Mark Sabbagh is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Queen's University , Canada. His research focuses on theory of mind , social learning , executive functioning , and conceptual change in preschoolers, as well as theory of mind and social functioning in adults. Education : Ph.D. (1998), M.Sc. (1996) in Psychology from the University of Oregon; B.A. (1993) in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Cross-Appointments : Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University. His work integrates developmental psychology with cognitive neuroscience , examining neural correlates (EEG, fMRI) of social cognition and mental state reasoning. Additionally, he investigates clinical implications of theory of mind, including links to depression and autism spectrum disorders. Recent publications highlight his expertise in ERP studies , word learning , executive function , and neurogenetic influences on social cognition. His lab explores how probabilistic reasoning and environmental factors shape cognitive development. Current roles : Editor-In-Chief of Cognitive Development Journal (since 2014); Board Member, Cognitive Development Society (since 2013). Contact : sabbagh@queensu.ca | Office: 348 Humphrey Hall, Queen's University.
Professor Tunde Peto is a Clinical Professor at Queen’s University Belfast, affiliated with the Centre for Public Health within the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences (MDBS). She leads the Belfast Ophthalmic Image Reading Centre and oversees the Northern Irish Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme. Her research focuses on blinding retinal diseases, diabetic retinopathy imaging, and global ophthalmic health initiatives. Peto has pioneered screening programs and trained clinicians worldwide, contributing to 528+ publications across 25+ years of research. She has secured £2M+ in grants, including EU-funded EYE-RISK projects. Notable awards include the Eva Kohner Award for vision research and recognition in the EVI TOP LIST of European women in ophthalmology. Education & Background: Trained in Hungary and Australia, with 15 years at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London before joining Queen’s University in Belfast. Research Interests: Diabetic retinopathy characterization, age-related macular degeneration, neurodegenerative retinal links (e.g., Alzheimer’s), and telemedicine applications in eye care. Key projects include TIGER (submacular hemorrhage treatment trials), MACUSTAR (quality-of-life metrics), and the Belfast Reading Centre’s image analysis infrastructure. Awards & Recognition: 19th Healthcare Awards NI (2018), Belfast Ambassador Recognition (2019), EVI TOP LIST (2021), and international leadership in diabetic eye disease initiatives. Grants & Funding: Led projects like EYE-RISK (€6.5M EU grant) and the ARIS Study, focusing on AMD treatment and genetic risk factors.
Professor Patrick ffrench is a leading scholar in 20th-century French literature and film theory, affiliated with King's College London's Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. He holds the rank of Professor of French and has been a faculty member since 1999. Education: PhD from University College London (1993), focusing on the journal Tel Quel under Annette Lavers. Postdoctoral research as a British Academy Fellow at UCL on Georges Bataille's intellectual legacy. Research focuses on French literature, critical theory, psychoanalysis, and cinema, with notable works on Proust, Barthes, Bataille, and Deleuze. Recent projects include Roland Barthes and Film (2019) and Thinking Cinema with Proust (2018). Active in interdisciplinary research groups such as the Centre for the Humanities and Health and the Visual Culture network. Teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses on French literature, film, and critical theory. Engaged in public discourse on French intellectual history and hosts academic events like the French & Digital Humanities Seminar. Grants include British Academy-funded projects on Lacanian philosophy, pragmatic genealogies of concepts, and technological change in French thought. Supervises PhD students in areas like Proustian semiotics, Barthesian aesthetics, and psychoanalytic theory.
