Dr. Barbara Henning is an Assistant Professor for the history of Islam in the Eastern Mediterranean at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz since 2020. Her research focuses on Ottoman-Kurdish history, identity and memory politics, and the history of knowledge in imperial contexts. PhD in Bamberg (2016) on the Ottoman-Kurdish Bedirhani family DFG priority program Transottomanica member (2018-2020) Worked at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin Current TRACEED Project on education history in Northern Iraq Research Interests span Ottoman imperial elites, 19th-century Arab provinces, and social demarcation processes, with a focus on prophetic descendants. Her work bridges historical analysis and contemporary memory studies. Publications include the 2021 open-access article Knowledge on the Move in a Transottoman Perspective , which explores cross-imperial knowledge networks. Awards & Grants : DFG priority program Transottomanica Doctoral scholarship at Graduate School for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Washington (2012/13) She teaches courses on Quellensprachen islamische Geschichte and leads international workshops like Transottoman Expertise (2023). Contact via bahennin@uni-mainz.de for office hours via MS Teams.
Alaa Alameldeen is an Associate Professor in the School of Computing Science at Simon Fraser University (SFU), part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences. Previously, he worked as a Research Scientist at Intel Labs (2006–2020) and held an Adjunct Faculty position at Portland State University (2008–2018). He earned a PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2006), and earlier degrees from Alexandria University, Egypt. His research focuses on computer architecture, including memory systems (processing-in-memory, cache/memory compression, security), energy-efficient architectures, and hardware-software co-design for machine learning. He advises PhD and MSc students in these areas and teaches advanced computing science courses. Key contributions include innovations in memory hierarchies, cache compression techniques, and mitigating hardware vulnerabilities. His work has been published in top conferences (e.g., ISCA, MICRO, HPCA) and patented in areas like near-memory processing and error correction. Alameldeen currently leads a research group exploring secure and high-performance memory architectures. He has supervised multiple graduate students, with many progressing to roles at leading tech companies and academic institutions.
Saugata Ghose is an Assistant Professor in the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), with affiliate appointments in the Coordinated Science Laboratory and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research focuses on data-centric computing, processing-in-memory architectures, memory systems, and hardware-software co-design. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Engineering from Cornell University and dual B.S. degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from SUNY Binghamton. His academic positions include roles at Carnegie Mellon University (2016–2020) and postdoctoral research at CMU (2014–2016). Ghose has received notable awards such as the 2024 HPCA Hall of Fame, 2023 Intel Rising Star Faculty Award, and the 2019 CMU Wimmer Faculty Fellowship. His work has been supported by grants from NSF, Samsung, and Sandia National Laboratories. Research Interests: His group (ARCANA) explores data-centric architectures, processing-in-memory (PIM), and emerging memory technologies. Key areas include architectures for smart cities, autonomous systems, and genomics. He teaches courses on computer architecture and systems organization. Awards: HPCA Hall of Fame (2024) Intel Rising Star Faculty Award (2023) CMU Wimmer Faculty Fellow (2019) Cornell ECE Teaching Assistant Award (2013) Grants & Projects: NSF $2M for semiconductor advancements Samsung/Sandia grants for PIM programming models UIUC/ZJU DREMES collaboration on neuromorphic PIM Labs/Teams: Leads the ARCANA Research Group, focusing on reimagining computing around new applications. Collaborates with ASAP and HYBRID centers for co-design tools and neuromorphic architectures.
Professor Vedran Dunjko is a faculty member at the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), Leiden University, with affiliations to the Leiden Institute of Physics (LION). He leads the Applied Quantum Algorithms group and co-founded the Quantum@LIACS initiative, focusing on the intersection of quantum computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. His research interests include quantum machine learning, quantum-enhanced reinforcement learning, quantum heuristics, and the application of AI to quantum computing challenges. Dunjko's work bridges theoretical foundations with experimental implementations on near-term quantum devices, exploring both quantum advantages in learning and the use of classical AI for quantum system design. The recent publications show a strong trend toward proving quantum advantages in learning tasks, optimization, and topological data analysis, with publications in Nature , Nature Communications , and NeurIPS . Key themes include quantum policy gradients, quantum TDA, and reinforcement learning for quantum circuit optimization. ERC Consolidator Grant (2024) PNAS Cozzarelli Prize (2018) Editor’s Suggestion in Physical Review Letters (2014, 2018) Featured in Physics (American Physical Society) (2014, 2018) Dunjko advises several PhD candidates and postdocs, including Rahul Bandyopadhyay, Sofiene Jerbi, and Lea Trenkwalder. He has received competitive grants, most notably the ERC Consolidator Grant in 2024. His group fosters international collaborations with institutions across Europe and industry partners. The Applied Quantum Algorithms group and the Quantum@LIACS team combine theoretical investigations with practical implementations on quantum hardware, focusing on scalable quantum algorithms and AI-driven quantum discovery.
