Mallesh M Pai is the Lay Family Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University and a CEPR Research Fellow. His research bridges mechanism design, auction theory, and blockchain economics, with applications to decentralized finance (DeFi) and privacy economics. Prior to Rice, he was a Janice and Julian Bers Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. PhD in Managerial Economics and Strategy, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi His work focuses on designing robust mechanisms in environments with information asymmetry, privacy constraints, and decentralized systems. Recent publications address dynamic transaction fees, blockchain centralization, and algorithmic collusion. He serves on program committees for major conferences in computer science and economics. Indirect Persuasion (Journal of Political Economy) Dynamic Transaction Fee Mechanism Design (with Max Resnick) Collusive Outcomes via Pricing Algorithms (Marketing Science) Mallesh has received significant recognition for his work, including the Best Paper award at the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics (2021) and Best Pricing Paper from the American Marketing Association RAPSIG (2023). His research is supported by NSF grants on fair data analysis and digital privacy foundations. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in microeconomic theory and market design at Rice, emphasizing practical applications of theoretical models. His Erdős number is 3, reflecting interdisciplinary collaborations.
Aggelos Bletsas is a Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Crete. He holds a PhD from MIT (2005) and has expertise in wireless communication, backscatter networks, and RFID systems. His research focuses on scalable wireless networks, ultra-low-cost sensor technologies, and signal processing. Education: PhD, MIT Media Lab (2005) MSc, MIT Media Lab (2001) Diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1998) Research Interests: His work spans wireless transmission techniques, backscatter sensor networks, and RFID systems. Key areas include: Ultra-low-cost sensor deployment RFID localization and multi-static systems Energy-efficient hardware implementations Probabilistic inference in distributed networks Awards: IEEE Marconi Prize Paper Award (2008) Technical University of Crete Research Excellence Award (2012-2013) Multiple best paper awards at RFID-TA, ISWCS, and SENSORS Academic Contributions: He advises students who have won IEEE best thesis awards and leads projects funded by ERC grants. His laboratory focuses on practical implementations of wireless sensor networks and backscatter systems. Labs & Affiliations: Director of the Telecommunications Laboratory and affiliated with the Telecommunication Systems Institute (TSI).
Fan Lam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), affiliated with the Grainger College of Engineering. He also directs the MS in Biomedical Image Computing (MS-BIC) program. His primary research focuses on developing advanced imaging techniques such as biomedical imaging, MRI, molecular imaging, and image reconstruction to study brain function and diseases. Lam holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from UIUC (2015), an M.S. in the same field from UIUC (2011), and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tsinghua University (2008). He is affiliated with multiple institutes, including the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Lam serves as a journal editor for Frontiers in Physics , Medical Physics , and IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging . His work bridges engineering and neuroscience, with grants from NIH and other agencies supporting Alzheimer’s research and imaging innovations. Research highlights include epigenetic MRI, high-resolution volumetric MRI, and integrating AI with imaging methods. Lam’s team collaborates across disciplines to address challenges in medical imaging and brain mapping. His lab, the Quantitative Multiscale Imaging Group, develops tools for molecular and biochemical analysis of the brain.
Dr. HanQin Cai is the Paul N. Somerville Endowed Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics and Data Science at the University of Central Florida (UCF), also serving as Director of the Data Science Lab. He holds a joint appointment with the Department of Computer Science. His research focuses on theoretical and algorithmic foundations of mathematical optimization, data science, and machine learning, with emphasis on non-convex algorithms, adversarial attacks, signal/image processing, and deep learning integration. He has secured NSF grants totaling over $2.6M, including a $121K single-PI grant and a $2.49M co-PI grant. His work has been recognized with the UCF OSCaR Award (2025) and IEEE Senior Member status (2024). Education: PhD in Applied Mathematical and Computational Sciences from University of Iowa (2018), with M.S. in Mathematics (2014) and M.C.S. in Computer Science (2017). Previously served as a Postdoc at UCLA Mathematics Department under Dr. Wotao Yin. Research highlights include: query-efficient zeroth-order optimization, robust signal processing with corrupted data, adversarial attacks on neural networks, and tensor-based methods for high-dimensional data analysis. His recent publications explore advanced techniques in matrix recovery, tensor decompositions, and explainable AI. Grants & Awards: NSF DMS-2304489 (2022–2025), NSF DUE-2321986 (2024–2029), UCF OSCaR Award, IEEE Senior Membership. Labs & Teams: Directs UCF's Data Science Lab, collaborates across disciplines in statistics, computer science, and engineering.
