Jordan Boyd-Graber is a Full Professor at the University of Maryland, affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). His research focuses on machine learning, natural language processing, computational linguistics, topic models, and question answering. He has made significant contributions to the development of interactive topic modeling systems and evaluations of large language models. His work often bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, such as improving human-AI collaboration and enhancing the interpretability of machine learning models. Boyd-Graber’s research also addresses challenges in adversarial examples, calibration of models, and the ethical implications of AI systems. His recent publications span cutting-edge topics like evaluating topic models through ProxAnn, mitigating hallucinations in vision-language models, and exploring human-AI complementarity in question answering. He collaborates extensively with researchers in computer science, linguistics, and social sciences to advance interdisciplinary applications of NLP and ML.
Mariya Toneva is a tenure-track faculty member at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems , conducting groundbreaking research at the intersection of Machine Learning , Natural Language Processing , and Neuroscience . She leads the Bridging AI and Neuroscience (BrAIN) group , focusing on computational models that align AI systems with human brain processes. Her work aims to enhance both AI capabilities and neuroscience understanding through this cross-disciplinary approach. Actively recruiting postdocs, PhDs, and research interns in areas like code/text representation, brain-AI alignment, and neuroimaging data analysis Collaborator on NIH-funded projects using fMRI and neuropixel data Research Themes : Her group explores neural mechanisms of language processing, event segmentation in narratives, memory reactivation via music, and effective human-AI collaboration frameworks. Key methods include LLM analysis, cross-modal similarity metrics, and naturalistic task-based fMRI studies. Key Publications (2024-2025): Brain-tuned speech models (INTERSPEECH 2025) Cognitive event boundaries in LLMs (Behavioral Research Methods 2025) Music-induced memory reactivation (biorxiv 2024) LLM-brain alignment reasons (EMNLP 2024) Advising : Mentors PhD candidates Omer Moussa (speech processing), Camila Kolling (representational similarity), and Gabriele Merlin (LLM alignment). Collaborates with institutions like MIT, NYU, and ETH Zurich.
Dr. Kate Farrahi is an Associate Professor in the ECS department at the University of Southampton, where she leads research in the Vision, Learning and Control (VLC) Group. Previously, she was a Research Assistant at the Idiap Research Institute and earned her PhD in Computer Science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). Her work focuses on the intersection of machine learning and digital health, particularly in developing human sensing methods using vision and wearable technologies. She currently supervises four PhD students in Computer Science and actively accepts new PhD applications. Her research interests span machine learning applications in healthcare, including wearable device analytics, epidemiological modeling via AI, and drug discovery through generative methods. She has been recognized with a Best Paper Award (2022) and contributes to interdisciplinary research groups such as the Institute for Life Sciences and Centre for Machine Intelligence. Her work bridges computational methods with real-world health challenges, emphasizing practical deployment of AI solutions in clinical and public health contexts. Research Groups: Vision, Learning and Control; Institute for Life Sciences; Centre for Health Technologies; Centre for Machine Intelligence Key Collaborations: Cross-disciplinary projects combining computer science with biomedical engineering and public health
Yoshua Bengio is a Full Professor at the Université de Montréal, affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and Operations Research at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He is a pioneer of deep learning and a leading figure in AI safety. He co-founded Mila – Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence and serves as its scientific director. His work focuses on advancing AI technology while addressing ethical and safety challenges, including AI governance and catastrophic risk mitigation. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science from McGill University (1991), postdoctoral studies at MIT. Research interests include deep learning, causal inference, AI ethics, and responsible AI development. He contributed to the Montreal Declaration for Responsible AI and leads the International Scientific Report on AI Safety. Recent articles emphasize AI safety frameworks, governance, and technical advancements in machine learning. Awards include the Turing Award (2018), Killam Prize (2019), and recognition as TIME's Most Influential Person (2024). He holds prestigious fellowships and is a member of the UN Scientific Advisory Board for Breakthrough Science and Technology. Affiliations include Mila, IVADO (as founding scientific director), and CIFAR programs. His work bridges academia, industry, and policy to ensure AI benefits humanity while minimizing existential risks.
