Jack Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale School of Medicine. His research focuses on developing advanced cryo-electron microscopy/tomography (cryo-EM/ET) methods to investigate dynamic molecular machines in cellular contexts, particularly mechanisms of cell motility and energy metabolism. PhD in Biophysics from Institute of Biophysics (CAS) Postdoctoral work at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Joined Yale faculty in 2019 Research interests include: Mechanistic analysis of dynein motor proteins Structural studies of mitochondrial respiratory supercomplexes Cytoskeletal repair mechanisms via Abl2-tubulin interactions Environmental signal response in mastigoneme assembly Allostery in microtubule transport activation Recent publications demonstrate expertise in: High-resolution in situ structural biology Tomographic analysis of cellular machines Mechanochemical cycle mapping Male infertility structural pathology Contact: jack.zhang@yale.edu
Xin Zhang is a distinguished Professor of Engineering at Boston University's College of Engineering with primary appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and additional affiliations in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering. She holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Engineering and serves as faculty at the BU Photonics Center. Her groundbreaking work focuses on metamaterials with transformative applications in medical imaging and acoustic technologies. Dr. Zhang's research centers on metamaterials and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), with three key application areas: tunable metamaterials for photonic and optical applications, clinical medical imaging technologies (particularly MRI enhancement), and acoustic silencing and noise reduction systems. Her innovations include a wearable magnetic metamaterial helmet that significantly improves MRI scan quality and ultra-open metamaterials that block noise while maintaining airflow. Her recent publications demonstrate continued leadership in applying computational methods to metamaterial design, with significant focus on MRI enhancement and acoustic applications. The trend shows increasing integration of AI methods with physical metamaterial design for medical applications. Thomas A. Edison Patent Award (2025) for pioneering contributions to metamaterials STAT Madness All-Star Award (2023) for MRI-boosting metamaterial technology Guggenheim Fellowship (2022) recognizing her innovative work Election to National Academy of Inventors (2019) Multiple society fellowships including IEEE, APS, AAAS, and ASME Dr. Zhang actively mentors students and collaborates across disciplines, notably with Stephan Anderson from BU School of Medicine on MRI-related technologies. Her research has significant translational potential with several technologies moving toward clinical implementation. She leads the Laboratory for Microsystems Technology at Boston University, driving innovation at the intersection of physics, engineering design, and materials science.
Prof. Manuel Sierra Castañer is a full professor at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), serving as the Dean of the School of Telecommunications Engineering since May 2021. He holds a Telecommunication Engineering degree (1994) and a PhD (2000), both from UPM. His career includes roles as assistant and associate professor, research positions at Tokyo Tech and EPFL, and leadership in antenna measurement systems and international projects. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and Fellow of AMTA, with research focused on planar antennas and measurement systems. Notable achievements include the IEEE APS 2007 Schelkunoff Prize and leadership roles in EurAAP (Vice-Chair, General Chair for EuCAP 2022). He directed 7 PhD theses and led projects like FUTURE-RADIO and TERASENSE. His administrative roles include Director of International Cooperation at UPM (2010–2020) and leadership in the European School of Antennas. Key contributions span antenna design for 5G, satellite communications, and energy harvesting. He has authored 40+ journal papers and pioneered phaseless near-field techniques, robotic antenna measurement systems, and 3D-printed antenna components. His work bridges academic research with industry applications, emphasizing sustainable engineering education and global collaboration.
Helen Roberts is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at Aberystwyth University , where she has been a key figure since joining as a post-doctoral researcher in 1998 and becoming a Lecturer in 2005. She currently serves as Co-Director of the Aberystwyth Luminescence Research Laboratory (ALRL) and holds leadership roles in international bodies such as INQUA’s Stratigraphy and Geochronology Commission. PhD, University of Liverpool Her research focuses on luminescence dating of Quaternary sediments , with applications in understanding geomorphic change, coastal dynamics, paleoclimate, and human evolution . She has led major projects such as EQUATE and CREDit , funded by Horizon Europe and NERC, and has been involved in international drilling initiatives in Ethiopia and Italy. Her work integrates fieldwork, laboratory innovation, and data modeling to reconstruct environmental change over hundreds of thousands of years. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on refining luminescence techniques (e.g., pIRIR, TL in calcite), applying them to critical paleoenvironmental archives (lake sediments, loess, glacial deposits), and linking climate variability to human evolution. Her interdisciplinary approach spans geochronology, sedimentology, and paleoanthropology. Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales (2023) Professor Roberts has supervised PhD students, including Svenja Riedesel, and secured significant research grants from NERC, UK Space Agency, and the Welsh Government. She actively contributes to scientific discourse through media engagement and public outreach. Her work supports UN Sustainable Development Goals related to climate action and life on land. She leads and participates in numerous international collaborations and professional committees, reflecting her standing in the Quaternary science community. She is involved in several research groups and laboratories, most notably the Aberystwyth Luminescence Research Laboratory , where she co-directs methodological development and application of luminescence dating techniques. Her team collaborates globally on projects involving terrestrial archives, paleoclimate modeling, and human evolution.
