Jana Diesner is a Professor at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), leading the Human Centered Computing group within the School of Social Science and Technology. Previously, she held a tenured position at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC) School of Information Sciences. She earned her PhD in Computation, Organizations, and Society from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. Her research focuses on human-centered data science, computational social science, network science, and ethical AI. She integrates methods from natural language processing, machine learning, and social science theories to study societal systems and responsible computing. Key areas include crisis informatics, data regulations, and impact assessment of media and research. Leadership Academy Fellow for underrepresented STEM leaders (2020) R.C. Evans Data Analytics Fellow (2018) NCSA Faculty Fellow (2015) Siebel Scholarship (2011) Recent work addresses stereotypes in large language models, reliability of crisis data extraction, and societal impact assessment of research. She advises on projects like the NCSA Faculty Fellowship and collaborates with organizations globally. Her teaching includes independent studies at TUM. Her research has been presented at venues like the International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2), European Computational Social Science Symposium, and conferences on ethics in AI. She actively engages in initiatives promoting inclusive STEM leadership and responsible data science practices.
John P.A. Ioannidis is the C.F. Rehnborg Professor in Disease Prevention and Professor of Medicine, Health Research and Policy, Biomedical Data Science, and Statistics at Stanford University. He is Co-Director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS) and an Einstein BIH Visiting Fellow at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. His academic appointments span multiple departments and institutes at Stanford, including the Stanford Prevention Research Center, Biomedical Data Science, and Statistics. He is internationally recognized for his work in meta-research, evidence-based medicine, and research reproducibility. Ioannidis holds an MD and DSc in Biopathology from the National University of Athens, with training in internal medicine and infectious diseases from Harvard and Tufts. He previously chaired the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the University of Ioannina Medical School and held adjunct positions at Harvard, Tufts, and Imperial College. He joined Stanford in 2010, where he launched the PhD program in Epidemiology & Clinical Research, the MS in Community Health & Prevention Research, and METRICS in 2014. His research focuses on improving research methods, appraising biases, enhancing reproducibility, and integrating evidence across scientific disciplines. He is a pioneer in meta-research, with seminal contributions on the reliability of published findings, statistical practices, and research synthesis. His influential 2005 paper, "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False," is the most-accessed article in PLoS history. His recent work examines peer review, data sharing, AI in medicine, and pandemic research impact, consistently advocating for transparency and methodological rigor. His publications span epidemiology, statistics, genomics, clinical trials, and meta-analysis, with a strong emphasis on bias detection, replication, and open science. Trends in his recent articles highlight concerns about research integrity, citation practices, peer review reform, and the scientific response to global health crises. Founders' Medal for Lifetime Contributions to Meta-science (2024) Honorary doctorates from McMaster, Thessaloniki, Edinburgh, Tilburg, Athens, and Rotterdam Elected member, US National Academy of Medicine (2018) Elected member, European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2015) President, Association of American Physicians (2023–2024) President, Society for Research Synthesis Methodology Gordon Award, NIH (2019) Chanchlani Global Health Award (2017) Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate) in Clinical Medicine, Social Sciences, and Psychiatry Ioannidis has advised numerous students and mentored early-career researchers. He has served as Senior Advisor for Knowledge Integration at the National Cancer Institute (2012–2016) and Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Clinical Investigation (2010–2019). He has received over 700 invited lectures and is deeply involved in shaping research policy and scientific infrastructure. He leads METRICS, a hub for meta-research innovation, and is affiliated with multiple Stanford institutes, including Bio-X, the Cardiovascular Institute, and the Stanford Cancer Institute.
