Maja Bucan, PhD, is a Professor of Genetics and Co-Director of the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on genetic dissection of complex behaviors in mice and humans, with expertise in functional genomics , bipolar disorder , and autism spectrum disorders . She is affiliated with multiple graduate groups, including Cell and Molecular Biology, Genomics and Computational Biology, and Neuroscience. Research Interests Dr. Bucan investigates: Genetic basis of psychiatric disorders (autism, bipolar disorder) Role of circadian rhythms in mental health Functional annotation of mammalian genomes Behavioral mutations in mouse models Actigraphy studies for sleep/activity patterns Recent Trends Her latest work involves machine learning analysis of actigraphy data for sleep-mortality links, whole-genome sequencing in autism cohorts , and heritability studies of sleep-wake traits using twin data. Collaborations include the Center for Autism Research and iPSYCH Consortium . Outreach Dr. Bucan engages in educational outreach , partnering with Philadelphia high schools to teach sleep/activity studies through hands-on science projects.
Allen Foster is a Reader in Information Science at Aberystwyth University, with expertise in information management, information behavior, and interdisciplinary research. He holds degrees in Social History and Information Management and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Current roles: Senior Tutor, Investigative Officer, Head of Department, Director of Postgraduate Studies, PGR Coordinator, Deputy Dean of Social Science, Senate Member External roles: Joint Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Science , Editorial Board Member for ASLIB: Journal of Information Management , AHRC Peer Review College member, and international conference committee member Research Interests span human information behavior, serendipity, information literacy, knowledge management, mediated communication, and digital transformation. His work bridges theoretical models with practical applications in health, justice systems, and technological adoption. Notable Trends in his 39 research outputs include ORCID integration in academia, music playlist analysis, nonlinear information-seeking models, and informal scholarly communication. His recent work focuses on resistance to monitoring systems and serendipity engineering. Scientific Awards Fellow Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Teaching and Supervision include courses on information services planning, digital literacy, and knowledge architecture. He has supervised over 20 PhD/DProf students and numerous Master’s students. External Contributions involve refereeing for journals, AHRC funding panels, Chilean advisory boards, and consultancy for libraries.
Jussi Eronen is a Professor of Socio-ecological Systems at the University of Helsinki , affiliated with the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme . He also serves as Vice-Dean for Societal Interaction and maintains an external affiliation with the BIOS Research Unit . His research focuses on three main areas: (1) long-term biotic interaction changes due to human influence, (2) socio-ecological system analysis in Northern Fennoscandia, and (3) policy path-dependencies affecting sustainability transitions. The Past Present Sustainability Research Unit (PAES) he leads employs transdisciplinary approaches combining natural science perspectives with social science collaborations. Recent work examines reindeer herding futures using wild logic scenarios, policy implementation challenges in forest industries, and cultural transmission patterns through string figure analysis. His publications span journals like Journal of Land Use Science , Anthropocene Review , and Ecological Economics , reflecting his integrative approach to sustainability science. Current projects include EU-funded research on regional sustainability pathways (2023-2025) and Academy of Finland initiatives for university profiling (2025-2030). He maintains active roles in scientific networks like the Scientific Consensus on Maintaining Humanity's Life Support Systems .
