Dr. Conny Junghans is a researcher in computer science with expertise in data mining, spatio-temporal analysis, and information security. She completed her diploma at Ilmenau University of Technology (2005) and earned her PhD at the University of California, Davis (2009). From 2009-2011, she worked at Ruprecht-Karls-University of Heidelberg in the Database Systems Research group under Prof. Dr. Michael Gertz. Education: Diploma in Computer Science, Ilmenau University of Technology (2005) PhD in Computer Science, University of California at Davis (2009) Her research focuses on data stream mining with adaptive resource management, spatial/sensor network anomaly detection, and data quality assurance. She has contributed to multilingual document similarity models and burst detection in stream engines. Recent publications highlight trends in quality-aware systems, obstacle handling in sensor networks, and adaptive spatio-temporal prediction. She has served on program committees for SSDBM and CIKM conferences and acted as an external reviewer for multiple journals and conferences.
Prof. Dr. Mathias Wilhelm is a Professor of Computational Mass Spectrometry at the Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics at the Technische Universität München (TUM) . His research focuses on computational proteomics , machine learning applications in mass spectrometry , and multi-omics data integration , particularly through projects like ProteomicsDB and Prosit . He leads a multidisciplinary team developing open-source software for proteomics data analysis and co-founded MSAID and OmicScouts . His teaching includes advanced bioinformatics courses and problem-based learning modules at TUM. He serves on the scientific advisory board of Momentum Biotechnologies and collaborates extensively in quantitative proteomics , phosphoproteomics , and immunopeptidomics . His work emphasizes FAIR data principles and high-throughput experimental frameworks .
Professor Hüseyin Boyaci is a faculty member at the University of Giessen , affiliated with the Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science . His research focuses on understanding the neural and computational bases of human visual perception, particularly how the brain integrates sensory information and experience to perceive material properties. He leads investigations combining psychophysics, neuroimaging (fMRI), and mathematical modeling to explore perceptual decision-making and expectation effects in vision. Research Interests: Human visual perception and its neural underpinnings Material property perception (e.g., softness, glossiness) Expectation-based modulation of sensory processes Computational modeling of perceptual decisions Neuroimaging studies of visual cortex (V1, hMT+) His recent work emphasizes how unmet expectations about material properties influence perceptual decisions, revealed through behavioral experiments and fMRI. Studies include dynamic dot displays to map brain networks for material motion and non-local size aftereffects in vision. Collaborative Projects: Co-leads Project B8 , "The integration of experience and sensory information in the perception of material properties," with Prof. Katja Dörschner-Boyaci, investigating expectation violations in material perception using fMRI and behavioral methods. Contact: hboyaci@bilkent.edu.tr
Sabine Grimm is a Researcher at the Institute of Physics within the Chemnitz University of Technology . Her work focuses on understanding perceptual processes, particularly how memory, attention, and action influence auditory perception and behavior. Her research emphasizes the experimental investigation of hearing, exploring how the context and temporal structure of sound events affect perception, attention, and memory. Recently, she has also examined the interplay between perception and action, studying how sensory input is actively optimized through bodily movements to enhance goal-directed behavior. Dr. Grimm contributes to the project B5: Value-based modulation of perception and action in natural situations , collaborating with Prof. (apl.) Dr. Billino and Prof. Dr. Einhäuser-Treyer. Her publications include key insights into attention mechanisms in natural scenes, as evidenced by her recent work on the N2pc component in the Journal of Vision .
Marius Yamakou is a Researcher and Lecturer at the Department of Data Science (DDS) within the Faculty of Sciences at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) . He is also an Interim Professor in the same department (10/2024–03/2025) and a Habilitation Candidate in Applied Mathematics (2019–present). Education : Ph.D. in Mathematics (2014–2018), IMPRS Scholarship (2014–2018). Dr. Yamakou's research focuses on applied mathematics , theoretical physics , and machine learning to model and control complex dynamical systems in neuroscience and physical/biological systems. His work merges dynamical systems theory , non-equilibrium statistical physics , and data-driven methods to uncover governing equations and devise optimal control strategies . His recent publications analyze diversity-induced resonance , STDP-driven synchronization , and noise-optimized neural dynamics . Key areas include spiking neural networks , physics-informed neural networks , and self-organization in adaptive systems. Scientific Awards : DFG Research Grant (2021–2023, €200K), IMPRS Scholarship (2014–2018). Dr. Yamakou supervises master’s students on topics like noise-induced resonance optimization and physics-informed neural network stability , including industry collaborations. He organizes the Conference on Women in Data Science (2023–2025) and has reviewed for 15+ journals in nonlinear dynamics and computational neuroscience .
