Bruno Tiago da Silva Gomes is a Researcher in the Department of Electronics and Informatics at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium. His work focuses on FPGA-based hardware acceleration, biomedical signal processing, and embedded systems. He leads several high-impact projects, including ENACT (environmental health interventions) and Tech4Health (future health technologies). His research spans FPGA design, machine learning acceleration, and real-time signal processing. Education: PhD in Electronics and Informatics (2019, VUB), supervised by Professors Touhafi and Braeken. His thesis addressed streaming application acceleration on FPGAs. Research interests include Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA), biomedical sensors (e.g., photoplethysmography), beamforming, and high-level synthesis. He has co-authored over 60 publications and holds an h-index of 439. Key projects include OZR4103 (power-efficient AI for biomedical applications) and NSIS3 (decarbonisation technologies). His work integrates hardware-software co-design for edge computing and secure TinyML systems. Advising includes a Master’s thesis on PPG signal analysis. He contributes to datasets like the AMIVU Acoustic Map Imaging Dataset.
Violeta Moreno-Lax is a Full Professor of Law (on special leave) at Queen Mary University of London and holds a prestigious Ramón y Cajal Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Barcelona. She is also a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges) and will serve as Senior Emile Noël Fellow at NYU in 2024. Her primary affiliation is with Queen Mary’s Immigration Law programme, where she founded the (B)OrderS: Centre for the Legal Study of Borders, Migration and Displacement . She has also co-directed the Centre for European and International Legal Affairs (CEILA) and coordinates the SAROBMED consortium documenting human rights violations during Mediterranean migration interdictions. Education: No explicit details provided, but her extensive academic appointments (Oxford, Louvain, EUI, etc.) indicate advanced legal training. Her research focuses on EU and international law intersections with migration, border violence, and security. She advises EU institutions and has published widely on refugee law, extraterritorial rights, and meta-border governance. Research Interests: She investigates how migration controls impact refugee rights, particularly through 'remote control' mechanisms like sea interdictions and visa restrictions. Her work critiques legal frameworks that externalize migration management while eroding accountability—e.g., 'meta-borders' enabling state evasion of human rights obligations. Recent focus includes criminalization of humanitarian aid to migrants and systemic 'crisis governance' normalizing non-access to asylum in the EU. Awards & Recognition: Fernand Braudel Senior Fellowship (EUI), Max Planck Directors’ Grant, and leadership roles in European Law Observatory , Equal Rights Beyond Borders , and the Migration and Law Network . Her work has been cited in ECtHR cases and EU policy debates. Grants & Labs: SAROBMED (EU-funded multi-stakeholder project), CEILA (EU legal affairs hub), and the (B)OrderS Centre. Her 2024 NYU fellowship examines legal mobilization against migrant solidarity criminalization.
Robin Kleer is an Associate Professor of Innovation Management at Vlerick Business School in Leuven, Belgium. He serves as Programme Director for the Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Masters in General Management. Previously, he held positions at RWTH Aachen University (Habilitation), Technical University of Berlin (Professor of Technology and Innovation Management), and visiting roles at MIT, Michigan State University, and others. His research focuses on technology transfer, sustainable business models, digitalisation, additive manufacturing, and blockchain applications. He teaches innovation management, technology foresight, and executive education programmes like 'Growth through Innovation.' Education: Doctor in Economics (University of Würzburg, Germany) Habilitation (Post-Doc Degree) at RWTH Aachen University Degree in Business Engineering (University of Karlsruhe) Research Interests: Dr. Kleer explores the interplay between innovation, market structures, and business models. His work emphasizes sustainable practices in digitalisation, additive manufacturing (3D printing), and blockchain. He investigates how these technologies enable more sustainable business models and collaboratively oriented value creation. Key themes include degrowth theory, mass customization, and the societal implications of Industry 4.0. Grants & Labs: His research has addressed topics like modular smartphone design, recycling consortia dynamics (e.g., German Recyclate Forum), and computational reviews of customization literature. While specific grants aren’t detailed, his work frequently engages with interdisciplinary frameworks for sustainable degrowth and post-growth economics.
