Daniel Sierra Ramos is an Adjunct Professor at IE University, Spain, and Co-Founder of Fitizens, a startup developing AI-driven wearables for physical activity quantification. He has over 6 years of experience as a Lead Data Scientist at Telefónica and Synergic Partners, specializing in AI applications for industries like banking, retail, and telecommunications. His expertise includes machine learning models for customer segmentation, predictive maintenance, and demand forecasting, alongside Big Data and cloud technologies (AWS/Azure). Education: Master in Telecommunication Engineering (Carlos III University, 2015) Master in Multimedia and Communications (Carlos III University, 2015) Bachelor in Telematic Engineering (Carlos III University, 2013) His research focuses on integrating AI into wearable devices and industry-driven data solutions. He trains professionals in AI from technical and business perspectives, emphasizing autonomy in data-centric environments. Active in corporate roles since 2015, he bridges technological innovation with practical business applications.
Nicolò Cesa-Bianchi is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Milan, where he serves as head of the Computer Science programs. He is also associated with the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) at Politecnico di Milano. Cesa-Bianchi holds significant leadership roles including Board member, Fellow and co-director of the Milan unit of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), and membership in the prestigious Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. He is also involved with The European Lighthouse on Secure and Safe AI (ELSA), The European Lighthouse of AI for Sustainability (ELIAS), and The FAIR foundation. Professor Cesa-Bianchi's research focuses on the theoretical foundations of machine learning, with special emphasis on sequential decision making and online learning algorithms. His work spans multiple areas including multi-armed bandit problems, regret analysis, prediction with expert advice, and learning on graphs. He has made significant contributions to understanding the theoretical limits of learning algorithms and developing efficient methods for various learning scenarios. His research has important applications in online markets, social networks, and bioinformatics. His monographs 'Prediction, Learning, and Games' and 'Regret Analysis of Stochastic and Nonstochastic Multi-armed Bandit Problems' are considered seminal works in the field. His recent publications demonstrate continued leadership in advancing the theoretical understanding of machine learning, with 2024-2025 papers covering cooperative online learning, multitask learning, fair trade mechanisms, and refined analyses of bandit algorithms. The research shows increasing focus on practical economic applications while maintaining strong theoretical foundations. Google Research Award Xerox Foundation UAC Award Member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei ELLIS Fellow Cesa-Bianchi has been deeply involved in academic service, having served as action editor for the Machine Learning Journal, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, and the Journal of Machine Learning Research. He currently serves as associate editor for the Journal of Information and Inference and TheoretiCS. He has held leadership positions including President of the Association for Computational Learning and member of the steering committee for the EC-funded Network of Excellence PASCAL2. He was program chair of the 13th Annual Conference on Computational Learning Theory and the 13th International Conference on Algorithmic Learning Theory. He leads the Laboratory for AI and Learning Algorithms (ALGA) at the University of Milan, which focuses on theoretical and applied research in machine learning. His international collaborations are extensive, with visiting positions at UC Santa Cruz, Graz Technical University, Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, Google, and Microsoft Research. As an educator, he teaches advanced courses including Reinforcement Learning and Statistical Methods for Machine Learning, and has supervised numerous students through the years.
Prof. Raimon Jané Campos is a leading figure in biomedical signal processing at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and Universitat de Barcelona (UB). As co-director of UPC's Biomedical Signal and System Group (CREB) and coordinator of the Biomedical Engineering PhD Programme, he bridges engineering and clinical applications. His work focuses on respiratory and sleep disorder diagnostics, with significant contributions to COPD and sleep apnea monitoring through wearable devices and machine learning. PhD in Biomedical Engineering (UPC, 1989) Visiting researcher at Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis Vice-president of Spanish Society of Biomedical Engineering Research spans respiratory mechanics , sleep-disordered breathing , acoustic biomarkers , bioimpedance , and machine learning in biomedical contexts . His 2025 work on microcalorimetric pathogen classification and 2024 spiking neural networks for apnea detection demonstrate cutting-edge integration of computational methods with physiological monitoring. Articles from 2017-2024 reveal consistent focus on non-invasive diagnostics , cardiorespiratory synchronization , and smartphone-based health solutions . Awarded the Barcelona City Technology Research Award (2005) and serving on the International Advisory Board for Physiological Measurement since 2010, his career combines academic leadership with real-world clinical translation through IBEC's technology transfer initiatives.