Professor Elias Aboutanios is a distinguished academic at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), serving as Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications. With a career spanning over two decades in academia and research, he has established himself as a leading expert in signal processing, radar systems, satellite technology, and NMR spectroscopy. Professor Aboutanios earned his BE in Electrical Engineering from UNSW in 1997 and completed his PhD from UTS in 2002, with research focused on frequency estimation for communications with low earth orbit satellites. Following his doctoral studies, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Digital Communications at the University of Edinburgh from 2003 to 2007, specializing in space-time adaptive processing for radar target detection. He joined UNSW as a senior lecturer in 2007, was promoted to associate professor in 2019, and achieved the rank of Professor in 2022. His research interests span a broad spectrum of signal processing domains including signal and image processing, parameter estimation, array signal processing, statistical signal processing, positioning and localization, radar and sonar signal processing, NMR signal processing, and space systems. Professor Aboutanios has developed significant expertise in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, global navigation satellite systems, radar target detection, biologically inspired signal processing, power systems and smart grids, and theoretical signal processing. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications across multiple engineering disciplines. Professor Aboutanios's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on integrated sensing and communication systems, radar technology, satellite applications, and advanced signal processing techniques. His research shows a clear trajectory toward dual-function radar-communication systems, massive MIMO architectures, CubeSat technology for air traffic monitoring, and innovative approaches to NMR spectroscopy. His work consistently addresses challenging problems in signal parameter estimation, adaptive processing, and system design across multiple application domains. Professor Aboutanios has made significant contributions to engineering education, having developed new courses in electrical engineering design and established the master's program in satellite systems engineering. His educational innovations focus on teaching signal processing through frequent and diverse design experiences, enhancing student learning outcomes in technical subjects. He has led significant space projects including UNSW's involvement in the European QB50 project and the UNSW-EC0 satellite mission, which successfully launched in 2017. As a member of the Space Industry Association of Australia's Legislation Working Group, he has contributed to shaping space policy through multiple submissions to the Australian Government's review of the Space Activities Act.
Simon McCallum is an Associate Professor at NTNU’s Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Born in New Zealand, he transitioned from commercial game development in Norway to academia in 2009. His research focuses on Serious Games, particularly in healthcare contexts, gamification, and virtual reality applications. He holds a PhD from the University of Otago (2007), where he studied Computer Science, Mathematics, Psychology, and Philosophy. McCallum has contributed to over 30 publications, including works on cognitive health gaming, software engineering education, and AR applications. He teaches courses such as IMT4307 (Serious Games Research) and IMT3603 (Game Programming). His key projects include the Smartkuber AR game for cognitive screening and the Traction Trebuchet historical engineering study. McCallum has collaborated with institutions like the University of Otago and has engaged in outreach through conferences and media appearances, promoting game technology in healthcare and education.
