Ajit Rajwade is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering , Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. His research spans Artificial Intelligence , Compressed Sensing , and Medical Imaging , with affiliations to the Centre for Machine Intelligence and Data Science and the Koita Centre for Digital Health . Education : PhD in Computer and Information Science and Engineering, University of Florida (2010) MSc in Computer Science, McGill University (2004) BTech in Computer Engineering, University of Pune (2002) His research interests focus on intelligent data acquisition, particularly in neural network analysis , graph signal processing , and medical imaging . He develops compressed sensing algorithms for inverse problems like tomography and MRI reconstruction , alongside applying group testing to pandemic response. Scientific awards include the Prof. S. P. Sukhatme Award (2024) and Departmental Teaching Excellence (2019). His publications demonstrate expertise in image restoration , noise modeling , and epidemiological algorithms . He has advised PhD students like Sabyasachi Ghosh and Jerin Geo James , with a focus on computationally efficient methods in medical imaging and machine learning .
Matthias Hein is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Tübingen. His research focuses on Machine Learning , Adversarial Robustness , and Out-of-Distribution Detection , with applications in computer vision and medical imaging. He has received notable recognition including the Best Paper Honorable Mention Prize at ICLR 2021 and Outstanding Paper Award at CVPR 2021. His work includes developing benchmarks like RobustBench and Spurious ImageNet , and frameworks such as Sparse-RS and DIG-IN . His recent publications emphasize adversarial robustness across multiple domains (vision, text), counterfactual explanations for classifiers, and improved OOD detection methods . Collaborators include prominent researchers like Francesco Croce, Julian Bitterwolf, and Alexander Meinke. Scientific Awards : Best Paper Honorable Mention (ICLR 2021) CVPR 2021 Outstanding Paper Award Key Research Areas : Adversarial Robustness Vision-Language Models Medical Imaging AI Neural Network Calibration
Professor Richard Samworth is a leading academic at the University of Cambridge , affiliated with the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics and serving as Director of the Statistical Laboratory . His research focuses on Nonparametric and High-dimensional Statistics , addressing challenges in data analysis, statistical learning, and computational methods. Research Interests : Richard Samworth's work emphasizes Nonparametric Statistics , High-dimensional Data , and Statistical Learning . His research spans topics such as Missing Data , Changepoint Detection , Log-concave Density Estimation , and Subgroup Analysis , with applications in Machine Learning and Data Science . Key methodologies include Score Matching , Random Projections , and Minimax Estimation . Recent publications highlight advancements in Semi-Supervised Learning , Robust Statistical Testing , and High-dimensional PCA with heterogeneous missingness. His work bridges theoretical rigor with practical applications, particularly in Statistical Algorithms and Optimization .
Virginia Smith is the Leonardo Associate Professor of Machine Learning at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She holds a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and undergraduate degrees from the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on developing efficient, privacy-preserving machine learning systems, particularly in federated learning, distributed optimization, and resource-constrained settings. Key areas include federated learning frameworks like CoCoA and Ditto, unlearning algorithms, and privacy amplification techniques. Smith's work bridges theory and practice, addressing challenges such as data heterogeneity, fairness, and robustness. She has led initiatives like the LEAF benchmark for federated learning and has contributed to open-source tools for scalable ML systems. Her awards include the Sloan Research Fellowship, Samsung AI Researcher of the Year (2023), and an NSF CAREER Award. She is actively involved in curriculum development, teaching courses on federated learning and large-scale ML at CMU. Her research group explores cutting-edge topics like federated optimization with sparse communication, unlearning in LLMs, and secure ML pipelines. Collaborations span academia and industry, with applications in healthcare, IoT systems, and AI safety. Smith serves as Program Chair for ICML 2025 and frequently contributes to workshops on federated learning and trustworthy AI.