Chi-Chun Lee (Jeremy) is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Taiwan. He also serves as Director of the NVIDIA-NTHU Joint Innovation Center and leads the Behavioral Informatics & Interaction Computation (BIIC) Lab. His academic journey includes a B.S. (magna cum laude) and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC), USA (2007 and 2012), followed by roles as a data scientist at id:a lab and technical consultant for companies like E.Sun Bank and Allianz Taiwan. Research focuses on speech processing, affective computing, health analytics, and behavior signal processing. He is an IEEE Senior Member and holds editorial roles in top journals such as IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing and Multimedia. Key contributions include leading teams to international competitions (e.g., 1st place in INTERSPEECH 2009 Emotion Challenge) and developing AI frameworks for clinical applications like respiratory sound classification and tumor image synthesis. Recipient of prestigious awards including the NTHU-Novatek Distinguished Talent Chair (2024), National Science and Technology Council Outstanding Research Award (2023), and multiple best paper awards. His work bridges academia and industry, with collaborations extending to NVIDIA and startups like AHEAD Medicine. Research has been featured in major media outlets including Scientific American and Discovery.
Dr. Christina Saenger serves as Associate Dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University (YSU), where she also holds an Associate Professorship in Marketing. She earned a PhD in Marketing from Kent State University (2012), an MBA in Strategic Marketing from the University of Akron (2005), and a BA in Business & Organizational Communication from the same institution (2003). Her professional background includes client account management in marketing and advertising firms prior to academia. Her research focuses on consumer behavior in social contexts, particularly how individuals use brands for identity expression and cognitive processing of product information. Key topics include word-of-mouth mechanisms, brand-gratitude dynamics, and the psychological impact of social exclusion on consumer behavior. Her work appears in top-tier journals like the European Journal of Marketing , Journal of Advertising , and Psychology & Marketing . Dr. Saenger has received numerous accolades, including YSU's Distinguished Professorship designations for research (2022), teaching (2021), and service (2017), as well as the Research Professorship Award (2017). She actively contributes to academic governance through editorial roles at the Journal of Advertising Research and Journal of Consumer Marketing . Her teaching spans marketing strategy, social media, consumer behavior, and interactive marketing. Professional Service: Editorial Review Board Member for Journal of Advertising Research , Ad Hoc Reviewer for Journal of Business Research , and Conference Paper Reviewer for the Association for Consumer Research. Recent Research Trends: Emerging focus on AI's impact on consumer trust (2024 study) alongside continued exploration of word-of-mouth as a compensatory behavior for self-threat and social exclusion.
Dr. Isabella Soscia is a Full Professor of Marketing at SKEMA Business School in France. She holds a Ph.D. in Management from Università Bocconi, Italy, and completed a visiting scholar program at the University of Michigan. Her expertise spans consumer behavior, consumption emotions, survey methodologies, and experimental research. She has held academic roles at SKEMA since 2022 and contributed to research centers like Marketing Interactions and Innovation. Key research themes include guilt-decreasing marketing appeals, green consumption, and technology adoption. Education includes an HDR (Habilitation to Supervise Research) from Université de Lille (2023), a Ph.D. from Bocconi University (2003), and extensive postdoctoral research. She has supervised doctoral theses, including at Luiss Guido Carli University (2022). Her work bridges theoretical insights and practical applications, addressing topics like corporate social responsibility, cross-cultural marketing, and health communication. Her articles explore consumer emotions in contexts such as climate change, luxury tourism, and mobility services. Notable contributions include studies on vicarious pride in gift exchanges and the efficacy of humor in HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns. She frequently presents at global conferences, emphasizing marketing ethics and behavioral economics. Professional activities include thesis jury memberships and peer-reviewed journal contributions across disciplines like hospitality, sustainability, and cultural policy. Her research often intersects with policy-making, particularly in promoting sustainable practices and audience engagement strategies.