Magnus Nord is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). His research focuses on advanced electron microscopy techniques and computational tools for materials characterization. Research Interests : Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (4D-STEM), Open Source Scientific Software Development (Python), Big Data Processing, Magnetic/Electric Field Imaging, Structural Characterization using Higher Order Laue Zones. Publications span cutting-edge applications in functional materials, nanomagnets, and perovskite thin films, with emphasis on machine learning and precession-enhanced imaging. Key keywords include Materials Science , Electron Microscopy , and Computational Imaging . Software Development : Lead developer of Atomap and pyxem , contributing to HyperSpy and merlin_interface for electron microscopy data analysis. Current Research Funding : InCoMa (Research Council of Norway) IMPRESS (Horizon EU Program)
Professor Minh N. Do is the Thomas and Margaret Huang Endowed Professor in Signal Processing & Data Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), with primary appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He holds multiple affiliate appointments across campus including with the Coordinated Science Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Department of Bioengineering, Department of Computer Science, Institute for Genomic Biology, College of Medicine, and School of Computing and Data Science. Additionally, he serves as Director of the joint VinUni-Illinois Smart Health Center and holds an Honorary Vice-Provost position at VinUniversity. Professor Do received his B.Eng. in Computer Engineering (First Class Honors) from the University of Canberra, Australia in 1997, followed by his Dr.Sci. in Communication Systems from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in 2001. His educational journey was marked by exceptional achievement, earning the University Medal from the University of Canberra and a Silver Medal from the 32nd International Mathematical Olympiad. Professor Do's research focuses on developing new multidimensional signal processing tools with applications across several domains. His primary research interests include smart health, data science, computational imaging, and signal processing. His work spans biomedical imaging, machine learning, computer vision, and robotics, with particular emphasis on geometric image representations, integrating image formation and processing, and image processing from multiple sensors. His research bridges theoretical investigations with practical applications, creating impactful solutions in healthcare, diagnostics, and AI systems. His recent publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory toward multimodal AI systems, robust learning frameworks, and healthcare applications. Professor Do's work increasingly integrates signal processing with deep learning approaches to address challenges in medical imaging, cross-modal transfer, and real-world deployment of AI systems. His research shows strong emphasis on practical applications with societal impact, particularly in healthcare diagnostics and smart health technologies. Professor Do's scientific achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards: Member of the National Academy of Artificial Intelligence (2025) Fellow of Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (2023) Thomas and Margaret Huang Endowed Professor, UIUC (2020-present) Fellow of IEEE (2014) Young Author Best Paper Award, IEEE Signal Processing Society (2008) CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (2003) Best Doctoral Thesis Award from EPFL (2001) As an educator, Professor Do has taught numerous courses spanning digital signal processing, probability, data science, and image processing. His teaching excellence has been recognized with multiple "Teachers Ranked as Excellent" awards at UIUC. He also maintains active industry connections through tech-transfer efforts, having co-founded Personify and served as Chief Scientist of Misfit. His leadership extends to administrative roles, having served as Vice-Provost for VinUniversity during 2020-2021. Professor Do leads research initiatives at the intersection of signal processing and healthcare applications, with particular focus on the Smart Health Center collaboration between UIUC and VinUniversity. His lab develops innovative solutions for medical diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and neurological assessment using advanced signal processing and AI techniques.
Affiliations and Roles Michael Bronstein is a Professor at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in the Faculty of Informatics and the Institute of Computational Science . He holds the Chair in Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition at Imperial College London and serves as Head of Graph Learning Research at Twitter . Previously, he was affiliated with the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI) as an Adjunct Professor. Education Ph.D. in Computer Science, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology (2007) Visiting appointments at Stanford University, MIT, Harvard University, and Tel Aviv University Research Interests Bronstein's work focuses on geometric deep learning , graph representation learning , and non-rigid shape analysis . He pioneered methods for extending machine learning to non-Euclidean domains like graphs and manifolds. His research combines theoretical advancements in spectral geometry with practical applications in computer vision, robotics, and medical imaging. Publications Trends His articles emphasize geometric deep learning frameworks, functional maps for shape correspondence, and spectral methods for manifold analysis. Key themes include invariant representations, partial shape matching, and applications in 3D reconstruction and graph neural networks. Awards and Honors Five ERC Grants Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award IEEE and IAPR Fellowships World Economic Forum Young Scientist Advising and Entrepreneurship Bronstein is a serial entrepreneur, founding companies like Novafora , Invision (acquired by Intel), and Fabula AI (acquired by Twitter). His academic advising spans PhD and Master’s students in machine learning and geometry processing. Labs and Teams Active in the Institute of Computational Science at USI and leads Twitter’s Graph Learning Research team, focusing on real-world applications of geometric deep learning.