Dr. Lourdes Pena-Castillo is a Professor jointly appointed in the Departments of Computer Science and Biology at Memorial University of Newfoundland's Faculty of Science. Her research focuses on applying machine learning and bioinformatics to study bacterial gene regulation, with emphasis on transcriptomics, gene expression pathways, and microbiology. She leads the Bioinformatics Lab at MUN, developing computational tools like Promotech for promoter prediction and sRNARFTarget for sRNA target identification. Education: BSc in Information Systems Engineering, ITESM-Mexico MSc in Computer Science, University of Alberta PhD in Computer Science (Doktoringenieurin), Otto-von-Guericke Universität Magdeburg Postdoc in Bioinformatics, University of Toronto Research Interests: Bioinformatics, Genomics, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Transcriptomics, Gene Regulation, Microbiology Her work integrates computational methods with biological data to address challenges in molecular biology, including analyzing bacterial sRNA functions, promoter recognition, and disease diagnostics using machine learning. She has advised numerous graduate students, including PhD candidates Purvikalyan Pallegar and Bonita McCuaig, and MSc students like Ruben Chevez-Guardado and Kratika Naskulwar. Her lab focuses on translational research with applications in both basic science and clinical contexts. Publications span computational methods for bacterial gene regulation, bioinformatics tool development, and interdisciplinary projects in VR and healthcare informatics. Her research has contributed to understanding symbiotic relationships in marine organisms, inflammatory bowel disease diagnostics, and clavulanic acid production in Streptomyces. Grants & Collaborations: Works with interdisciplinary teams across computer science and biology, supported by grants enabling projects in bacterial genomics and computational tool development. Labs & Teams: Leads the Bioinformatics Lab at MUN, fostering collaborations with researchers in microbiology, computer science, and healthcare.
Francesco Pilati is an Associate Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Trento, where he serves as local coordinator for the scientific field ING-IND/17 (Industrial Plants and Logistic Systems). He chairs the research group on Industrial Plants, Production Systems, and Logistics, and teaches courses in Industrial Plants and Design of Digital Production and Assembly Systems. As coordinator of the Master's program in Management and Industrial Systems Engineering and University Coordinator for the EIT double degree in Zero-Defect Manufacture, Pilati bridges academic leadership with advanced manufacturing research. He has also served as Invited Lecturer at universities in Vienna and Göttingen. His research focuses on integrating environmental sustainability with technical-economic criteria through multi-objective optimization and impact assessment. Key areas include: Distribution networks and warehousing systems Manufacturing and assembly line design Hybrid energy production systems Digitization of manual production processes using depth cameras Recent publications highlight applications of Industry 4.0 technologies to pandemic safety, logistics optimization, and smart manufacturing. Pilati has received significant recognition including the Philip Morris Italia Empowering Research Award (2016) and Autostrade per l'Italia academic recognition. His editorial contributions include guest editing special issues on Digital Twins and Smart Factories in Q1 journals.
Dr. Sirui Li is a Lecturer at Murdoch University's School of Information Technology within the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Her research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning, Knowledge Graphs, Data Analysis, Temporal Data, and Multi-modal Models, with applications in medicine, agriculture, and mining. She collaborates with industry partners like BHP and has published in journals such as Food Chemistry and Knowledge and Information Systems , as well as conferences like ICSME and IJCNN. Education: Bachelor of Advanced Computing (Honours) in Computer Science at Australian National University Master of Computing (Specialising in AI) at ANU Ph.D. in Information Technology (AI) at Murdoch University Research interests include interdisciplinary applications of AI, such as clinical coding privacy solutions, disease spread modeling, and drug repurposing for pandemics. Her work emphasizes practical industry integration, demonstrated through awards like the 2024 EMNLP Best Demo Award and the 2023 Iron Ore Circuit Hackathon innovation prize. Professional roles include IEEE Western Australia Section committee membership, conference chair positions, and peer review for top journals. She actively mentors students pursuing Honours, Master's, or PhD projects in her areas of expertise.
