Dr. Philipp Grete is a postdoctoral research associate at the Hamburg Observatory (University of Hamburg), previously holding a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship at the same institution and a postdoctoral position at the Department of Physics & Astronomy, Michigan State University . His interdisciplinary research bridges astrophysics and computational methods , focusing on: Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in astrophysical systems Performance-portable exascale simulation frameworks (Parthenon, AthenaPK) Cosmic ray transport mechanisms Anisotropic transport processes in weakly collisional plasmas Supercomputer-driven AGN feedback analysis He leads the XMAGNET project using DOE INCITE allocations on exascale systems and recently secured DFG funding for three years. His work has been recognized with the Postdoctoral Excellence in Research Award (MSU), SC23 Best Paper nomination, and CUG23 Best Paper Runner-up award.
Prof. Eli Geffen is a Professor at the School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, and serves as the Curator of Terrestrial Vertebrates at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. He received his PhD from the University of Oxford in 1990 and has authored more than 100 scientific papers throughout his distinguished career in behavioral ecology and population genetics. Prof. Geffen's research focuses on behavioral ecology as expressed in the social dynamics and vocalization of the rock hyrax, visual communication in chameleons, and evolution of sociality in canids and other carnivores. His work also encompasses population genetics, examining behavioral and environmental factors that influence dispersal decisions in carnivores and other vertebrates, as well as comparative studies on various behavioral aspects of birds and mammals. He utilizes samples from the Museum collections in his study of population genetics of wolves and jackals, dog and cat domestication, and the interaction between the changing environment and genetics in other carnivores. Prof. Geffen's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on rock hyrax vocal communication and social behavior, carnivore ecology and conservation, and amphibian and reptile population genetics. His work often involves interdisciplinary approaches, combining behavioral observations with genetic analyses to understand evolutionary processes and ecological adaptations. Many of his studies examine the impact of environmental factors, including climate change and human activity, on animal behavior and population dynamics. Prof. Geffen has made significant contributions to understanding the behavioral ecology of rock hyraxes, particularly their complex vocal communication systems and social structures. His research on carnivores, including foxes, wolves, and leopards, has provided valuable insights for conservation efforts. Additionally, his work on amphibians, particularly the rediscovered Hula painted frog, has contributed to conservation biology in the region.
Astrid Blome is the Director of the Institute for Newspaper Research in Dortmund, a position she has held since 2016. She earned her doctorate from the University of Bremen and completed her habilitation (post-doctoral qualification) in Modern History at the University of Hamburg. Her academic background includes roles as a research associate at the Institute for German Press Research, lecturer, and substitute professor at the University of Bremen, as well as a curator at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz. Her research explores interdisciplinary themes including Early Modern History , Media History , and Regional Identity . She investigates the evolution of communication systems, the sociocultural impact of newspapers, and knowledge dissemination across historical periods. Recent work emphasizes digital humanities, media trust, and the transformation of journalism. Blome actively contributes to several academic initiatives: she co-edits the Dortmander Beiträge zur Zeitungsforschung and Jahrbuch für Kommunikationsgeschichte book series, mentors early-career scholars through the Research Academy Ruhr's mentoring³ program, and leads a DFG-funded project (2019-2021) digitizing the historical Kölnische Zeitung . She holds leadership roles in multiple scholarly associations, including the Society for German Press Research (executive board), Historical Society of Dortmund (board member), and the Microfilm Archive of the German-Language Press (executive board).
