Demirdache Hamida is a Full Professor of Linguistics at Nantes University and Director of the Nantes Linguistics Lab (LLING UMR 6310, CNRS). She holds a PhD from MIT (1991) and Habilitation à diriger des recherches from Nantes University (2003). Her research focuses on syntax-semantics interfaces, linguistic diversity, and formal syntactic theory with emphasis on Semitic languages and under-represented languages like Salish. She has pioneered experimental methodologies to probe logical form syntax, particularly in studies of temporal anaphora, distributivity, and quantification. Leadership roles: Founded LLING lab in 2004, elevated to CNRS status in 2016 Research grants: Coordinator of ANR-DFG projects (2022-2025), CHILL serious game initiative (2018-2021) Awards: Palmes académiques (2011), Descartes-Huygens Prize (2003), multiple PEDR/PES excellence awards Her experimental work bridges theoretical syntax and empirical child language studies, with recent focus on cross-linguistic variation in telicity and scalar implicatures. Supervised 15 PhD theses (including 3 double-doctorates) and 54 master’s theses. Active in international research networks including the Van Riemsdijk Foundation and Carnot Cognition Institute. LLING lab specializes in formal linguistics with particular expertise in: syntax-semantics interfaces, multilingualism, and experimental methods. Current projects investigate Boolean connectives (FRAL project), heritage language maintenance (AThEME EU project), and logical language acquisition through game-based learning (Cool Boole School).
Diana Allan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at McGill University, affiliated with the Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID) and holding the Canada Research Chair in the Anthropology of Living Archives. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University (2008). Her work focuses on Palestinian refugee experiences in Lebanon, particularly through the Nakba Archive and her ethnographic films. Affiliations: McGill University Anthropology, ISID, Leadership for the Ecozoic Key roles: Co-lead of the Critical Media Lab, filmmaker, and activist scholar Research interests center on camp ecologies, cultural memory, and colonial histories. She explores how material environments shape refugee life through projects like Past Continuous (camp archives) and Partition (film on colonial archives). Themes: Exile, displacement, sensory memory, transnational solidarity Recent publications include Voices of the Nakba (2021) and Refugees of the Revolution (2014), award-winning works analyzing Palestinian narratives. Her films Still Life and So Dear, So Lovely critically examine camp life and memory. Awards: English PEN Award, Palestine Book Award, AAA Middle East Section Prize Current projects investigate Palestinian coastal life, urban food systems in Lebanon, and digital platforms for refugee histories. She collaborates with artists, activists, and communities to create accessible pedagogical tools about displacement.
Professor David Ackerley (Victoria University of Wellington) is a leading microbiologist and enzyme engineer specializing in directed evolution of bacterial enzymes for biotechnological applications. As Biotechnology Programme Director since 2006, he lectures in foundational courses like BTEC101 and BTEC201. Academic rank: Professor of Biotechnology Institutional affiliation: Victoria University of Wellington Research focus areas: Microbial Biotechnology, Drug Discovery, Synthetic Biology His research employs Darwinian evolutionary principles to engineer enzymes with enhanced activities, particularly targeting non-ribosomal peptide synthetases and nitroreductases for antibiotic development and cancer therapy. Recent work explores metagenomic domain substitution in pyoverdine biosynthesis and Purpuramine R from marine sponges. Key publications demonstrate innovations in metagenomic library construction , CRISPR screening for regeneration genes, and structural characterization of engineered enzymes. His team has developed NTR 2.0 , a high-efficacy nitroreductase for targeted cell ablation. Current research projects include: Clean solutions from dirty genes: Plastic-degrading enzyme discovery Engineering enzymes for CAR T-cell-chemotherapy synergy Repurposing niclosamide against Gram-negative superbugs Grants from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, Royal Society of New Zealand, and Cancer Society of NZ support his work. Collaborations span biomedical research, synthetic biology, and environmental applications.
