Dr Alina Trapova is a Lecturer in Law at the Faculty of Laws, University College London (UCL), with expertise in intellectual property law and artificial intelligence. She holds a PhD in Legal Studies (cum laude) from Bocconi University, an LLM in Intellectual Property Law from Queen Mary University of London, and an LLB from the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on AI’s intersection with copyright law, digital entertainment, and legal education reforms. Alina previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham (2021–2022) and worked at the EUIPO and European Audiovisual Observatory on procedural harmonization and piracy mitigation projects. She advises governmental bodies like the Ukrainian government on specialized IP court frameworks and collaborates with institutions like the Milano Fashion Institute. Her research interests include AI-generated content rights, copyright exceptions in education, and contractual frameworks for emerging technologies. Notable projects include studies on AI in video games, EU copyright reforms, and the role of collective management organizations in digital markets. Alina is trilingual (Italian/Spanish/German) and contributes to policy discussions on global IP harmonization. Awards include her cum laude PhD thesis on EU copyright and machine learning. Her work bridges legal theory with practical applications in tech-driven industries, emphasizing inclusive enforcement mechanisms and dynamic contractual models.
Marco Scialdone is a Lecturer at the European University of Rome, specializing in Information Technology Law and Legal Categories related to Technology. He holds a PhD from the same university (2016) and Master’s degrees from La Sapienza University of Rome (2005). A Fellow of the IAIC – Italian Academy of the Internet Code, he focuses on AI ethics, digital rights, and consumer protection law. His research bridges legal frameworks with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics. Education: PhD in Legal Categories and Technology (2016), European University of Rome Master’s in Computer Law (2005), La Sapienza University of Rome LL.B. in Law (Cum Laude, 110/110), LUISS Guido Carli University Research Interests: His work explores the intersection of law and technology, including AI governance, digital copyright, consumer rights in the digital age, and the legal implications of robotics. He emphasizes ethical AI development, regulatory challenges in digital markets, and public administration digitization. Recent studies analyze algorithmic bias in judicial systems and the legal protection of user-generated content. Publications & Expertise: Authored over 20 publications, including monographs like Living with Artificial Intelligence (2021) and The Legal Protection of User-Generated Content (2018). His articles address topics such as non-human creativity rights, predictive justice models, and cross-border copyright conflicts. He has served as an expert in AI policy (Italian Government’s High-Level Group on AI, 2018) and on the Permanent Advisory Committee for Copyright (2019). Professional Roles: Head of Litigation & Academic Outreach at Euroconsumers (since 2021) Former lecturer at La Sapienza University (2015–2018) and University of Perugia (2007–2012)
Jonas Fritsch is an Associate Professor at the IT University of Copenhagen, affiliated with the Media, Art & Design School and the Center for Climate IT. He leads the Affective Interaction & Relations (AIR) Lab and serves as Principal Investigator (PI) for major projects like the VELUX-funded TRACE initiative (2023-2027) and the DFF-funded VOCAL project (2022-2025). His research focuses on affective interaction design, particularly in healthcare, emotional design, and the integration of cultural theory into HCI. Research Interests: His work explores affective healthcare design, embodied interaction, and interdisciplinary design methodologies. Recent projects include developing tools for patient-centered care, synthetic voice design frameworks, and affective engagement in extended reality (XR). Notable collaborations span Denmark and international partners, emphasizing human-technology relationships in care practices. Key Projects: TRACE investigates emerging human-technology interactions in care practices, while VOCAL explores novel vocal imaginaries through voice design. He has secured grants totaling over 8.5 million DKK, demonstrating impact in both academic and applied domains. Labs & Teams: As head of the AIR Lab, he fosters collaborative research on affective technologies. Media contributions include public installations like UDREDNING, which engages audiences in diagnostic processes through XR. He actively participates in conferences and review committees, emphasizing interdisciplinary dialogue in design and technology.