Professor Michael C.L. CHAU serves as Professor and Deputy Area Head of Innovation and Information Management at The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Business and Economics. He also holds the position of Associate Director at the HKU HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, and serves on the HKU Senate and Court. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona and a B.Sc. in Computer Science (Information Systems) from the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Chau's research spans business analytics, artificial intelligence, web mining, fintech, smart health, and security informatics. His work focuses on applying data/text/web mining techniques to business, education, and social domains. He leads the Artificial Intelligence Research Group at HKU Business School, which has secured significant funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, Food and Health Bureau, and other agencies for projects including 'The Invisible Hand in Crowdfunding' and 'Factors Moderating the Predictive Power of Social Media Sentiment on Stock Returns'. His publication portfolio includes over 150 articles in premier journals like MIS Quarterly, JMIS, and IEEE Transactions, with recent work exploring large language models, hate speech detection, and disaster-related social media analysis. His research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections across computer science, information systems, and business applications. INFORMS ISS Design Science Award (2020) IEEE ITSS Leadership Award in Intelligence and Security Informatics (2020) AIS Sandra Slaughter Service Award (2016) HKU Outstanding Young Researcher Award (2014) Faculty Research Postgraduate Supervision Award (2020 & 2025) Cited over 9,400 times (h-index = 47) Dr. Chau actively mentors doctoral students and has supervised numerous PhD graduates who now hold academic positions at institutions including Fudan University, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, and the University of Maryland. His research grants portfolio demonstrates sustained funding success across diverse areas including blockchain, mental health applications, and social media analytics. The Artificial Intelligence Research Group he leads maintains strong industry connections through projects with Hong Kong Red Cross and the Hospital Authority.
James A. Evans is a Professor at the University of Chicago, where he serves as Director of the Knowledge Lab and Faculty Director of the Masters Program in Computational Social Science. He is also an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. His research bridges computational methods with social theory to analyze collective cognition, innovation, and knowledge production across science, technology, and broader societal domains. Director, Knowledge Lab Faculty Director, Masters Program in Computational Social Science External Professor, Santa Fe Institute Evans’s research explores how social and technical institutions shape discovery processes, utilizing machine learning, network modeling, and large-scale data analysis. His work spans fields like computational social science, sociology of science, and data science, focusing on team dynamics, peer review, and the global structure of scholarship. His recent publications examine team size effects on innovation, discursive influence in academia, and the interplay between tradition and novelty in research strategies. Articles trend toward interdisciplinary approaches combining social theory, computational methods, and science policy. Evans supports novel observatories for human understanding through crowdsourcing, sensor networks, and semantic modeling. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Air Force Office of Scientific Research, with findings featured in major media outlets like Nature , Science , and The New York Times .
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Hellweg serves as a Full Professor for Ecological Systems Design at the ETH Zürich , Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering. She is Deputy Head of the Institute of Environmental Engineering and leads groundbreaking research at the intersection of industrial ecology, life cycle assessment, and circular economy systems. PhD in Environmental Engineering (ETH Zürich, 2000) Industrial Engineering Degree (Karlsruhe University, 1996) Her research develops advanced methodologies for environmental impact assessment of products and technologies, focusing on: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with correlated uncertainty modeling Circular economy implementation in chemical and energy sectors Industrial symbiosis optimization for heat and nutrient flows Urban wastewater systems redesign for resource recovery Chemical pollution analysis in plastic materials Key publication trends reveal expertise in: Hybrid wastewater treatment systems Energy-efficient greenhouse cultivation Exergy analysis for sustainability metrics Machine learning applications in environmental modeling Policy-relevant industrial ecology studies She actively participates in global sustainability initiatives as: President of the International Society of Industrial Ecology (ISIE) Member of UN Environment's International Resource Panel Editorial board member for leading environmental journals