Ada Gavrilovska is a Professor at Georgia Tech's School of Computer Science under the College of Computing. Her work focuses on systems software for emerging technologies, including hybrid memory systems, edge computing, and cloud infrastructure. She leads projects in the PRISM Center and ADA Center , with funding from NSF, DoE, SRC, and industry leaders like Cisco and VMware. Education: PhD in Computer Science, Georgia Tech (2004) Research Interests: Designing systems for new hardware and applications, including edge computing, heterogeneous memory management, and LEO satellite platforms. Her work bridges low-level OS mechanisms with high-level distributed systems challenges. Recent Publications highlight trends in LEO satellite resource scheduling Edge-based ML preprocessing Hybrid memory OS abstractions Disaggregated graph analytics Compiler-assisted performance optimization Scientific Awards: Best paper, NFV World Congress (2016) Spotlight paper, IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing (2014) ISCA-50 25-year retrospective (2023) Advising & Grants: Ada has mentored over 15 PhD students and 10 MS students, with research supported by NSF, DoE, SRC, and industry grants. She serves as PI in the SRC/DARPA PRISM Center.
Dr. Lauren Emberson (she/her/hers) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Arts. She directs the Baby Learning Lab, which is part of UBC's Early Development Research Group, a consortium focused on infant and child development. Prior to her position at UBC, Dr. Emberson was an Assistant Professor at Princeton University where she co-founded and co-directed the Princeton Baby and Princeton Kid Labs. Education: Postdoctoral Associate, University of Rochester (PI Aslin) Ph.D, Cornell University (PIs Amso, Goldstein, Spivey) B.Sc, University of British Columbia Dr. Emberson's research focuses on learning, perception (audition, vision, crossmodal or multisensory), language development, face/object perception, and attention in infants. She investigates these capacities using behavioral and neuroimaging techniques, particularly fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy), working primarily with very young infants (birth through 1 year) and preterm/premature infants. Her work examines how infants' learning capacities contribute to rapid development of perception in ecological contexts, with implications for understanding how early life experiences affect later outcomes. Analysis of Dr. Emberson's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on infant perception, learning mechanisms, and neuroimaging methodology. Her work increasingly incorporates advanced fNIRS techniques while maintaining focus on fundamental questions about how infants learn from their environment. There's a growing emphasis on individual differences, cross-cultural comparisons, and applications to infants facing developmental challenges. Dr. Emberson serves on the editorial board of Infancy (journal of the International Congress of Infancy Studies) and is a consulting editor for the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience . Her research has been published in top journals including PNAS, Current Biology, Psychological Science, Cognition, Developmental Science, and the Journal of Neuroscience. Dr. Emberson has secured significant research funding from prestigious organizations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, James S. McDonnell Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She collaborates with clinicians at BC Women's and Children's Hospitals to understand how different early life experiences impact learning and brain development. Dr. Emberson is currently accepting graduate students into her research program. The Baby Learning Lab, under Dr. Emberson's direction, is part of UBC's Early Developmental Research Group and collaborates with multiple institutions. The lab strives to provide interactive research experiences for infants and families while advancing scientific understanding of early cognitive development. The lab acknowledges that it operates on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
Rajeev Balasubramonian is a Professor and Associate Director at the School of Computing, University of Utah. He specializes in computer architecture, with a focus on memory systems, emerging technologies, and energy-efficient computing. His research addresses challenges in DRAM/NVM architectures, security, and acceleration for big data and machine learning workloads. Education: PhD in Computer Science (University of Rochester, 2003), M.S. (University of Rochester, 2000), B.Tech in Computer Science (IIT Bombay, 1998). Research Interests: Memory reliability, near-data processing, cache hierarchies, transactional memory, and hardware-software co-design for emerging technologies. He has led projects on crossbar accelerators, secure memory systems, and resistive memory architectures. Recent Trends in Publications: Focus on encrypted inference (Hyena), data prefetching (PATHFINDER), and neuromorphic computing (SpinalFlow). His work bridges hardware and software, emphasizing practical acceleration and security solutions. Awards: IEEE Fellow (2021), Google Faculty Awards (2019/2020), Intel Research Award (2017), and multiple best paper awards (ISCA, ISPASS, PACT). Grants & Students: Over $4M in NSF/industry funding. Advised 15+ PhD students (e.g., Ali Shafiee, Karl Taht) and currently mentors researchers in resistive memory and security accelerators. His lab includes teams like Utah Arch Research Group. Labs & Teams: Leads the Utah Arch Research Group , organizing workshops on near-data processing and memory systems (e.g., ISCA, HPCA).