Patrick Develtere is a Professor at the Leuven International and European Studies (LINES) department within the Faculty of Social Sciences at KU Leuven. His research focuses on international development cooperation, public health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and European-African scientific collaboration. He serves as an invited member of the Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences and an observer of the Politieke wetenschappen programme committee. Key research projects include studies on informal employment and social health insurance in Tanzania, microcredit impacts in Bangladesh, and transnational air quality initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. He has also led work on EU homelessness data systems and global resilience strategies through cooperatives. Recent publications span topics from homelessness policy in Europe to lung health challenges in LMICs. Develtere collaborates extensively with institutions like HIVA-KU Leuven and Egerton University in Kenya. His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches to address socio-environmental challenges, emphasizing transnational cooperation and evidence-based policy solutions.
Abraham Akyala is a Researcher at the University of Reading, United Kingdom, specializing in interdisciplinary migration studies. His work intersects gender, climate change, and environmental science with a focus on policy analysis and sustainable development frameworks. Research Expertise: Migration processes, drivers, and governance Climate change and environmental impacts on migration Gender relations and migrant aspirations Socio-economic and socio-cultural consequences of migration Labour market participation and urban/rural development Funding: Supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme.
Wim Van Lancker is an Associate Professor in Social Work and Social Policy at KU Leuven's Faculty of Social Sciences, specifically within the Education Policy, Sociology department. He is affiliated with the Centre for Sociological Research (CESO) and holds multiple leadership positions including programme director of POC Sociologie and membership on the Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Van Lancker is also active in several research institutes including KIES – KU Leuven Institute for Energy and Society and L-C&Y - KU Leuven Child & Youth Institute. His research focuses on the welfare state, examining the interaction between the design of, public attitudes towards, and outcomes of social policies and social work interventions. Van Lancker's work spans critical contemporary issues including poverty, inequality, family policy, social investment, climate transition impacts, and welfare state measurement. His research employs diverse methodologies from qualitative inquiries to advanced regression methods and randomized controlled trials, addressing challenges such as climate change, migration, digitalization, and aging populations. Van Lancker has published extensively in top-tier journals including American Sociological Review, Journal of European Social Policy, and Social Science Research. His publications reveal a consistent focus on comparative welfare state analysis, with particular attention to poverty measurement, family policy effects, and social inequality patterns across European countries. World's Top 2% scientists (Stanford University) Member of the Young Academy of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and Arts Co-editor of The Palgrave Handbook of Family Policy Recipient of European Research Council funding for the rEUsilience project Van Lancker actively supervises students and contributes to policy debates through frequent media appearances and parliamentary testimony. He leads numerous research projects funded through Horizon Europe, national research councils, and institutional grants, with a current focus on understanding poverty cycles, climate transition social impacts, and welfare system responsiveness. His work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, notably through the Permanente Vorming Armoede & Participatie educational program for poverty policy professionals. As part of the rEUsilience project consortium, Van Lancker contributes to developing innovative measurement tools for family resilience across European welfare states. His work with the Herman Deleeck Centre for Social Policy and other European research networks demonstrates his commitment to comparative analysis of social policy effectiveness across different institutional contexts.
Philippe Baecke is a Professor of Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at Vlerick Business School, where he also serves as Programme Director for the Master in Business Analytics & AI and two executive programmes. He holds adjunct roles as Lecturer at Trinity Business School, Ireland, and Professor at the University of Namur. He earned his Doctorate in Applied Economics from Ghent University, complemented by an Advanced Master and Master in Applied Economics, both from Ghent University. His research focuses on leveraging big data analytics across marketing, operations, and finance, with specialties in digital marketing, customer relationship management, and network analysis. Notable areas include ad targeting, spatial modeling, and the application of AI in call center optimization and emotion recognition. He advises companies like KBC, ING, and Telenet on data strategy, blending strategic and operational insights. His recent work explores digital transformation trends, cost-effective AI adoption for SMEs, and the integration of human judgment in forecasting systems. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, addressing topics like telecom data monetization, churn detection, and consumer privacy in addressable TV advertising. Baecke’s expertise also extends to vehicle telematics in insurance risk selection and spatial econometrics in customer acquisition modeling. He has collaborated on projects involving Bluetooth tracking in retail environments and the analysis of urbanization effects on customer behavior.