Yasutaka Kamei is a Full Professor at Kyushu University's Graduate School and Faculty of Information Science and Electrical Engineering, where he leads the POSL Lab (Process-Oriented Software Laboratory). He was promoted from Associate Professor to Full Professor in January 2024 after serving as Associate Professor from March 2015 to December 2023. He is also an InaRIS Fellow (2023-2033), receiving 10 million yen annually for his research on 'New paradigm for software development styles based on machine-human interaction.' Dr. Kamei's research focuses on Empirical Software Engineering (ESE) and Open Source Software Engineering (OSSE), with particular expertise in software reliability, testing, defect prediction, code review analysis, and mining software repositories. His work bridges empirical methods with practical software engineering challenges, emphasizing how data-driven approaches can improve software quality assurance processes. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward understanding human factors in software development processes, analyzing modern code review practices, investigating technical debt, and exploring the application of large language models in software engineering tasks. His research spans both traditional software engineering challenges and emerging AI-driven approaches to software development. IPSJ/ACM Award for Early Career Contribution to Global Research (2019) Best industry paper award at ESEM 2018 Distinguished Paper Award at MSR 2014 InaRIS Fellow (2023-2033) Dr. Kamei actively serves the software engineering community as Tutorials Chair for ASE 2025 and has been a program committee member for numerous top-tier conferences including ICSE, FSE, ASE, ESEC/FSE, SANER, and MSR. He has secured multiple competitive grants from MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) to support his research on test case generation, automated software testing for deep learning systems, technical debt engineering, and mining software repositories. His POSL Lab at Kyushu University serves as a hub for empirical software engineering research, focusing on data-driven approaches to improve software development processes and outcomes through rigorous analysis of software repositories and developer activities.
H. Steven Wiley serves as a Lead Scientist in Systems Biology at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he is affiliated with the Environmental Molecular Sciences Division and the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) user program. With over 200 scientific publications including more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, Dr. Wiley has established himself as a leading figure in systems biology research. Dr. Wiley's research focuses on understanding the systems-level design principles underlying regulatory networks in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, with particular emphasis on how these networks become dysfunctional in diseases like cancer. His recent work leverages CRISPR-based technologies combined with proteomics, gene expression, and biochemical assays to build improved mechanistic models of signaling and metabolic networks. This research requires developing scalable computational infrastructure for integrating multidimensional datasets and advancing analytical technologies. His publication record shows a consistent focus on cellular signaling pathways, particularly the EGFR-MAPK pathway, with recent work expanding into single-cell analysis, cancer heterogeneity, and drug resistance mechanisms. The evolution of his research demonstrates a trajectory from fundamental signaling mechanisms toward increasingly complex systems-level questions with translational implications. Award for Distinguished Technical Communication (2011) Faculty of 1000 Member for Cell Biology (2011) Elected AAAS Fellow (2005) R&D 100 Award for designing single-chain antibody library in a yeast-display system (2004) Laboratory Fellow, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (2000) National Institutes of Health Research Career Development Award (1988–1993) Dr. Wiley has served as an associate editor of Frontiers in Genetics and sits on the editorial boards of The Scientist and BMC Biology. He has reviewed for more than 30 scientific journals, demonstrating his significant contributions to scientific discourse. His work at PNNL's EMSL facility positions him at the intersection of cutting-edge experimental technologies and computational modeling approaches.
Dr. Sridhar Chimalakonda serves as Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, with an adjunct appointment as Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo. His academic leadership spans software engineering research and educational innovation. His educational qualifications include: Ph.D. from International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, India MS by Research from International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, India Research expertise encompasses: Software Engineering : Empirical studies, quality assurance, reuse methodologies, product lines, architecture, ontologies, and gamification Educational Technologies : Instructional design optimization, personalized learning systems, and VR/AR applications for educational storytelling and laboratories Human Computer Interaction : User-centered design in educational and software development contexts Publication analysis (2021-2024) reveals a strategic evolution from foundational software engineering research toward integrated educational applications, particularly in gamified machine learning education for K-12 audiences and sustainable software practices. His work demonstrates consistent methodological rigor in empirical studies while expanding into cross-disciplinary educational technology innovation.