Mari Lending is a Professor at the Institute of Architecture , Oslo School of Architecture and Design. Her work bridges architectural history, cultural heritage, and the epistemology of material reproduction. Key research areas: architectural history, cultural heritage, digital materiality, plaster monuments, museum studies, and architectural theory Her publications explore the cultural implications of architectural reproductions , historical narratives in design, and the role of archives in shaping architectural knowledge. She has contributed extensively to journals like Footprint , Architectural Histories , and Future Anterior , often in collaboration with scholars such as Tim Anstey and Erik Langdalen. Notable projects include: Proveniens prosjektert (Provenance Projected): Investigating circular economy principles in architectural heritage Warburg Models : Analyzing buildings as knowledge vehicles Plaster Monuments : Examining the power of architectural reproductions She has co-edited volumes on Images of Egypt and Modelling Time , and her 2024 works address geopolitics, auctioned architecture, and the Warburg Institute's legacy .
doc. dr Siniša Cvijić is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, University of Banja Luka. His research focuses on urban planning, cultural heritage preservation, and architectural history. He leads projects on heritage documentation using modern geodetic technologies and has contributed to studies on Austro-Hungarian military buildings, urban regeneration strategies, and cultural tourism potential. Key projects include 'Documentation of Architectural Cultural Heritage at Archaeological Sites Using Modern Geodetic Technologies' (2024-2025). He actively participates in international conferences, presenting on topics like rural settlement regeneration and city branding through cultural figures. His work bridges historical architectural analysis with contemporary urban challenges, emphasizing sustainable preservation and community-oriented development. Publications span journals like Buildings and SPATIUM International Review , addressing themes such as urban health landscapes, military building repurposing, and energy efficiency in historic structures. He collaborates with institutions like the Technical Institute of Bijeljina and has co-authored a notable monograph on interwar residential architecture in Banja Luka.
Morten Brun is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics, University of Bergen. His research spans computational topology, persistent homology, and applications in biology and data science. Email: morten.brun@uib.no Research Interests: He specializes in topological data analysis, focusing on sparse nerves, relative persistent homology, and computational geometry. His work applies topological methods to biological problems, including drug resistance modeling in tuberculosis and immune profiling in multiple sclerosis. Recent Publications: His 2025 work includes hypercubic modeling of tuberculosis drug resistance and high-dimensional immune profiling post-stem cell transplantation. Earlier articles explore computational topology techniques (2017-2024) and interdisciplinary applications in toxicology and systems biology.
Ali Ertürk is a Professor at Helmholtz Zentrum München, serving as Director of the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM). His work bridges cutting-edge technology and biomedical innovation, focusing on tissue clearing, spatial-omics, and AI-driven analysis to map biological systems at unprecedented resolution. His research spans three primary areas: Cellular & Systems Neuroscience Theoretical Neuroscience & Technical Applications Biomedical Neuroscience Keywords include tissue clearing, organoids, and neurodegeneration. Selected publications highlight advancements in vDISCO imaging, SHANEL protocols, and AI applications for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Graduated students include Dr. Chenchen Pan and Dr. Ruiyao Cai.