Hilde Van Gelder is a Professor of Contemporary Art History at KU Leuven's Faculty of Arts, where she chairs the Archaeology, Art History and Musicology Research Unit. She co-founded the Lieven Gevaert Research Centre for Photography, Art and Visual Culture in 2004 and serves as its director. Her institutional roles include membership on the Council and Board of the Faculty of Arts, and leadership in the Archaeology, Art History and Musicology Programme Committee. Her research spans photography theory, Belgian art since 1960, experimental art historical writing, and art-ecology intersections. Key projects include Immersed (2025-2026) on human-environment relationships through swamp representations, Counter-Mapping Migration (2022-2026), and Decamouflaging plant blindness (2021-2025). She explores how photography functions as an operative force for reimagining fundamental rights, particularly through hybrid photo-text practices and 'weak images' that challenge dominant visual regimes. Her recent publications reveal strong thematic clusters: maritime emergency ethics ( Moral Seascapes ), entangled transnational art histories (2025 edited volume), ecological counter-narratives ( Countering Ecocide ), and experimental photo-text hybrids ( Water Doodling ). The work consistently engages with visibility politics, environmental crisis, and alternative historical representation through contemporary visual culture. Co-founded Lieven Gevaert Centre (2004) 2025 solo exhibition En Attendant at KEI rehabilitation center 2022-2023 sabbatical project Ring the bells that still can ring on artistic research Active participation in international art-theoretical debates Her teaching includes courses on Photo Hybrids, History of Visual Arts since 1860, Art Criticism, and Art and Ecology. She maintains an active exhibition practice while leading major collaborative research initiatives that bridge academic scholarship and artistic production, particularly through the Lieven Gevaert Centre's framework.
Femke Legroux is a Research Fellow affiliated with the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her work focuses on understanding the interplay between job demands, resources, and burnout through advanced methodologies like longitudinal modeling and network analysis. She holds an MSc in Work- and Industrial Psychology and manages the FWO-funded project FWOSB187 (2024–2028), developing interventions to mitigate burnout. Her research spans organizational psychology, mental well-being, and systemic intervention design. Education: Master's in Work- and Industrial Psychology. Research interests include burnout dynamics, job resource allocation, and compassionate workplace environments. Her recent studies analyze burnout symptom networks and the impact of chronic stress. She actively contributes to academic committees, including the Honours Programme Committee, and presents at conferences like the Network Psychometrics Summer School (2025). Key contributions include datasets on burnout network density and chronic stress (OSF: 10.17605/OSF.IO/52FKU) and publications exploring narrative imagination in ethics and misinformation challenges.
Ann Pauwels is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) within KU Leuven, affiliated with the Economics Research Group in Brussels. Her primary work address is at Warmoesberg 26, 1000 Brussels, in room 06.B06-21. While specific educational background details are not provided in the text, her affiliation with the FEB suggests expertise in economic disciplines. Research interests are inferred to include core economic fields such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, and public policy, given her departmental affiliation. No specific publications, academic awards, or grants are listed in the provided data. Professional roles include membership in councils, programme committees, and networks related to her faculty position. No lab or team affiliations are explicitly mentioned in the text.
Bart Thijs is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business of KU Leuven , Belgium. He is affiliated with the Department of Management, Strategy and Innovation and serves as a research expert at ECOOM , the Research and Development Monitoring Research Centre. He is also a member of Leuven.AI , the KU Leuven Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and participates in various faculty councils and program committees. Research Focus His research lies at the intersection of quantitative science studies , social network analysis , and interdisciplinary research evaluation . He employs advanced bibliometric and AI-based techniques to study knowledge networks, citation patterns, and the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration. His work often involves the development of new indicators and methodologies for assessing scientific output and collaboration. Projects & Collaborations NIKAW (2023–2027): Tracing the Impact of Change on Citation Networks in Ancient Literary Texts using Social Network Analysis. NIKAW (2022–2026): Networks of Ideas and Knowledge in the Ancient World. AI & Ancient World Scholarship (2021–2023): Linking traditional scholarship with digital tools via AI. Interdisciplinary Research & Impact (2020–2025): Co-promoting interdisciplinary initiatives. Teaching He teaches courses such as Analysis of Large Scale Social Networks and Advanced Research Methods in Quantitative Science and Technology Studies , contributing to both methodological and domain-specific education in scientometrics and network science.
