Laurel MacKenzie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at New York University (NYU), affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Science. She specializes in variationist sociolinguistics, dialectology, and language change, with a focus on English and French varieties. Her work integrates quantitative analysis of speech data to explore intra-speaker variation and language evolution. She co-directs the NYU Sociolinguistics Lab and leads the NSF-funded NYC Individual Differences Corpus project, alongside the Our Dialects initiative, an online atlas of British English dialects. Education: PhD in Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania (2012) BA in Linguistics and French, University of California, Berkeley (2006) Research Interests: Morphological and syntactic variation Regional dialects of English and French Linguistic pedagogy and public engagement Recent Projects: Recent work includes publications on participle leveling in English, sociolinguistic replication studies, and grammatical variation analysis. She has also collaborated on dialect mapping tools and consulted for media projects on language change and accents. Awards: No awards explicitly listed in provided texts. Labs/Teams: NYU Sociolinguistics Lab (Co-Director) Our Dialects Project (Academic Lead)
Thomas Walz, PhD, is a Professor at The Rockefeller University and Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Electron Microscopy. Previously, he held positions as Assistant, Associate, and Professor at Harvard Medical School (1999–2015) and was an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (2008–2015). He earned his PhD and BS in biophysics from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Sheffield. Walz completed his education at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland, where he received his Diploma in Biophysics (1992) and PhD in Biophysics (1996). He furthered his training as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sheffield (1996–1999). His research focuses on understanding membrane-related processes and the structural biology of membrane proteins in lipid environments. Utilizing cryo-electron microscopy and nanodisc technology, he investigates how lipid bilayers influence membrane protein structure and function. Key areas include mechanosensitive channels, T-cell receptor dynamics, and telomere maintenance mechanisms. Collaborations with the de Lange lab explore the CST-Polα/primase complex's role in telomere regulation. Walz has been recognized with the Genzyme Award for Outstanding Achievement in Biomedical Sciences (2004) and continues to contribute to advancements in structural biology and membrane protein research. While specific student advisees are not listed, Walz actively mentors through his roles in the David Rockefeller Graduate Program and Tri-Institutional programs. His research is supported by grants and institutional funding, though specific grants are not detailed here. He directs the Laboratory of Molecular Electron Microscopy at Rockefeller, a hub for innovative structural biology and membrane protein studies. The lab collaborates widely, integrating cryo-EM with electrophysiology and molecular dynamics simulations.
Sriram Subramaniam is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and holds the Gobind Khorana Canada Excellence Research Chair in Precision Cancer Drug Design. His research leverages cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to advance structural biology and drug design, focusing on protein dynamics and therapeutic target identification. Education: PhD in Physical Chemistry (1987) from Stanford University; MSc in Chemistry (1981) from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Subramaniam's interdisciplinary work combines cryo-EM with computational tools and molecular biology to study protein structures at atomic resolution. His lab has pioneered cryo-EM applications in precision medicine, including mapping small molecule drugs on patient-specific cancer mutants. Recent publications (2024-2022) highlight his contributions to understanding SARS-CoV-2 immune evasion, structural mechanisms of ATPases, and AI integration in structural biology. His research spans viral entry mechanisms, CRISPR systems, and neurodegenerative disease pathways. Scientific Awards: Gobind Khorana Canada Excellence Research Chair NIH Director’s Award for Scientific Excellence Fellow of the Biophysical Society Breakthrough Prize nomination Based at the Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, Subramaniam leads the Program in Cryo-EM Guided Drug Design, contributing to over 177 peer-reviewed publications with a career h-index of 58 and citations exceeding 12,340.
Brenden Lake is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Psychology at Princeton University, starting Fall 2025. Previously, he was an Associate Professor of Psychology and Data Science at New York University. He is the principal investigator of the lab for Human & Machine Intelligence, which moved from NYU to Princeton in 2025 and is jointly affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Psychology. His lab is located in Princeton's Peretsman Scully Hall, rooms 117, 120, and 121. Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014 Lake's research focuses on the intersection of human and machine intelligence, specifically examining human cognitive abilities that elude current AI systems. His work centers on few-shot learning of new concepts, learning by generating new goals, learning by asking questions, and learning by producing novel combinations of known components. He employs modern neural network modeling approaches including meta-learning, fine-tuning LLMs, neuro-symbolic modeling, and learning from child headcam videos. His research aims to advance both psychology and computer science by exploring what makes human intelligence unique and using those insights to develop more powerful AI systems. Lake's recent publications demonstrate significant trends in grounded language acquisition through child perspectives, systematic generalization in neural networks, and the intersection of developmental psychology with AI. His work has appeared in top-tier venues including Science (2024) and Nature (2023), with multiple publications exploring how insights from human cognition can improve machine learning systems. His research shows how incorporating human cognitive ingredients can make AI systems more powerful and human-like while addressing longstanding debates about neural network capabilities. Science publication (2024) on Grounded language acquisition through the eyes and ears of a single child Nature publication (2023) on Human-like systematic generalization through a meta-learning neural network Multiple publications covered by major media outlets including New York Times and Washington Post Lake advises Ph.D. students in computer science, psychology, and related fields through his lab. His research is supported by publications in top venues across computer science and cognitive science. He teaches courses including Computational Cognitive Modeling and Advancing AI through Cognitive Science, bridging the theoretical and practical aspects of his research. Lake leads the lab for Human & Machine Intelligence, which studies the ingredients of intelligence in humans and machines. The lab investigates human cognitive abilities that current AI systems cannot replicate, with the dual goal of advancing psychological understanding of human intelligence while developing more capable artificial intelligence systems. Current research focuses on few-shot concept learning, learning through goal generation, and learning by asking questions.