Felipe Csaszar is a Professor of Strategy and Chair of the Strategy Department at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. His research focuses on decision structures' impact on innovation, financial performance, and social outcomes, with particular attention to cognitive frameworks, organizational processes, and AI's role in decision-making. He holds a PhD and MA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Education: PhD in Strategy, University of Pennsylvania (2009) MA in Strategy, University of Pennsylvania (2007) Research Interests: Strategic decision-making under AI integration Cognitive and structural drivers of innovation Organizational decision processes and design Formal modeling and empirical strategy research Editorial Roles: Senior Editor, Strategy Science and Management Science Former Editor, Organization Science Co-editor, Handbook of AI and Strategy Professional Experience: Prior role: Assistant Professor at INSEAD Previous career: CEO of an internet startup and Head of Research at an asset management firm Labs/Teams: Leading the Strategy Science division at INFORMS Co-chair of the SMS Behavioral Strategy division
Pierre Vandergheynst is a Full Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in the Department of Electrical Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in Computer and Communication Sciences. He serves as EPFL’s Vice-Provost for Education since 2015 and leads the Signal Processing Laboratory 2 (LTS2). His research spans harmonic analysis, sparse approximations, mathematical data processing, and applications in signal/image processing, computer vision, machine learning, and graph-based data analysis. PhD in Mathematical Physics (1998), Université catholique de Louvain Postdoctoral Researcher at EPFL (1998-2001) Assistant Professor at EPFL (2002-2007) His research explores geometry/symmetry in high-dimensional data, redundant dictionaries for dimensionality reduction, and computational harmonic analysis on manifolds. Recent work focuses on protein structure modeling, geometric deep learning, and graph-based signal processing. Key article trends include graph neural networks for protein analysis, geometric deep learning in neuroscience, and structured knowledge priors in neural models. His 2023-2025 publications emphasize interpretable AI, long-range dependencies in graphs, and molecular representation learning. Scientific Awards: IEEE Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award (2023) Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award (2022) Apple ARTS Award (2007) De Boelpaepe Prize, Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium (2009-2010) He has supervised over 30 PhD theses and contributed to foundational work in graph signal processing, compressive sensing, and geometric deep learning. His lab develops tools for data science on non-Euclidean structures, with applications in medicine, astronomy, and wireless systems.
Martin T. Wells is the Charles A. Alexander Professor of Statistical Sciences at Cornell University, with joint appointments in the Department of Statistical Science, Department of Biological Statistics and Computational Biology, Department of Social Statistics, and as Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Research at Weill Medical School. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the ASA-SIAM Book Series and Co-Editor of the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Weill Cornell Medical College Research Interests span applied and theoretical statistics, Bayesian methods, biostatistics, clinical epidemiology, and computational biology. His work bridges disciplines like finance, legal studies, and health services research. Article Trends highlight advancements in Bayesian modeling, quantum cognition machine learning, tensor analysis, and misclassification correction, with applications in genomics, finance, and public health. Fellow of the American Statistical Association Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society Contributions include developing statistical software (e.g., rTensor), methodological innovations in clinical trials, and empirical legal studies on civil rights and the death penalty.
Professor Simon Godsill MA PhD FIET FIEEE is a University Professor of Statistical Signal Processing in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. He heads a research team specializing in statistical signal processing, digital audio restoration, and Bayesian inference. His work addresses the processing and analysis of digital speech, audio, tracking systems, and financial datasets, with a focus on probabilistic modeling and computational methods. Research interests include statistical signal processing , degraded signal restoration , and Bayesian computational methods . Recent publications emphasize Gaussian processes, variational inference, and multi-object tracking for applications in audio enhancement and financial data analysis. He co-founded the audio remastering company CEDAR Audio Ltd in 1988. Scientific awards: Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET) Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (FIEEE) Outside academia, he enjoys singing, cricket, piano/organ playing, and running. His team at Cambridge's Engineering department focuses on robust tracking algorithms and signal enhancement techniques.
Professor Janet B. Pierrehumbert is a leading academic in computational linguistics and natural language processing, holding the position of Professor of Language Modelling at the Oxford e-Research Centre, University of Oxford. She is also a Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College and affiliated with the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics. Her work bridges interdisciplinary research in phonology, sociolinguistics, and computational models of language dynamics. Education: PhD in Linguistics from MIT (1980), A.B. in Linguistics from Harvard University (1975). Research Interests: Focuses on computational linguistics, dialect variation, language dynamics, and the societal impacts of NLP. Her group develops algorithms for analyzing social media discourse, forecasting trends, and modeling language evolution. Recent work includes studies on dialect fairness in LLMs and semantic shifts in political discourse. Key Projects: EPSRC-funded research on online forum dynamics, the Wordovators project on lexical innovation, and collaborations with institutions like the Oxford Man Institute. Her work emphasizes robust NLP systems and theoretical linguistics. Awards: ISCA Medal (2020), National Academy of Sciences membership (2019), Fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Cognitive Science Society. Grants & Advising: Over £6M in research funding, including EPSRC and Templeton grants. Supervised over 30 PhD students and postdocs, many now leading academics and industry researchers in NLP and linguistics. Labs/Teams: Leads the Pierrehumbert Language Modelling Group, collaborating with the Oxford e-Research Centre and international partners like Stanford and the University of Canterbury.