Ksenia Podoynitsyna is a Full Professor of Digital Strategy and Innovation at Vlerick Business School and a Professor at JADS (Joint Research Institute of Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands). She holds roles as Co-Director of the Responsible Media Lab (collaborating with DPG Media, JADS, and UvA) and Programme Director of the Master’s programme in Data Science in Business and Entrepreneurship (2020–2023), which earned the Bronze Medal from Elsevier Beste Studies in 2023. Her academic background includes a Doctor of Entrepreneurship from Eindhoven University of Technology. Her research focuses on the intersection of data science and entrepreneurial strategy, exploring digital disruption, innovative business models, ecosystems/platforms, and responsible navigation of the platform economy. Key collaborators include KPN, Philips, CZ, DPG Media, EU, NWO, EIT KIC InnoEnergy, and NLAIC. Her work addresses strategic questions such as digital disruption patterns, subscription/freemium model dynamics, and niche market competition. Ksenia teaches courses on competitive strategy in the digital age and business models across Vlerick’s Executive, MBA, and Master’s programmes. Her research emphasizes sustainability, risk management in new ventures, and natural language processing applications. She leads projects like Digital Disruption in Healthcare and Managing Digital Innovation. Her scientific contributions span over 50 publications in top journals, with a focus on digital transformation, innovation ecosystems, and sustainable business models. She actively collaborates with industry and government entities to bridge academic research with practical strategic challenges.
Jan WOUTERS is a Visiting Professor at the EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies Department of the College of Europe (Bruges Campus). He concurrently holds the title of Full Professor of International Law and International Organizations at KU Leuven, where he founded the Institute for International Law and the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies. He is also the Administrator of the America Europe Fund and an Of Counsel at Omega Law in Antwerp. Education: Studied law and philosophy at Antwerp University, obtained an LL.M. from Yale University, and was a Visiting Researcher at Harvard University. He holds visiting professorships at Paris-2 (Panthéon-Assas) and Columbia University. Research focuses on international law, global governance structures, EU external policies, and transatlantic relations. His work bridges legal frameworks with real-world governance challenges, emphasizing issues like human rights integration into EU policies, institutional dynamics of international organizations, and the evolving role of non-state actors. Over 80 authored/co-authored books and 150+ journal articles reflect contributions to these fields. Key projects include coordinating large-scale research initiatives like the RECONNECT project on democracy and rule of law, and the ongoing CONNECTIVITY programme on global governance dynamics. His advisory work spans governments and international organizations, complemented by frequent media commentary on EU and global developments. Awards: Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts (201X). Editorial Roles: Editor of the International Encyclopedia of Intergovernmental Organizations and Deputy Director of Revue Belge de Droit International. Labs/Teams: Leads KU Leuven's interdisciplinary Global Governance Studies Centre, a Jean Monnet and KU Leuven Centre of Excellence.
Gertjan Coudyzer is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Ghent University's Faculty of Engineering and Architecture , working within the Department of Information Technology (EA05) and affiliated with IMEC. His work focuses on optical receiver design, burst-mode signal processing, and passive optical network (PON) systems. Key research areas: Optical Fibre Communications, Burst-Mode Receivers, and Photonic Integrated Circuits Recent publications highlight advancements in high-speed optical transceivers , PAM-4 signaling , transimpedance amplifier design , and neuromorphic photonic functions . His work addresses critical challenges in next-generation PON systems, including upstream distortion mitigation , metro/access network convergence , and low-latency optical switching . Collaborative projects span hardware design, system integration, and optical-electronic co-design. As PhD supervisor for Cheng Wang (2021-2025), he leads research on Optical I/O Front-Ends for Low-Latency Optical Switched Networks . Funding sources include regional Special Research Fund grants for projects like Burst-mode partial response compensating techniques for next-generation optical access networks (2015-2019).
Anouk Verstuyft is a researcher at the Department of Bio-engineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her work focuses on fungal-based materials and sustainable engineering solutions. She is affiliated with the Materials and Chemistry divisions and holds a doctoral scholarship in Sustainable Materials Engineering. Her research explores mycelium applications in wastewater treatment and programmable biomaterials. Key collaborations involve Prof. Eveline Peeters and Elise Vanden Elsacker Active in interdisciplinary projects blending art and science Research interests center on: Fungal bioremediation systems Eco-design principles Living materials for architectural applications Her recent publications address: Self-healing fungal composites for water treatment Artistic exploration of ruined ecosystems Ganoderma lucidum's morphogenetic responses Highlighted activities include: 2025 Milan Design Week exhibition featuring mycelium materials Maker Faire Brussels participation Public lectures on interdisciplinary material science