Gül Calikli is an Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Software Engineering at the School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom. She has held academic positions at several prestigious institutions including the University of Zurich as a senior researcher, Chalmers | University of Gothenburg as a lecturer, and postdoctoral fellowships at The Open University (UK) and Ryerson University (Canada). Dr. Calikli earned her Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Boğaziçi University in Istanbul. Her academic journey reflects a strong commitment to advancing empirical software engineering with a focus on human aspects. Dr. Calikli's research centers on the intersection of software engineering and cognitive psychology, with a particular emphasis on understanding and mitigating cognitive biases in software development practices. Her work explores how human cognitive limitations impact program comprehension, code review, and vulnerability detection. She investigates how to present information effectively to software practitioners considering human cognitive constraints, and develops tools and techniques based on cognitive psychology to enhance decision-making in software development. Her research also incorporates machine learning systems with "human in the loop" approaches, creating joint cognitive systems that extend human intelligence. Analysis of Dr. Calikli's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on human aspects in software engineering, particularly examining cognitive biases like confirmation bias and their impact on software quality. Her work spans multiple domains including code review practices, vulnerability detection, program comprehension, and privacy-aware software development. A notable trend is her methodological approach combining controlled experiments, field studies, and quantitative analysis of system logs to investigate human factors in software engineering. Best Paper Award at ESEM2013 (Industry Track) Chalmers Area of Advance SEED Funding in 2018 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Artifact Award at ICSE 2020 ACM Distinguished Paper Award at ICSE 2021 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award at ESEC/FSE'22 Distinguished Reviewer Award at ICSME'23 Distinguished Reviewer Award at ICPC'22 Dr. Calikli actively supervises PhD students working on diverse topics including team dynamics in agile development, eye-tracking for human-AI pair programming, leveraging LLMs for software development/testing, and sustainability in software engineering teams. She has served on numerous program committees for major software engineering conferences including ASE, ICSE, FSE, and ESEC/FSE. Her research has been supported by various funding mechanisms, including the Chalmers Area of Advance SEED Funding. As an active member of the software engineering community, Dr. Calikli contributes to the advancement of the field through her service on editorial boards (including ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology), participation in the EPSRC Peer Review College, and organization of conference tracks such as the ICPC 2024 ERA Track which she co-chaired.
Mohammad Hamdaqa is an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal (Canada), where he leads the Software and Emerging Technologies Lab. He received his PhD in Software Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada in 2016 and holds multiple advanced degrees including a Master of Applied Science in Software Engineering and an MBA with a minor in Management Information Systems. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Canada Master in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concordia University, Canada Master in Business Administration, New York Institute of Technology, USA Bachelor in Computer Engineering, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Jordan Dr. Hamdaqa's research focuses on the intersection of software engineering and emerging technologies. His work explores how software engineering approaches can be tailored to address the complexities of architecting, building, and deploying applications for new platforms like Cloud Computing and Blockchain. He is particularly interested in how emerging technologies can advance software creation, evolution, and management practices. His research spans model-driven software engineering, cloud computing, blockchain, and the application of AI in software development processes. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on smart contract security, infrastructure as code, model-driven engineering, and the application of large language models in software engineering tasks. His work bridges theoretical software engineering concepts with practical applications in cutting-edge technology domains, with particular emphasis on addressing security, sustainability, and maintainability challenges in next-generation software systems. Dr. Hamdaqa has received recognition through service on program committees for major software engineering conferences including ASE, ICSE, MODELS, and SANER. He serves on the editorial board of Service Transactions on Internet of Things and is a Member of the IEEE Computer Society and the Association for Computing Machinery. He has supervised multiple Master's students to completion, with recent theses focusing on OCL generation, smart contract auditing, epidemiological modeling, and infrastructure as code security. His current research group continues to explore innovative approaches at the intersection of software engineering and emerging technologies. Dr. Hamdaqa leads the Software and Emerging Technologies Lab at Polytechnique Montréal, which brings together researchers and students to investigate cutting-edge challenges in software engineering for new technology platforms. The lab focuses on practical solutions that balance theoretical rigor with real-world applicability.