Lisa Feldman Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University with an appointment at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She leads the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Laboratory (IASLab), studying the brain and body mechanisms underlying emotion, motivation, and cognition. Her work integrates psychology, neuroscience, anthropology, and computational methods to challenge traditional emotion theories. She serves as Chief Science Officer for MGH’s Center for Law, Brain and Behavior and actively engages in public science communication through books, lectures, and media. **Research Focus**: Her lab develops systems-level models of affective neuroscience, emphasizing predictive processing, interoception, and cultural influences on emotion. She critiques universal facial expression theories and advocates for a constructionist model of emotion as contextually constructed experiences. **Awards & Honors**: Recipient of the NIH Pioneer Award, APS Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement, and APA’s Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award. Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Royal Society of Canada. Former President of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). **Key Contributions**: Pioneered the theory of constructed emotion, emphasized the role of interoception in emotion, and demonstrated variability in facial expressions across cultures. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, including mental health and legal contexts. **Lab & Teams**: IASLab collaborates across disciplines, with sites at Northeastern and MGH. Current projects explore neural mechanisms of emotion, allostasis, and the impact of aging on memory and resilience.
Janet S. Fink is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and the Douglas & Diana Berthiaume Endowed Professor of Sport Management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts. She holds a PhD in Sport Management from The Ohio State University (1997), an MS in Higher Education and Student Affairs (1994), and a BA in Physical Education (1988). Her research focuses on Sport Consumer Behavior, Marketing of Female Athletes and Women's Sport, and Diversity Issues in Sport. Recent studies include investigations into fan aggression dynamics, CSR authenticity in business, and the impact of gender expression on athlete endorsements. Awards: 2012 Distinguished Lecture at the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport 2007 Ohio State University Distinguished Teaching Award 2006 NASSM Research Fellow Her academic career spans multiple institutions, including the University of Connecticut and Ohio State University, with roles progressing from Assistant to Professor. She has advised numerous students and contributed to grants in sport management and ethics. No dedicated labs or teams are explicitly mentioned, though her research collaborations are reflected in co-authored publications.
James A. Dimmock is a Professor affiliated with James Cook University, specializing in psychology, public health, and exercise science. His research focuses on mental health interventions, maternal well-being, climate change impacts on health, and behavioral strategies in healthcare settings. He collaborates extensively with researchers in areas such as cardiovascular health, youth mental health, and parenting support programs. Recent work includes analyzing climate change's effects on maternal mental health and developing peer support systems for new mothers in Australia. His studies often integrate psychological theory with practical applications, such as improving engagement in lifestyle interventions for obesity and enhancing mental health outcomes through physical activity. Education: No formal education details provided in the text, but his academic publications suggest advanced degrees in psychology or related fields. Research Interests: Psychological interventions for mental health Exercise and nutrition's role in cardiovascular disease prevention Climate change and public health challenges Maternal and child well-being Behavioral health interventions Peer support and community programs Key Contributions: Over 120 publications spanning 20 years, with a focus on randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and innovative interventions. Collaborations include institutions like the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, and international journals in psychology and medicine. Grants and Funding: Not explicitly listed, but his research scope implies involvement in health-related grants for climate change, maternal health, and exercise science. Labs/Teams: Works within multi-disciplinary teams at James Cook University, collaborating with departments in psychology, public health, and exercise science.
Giulia Boato is an Associate Professor at the University of Trento’s Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science (DISI). She teaches courses in Probability and Multimedia Data Security. Her expertise spans Cyber Security, Digital Forensics, and Multimedia Analysis, focusing on image and signal processing for data protection, forensics, and anti-forensics. She collaborates internationally with institutions like Tampere University of Technology and Dartmouth College, co-advising PhD students and contributing to European projects like LIVINGKNOWLEDGE and GLOCAL. Education: PhD in Information and Communication Technology (2005), M.Sc. in Mathematics (2002), Scientific Lyceum (1998) with bilingual Italian-German certification. Past roles include Assistant Professor at DISI (2006–2018) and visiting researcher at the University of Vigo (2006) and University of Innsbruck (2018). Research interests include multimedia data protection, image forensics (tampering detection, computer vs. natural data discrimination), and intelligent data management. She leads projects on social media forensics, event-based retrieval, and synthetic media detection. Awards include Best Paper at IEEE WIFS 2012 and Top 10% Paper at MMSP 2012. Professional contributions include roles as co-chair of workshops, Technical Program Committee member for ICIP and ICC, and reviewer for journals like IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security. She has advised PhD theses and contributed to datasets like TrueFace and WILD for synthetic media analysis.