Emma Mercier is an Associate Professor and Associate Head & Director of Graduate Programs in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign's College of Education. She also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Educational Psychology, demonstrating her interdisciplinary approach to educational research. Dr. Mercier's research focuses on the relationship between social interaction and learning, with particular emphasis on collaboration and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in classroom settings. Her work examines how technology influences group interactions and learning, especially through the use of multi-touch tables in classrooms. She investigates between-group and whole-class interactions, device ecologies, teacher tools, and classroom contexts that shape learning opportunities in technology-enhanced environments. Her research spans K-12 and higher education settings, with significant contributions to engineering education and the design of collaborative learning spaces. Analysis of Dr. Mercier's recent publications reveals a strong focus on orchestration tools that support instructors in facilitating collaborative learning, the role of technology (particularly augmented and virtual reality) in collaborative problem solving, and the design of effective collaborative tasks in engineering education. Her work bridges educational theory with practical classroom applications, often employing design-based implementation research methodologies. A notable trend is her increasing focus on machine learning applications to analyze and support collaborative interactions in real-time classroom settings. Dr. Mercier has been actively involved in mentoring graduate students and teaching courses related to educational research methods, child development and technology, and advanced study of education. Her work has involved significant collaboration with researchers across institutions and disciplines, particularly in the fields of educational technology, learning sciences, and engineering education. Her research has been supported through various projects, including the CSTEPS (Collaborative Support Tools for Engineering Problem Solving) initiative, which has developed and evaluated tools to support collaborative learning in engineering classrooms. This work has involved partnerships with teaching assistants, course assistants, and faculty to implement and refine collaborative learning approaches in undergraduate engineering courses.
Dr. Patrick Kung serves as Associate Professor and Associate Department Head for Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama's College of Engineering. His research spans nanotechnology, quantum computing, and terahertz photonics with significant contributions to metamaterials and optical systems. Research Focus: Dr. Kung specializes in terahertz spectroscopy, polarization-sensitive imaging, and nanoscale material engineering. His work integrates machine learning with optical systems for applications in underwater imaging, quantum networking, and biodegradable polymers. Recent projects include $1 million Department of Energy funding for quantum networking research (2024) and development of materials for slowing light propagation. Publication Trends: His recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a clear trajectory toward multimodal sensing systems combining terahertz technology, polarization control, and AI-driven image processing. Key themes include underwater object recognition using single-photon LiDAR, compact drone-compatible imaging platforms, and cryogenic photonic components for quantum applications. The work consistently bridges fundamental nanophotonics with practical engineering solutions. Department of Energy Funding ($1 Million for Quantum Networking Research, 2024) Dr. Kung actively mentors students in EPA-funded water disinfection projects using UV-LED technology and collaborates with industry partners through the Southeast Executives-on-Roster program. His laboratory work focuses on nanowire-based thin films and metamaterial absorbers, with applications in environmental monitoring and quantum communication hardware.
