James Bray is a Professor in the Department of Social Work at the University of Texas at San Antonio, affiliated with the College for Health, Community and Policy (HCAP). His research bridges social work, assistive technologies, and human-robot interaction, focusing on disabilities, caregiver respite, and inclusive policy frameworks. Notable awards include the SSWR Fellow (2017), Fulbright Scholar (2012), and Fulbright Specialist (2012). He has secured grants for collaborative research on mixed human-robot groups and caregiver support systems. Research spans 2014–2023, emphasizing assistive technology ethics, telework accommodations, and smart city inclusivity. Key publications analyze SAR applications for IDD caregivers, emotional numbing in veterans, and gender/age differences in robotics performance. Scientific recognition includes Society for Social Work and Research, U.S. Department of State, and journal-specific awards. His work integrates universal design principles and scenario planning for equitable technological futures.
Perihan Elif Ekmekci is an Associate Professor at TOBB University of Economics and Technology (TOBB ETU) School of Medicine, Department of History of Medicine and Ethics. She holds multiple leadership roles, including Deputy Dean of TOBB ETU School of Medicine and Chair of the International Unit in Bioethics/WMA Cooperation Center. Her academic career spans medical ethics, history of medicine, and research ethics, with international fellowships at Imperial College London (2006), Harvard University (Fogarty Fellow, 2014), and WIRB International IRB (2016). Education: MD from Ankara University Medical Faculty (1995), PhD in History of Medicine and Ethics from Ankara University (2014). Research Areas: Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, Ethical Decision-Making During Pandemics, Informed Consent, Health Literacy, Nanotechnology Ethics, and Equity in Global Health. Leadership: Former Head of EU Relations at Turkey’s Ministry of Health (2007-2016), Turkish Representative at ECDC Advisory Board (2011-2016), and Chair of TOBB ETU Institutional Review Board. Publications: Over 43 articles and book chapters, including co-authored works on AI and Bioethics (Springer, 2020), with emphasis on pandemic ethics, data governance, and vaccine distribution equity. Scientific Awards: Fogarty Fellow at Harvard University (2014) WIRB International IRB Fellowship (2016) Leadership in UNESCO Open Science Toolkit development (2023) Teaching & Advocacy: Delivers undergraduate and postgraduate courses on medical history and ethics. Active in global health ethics forums, including World Association for Medical Law and International Forum of Teachers in Bioethics.
Dr. Stefan Scholz serves as Senior Scientist and Deputy Head of the Department Bioanalytical Ecotoxicology at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ in Leipzig, Germany. Having joined UFZ in 2002 as a PostDoc and senior scientist, he has steadily advanced within the institution, serving as Acting Head of his department from 2022-2023 before assuming his current leadership role. His research program focuses on developing and applying innovative methods in ecotoxicology, with particular emphasis on zebrafish embryo models for chemical safety assessment and the development of alternatives to animal testing. Dr. Scholz's primary research interests center around mechanisms of chemical action, high-content analysis and automation of bioassays, and the development of alternative testing methods for effect assessment of chemicals and biomonitoring. His work spans neurotoxicity assessment through behavioral endpoints like spontaneous tail coiling and photomotor response, developmental toxicity assessment with focus on vascular disruption, and the application of Adverse Outcome Pathways in chemical risk assessment. He has pioneered advanced imaging techniques, transcriptomics, and metabolomics approaches to investigate chemical effects at molecular and organismal levels, establishing robust methodologies for data-driven toxicology. Analysis of Dr. Scholz's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong progression toward increasingly sophisticated, integrated approaches in toxicological assessment. His work demonstrates a clear trajectory from basic mechanistic understanding toward practical regulatory applications, with significant contributions to developing quantitative Adverse Outcome Pathways, implementing high-content screening workflows, and establishing zebrafish embryo models as regulatory testing tools. A unifying theme across his research is the development of data-rich, mechanistically informed approaches that enhance the predictive power of chemical safety assessment while reducing reliance on traditional animal testing. OECD Cooperative Research scholarship (2015) Scholarship of the University of Nagoya, Japan (2004) Throughout his career, Dr. Scholz has been actively involved in numerous collaborative research projects, including major initiatives like the Eco-exposome research program (2021-2027), Proxies of the Eco-exposome (2018-2022), InCeTo (2019-2023), and several recently launched projects including MibiTox (2020), nanoINHALE (2024), and SafePol (2025). His work has been supported by various national and international funding mechanisms, including collaborations with regulatory agencies like the US-EPA. He has contributed significantly to the development of standardized testing guidelines, particularly for zebrafish embryo toxicity testing, through participation in OECD validation studies. Based in the UFZ facilities in Leipzig (Permoserstr. 15, Building 6.0, Room 327), Dr. Scholz leads a research team that operates state-of-the-art laboratories for zebrafish husbandry, automated imaging systems, and molecular analysis. His group has developed specialized software tools like EmbryoMotion for analyzing spontaneous tail contraction and photomotor response of zebrafish embryos. The research environment emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, with strong connections to computational biology, environmental chemistry, and regulatory science groups both within UFZ and across international networks.