Paul Rosen is an Associate Professor at the University of Utah, affiliated with the Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute and the Kahlert School of Computing. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University (2010). Prior to his current role, he was an Assistant/Associate Professor at the University of South Florida (2015–2022) and a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Utah's SCI Institute (2010–2015). Research Focus: Rosen specializes in topology-based visualization techniques, with emphasis on network visualization, uncertainty quantification, and perceptual studies. His work bridges computational methods with human perception, aiming to enhance data understanding through effective visual design. Awards & Recognition: National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2019) Best Paper Awards at PacificVis 2016, IVAPP 2016, and multiple other conferences Honorable Mentions for IEEE VIS and VAST Challenge submissions Leadership: As General Chair of IEEE VIS 2024, Rosen led the planning for this flagship visualization conference, emphasizing community-driven design and in-person collaboration. Education Contributions: His research includes pedagogical innovations, such as predictive modeling for student feedback and peer review analysis in visual literacy courses.
Diego Patiño is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), a position he began in September 2024. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the National University of Colombia in 2020, following M.S. and B.S. degrees from the same institution. Prior to joining UTA, he served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Drexel University and a Postdoctoral Researcher at the GRASP Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania. B.S. in Computer Engineering, National University of Colombia, 2010 M.S. in Computer Engineering, National University of Colombia, 2012 Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, National University of Colombia, 2020 Dr. Patiño's research centers on geometric computer vision and machine learning, with applications in robotics and 3D vision. His primary interests include 3D reconstruction, graph neural networks, symmetry detection, physics-informed machine learning, and reinforcement learning. He develops algorithms that integrate geometric priors and physical constraints into deep learning models to improve robustness and generalization in real-world robotic systems. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend in leveraging implicit neural representations for 3D shape reconstruction, applying graph neural networks to swarm robotics, and enhancing computer vision tasks with self-supervised and physics-informed learning. Work spans high-impact venues such as IEEE RA-L, ICRA, ICPR, and MICCAI, showing a consistent focus on geometric reasoning, robotic perception, and medical imaging applications. His scientific contributions have been recognized with awards from the UTA Division of Student Affairs for exceptional dedication and positive impact (2024 and 2025). He is actively involved in securing research funding, with multiple grants under review from NSF, Air Force SBIR, and industry partners like Sony. Exceptional dedication and positive impact recognition, UTA Division of Student Affairs (December 9, 2024) Exceptional dedication and positive impact recognition, UTA Division of Student Affairs (April 30, 2025) Dr. Patiño advises and serves on committees for multiple graduate students in computer science and engineering, including doctoral and master’s candidates. He is also leading or co-leading several research grants under review, covering topics such as aerial swarm navigation, neuromorphic sensing, and industrial computer vision. He teaches graduate courses in computer vision and is involved in service roles including PhD admissions and faculty appointments committees. He is affiliated with research initiatives at UTA, including the UTARI Research Institute, where he has presented on geometric modeling and physics-informed learning. His lab focuses on developing next-generation computer vision algorithms for robotics, industrial inspection, and safety-critical systems.
