Prof. Dr. Gernot R. Müller-Putz is Head of the Institute of Neural Engineering and the Graz Brain-Computer Interface Lab at Graz University of Technology. He serves as Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science & Biomedical Engineering and holds editorial roles at Frontiers in Human Neuroscience IEEE Transactions in Biomedical Engineering Brain-Computer Interface Journal . With over 212 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 80, his research focuses on Brain-Computer Interfaces , Neuroprosthetics , and EEG-based Motor Control . His work investigates: Neural signal decoding for spinal cord injury rehabilitation Hybrid BCI systems with error processing Artificial sensory feedback mechanisms Machine learning applications in neural engineering VR-based neurofeedback environments Non-invasive multimodal biosignal recording Research trends show strong emphasis on EEG signal processing , BCI clinical applications , and neurotechnology integration . Scientific Awards : ERC Consolidator Grant (2015) Ludwig-Guttman Award (2017) CYBATHLON Best Paper (2019) State of Styria Research Award (2019) Förderstipendium (2013-2014) He advises 21 PhD students and has managed major projects like MoreGrasp (EU Horizon 2020) , Feel Your Reach (ERC) , and INTRECOM (EU EIC Pathfinder) . The Institute hosts the BCI Racing Team Mirage91 and offers international thesis opportunities.
Ayesha Ali is a Professor of Statistics and Director of the Master of Data Science program at the University of Guelph. She holds a PhD in Statistics from the University of Washington (2002) and has expertise in statistical methods for complex high-dimensional systems, including ecological networks, causal inference, and bioinformatics. Her research integrates graphical Markov models, machine learning, and statistical computing to address challenges in plant-pollinator networks, livestock genetics, and disease risk modeling. Education: B.Sc. Honours in Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Western Ontario (1996) M.Sc. in Statistics, University of Toronto (1998) Ph.D. in Statistics, University of Washington (2002) Research Interests: Graphical Markov models and ecological networks Causal inference and longitudinal data analysis Machine learning and high-dimensional predictive modeling Statistical methods for livestock genetics and animal health Computational statistics and bioinformatics Articles Trends: Her recent work spans interdisciplinary applications, including veterinary oncology biomarker discovery, remote sensing for agricultural suitability, and pipeline development for cross-species transcriptomics. She emphasizes graphical structure exploitation in regression and predictive modeling, with contributions to both theoretical and applied statistical methodologies. Awards: Canadian Journal of Statistics Award (2020) for groundbreaking work on doubly sparse regression NSERC Discovery Grant (2018) NSERC Collaborative Research and Development Grant (2015) Advising & Grants: She has supervised numerous graduate and undergraduate students on projects ranging from plant-pollinator network analysis to bioinformatics. Her grants include NSERC-funded research on milk fatty acid genetics and statistical methods for clustered data. Labs/Teams: Involved in the Bioinformatics program at the University of Guelph, contributing to interdisciplinary research collaborations in ecology and animal science.
Qiushi Fu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Central Florida, focusing on neuromuscular control, human-robot interaction, and biomechanics. His work leverages assistive and rehabilitation technologies to improve motor function and performance. Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering – Arizona State University M.S. in Mechanical Engineering – State University of New York at Buffalo B.S. in Automation – Tsinghua University Research interests include sensorimotor learning, bioinspired robotics, and rehabilitation prosthetics, integrating neuroscience, robotics, and machine learning. His recent publications emphasize adaptive control in dexterous manipulation, haptic communication, and wearable rehabilitation devices. Fu leads a multidisciplinary lab advancing human movement through technology, with applications in stroke recovery and prosthetic design. His work demonstrates trends in machine learning integration for neural decoding, bioinspired exoskeletons, and collaborative human-robot systems. Though no specific awards are listed, his research has been published in high-impact journals like Frontiers in Neurorobotics and Journal of Neuroscience .
Marco Rozendaal is a researcher at Delft University of Technology's Industrial Design Engineering department, specializing in Human-Centered Design and Human Technology Relations. He focuses on ethical dimensions of technology, human-robot interaction, wearable health solutions, and critical design philosophies. His work bridges theoretical research and practical applications, such as designing embodied coaches for stroke rehabilitation and exploring moral stress in technical practice. Research Interests: Rozendaal investigates how technology impacts human behavior and ethics, emphasizing embodied interaction, friction in digital systems, and healthcare innovations. Notable areas include AI ethics, wearable technologies for body awareness, and the sociotechnical implications of robotics in workplaces and healthcare settings. His projects often involve interdisciplinary collaborations with theater professionals, medical practitioners, and farmers. Publications Trends: His recent work highlights themes like moral stress in technical fields, human-robot collaboration in mixed-reality environments, and ethical design frameworks. Key contributions include guidelines for robot communication in dairy farming and critical analyses of seamless technology's societal impacts. Awards: He received the 2018 Best Paper Award for exploring ambiguity in behavioral design, recognizing his contributions to design theory and ethics. Teaching & Projects: Rozendaal teaches courses like Design in Robotics and Videography . He leads research initiatives such as Wearable Technology for Increased Body Awareness and MUG CUP , which support parents of hospitalized children. His work also addresses the 'New Normal' in post-pandemic design practices. Labs & Teams: His research is conducted within TU Delft's Human-Centered Design group, collaborating with industry partners and academic networks to advance ethical and human-centric technological solutions.