Dr. Imad El Haddad serves as Group Head of the Molecular Cluster and Particle Processes group at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry (LAC), part of the Center for Energy and Environmental Sciences at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland, since 2018. Previously, he held positions as Tenured Scientist and Deputy Head (2018-2019), Senior Scientist in the Smog Chamber group (2015-2018), and Postdoctoral Fellow (2011-2015) at PSI. His research aims to quantify how anthropogenic emissions alter atmospheric pollutant composition and impact Earth's climate and public health through molecular-level analysis using advanced mass spectrometry techniques. His academic background includes: Ph.D. in Atmospheric Chemistry, University of Provence, Marseille (2007-2011) Master's in Environmental Sciences (with distinction, rank 1/9), University of Provence (2006-2007) Master's in General Chemistry (with distinction, rank 1/10), Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (2005-2006) Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (with distinction, rank 1/14), Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (2002-2005) El Haddad's work centers on molecular fingerprinting of atmospheric aerosols , utilizing mass spectrometry (GC/MS, HPLC/APCI-MS2, HPLC/ESI-MS2) to identify primary and secondary molecular markers. He conducts smog chamber experiments to characterize emissions from wood burning, traffic, and cooking processes, determining secondary organic aerosol potential and oxidation state evolution. His group also studies in-cloud aqueous-phase aging and collaborates with global modelers to link aerosol composition to climate forcing and health outcomes like oxidative stress. Recent publications (2025-2024) reveal three dominant trends: (1) rigorous molecular-scale analysis of secondary aerosol formation under varying humidity/temperature, (2) source apportionment breakthroughs in diverse regions (India, Europe, Arctic) using 14C and AMS data, and (3) quantification of health-relevant aerosol properties such as oxidative potential through DTT assays. High-resolution mass spectrometry is a consistent methodological thread across these studies. His scientific awards include: MENRT research fellowship from French ministry of research (2007-2010) Excellence Scholarship (top 1% student, University of Saint Joseph, 2005) Distinction Prize (best student, University of Saint Joseph, 2005) As Group Head, El Haddad oversees the Molecular Cluster and Particle Processes group's research direction and mentorship of junior scientists. While specific grant details are absent from the text, his leadership in multi-institutional publications (e.g., CERN CLOUD, iCUPE) implies active grant management and international collaboration. The group's work bridges laboratory simulations, field deployments, and health/climate modeling to address air pollution complexities. The Molecular Cluster and Particle Processes group develops cutting-edge online/offline mass spectrometers for 1 Hz-resolution atmospheric analysis. They deploy instruments in laboratory smog chamber experiments and global field studies, focusing on molecular marker identification, emission source characterization, and aging process quantification. Collaborations with biochemists and climate modelers extend their impact beyond pure aerosol physics into health risk assessment and policy-relevant climate science.
Martha Constantinou is an Associate Professor of Physics at Temple University, specializing in Theoretical/Computational Nuclear Physics with a focus on Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Her research addresses fundamental questions in hadron structure, including nucleon spin content and proton radius puzzles, leveraging supercomputing resources. She leads a group conducting advanced numerical simulations at major computational facilities. Constantinou holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Computational Physics (University of Cyprus, 2008) and a BS in Physics (University of Cyprus, 2003). Her work aligns with the upcoming Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Lab, aiming to explore nucleon structure and dark matter connections. Key research areas include generalized parton distributions (GPDs), axial form factors, and high-performance computing applications. Notable awards include the US Department of Energy Early Career Award (2019) and the Selma Lee Bloch Brown Professorship (2020). Her publications (15 most recent listed) emphasize Lattice QCD advancements, with contributions to GPDs, quark-gluon momentum partitioning, and EIC theory. She actively promotes STEM outreach and public engagement through collaborative initiatives.