A. Michael Knemeyer is a Professor of Logistics at The Ohio State University's Max M. Fisher College of Business, where he contributes to research and teaching in supply chain management. His work focuses on supply chain relationships, risk and resilience, vendor relations, and sustainability integration. Educational Background: PhD from the University of Maryland, BSBA from John Carroll University Research Areas: Supply chain relationships, international logistics, sustainability, vendor relations, risk management Key Awards: 2013 IJPDLM Outstanding Paper Award, 2013 Bernard J. La Londe Best Paper Award Knemeyer's publications in journals like Harvard Business Review and Journal of Business Logistics explore critical themes in logistics outsourcing relationships, supply chain integration, and sustainable practices. His work often examines cross-cultural dynamics and institutional factors affecting supply chain performance. Selected Courses: Strategic Supply Chain Management, Contemporary Issues in Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Decision Making
James B. Kaper is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He serves as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and previously held leadership roles as Senior Associate Dean (2014–2019) and Chair (2007–present). His research focuses on the molecular pathogenesis of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae , including vaccine development and bacterial-host interactions. Education: BS (1973) and PhD (1979) in Microbiology from University of Maryland; Postdoc in Molecular Pathogenesis at University of Washington (1979–1981) Dr. Kaper’s work has led to the creation of live attenuated cholera vaccines, including CVD 103-HgR, the first licensed recombinant bacterial vaccine. His lab investigates bacterial genetics, intestinal colonization, and immune system activation, particularly TLR5 response to V. cholerae flagellin. He has authored 303 peer-reviewed articles and 68 book chapters. His research has been funded continuously by NIAID since 1982. Key publications include foundational work on V. cholerae vaccines (1984), genomic structure (1998), and quorum sensing in EHEC/EPEC (1999). His lab’s recent studies focus on phosphotyrosine proteomics (2013) and pathogenicity island regulation (2007). Scientific awards: Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (1994); NIH Merit Award (2004); ASM DC White Award (2019) Editorial roles: Editor-in-Chief, EcoSal (2006–present); Associate Editor, International Journal of Medical Microbiology (2000–present) As an academic leader, Dr. Kaper has mentored over 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. He holds multiple patents for cholera vaccines and E. coli diagnostics, including U.S. Patents 4,935,364; 5,399,494; and 6,204,004. His lab at UMSOM combines basic science with translational applications for enteric disease prevention.
Dr. Nienke Smit is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Her research focuses on scaffolding processes, adaptive teaching, and classroom observational research from a complex dynamic systems perspective. Specializes in teacher-student interaction Expert in adaptive instruction and observational methods Collaborates with Data Science department Develops tools for classroom observation Research interests include language learning and teaching , judgment and decision-making in education , and professional development of teachers . She leads projects like Eye Get It (joint attention in classrooms) and a replication study on adaptive instruction effectiveness. Her work applies dynamic systems theory to second language development and foreign language pedagogy. Recent publications address translanguaging in multilingual classrooms, replication studies , and process-oriented research . She teaches at Utrecht's Graduate School of Teaching and works on initiatives to reduce teacher shortages through improved training programs.