Dr. James Orbinski is a Professor and the inaugural Director of York University’s Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research. He holds a BSc from Trent University, an MD from McMaster University, and an MA in International Relations from the University of Toronto. As a physician, humanitarian leader, and author, his career focuses on global health equity, humanitarian action, and the intersection of climate change with health. He served as International President of Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of MSF in 1999, and co-founded initiatives like the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative and Dignitas International. Leadership & Affiliations: Board Member, Grand Challenges Canada Member, Global Alliance for TB Drug Development Member, Davos World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Health Care Systems Research Focus: The Dahdaleh Institute’s core themes under his direction include Global Health and Humanitarianism, Planetary Health, and Global Health Foresighting. His work emphasizes transdisciplinary research addressing climate change health impacts, health equity, and humanitarian innovation. Awards: Officer of the Order of Canada, Meritorious Service Cross (for leadership during Rwanda’s 1994 genocide), and author of the award-winning An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarianism in the 21st Century . Recent Projects: Includes modeling climate change’s health impacts in Malawi, advancing digital technologies for food security, and advocating for global solidarity in pandemic responses. He also spearheaded the Safe Water Optimization Tool project and collaborated with the Rainmaker Enterprise to address water scarcity in South Sudan.
Dr. Naeha Sharif is a Lecturer in Computer Science & Software Engineering at The University of Western Australia (UWA), specializing in Computer Vision (CV) and Natural Language Processing (NLP). She holds a PhD from UWA (2021) focused on AI-driven image captioning and received the prestigious ACS 1962 Medal for outstanding IT/CS research. Her work bridges AI with healthcare, including automated medical assessment via spine scans (DXA) for abdominal aortic calcification analysis and AI-driven medical report generation for fundus imaging. Education: PhD in Computer Science (UWA 2021), Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (Kyung Hee University, 2013). Previous roles include Postdoctoral Fellow at Edith Cowan University (2021–2022). Research Interests: Vision-language models, medical image analysis, captioning metrics, multimodal learning, and AI applications in healthcare. Active in UN SDGs related to health and innovation. Teaching: Unit Coordinator for Computer Graphics & Animation (CITS3003, 2022–2023) Computational Thinking with Python (CITS1401, 2023) Grants: Lead investigator on the 'Generative AI for Screening of Depressive Disorders' project (2024). Awards: Recognized for student learning contributions (2025), best paper awards (2024/2020), and academic excellence honors (2021/2020). Labs/Teams: Member of UWA Natural & Technical Language Processing Group and IEEE Signal Processing Society.
Dr. Raoul Bongers is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Groningen, affiliated with the SMART Movements research group. His expertise focuses on action-perception learning, motor control, and rehabilitation technologies, particularly in upper limb prosthetics and serious game applications for prosthesis training. He investigates motor variability and coordination dynamics using advanced methodologies like Uncontrolled Manifold analysis and multifractal analyses. His research emphasizes the development of clinical tools such as IMU-based calibration algorithms and virtual reality environments to improve prosthetic control and rehabilitation outcomes. Collaborations span biomechanics, neuroscience, and medical engineering, addressing challenges in prosthetic design, user adaptation, and clinical assessment. Bongers has contributed to over 139 publications, with recent work exploring task-specific serious game training, IMU sensor calibration reliability, and motor learning dynamics in novel control tasks. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and innovation. Professional activities include keynote lectures on motor control and participation in interdisciplinary research networks. Laboratory affiliations include SMART Movements, where research integrates ecological psychology and dynamical systems theory to advance rehabilitation technologies and motor learning understanding.
Dr. Eugene C Lim is a Lecturer at the School of Law, Queen's University Belfast, specializing in international and comparative intellectual property law. His research focuses on the intersection of law, technology, and society, particularly non-traditional trademarks, digital art, and biotechnology law. He has published extensively in top legal journals and received the Outstanding Presentation Award (2016). His teaching areas include copyright law, torts, and intellectual property in creative industries. Research interests span trademark dilution, copyright fixation, patent law equivalents, and legal theory. He employs cross-disciplinary and comparative methodologies to analyze socio-cultural impacts of legal frameworks. Recent work explores climate change's effect on geographical indications, virtual property rights in NFTs, and health-related trademark applications. Dr. Lim actively participates in academic activities, including organizing the School of Law PhD Conference and presenting at international forums. His publications address emerging challenges in intellectual property, biotechnology, and digital technologies, emphasizing practical legal solutions for evolving societal needs.