Oliver Gather is a full-time lecturer in the Department of Culture, Aesthetics, Media at Hochschule Düsseldorf's Faculty of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies. Born in 1963, Gather is an active artist-educator whose work bridges academic teaching and artistic practice, with recent projects extending through 2024. His institutional affiliation centers on exploring aesthetic practices within social and spatial contexts. Gather's research interests focus on examining social contexts through visual arts media. His practice spans drawing, concrete and plaster work, experimental film, public interventions, performance, installation, photography, and sound art. Central to his approach is challenging aesthetic perception of the world, with particular attention to how sense organs allow us to grasp physicality and spatiality. Rather than using art to decorate or embellish, Gather employs it to enable awareness of our own situation from perspectives complementary to scientific thinking. His recent artistic output reveals a sustained engagement with landscape, urban space, and human relationships to environments. Projects like 'Schmuckeremit*in im Edelsteingarten' demonstrate his interest in historical references within contemporary contexts, while 'Sounds for a wounded landscape' and 'Hochsitzen' explore human-animal and human-environment relationships through ethnographic observation frameworks. Gather frequently utilizes digital tools like Google Street View as artistic media, as seen in 'Home Search,' creating what he terms 'Road Movie 2.0' approaches to spatial representation. Scientific Awards: Award at Oberhausen Short Film Festival 2021 for 'Hochsitzen' DA Scholarship in Gravenhorst (2014) Gather's teaching practice emphasizes collaborative and site-specific approaches, as evidenced by courses like 'Ästhetische Praxen im Landschaftsraum' (Aesthetic Practices in Landscape Space) and 'Performance im öffentlichen Raum - Interventionen.' His artistic research projects often involve partnerships with performers, sound artists, and local communities, such as the 'Schmuckeremit*in' project which included a public casting process with neighborhood residents serving on the selection jury. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the provided texts, his DA Scholarship indicates recognition from arts funding bodies. Through projects like 'Gasthof Worringer Platz' (2013-2020) and ongoing work at Worringer Platz in Düsseldorf, Gather has established long-term engagement with specific urban sites, creating what functions as de facto research laboratories for examining social dynamics in public space. His website platforms (www.olivergather.de, www.gatherseminare.de, www.gasthofworringerplatz.de) serve as digital extensions of these physical research spaces, documenting interventions and facilitating ongoing dialogue about urban environments.
Sun-Jeong Kim is a Professor at the Department of Computer Science within the School of Computer Science at Korea University . Her research focuses on real-time rendering techniques, GPU programming, and game engine optimization. Specializes in procedural modeling and interactive visualization Develops efficient rendering algorithms for virtual reality Active in graphics hardware acceleration and collision detection Her research has produced 15+ publications on topics including tessellation strategies, skeletal animation systems, and particle effect optimizations. While specific awards and students aren't detailed in the current text, her work demonstrates consistent contributions to real-time graphics and game development.
Zhen Kan is a Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Florida's College of Engineering, with previous affiliations at the University of Iowa and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). His extensive publication record spans over 15 years with significant output in recent years, indicating an active research career in robotics and control systems. Dr. Kan's research focuses on advanced robotics systems with expertise in temporal logic motion planning, reinforcement learning, and human-robot interaction. His work bridges theoretical control systems with practical robotics applications, particularly in multi-robot coordination, autonomous systems, and wearable robotics. The research demonstrates a strong emphasis on formal methods for ensuring safety and correctness in complex robotic systems. Analysis of recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory centered around temporal logic specifications for robotic systems, with increasing integration of machine learning techniques. His work shows progression from theoretical control frameworks to practical implementations in quadruped robots, exoskeletons, and multi-robot systems operating in dynamic environments. Dr. Kan has established significant collaborations with researchers across multiple institutions, particularly with Warren E. Dixon (35 co-authored papers), Zhijun Li (23 papers), and Mingyu Cai (22 papers), indicating leadership in collaborative research projects. His publications appear in top-tier venues including IEEE Transactions on Robotics, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, and International Journal of Robotics Research. While specific grant information isn't visible in the provided text, the volume and quality of publications suggest substantial research funding. Dr. Kan's work has practical applications in autonomous systems, human-robot collaboration, and assistive technologies, with potential impact in defense, healthcare, and industrial automation sectors.