Saud Alhusaini MD PhD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and serves as a Neurologist/Movement Disorders Specialist at Rhode Island Hospital. His research integrates imaging genomics and multimodal brain imaging approaches to investigate neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and epilepsy. He is affiliated with the Carney Institute for Brain Science and collaborates extensively with clinicians, geneticists, electrophysiologists, MRI specialists, neuropsychologists, and data scientists. Education: PhD from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) MSc in Neuroscience from Trinity College Dublin MD from University of Dublin, School of Medicine Adult neurology residency at McGill University/Montreal Neurological Institute Clinical research fellowship at Yale School of Medicine Clinical fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center Dr. Alhusaini's research focuses on identifying key endophenotypes and subclinical biomarkers to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of complex neurological conditions. His work spans multiple areas including movement disorders, epilepsy, and brain structure genetics. He has made significant contributions to understanding the genetic architecture of brain structures through his involvement with the ENIGMA consortium, which conducts large-scale collaborative analyses of neuroimaging and genetic data across institutions worldwide. An analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent pattern of high-impact research at the intersection of neurology, genetics, and advanced imaging techniques. His recent work demonstrates particular expertise in Parkinson's disease genetics, epilepsy network analysis, and movement disorder diagnostics. The breadth of his research, spanning from basic genetic mechanisms to clinical applications, highlights his comprehensive approach to understanding neurological disorders. Dr. Alhusaini has received funding from the Rhode Island Research Foundation, Brown Physicians, Inc., and Advance RI-CTR to support his research initiatives. His collaborative approach is evident through his numerous multi-institutional projects and extensive co-author network across Brown University departments including Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
Mehrdad Salehi is a researcher at the Chair of Computer Science Applications in Medicine at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) . His work focuses on the intersection of computer science and medical imaging, with expertise in ultrasound technology, deep learning, and surgical navigation systems. Key research areas include sonification of medical data, 3D ultrasound reconstruction, and machine learning-based segmentation. He has contributed to innovative projects like PRO-TIP calibration phantoms and ColibriDoc autonomous docking systems. His publications highlight trends in acoustic feedback mechanisms, neural radiance fields for medical imaging, and real-time image analysis. He can be reached at mehrdad.salehi@tum.de .
Jasmine Begeske serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Special Education in Purdue University's Department of Educational Studies within the College of Education. She co-founded and directs CREATE: Center for Research and Equipment for Assistive Technology in Education, an AT library and makerspace providing hands-on opportunities for pre-service teachers to develop individualized solutions for students with disabilities using 3D printers, Cricut, and Glowforge equipment. Her educational background includes: PhD in Special Education with Cognate in Art Education from Purdue University MFA in Photography and Related Media from Purdue University MS in Secondary Education (Special Education specialization) from Indiana University Northwest BFA in Photography with Art History minor from Indiana University Dr. Begeske's research program examines inclusive access to arts education through program evaluation and creative assistive technology development. Her experimental printmaking practice integrates individuals with disabilities as co-creators , while her scholarly work validates instruments measuring preschool arts accessibility and develops multisensory adaptations for students with visual impairments. She bridges art education and special education through evidence-based AT interventions . Analysis of her publication history reveals consistent focus on arts/special education intersections with increasing emphasis on empirical validation of accessibility instruments and multisensory adaptations. Her 2023 work on teacher education in art classrooms and multisensory adaptations demonstrates practical applications of her CREATE center's mission, while her 2022 instrument validation study establishes methodological rigor in measuring arts accessibility. Her scientific recognition includes: 2023 USSEA Outstanding Dissertation Award 2023 Purdue Focus Award for equity initiatives 2022 AEAI President's Award for EDI service Multiple Purdue University teaching and discovery awards (2020-2023) With 15+ years of teacher preparation experience spanning 100+ course sections, Dr. Begeske mentors doctoral students while securing grant funding including $100K from Purdue's Instructional Equipment Grant for CREATE. Her professional service encompasses state-level program reviews, academic standards committees, and leadership roles in Indiana Division of Early Childhood and CEC-DARTS. The CREATE center operates as a dual-space AT innovation hub with fixed location in Beering Hall and mobile carts supporting field experiences. It empowers pre-service teachers to prototype solutions addressing specific student needs while advancing Dr. Begeske's mission of making education universally accessible through technology and creativity.