Prof. Dr. Christopher Markiewicz is a leading scholar in Ottoman and Islamic Studies at Ghent University's Department of Languages and Cultures (affiliated with the Department of History). He previously held positions as Associate Professor at University of Birmingham and Junior Research Fellow at Exeter College, University of Oxford. His research centers on the political, social, and intellectual history of the Ottoman Empire (15th-17th centuries), with special emphasis on state formation, diplomatic cultures, and the interplay between Islamic law and governance. Education PhD in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, University of Chicago (2015) Magna cum laude dissertation award from Middle East Studies Association (2016) His scholarship explores the transition from medieval Islamic political fragmentation to early modern imperial consolidation , focusing on how Persian émigrés shaped Ottoman sovereignty and diplomatic practices. Current research investigates pious endowments (waqf) through an ERC Starting Grant (2023-2028) , analyzing their role in Ottoman state-building. Scientific contributions include: Winner of Malcolm H. Kerr Dissertation Award (2016) Principal Investigator for Islamic Endowments project Series Editor for The Ottoman Empire and the World (I.B. Tauris) Trustee of EJW Gibb Memorial Trust Member of British Institute at Ankara committees His 2023-2024 teaching includes courses on Middle East politics and global historical developments. Publications reveal evolving research from waqf taxation controversies to diplomatic gift-giving protocols, with consistent focus on cross-cultural exchange and historiographical evolution.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Teich is a full Professor and Chair for Hardware-Software Co-Design at the Department of Computer Science, Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). He serves as Head of Department Computer Science and Vice Dean of the Technical Faculty since August 2024, and has been Speaker of the FAU Research Center Embedded System Initiative (FAU ESI) since 2023. His educational background includes: Diploma degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Kaiserslautern (1989) Dr.-Ing. degree in Electrical Engineering, University of Saarland (1993) Habilitation (PD Dr.-Ing.) entitled "Synthesis and Optimization of Digital Hardware/Software Systems" (1996) Prof. Teich's research focuses on Embedded Systems , Invasive Computing , Hardware-Software Co-Design , and Reconfigurable Computing . His work spans from theoretical foundations to practical implementations, with particular emphasis on resource-constrained systems, many-core architectures, and energy-efficient computing. He has pioneered research in invasive computing paradigms that enable more efficient use of many-core processors by allowing applications to dynamically claim resources. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward energy-efficient AI deployment on embedded devices , security of embedded systems , and novel memory technologies . There's a clear focus on practical implementations of machine learning on microcontrollers (TinyML), hardware acceleration for data processing, and innovative approaches to power management in self-powered systems. Among his notable scientific awards are: IEEE Fellow (since 2018) Member of Academia Europaea, Section Informatics (since 2011) Member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech) (since 2018) Member of the German Society of Humboldtians (since 2021) Prof. Teich has been Principal Investigator for numerous DFG-funded projects including SFB/Transregio 89 "Invasive Computing" (2010-2022), SFB 694, and multiple priority programs. He has coordinated large collaborative research efforts across Germany and internationally, with significant funding from DFG and other sources. His research group has produced influential work in embedded systems design and co-design methodologies. He leads the Hardware-Software Co-Design research group at FAU, which focuses on innovative approaches to embedded system design, invasive computing architectures, and efficient implementation of machine learning on resource-constrained devices. The group maintains strong collaborations with industry partners including Intel, Xilinx, and automotive companies.