Tim G. J. Rudner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences at the University of Toronto, a Faculty Member at the Vector Institute, and a Title A Fellow at Trinity College, University of Cambridge. He was previously an Assistant Professor and Faculty Fellow at New York University. University: University of Toronto School: Faculty of Arts and Science Department: Department of Statistical Sciences Affiliation: Vector Institute, Trinity College (Cambridge) He holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MSc in Statistics from the University of Oxford, where he was advised by Yee Whye Teh and Yarin Gal, and a BS in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Yale University. PhD: Computer Science, University of Oxford MSc: Statistics, University of Oxford BS: Applied Mathematics and Economics, Yale University His research focuses on building robust, transparent, and trustworthy machine learning systems, particularly for high-stakes applications. He develops probabilistic models that improve generalization under distribution shifts, provide reliable uncertainty estimates, and enable fair and interpretable predictions. His work spans generative models, large language models, healthcare, and biomedical discovery. The recent publications highlight a strong trend toward function-space modeling, Bayesian regularization, and AI safety. Tim's work emphasizes principled uncertainty quantification, robustness to subpopulation and semantic shifts, and the development of frameworks for AI governance and specification. His research bridges theoretical advances with real-world applications, especially in safety-critical domains like medicine and defense. Tim has received numerous accolades including being named a Rhodes Scholar, Qualcomm Innovation Fellow, and 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI. He was awarded a $700,000 Foundational Research Grant and a $30,000 Apple Seed Grant for improving LLM trustworthiness. Rhodes Scholar Qualcomm Innovation Fellow AISTATS Notable Paper Award (2024) Outstanding Paper Award, ICLR GenAI4DM Workshop (2024) Apple Seed Grant ($30,000) Foundational Research Grant ($700,000) NeurIPS Spotlight Talk 2024 Rising Star in Generative AI He actively mentors students, particularly first-generation and low-income scholars, and has contributed to major policy frameworks including the OECD AI Classification Framework and a series of CSET issue briefs on AI safety. His work demonstrates a strong commitment to responsible AI development, combining technical rigor with societal impact. Tim leads research efforts at the intersection of machine learning theory and practical deployment, with ongoing projects in generative modeling, reliable LLMs, and AI governance. His lab produces high-impact work regularly published at top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, and AISTATS.
Professor Simo Särkkä holds a position in Sensor Informatics and Medical Technology at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Automation (EEA), Aalto University. His research focuses on multi-sensor data processing, Bayesian filtering, machine learning, and their applications in medical technology, brain imaging, and inverse problems. He leads research groups including the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology (HIIT) and Sensor Informatics and Medical Technology. His work bridges theoretical advancements in probabilistic methods with practical implementations in healthcare and engineering. Key research interests include Gaussian processes, stochastic differential equations, quantum machine learning, and signal processing. He has contributed to advancements in algorithms for nonlinear state-space models, parallel computing techniques, and medical imaging technologies such as scatter correction in CT scans. His methodologies are applied across domains like autonomous systems, robotics, and bioengineering. Notable publications span topics like quantum-assisted Gaussian regression, physics-informed machine learning for industrial processes, and parallel-in-time numerical methods. His work emphasizes computational efficiency and robustness in high-dimensional and real-time systems.
Alexandre Jacquillat is the Maurice F. Strong Career Development Associate Professor and Associate Professor of Operations Research and Statistics at MIT Sloan School of Management. His research focuses on data-driven decision-making with applications in air traffic management, urban mobility, and decarbonization. He holds a PhD in Engineering and MS degrees from MIT and École Polytechnique. Education PhD in Engineering, MIT MS in Technology and Policy, MIT MS in Applied Mathematics, École Polytechnique Research Interests His work develops scalable optimization models for efficient, equitable, and sustainable operations. Key areas include stochastic optimization, large-scale systems design, and machine learning applications in transportation and public policy. Recent projects explore vertiport planning for urban aerial mobility and prescriptive analytics for pandemic response. Awards Harold W. Kuhn Award (2024) INFORMS Harvey Greenberg Research Award (2023) MIT Jamieson Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2023) Multiple INFORMS Best Paper Awards (2015-2023) Named Leading Academic Data Leader by Chief Data Officer Magazine (2021-2022) Teaching & Grants Teaches courses in optimization (15.093, 15.083) and analytics (15.072). His grants support work in robotic warehousing, air traffic scheduling, and disaster response logistics. Advises on transportation analytics for industry and government. Labs/Teams Leads MIT Sloan's operations research group, collaborating with industry partners like McKinsey & Co. and Booz Allen Hamilton on transportation analytics and optimization projects.
