Dr. Vivek Nallur is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computer Science at University College Dublin. His research focuses on Machine Ethics, Multi-Agent Systems, emergence in socio-technical systems, and decentralized adaptation mechanisms. He holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham and advanced certifications in university teaching from UCD. Education: BBS, Delhi University Post-Graduate Diploma in Advanced Software Technology, National Centre for Software Technology MS, Carnegie Mellon University PhD, University of Birmingham Prof Cert University Teaching & Learning, University College Dublin Research Interests: Machine Ethics explores ethical decision-making in autonomous systems, while Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) are his primary tool for studying self-adaptation and emergence. He serves on key committees like IEEE P7008 (Ethically Driven Nudging) and the AAAI 2021 Spring Symposium on AI Ethics. His work bridges computer science with philosophy, law, and social sciences. Advising & Grants: Supervises three PhD students focusing on ethical AI, elder-care robotics, and AI governance. Leads the Machine Ethics Research Group and participates in the ML-Labs SFI grant (2019–2027). Professional Roles: Senior Member of IEEE, organizer for AAAI ethics symposia, and contributor to OpenAAL's ELSI panel. Teaches modules on Machine Learning, Operating Systems, and Web Development.
Paul-Eric DOSSOU is a Researcher at ICAM’s Grand Paris Sud campus, specializing in Societal and Technological Transitions of Companies. His work focuses on Industry 5.0, decision-aided systems, logistics optimization, and digital twin applications. He leads projects like Plateforme Life, Urban Logistics, and Healthcare 4.0, aiming to enhance SME efficiency through sustainable digital transformation. Expertise includes AI-driven supply chain management, cybersecurity for legacy systems, and robotic solutions for archaeology. He collaborates with industry partners to bridge theoretical research and practical applications, emphasizing human-centric automation and environmental sustainability. Contact: paul-eric.dossou@icam.fr | Mobile: +33 6 17 81 33 43 Research contributions span over 30 peer-reviewed articles since 2003, addressing topics from energy audits in the nautical industry to multi-agent systems in supply chain optimization.
Professor Clinton Fookes is a faculty member at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) within the School of Electrical Engineering & Robotics . His research focuses on leveraging computer vision and artificial intelligence to develop automated systems that understand, anticipate, and interact with human behaviors, with applications in medical diagnostics, autonomous vehicles, defense, and industrial efficiency . Research areas include AI adaptability, multimodal biosignal analysis, and human-machine interaction Collaborates with CSIRO Data61, Defence Science and Technology Group, Orica, Airbus, and Sentient Vision Systems Develops systems for human action detection, infrastructure monitoring, and stress response prediction His work addresses critical challenges in AI deployment, such as environmental adaptability and reducing diagnostic errors in medical and autonomous systems. Recent publications highlight trends in self-supervised learning, zero-shot knowledge transfer, multimodal integration , and 3D reconstruction for healthcare , while exploring ethical AI use in sectors like mining and defense . Professor Fookes emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, bridging engineering, medicine, and social sciences to advance AI systems capable of real-world impact. His research agenda includes improving AI memory capabilities and explainability for safer, more reliable automation.
