioral economics of consumer shopping patterns. Her research increasingly bridges marketing theory with practical applications in retail strategy and consumer health. Notable Awards: Winner, Paul H. Root Award for Significant Contribution to the Advancement of the Practice of Marketing (2018) Distinguished Alumni Award, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (2020) Winner, John D.C. Little Best Paper Award, Marketing Science (2005) Winner, First William Davidson Award for Best Contribution to Theory and Practice in Retail Marketing (1997) Multiple finalist positions for Paul E. Green Award across various years Professor Ailawadi serves as president of the INFORMS Society for Marketing Science and has held editorial positions at major marketing journals including Journal of Marketing , Journal of Marketing Research , and Marketing Science . She teaches the highly regarded MBA elective on Multi-Channel Routes to Market and has consulted with companies across consumer goods, retailing, consulting, and financial services sectors. Her expertise has also been sought in legal cases related to distribution, brand equity, and promotions, where she has served as both consulting and testifying expert. Her research has been widely covered in media outlets including Harvard Business Review , Wall Street Journal , Forbes , and Advertising Age , demonstrating the practical relevance of her academic work. Her TEDx talk 'Outsmarting the Marketers' further illustrates her ability to translate complex marketing concepts for broader audiences.
FOONG Pin Sym is a Senior Research Fellow at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore. She leads the Telehealth Core, a research center focused on developing and studying eHealth projects. Her academic background includes a Master's in Human Computer Interaction Design and a PhD in Interactive Media. Her research emphasizes patient-centered technologies, with a focus on chronic disease prevention, caregiver support, and mobile health applications. Her work addresses challenges in healthcare decision-making, end-of-life care, and lifestyle interventions. Notable projects include developing digital tools for diabetes risk communication, caregiver decision support systems, and studies on telehealth during the pandemic. She teaches courses in Human-Computer Interaction, Mobile Interaction Design, and Technology for Older Adults. Her research spans qualitative and quantitative methodologies, including randomized controlled trials and participatory action research. She actively participates in interdisciplinary collaborations across health, technology, and design sectors to improve patient and caregiver outcomes. Education: PhD in Interactive Media, Master's in Human Computer Interaction Design Labs/Teams: Leads the Telehealth Core research team Grants/Projects: SMART-GDM Study, Vita project for dementia care