Zaklina Spalevic is a distinguished Professor at Singidunum University, specializing in the intersection of law, technology, and business. With a strong academic background in criminal law and extensive research in cyber law, artificial intelligence applications in legal systems, and tourism law, she has established herself as a leading scholar in digital legal frameworks. Her work spans multiple disciplines, connecting traditional legal principles with emerging technological challenges. Dr. Spalevic earned her doctoral degree in Criminal Law from the University of the Academy of Economics in Novi Sad (2008-2012), following basic studies in General Law at the University of Pristina (1996-2001). Her educational foundation in Science and Mathematics from First Pristina High School (1992-1996) provided the analytical basis for her interdisciplinary approach to legal scholarship. Her research interests focus on the evolving landscape of cyber law, particularly the legal implications of artificial intelligence in judicial systems, electronic governance, and tourism industry regulation. Dr. Spalevic has pioneered work on digital evidence processing, algorithmic justice, and the integration of green law principles into sustainable business practices. Her publications reveal a consistent pattern of addressing emerging legal challenges in the digital age, with increasing emphasis on AI applications across various legal domains. Analysis of her recent publications shows a clear trend toward interdisciplinary research that bridges law, technology, and business. Her work increasingly focuses on practical applications of legal frameworks for emerging technologies, particularly in tourism, agriculture, and judicial systems. The integration of technical solutions with legal regulation represents a distinctive feature of her scholarly contributions. Dr. Spalevic has authored numerous publications including three books: 'Fundamentals of Law with Special Reference to Business and Tourism Law' (2021, 2024 editions) and 'Legal Aspects of Cyberspace' (2018). Her extensive publication record includes over 100 journal articles and conference papers spanning cyber security, electronic governance, intellectual property in digital environments, and legal frameworks for emerging technologies. She actively contributes to academic discourse through conference presentations and collaborative research projects, particularly focusing on the legal implications of artificial intelligence across various sectors. Her work demonstrates a commitment to developing practical legal frameworks that address real-world technological challenges while maintaining foundational legal principles.
Jianming Liang is a full professor at Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions, specializing in biomedical informatics, data science, and computer vision. His research focuses on self-supervised learning, foundation models, and improving transfer learning techniques for medical imaging applications. National Academy of Inventors Fellow (2021) ASU Faculty Innovation Award (2019) ASU Distinguished Faculty Award (2023) NIH R01 grant recipient Led lab producing FDA-approved medical imaging products His lab has developed multiple open-source frameworks like Ark , Foundation_X , and ModelsGenesis for medical image analysis. Team has received over 70 student research awards including NCWIT Collegiate and AMIA Ph.D. Dissertation honors. Key research contributions include: Anatomically consistent foundation models Domain-adaptive pretraining strategies Annotation-efficient deep learning Integrated classification/localization/segmentation frameworks 40+ US patents (50+ pending) Major publications demonstrate leadership in self-supervised learning for chest radiography, pulmonary embolism detection, and medical AI explainability.
Mohammad Aliannejadi is an Assistant Professor at the IRLab (formerly ILPS) within the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on Information Retrieval (IR), machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and conversational systems, particularly in modeling user information needs on mobile devices and conversational search systems. He holds a Ph.D. in Informatics from Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland, and a M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Tehran Polytechnic. During his Ph.D., he visited the CIIR Lab at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. His research interests include conversational search systems, recommender systems, unified search frameworks, and user-centric evaluation methodologies. Notable contributions include work on clarifying questions in open-domain dialogues, contextual suggestion systems, and cross-market recommendation. Aliannejadi has organized major shared tasks and workshops, including the IGLU Contest (NeurIPS 2021) and XMRec Workshop (RecSys 2021). He serves on program committees of top IR conferences like SIGIR, CIKM, and ECIR, and has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications in these areas. His work has received recognition, including top performance in TREC Contextual Suggestion tracks (2015, 2016). He actively contributes to the IR community through teaching, including courses on Information Retrieval and Human-in-the-Loop Machine Learning at the University of Amsterdam.
Elias Flytzanis serves as a Professor in the Department of Informatics at the School of Information Sciences and Technology, Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). With a strong academic foundation in physics and advanced degrees from prestigious institutions, he contributes to the academic and research mission of one of Greece's leading informatics departments. Dr. Flytzanis holds a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Harvard University, complemented by a Master of Arts and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. His educational background bridges theoretical physics with computational approaches, positioning him at the intersection of scientific computing and information technology. His research interests span computational physics, scientific computing, and data analysis methodologies. These fields leverage his physics background while addressing contemporary challenges in computer science and information systems. The Department of Informatics at AUEB focuses on cutting-edge research in computer science, information systems, and data science, providing an appropriate academic home for his interdisciplinary expertise. As a faculty member at AUEB, Professor Flytzanis contributes to both undergraduate and postgraduate education programs, including the Department's offerings in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, and Mathematics of Market and Production. The department maintains active research laboratories and participates in numerous national and international research projects.