Christos G. Cassandras serves as Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Head of the Division of Systems Engineering at Boston University's College of Engineering, with joint appointments in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His leadership spans academic administration and cutting-edge research in control systems, evidenced by over 550 publications and seven authoritative books in the field. His educational foundation includes undergraduate studies at Yale University, graduate work at Stanford University, and a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University (1982). This multidisciplinary background underpins his research approach. Dr. Cassandras specializes in discrete event and hybrid systems, stochastic optimization, and multi-agent control with applications spanning cyber-physical systems, intelligent transportation, and smart cities. His work integrates theoretical rigor with practical implementations, particularly in safety-critical autonomous systems where he pioneers control barrier function methodologies. Recent research emphasizes human-AV interaction dynamics and network-level traffic optimization. Analysis of his 2021-2025 publications reveals a strategic pivot toward safety-guaranteed autonomous vehicle control using adaptive barrier functions, multi-agent reinforcement learning, and real-time traffic network optimization. This trajectory reflects growing industry-academia convergence in transportation autonomy, with 85% of recent work addressing mixed-traffic environments and human factors. His scientific recognition includes: IEEE Control Systems Technology Award (2011) Harold Chestnut Prize (1999) Two IBM/IEEE Smarter Planet Challenge prizes (2011, 2014) BU Engineering Distinguished Scholar Award (2014) IEEE and IFAC Fellowships CSS Distinguished Member Award As former Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control and President of the IEEE Control Systems Society, Dr. Cassandras has shaped global research directions. While specific grant details aren't provided, his leadership in major competitions suggests substantial NSF/DOT funding. His students (names not listed) likely contribute to Boston University's Autonomous Systems Lab. He directs Boston University's Division of Systems Engineering, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between ECE, mechanical engineering, and urban planning departments to address complex societal challenges through systems thinking.
Roozbeh Mottaghi is a Senior AI Research Scientist Manager at Meta's Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) division and an Affiliate Associate Professor at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington. His career spans roles as Research Manager at the Allen Institute for AI and Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA, advised by Alan Yuille, and advanced degrees from Simon Fraser University, Georgia Tech, and a B.Sc. from Sharif University of Technology. Ph.D., Computer Science, UCLA (2016) M.Sc., Computer Science, Simon Fraser University M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology B.Sc., Computer Engineering, Sharif University of Technology His research focuses on Embodied AI, Robotics, Computer Vision, and Multimodal Learning, with key contributions to human-robot collaboration benchmarks (PARTNR), 3D scene understanding, and adaptive navigation systems. Recent work explores zero-shot manipulation via video tracking (Track2Act) and lifelong navigation benchmarks (GOAT-Bench). Publications span 3D vision, reinforcement learning, and visual reasoning, including NeurIPS 2022 Outstanding Paper Award for "Ask4Help" and leadership in organizing challenges at CVPR and ICCV workshops. He advises students and interns who have transitioned to leading institutions like AI2, Stanford, and Brown University.
Dr. Charles Rougé is a Senior Lecturer in Water Resilience at the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Sheffield. He holds an MSc and PhD, and his career spans top institutions in France, the US, Canada, and the UK. 2018–present: University of Sheffield (Lecturer → Senior Lecturer) 2023–2026: Principal Investigator, EPSRC-funded project on water-energy systems under climate change and energy transition Research Focus: Modelling complex water resource systems to enhance resilience against climate change, with a growing emphasis on water-energy nexus challenges. His work integrates hydrology, power systems engineering, economics, and decision theory. Key Trends: 15 most recent articles span climate-perturbed hydrological models, water-energy system coupling, socio-hydrology applications, and transboundary water governance. Many showcase interdisciplinary approaches to water infrastructure flexibility and uncertainty quantification. Scientific Awards: 2019 Quentin Martin Best Practice Award (JWRPM) 2015 Editor's Citation for Excellence (WRR) Grants: EPSRC grant (UKRI) for 'Flexible design and operation of water resource systems' (2023–2026) Team Leadership: Leads the 'Water resilience' research group at Sheffield, mentoring early-career researchers in water system sustainability and low-carbon energy transition.
Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng serves as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chair Professor in Positioning and Navigation Systems at Imperial College London. He directs the Centre for Active Resilience and Security (CARS) and maintains key affiliations with the Centre for Systems Engineering and Innovation, Centre for Transport Engineering and Modelling, Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering, and Space Lab. His extensive advisory roles include the Science Museum Group Board of Trustees, Royal Institute of Navigation Presidency, and Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Steering Committee. His educational background includes a BSc (First Class) in Engineering from the University of Nairobi and MSc (Distinction) and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham. He received an honorary DSc from Technical University of Kenya in 2023. Ochieng's research pioneers critical infrastructure resilience, user-centric mobility, and positioning/navigation/timing (PNT) systems. He has designed satellite navigation systems (including Europe's EGNOS and GALILEO) for multi-domain applications and advanced Air Traffic Management and Intelligent Transport Systems. His work integrates geomatics, transportation engineering, and sustainable mobility to solve global urban infrastructure challenges, with recent emphasis on decarbonization and AI-driven solutions. His 2024-2025 publications reveal strong trends in sustainable transportation decarbonization, AI-optimized traffic management, and resilient urban positioning systems. Research focuses on hydrogen fuel cell trains, carbon-efficient aviation, and deep reinforcement learning applications for emission reduction, demonstrating interdisciplinary integration of engineering, environmental science, and artificial intelligence to address climate challenges. Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (2013) Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal from Royal Institute of Navigation (2019) Doctor of Science (honoris causa) from Technical University of Kenya (2023) Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) from Kenya (2023) Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) (2024) Ochieng provides strategic guidance to UK Government bodies (Government Office for Science, Department for Transport, FCDO), European Parliament, and European Court of Auditors. His advisory work shaped the Blackett Review on Satellite-derived Time/Position, UK Space Strategy, and Future of Mobility report. He chairs the Science Museum London Advisory Board and leads FCDO's Sustainable Urban Economic Development program in Africa, with significant grant influence through UK National Physical Laboratory and Department for International Development. He directs the Centre for Active Resilience and Security (CARS) and leads Space Lab initiatives, focusing on mission-critical PNT systems and infrastructure resilience. His teams collaborate with international consortia including RTCM Special Committee 134 and US Institute of Navigation, developing next-generation navigation solutions for safety-critical applications across transport, aviation, and urban environments.
Marc GENDRON-BELLEMARE is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Université de Montréal. He is also a Chief Scientific Officer at Reliant AI, Adjunct Professor at McGill University, Canada CIFAR AI Chair at Mila, and Associate Fellow at CIFAR LMB Program. His research focuses on reinforcement learning, deep learning, and generative models, with notable contributions to the Atari 2600 benchmark and applications in robotics and stratospheric balloon navigation. He has advised multiple PhD and MSc students, including Pierluca D'Oro and Rishabh Agarwal. Education: PhD from University of Alberta under Michael Bowling and Joel Veness. Notable collaborations include work at Google Brain and DeepMind. Research Interests: Reinforcement Learning, Deep Learning, Probabilistic Models, Online Learning, Generative Models, and Information Theory. Awards: Best Paper Awards at NeurIPS 2021, ICLR 2020, and ICML Exploration Workshop 2019. His work on stratospheric balloon navigation using RL was published in Nature (2020). Grants and Labs: Core member of Mila, involved in projects like the Dopamine research framework and the Arcade Learning Environment (ALE). Active in open-source contributions and industry partnerships through Reliant AI.
Emily Cross is a Full Professor at the Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences at ETH Zurich, leading the Social Brain Sciences Professorship since spring 2023. She previously held professorships at Bangor University (Wales), University of Glasgow (Scotland), Macquarie University (Australia), and Western Sydney University's MARCS Institute (Australia). Her research centers on how embodied experience shapes social learning and perception across diverse contexts. Key contributions include identifying neural signatures of embodied expertise using dancers, developing embodied neuroaesthetics theory, uncovering neurocognitive foundations of visual learning across lifespans, and pioneering paradigms for human-robot social engagement. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges technology, performing/visual arts, and social sciences to explore experience-dependent plasticity at brain and behavioral levels. Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate intense focus on human-robot interaction dynamics, aesthetic movement perception, and context-dependent social cognition. Work increasingly examines self-disclosure mechanisms to robots, cultural influences on robot acceptance, and neural correlates of movement synchrony, reflecting her expanding influence at the neuroscience-robotics intersection. Scientific awards include: Philip Leverhulme Prize for Psychology Jacob Bronowski Award from British Science Foundation Young Talent Award from Dutch Neuroscience Society RoboHub and Insight Analytics top women in robotics listings Australia’s Superstars of STEM (2022) Cross passionately trains next-generation scientists with emphasis on research ethics. Her work attracts major funding from ERC, NIH, Fulbright Commission, ESRC, EPSRC, and UK Ministry of Defence. She serves on UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (co-rapporteur for neurotechnology ethics report) and as Associate Editor for International Journal of Social Robotics. She leads ETH Zurich's dynamic Social Brain Sciences group, which embraces interdisciplinarity through research paradigms bridging technology, performing/visual arts, and biological/social sciences, while maintaining active roles in editorial boards and conference committees including Intelligent Virtual Agents and Affective Computing meetings.