Dr. Ariel Greiner is an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford and Pennsylvania State University, supervised by Dr. Katrina Davis and Dr. Katriona Shea. Her interdisciplinary research applies mathematical and statistical modeling to conservation challenges, with current focus on optimizing coral reef management in Melanesia through value-of-information frameworks and socioeconomic integration. Her academic foundation includes: PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Toronto (supervised by Dr. Martin Krkošek, Dr. Marie-Josêe Fortin, and Dr. Emily Darling) Bachelor of Science from McGill University (research with Dr. Andrew Gonzalez on ecosystem functioning debts and global genetic diversity patterns) Dr. Greiner's research centers on coral reef resilience under anthropogenic pressures, employing network theory and dynamical systems to model connectivity, regime shifts, and climate impacts. Her work bridges theoretical ecology with practical conservation, emphasizing equity in scientific practice. Recent publications demonstrate methodological innovation in state-space modeling, macrogenetics, and disease epidemiology while maintaining consistent focus on coral reef sustainability. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in coral reef dynamics (73% of works), with significant contributions to disease modeling (13%) and conservation genetics (13%). Temporal trends show increasing integration of socioeconomic factors since 2021, while mathematical approaches consistently emphasize network connectivity and stability analysis across all publications. Her accolades include: Excellence in Doctoral Research Award (Canadian Society of Ecology and Evolution) Harold H. Harvey Prize for Academic Leadership NSERC Doctoral Scholarship NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship Supported by NSERC funding throughout her career, Dr. Greiner has collaborated extensively with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Fiji and Melanesia, including fieldwork surveying Fijian reefs. While no formal advisees are documented, her work demonstrates strong mentorship through collaborative publications and educational contributions like the 'Ten Simple Rules' modeling guide. Her current Melanesian reef project exemplifies her signature approach: integrating mathematical optimization with community engagement to develop context-specific conservation strategies that balance ecological resilience and human needs.
Shuo Lin is a Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at UCLA since 2001, with a focus on zebrafish genetics to study hematopoietic and vascular development , pancreas organogenesis , and chemical genetics . He earned his Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from Boston University in 1991, followed by postdoctoral work at MIT. His lab develops zebrafish as a model organism for human disease and drug discovery. Research interests include: Genetic pathways of hematopoiesis and vasculogenesis , emphasizing hemangioblast determination and lineage specification . Genetic basis of pancreatic organogenesis , particularly beta cell development for diabetes research. Pre-clinical drug discovery using zebrafish models for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases . His lab pioneered genome-wide mutagenesis via retroviral insertions and BAC transgenesis with GFP/RFP reporters , generating hundreds of transgenic lines for tissue-specific gene expression. Publications span developmental biology , genetics , and nano-EHS studies , often involving high-throughput screening and transgenic zebrafish models . Graduate students Haishan Zhao and Jason Ear are part of his team. His work integrates biomedical research , transgenesis , and chemical genetics to address fundamental questions in developmental biology and disease modeling.
Dietmar Seipel is a Professor at the University of Würzburg, affiliated with the Department of Computer Science within the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science. He has held this position since November 1995, establishing a distinguished academic career spanning over 25 years with significant contributions to logic-based computer science. Professor Seipel's research focuses on Logic Programming and Deductive Databases, with substantial expertise in Knowledge Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. His scholarly work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, particularly in rule-based systems, knowledge representation, and declarative programming paradigms. He has consistently advanced the field through both theoretical developments and practical implementations, creating tools that enable more effective knowledge management and reasoning systems. His publication trajectory demonstrates a clear evolution from foundational work in disjunctive logic programming to contemporary applications in knowledge representation and semantic technologies. Recent research shows continued innovation in integrating logic programming with modern programming languages and systems, including Python and JavaScript implementations. His work spans theoretical contributions to practical tool development, with applications across diverse domains including space systems, medical informatics, and business process management. Professor Seipel has made extensive contributions to the academic literature, with publications appearing consistently from the 1980s through to the present. His work has influenced both theoretical developments in logic programming and practical applications in knowledge-based systems. He has been actively involved in academic community building through conference organization, particularly for events related to declarative programming and knowledge management.
Professor Shin Ji-seon is affiliated with Sejong University's Department of Information Security, conducting research in smartphone security, IoT authentication protocols, smart car security, and keystroke dynamics-based authentication. She earned her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland at College Park (2009) after completing her bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering at Seoul National University (2001). Her recent work includes federated intrusion detection frameworks (2025), SR-Tree optimization for nearest neighbor search (2025), and machine learning-based intrusion detection systems (2024). She explores blockchain applications in drone rental mechanisms (2023) and privacy-preserving ID registration systems (2021). Professor Shin leads the Information Security Lab, focusing on secure authentication UI development and IoT security challenges. Her patents include GPS location integrity verification methods (2024), smart city positioning systems (2022), and multi-factor authentication systems (2022).
