Roles and Affiliations: Michelle Tan is a Research Fellow at Monash University's Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, collaborating with the National Centre for Healthy Ageing and Australian Department of Health. She holds honorary positions at King’s College London (Affiliate Research Fellow) and the University of Queensland (Adjunct Research Fellow). Her work focuses on evidence-based guideline development, health policy, and leveraging large datasets to inform national policies. Education: PhD in Medicine (The University of Sydney, 2020) Research Training: King’s College London, Monash University, and Newcastle University. Research Interests: Her expertise spans clinical guidelines, multimorbidity, healthy ageing, and obesity research. She applies advanced statistical methods to study chronic disease management, public health policy, and healthcare quality improvement. Grants and Awards: NHMRC Ideas Grant (2025-2029) European Association for the Study of Obesity Travel Grant (2024) University of Sydney SEED Grant (2019) Multiple scholarships including Commonwealth Government Research Training Program (2017-2020). Key Collaborations: Works with Dr. Nic Kormas on NSW bariatric surgery programs, and with institutions like the NIHR Policy Research Unit (UK), LSE, and WHO-linked initiatives. Labs/Teams: Leads projects in metabolic health, guideline development, and policy analysis across multiple institutions in Australia and the UK.
Dr. Shanmuga Sundar Dhanabalan is an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the School of Engineering at RMIT University, specializing in flexible/stretchable electronics, wearable biosensors, and photonics. His research focuses on smart medical devices like Smart Mattresses for aged care and Smart Eye Patches for chronic eye disease management. He collaborates extensively with industry and holds roles in research supervision and curriculum development. **Affiliations**: Functional Materials and Microsystems Research Group, RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia). **Research Interests**: Wearable sensors, optical communications, photonics, antennas, and sustainable nanomaterials. His work bridges materials science with healthcare technologies, emphasizing practical industry applications. **Awards**: Fondecyt Postdoctoral Fellowship (2018), TEQIP Doctoral Scholarship (2013), and fellowships with the Optical Society of India and Computer Science Teacher Association. **Supervision & Grants**: Active in mentoring postgraduate research projects (e.g., smart sensors, bioelectronic devices). His publications span over 60 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Optical and Quantum Electronics and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews . **Labs/Teams**: Engaged in cross-disciplinary teams developing wearable health monitoring technologies and sustainable materials for electronics.
Prof. Sudharsanan Nikkil is a Rudolf-Mößbauer Assistant Professor and head of the Behavioral Sciences in Prevention and Care at the TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich. His research focuses on applying behavioral science insights to improve preventive healthcare in low- and middle-income countries, particularly addressing cardiovascular disease prevention and aging societies in Asia and Africa. He holds a BA from UC Berkeley, MPH from Emory University, and MS/PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Key research areas include: Behavioral determinants of health decisions Interventions to enhance preventive care delivery Health systems strengthening in LMICs Awards: Lehrpreis Beste Vorlesung (2025) Falling Walls Science Breakthrough Finalist (2022) Delta Omega Honor Society (2013) Recent Work Trends: His 2025 studies emphasize randomized trials on hypertension management, health insurance utilization, and the HEARTS initiative for CVD reduction. 2023-2024 work explores machine learning applications in cardiovascular risk prediction and WhatsApp-based interventions for follow-up adherence.