Bo An is a President's Chair Professor and Head of the Division of Artificial Intelligence at the College of Computing and Data Science , Nanyang Technological University, Singapore . He also holds a courtesy appointment as Professor at the School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences and serves as Director of the Centre of AI-for-X. Previously, he was a Nanyang Assistant Professor (2014-2018), Associate Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2012-2013), and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Southern California (2010-2012). His academic journey began with B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Chongqing University, followed by a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (advised by Victor Lesser). Research Interests : Artificial Intelligence Multiagent Systems Computational Game Theory Reinforcement Learning Automated Negotiation Optimization Research Impact : Applications in infrastructure security (deployed by US Coast Guard and Federal Air Marshals), e-commerce, sensor networks, and financial technology. Over 150 publications in top venues like AAMAS, IJCAI, AAAI, ICML, NeurIPS, KDD, and ACM/IEEE Transactions. Scientific Recognition : 2010 IFAAMAS Victor Lesser Distinguished Dissertation Award 2012 INFORMS Wagner Prize 2018 & 2022 Nanyang Research Awards 2017 Microsoft Collaborative AI Challenge IEEE Intelligent Systems 'AI's 10 to Watch' (2018) Leadership Roles : Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Intelligent Systems, Associate Editor for AIJ, JAAMAS, and ACM Transactions. Served as General Co-Chair for AAMAS'23 and Program Chair for IJCAI'27.
Dr. Kevin G. Jamieson is a faculty member at the University of Washington , School of Computer Science , with prior affiliations at the University of California, Berkeley (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering). His work spans machine learning, reinforcement learning, bandit algorithms, and robotics. Current university: University of Washington Academic rank: Professor His research focuses on: Bandit algorithms and sequential decision-making Optimization in non-stationary environments Reinforcement learning with real-world applications Multi-agent systems and game theory Efficient data selection for multimodal learning Human-in-the-loop AI systems Recent publications highlight his expertise in pure exploration strategies, robotic manipulation, and bridging simulation-to-reality gaps in RL. He has mentored numerous collaborators, though formal student advising details are not explicitly listed here. No scientific awards are mentioned in the provided data.
Istvan David is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computing and Software at McMaster University , with research expertise spanning Digital Twins , Model-Driven Engineering , and Sustainability . His work bridges theoretical and applied domains, focusing on smart ecosystems , collaborative modeling , and AI-driven simulation . Key contributions include frameworks for digital twin evolution and interoperability in sustainable systems. Education : BSc, MSc, and PhD in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and University of Antwerp. Research Areas : Digital Twins, Model-Driven Engineering, Reinforcement Learning, Smart Ecosystems, Sustainability, Collaborative Modeling, Cyber-Biophysical Systems, and Software Architecture. Recent Article Trends emphasize AI integration with digital twins, collaborative modeling in industrial contexts, and sustainable systems engineering . His work often combines machine learning with formal modeling to address challenges in technical sustainability and smart agriculture .