Xudong Fan is a Professor at the University of Michigan specializing in advanced analytical and diagnostic technologies. His work bridges engineering, chemistry, and clinical medicine through innovative device development. His research focuses on: Miniaturized gas chromatography systems for portable chemical analysis and planetary science missions Optofluidic immunoassays using biolasers for ultrasensitive, label-free biomarker detection Machine learning integration for chromatographic data analysis and biosensor accuracy enhancement Breath-based diagnostics for cancer, infectious diseases, and respiratory conditions Microfluidic platforms requiring minimal sample volumes (e.g., 1μL fingertip blood) Professor Fan's 2025 publications reveal a strong emphasis on device miniaturization, automation, and multimodal sensing. Key trends include the convergence of micro-GC with photoionization detectors for field-deployable chemical analysis, deep learning solutions for chromatographic co-elution challenges, and biolaser-based platforms enabling antigen-independent cancer cell detection. These efforts target affordable point-of-care diagnostics with applications in tuberculosis monitoring, COVID-19 immunity assessment, and early lung cancer screening through breath analysis. His work demonstrates significant translational impact, particularly in resource-limited settings where cost, portability, and minimal sample requirements are critical. Current projects show strong alignment with NASA planetary science objectives through micro-GC development for extraterrestrial organic analysis.
Paul D. Adams is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Arkansas, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on protein structure, dynamics, and interactions using advanced biophysical techniques. Professional Affiliations : Arkansas Biosciences Institute, National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Protein Society, Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, Arkansas Academy of Sciences, Biophysical Society. Research Interests : Dr. Adams specializes in multidimensional NMR spectroscopy for protein structure determination and dynamics. His work explores intramolecular motions in proteins, biochemical characterization of protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and the impact of small molecule targets on PPIs. Techniques include steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), circular dichroism (CD), and post-column amino acid analysis. Publication Trends : His recent articles focus on Ras family GTPases (Cdc42, Ras mutants), copper-binding domains in nonclassical secretion, calorimetry applications in biomolecular interactions, and structural characterization of protein mutants. Keywords span biophysics, cancer biology, and analytical techniques. Scientific Awards : NSF Minority Postdoctoral Fellow Robert C. and Sandra Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences Teaching : Dr. Adams teaches biochemistry and has contributed to graduate education. His lab supports research training in NMR spectroscopy and biophysical methods.
Peter Massopust is a Privatdozent at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), where he is affiliated with the School of Computation, Information and Technology and the Department of Mathematics. His research spans multiple areas of mathematical analysis with a focus on fractal geometry, wavelet theory, and approximation methods. His educational background includes: Habilitation in 2011 from Technical University of Munich Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Georgia Institute of Technology (1986) MS in Mathematics from Georgia Institute of Technology (1985) MS in Physics from Georgia Institute of Technology (1981) Dr. Massopust's research interests primarily focus on Wavelets and Frames, Harmonic and Functional Analysis, Fractal Geometry and Fractal Interpolation Theory, and Splines and Approximation Theory. His work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical applications in signal processing, image analysis, and computational methods. His approach often combines classical mathematical techniques with innovative fractal-based methods to solve complex problems in approximation theory and functional analysis. His research has significantly contributed to the development of fractal interpolation functions, complex splines, and wavelet theory, with applications spanning from pure mathematics to engineering problems. His publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on fractal-based mathematical methods, with recent work expanding into quaternionic analysis, complex B-splines, and applications in signal processing. His research shows a clear trajectory from foundational work in fractal geometry to increasingly sophisticated applications in multidimensional signal analysis and computational mathematics. His scientific achievements have been recognized through several prestigious awards: Fulbright Scholarship (1980-1981) GIAN (Global Initiative for Academic Network) Award from the Republic of India (2016, 2017) Dr. Massopust has secured substantial research funding from various national and international sources, including the German Research Foundation (DFG), Bayerische Forschungsallianz, VolkswagenStiftung, and collaborations with Sandia National Laboratories and the National Science Foundation. His research program has consistently focused on advancing mathematical methods for signal and image processing, with particular emphasis on fractal-based approaches and wavelet theory. He has also been instrumental in fostering international collaborations, particularly through the EuroTech network and with institutions in Australia and India. Among his notable contributions is the GHM (Geronimo-Hardin-Massopust) Scaling Vector and DGHM (Donovan-Geronimo-Hardin-Massopust) Multiwavelet, developed at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in 1995. This work has had significant impact in the field of wavelet analysis and its applications.