Edgar Engleman is a Professor of Pathology and of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology) at Stanford University School of Medicine. He is a leading figure in cellular immunology, with major contributions to cancer immunotherapy, immune tolerance, and myeloid cell biology. He holds key affiliations with the Stanford Cancer Institute, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Bio-X, and the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI). He serves as Co-Director of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy and as Medical Director of the Stanford Blood Center. Professor, Department of Pathology, Stanford University Professor, Department of Medicine (Immunology and Rheumatology), Stanford University Co-Director, Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy, Stanford Cancer Institute Medical Director, Stanford Blood Center Member, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Member, Bio-X Member, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) Dr. Engleman’s research focuses on the biology of immune cells, especially dendritic cells, macrophages, and neutrophils, in cancer, autoimmunity, organ transplantation, and metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. His lab was instrumental in developing Sipuleucel-T (Provenge), the first FDA-approved cell-based cancer immunotherapy. Current work includes reprogramming immunosuppressive myeloid cells, studying lymph node-mediated immune tolerance in metastasis, and targeting novel immune checkpoints. His lab also investigates microglia in neurodegeneration and retinoic acid in colorectal cancer immunity. His recent publications (2022–2025) reveal a strong emphasis on myeloid cell function in tumor immunosuppression, mechanisms of metastasis, and novel therapeutic strategies including neutrophil activation, GPR65 inhibition, and EPO/EPOR blockade. His work integrates advanced technologies such as multiplex imaging, deep sequencing, and machine learning (e.g., CELESTA algorithm) to dissect immune cell interactions and tissue architecture. Notable scientific contributions include: Development of the first FDA-approved cancer vaccine (Provenge) Discovery of lymph node-induced immune tolerance promoting metastasis Identification of novel myeloid immune checkpoints Therapeutic reprogramming of tumor-associated myeloid cells Role of microglia in neurodegeneration and its pharmacological targeting Link between retinoic acid deficiency and impaired anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer Dr. Engleman actively mentors numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, advising on doctoral theses and research projects across immunology, cancer biology, and pathology. His lab receives substantial research funding, enabling extensive studies in mouse models and human tissues. He also contributes to education through directed reading and research courses. The Engleman Lab functions as a collaborative Cellular Immunology Lab (CIL), fostering innovation and high-risk research. It utilizes cutting-edge tools including flow cytometry and mass cytometry to map immune responses system-wide. Ongoing efforts aim to translate mechanistic discoveries into clinical applications for cancer, autoimmune disorders, and transplant tolerance.
Rupert Wimmer is a Professor at the Institute of Wood Technology and Renewable Resources of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. He serves as an Editorial Board Member for journals like Frontiers in Chemistry and Wood and Fiber Science , and has been a Review Editor for ISRN Forestry (2009–2018). His work bridges wood science , renewable materials , and dendrochronology , with a focus on 3D-printed bio-composites , triboelectric wood processing , and climate reconstruction . His research spans Biocomposites: Innovations in lignin-based materials , wood-plastic composites , and fully recyclable wall systems . Wood Technology: Studies on surface activation , mechanical properties , and dust reduction during machining. Dendrochronology: Climate history analysis via tree rings and wood chemistry . The most recent articles explore circular economy in construction, electrostatic wood treatment , and drought proxies , reflecting his interdisciplinary approach. Awards include Rudolf Sallinger S&B Innovation Award nominations (2018, 2019) German Study Prize for Wood Materials Research (2010) Fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science (2005) He has supervised over 74 theses, including Roman Myna (2025) on innovative dust reduction and Raphaela Hellmayr (2024) on wood-based circular bioeconomy . Grants from EU , FFG , and Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung fund his work. Collaborations span institutions in Australia, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Arlene Casey is a Vivensa Foundation Senior Research Fellow at the Usher Institute within the University of Edinburgh 's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. With over 18 years of industry experience in pharmaceutical research and a PhD in Natural Language Processing (NLP) from Edinburgh (2020), she specializes in developing algorithms for responsible use of unstructured health data in secure environments. Roles: NLP Programme Lead and Principal NLP Data Scientist at DataLoch Education: B.Sc (Hons) in Mathematics for Business Analysis, M.Sc (Distinction), PhD in NLP Her research focuses on applying NLP and machine learning to uncover hidden patterns in clinical free-text data, particularly for understanding aging, mental health, and risk indicators. Current projects include: Proleptic Fellowship with Dunhill Medical Trust (2023-2028, £292,090): Improving prediction models for later-life syndromes SARA Project (2023, £478,762): Risk assessment in clinical free-text De-identification of narrative EHRs (2022-2023, £170,000) She leads the MSc Data Science for Health and Social Care program and actively supervises postgraduate students. Awards include the Scottish Health Innovation Conference Best Oral Presentation (2023) and Alan Turing enrichment funding (2022).