Maribel Yasmina Campos Alves Santos serves as a Full Professor in Information Systems in Organisations and Society at the Department of Information Systems, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Portugal. She is a Senior Researcher at the ALGORITMI Research Centre and the CCG/ZGDV ICT Innovation Institute, where she leads the data engineering and analytics group. Previously, she led the Software-based Information Systems Engineering and Management Group (2017-2022) and currently coordinates the 'Organisational and Analytical Data-intensive Systems' research track since 2009. Her research focuses on Business Intelligence and Analytics, with particular emphasis on Big Data Analytics including data architectures, processing, analysis, and visualization. She contributes to international classifications through the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Topics in Decision Support and Analytics, Geographic Information Systems, and Big Data Application Processes, as well as IFIP Technical Committee on Information Systems. Dr. Santos has held significant administrative roles including Vice-Dean of the School of Engineering (2019-2022), Dean of the Pedagogical Council (2019-2022), and Associate Director of the Department of Information Systems (2010-2014). Since February 2024, she has served as Director of the Doctoral Program in Information Systems and Technologies. She was actively involved with AGILE as Secretary-General (2013-2015) and remains a member of the Association of Information Systems (AIS). Her recent publication portfolio demonstrates strong focus on emerging technologies, with 15 most recent works spanning large language models for conceptual modeling, storytelling dashboards for Industry 4.0, data mesh adoption, and model-to-model transformations. These publications reveal consistent themes in data architecture innovation, visualization techniques, and the integration of AI in information systems. Associate Editor, Business & Information Systems Engineering Journal (Q1, since January 2022) Scientific/Program/Organizing Committee member for over 140 international conferences Co-inventor of two patents (one national, one international) Dr. Santos has supervised 7 PhDs, 60 MSc, and 2 post-doc students, and currently mentors 4 PhD students, 4 MSc students, and 1 post-doc. She has supervised over 45 research grants and participated in more than 30 funded research projects. Her leadership extends to coordinating the Doctoral Program in Information Systems and Technologies and contributing to European research initiatives including a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Joint Doctorate Program in Geoinformatics.
Schahram Dustdar is a Full Professor of Computer Science currently heading the Research Division of Distributed Systems at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria. He holds honorary positions at the University of California (USC) Los Angeles, Monash University (Melbourne), Shanghai University, Macquarie University (Sydney), and the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) from 2004–2010. Additionally, he served as a Visiting Professor at the University of Sevilla (Dec 2016–Jan 2017) and UC Berkeley (Jan–Jun 2017). Editorial Leadership: Founding co-Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Internet of Things (ACM TIoT), Editor-in-Chief of Computing (Springer), and Associate Editor for multiple IEEE/ACM journals. His research spans Internet Technology , Software Engineering , and Complex Systems , focusing on distributed systems, collaborative software, and cloud computing. He has contributed to fields such as Human-Computer Interaction and Business Information Systems , with a strong emphasis on practical applications in team collaboration and scalable computing environments. Scientific Awards & Honors: ACM Distinguished Scientist (2009) IBM Faculty Award (2012) IEEE Fellow (2016) Elected member of the Academia Europaea, chairing its Informatics Section Dustdar co-founded Caramba Labs Software AG (1999–2007), a venture capital-funded company acquired by Engineering NetWorld AG, which received nominations for international and national technology awards.