Dr. Guangliang Cheng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on deep learning, computer vision, and perception algorithms with applications in remote sensing, medical imaging, and autonomous systems. Prior to his current role, he served as a vice research director in the Autonomous Driving Group at SenseTime and completed postdoctoral research at the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Ph.D. in Pattern Recognition from the National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition (NLPR), Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASIA) Postdoctoral Researcher at Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017–2019) Dr. Cheng’s research integrates computer vision and deep learning to address challenges in semantic segmentation, domain adaptation, and robust detection. Recent work explores wavelet-based multimodal fusion for remote sensing and attention-guided architectures for medical imaging. His 2025 publications span journals like GIScience & Remote Sensing and Knowledge-Based Systems , emphasizing scalable solutions for geospatial and biomedical applications. In 2025, Dr. Cheng’s article trends highlight remote sensing semantic segmentation, cross-domain medical imaging, and drone-based fire detection. His collaborations span institutions such as SenseTime, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and University of Liverpool teams, focusing on frequency-domain fusion, attention mechanisms, and GPU optimization. As a supervisor, Dr. Cheng seeks highly motivated PhD students to join projects supported by scholarships including the Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) and Duncan Norman Scholarship. He serves as Module Co-ordinator for COMP338: Computer Vision (2024–2025) and actively reviews for top-tier journals and conferences.
Khiet P. Truong is an Associate Professor affiliated with the Digital Society Institute and the Human Media Interaction group. Their research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, robotics, and human-computer interaction, with particular emphasis on speech emotion recognition, conversational agents for children, and multimodal interaction analysis. Recent work includes exploring how robots can restore trust through apologies, benchmarking Dutch automatic speech recognition systems, and developing child-friendly interfaces for cultural heritage archives. Truong has also investigated physiological signals like laughter and stress markers in speech across diverse contexts. Scientific Awards : Best Functional Design Award (2019) Research Trends : Analysis of speech patterns, emotion recognition, robot-human dialogue, and multimodal behavioral cues dominate their recent publications. Key subfields include Dutch language processing, laughter classification, trust indicators in child-robot interactions, and healthcare applications of speech technology. Academic Activities : Chair of the 26th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (2024) Examiner roles for PhD defenses and research evaluations (2024–2023) Contributions to workshops on emotion representation and social signal processing
Dustin Scheinost is an Associate Professor at Yale School of Medicine, affiliated with the Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale Child Study Center, Department of Statistics, and Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute. His research focuses on connectomics , machine learning , and neuroinformatics through the Multi-modal Imaging, Neuroinformatics, & Data Science (MINDS) Lab. Radiology & Biomedical Imaging (Primary) Child Study Center (Secondary) Statistics (Secondary) Wu Tsai Institute Yale Stress Center Research Interests include developing novel statistical and machine learning methods for functional connectivity in big neuroscience data, leading the BioImage Suite Web (BISWeb) platform, and advancing early life neuroimaging through the Fetal, Infant, Toddler Neuroimaging Group (FIT’NG). His work is supported by grants from NIMH, NIAA, NIDA, and NHLBI. Selected Scientific Contributions span functional connectivity in laterality preferences, anti-racist AI governance in psychiatry, self-citation trends in neuroscience, and predictive modeling of mood disorders. He collaborates extensively with Todd Constable and others on multimodal neuroimaging studies.
Matteo Brunelli is Associate Professor of “Mathematical Methods of Economics and Actuarial and Financial Sciences” at the University of Trento , Department of Industrial Engineering, and Adjunct Professor (docent) at Lappeenranta University of Technology , Finland. He is nationally habilitated as Full Professor in Italy and has held long-term visiting positions at Berkeley, Turku, Auckland, JAIST and Binghamton. Education: Ph.D. (Doctor of Science) in Information Technologies, Åbo Akademi University, Finland, 2011 – graded Eximia cum laude approbatur M.Sc. in Economics, University of Trento, 2007 – grade 110/110 cum laude B.Sc. in Economics, University of Trento, 2005 Research focus: Brunelli’s work sits at the intersection of multi-criteria decision analysis , operations research and computational optimisation . He develops axiomatic foundations and algorithms for pairwise comparison matrices , consistency indices , the best-worst method and fuzzy preference relations , and applies them to energy planning, sustainable inventory, maintenance scheduling, 3-D printer selection, and blockchain governance. His 2023-2025 articles reveal intensified interest in uncertainty modelling (Dempster-Shafer theory), bi-objective optimisation of inventory and maintenance, and group decision protocols that integrate probabilistic or active-learning components, demonstrating both methodological depth and practical relevance. Scientific awards & grants: Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher grant (€254 670, 2014-2017) Claudio Dematté Research Grant (€19 000, 2008) Teacher of the Year Award, Aalto University (2013 – both Spring & Autumn semesters) Bernard Roy Award 2021 for outstanding contribution to Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding (under-40 category) Supervision & funding: While specific doctoral students are not listed, Brunelli currently supervises graduate theses at Trento and has continuously held competitive national grants. His Academy of Finland project “Consistency of valued preference relations for decision analytics methods” financed three years of full-time research and international collaboration. Editorial & community roles: He serves on the editorial boards of International Journal of General Systems and Mathematical and Computational Applications , and acts as area editor for Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis , positioning him among the key gatekeepers of the MCDA community.