Elaine M. Huang is an Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at the Department of Informatics, University of Zurich, where she has served since 2010. She also leads the People and Computing Lab, focusing on the dynamic interplay between human practices and technological advancements. Her academic background includes: PhD in Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology (2006) Dr. Huang's research centers on human-computer interaction, examining the bidirectional relationship between technology and human practices. She is particularly known for her work on gender equality in technology, challenging assumptions about innate gender differences and investigating how AI systems may perpetuate biases. Her research also spans sustainable interaction design, mental health technologies, and chronic disease management, always emphasizing empirical data over intuition. Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong trajectory toward socially impactful HCI, with significant focus on health technologies (diabetes management, mental health), cultural sensitivity in design, and the ethical challenges of AI. Her methodology often involves field studies to understand real-world technology use, countering the industry's reliance on intuition. As head of the People and Computing Lab, Dr. Huang oversees a research group dedicated to designing and evaluating technologies that address complex human needs. The lab's work frequently involves co-design with diverse user communities to ensure relevance and inclusivity in technological solutions.
Levent Burak Kara is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with a courtesy appointment in the Robotics Institute. He is a leading researcher in AI-driven computational design, additive manufacturing, and intelligent engineering systems, leading the Visual Design and Engineering Lab (VDEL) at CMU. Education: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University (1998) M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (2000) Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (2005) His research focuses on integrating machine learning, optimization, and geometric modeling to revolutionize engineering design and manufacturing. Key areas include topology optimization, CAD intelligence, digital twins, generative design, bioengineering, and electronic design automation. His work enables automation of traditionally labor-intensive design processes using deep learning and reinforcement learning. His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward physics-informed surrogate modeling, real-time simulation, manufacturability prediction, and AI-driven automation in mechanical, biomedical, and electronic systems. These works frequently appear in top journals such as Journal of Mechanical Design and Journal of Applied Mechanics , and at premier conferences like NeurIPS and DAC. Scientific Awards: National Science Foundation CAREER Award ASME Design Automation Society Young Investigator Award Google AI for Social Good Impact Scholar Kara advises several Ph.D. students and has secured significant funding from federal agencies such as the NSF and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, as well as collaborations with industrial leaders including Cadence Design Systems and NVIDIA. His research is also supported by CMU’s NextManufacturing Center and the Critical Technology Initiative. He is actively involved in developing intelligent design systems that leverage AI to automate product design, optimize manufacturing processes, and improve medical diagnostics, particularly in oral cancer screening and organ preservation. His lab, VDEL, is a hub for innovation in AI-enabled engineering.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Butz is a Full Professor and Chair for Human-Computer Interaction at the Department for Informatics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich). He leads the Media Informatics Group, focusing on innovative interaction techniques and interfaces in immersive environments like VR/AR, automotive systems, and smart spaces. His research emphasizes perceptual user interfaces, social robotics, and designing systems that balance invisibility with transparency. Key research areas include: Virtual/Augmented Reality interfaces for productivity and social interaction AI-driven decision support in safety-critical domains (aviation, healthcare) Haptic and wearable interaction technologies Automotive UI design for driver assistance systems Principles of explainable AI and human-AI collaboration His work bridges theory and practice through projects like: VR-based movement training systems AI trust calibration mechanisms Multi-modal interaction frameworks for automotive environments Systems for analyzing long-term music listening behavior Recent articles explore topics ranging from AI support in pilot decision-making to haptic wearables and creative writing interfaces. His team collaborates with industry partners on electric vehicle information systems and in-car interaction challenges.