Claudia Patricia Ayala Martinez serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Service and Information Systems Engineering at the Barcelona School of Informatics (FIB), Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). She is actively involved in research through the GESSI - Group of Software and Service Engineering and the UPC inSSIDE - integrated Software, Services, Information and Data Engineering research groups. Her career spans over two decades of academic contributions in software engineering with consistent publication output. Dr. Ayala Martinez's research focuses on Empirical Software Engineering, Off-The-Shelf Adoption, Requirements Engineering, and Software and Architectural Quality. Her work demonstrates an evolution from traditional software engineering topics toward increasing integration with machine learning and AI systems. Recent publications show particular emphasis on software quality indicators, ML pipeline design principles, trustworthiness of ML models, and green computing in software systems. Analyzing her publication trends reveals a consistent research trajectory with growing focus on AI/ML integration in software engineering. Her work spans empirical studies, systematic literature reviews, and practical industrial applications. The research shows strong connections between software quality metrics, architectural decisions, and emerging technologies, with increasing attention to ethical considerations in ML systems and sustainability in software development. Most-Influential Paper Award at the 30th IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference Dr. Ayala Martinez has participated in numerous competitive R&D projects including those funded by the Spanish National Research Plan, Horizon 2020, and the Catalan Innovation Strategy. Her collaborative network includes extensive work with Professor Javier Franch Gutierrez (69 joint publications), Silverio Juan Martinez Fernandez (26 joint publications), and Cristina Gomez Seoane (20 joint publications). Her research has been supported by various national and European funding programs focusing on software engineering, quality assessment, and open source adoption. She is actively involved with the GESSI and inSSIDE research groups at UPC, which focus on integrated software, services, information, and data engineering. These groups maintain strong industry connections and have produced significant research in empirical software engineering, reference architectures, and quality assessment methodologies. Her recent work shows increasing collaboration with researchers working at the intersection of software engineering and artificial intelligence.
Pere-Pau Vázquez is an Assistant Professor in AI for Visual Computing at the Computer Vision Lab, TU Wien, Austria . Previously, he held academic positions at the ViRVIG Group and Facultat d'Informàtica de Barcelona (UPC) , where he taught courses in Programming, Computer Graphics, and Visualization for over 20 years. His research focuses on Information Visualization, Scientific Visualization, Medical Data Visualization, Molecular Visualization, and AI applications to Visual Computing . Current Teaching : Data Visualization, Fast Realistic Rendering, Information Visualization, Medical Images, Scientific Visualization, Virtual Reality, and 3D Medical Visualization. Former PhD Students : Elena Molina, Alexandra Cortez, Jesús Díaz, Pedro Hermosilla, Eva Monclús. His scientific awards include the Best PhD Thesis Award (UPC, 2003), Best Student Paper Award (SPIE, 2012), and Best Paper Award (International Conference on Computer Graphics Theory and Applications, 2013). Recent publications explore AI integration in biomedical visualization, molecular data analysis, and interactive techniques for volume rendering. He serves on the EuroGraphics Executive Board as Secretary and is active in steering committees for EuroVis and Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine . His work bridges Computer Graphics, Artificial Intelligence, and Human-Computer Interaction , with applications in medical and molecular data analysis.