Roee Holtzer is a Professor at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology and Department of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He holds dual faculty appointments bridging psychology and clinical neurology. His research focuses on brain mechanisms underlying cognitive and motor function in aging and neurological diseases, with emphasis on dual-task walking, prefrontal cortex activation, and cognitive reserve. Dr. Holtzer directs the Clinical Neuropsychology minor and teaches courses like Clinical Neuropsychology I/II and Neuropsychology Research Seminars. Education: MA and PhD from Binghamton University. Postdoctoral training at Columbia University’s Sergievsky Center. Licensed psychologist in NY State. His work integrates neuropsychology, neuroimaging (fNIRS), and clinical trials to develop interventions for mobility and cognition in aging populations. Key research areas include multiple sclerosis, mild cognitive impairment, and the effects of comorbidities like asthma on neurological functioning. Over 100 peer-reviewed publications focus on neural efficiency, physical/cognitive reserve, and interdisciplinary interventions. Active in mentoring graduate students conducting predoctoral projects on topics like music therapy effects, social support, and gender differences in cognitive decline. His lab collaborates with institutions like Montefiore Medical Center and uses advanced tools like functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to study brain-behavior relationships.
Stef Aupers serves as Professor of Media Culture at KU Leuven's Institute for Media Studies within the Faculty of Social Sciences. His research centers on cultural sociology of media, examining meaning production, representation, and consumption in contemporary digital cultures with particular focus on conspiracy theories, game studies, and religious mediatization. His primary research domains include: Conspiracy Theory Discourse in Digital Spaces Digital Game Culture and Social Dynamics Religion-Media Intersections Popular Culture Analysis Mediatization of Modern Myth Analysis of his 2021-2025 publications reveals consistent exploration of how conspiracy theorists construct worldviews through digital platforms, the commodification of religion in gaming ecosystems, and socio-technical exclusion mechanisms. His work demonstrates methodological sophistication in analyzing YouTube/Reddit communities, audiovisual rhetoric, and epistemological boundary work between mainstream and alternative knowledge systems. Aupers actively contributes as keynote speaker, conference organizer, and academic journal reviewer, with expertise spanning media analysis, conspiracy culture interpretation, and science-religion discourse. His research provides critical frameworks for understanding contemporary digital culture's most contentious phenomena through cultural sociological lenses.
Martin Andersen is an Associate Professor with the Water Research Laboratory and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). His research focuses on hydrogeology, groundwater dynamics, and surface water-groundwater interactions, with particular emphasis on coastal zone processes and reactive flow and transport modeling. Dr. Andersen's research interests span several critical areas in hydrogeology and environmental science. His work on reactive flow and transport modeling examines how chemical reactions affect water movement through geological formations. He investigates geochemical processes and groundwater dynamics in coastal zones, which is crucial for understanding saltwater intrusion and managing coastal aquifers. His research on surface water-groundwater interactions helps inform sustainable water resource management, particularly in Australia's diverse hydrological environments. Andersen has made significant contributions to understanding how climate variability affects groundwater recharge processes and the implications for water security in arid and semi-arid regions. Analysis of Dr. Andersen's recent publications reveals a strong focus on understanding complex hydrological systems through innovative methodologies. His work spans multiple disciplines including hydrogeology, climate science, biogeochemistry, and computational modeling. A key trend in his research is the investigation of groundwater dynamics in various environmental contexts - from arid zone aquifers to coastal wetlands and fractured rock systems. He employs diverse approaches including field monitoring networks, laboratory experiments, statistical modeling, and paleoclimate reconstructions to address pressing water resource challenges. His research has significant implications for sustainable groundwater management, climate adaptation strategies, and ecosystem conservation. Dr. Andersen is actively involved in several research teams and laboratories. As an Associate Director in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UNSW, he contributes to the Water Research Laboratory's mission of advancing water science and engineering. His work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations across hydrology, geology, environmental science, and climate research. Through his leadership in establishing monitoring networks and conducting field experiments, he has helped build valuable infrastructure for ongoing water research in Australia.