Dr. Andreas Tzakos is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ioannina, Greece, where he leads a research group focused on medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. His laboratory operates under ISO:17025 accreditation (BAC LAB) and specializes in developing bioimaging agents, drug delivery systems, and theranostic compounds for cancer treatment. His research integrates organic synthesis, biophysical techniques, and computational methods to address challenges in human health and disease. Dr. Tzakos's research spans multiple areas of medicinal chemistry including Near InfraRed Imaging agents (NIRI, NIRII, SWIR) for cancer theranostics Drug delivery vehicles and ProDrugs development Peptide-Drug Conjugates, prodrugs, and small ligands design Natural products formulation to enhance therapeutic potency Pharmacokinetics and bioanalysis using LC-MS platforms His work combines modern robotic synthetic methodologies with biophysical techniques (fluorescence, CD, ITC, DSC) and bioinformatic approaches to characterize molecular interactions and dynamic properties of biological systems. His publications reveal a strong focus on cancer theranostics, with particular emphasis on targeted drug delivery, molecular imaging, and the development of novel compounds with triple antiplatelet activity. The research demonstrates expertise in NMR spectroscopy, computational modeling, and the application of natural products in drug discovery. His scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous awards including: Leonidas Zervas Award (2004) Gardiki-Kouidou Award (2007) EMBO long term fellowship & Medical Research Council fellowship (2004-2008) A prestigious Academy of Athens award in cancer/heart diseases research (2018) Dr. Tzakos serves on the editorial boards of several international journals including Molecules, Biochemistry & Pharmacology: Open Access, and E-Journal of Chemistry. He is also an active reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals focused on drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, cancer, and biophysics, and serves as an expert evaluator for national and international research proposals including H2020 projects. His laboratory has developed several patented technologies including electronic tuning methodology for GPCR ligands and systems for natural product analogues production. The Bioanalysis and Pharmacokinetics Laboratory (BAC LAB) he directs operates under ISO/IEC:17025 accreditation, providing high-quality analytical services for drug development research. His team has also developed several computational tools including PRESS (Protein S-Sulfenylation server), DIAB-DB (a database for diabetes drug prediction), and multidimensional fingerprint analysis software for complex mixture assignment.
Jan B. van Erp is a Full Professor affiliated with the Digital Society Institute and Human Media Interaction, focusing on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction , Psychology , and Neuroergonomics . With over 145 research outputs and 22 academic activities, he explores topics like social presence , electrodermal activity , and telepresence systems . Key Research Areas: Human-AI collaboration frameworks Emotion and stress assessment methodologies Next-generation haptic interfaces Digital twin applications for human systems Recent publications analyze plant-based food perception (2025), bi-directional telemanipulation (2024), and cyber-physical humans (2024), reflecting his focus on immersive technologies and affective computing. His datasets include the HSPQ and EmojiGrid tools for social presence and emotion measurement. Scientific Awards: 2024 Honorable Mention Best Demo Award for electrotactile stimulation innovations
Irmelin Axelsen is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Archaeology, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, actively contributing to the CULTcrime research network through the DETECT project. This project investigates the theoretical relationship between 'objects' and 'heritage' by examining how objects enter archaeological collections, with special focus on metal detectorist discoveries and heritage crime dynamics in Norway. She completed her PhD in Archaeology in 2021 and MA in Archaeology in 2012, both at the University of Oslo. Her doctoral research 'What's the deal with old things?' employed mixed methods including archival research, interviews, and spatial analysis of detector finds to explore interactions between archaeologists and metal detectorists across Norway's heritage management landscape. Axelsen's research centers on Cultural Heritage Crime, Metal Detecting, and Citizen Science, extending into Digital Archaeology and Contemporary Archaeology. Her work critically examines knowledge production through digital tools, open science practices, and community engagement, addressing methodological challenges in integrating hobbyist findings into formal heritage systems. Her publication trends reveal consistent interdisciplinary focus combining archaeological theory with digital humanities, emphasizing collaboration frameworks between professionals and metal detectorists. Recent works analyze database 'messiness,' communication strategies, and democratic potentials in digital knowledge ecosystems. She has extensive teaching experience at UiO across undergraduate and graduate levels, including courses in Archaeological Cultural Heritage Management, Historical Archaeology, and Archaeological Practice. Her pedagogical competence includes formal university training and supervision at multiple academic levels. Axelsen holds significant leadership roles including Nordic TAG steering committee membership, European Public Finds Recording Network participation, and editorial responsibilities for Norwegian Archaeological Review. She previously chaired organizing committees for Nordic TAG and Norwegian Archaeological Meetings while contributing to COST ARKWORK and citizen science initiatives.