Cheung Ngai-Man is an Associate Professor and Associate Head of Pillar (Education) at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), part of the Information Systems Technology and Design (ISTD) pillar. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California (2008) and has held research positions at Stanford University, Texas Instruments, IBM, and others. His research focuses on image and signal processing, computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California (2008); Postdoctoral research at Stanford University (2009–2011). Research Interests: Develops algorithms for multimedia data processing, explores interdisciplinary applications of signal processing and AI, and addresses challenges in computer vision and generative models. Recent work includes fairness in generative models, few-shot image generation, and adversarial robustness. Publications: Over 100+ peer-reviewed papers in top venues (CVPR, NeurIPS, IEEE TIP, TPAMI) focusing on computer vision, generative models, and AI security. Notable 2023 work includes studies on label-only model inversion attacks and fairness metrics in generative systems. Awards: Best Paper Finalist (CVPR 2019), SAIL Award Finalist (WAIC 2019), Outstanding Associate Editor (IEEE T-MM), Croucher Foundation Fellowship. Students: Supervised postdocs (Hossein Nejati, Fang Lu), research assistants (Mohammad Rostami), and visiting students (Ma Rui). Labs/Teams: Leads research groups in AI, computer vision, and multimedia systems at SUTD. Has spun off AI initiatives for wound care and contributed to Singapore’s National AI Strategy.
Benjamin Eysenbach leads the Princeton Reinforcement Learning Lab, where he designs algorithms that enable artificial intelligence systems to learn intelligent behaviors through trial-and-error, specializing in self-supervised methods that eliminate the need for human labels. He joined Princeton after completing his PhD in machine learning at Carnegie Mellon University under Ruslan Salakhutdinov and Sergey Levine, supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and Hertz Fellowship. His research bridges fundamental machine learning principles with practical applications in robotics and decision-making systems. Eysenbach's research focuses on developing self-supervised reinforcement learning algorithms that enable autonomous skill acquisition without external rewards. His investigations span contrastive learning methods, temporal abstraction techniques, and scalable architectures for goal-conditioned behaviors. These innovations aim to create more efficient and generalizable learning systems that can discover useful behaviors from unlabeled experience. Eysenbach's publications demonstrate consistent advancement in self-supervised RL methodologies, with recent work focusing increasingly on temporal abstraction and representation learning theory. His research shows progression from foundational contrastive RL frameworks toward more sophisticated analyses of generalization properties and uncertainty quantification. The 2025 works indicate expanding investigation into hierarchical control, probabilistic alignment, and hyper-deep network architectures. Eysenbach has been recognized with prestigious awards including the Hertz Fellowship and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, supporting his doctoral research in self-supervised RL methodologies. His work has been presented at top machine learning conferences including NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR. As director of the Princeton Reinforcement Learning Lab, Eysenbach oversees research initiatives in self-supervised RL, including projects on intention-conditioned modeling, horizon generalization, and contrastive learning frameworks. He has secured funding from the Princeton AI Lab to study neural correlates of temporal contrast in decision-making. Eysenbach teaches courses in reinforcement learning and has developed new benchmarks like JaxGCRL to accelerate research in goal-conditioned RL.