Carolyn Strange is a Professor and former Head of the School of History at the Australian National University (ANU). She holds adjunct and visiting professorships at Murdoch University and the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on legal, social, and cultural history, particularly crime and justice, gender studies, and environmental history. She has taught at institutions in Canada, the U.S., and Australia, and her work bridges academia with public engagement through museum exhibitions and symposia. Strange has been awarded prestigious fellowships at Warwick, Macquarie, and Sydney Universities, and is a Fellow of both the Academy of Social Sciences and the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Her research has been supported by grants from the Australian Research Council and others, including a five-year strategic grant for a cross-campus network on the History and Legacies of Violence. She currently leads a working group on Coercive Control funded by the ANU Gender Institute. Her research interests span gendered homicide, capital punishment, and historical memory. Recent projects include analyzing inter-gender homicide in NSW and examining public attitudes toward coercive control. She has published extensively on crime, justice, and gender in Canadian, Australian, and British contexts. Strange’s teaching expertise includes graduate training, having founded ANU’s Cross-Cultural Research and History graduate programs. She has also served as an external assessor for Hong Kong’s Lingnan University History Department and curates exhibitions linking history with contemporary issues. Key achievements include the 2013 ‘Researcher of the Year’ award from the New York State Archives and a 2014 Huntington Library Fellowship. Her work often involves interdisciplinary collaboration with scholars in law, environmental science, and media studies.
János Kertész is a Professor at the Department of Network and Data Science at Central European University (CEU) since 2012, and previously held the position of Professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (1992–2018). He obtained his PhD in Physics from Eötvös University (1980) and DSc from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1989). His research spans statistical physics applications, complex networks, and financial analysis. He has authored over 280 papers and served on editorial boards of journals like Journal of Physics A and Physical Review E . His research focuses on interdisciplinary topics including social network dynamics, systemic risk in economic systems, and algorithmic bias in digital environments. Notable awards include the Széchenyi Prize (Hungary’s highest scientific honor) and the Finland Distinguished Professorship. He has led projects such as SAI (Socially Explainable AI) and HUMANE-AI-NET, addressing algorithmic bias and AI ethics. His work bridges physics-based modeling with real-world social and economic systems, emphasizing computational approaches to corruption, opinion formation, and innovation diffusion. Key contributions include modeling cascading failures in interdependent networks and analyzing attention dynamics on platforms like Sina Weibo during the pandemic. He advises on systemic risk mitigation strategies and collaborates internationally, with visiting roles in Germany, the U.S., France, Italy, and Finland.
Engin Erzin is a Professor at Koç University's College of Engineering, leading the KUIS AI Lab and Multimedia, Vision and Graphics Lab . His research focuses on AI-driven human-centric systems, affective computing, and multimodal interaction analysis. He has contributed extensively to robotics, speech processing, and human-robot interaction through over 70 peer-reviewed publications since 2008. Research interests include: Affective computing and emotion recognition from speech/gestures Human-robot interaction and socially engaging agents Speech-driven animation and gesture synthesis Multimodal data fusion for interaction analysis Deep learning applications in robotics and biomedical engineering Recent work emphasizes: Developing adaptive pHRI controllers for manufacturing tasks Creating engagement measurement frameworks for human-machine interfaces Advancing Turkish speech recognition through self-supervised learning Designing multimodal databases for interaction studies Labs: KUIS AI Lab : Focuses on AI applications in robotics and human-computer interaction Multimedia Lab : Specializes in vision, graphics, and audiovisual analysis
Sarah D. Wald is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies & English at the University of Oregon's College of Arts and Sciences. She also serves as Director of Graduate Admissions for the English program. Her research focuses on environmental justice, Latinx and Asian American cultural studies, and food systems, with a particular emphasis on farmworker rights and migration narratives. She holds a Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. in American Studies from Brown University and Reed College respectively. Wald's academic work bridges environmental humanities with critical race theory, examining issues like decolonial frameworks in outdoor spaces, food justice, and the intersection of labor and citizenship. She has published extensively, including co-editing volumes such as Latinx Environmentalisms and authoring The Nature of California . Her research collaborations include the Tierra Viva Collaborative and the Northwest Forest Plan Just Futures initiative. Her teaching focuses on inclusive pedagogy and community-based learning, including developing the UO Common Reading Program's Under the Feet of Jesus guide. She actively engages in public scholarship through symposia like the Race, Environmental Justice and Public Lands Symposium and digital humanities projects like Racial Ecologies of Mt. Hood National Forest . Wald's scholarly contributions span peer-reviewed articles, edited collections, and interdisciplinary projects addressing environmental equity, transmedia narratives, and racialized access to natural spaces. Her work consistently integrates activism, literature, and policy analysis to advance justice-centered environmental scholarship.