Moncef Gabbouj is a Professor of Signal Processing at the Department of Computing Sciences, Tampere University, Finland. He holds a PhD from Purdue University and has held academic positions including Academy of Finland Professor (2011–2015) and Head of the Department of Signal Processing (2002–2007). His research focuses on artificial intelligence, machine learning, multimedia signal processing, and nonlinear signal/image processing. He has authored over 800 papers and supervised 64 doctoral and 72 master’s theses, earning accolades such as IEEE Fellow, Finnish Cultural Foundation Award, and TUT Foundation Grand Award. Education: BS (Electrical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 1985), MS and PhD (Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, 1986–1989). Visiting roles include Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and University of Southern California. Research interests include Big Data analytics, multimedia content analysis, pattern recognition, and video coding. He leads the Artificial Intelligence Research Task Force of the Research Alliance on Autonomous Systems (RAAS) and directs the NSF IUCRC Center for Visual and Decision Informatics (CVDI). Awards highlight contributions to signal processing and AI, including IEEE Fourier Award Committee membership and leadership roles in EURASIP and IEEE. Grants and projects span EU Horizon programs, NSF, and industry collaborations.
Naveed Mahmud is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Institute of Technology. He specializes in quantum computing, hybrid quantum-classical systems, and reconfigurable computing architectures. His research focuses on optimizing quantum algorithms, data encoding/decoding techniques, and secure communications using quantum technologies. Research interests include quantum-classical integration, algorithm emulation on high-performance reconfigurable computers, and applications of quantum computing in pattern recognition and cryptography. Key areas of exploration are hybrid quantum-classical machine learning, quantum wavelet transforms, and securing free-space optical communications with quantum key distribution. His recent work emphasizes scalability and efficiency in quantum computing frameworks, including frameworks like QASM-to-HLS for quantum circuit acceleration, and decoherence-optimized quantum circuits. Articles highlight advancements in quantum data decoding, algorithm emulation, and secure communication systems. No scientific awards or formal advisees are listed. His profile includes links to ORCID, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate for further details on publications and collaborations.
Emek Demir serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics at Oregon Health & Science University's School of Medicine, where he directs the Computational Biology program at the Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Bilkent University (2005) under Ugur Dogrusoz and postdoctoral training with Chris Sander at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Computational Biology Center. Dr. Demir's research centers on Pathway Informatics, integrating detailed biological pathway information with omic data to solve cancer biology problems. His work spans pathway curation, visualization, NLP, data standardization, machine learning, and mechanistic simulation. He pioneered the BioPAX pathway data standard and developed Pathway Commons—the largest process-level pathway database with over 2 million interactions and 400,000 detailed human reactions. His publication record demonstrates consistent innovation in computational oncology, with recent work focusing on transcription factor activity prediction, spatial tumor mapping, and causal network analysis. Key contributions include algorithms for detecting altered cancer sub-networks, identifying transcription factor modulators, and inferring active networks from proteomic data. His research bridges computational methods with clinical applications in leukemia, prostate cancer, and glioblastoma. Recipient of leadership roles in major NIH-funded initiatives Principal developer of Pathway Commons and BioPAX standards Extensive collaborations with Memorial Sloan Kettering and OHSU clinical departments Dr. Demir directs a computational biology program focused on translating pathway knowledge into clinical insights for pancreatic cancer, with ongoing projects in spatial omics, multi-dimensional tumor atlases, and antiviral nanomaterial applications.