Sophie Caron is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, where she leads a research laboratory investigating fundamental mechanisms of brain function using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Her work focuses on how the brain generates internal representations of the external world, stores memories, and translates these into behavior through multisensory integration. Education: B.S. from Université de Montréal Ph.D. from New York University Dr. Caron's research centers on the Drosophila mushroom body—a critical brain center for learning and memory—with emphasis on multisensory integration mechanisms. Her lab investigates how the brain combines information from multiple sensory modalities (olfaction, vision, etc.) to form unified percepts, challenging traditional views of sensory processing. Key discoveries include the demonstration that mushroom body connectivity follows near-random patterns that maximize memory capacity, and the identification of cross-modal sensory pathways beyond olfaction. Current work explores evolutionary adaptations in neural circuits across Drosophila species and developmental mechanisms establishing sensory wiring. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2024) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) high-resolution mapping of Kenyon cell inputs using advanced techniques like dye electroporation, (2) computational modeling of how connectivity patterns shape sensory representation and learning, and (3) evolutionary studies of circuit architecture across Drosophila species. Her work consistently bridges experimental neuroanatomy with theoretical frameworks, emphasizing the interplay between random and structured wiring principles in neural circuit design. Scientific Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2021) for research on brain size evolution and neuronal circuit adaptation Dr. Caron mentors graduate students in the University of Utah's Molecular Biology Program and directs an active laboratory utilizing genetic, imaging, and behavioral approaches. Her research program is supported by competitive grants including the NSF CAREER award, with collaborations spanning neuroscience and evolutionary biology. Current projects investigate multisensory integration mechanisms, evolutionary drivers of neural circuit specialization, and developmental basis of sensory wiring. The Caron Lab maintains specialized facilities for Drosophila neurogenetics, advanced microscopy, and behavioral analysis. Her team collaborates with the University of Utah's Brain Institute and Center for Cell and Genome Science, contributing to interdisciplinary initiatives in neural circuit mapping and evolutionary neuroscience. Ongoing work explores how sensory representations evolve in response to ecological pressures and how circuit architecture enables flexible behavior in complex environments.
Dr. Idriss Jebari is an Associate in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity College Dublin. Previously held positions include Visiting Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies (2023–2024), Bowdoin College (2017–2019), and the American University of Beirut (2016–2017). His research focuses on Maghreb intellectual history, decolonial thought, and political sociology. Research interests include Arab political thought, postcolonial intellectual trajectories, and transitional justice in North Africa. Key themes: nation-building processes, cultural heritage disputes, and the role of historians in decolonization. Active in analyzing Algerian-Moroccan relations and regional reconciliation models. Notable publications explore the Tunisian New Left, Abdallah Laroui’s historiography, and Franco-German reconciliation frameworks for North Africa. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary political dynamics, emphasizing marginalized voices in Maghreb historiography.
Nikolaos Kolomvakis is a researcher in the Division of Communication Systems at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. He is also a visiting researcher at Ericsson AB in Stockholm. Previously, from 2017 to 2023, he held positions as Systems Engineer and Senior Researcher at Ericsson. His research focuses on wireless communications and signal processing, particularly on developing baseband physical-layer algorithms for distributed/cell-free massive MIMO, holographic MIMO, and large intelligent surfaces. Education: Ph.D. in wireless communications from Chalmers University of Technology , supervised by Prof. Mats Viberg with co-supervision from Prof. Thomas Eriksson and Prof. Michail Matthaiou M.Sc. in information technology & electrical engineering from ETH Zurich (2012) Research Interests: Wireless communications Signal processing Distributed/cell-free massive MIMO Holographic MIMO Large intelligent surfaces Publications: Recent work includes analyzing nonlinear distortion in large arrays and active reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (2025) Exploring spatial frequencies in near-field communications (2025) Investigating 6G performance through gigantic MIMO (2025)