Pedro Carlos De Barros Fernandes is an Associate Professor at Universidade Lusófona , Deputy Director of the 1st cycle in Biotechnology, and an integrated researcher at the Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB-IST). He holds a PhD in Biotechnology (1999) and a Master in Biotechnology/Biochemical Engineering (1994) from Universidade Técnica de Lisboa (IST), along with a Chemical Engineering degree from IST (1989). A member of the Order of Engineers (ID 24667), he co-founded Biotrend, a Portuguese bioprocess development company. Education PhD in Biotechnology (1999), Universidade Técnica de Lisboa MSc in Biotechnology (1994), Instituto Superior Técnico BSc in Chemical Engineering (1989), Instituto Superior Técnico Research Interests span biocatalysis, enzyme immobilization for food and pharmaceutical applications, marine biotechnology, microfluidic device development for biosensing, and steroid bioconversions using mycobacterial systems. His work integrates process engineering principles with sustainable bioprocessing techniques. Publication Trends show a focus on microreactor technology, enzyme stabilization in non-conventional media, marine-derived biocatalysts, and food waste valorization. Key themes include biocatalytic process intensification, aqueous two-phase systems for biomolecule purification, and sustainable carbon sources for biopolymer production. Scientific Awards UTL/Santander Totta Scientific Award in Biological Engineering (2011) Advising has included supervision of 5 doctoral theses and over 32 master’s theses. His expertise extends to peer-reviewing scientific articles and evaluating R&D projects. Labs & Teams are associated with iBB-IST (Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences) and BioRG (Universidade Lusófona), with contributions to the Ciência Viva program for science dissemination.
Dr. Andrea Bastoni is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Fellow at the Chair of Cyber-Physical Systems in Production Engineering at Technical University of Munich (TUM), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He is also the CTO and co-founder of Minerva Systems , developing operating system solutions for AI-ready embedded applications. His expertise spans real-time operating systems, cyber-physical systems, and predictable system design for heterogeneous platforms. His research focuses on enhancing predictability of memory hierarchies in complex SoCs through techniques like memory bandwidth regulation and cache partitioning. This work has industrial applications in safety-critical domains such as avionics and railways, where he contributes to certifiable hypervisors and operating systems. As former Software Architect of the PikeOS hypervisor at SYSGO GmbH (2012-2020), he specialized in DO-178C, IEC 61508, and EN 50128 standards. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Rome Tor Vergata (2007-2011), where he developed LITMUS^RT as part of UNC's Real-Time Systems Group during a visiting researcher period (2009-2010). His publications reflect ongoing work on Multicore Real-Time Scheduling , Mixed-Criticality Task Isolation, and Arm DynamIQ shared unit analysis. He actively participates in program committees for conferences like RTSS, DSN, and DATE.
Carl Müller-Crepon is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) . His research focuses on state-building, political ethnicity, conflict, and geographic analysis, particularly in Africa and Europe. He previously held roles at the University of Oxford and ETH Zurich, and has affiliations with Harvard University. His work combines computational methods with geospatial data to study historical and modern dynamics of ethnicity, state capacity, and political violence. Education: PhD in Political Science, ETH Zurich (2019) MA in Political Science, ETH Zurich (2015) BA in International Affairs and Economics, University of St. Gallen (2013) Research Interests: His work explores how administrative borders shape ethnic identities, the impact of colonial policies on development, and the role of nationalism in territorial disputes. He innovates in geospatial data analysis and machine learning, publishing in top journals like the American Political Science Review and International Organization . Key Contributions: Developed the SIDE dataset for fine-grained ethnic demography analysis. Studied the reciprocal relationship between ethnic geographies and political borders since the 19th century. Explored state capacity in Africa using travel time metrics and road networks. Grants & Labs: Leading projects on colonial administrative design and ethnic persistence. Collaborations with institutions like ETH Zurich’s International Conflict Research Group.