Jelani Nelson is a Professor and Department Chair in the UC Berkeley EECS Department (College of Engineering). His work focuses on theoretical computer science , particularly algorithms , data streams , dimensionality reduction , and privacy-preserving computation . Advising : Current students include Ishaq Aden-Ali, Xin Lyu, Mihir Singhal, and Hongxun Wu (co-advised with leading researchers). Education : PhD from MIT (George M. Sprowls Award), M.Eng from MIT. Research Highlights : Developed foundational results in Johnson-Lindenstrauss dimensionality reduction (optimality, sparse embeddings). Advancements in differential privacy (lower bounds, private mean estimation, threshold learning). Pioneering work on streaming algorithms for heavy hitters, norm estimation, and graph problems. Innovations in compressed sensing and oblivious subspace embeddings . Scientific Awards : PODS Best Paper Award (2011, 2022) IBM Pat Goldberg Memorial Best Paper Award (2011) George M. Sprowls Award for MIT doctoral thesis (2009) NeurIPS 2020 Spotlight Presentation
Changxi Zheng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). He directs Columbia's Computer Graphics Group (C2G2) within the Columbia Vision and Graphics Center (CVGC). After receiving his PhD from Cornell University, he joined the faculty of Computer Science Department at Columbia, where he has established himself as a leading researcher in computer graphics and scientific computing. Dr. Zheng's research spans multiple areas of applied computer science with a particular focus on computer graphics and scientific computing. His work centers around developing numerical models for simulating physical phenomena involving complex motions such as fluids, bubbles, and thin rods, along with their resulting acoustic waves. Leveraging computational insights from these models, he devises methods for improving tangible object creation, enabling novel human-computer interactions, and developing software tools for acoustic and photonic devices. His research has attracted significant public interest and media coverage, including projects like FontCode, AirCode, and Computational Metallophone Design. His recent publications reveal a strong interdisciplinary approach, bridging computer graphics, physics simulation, machine learning, and hardware design. His work demonstrates consistent innovation in computational methods for simulating physical phenomena and applying these techniques to practical problems in 3D printing, acoustic modeling, and interactive systems. The breadth of his research spans from fundamental physics-based simulations to practical applications in industry. Columbia SEAS Dean's Fellow (for advised students) NSF Graduate Research Fellow (for Ruilin Xu) Snap Research Fellow (for Rundi Wu) CKGSB Fellow (for Yun Fei) Adobe Research Fellow (for Gabriel Cirio) Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellow (for Rundi Wu) Best Paper Award at ACM International Conference on Multimedia (ACMMM), 2019 Dr. Zheng actively mentors a diverse group of students, including current PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers. His research group has received support from various sources that enable their innovative work in computational graphics and physics-based simulation. He has supervised numerous successful students who have gone on to positions at leading technology companies including Adobe, Tencent, Facebook, and academic institutions. As director of Columbia's Computer Graphics Group (C2G2) within the Columbia Vision and Graphics Center (CVGC), Dr. Zheng leads a vibrant research team focused on advancing the state of the art in computer graphics, physics-based simulation, and their applications. The group maintains strong collaborations with industry partners and academic institutions worldwide, fostering an environment of innovation and practical application of theoretical concepts.
Fatma Kılınç-Karzan is an Associate Professor of Operations Research at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, with a courtesy appointment as Associate Professor of Computer Science. She is also affiliated with the Algorithms Combinatorics and Optimization (ACO) PhD Program and was a Visiting Scientist at Berkeley's Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing during Fall 2017. Her educational background includes a PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology's H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering with a minor in Mathematics, supervised by Prof. Arkadi Nemirovski. She earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Industrial Engineering Department of Middle East Technical University with a minor in Information Systems. Dr. Kılınç-Karzan's research spans mathematical optimization with emphasis on convex and non-convex optimization theory, algorithms, and applications. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations in optimization under uncertainty (robust optimization, chance constraints, distributionally robust optimization), machine learning (preference learning from limited data), and business analytics. She develops foundational theory for large-scale optimization problems with applications in decision making under uncertainty and high-dimensional statistical inference. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on convex hull characterizations, semidefinite programming relaxations, distributionally robust optimization, and online convex optimization frameworks. Her work demonstrates increasing integration of optimization theory with machine learning applications, particularly in developing data-driven approaches for decision making under uncertainty. NSF CAREER Award (2015) INFORMS Optimization Society Young Researcher Prize (2015) INFORMS Junior Faculty Interest Group (JFIG) Best Paper Award (2014) BP Junior Faculty Chair (2014-2015) Faculty Giving Chair (2012-2013) Wimmer Fellowship (2012-2013) Dr. Kılınç-Karzan has successfully mentored numerous PhD students who have received prestigious awards, including the 2021 INFORMS Optimization Society Best Student Paper (1st prize) and multiple honorable mentions. Her research has been supported by significant grants including an NSF CAREER Award, an ONR grant (with S. Küçükyavuz), and an AFOSR grant. She serves on editorial boards for Mathematical Programming, Operations Research, Mathematics of Operations Research, and other leading journals, and has held leadership positions in professional societies including the Mathematical Optimization Society and INFORMS Computing Society. Through her affiliations with CMU's Tepper School, Computer Science Department, and ACO Program, she collaborates across disciplines to advance optimization theory and its applications. Her professional service includes committee chair roles for major INFORMS competitions and program committee leadership for international optimization conferences.