Seonjoo Lee is an Associate Professor of Clinical Biostatistics (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. She is affiliated with the Data Science Institute (DSI) and serves on the Computational Social Science Committee. Her research focuses on biostatistical methods for neuroimaging and psychiatric studies. B.S. and M.S. in Statistics from Seoul National University Ph.D. in Statistics and Operations Research from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Postdoctoral training in Biostatistics/Biomedical Engineering at Henry Jackson Foundation and Johns Hopkins University Dr. Lee's research bridges biostatistics , neuroimaging , and psychiatric epidemiology . Key areas include: Statistical modeling of neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, ALS) Maternal/child health interactions using large-scale data Machine learning approaches for functional connectivity analysis Longitudinal studies of cognitive aging and sleep disorders Publication trends show expertise in Alzheimer's disease , maternal health , and neuroimaging biomarkers . Her work combines multimodal data fusion , epidemiological modeling , and computational psychiatry .
Ting Du, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center's School of Medicine and Dentistry. She leads the Du Lab, focusing on brain fluid homeostasis and its role in neurological diseases. Faculty: Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology Institution: University of Rochester Medical Center Lab: Du Lab Collaborations: Nedergaard Lab, Center for Translational Neuromedicine Research Interests: The Du Lab investigates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics, glymphatic system function, and cervical lymphatic vessels in Alzheimer's disease, hydrocephalus, and traumatic brain injury. Key projects include: Restoring cervical lymphatic function to improve CSF drainage in aging Characterizing the subarachnoid lymphatic-like membrane (SLYM) in trauma Probing choroid plexus regulation in hydrocephalus Publication Trends: Recent work spans Neuroscience , Neurodegeneration , and Biophysics , with emphasis on: Glymphatic dysfunction in Alzheimer's Arterial pulsation-driven CSF flow Aquaporin-4's role in interstitial fluid Machine learning-based flow quantification Lab Affiliations: The Du Lab is part of the Neuroscience Ph.D. Program and Pathology - Cell Biology of Disease program, collaborating with experts in neuroimaging , fluid dynamics , and neurotherapeutics .
Dr. Thomas V. Caprio is a Professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center across multiple departments including Medicine (Geriatrics/Aging) , Dentistry , Psychiatry , Public Health Sciences , and SON Faculty . He serves as the Chief Medical Officer for UR Medicine Home Care and the Hospice Medical Director . A national leader in geriatrics and palliative care education, he directs the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center and has transformed age-friendly healthcare systems through workforce development and policy innovation. Key Research Areas: Aging and Geriatric Care End-of-Life Care Home Health Services Dementia and Caregiver Support Health Disparities Deprescribing and Medication Safety Scientific Awards & Recognitions: 2023 Faculty Academic Mentoring Award 2023 Walter M. Beatty Jr. Distinguished Membership Award 2023 Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America 2017 Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine 2015 Fellow of the American Geriatrics Society 2013 Dean's Teaching Fellowship His publications focus on optimizing care transitions, reducing hospitalizations in nursing homes, improving oral health for dementia patients, and advancing age-friendly clinical practices. Current work emphasizes system-level transformation for age-friendly care, addressing health equity, and enhancing quality of life for older adults and their caregivers.