Hendrik Huelss is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Center for War Studies (CWS), Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark. He is also an associated Senior Researcher in the European Research Council (ERC) project AutoNorms (2020-2025). Previously, he held a post-doctoral position at the University of Kent (2016–2020). Education: PhD in Political Science, University of Copenhagen MBA in Sustainability Management, Leuphana University of Lüneburg MSc in European Politics and Governance, London School of Economics and Political Science MSc in Political Science, University of Potsdam Research Interests: Focuses on the intersection of international norms and military technology, particularly AI and autonomous weapons systems. Combines constructivist/poststructural theories with science and technology studies to explore governance frameworks, ethical implications, and global security dynamics. Key themes include AI's impact on warfare, regulatory mechanisms, and norm evolution in international relations. Key Projects: ERC AutoNorms (2020–2026): Examines norms around weaponized AI through comparative practices. ERC HuMach (2024–2028): Investigates human-machine interaction in military AI. AutoPractices (2024–2025): Focuses on governance of AI in weapon systems. Publications: Highlights include co-authoring Autonomous Weapons Systems and International Norms (2022) and articles in Journal of European Public Policy , International Political Sociology , and Review of International Studies . Recent work explores AI's normative challenges in global governance and cross-cultural narratives on military AI use. Teaching: Involves courses on international relations, remote warfare, and human rights in security contexts at the University of Southern Denmark.
Chyrell D. Bellamy, PhD, MSW is Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University's Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH). She also serves as Director of Peer Support Services & Research and Director of the Yale Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy (LET(s)Lead). Additionally, Dr. Bellamy functions as a Senior Policy Adviser for the Office of the Commissioner for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS). Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH) Yale Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy (LET(s)Lead) Connecticut Mental Health Center Center for Brain & Mind Health Dr. Bellamy's research expertise centers on community-based participatory research and co-design with communities of color and individuals living with psychiatric illness, substance use disorders, HIV, homelessness, and incarceration histories. Her work focuses on healthcare disparities, sociocultural pathways of recovery, development of culturally responsive interventions, qualitative research methods, and community/clinic-based psychosocial and wellness interventions. She brings personal and professional expertise as a frontline service provider, clinician, social worker, and community organizer, openly identifying as a person with lived experience of multiple marginalized identities including mental illness, trauma, and addictions. Dr. Bellamy's publication record demonstrates significant contributions to mental health equity, with a focus on culturally responsive interventions for marginalized populations. Her research trends show a consistent emphasis on community-driven approaches, particularly through initiatives like Harambee (a wellness intervention for serious mental illness) and Imani Breakthrough (a faith-based opioid recovery program). Her recent publications increasingly incorporate technology and AI considerations in mental healthcare while maintaining strong community engagement principles. The breadth of her work spans from local Connecticut implementations to international collaborations in Brazil. PCORI award for co-located primary care for people with mental illness NIMH R34 award for whole health intervention mechanisms CT DMHAS/SAMHSA State Opioid Recovery funds for Imani Breakthrough program NIH Common Fund/NIDA grant for culturally responsive substance use recovery NIH R34 grant for peer support implementation in Brazil NIH NIMHD grant for Recovery Finance study Dr. Bellamy actively mentors researchers through her leadership roles and directs multiple federally funded research initiatives. Her work with the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health has secured substantial grant funding from NIH, PCORI, NIMH, and state agencies, focusing on innovative approaches to mental health and substance use recovery. Her research portfolio demonstrates strong community partnerships and a commitment to translating research into practice through programs like LET(s)LEAD, which provides leadership training for people with lived experiences. Dr. Bellamy leads the Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, which operates through a collaborative network of researchers, community members, and practitioners. Her work with the Lived Experience Transformational Leadership Academy (LET(s)LEAD) represents a significant team-based approach that centers lived experience in research and service delivery. She collaborates extensively with community organizations, particularly faith-based institutions serving Black and Latinx communities, and maintains international partnerships in Brazil for mental health system transformation.