Dr. Emmanouil Athanasiadis is a bioinformatician at the University of Cambridge's Department of Haematology, with dual affiliations at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Medical Research Council (MRC) Stem Cell Institute. His research integrates computational biology with medical applications, focusing on single-cell genomics, cancer biology, and cardiovascular disease mechanisms since 2016. His educational foundation includes: BSc in Biomedical Engineering from Technological Educational Institution of Athens (2004) MSc in Medical Physics from University of Patras (2006), funded by State Scholarships Foundation of Greece PhD in Medical Physics from University of Patras (2010), supported by National State Scholarship Foundation Athanasiadis specializes in developing computational frameworks for biological data interpretation. His work spans single-cell RNA sequencing analysis in haematopoiesis, medical imaging algorithms for cancer diagnostics, and drug repurposing pipelines. Key contributions include SPNsim for pulmonary nodule simulation and ChemBioServer for chemical compound analysis, demonstrating his dual expertise in algorithm development and biomedical application. Publication analysis reveals a trajectory from medical imaging (2007-2012) to genomic network analysis (2013-2016), culminating in current single-cell and spatial transcriptomics research. His work consistently bridges computational innovation with clinical questions in oncology, haematology, and cardiovascular disease, with strong emphasis on open-source tool development. His scientific recognition includes: Computational award from Greek Research and Technology Network for 'GRAND' project Multiple presentation prizes at national medical conferences Continuous academic distinctions from State Scholarships Foundation of Greece K. Karatheodoris research scholarship He has secured EU funding through FP7 projects including 'PIK3CA Oncogenic Mutations' and 'NOISEPLUS', and maintains active collaborations across Cambridge, UCL, and Greek research institutions. His teaching contributions include lecturing in biomedical engineering programs at Technological Educational Institution of Athens (2010-2016). Current work centers on single-cell RNA sequencing analysis within Cambridge's haematology research ecosystem, particularly investigating transcriptional dynamics in blood cell development and cancer evolution through collaborative projects with Sanger Institute.
Dr. Carolin Liefke serves as Deputy Managing Scientist at the Haus der Astronomie (Center for Astronomy Education and Outreach) in Heidelberg and Deputy Director of the International Astronomical Union Office of Astronomy for Education. With over 20 years of experience in astronomy education and outreach, she has been a research associate at Haus der Astronomie since 2010 and became Germany's National Outreach Coordinator for the IAU in 2020. Dr. Liefke's work focuses on bridging professional astronomy with educational practice through multiple initiatives including astronomy courses for pre-service physics teachers at the University of Heidelberg, the 'Telescope Driver's Licence' teacher training program, the HdA partner school network, and the IASC Pan-STARRS asteroid search program that enables students to discover asteroids using telescope time in Hawaii. She also coordinates programs for gifted students, high school research opportunities, and public events at Haus der Astronomie. Her research background in stellar activity and X-ray astronomy informs her educational approach, though her current work emphasizes translating astronomical research into accessible educational content. The 15 most recent publications in her portfolio demonstrate a clear shift from refereed astronomy research papers to educational materials, reflecting her career transition toward specializing in astronomy education. National Outreach Coordinator for Germany of the International Astronomical Union (since 2020) Executive board member of Vereinigung der Sternfreunde (German amateur astronomy association) Regular contributor to astronomy education journals and publications Author of numerous educational materials for teachers and students Active science communicator through social media and public events Dr. Liefke teaches multiple seminars annually at the University of Heidelberg for pre-service physics teachers, covering topics from basic astronomy concepts to current research headlines. Her educational philosophy emphasizes hands-on experience with real astronomical data and equipment, as evidenced by her development of the 'Telescope Driver's Licence' program that trains teachers to use school telescopes effectively. At Haus der Astronomie, she works within the MPIA-Campus infrastructure to create educational experiences that connect students and teachers with cutting-edge astronomical research while making complex concepts accessible to diverse audiences.