Christopher Pittard is a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Portsmouth, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, and has served as Course Leader since 2023. His research focuses on nineteenth-century popular culture, particularly Victorian detective fiction and performance magic. Current project: British Academy-funded study on Touristic Representations of Cornwall Recent monograph: Literary Illusions: Performance Magic in Victorian Literature (Edinburgh University Press, 2025) Active in editorial roles for journals like The Journal of Popular Culture and Victoriographies His work intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals for cultural preservation and education, with expertise spanning Victorian science, periodicals, and regional studies. Supervises PhD projects on topics including addiction, railways, and Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Key awards : RSVP Van Arsdel Prize (2006) AHRC Doctoral Award Funding (2002)
Dr. Shunqiao Sun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Alabama, College of Engineering. He joined the faculty in August 2019 as a tenure-track professor after working at Aptiv’s radar core team in Malibu, California. His research focuses on advanced signal processing, machine learning, and optimization for automotive and MIMO radar systems in autonomous vehicles. Ph.D. : Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, 2016 M.S. : Electrical Engineering, Fudan University, 2011 B.S. : Electrical Engineering, Southern Yangtze University, 2004 Dr. Sun's research lies at the intersection of statistical and sparse signal processing , mathematical optimization , and machine learning , with applications in automotive radar , MIMO radar , and autonomous driving . His work emphasizes sparsity-oriented frameworks, AI-powered radar perception, and high-resolution 4D sensing. He leads a dynamic research group focused on next-generation radar technologies for intelligent transportation systems. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend in deep learning for radar signal recovery , collaborative radar imaging , direction-of-arrival estimation with sparse arrays , and integrated sensing and communication . Several of his papers are among the most downloaded and cited in IEEE journals, including top articles in IEEE Signal Processing Magazine and IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing. Scientific Awards and Honors: NSF CAREER Award (2024) NSF CRII Award (2022) IEEE AESS Robert T. Hill Best Dissertation Award (2016) Best Student Paper Award at IEEE SAM Workshop (2020) Rutgers ECE Academic Achievement Award (2015–2016) University of Alabama Hewson Engineering Faculty Fellow (2025) Dr. Sun is actively involved in academic service and leadership. He is an Associate Editor for IEEE Signal Processing Letters and IEEE Open Journal of Signal Processing . He serves as Vice Chair of the IEEE Signal Processing Society’s Autonomous Systems Initiative and is an elected member of the IEEE Sensor Array and Multichannel (SAM) Technical Committee and the Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) Technical Working Group. He has co-organized numerous workshops and special sessions at ICASSP, EUSIPCO, and IEEE Radar Conference. His lab has secured significant research funding from the National Science Foundation , NXP Semiconductors , MathWorks , and NOAA . He mentors multiple Ph.D. students, several of whom have interned at leading industry labs such as NXP and GM Cruise. He has co-organized the Workshop on Signal Processing for Autonomous Systems (SPAS) at ICASSP and EUSIPCO and delivered invited seminars at institutions including TU Delft, UC Davis, and Lehigh University.
Abdelhak M. Zoubir is a Professor of Signal Processing and Head of the Signal Processing Group at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. He has held leadership roles including Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (2012–2014 and 2020–2022), and President of the European Association for Signal Processing (EURASIP, 2017–2018). His research focuses on statistical signal processing with applications in radar imaging, biomedical engineering, and automotive systems. Zoubir has authored over 500 publications and is a Fellow of IEEE and EURASIP. He currently leads projects on radar communication integration, robust signal processing algorithms, and radiation-hardened sensor development. Education: Dipl.-Ing. (BSc/MSc) from Fachhochschule Niederrhein and Ruhr-Universität Bochum, followed by a Dr.-Ing. (PhD) in Electrical Engineering from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (1992). Research Interests: Bootstrap techniques, robust detection/estimation, cooperative sensor networks, radar for landmine detection, and automotive safety systems. He has pioneered methods in robust statistical signal processing, including low-rank matrix completion and sparsity-aware algorithms. Recognition: Recipient of the IEEE Meritorious Service Award (2018), IEEE Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award (2017), and the M. Barry Carlton Award (2014). He has been a keynote speaker at major conferences such as ICASSP and EUSIPCO, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine (2012–2014). Current Projects: Focus on automotive radar signal processing, radiation-hardened sensors (MALTA), and distributed learning robustness. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications in defense, healthcare, and automotive industries.