Professor Weixiang Shen is a full Professor in the Department of Engineering Technologies at the School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. He holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and has extensive academic experience across China, Germany, Singapore, and Malaysia. Bachelor of Engineering (BEng), Electrical Engineering Master of Engineering (MEng), Electrical Engineering Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Electrical Engineering His research focuses on battery management systems for electric vehicles and renewable energy integration. Key areas include battery capacity estimation, charging strategies, fault diagnosis, thermal and mechanical management, and grid integration of EVs. He employs advanced techniques such as physics-informed machine learning, electrochemical modeling, and multidimensional sensing to enhance battery safety and performance. His recent publications (2024–2025) reveal a strong trend toward intelligent battery health monitoring, degradation modeling, and innovative thermal management using origami-inspired designs. These works appear in top journals like Applied Energy , IEEE Transactions , and Journal of Energy Chemistry . Associate Editor, IET Power Electronics Editorial Board Member, Journal of Energy Storage Founding Board Member, Vehicles Guest Editor, Applied Energy , Journal of Cleaner Production , Energy General Chair, ICEEE2018 Program Chair, CoEEPE2023 Professor Shen actively supervises PhD and Master’s students in areas such as battery fault diagnosis, energy storage, and control systems. His research is supported by grants from the Australian Research Council, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, and industry partners. He leads projects on intelligent energy management, battery testing, and EV control systems. His lab explores cutting-edge topics including solid-state batteries, multidimensional sensing, and origami-based thermal solutions for battery packs.
Susanne Schmeidl is a Fulbright Scholar and Honorary Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney's School of Social Sciences. She specializes in conflict studies, forced migration, and post-conflict development, with expertise in early warning systems and inclusive peacebuilding. Her career spans over two decades of work with organizations like the UN Refugee Agency, Swiss Peace Foundation, and civil society groups in Afghanistan. PhD in Sociology - The Ohio State University (USA) MA in Sociology - The Ohio State University (USA) Bachelor (Honours) in Social Pedagogy/Social Work - University of Applied Sciences Nürnberg (Germany) Her research focuses on: Drivers of conflict and forced displacement Early warning and conflict prevention mechanisms Participatory peacebuilding in fragile contexts Development challenges in post-conflict societies Hybrid security arrangements and civil-military relations Recent publications (2023-2025) emphasize conflict sensitivity frameworks, ethical knowledge co-production in Afghanistan, and institutional analysis of migration systems. She co-edited the 2025 volume on conflict sensitivity trends and contributed to studies on refugee storytelling, aging in the Global South, and data challenges in displacement analysis. Scientific recognition includes the Fulbright Scholarship. She actively engages with the Sydney peacebuilding community and serves on the Board of Peacifica.
Eli Anne Eiesland is an Associate Professor in the Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education at the Faculty of Education and International Studies, Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). Her work bridges linguistic research and classroom practice, with a strong focus on grammar instruction, language didactics, and the evolution of Norwegian in educational materials. Her research interests include language didactics , grammar pedagogy , linguistic change in textbooks , second language acquisition , and exploratory approaches to language teaching . She investigates how grammar is taught in schools, how language evolves in educational contexts, and how students and teachers engage with language as a system. Her recent work explores the impact of digital tools and AI on language learning and writing motivation. The trends in her publications show a consistent focus on contextualized grammar teaching , teacher reflection , and language change in educational materials . Her interdisciplinary approach combines corpus linguistics, pedagogical theory, and classroom-based research. She frequently collaborates with colleagues such as Urd Vindenes and Signe Laake, contributing to both Norwegian and international scholarly discourse. Scientific contributions and dissemination: Over 11 scientific publications, including articles in Journal of Child Language , Nordic Journal of Linguistics , and Pedagogical Linguistics 2 textbooks, including Utforskende arbeid med grammatikk i skolen (2022) 1 research report on Norwegian noun-noun compounds (2016) 73 dissemination works, including public lectures, conference presentations, and media contributions Eiesland actively contributes to teacher education and curriculum development. She has been involved in projects integrating linguistics into teacher training and analyzing language change in national curricula. Her work supports both pre-service and in-service teachers in developing deeper metalinguistic awareness and innovative teaching strategies. She has presented at national and international conferences, including the International Conference on Construction Grammar and the NordAnd conference. She is a key member of the Text and Disciplinary Didactics research group at OsloMet, where she collaborates on projects related to language learning, grammar instruction, and textbook analysis. Her work emphasizes practical applications of linguistic research in educational settings, aiming to enhance both teaching quality and student engagement with language.