Maya Przybylski is O’Donovan Director and Associate Professor at the School of Architecture, University of Waterloo , where she co-founded the DATAlab research group. She holds an M.Arch from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design—earning the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Medal—and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Toronto. Research Focus Maya’s scholarship integrates architecture with software engineering to interrogate how data abundance and computational design transform architectural theory, methods, tools, and outcomes. Her SSHRC-funded “Soft Materials” project (2018-) develops architecture-specific approaches that weave sociocultural agency into the technical capacities of data-driven design. Her design work fuses software, data, hardware and physical materiality to envision citizen-oriented, software/data-enabled cities. Awards & Recognition Sandford Fleming Foundation Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2018) University of Waterloo Faculty Award (2019) Teaching & Advising Maya has taught core and advanced design studios and research seminars including: ARCH 193 – Design Studio ARCH 484 – Architectural Research ARCH 684 – Special Topics in Architecture ARCH 693 – Thesis Research & Design Studio II She is currently accepting applications from graduate students interested in computational design, data ethics, and experimental material systems. Editorial Leadership Maya is a founding editor of the bracket book series, co-editing bracket [On Farming] (2010) and bracket [At Extremes] (2015), both supported by the Graham Foundation for the Arts.
Dr. Florian Lingenfelser is a Research Fellow at the Chair for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, affiliated with the Faculty of Applied Computer Science at the University of Augsburg. He focuses on advancing human-centered AI technologies, particularly in social signal interpretation and emotion recognition. His work integrates real-time analysis of human behavior through gestures, facial expressions, and speech. Key research contributions include the Social Signal Interpretation (SSI) framework, a C++-based tool enabling parallel processing of multi-modal data from sensors. This framework supports machine learning pipelines, personalized model creation, and cross-device synchronization. His projects emphasize applications in healthcare, education, and industry 4.0, addressing topics like cobot worker mental health (MindBot), emotion-aware virtual agents (EMPAT), and empathetic data systems (CEEDs). Lingenfelser collaborates on initiatives such as FORSocialRobots, BIGEKO, and AVASAG, advancing AI's role in social interaction. His lab (HCM-Lab) develops sentient entities like PRESENT (photorealistic avatars) and GLASSISTANT (wearable AI assistants for memory care). Current work explores trust-building in AI systems (OC-Trust) and culturally adaptive behavior generation (Cube-G).
Dr. Spyros Samothrakis is a Senior Lecturer and Chief Scientific Adviser at the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex. His primary roles include academic research and advisory work in artificial intelligence and machine learning. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Essex, an MSc in Intelligent Systems from the University of Sussex, and a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on Reinforcement Learning (RL) , Machine Learning (ML) , Neural Networks , and Role-Playing Games (RPGs) . He explores applications in areas like causal inference, game theory, and supply chain management. Recent work includes developing frameworks for automated cost estimation in games and analyzing AI agents in complex socioeconomic systems. Notable contributions include studies on self-play algorithms, causal structure learning, and the societal implications of AI. His articles span topics from neurocontrol optimization to ethical considerations in AI deployment. Dr. Samothrakis advises PhD students in computer science and has supervised research on causal effect estimation, memory-driven exploration, and text generation. He has secured grants from organizations like the Alan Turing Institute and the ESRC for projects involving AI in micro-social change and data-driven decision-making. His collaborations extend to industry partners such as the National Theatre and NHS Trusts, applying AI to healthcare and cultural data analysis. He actively contributes to conferences and publishes in top-tier journals like Neural Networks and IEEE Transactions .