Sara Wade is a Lecturer in Statistics and Machine Learning at the University of Edinburgh , within the School of Mathematics . Her research focuses on Bayesian statistics, machine learning, and their applications in health sciences, particularly in dementia diagnosis and predictive modeling. She holds a PhD from the University of Milan and has held academic positions at the University of Cambridge and University of Warwick before joining Edinburgh. She teaches a popular Machine Learning and Python course for Master’s and final-year undergraduate students, attracting nearly 200 enrollments annually. Her work integrates Bayesian methods with modern machine learning, emphasizing interdisciplinary applications such as scalar-on-image regression and biomarker analysis. Notable contributions include developing hierarchical Dirichlet processes for clustering and uncertainty quantification in RNA velocity studies. She secured a Royal Society of Edinburgh grant for her dementia research project, which aims to improve early diagnosis through statistical modeling. Education: PhD in Statistics, University of Milan Bachelor’s in Mathematics, University of Maryland Wade advocates for diversity in STEM, actively participating in the Women in Machine Learning community. Her research bridges statistical rigor and computational tools, fostering collaborations across academia and healthcare sectors.
Prof. Dr. Matthias Weidlich is a faculty member at Humboldt University of Berlin within the Institute of Computer Science under the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences . His research focuses on Process Mining , Complex Event Processing , and Data Privacy with applications in Business Process Management and Scientific Workflows . Research Interests: Business Process Management and Process Mining Complex Event Processing and Stream Data Analysis Data Privacy and Security in Process Systems Scientific Workflow Systems and User Behavior Heterogeneous Network Embeddings Algorithm Design and Optimization Recent Publications (2023-2025) demonstrate expertise in: Efficient stream processing techniques Privacy-preserving process mining frameworks Scientific workflow analysis tools Graph neural network applications Multi-modal data integration Adaptive querying systems Contact: Office: Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin Phone: 030 2093-41277 Email: matthias.weidlich@hu-berlin.de Web: hu.berlin/data
Marco Serafini is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, affiliated with the College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS). He leads the DREAM Lab (Data systems Research for Exploration, Analytics, and Modeling) and is part of the Center for Data Science. Prior to UMass, Serafini worked as a Senior Scientist at the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) and held a postdoctoral fellowship at Yahoo! Research in Barcelona. He earned his PhD in Computer Science from TU Darmstadt (Germany), where his thesis was recognized through nominations for best thesis awards across German, Swiss, and Austrian computer science societies. His research focuses on the intersection of database systems, distributed systems, and data science, emphasizing scalable architectures for big data analytics and machine learning. Key areas include computation pushdown in cloud DBMSs, graph neural network training systems, and efficient graph pattern matching. His work addresses challenges in tail latency mitigation, resource optimization, and transparent scaling of ML models. Serafini has contributed to influential systems like Arabesque (for distributed graph mining), E-Store (elastic partitioning), and Aion (event-time stream processing). He has been awarded an NSF CNS Core grant to advance scalable GNN training. His publications span top venues such as ACM SIGOPS, VLDB, and ICDE, reflecting his expertise in both theoretical foundations and practical system implementations. Professional recognition includes thesis nominations from major computer science societies and sustained contributions to open-source projects in distributed computing. Serafini advises students through the DREAM Lab, focusing on preparing the next generation of data systems researchers.
Daniel J. Bain is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geology & Environmental Science at the University of Pittsburgh, where he also serves as Deputy Director of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry and Geography from Macalester College, an M.S. and Ph.D. in Geography & Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and completed a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division. His research integrates hydrology, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, ecology, and spatial analysis to assess human impacts on environmental systems over centuries. Focus areas include: Fluvial (stream) system dynamics and sediment chemistry Urban critical zone processes and land-use impacts Water quality monitoring in anthropogenic landscapes Green infrastructure performance and stormwater management Environmental justice implications of urbanization Recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on urban hydrology, metal contamination pathways, climate-health interactions in vulnerable communities, and novel assessment methods for environmental systems. Research spans Pittsburgh's urban watersheds to international sites like China and El Salvador, employing field measurements, laboratory analysis, and geospatial approaches. Dr. Bain leads the Bain Lab at Pitt's Space Research Coordination Center, focusing on environmental chemistry and sustainable water systems. He collaborates extensively with community partners, including the Pittsburgh Center for Healthy Environments and Equity Research, and co-organizes symposia on urban environmental challenges.