Dr. Detlef D. Nauck is a Chief Research Scientist and Technical Group Leader at BT Group's Intelligent Systems Research Centre, and a Visiting Senior Lecturer at Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg's Faculty of Computer Science. His career spans both academic and industrial research environments, with significant contributions to Neuro-Fuzzy Systems and interpretable artificial intelligence. His academic foundation includes: Master's degree in Computer Science (1990) from Technical University of Braunschweig Ph.D. in Computer Science (1994) from Technical University of Braunschweig Habilitation in Computer Science (2000) from Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg Dr. Nauck's research focuses on creating transparent AI systems that combine neural networks' learning capabilities with fuzzy logic's interpretability. His work addresses critical challenges in data analysis, particularly in handling mixed data types, missing values, and symbolic attributes while maintaining model transparency. He has developed practical applications across various domains where understanding decision processes is as important as the decisions themselves. His publication record shows consistent evolution from foundational work on neuro-fuzzy controllers to advanced applications in data mining and knowledge discovery. The research demonstrates a clear progression toward increasingly complex data analysis challenges while maintaining the core principle of model interpretability. Professional recognition includes: Author of the influential book 'Foundations of Neuro-Fuzzy Systems' (Wiley, 1997) Development of NEFCLASS, a widely recognized framework for interpretable classification Extensive contributions to both theoretical and applied aspects of soft computing Significant impact on the field through numerous tutorials and conference presentations Dr. Nauck maintains an active research program that bridges academic theory and industrial application. His dual affiliation allows him to contribute to practical implementations of intelligent systems at BT Group while mentoring the next generation of researchers through his academic position. He leads research in the Neural Networks and Fuzzy Systems group at Otto-von-Guericke University, accessible through their website at http://fuzzy.cs.uni-magdeburg.de, continuing to advance the field of interpretable artificial intelligence with practical relevance.
Professor Eva H. Stukenbrock is a Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany, and a professor at the Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel. She heads the Max Planck Fellow Group Environmental Genomics, which is jointly hosted by both institutions. Her research focuses on the evolutionary genomics of plant-pathogenic fungi, particularly the genus Zymoseptoria, using integrated genomic, transcriptomic, and experimental approaches. Her research interests include: Evolutionary mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions Genomic architecture and accessory chromosome dynamics in fungal pathogens Adaptive evolution and diversification of plant pathogens Epigenetic regulation in pathogen genomes Population genomics of emerging pathogens Professor Stukenbrock's recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on accessory chromosome evolution, horizontal gene transfer, and host specialization mechanisms in fungal pathogens. Her work demonstrates how chromosomal rearrangements and epigenetic modifications drive pathogen adaptation to agricultural environments. The research spans from fundamental evolutionary mechanisms to practical implications for disease management in crops. She has made significant contributions to understanding how fungal pathogens evolve in response to crop domestication and agricultural practices, with publications in high-impact journals including Nature Communications, PNAS, and New Phytologist. Her work on horizontal chromosome transfer between asexual fungi has challenged conventional understanding of pathogen evolution. Professor Stukenbrock has supervised numerous graduate students across PhD, Master's, and Bachelor's levels, with her students conducting research on diverse aspects of fungal genomics and evolution. Her laboratory maintains active collaborations with international research groups and participates in major scientific conferences focused on plant-microbe interactions and evolutionary biology.