Mark Shepard is a Professor in the Department of Architecture at the School of Architecture and Planning, University at Buffalo. His research spans intersections of technology, urban life, and design. Fields of Interest: Computer Vision, Ethics, Natural Language Processing, Ubiquitous Computing, Urban Informatics, Smart Cities Contact: 322 Hayes Hall, Buffalo NY, 14214 | shepard6@buffalo.edu Research Themes Shepard's work explores the ethical and social implications of smart cities, focusing on algorithmic bias, privacy, and critical urbanism. His projects integrate media technologies into urban spaces to challenge conventional notions of digital citizenship. His recent publications examine how predictive geospatial models, locative media, and ubiquitous computing systems shape urban environments and human interactions, often critiquing the societal impacts of data-driven urbanism. Selected Publications 2022 : Analysis of algorithmic bias in urban data practices 2020 : Critiques of predictive geographies and locative media narratives 2014-2016 : Expansions of urban informatics and socio-technical systems 2011-2013 : Foundational works on sentient cities, tactical sound gardens, and minor urbanism
Dr. Alexander Lopez is an Associate Professor and Department Head of Mathematics & Physical Sciences at Rogers State University (RSU), concurrently serving as Director of Chemical Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. and B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas. His research focuses on polymer/ionic liquid-based composite materials for applications in water production, charged product recovery, and gas separations. Key projects include Martian regolith mineral solvation studies and development of advanced membranes for space and industrial use. Dr. Lopez has received notable awards, including the 2021 Junior Faculty Research and Service Awards from the University of Mississippi. His grants span fields like lunar pad design, gender bias training in engineering, and space material performance. He has authored over 20 refereed journal articles and technical conference presentations, with active involvement in AIChE and other professional societies. His educational background includes postdoctoral research at the University of Colorado Boulder and faculty roles at the University of Mississippi. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives, such as the Additive Manufacturing Research and Education Cluster, and collaborates with industry partners like Viking Range LLC and Sentient Corporation.
Professor Tat-Jun Chin holds the SmartSat CRC Professorial Chair at the University of Adelaide's School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences within the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. His research focuses on advanced robotics, computer vision, quantum computing, and space technology applications. He leads the Sentient Satellites Lab, pioneering work in event-based vision systems, satellite pose estimation, and neuromorphic computing. Notable contributions include robust algorithms for spacecraft navigation, quantum-inspired optimization methods, and open datasets for space robotics. His recent publications emphasize interdisciplinary applications, such as event-camera-based star tracking, geometric crater analysis for lunar missions, and quantum computing for robust fitting. He is actively involved in the Asian Conference on Computer Vision (ACCV) and collaborates with industry partners like SmartSat CRC. Awards and grants are not explicitly listed here, but his professorial chair indicates significant research funding. He supervises a dynamic research group advancing autonomous systems and space exploration technologies.
Professor Cai Ruihuang is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Information Management at National Chengchi University's College of Business. With over 30 years of academic service, he currently serves as Director of the Computer Center and has held various administrative positions including Deputy Director of Research and Development and Director of the Innovation Incubation Center. His extensive academic career spans teaching and research in information systems, neural networks, and digital innovation. PhD in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, University of California, Berkeley MS in Industrial Engineering, University of California, Berkeley BS in Nuclear Engineering, National Tsing Hua University Professor Cai's research focuses on technological services, service innovation, digital humanities, neural network systems, and enterprise process analysis. His work bridges traditional business domains with cutting-edge technology applications, particularly in cultural institutions like the National Palace Museum. His research demonstrates a consistent trajectory from foundational neural network theory to practical applications in financial analytics, museum technology, and digital transformation. His extensive publication record shows a progression from theoretical neural network research in the 1990s to applied AI and digital innovation studies in recent years. Notably, he has pioneered applications of AI in cultural heritage institutions and developed innovative approaches to financial fraud detection using neural networks. His work spans computer science, business management, and digital humanities, reflecting an interdisciplinary approach to information systems research. 資深優良教師(30年) - Senior Excellent Teacher Award 特聘教授 - Distinguished Professor 國科會獎勵特殊優秀人才 - MOST Special Outstanding Talent Award 學術研究成果國際化優等研究獎 - International Academic Research Excellence Award 教學特優教師 - Outstanding Teaching Award Professor Cai has successfully led numerous research projects totaling millions in funding from both government agencies like MOST and private sector partners including CTBC Financial Holding and National Palace Museum. His current research focuses on AI applications in finance, digital transformation of cultural institutions, and cybersecurity education initiatives. He leads the Financial AI Cloud Ecosystem research project and serves as principal investigator for multiple cybersecurity training programs funded by Taiwan's Ministry of Education. His work connects academic research with practical applications through the Financial AI Cloud Research Center and various industry collaboration initiatives. Professor Cai's research group actively engages with cultural institutions, financial organizations, and technology companies to develop innovative solutions for real-world challenges in digital transformation.