Dae-Jin Lee is an Assistant Professor at IE University’s School of Science and Technology, specializing in statistical modeling and data science. Previously, he served as a Research Line Leader at the Basque Centre for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) and coordinated the Knowledge Transfer Unit in Data Science/AI. His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Mathematical Engineering (2010) from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and postdoctoral research at CSIRO (Australia). His research focuses on statistical methods for complex data, including penalized splines, tensor product smooths, and applications in biomedicine, epidemiology, environmental science, and sports analytics. He has led multidisciplinary projects funded by public and industry grants, collaborating globally with experts across fields like engineering, medicine, and biology. Key research themes include predictive modeling for health outcomes (e.g., SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia severity), sports injury prevention, and AI in healthcare. His work integrates machine learning with traditional statistical techniques, addressing real-world challenges like pedestrian dynamics simulations and automated medical diagnostics. He is actively involved in scientific organizations, including the Spanish Biostatistics Society and the Statistical Modelling Society. His recent publications highlight innovations in growth curve modeling, AI ethics, and spatiotemporal data analysis, reflecting his commitment to advancing both theoretical and applied statistics.
Yolanda Vidal Segui is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), affiliated with the Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE). Her research focuses on wind energy systems, predictive maintenance, and structural health monitoring of wind turbines. She leads projects in the CoDAlab and WinTurCoM research groups, specializing in data-driven models, condition monitoring, and failure prognosis. Her work integrates machine learning, mathematical modeling, and sensor technology to enhance turbine reliability and energy efficiency. Dr. Vidal holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics and has authored over 350 publications. Her contributions include advancements in SCADA data analysis, vibration-based diagnostics, and AI-driven condition monitoring systems. She has received several accolades, including the WindEurope Technology Workshop recognition and the IFIT Distinction in Mechanism and Machine Science. Her research bridges academia and industry, addressing challenges in offshore wind turbine integrity and maintenance strategies. Active in professional service, she serves on conference committees and editorial boards (e.g., Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Wind Energy). Her work emphasizes sustainable energy solutions and has been applied in real-world scenarios like the Alpha Ventus wind farm. She also contributes to educational initiatives, developing innovative teaching materials for engineering students.
Miguel Ángel Sotelo Vázquez is a full Professor at the University of Alcalá, leading the INVETT Research Group (Intelligent Vehicles and Traffic Technologies). He holds the Department of Automatic Control and specializes in autonomous systems, particularly in path planning, sensor fusion, and human-vehicle interaction. His research integrates machine learning, robotics, and control theory to address challenges in intelligent transportation systems. He earned his Ph.D. in 2001 with a thesis on autonomous vehicle navigation in partially known environments. His work emphasizes real-world deployment, explainable AI, and safety-critical systems. Recent projects focus on lane change prediction, pedestrian behavior modeling, and cybersecurity for autonomous systems. Key contributions include neuro-symbolic frameworks for decision-making, real-time multi-physics field reconstruction, and cross-cultural studies of pedestrian interactions. He collaborates internationally on urban mobility resilience and hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Research Highlights : Development of knowledge graph-based prediction architectures Experimental validation of human-vehicle interaction in VR environments Creation of the SCOUT trajectory prediction framework
Devin G. Pope is the Steven G. Rothmeier Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. His research examines psychological biases in economic decision-making using observational data across diverse markets including healthcare, voting, transportation, and consumer behavior. Pope has published extensively in top economics journals (American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics), general science publications (Science, Nature), and interdisciplinary outlets (Management Science, Psychological Science). His research interests bridge behavioral economics and psychology, focusing on vaccination incentives , racial bias measurement , consumer decision heuristics , and observational data analysis . Recent work leverages smartphone data to study religious attendance patterns, voting wait times, and geographic mobility. Pope's research methodology emphasizes real-world field experiments and large-scale observational datasets to identify psychological biases affecting economic outcomes. Notable scientific contributions include: Co-editing the American Economic Review Amazon Scholar appointment (2019-2021) Robert King Steel Faculty Fellowship Steven G. Rothmeier Professorship Pope advises PhD students and teaches graduate courses including Behavioral Economics and Workshop in Behavioral Science. His research has received significant external funding for pandemic response studies and behavioral interventions. Pope maintains active research collaborations across economics, psychology, and public health disciplines through the Booth School's research centers and workshops.