Inge Geyskens is a Full Professor of Marketing at Tilburg University's Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM), where she has been a faculty member since 1998. She is affiliated with the Department of Marketing and actively contributes to research, teaching, and PhD supervision. Her work is widely published in top-tier marketing and management journals. Her primary research interests include marketing channel management, strategic interactions between manufacturers and retailers, private labels, national brands, retail strategy, and consumer welfare. She investigates how retailers position private labels, the impact of national brands in hard discounters, and the effectiveness of marketing-mix variables across retail formats. Her recent publications (2022–2025) focus on the evolution of private labels, including budget and premium tiers, the strategic implications of national-brand listings in hard discounters, and consumer welfare effects. These works appear in leading journals such as Journal of Retailing , Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , and Impact at JMR , reflecting a strong trend toward empirical analysis of retail dynamics and strategic branding. Winner of the 2015 Alton G. Clayton Competition (Max Nohe, PhD student) Winner of the 2019 Research for Practice Dissertation Award (Kristopher Keller, PhD student) Winner of the GfK Market Research Award (Kristopher Keller, PhD student) Finalist of the 2014 EMAC-McKinsey Doctoral Dissertation Award Competition (Johanna Slot, PhD student) Winner of the 2010 ISBM Business Marketing Doctoral Support Award Competition (Johanna Slot, PhD student) Runner-up of the 2013 EMAC-McKinsey Doctoral Dissertation Award Competition (Anne ter Braak, PhD student) Winner of the 2012 EMAC-McKinsey Doctoral Dissertation Award Competition (Néomie Raassens, PhD student) Professor Geyskens has supervised eight PhD students, many of whom have secured academic positions or prominent industry roles. She has led and participated in multiple research projects on private labels, collaborative product development, and outsourcing. Her teaching includes Marketing Channel Management in the MSc program and coordination of various research methodology courses across bachelor's and pre-master's programs. Her research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible consumption and economic growth, particularly through insights into retail sustainability and equitable market practices.
Hamidreza Mahyar is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Engineering , McMaster University , and an Associate Member of the Computing and Software department. His academic journey includes postdoctoral work at Boston University and TU Wien , and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Sharif University of Technology . Research Focus: Mahyar's work bridges machine learning and network science , emphasizing graph neural networks for applications in social networks , recommendation systems , drug discovery , and generative AI . His research spans industrial AI (Industry 4.0 projects at Infineon Technologies), biomedical engineering (organoid morphology analysis), and semiconductor manufacturing (wafermap modeling). Scientific Recognition: McMaster Teaching Merit Award (2022) Vector Scholarship in AI (2023) NSERC USRA Award (2022) Google Cloud Platform for Research Award (2018) Best Paper Selection, Complex Networks (2018) Academic Leadership: He mentors PhD students (Taraneh Ghandi) and MSc students (Reza Namazi, Mohammad Khodadad, Ali Shiraei), while leading AI initiatives at Mind Lab 56 and BrainMaven . Former mentees include industry leaders at Google, Accenture, and ETH Zurich.
Renee Engeln is a Professor of Instruction in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. She directs The Body and Media Lab (BAM), which conducts research on women's body image issues with a focus on cultural practices that shape women's relationships with their bodies. Her work bridges academic research and public discourse, as evidenced by her book "Beauty Sick" and regular media appearances. Dr. Engeln's primary research interests include: Objectification Theory and its applications across different social contexts and groups Reactions to idealized media images of women's bodies Online body positivity messaging and its psychological effects Negative body talk and its impact across demographics The relationship between exercise and body image Her research portfolio shows consistent focus on how cultural and media influences affect women's body image across various contexts. Recent work has examined social media's impact on body dissatisfaction, the effectiveness of body-positive interventions, and how self-objectification reduces the psychological benefits of exercise for women. Her studies often employ diverse methodologies including experimental designs, survey research, and scale development. Dr. Engeln has received recognition for her work including: Authoring the influential book "Beauty Sick: How the Cultural Obsession with Appearance Hurts Girls and Women" (2017), published in multiple languages A TEDx talk with over 500,000 views on YouTube Regular contributions to major media outlets including The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, BBC, and Huffington Post A popular Psychology Today blog focusing on body image issues As an educator and researcher, Dr. Engeln maintains an active laboratory (BAM) that trains students in research methods while investigating critical issues at the intersection of psychology, media, and women's health. Her work has significant implications for understanding how cultural forces shape women's psychological well-being and for developing interventions to promote healthier body image.