Daniel Abadi is the Darnell-Kanal Professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, with an appointment in the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies. He leads the Data Systems Lab at Maryland (DSLAM) and has made significant contributions to database system architecture and implementation, particularly in scalable and distributed systems. Prof. Abadi's research focuses on database system architecture, especially at the intersection with scalable and distributed systems. He is best-known for the development of the storage and query execution engines of the C-Store (column-oriented database) prototype, which was commercialized by Vertica and eventually acquired by Hewlett-Packard, and for his HadoopDB research on fault tolerant scalable analytical database systems which was commercialized by Hadapt and acquired by Teradata. His current work includes deterministic distributed systems like Calvin and SLOG, which provide strictly serializable, low-latency, geographically replicated database transactions. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on modern database challenges including transaction processing, distributed systems architecture, data mesh concepts, schema evolution, and IoT data management. His work consistently addresses the tension between consistency, availability, and performance in distributed database systems, with recent emphasis on moving beyond traditional two-phase commit protocols and exploring novel approaches to data architecture like data mesh. ACM Fellow Sloan Research Fellowship Churchill Scholarship NSF CAREER Award VLDB Best Paper Award Two VLDB Test of Time Awards (for C-Store and HadoopDB) 2008 SIGMOD Jim Gray Doctoral Dissertation Award 2013-2014 Yale Provost's Teaching Prize 2013 VLDB Early Career Researcher Award PhD dissertation advisor for Alexander Thomson and Jose Falerio, whose dissertations won SIGMOD Jim Gray Doctoral Dissertation Awards in 2015 and 2020 respectively Prof. Abadi has advised multiple PhD students, including Alexander Thomson and Jose Falerio, both of whom received the prestigious SIGMOD Jim Gray Doctoral Dissertation Award. His research has been supported by numerous grants including NSF funding for projects like SLOG. He maintains an active presence in the database community through his widely-read blog DBMS Musings and through service on program committees for major conferences including SIGMOD, VLDB, and CIDR. He leads the DSLAM research group at the University of Maryland, which focuses on cutting-edge database system research with strong industry connections and practical impact.
Dr. Vakil Takhaveev is a Lecturer at ETH Zurich's Department of Health Sciences and Technology, within the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health. His research focuses on DNA damage mechanisms, aging, cancer, and neurodegeneration, with particular emphasis on developing novel DNA-damage-sequencing methods like click-code-seq and TRABI-Seq . He investigates anticancer drug action (e.g., trabectedin), aging clocks using DNA oxidation profiling, and stress-induced carcinogenesis. His work integrates multi-omics approaches and advanced sequencing techniques. Research Directions: Novel DNA-Damage-Sequencing Methods: Developed click-code-seq and TRABI-Seq for genomic mapping of DNA lesions and repair dynamics. Anticancer Drug Action: Explored mechanisms of trabectedin and other chemotherapeutics, linking DNA repair vulnerabilities to therapy resistance. Aging Clocks: Created DNA oxidation-based biomarkers for biological aging using genome-wide profiling in human and mouse models. Stress-Induced Pathologies: Studies metabolic and DNA damage links to early tumorigenesis and neurodegeneration. Awards & Recognition: 2025 Public Award Winner in PIs of Tomorrow competition 2024 ETH Zurich Career Seed Award Best presentation awards (Swiss Chemical Society, American Chemical Society) Grants & Collaborations: Impetus grants for aging clock development Swiss Chemical Society and American Chemical Society fellowships Labs & Teams: Leads research on DNA damage and aging mechanisms at ETH Zurich, collaborating with international groups in oncology and toxicology.
Bernhard J. Berger is a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Engineering at the Institute of Embedded Systems, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH). His research focuses on software security, static code analysis, machine learning, optimization, and research data management. He has held significant roles such as Program Committee member for ICPC 2025 and MSR 2025, and has received awards including the Best Reviewer Award (ICPC 2023) and Best Engineering Paper Award (SCAM 2019). His work spans interdisciplinary applications including maritime systems security, GPU-accelerated AI, and evolutionary algorithms. Recent studies emphasize AI-driven security tools (e.g., ML-SAST) and domain-specific language approaches to optimization (EvoAl). He has contributed to over 30 peer-reviewed publications, with notable work in IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering and Science of Computer Programming. Berger collaborates closely with industry through DAAD review committees and serves on artifact evaluation boards for ISSTA and ARES conferences. Education: Doctoral Thesis (2022), Diploma in Computer Science (2007) Key Projects: ArchSec tool suite, Threat Modeling Frameworks, Bauhaus static analysis methodology Lab Affiliation: Embedded Systems Design Group His advisory roles include Deputy of TUHH's Election Verification Committee and Session Chair at IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation 2023. Current research trends integrate machine learning with static analysis for automated vulnerability detection, while also exploring explainable AI techniques for neural network optimization.