Heikki Ailisto serves as a Research Professor at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland within the BA5A Management and Support department. With a research career spanning from 1985 to present, he maintains active involvement in cutting-edge technology research and development projects. His research interests focus on Artificial Intelligence applications , Software Engineering methodologies , Smart Building technologies , and Digital Governance frameworks . A significant portion of his work addresses the practical implementation of AI systems in public sector contexts and industrial applications, with particular attention to Finnish societal needs and environmental considerations. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research connecting technology development with policy implications and sustainability goals. His work consistently bridges theoretical concepts with practical implementations, particularly in energy management systems and manufacturing data integration. Dr. Ailisto actively contributes to major research initiatives including: Future of Software Engineering (2025-2027) GOWELL: Governance of new technologies towards sustainability and well-being (2024-2026) His media presence includes contributions to discussions about AI development in Finland, such as the 2021 media appearance "Kohti tekoälyn kesää?" (Toward the Summer of AI).
Dr. Ulisses Nunes da Rocha is a Junior Group Leader at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Germany, specializing in Environmental Microbiology and Computational Biology . He holds a guest professorship at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Sciences (ICMC), University of Sao Paulo , Brazil, since 2019. PhD in Microbial Ecology (2010), University of Groningen MSc in Agricultural Microbiology (2005), Federal University of Viçosa BSc in Life Sciences (2002), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro His research focuses on microbial community dynamics in diverse ecosystems, integrating machine learning and multi-omics data to model community function prediction. Key collaborations include institutions in Brazil, Portugal, and the Netherlands, with special emphasis on human microbiome dysbiosis and marine microbial interactions . His team has developed major resources like the TerrestrialMetagenomeDB and HumanMetagenomeDB databases. Recent publications highlight innovative approaches to bioindicator detection and metagenome-assembled genomes across multiple environmental contexts. The group integrates bioremediation , ecotoxicology , and microplastics research through international partnerships. Funding includes the Helmholtz Young Investigator Grant (€1.8M) and dual degree programs between UFZ and Brazilian universities.
Sareh Aghaei serves as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Management Sciences within the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management at Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), focusing on knowledge-driven solutions for industrial maintenance and healthcare systems. Her academic credentials include: Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Innsbruck (2023) M.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Isfahan Dr. Aghaei's research integrates knowledge graphs with natural language processing and machine learning to develop explainable AI systems. Her work spans industrial maintenance optimization, clinical decision support, and tourism information systems, emphasizing ontology engineering and question-answering frameworks that transform unstructured data into actionable knowledge. Analysis of her 2021-2025 publications reveals a strategic shift toward domain-specific knowledge graph applications, particularly in maintenance management (2022-2025) and health informatics (2023-2024). This evolution demonstrates increasing specialization in medical knowledge representation while maintaining foundational contributions to semantic web technologies established in earlier works like her 2011 Web services architecture research. Her scholarly recognition includes: netidee Grant Call 17: Austria's award for most innovative doctoral theses Dr. Aghaei's doctoral research was funded through the netidee scholarship. Current documentation indicates no active student supervision or major grant leadership beyond her postdoctoral position at TU Wien. Within TU Wien's Institute of Management Sciences, she contributes to research bridging production engineering and artificial intelligence, developing knowledge-based systems for predictive maintenance and industrial process optimization through interdisciplinary collaboration.