Steven Hall is an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison), College of Agricultural & Life Sciences. Previously, he held roles as Assistant and Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology at Iowa State University. His research focuses on agroecosystem water quality, soil carbon dynamics, and nutrient management in agricultural landscapes, with an emphasis on how redox conditions, geochemical factors, and microbial communities influence carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. He obtained a PhD in Ecosystem Science from UC Berkeley and MS/BS degrees from UW-Madison in Environment and Resources/Botany, respectively. His educational background includes studies at the University of California-Berkeley (PhD, Ecosystem Science), University of Wisconsin-Madison (MS, Environment & Resources; BS, Botany). Research priorities include evaluating conservation practices, crop diversification, and novel fertilizer technologies for environmental benefits. The Hall Lab employs mesocosm experiments, isotopic tracing, and continental-scale datasets to address challenges in climate-smart agriculture and water quality preservation. Research highlights include groundbreaking work on iron-driven carbon decomposition mechanisms, microbial controls on lignin mineralization, and nitrous oxide emissions from tile-drained soils. Recent studies emphasize the role of poorly drained depressions as nutrient leaching hotspots and the unexpected carbon losses from anaerobic soils, challenging existing biogeochemical models. Advising and grants involve mentoring current graduate students (Moira Keith, Hariom Yadav) and undergraduate researchers. Opportunities to join his lab depend on funded projects. Collaborations include the International Soil Radiocarbon Database (ISRaD) and partnerships with institutions like the Savanna Institute. The lab is situated in Moore Hall, Plant Sciences Building, with outreach activities through UW-Madison's extension programs. Key infrastructure includes automated gas flux measurement systems and soil block mesocosms. Ongoing work integrates machine learning with NEON soil data to model organic carbon dynamics, while field studies explore digestate amendments and biochar impacts. His research bridges laboratory experiments with landscape-level observations to inform sustainable agricultural practices.
Dr. David Evans is a Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Southampton with expertise in paleoclimate reconstruction and marine geochemistry. His research focuses on understanding climate-Earth surface interactions through geochemical proxies, experimental culturing of marine organisms, and numerical modeling. He leads several major projects funded by the Royal Society and UKRI aimed at refining paleoclimate reconstructions. Dr. Evans investigates Cenozoic warm periods (particularly the early Eocene) to evaluate climate model performance and understand climate-biosphere interactions. His work centers on: 1) Reconstructing boundary conditions affecting geochemical proxies, especially seawater composition; and 2) Understanding biomineralization processes in key archives like foraminifera to ensure accurate proxy applications through geologic time. His publications (2024-2025) predominantly focus on marine biomineralization, paleoclimate proxies, and carbonate geochemistry, with frequent applications of isotope techniques and experimental approaches. Research consistently emphasizes methodological improvements in geochemical analyses and proxy validation. He currently supervises four PhD students across biological sciences and oceanography. His research group is part of the Geochemistry unit and Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute. Major active projects include Horizon Europe's AMOEBA initiative and a correlative cryo-analytical center development.
Stavros Sintos is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). He joined UIC after a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago, where he was part of the ChiData group under Sanjay Krishnan. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Duke University in 2020, advised by Pankaj K. Agarwal. His research focuses on designing efficient algorithms for databases, data mining, and computational geometry . Key themes include: Theoretical guarantees for practical problems Compact indexing structures for query efficiency Geometric optimization combined with database systems Fairness in algorithmic design (e.g., Fair Set Cover, FairHash) Temporal data analysis and dynamic query processing Notable scientific contributions include a Best Paper Award at ICDT 2024 for work on range entropy queries. His publications span top venues like SIGMOD, PODS, VLDB, and SODA, covering areas such as clustering algorithms, synthetic query witnesses, and temporal join optimizations.