Dr. Maryam Ghahramani is a Senior Lecturer in AI & Robotics at the Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Canberra, Australia. She holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Shiraz University, Iran, and a PhD in Biometric Gait Analysis from the University of Wollongong, Australia. Biomedical Engineering Researcher Machine Learning Specialist Human Motion Analysis Expert Her research focuses on applying machine learning to human motion analysis for rehabilitation purposes, particularly in three key areas: Parkinson's Disease: Using fNIRS and machine learning for disease detection and motor function assessment Fall Prevention: Analyzing postural sway and risk of falls in older adults Spatial Disorientation: Studying balance in hypoxic aviation environments Recent publications demonstrate her work at the intersection of biomedical engineering, machine learning, and clinical rehabilitation. Current projects include: Young Onset Dementia Detection with 12-week Home-Based Exercise Programs Mild Hypoxia Analysis for Aviation Safety Balancing Mat Performance Evaluation
Paul D. Brooks is a Professor in the Department of Geology/Geophysics at the University of Utah, where he has been a faculty member since July 2014. His research focuses on understanding water, energy, and biogeochemical cycling in seasonally snow-covered catchments, with increasing emphasis on predicting how climate and land use changes impact snow accumulation, ablation, and snowmelt-derived surface and ground water resources. His educational background includes a BS in Biology and Chemistry from Florida State University, followed by an MS in Ecohydrology (1991) and PhD in Biogeochemistry (1995), both from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Prior to his position at the University of Utah, Dr. Brooks was a Professor in the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Arizona from December 2000 to June 2014. Dr. Brooks' research spans multiple disciplines within earth sciences, focusing primarily on hydrology, ecohydrology, and biogeochemical cycling in mountainous, snow-dominated environments. His work examines how climate change affects snowmelt processes, groundwater-surface water interactions, and water resource availability in the western United States. He employs a combination of field measurements, isotope hydrology, and modeling approaches to understand complex hydrological processes across multiple spatial and temporal scales. His research increasingly involves collaboration with stakeholders to translate scientific findings into practical water resource management applications. Analysis of Dr. Brooks' recent publications reveals a strong focus on groundwater-surface water interactions in snowmelt-dominated systems, with particular attention to how climate change affects streamflow generation processes. His work bridges fundamental hydrological science with practical water resource concerns, examining topics such as runoff efficiency, groundwater storage dynamics, and the impacts of land cover changes on hydrological processes. A significant portion of his recent research investigates the Western United States water resources under changing climate conditions. AGU Fellow (American Geophysical Union) Dr. Brooks actively mentors graduate students through thesis research (both PhD and Master's level) as evidenced by his teaching activities. His lab conducts research supported by various grants focused on understanding water resources in mountainous regions, particularly examining how climate change affects snowmelt hydrology and water availability. He collaborates extensively with researchers across multiple institutions, as demonstrated by his numerous co-authored publications with scientists from various universities and research organizations. Dr. Brooks leads research efforts through his lab at the University of Utah and is involved with the Wasatch Environmental Observatory, a mountain-to-urban research network in the semi-arid Western US. His work integrates field measurements across complex terrain to understand how topography, vegetation, and climate interact to control water, energy, and biogeochemical cycling in seasonally snow-covered environments.
Dr. Jennifer Volk is an Assistant Professor at the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Electrical & Computer Engineering. Her research focuses on leveraging novel technologies like superconductor electronics and photonics to create efficient systems for datacenters, neuromorphic computing, quantum computing, and space/sensing applications. She employs a holistic approach spanning circuit design, materials science, and computer microarchitecture. PhD (2024), University of California, Santa Barbara BS (2016), University of California, Santa Cruz Her research interests include superconducting logic , bio-based architectures , and novel computing mediums , emphasizing co-optimization of logic and circuit blocks. Her work develops design abstractions to simplify adoption of unconventional technologies. Dr. Volk's publications demonstrate expertise in superconducting circuit design, radiation-hardened CMOS for particle physics, and photonic materials. She has received numerous awards including the 2025 John D. Wiley Assistant Professorship and IEEE fellowships in applied superconductivity. 2025 John D. Wiley Assistant Professorship 2024 UC Santa Barbara President's Dissertation Year Fellowship 2023 IEEE CSC Graduate Study Fellowship in Applied Superconductivity 2022 IEEE Micro Top Picks Honorable Mention 2021 IEEE Micro Top Picks She teaches E C E 340 - Electronic Circuits I (Spring 2025). Her work bridges materials science, circuit design, and system architecture to enable next-generation computing platforms.