David Rossell is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) in Barcelona, Spain. He is affiliated with the Statistics@UPF research group and directs the Master in Data Science at the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE). Previously, he held positions at IRB Barcelona as head of the Biostatistics Unit and at the University of Warwick's Statistics Department. He obtained his PhD in Statistics from Rice University, Houston (USA), and conducted postdoctoral research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center under Professors Valen Johnson and Veera Baladandayuthapani. Research Interests: Rossell specializes in high-dimensional statistical inference, Bayesian methods, computational statistics, and applications in biomedicine and social sciences. His work emphasizes methodology for complex data integration, variable selection, graphical models, and experimental design. Key areas include non-local priors, scalable Bayesian computation, and the development of R packages for statistical analysis (e.g., casper , chroGPS , gaga ). Publications: His recent work focuses on advancing Bayesian variable selection, graphical models with external data, and causal inference. Themes include leveraging external datasets for improved model accuracy, robustness to model misspecification, and applications in healthcare and complex mixture analysis. His contributions span methodological innovation and computational tools for high-dimensional problems. Funding & Grants: Rossell has secured funding through Spanish and European grants, including Juan de la Cierva Fellowships, AGAUR fellowships, and Marie Slodowska-Curie Actions. He supports PhD and postdoctoral researchers through programs like La Caixa InPhD and Beca Beautriu de Pinós. Labs & Teams: He leads the BSE Data Science Center and contributes to interdisciplinary collaborations at UPF and IRB Barcelona, bridging statistical theory and practical applications in genomics, epigenomics, and health data analysis.
Fernando Sánchez-Figueroa is a Full Professor at the University of Extremadura's Department of Computer Systems Engineering and Telematics. He is a co-founder of Homeria Open Solutions, a spin-off engaged in R&D projects under EU frameworks. His research focuses on Software Engineering, Machine Learning, Data Visualization, and Ambient Intelligence. He has authored over 50 scientific articles and led numerous R&D contracts with public and private entities. Key roles include: Academic: Full Professor at University of Extremadura Entrepreneur: Co-founder of Homeria Open Solutions Research: Participation in EU-funded projects and development of AI-driven solutions for healthcare, smart cities, and education Research Interests: Machine Learning applications in healthcare, predictive analytics for education, and sustainable smart city technologies. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical implementations, such as medical image segmentation using SAM models and cost-efficient UAV systems. Publications: Recent works include decision support systems for employability analysis, zero-shot learning in medical imaging, and recommender systems for education. He emphasizes data-driven approaches and model-driven engineering in software development. Impact: Developed tools like CompareML for preliminary data analysis and LiveSankey for advanced web visualization. His contributions span academia and industry, addressing challenges in healthcare, urban sustainability, and educational technology.
Gomez Melis, Guadalupe is a Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), affiliated with the GRBIO research group (Bioestadística i Bioinformàtica) and the Department of Statistics and Operations Research. She collaborates with the Institut de Recerca i Innovació en Salut (Health Research Institute) and the Faculty of Mathematics and Statistics (FME). Her work focuses on biostatistics, survival analysis, multistate models, and clinical trial design, with significant contributions to understanding disease progression and outcomes, particularly in pandemic-related studies. She has supervised doctoral theses and leads various research projects funded by EU and national grants. Her research spans statistical methodologies for healthcare data, including censored data analysis and adaptive clinical trial designs. Key activities include leading over 450 research outputs, including articles in high-impact journals like Biostatistics and BMC Medical Research Methodology , and collaborations on projects like the EU-funded Siemens Energy AI Chair initiative. Her work often integrates statistical modeling with real-world health data, addressing challenges in infectious disease dynamics, elderly patient care, and genomic analysis. Notable contributions include developing the GofCens package for goodness-of-fit methods and the MSMpred interactive tool for predicting patient trajectories via multistate models. She actively participates in international conferences and serves on scientific committees, demonstrating her role in advancing biostatistical methodologies globally.