Elizabeth A. Simpson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami's College of Arts and Sciences. She serves as Associate Director of the Child Division and directs the Social Cognition Laboratory, focusing on infant social and cognitive development through interdisciplinary methodologies. Education: Ph.D. in Psychology (unspecified institution) Key Research Areas: Developmental Psychology, Autism, Social Cognition, Primate Studies, Visual Attention, Infant Behavior Her research investigates individual differences in infant visual attention, social motivation, and physiological markers like salivary oxytocin. Recent studies demonstrate: Stability of attentional patterns from newborn to 14 months Sex differences in early face detection Links between oxytocin levels and social affect in infants Neurophysiological markers in newborns later diagnosed with ASD Scientific awards include the NSF CAREER grant for neonatal imitation research. She contributes to open science initiatives through the ManyBabies consortium and develops remote eye-tracking methods for broader accessibility. Current lab work explores: Parent-infant affective interactions during still-face episodes Predictive power of early attentional biases Development of pathogen avoidance behaviors Cross-species comparisons of social cognition
Takako Fujioka is an Associate Professor of Music at Stanford University, affiliated with the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). Her research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying auditory perception, auditory-motor coupling, and music-supported therapy for neurorehabilitation. She holds a Ph.D. in Physiology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan, and M.Sc./B.Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Waseda University. Her work combines neurophysiological techniques such as MEG and EEG to study brain plasticity in development, aging, and stroke recovery. Notable contributions include investigating how music influences motor and cognitive recovery in stroke patients, as well as exploring the neural basis of musical perception through rhythmic synchronization and pitch discrimination studies. Supported by awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research during her postdoctoral work at the Rotman Research Institute, her research bridges clinical neuroscience and music cognition. Dr. Fujioka’s expertise spans auditory neuroscience, neurorehabilitation, and technology-assisted music therapy. She has pioneered studies on tactile mapping for cochlear implant users and networked music performance systems, emphasizing cross-modal perception and human-technology interaction. Her findings contribute to both theoretical understanding of auditory processing and practical applications in medical and educational settings. Awards: Canadian Institutes of Health Research Awards (postdoctoral phase) Labs/Teams: CCRMA, Stanford Music Perception Laboratory, Rotman Research Institute collaborations Key Themes: Neuroplasticity, Music-Mediated Rehabilitation, Auditory-Motor Integration, Multisensory Processing Her recent work examines aging-related changes in binaural hearing and the role of beta/gamma oscillations in rhythmic processing. She advocates for translational research that connects neural mechanisms with real-world therapeutic interventions.
Eduardo Azevedo is the John M. Bendheim and Thomas L. Bendheim Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School , University of Pennsylvania. He holds a courtesy appointment as Professor of Economics and was awarded the 2016 Sloan Foundation Fellowship. His research integrates economic theory with practical applications across science and business domains. His research interests include: Market design Selection markets Social science genetics Experimental economics Game theory Recent publication trends focus on: Economic theory applications to healthcare and digital markets Empirical Bayes methods in A/B testing Adverse selection in insurance markets Strategic behavior in two-sided matching Evolutionary behavioral economics He serves as an instructor for BEPP2500 - Managerial Economics , emphasizing real-world application of microeconomic theory to business problems. His work also involves software development for economic research, including MATLAB-based empirical Bayes tools for analyzing treatment effects in large-scale experiments. Scientific awards : Sloan Foundation Fellow (2016)
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.
Manuel R. Amieva is a Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine , holding joint appointments in Pediatrics - Infectious Diseases and Microbiology & Immunology . He is also a member of the Maternal & Child Health Research Institute (MCHRI) . His clinical practice at Stanford Medicine Children's Health focuses on pediatric infectious diseases. Education: Medical Education: Stanford University School of Medicine (1997) Fellowship: Stanford University Pediatric Infectious Disease Fellowship (2004) Internship & Residency: Stanford Health Care at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (1998-1999) Dr. Amieva's research investigates host-pathogen interactions at epithelial barriers, with specific expertise in Helicobacter pylori , Listeria monocytogenes , Salmonella enterica , and Staphylococcus aureus . His lab develops innovative organoid culture systems with controlled polarity to study microbial colonization and oncogenic mechanisms. Key discoveries include: H. pylori's manipulation of epithelial junctions via the CagA protein Listeria's exploitation of cell extrusion sites for invasion Staphylococcus toxin interactions with adherens junctions Gastric stem cell activation by pathogens Recent publication trends show continued leadership in infectious disease mechanisms (2020-2025), with a focus on: Pathogen-specific epithelial breach strategies Organoid modeling of viral/bacterial interactions Redox-dependent host factor regulation Single-cell spatial transcriptomic analyses Multi-institutional educational frameworks His scientific collaborations span disciplines including: Gastric cancer genomics initiatives COVID-19 lung infection models Stem cell-microbe interactions Medical education reform projects Dr. Amieva maintains active clinical research while mentoring students in both the Microbiology & Immunology and Pediatrics programs. His lab at Stanford employs advanced 3D confocal microscopy and organ-on-a-chip technologies to visualize epithelial colonization dynamics.