Dr. Kate Kenski is a Professor of Communication and Government & Public Policy at the University of Arizona. She specializes in political communication, public opinion, and research methods. Her work examines the role of media in elections, incivility in online discourse, and strategies to mitigate cognitive biases. She has held editorial roles at journals like the Public Opinion Quarterly and contributed to influential books such as The Obama Victory , which received multiple awards. Kenski’s research bridges academia and public policy, addressing contemporary challenges in digital democracy and election integrity. Her academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. She has led major projects like the National Annenberg Election Survey and contributed to initiatives on serious game design for bias reduction. Kenski’s awards reflect her impact on political communication scholarship, including the ICA Outstanding Book Award (2011) and NCA Diamond Anniversary Book Award (2012). She has also served in leadership roles for professional organizations like the National Communication Association and American Political Science Association. Current research focuses on online incivility dynamics, social media’s role in political polarization, and innovative teaching methods. She collaborates on platforms like TRACE for crowdsourced analytical reasoning and explores how digital tools can enhance civic education. Her interdisciplinary approach addresses urgent issues in media literacy, election security, and democratic resilience amid crises like the pandemic and social protests.
Rebecca Cordell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Dallas and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on state repression, human rights, and political violence, employing quantitative text analysis and machine learning methodologies. She leads the Sub-national Analysis of Repression Project (SNARP) and examines transnational repression dynamics, public opinion on human rights, and sub-national variations in rights violations. Education: PhD in Political Science (University of Essex, 2017), MA in Human Rights (University of Essex, 2013), BA in Philosophy (University of Birmingham, 2010). Her research has been published in top journals such as the American Journal of Political Science , International Interactions , and Journal of Conflict Resolution . Notable contributions include analyzing transnational cooperation in repression and the role of extraordinary rendition in security-civil liberties trade-offs. Awards: 2024 ISA Human Rights Section Best Paper Award, 2018 Steven C. Poe Best Graduate Student Paper Award. Her work integrates spatial analysis of social unrest and epidemics in Africa/Latin America, as well as geopolitical studies of rendition corridors. She collaborates on interdisciplinary projects linking human rights practices to sub-national governance structures.
Dr. Sandrine Peraldi is an Assistant Professor in Linguistics at the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, University College Dublin (UCD). She currently serves as Head of Linguistics and Deputy Head of School, and coordinates the Graduate Diploma in Localisation. With a PhD from Paris Diderot University, her career includes over a decade as Research Director at ISIT in Paris, where she led interdisciplinary research and international collaborations. Her educational background includes: PhD in Theoretical, Descriptive and Automatic Linguistics, Paris Diderot University MLitt, Paris Diderot University Master’s in Language Industry and Specialised Translation Certification in University Teaching and Learning, UCD Dr. Peraldi's research focuses on Corpus Linguistics, Terminology, Discourse Analysis (especially in professional contexts), Intercultural Communication , and Translation Studies , with a strong emphasis on machine translation and post-editing. Her work bridges cognitive, technological, and professional dimensions of language use. Her recent publications reveal a clear trajectory toward the multimodal analysis of virtual workplace communication, particularly how engagement and non-verbal cues function in online meetings. She has also contributed significantly to metaphor analysis in political discourse and the integration of corpus tools in translation workflows. Her scientific contributions are recognized through active participation in peer review for journals such as Meta , TEANGA , and International Journal of Organisations , and editorial leadership as former Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin du CRATIL . She has secured major funding from the European Commission (TransCert, QUALETRA, PICT, AGORA), UKRI-AHRC, and the National Forum for Teaching and Learning. She supervises PhD students and leads research projects such as the Interactional Variation Online project. She is also involved in professional service through the Human Research Ethics Committee and the EMT assessor network. Dr. Peraldi leads several research and teaching initiatives, including the ENEOLI Cost Action on lexical innovation and the development of scenario-based intercultural learning resources.
Ricardo F. Ramos is an Adjunct Professor at the Oliveira do Hospital School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (ESTGOH-IPC), and at the Information Management School, NOVA University Lisbon (NOVA-IMS). He serves as an Associate Researcher at ISTAR-Iscte - Research Center in Information Sciences, Technologies and Architecture, focusing on Information Systems. His educational background includes: PhD in Management with specialization in Marketing from ISCTE (2015-2018) Master's degree in Sports Management from University of Lisbon Faculty of Human Kinetics (2012-2015) Bachelor's degree in Sport from Polytechnic Institute of Setúbal Higher School of Education (2009-2012) Ricardo's research spans diverse areas within marketing, with particular focus on consumer behavior in tourism and hospitality, sports marketing, and text mining applications. His methodology often involves analyzing textual data to uncover consumer insights, as demonstrated in publications examining social media, mobile applications, and online reviews. His work frequently explores the intersection of technology and consumer behavior, investigating how digital platforms influence purchasing decisions and service experiences. His recent research trends show a growing interest in sustainability within business contexts, virtual and augmented reality applications in tourism, artificial intelligence in marketing, and the evolving dynamics of digital consumer behavior across various industries including hospitality, aviation, and retail. Ricardo has received significant recognition for his scholarly work, with publications in high-impact journals such as the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Air Transport Management, and Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology. His research on topics like social media's impact on retail websites, airline sustainability, and customer satisfaction in tourism contexts has accumulated hundreds of citations across multiple databases. His academic contributions extend to collaborating with researchers across various institutions, with a methodological approach that frequently employs text mining and data analytics to extract meaningful consumer insights from large datasets.