Murat Kendir, M.Sc., is a researcher at the Chair of Geoinformatics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), with over 5 years of involvement in teaching and research activities since 2018. His work focuses on geospatial data modeling, semantic transformations, and 3D city visualization. Technical University of Munich, Chair of Geoinformatics (Arcisstraße 21, 80333 Munich) His research spans CityGML standards , point cloud processing , and web GIS technologies , with a particular emphasis on integrating semantic 3D models with traffic simulation data for urban analysis. Recent publications highlight his contributions to dynamic 4D visualization frameworks. He has co-authored peer-reviewed publications in geoinformatics and participated in projects like Smart Sustainable Districts and CityGML Utility Network ADE . Contact: murat.kendir@tum.de
Andreas Rienow serves as Junior Professor for Interdisciplinary Geoinformation Sciences at Ruhr University Bochum, where he also holds the position of Designated Managing Director of the Institute of Geography since 2024 and Scientific Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Geoinformation since 2020. His academic journey began with studies in Geography, Modern History and Modern German Literature at the University of Bonn, culminating in a Magister Artium degree, followed by a doctorate in 2014 on urban sprawl modeling. Dr. Rienow's research centers on spatio-temporal analysis of metropolitan transformation, interdisciplinary geodata integration, real-time geoinformation analysis, innovative earth observation education methods, and ISS-based remote sensing. His work bridges technical geospatial approaches with urban planning challenges, particularly in post-conflict settings, climate adaptation, and sustainable development contexts across diverse geographical regions including Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. His recent publication portfolio demonstrates a clear trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated integration of machine learning with geospatial analysis, focusing on urban heat islands, land use change, post-conflict urban recovery, and sustainable development monitoring. The research spans multiple continents with particular emphasis on applying advanced remote sensing techniques to pressing urban challenges in both developed and developing contexts. As an educator, Rienow has supervised over 40 master's theses, numerous bachelor's projects, and currently mentors 8 doctoral candidates working on topics ranging from urban climate adaptation to innovative geospatial education methods. His leadership extends to directing the Interdisciplinary Center for Geoinformation and participating in international collaborations such as the Transdisciplinary Center for Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems at Universidad del Azuay in Ecuador. His laboratory work focuses on the Geomatics Group within the Institute of Geography, where his team develops innovative approaches to urban remote sensing, spatial modeling, and citizen science applications for metropolitan analysis. The group actively engages in both theoretical methodological development and practical applications addressing contemporary urban challenges.
Prof. Dr. Irmela Marei Krüger-Fürhoff serves as Chair of Modern German Literature at the Institute for German and Dutch Philology , Freie Universität Berlin. She concurrently holds leadership roles as Managing Director of the Institute and Vice Dean of Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School for Literary Studies . Her research focuses on intersections between literature, medicine, and visual culture, particularly through Disability Studies and Graphic Medicine . She leads the DFG-funded project "Cosmogonies and Loss Narratives in Contemporary Literature and Comics" (2024-2028) and previously directed the €671,000 Einstein Foundation project "PathoGraphics" (2016-2021). Key academic affiliations: Freie Universität Berlin, Stanford University (2013), University of Cincinnati (2005) Doctoral supervision includes 12 completed and ongoing dissertations on topics ranging from organ transplantation narratives to literary representations of neurodegenerative diseases Her narrative research examines how literary and visual texts construct meaning around bodily difference, disease, and technological intervention. This spans from 18th-century aesthetic theories to 21st-century comics about Parkinson's disease and dementia. She pioneered Graphic Medicine applications in German academia and explores intermediality through projects like "Comicstudien" series and co-edited volumes on body politics in comics. Recent article trends reveal systematic analysis of Temporal disruptions in dementia narratives Gendered dynamics of medical ethics Subversive aging portrayals in graphic media Visual-textual organ transplantation Posthumanism in biomedical fiction Historical continuity in disability representation Scientific Recognition : Max Kade Prize for Best Article (2022) DFG Research Group Leader (FOR 5323) Berlin University Alliance funding recipient As a narrative researcher , she has supervised 12 PhD candidates and developed curricula across bachelor's to graduate school levels. Her collaborative labs include the PathoGraphics team and Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School's inter-university initiatives.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Richard Membarth is a faculty member at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt , where he holds the professorship for System-on-a-Chip and AI for Edge Computing. He is also affiliated with the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) as a Senior Researcher and Team Leader for Compiler Technologies and High-Performance Computing, and with the Saarland University Computer Graphics Lab . His research spans GPU computing, domain-specific languages, and compilers. PhD from Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (2013) Postgraduate diploma from Auckland University of Technology His research focuses on: Parallel computer architectures and programming models Automatic code generation for embedded to HPC systems Image processing, computer graphics, and deep learning applications Domain-specific languages for performance-portable code Recent publications highlight compiler design, GPU acceleration, and parallel algorithms. Scientific awards include the HiPEAC Paper Award (2018) and GPCE Best Paper Award (2015) . Professional roles include organizing High-Performance Graphics conferences as Treasurer (2024-2025) and Papers Chair (2020).