Professor David McGloin is a Personal Chair and Head of School at the School of Natural and Computing Sciences, University of Aberdeen, a position he has held since September 2022. He is actively involved in research, teaching, and leadership, supervising PhD students and developing new courses in optics. His academic journey includes faculty roles at the University of Dundee and the University of Technology Sydney, where he served as Director of Research Programs in the Faculty of Engineering and IT. MSci (Hons) in Laser Physics and Optoelectronics, University of St. Andrews (1997) PhD in Physics, University of St. Andrews (2001) David McGloin's research centers on optics, particularly optical trapping, beam shaping, and their applications in biomedical and environmental sciences, including aerosol analysis and biophotonics. He also explores THz beam shaping and microfluidics. His work bridges physics, engineering, and life sciences, with a strong emphasis on experimental and computational photonics. His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on optical manipulation techniques, especially using Bessel beams and holographic methods, with applications in aerosol dynamics, single-pixel imaging, and biomedical force measurements. The trend shows increasing interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating optics with immunology, environmental science, and advanced manufacturing. Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2003) McGloin has supervised numerous PhD and postgraduate students and has led major research initiatives across institutions. His leadership roles include Head of Physics and Associate Dean for Research at Dundee, and Director of Research Programs at UTS. He has secured significant research funding, though specific grants are not detailed in the text. He is currently accepting PhD students in physics, particularly in experimental or computational optics and photonics. He is a member of professional bodies including the Institute of Physics (MInstP), Senior Member of Optica, and Chartered Physicist (CPhys). His research group focuses on developing novel optical tools for scientific and industrial applications, with strong ties to interdisciplinary teams in biophysics and environmental monitoring.
Nick Dempsey is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Monash University's Department of Forensic Medicine and the Academic Division of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine. His work integrates AI with forensic medicine, focusing on facial anatomy reconstruction from skeletal remains to aid missing persons identification. He collaborates with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to enhance guidelines for protecting human remains from unlawful killings. Dempsey holds a PhD in Forensic Medicine from Monash University, awarded in 2022. Education: PhD in Forensic Medicine: The Analysis of Skeletal Trauma in Medicolegal Contexts Research Interests: Forensic Anthropology & Medicine Machine Learning (Object Detection, Image Classification) Public Health (Epidemiology & Statistics) Key Contributions: Dempsey’s articles address medicolegal challenges in human rights investigations, femicide prevention via mixed methods, and machine learning applications in trauma analysis. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in justice and gender equality. Awards: Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend (2018) Advising & Grants: Supervised an honours student on female homicide patterns and provided consultancy for Guatemala’s Forensic Anthropology Foundation and the UN OHCHR. His activities include developing international guidelines on human rights investigations. Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions and Monash’s forensic medicine team.
Professor Ran Levi is a Chair in Mathematical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen, affiliated with the School of Natural and Computing Sciences and the Department of Mathematics. His research bridges pure mathematics and neuroscience, focusing on algebraic topology and its applications to neural systems. BSc in Mathematics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (1988) PhD in Mathematics, University of Rochester (1993) His research interests include Algebraic Topology , Homotopy Theory of classifying spaces , Combinatorial Topology , and Neuro-Topology —the application of topological methods to neuroscience. He leads the Aberdeen Neuro-Topology Research Group and collaborates with the Blue Brain Project at EPFL. His work explores how topological and geometric frameworks can model and predict neural structures, potentially inspiring new mathematical concepts. Recent publications reveal a strong trend in topological data analysis of neural circuits , p-local groups , and combinatorial constructions in topology. His interdisciplinary work appears in journals such as iScience , eLife , PLOS ONE , and Algebraic & Geometric Topology . His research has been supported by grants including: EPSRC: Topological Analysis of Neural Systems (EP/P025072/1) Collaboration with École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Blue Brain Project) Professor Levi has advised several researchers, including Dejan Govc, Janis Lazovskis, Henri Riihimaki, and Jason Smith. He is actively involved in international collaborations with mathematicians and neuroscientists across Europe and the US. He is a key member of the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) at Aberdeen and contributes to the AberdeenML and Cybersecurity and Privacy research groups. His work exemplifies the growing synergy between mathematics and computational neuroscience.
Florian Albrecht-Schoeck is a German artist and Researcher at the Offenbach University of Art and Design . His work bridges Photography , Artificial Intelligence , and Machine Learning , exploring themes of roots, identity, origin, and belonging within societal, political, and individual contexts . He co-teaches the Photography Fundamentals course with Prof. Martin Liebscher. Albrecht-Schoeck’s artistic practice involves analog, digital, and virtual photography . His series like Not Alone (2021/2022) and Squares (2023) analyze the medium’s evolving role in the age of AI. He integrates research into teaching , helping students navigate complex technologies through projects like No way Back: Photography without Photographs (2024/2025). He has received notable awards and scholarships , including the Brückenstipendium der Hessischen Kulturstiftung (2021) and Deutsche Börse Fotoförderpreis (2011). His works are housed in collections such as the Art Collection Deutsche Börse and the Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte in Marburg . Key exhibitions include Roots Retropia Rage Repeat (2018) and Fotografie ohne Fotografie (2025). He also contributes to pedagogical projects , such as the annual ZuTaten publications and exhibitions (2024/2025).