Valeria Roncuzzi is a faculty member at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, where she has held fixed-term teaching positions since the 2007-2008 academic year. She teaches specialized courses in the Restoration - Library and Archival Material PFP5 program, including "Cataloging and Archive Management" (ABVPA61) and "History of Printing and Publishing" (ABST50). Her work bridges the Academy of Fine Arts and the Archiginnasio Library - Institution of Libraries of the Municipality of Bologna, where she has curated numerous exhibitions and conducted extensive research on Bolognese cultural heritage. Dr. Roncuzzi's research interests focus on the intersection of archival science, library studies, and art history. Her expertise spans archival management , history of printing and publishing , paper conservation , and cultural heritage preservation . She has made significant contributions to understanding Bologna's rich cultural history through her work with the Archiginnasio Library collections and her numerous publications on local art and library history. Her scholarly approach combines historical research with practical conservation methodologies. Analysis of her publications reveals a consistent focus on Italian cultural heritage, particularly Bolognese history. Over the past decade, her research has evolved from traditional art historical studies toward more contemporary concerns with digital preservation and library innovation. Key themes include the protection of library heritage during wartime, the evolution of printing technologies, and the strategic role of communication in promoting library services within the community. Her work demonstrates how historical understanding informs modern archival practices. As an educator, Dr. Roncuzzi emphasizes hands-on learning through visits to historic libraries and archives. Her teaching methodology combines theoretical knowledge with practical exercises, preparing students for careers in paper material conservation and archival management. She has supervised numerous student projects focused on the Academy's historical archives and the city's archival collections, fostering the next generation of cultural heritage professionals through experiential learning.
Yang Li serves as Associate Professor of Marketing and Associate Dean for the MBA Program at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB). Holding a PhD in Marketing from Columbia Business School alongside dual master's and bachelor's degrees from Columbia and Peking University respectively, he bridges advanced statistical methodologies with practical business applications. His research centers on statistical machine learning and Bayesian nonparametrics applied to consumer behavior analysis, with specialization in online personalization, text mining, and choice modeling. Recent work demonstrates significant focus on fragmented attention economies, ethical AI frameworks, and NFT network dynamics, reflecting contemporary digital market challenges. Management Science Marketing Science Journal of Marketing Research Journal of Consumer Research Harvard Business Review Professor Li's publications reveal evolving expertise from foundational pricing elasticity studies toward cutting-edge AI applications in consumer contexts. His work increasingly integrates generative models and graph neural networks to decode complex consumer collection behaviors and digital ecosystem dynamics. Scientific recognition includes being a Finalist for the 2021 Paul E. Green Best Paper Award. Industry impact is demonstrated through executive education programs and strategic consultancies with Tencent, Haier, and Tmall. As Associate Dean for MBA Programs, he oversees curriculum development while maintaining active corporate governance roles on boards of publicly traded companies across China and Hong Kong, directly applying his research insights to strategic decision-making in digital transformation initiatives.
Christoph Müller is a Doctoral Researcher at the Visualization Research Center (VISUS) at the University of Stuttgart, working within the Weiskopf Group and Sedlmair Group. With over 19 years of research experience documented through publications from 2006 to 2025, he has established himself as a significant contributor to the scientific visualization community. Dr. Müller's research spans multiple domains of visualization including scientific visualization, computer graphics, visual analytics, cybersecurity visualization, molecular graphics, and energy-efficient visualization techniques. His recent work demonstrates a strong focus on practical applications, particularly in cybersecurity analysis through projects like AlertSets for exploratory analysis of cybersecurity alerts and VITALflow for network traffic analysis. He has also made important contributions to understanding and reducing the energy consumption of visualization systems, with recent papers on foveated volume visualization and comprehensive energy measurement approaches. His publication record shows consistent contributions to top visualization venues, with recent work appearing in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Journal of Visualization, and proceedings of major conferences including IEEE VIS, Eurographics, and VizSec. His research often involves interdisciplinary collaboration, particularly with cybersecurity experts and domain scientists. Active research in cybersecurity visualization for security operations Pioneering work on energy measurement and reduction in visualization systems Contributions to scientific visualization for cosmic evolution and manufacturing Development of visualization frameworks like MegaMol Exploration of novel platforms including gaming consoles for scientific visualization Dr. Müller's work bridges theoretical visualization research with practical applications, making significant contributions to both the academic community and real-world visualization challenges across multiple domains.