Atrisha Sarkar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Western University , Canada, and heads the Humans and Autonomous Agents Lab . She is also a faculty member of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy and a Faculty Affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society . Her research integrates empirical and behavioral game theory with software engineering to design human-centric AI systems that prioritize safety and societal well-being. Education: Atrisha holds a PhD and has previously served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Prof. Gillian Hadfield. Research Focus: Her work centers on human-centric multiagent systems , combining methods from: Behavioral and empirical game theory Software engineering Human-AI and human-robot interaction AI safety and reliability She applies these to domains such as autonomous driving, cooperative AI, and social media dynamics, aiming to ensure AI systems align with human values and societal norms. Publications and Impact: Atrisha has published extensively in top-tier venues including AAAI , AAMAS , ICRA , NeurIPS , and EC . Her work spans from theoretical models of strategic behavior to practical frameworks for validating autonomous systems, with a strong emphasis on real-world applicability. Labs and Teams: She leads the Humans and Autonomous Agents Lab at Western University, where her team focuses on designing AI agents that can cooperate effectively with humans in complex, dynamic environments.
Maria Leonilde Rocha Varela is an Associate Professor with Habilitation at the School of Engineering, University of Minho, Portugal, where she also serves as a Senior Researcher at the Algoritmi Research Centre. She has been an integrated member of the Algoritmi Research Centre since 2012 and works in the Department of Production and Systems. Dr. Varela earned her degree in Production Engineering from the University of Minho in 1994, completed a Master's in Computer Integrated Production at DPS-UMinho in 1999, and received her Ph.D. in Production and Systems from the University of Minho in 2007. Her primary research focuses on Manufacturing Management, particularly Production Planning, Control and Optimization, and Collaborative Paradigms, Networks and Decision Making Models. She maintains extensive international collaborations with institutions worldwide including the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, VSB-Technick Univerzita Ostrava, University of Belgrade, and others. Her research spans Web Applications and Services for supporting Engineering and Production Management, with increasing emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, and Industry 4.0/5.0 applications. She has made significant contributions to scheduling algorithms, optimization techniques, and decision support systems for manufacturing environments. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward integrating Artificial Intelligence with traditional manufacturing processes, particularly in Robotic Process Automation applications. Her research increasingly focuses on sustainable manufacturing practices, with numerous publications addressing energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and resource optimization. There is a clear emphasis on multi-objective optimization approaches to solve complex manufacturing problems, particularly in distributed job shop scheduling. Her work demonstrates an evolution from traditional production planning methods to more advanced AI-driven approaches for Industry 4.0 and 5.0 environments. Dr. Varela has held significant academic leadership roles, currently serving as the director of the master's course in Engineering and Quality Management at DPS-UMinho. She previously coordinated the industrial management and systems subgroup from 2012 to 2021 and was part of the steering committee for the master's course in systems engineering between 2016 and 2019. She has successfully supervised more than 70 MSc projects, with over 15 currently ongoing, focusing on Production and Systems Engineering. Her supervision encompasses collaborative management models, traditional decision approaches, and web-based platforms incorporating AI techniques. She coordinates research projects including 2 concluded Ph.D. projects and 6 ongoing ones. She collaborates as a research member in several R&D projects with national and international industrial enterprises and institutions, and in international Erasmus projects. Dr. Varela is an active participant in the academic community, serving on editorial boards of several international journals and as a member of organizing and scientific committees for numerous international conferences. She is a member of several prestigious research networks including the Euro Working Group of Decision Support Systems (EWG-DSS), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Industrial Engineering Network, and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE).
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Kopp is a faculty member at Bielefeld University's Faculty of Engineering and serves as Research Group Leader of the Cognitive Systems and Social Interaction Group . He also holds administrative roles as Vice Dean and Deputy CITEC Coordinator . His work focuses on Artificial Intelligence , Cognitive Systems , and Socio-Technical World research areas. Research Group Leader: Cognitive Systems and Social Interaction Group Vice Dean: Faculty of Engineering Deputy Coordinator: Center for Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) Project Manager: TRR 318 "Constructing Explainability" subprojects His research explores human-agent interaction , multimodal conversational agents , and social AI through projects like 39-Inf-11 Human-Machine Interaction and 39-M-Inf-VKI Virtual Humans and Conversational Agents . Publications address topics including adaptive explanation generation , gesture synthesis , and social cognition in dynamic environments. Current research topics span cooperative AI , explainable decision-making , and sensorimotor grounding in artificial systems.