Anthony Masure is an Associate Professor at Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève) , part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO) . His work bridges Artificial Intelligence , Blockchain , and Digital Humanities through critical design lenses. He explores tensions between creative automation and human agency , questioning how machine learning and smart technologies reshape authorship, value systems, and ecological practices in design. Key research areas: AI ethics , NFT implications , post-digital design , and technological accountability Projects like "Design et machine learning : l'automatisation au pouvoir?" (2021-2023) and "Post digital Graphic Design" (2019-2022) demonstrate his focus on critical technological engagements Advocates for open access and non-traditional research formats through initiatives like HEAD-Publishing His recent articles analyze generative AI in design, NFT governance , and circular design frameworks. Collaborations with researchers like Guillaume Helleu and Yves Citton emphasize socio-technical implications. Current projects include "L'organisation autonome automatisée (OAA)" (2024), exploring future enterprise models under climate constraints.
Dr. Pirro Hysi is a Reader (equivalent to Associate Professor) in Ophthalmology at King's College London, where he serves as School Academic Lead for Postgraduate Research within the School of Life Course & Population Sciences. His work bridges genetics, genomics, and ophthalmology, with a focus on understanding the genetic basis of eye diseases and related conditions. Dr. Hysi's research spans multiple areas of genetic ophthalmology and population genomics. His work primarily focuses on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genetic variants associated with eye conditions including myopia, glaucoma, keratoconus, and age-related macular degeneration. He also investigates the intersection of genetics with metabolomics, exploring how metabolic pathways influence ocular health and disease progression. His research has expanded into machine learning applications for disease prediction and the genetic basis of systemic conditions that impact eye health. His publication record demonstrates a strong focus on large-scale genetic studies, often leveraging data from the UK Biobank and other international cohorts. Recent work has expanded into applying machine learning approaches to predict disease progression and exploring the genetic basis of conditions beyond ophthalmology, including cardiovascular health, metabolic disorders, and pregnancy-related conditions. Dr. Hysi serves as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on multiple research projects funded by organizations including Fight for Sight, the BrightFocus Foundation, NIH, and the Fetal Medicine Foundation. His current projects include investigating metabolic factors in age-related eye diseases, developing vision measurement technology, and identifying glaucoma therapy targets through multi-omic analysis. He is actively involved in several major research consortia, particularly the UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium, and has contributed to numerous large-scale genetic studies across multiple medical specialties. His work has been featured in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, JAMA Ophthalmology, and Nature Medicine.
Prof. Dr. Rainer Heintzmann serves as Head of the Microscopy Department at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT) in Jena, Germany. His research focuses on advancing optical microscopy techniques, particularly super-resolution methods that surpass the diffraction limit to visualize cellular structures at nanoscale resolution. His primary research interests center on structured illumination microscopy (SIM), point spread function modeling, and computational imaging techniques. He has made significant contributions to developing automated multicolor SIM systems, extreme ultraviolet microscopy approaches, and deep learning-enhanced image analysis methods. His work bridges optical physics, computational algorithms, and biomedical applications, with particular emphasis on making advanced microscopy techniques more accessible through open-source hardware and software solutions. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on overcoming fundamental limitations in optical microscopy. His research spans from theoretical modeling of optical systems to practical implementations for biological imaging. Key trends include the development of more accurate point spread function calculations, expansion of super-resolution techniques to new wavelength regimes, and integration of machine learning for image analysis and segmentation. Prof. Heintzmann actively collaborates with researchers across multiple institutions, as evidenced by his co-authorship on numerous interdisciplinary publications. His work has appeared in high-impact journals including Nature Methods, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, and Optics Express, reflecting the significance of his contributions to advancing microscopy techniques. His laboratory at Leibniz-IPHT appears to focus on developing novel microscopy instrumentation, particularly open-source implementations of super-resolution techniques. Recent projects include the openSIMMO platform for automated multicolor structured illumination microscopy and work on extreme ultraviolet microscopy that could potentially extend super-resolution capabilities into the X-ray regime.