Meritxell Sáez Cornellana serves as a Contracted Professor of Ph.D in the Department of Mathematics and Data Analytics at IQS School of Engineering, part of Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain. She leads the ADAMIQS (Applied Data Analytics and Modelling IQS) research group funded by AGAUR, and participates in multiple interdisciplinary projects including CERTERA (advanced therapies development), NFT value drivers research, and international collaborations with China on sustainable development in population medicine. Her research focuses on applying mathematical modeling to biological systems, particularly in understanding cell fate decisions through dynamical landscapes and chemical reaction networks. She has developed geometrical frameworks for analyzing gene regulatory dynamics and cell differentiation processes, bridging mathematical theory with biological applications. Her work spans mathematical biology, dynamical systems theory, and data analytics, with particular expertise in bifurcation analysis, model reduction techniques, and statistical approaches to biological decision-making. Analysis of her publication record reveals a clear trajectory from foundational mathematical work in algebraic geometry toward increasingly biological applications, with a significant shift around 2016 toward systems biology. Her most impactful work involves creating geometrical landscapes that capture decision-making dynamics during cell fate transitions, which has been cited over 60 times. Recent publications show expansion into statistical approaches for university education and continued development of mathematical frameworks for understanding biological networks. Research leadership and funding: Principal Investigator for ADAMIQS project (Applied Data Analytics and Modelling IQS) funded by AGAUR (2022-2025) Researcher in CERTERA consortium for advanced therapies development (Carlos III Health Institute, 2024-2026) Researcher in NFT value drivers project (Fundación Ramón Areces, 2023-2026) Researcher in PoPMeD-SuSDeV project on sustainable development and global health (2023-2026) Researcher in 2IDLATRL project on learning analytics tools (2022-2023) Professor Sáez Cornellana directs the Applied Data Analytics and Modeling research line at IQS, supervising multiple research projects that integrate mathematical theory with practical applications in biology and education. Her team collaborates across disciplines, connecting mathematical modeling with biological experimentation and educational innovation, creating a unique interdisciplinary research environment focused on extracting meaningful insights from complex data systems.
Silvia Jiménez Fernández is an Associate Professor in the Department of Signal Theory and Communications at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Her research focuses on optimization algorithms, smart grids, renewable energy systems, telemedicine, and machine learning applications. She holds a Ph.D. from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (2009), supervised by Dr. Francisco del Pozo Guerrero and Dr. Paula de Toledo Heras. Her work integrates interdisciplinary approaches, such as combining evolutionary algorithms with engineering challenges in energy systems and healthcare. Key contributions include advancements in coral reefs optimization algorithms for energy management, machine learning for battery health estimation, and telemedicine systems for chronic disease monitoring. Recent research trends emphasize hybrid learning models in education, multi-objective optimization in renewable energy systems, and risk analysis in smart grids with electric vehicles. She is affiliated with the GHEODE Research Group (Modern Heuristics and Network Design).
PASCUAL ALVAREZ GOMEZ is a Professor at the University of Cádiz, affiliated with the Department of Industrial Engineering and Civil Engineering. His research focuses on Ground Engineering and Thermal Engineering, with a particular emphasis on geothermal heat pumps and thermal performance modeling. He is associated with the TEP221 Thermal Engineering research group and contributes to the PAIDI area of Production Technologies. Education: PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Cádiz (2014), with a thesis on "Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger Simulation Model for Geothermal Heat Pumps" Research: Specializes in hybrid thermal modeling, CFD analysis for evaporation rates, and machine learning applications in corrosion prediction His publications highlight advancements in geothermal systems, low-concentration photovoltaics, and biogas environment corrosion analysis. He employs both analytical and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approaches for energy efficiency improvements.