Prof. Dr. Martin Slowik serves as an Assistant Professor of Stochastics at the Institute of Mathematics within the School of Business Informatics and Mathematics at the University of Mannheim. His office is located at B6, 68159 Mannheim, with contact details including telephone +49 621 181-2508 and email slowik@uni-mannheim.de. He maintains an arXiv profile and holds ORCID iD 0000-0001-5373-5754. His research investigates stochastic processes in random media, focusing on how microscopic spatial/temporal inhomogeneities in systems like porous media transport or population evolution lead to macroscopic homogenization effects. Key interests include metastable behavior of Markov processes, functional inequalities governing long-term stochastic behavior, scaling limits in random media, and population genetics. His work establishes mathematical relationships between microscopic inhomogeneities and macroscopic effective quantities. Prof. Slowik actively contributes to the academic community through workshop organization, including the MFO mini-workshop "New Horizons in Motion in Random Media" (Oberwolfach, 2023), "Germany Probability & Statistics Days" conference (University of Mannheim, 2021), "Interplay of Random Media and Stochastic Interface Models" (TU Berlin, 2018), and multiple earlier workshops on random media and branching processes dating back to 2013.
Daniele Ottaviano is a Researcher at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) , affiliated with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Chair of Cyber-Physical Systems in Production Engineering . His work focuses on real-time virtualization , mixed-criticality systems , and embedded systems , particularly in optimizing memory hierarchies and managing heterogeneous processing elements including FPGA-based architectures . Education : Ph.D. in Fusion Science and Engineering (University of Padua & University of Naples Federico II, 2025), M.Sc. in Computer Engineering (University of Naples Federico II, 2021), B.Sc. in Computer Engineering (University of Naples Federico II, 2019). Prior Role : Visiting Researcher at Boston University's Cyber-Physical Systems Lab (2023-2024). His research investigates cache partitioning techniques , real-time virtualization for MPSoCs , and FPGA integration to enhance performance, isolation, and predictability in embedded systems. Publications highlight contributions to hypervisor optimization , container orchestration , and virtualization frameworks for mixed-criticality environments.
Benjamin Buttlar is a Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Germany. His research focuses on cognitive conflict in decision-making at the intersection of social, environmental, and biological psychology. He investigates why people make decisions conflicting with financial, health, sustainability, or moral goals, using mixed-method approaches including experience sampling, process tracing, and virtual reality experiments. Key research themes: Meat paradox, moral disengagement, ambivalence dynamics, stress-attitude links Editorial roles: Associate Editor at Collabra: Psychology , Consulting Editor at PHAIR Recipient of 8 university start-up grants (2016-2022) and EASP Seedcorn Grant (2021) His work reveals how ambivalence drives dietary behavior change, with recent studies showing ambivalence's role in meat consumption dynamics (2025). He developed the Meat Ambivalence Questionnaire (2023) and TUNA image database (2024), and has published extensively on stress-coping mechanisms and their physiological correlates. His 15 most recent articles span 2025-2022, focusing on meat-related conflict resolution, false memory formation, and ambivalence-induced information seeking. Scientific awards include: Outstanding Dissertation Award (2019), Trier Publication Award (2019), ESCON Finalist (2018). He supervises PhD/MSc theses, teaches social psychology courses (BSc/MSc level), and actively communicates science through media appearances (Deutschlandfunk, Deutsche Welle, Quarks) and science slams.