Meg Crofoot is a Professor at the University of Konstanz and Director of the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. She previously held roles as a Professor at the University of California, Davis, a lecturer at Princeton University, and a research fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Her research focuses on the evolution of social complexity in animal societies, leveraging GPS technology and remote sensing to study group dynamics in primates and other species. Key projects include investigating baboon movement decisions in Kenya and capuchin tool use in Panama. Crofoot has received prestigious awards like the Packard Fellowship and Alexander von Humboldt Professorship. She advocates for diversity in science and collaborates globally to advance understanding of animal sociality.
Faltin Karlsen is a Professor and Pro-Dean at the School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing at Kristiania University of Applied Sciences. His work focuses on media studies, game research, and digital culture, with particular emphasis on ethical implications of digital media, gaming controversies, and digital detox practices. He has contributed extensively to understanding the societal impact of online gaming, media consumption patterns, and the interplay between technology and human behavior. His research interests span digital culture, media ethics, and the psychological and sociological dimensions of gaming. Notable themes include the disconnection movement, dark design patterns in dating apps, and the ethical challenges of game monetization. He has also analyzed historical moral panics around games and their representation in media. Recent publications highlight trends in digital detox practices, the paradoxes of disconnection, and critical discourse analysis of digital platforms. His work often bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical studies, addressing topics such as online dating dynamics, productivity tools, and the cultural significance of gaming in modern society. While no scientific awards are explicitly mentioned, his contributions to media and game studies have shaped academic discourse on digital media’s societal role. He advises on research projects and engages in interdisciplinary collaborations, reflecting his commitment to understanding technology’s multifaceted impact.
John Horgan is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he also serves as Director and Chair of the Stevens Center for Science Writings. He teaches courses in science writing, freshman communication, and the relationship between science and war, while maintaining an active career as a science writer and commentator. His educational background includes a BA in English and an MS in Journalism, both from Columbia University. These foundations have shaped his interdisciplinary approach to analyzing science, technology, and their societal implications. Horgan's research and writing focus on the limits of scientific knowledge, consciousness, the philosophy of mind, science and spirituality, and the roots of war and peace. He critically examines whether science can answer all fundamental questions, especially regarding subjective experience and existential meaning. His work bridges journalism, philosophy, and cognitive science, often challenging mainstream assumptions in neuroscience, physics, and artificial intelligence. His recent publications reflect a consistent thematic thread: the boundaries of rationality and empiricism. From quantum mechanics to mysticism, from war to mortality, Horgan explores topics where data meets doubt. His books and articles reveal a deep skepticism toward scientism while affirming the value of inquiry, narrative, and ethical reflection. Included in Best American Science Writing (2009) Included in The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2007, 2006, 2005) Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowship in Science and Religion (2005) American Psychiatric Association Certificate of Commendation (1997) American Association for the Advancement of Science Journalism Award (2007, 1992) National Association of Science Writers Science-in-Society Award (1993) Forbes Media Guide 'Excellent' rating (1994) National Magazine Award (1986) Society of National Association Publications Award (1985) Horgan has mentored students through senior theses and seminars in science writing, and has played a key role in shaping Stevens’ academic initiatives, including serving on faculty search committees and developing a new undergraduate course in quantum technology. He continues to direct the Center for Science Writings, hosting public lectures by prominent science authors. His influence extends beyond the classroom through his widely read columns and books, which have reached millions of readers globally. The Stevens Center for Science Writings, under Horgan’s leadership, functions as a hub for dialogue between science, humanities, and public audiences. It organizes lectures, supports student writers, and fosters interdisciplinary engagement with science communication. Horgan’s own website, johnhorgan.org, serves as a platform for independent commentary, further amplifying his role as a public intellectual.
Andrew Russell is a Lecturer at the School of Film, Media and Creative Technologies, University of Portsmouth. His research focuses on cross-cultural representation in global cinema, particularly examining Western portrayals of Southeast Asia and the evolution of transnational film genres. PhD in Film Studies (University of Portsmouth, 2021) Research Interests include: Postcolonial media analysis Japanese cinema and Takashi Miike's filmography Representation of Thailand in Hollywood Critical race theory in entertainment media Slow cinema movement Recent publications analyze: Exoticization patterns in contemporary screen media Racial stereotyping in WWE's entertainment model Intercultural dynamics in transnational filmmaking Temporal aesthetics in global cinema trends Active in academic service through journal peer-reviewing for Transnational Screens and conference participation in film genre studies. His doctoral thesis explored the duality of Thailand's cinematic representation in both Western and local film traditions.