Dr. Yang Xing is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Artificial Intelligence for Engineering at Cranfield University's Centre for Autonomous and Cyberphysical Systems, where he also directs the HUMAX Lab focused on human-centered autonomous vehicle validation. He holds a PhD from Cranfield University (2018) and an MSc with Distinction in Control Systems from the University of Sheffield (2014). Previously, he was a Research Associate at the University of Oxford (2020-2021) and Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University (2019-2020). His research centers on human-autonomy collaboration frameworks with four key pillars: Cognitive autonomous systems using trustworthy AI Computer vision for human behavior/intention modeling Multimodal foundation models for autonomous driving Deep learning for sustainable transportation systems His recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate strong trends in AI-driven transportation research : 40% focus on trajectory prediction and behavior modeling, 30% on computer vision applications, 20% on human-AI collaboration frameworks, and 10% on energy optimization. Key thematic evolutions include increased use of transformer architectures, graph neural networks for interaction modeling, and simulation-to-real transfer learning. Awards and Honors: IEEE Outstanding Associate Editor Award (TNNLS 2023-2024) Best Paper Award, China National Intelligence Technology Conference 2019 IEEE Outstanding Service Award, Smart World Congress 2023 Best Workshop Paper, IEEE IV 2018 He currently advises PhD student Isa Ismail and has secured funding from the Royal Society, EPSRC, DSTL, SAAB, QinetiQ, and Thales. As lab director of HUMAX, he leads projects on human-AI teaming for autonomous systems.
Stefan Leyk is a Professor of Geography at the University of Colorado Boulder within the Department of Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on GIScience, spatial uncertainty modeling, and historical landscape analysis, with significant contributions to cartographic pattern recognition from historical maps and spatial dynamic modeling in public health. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich and the Federal Research Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape (2005). His primary research interests include uncertainty in GIScience and spatial uncertainty modeling, land cover change modeling using historical spatial information, cartographic pattern recognition from historical maps, and spatial dynamic modeling approaches in public health. His work bridges historical geography with advanced computational methods, particularly in extracting settlement patterns from historical map archives and developing spatiotemporal datasets spanning centuries. Leyk's recent publications demonstrate strong trends in historical settlement analysis, with major projects like CHRONEX-US and HISDAC-US creating century-long datasets of urban infrastructure and settlement evolution. His work increasingly integrates machine learning with historical map processing, focusing on uncertainty quantification, built-up land validation, and environmental justice applications related to flood risk and coastal hazards. Key thematic areas include long-term urban growth patterns, rural poverty dynamics, and wildfire risk assessment at the wildland-urban interface. Leyk has received significant research funding through collaborative grants including 'HNDS-I: Building Long-term, National-scale Spatiotemporal Data Collections from Historical Map Archives' (2025) and 'HNDS-I: Data Infrastructure for Research on Historical Settlement and Population Growth in the United States' (2021). He actively mentors graduate students including Alek Berg, Caitlin McShane, and Yuying Ren, and teaches advanced GIS courses such as GEOG 4303/5303 GIS: Spatial Programming and GEOG 4103/5303 GIS: Spatial Analytics. His laboratory work centers on geospatial modeling of historical settlement and landscape analysis, with a focus on developing automated methods for processing historical map archives and creating linked spatiotemporal data. Current projects involve machine learning applications for feature extraction from historical maps, uncertainty prediction in built-up land layers, and the development of fine-grained datasets measuring 200 years of land development in the United States.
