Mattia De Vivo is a current Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Trier (Faculty VI, Biogeography department) since September 2023, supervised by Prof. Dr. Henrik Krehenwinkel. He holds a Ph.D. in Biodiversity from the Taiwan International Graduate Program on Biodiversity (TIGP-BIODIV), jointly organized by National Taiwan Normal University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (2019–2023), with a dissertation on Chordodes formosanus (Nematomorpha). Education: Ph.D., Master’s (Sapienza University of Rome), Bachelor’s (University of Naples Federico II) Research Focus: Zoology, speciation, species delimitation, population genetics, phylogenomics, parasitology, and biogeography Key Projects: Environmental DNA (eDNA) applications, conservation genetics of stag beetles, niche modeling of invasive species Scientific Awards: AS-TIGP Research Performance Fellowship (2022) TIGP PhD Scholarship (2019–2022) Publications: 15 most recent include works on horsehair worms, coral reef zooplankton, stag beetles, and environmental DNA applications, covering disciplines like genetics, ecology, and parasitology.
Nada Mimouni is a Researcher at Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, affiliated with the Cédric Laboratory's Secure Systems and Data Mining teams. She has authored 15+ peer-reviewed publications across 2012–2025, focusing on knowledge graphs, legal informatics, and cybersecurity. Her Contextual cybersecurity Semantic knowledge representation Legal information systems Ontology engineering Medical system protection Policy analysis research spans interdisciplinary applications including EU regulatory frameworks and healthcare infrastructure security. Recent publications demonstrate expertise in contextual knowledge graphs, analogical reasoning, and cyber-physical incident management. Notable recognition includes the Most Inspiring Managerial Implications Award (2019).
Christof Löding , currently an Adjunct Professor at the Lehrstuhl für Logik und Theorie diskreter Systeme (Informatik 7) department of RWTH Aachen University , is a leading researcher in Automata Theory , Formal Verification , and Logic in Computer Science . His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in software verification, automata minimization, and game theory. Research Interests include automata theory, formal verification, logic, tree automata, game theory, and computational models. Publications span topics like Finite-valued Streaming String Transducers , Deterministic Parity Automata , and Stochastic Game Strategies . Collaborations with researchers like Emmanuel Filiot , Sarah Winter , and León Bohn highlight his contributions to automata and verification. Email : loeding@informatik.rwth-aachen.de He has actively published in venues such as ICALP , LICS , and STACS , focusing on deterministic automata, transducers, and logic-based computational systems. His work on Hyperlogic for Strategies in Stochastic Games (2025) and Minimal History-Deterministic Automata (2025) showcases his ongoing influence in formal methods and automata theory.
Thorsten Koch is a Professor for Software and Algorithms for Discrete Optimization at Technische Universität Berlin , with multiple leadership roles including Head of the Applied Algorithmic Intelligence Methods (A²IM) , Digital Data and Information for Society, Science, and Culture (D²IS²C) , Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (KOBV) , and Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Digitalisierung Berlin (digiS) . Based at Zuse Institute Berlin and affiliated with TU Berlin's Institute for Mathematics, he focuses on integrating mathematical optimization with high-performance computing and artificial intelligence to solve complex real-world problems. Research Pillars : Mathematical optimization algorithms Quantum computing applications AI/ML integration in decision systems Energy systems optimization Scientific software development Leadership Roles : Head of Applied Algorithmic Intelligence Methods (A²IM) Head of Digital Data & Information for Society, Science, and Culture (D²IS²C) Head of Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (KOBV) Head of Forschungs- und Kompetenzzentrum Digitalisierung Berlin (digiS) Key Collaborations : Working with IBM Quantum on quantum optimization Collaborating across institutions for energy system modeling Developing open-source optimization tools like SCIP Contributing to digital library infrastructure Recent Research Trends : Quantum optimization benchmarking Machine learning-aided optimization Multi-objective decision frameworks Energy infrastructure optimization Adaptive algorithm design CO2 network modeling Impact : Advancing hybrid optimization methods Developing open-source tools for scientific computing Building digital infrastructures for libraries and research Exploring quantum-classical algorithm synergies
Prof. Dr. Claudia Barth is a Professor of Neurobiology of Hormonal Transitions at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, holding dual appointments at the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences and the Institute of Gender in Medicine (GiM). As Head of the Research Division Neurobiology of Hormonal Transitions, she leads pioneering work integrating preclinical and clinical perspectives with computational approaches to study hormonal transitions and their impact on brain health and psychiatric disorders. She currently serves as Chair of the ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology Working Group – Menopause Subgroup and Co-Chair of the ENIGMA Early Onset Psychosis Working Group, fostering global research collaborations. Her educational background includes a PhD in Neuroscience (summa cum laude, 2017) from the University of Leipzig & Max Planck Institute, an MSc in Biology (Neurobiology & Behavior, 2012), and a BSc in Biology (2010). Prior to her current position, she completed postdoctoral training at the University of Oslo and Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (2018-2020), and doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Science (2013-2017). Barth's research focuses on women's brain health across hormonal transition periods, with particular emphasis on menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause. Her work investigates how sex hormones influence brain structure and function, and their relationship to psychiatric disorders including depression and psychosis. Through innovative approaches combining neuroimaging, registry data, and computational methods, she has established herself as a leading researcher in female brain health. Her recent work demonstrates how estradiol exposure affects brain aging trajectories and how hormonal transitions create vulnerability windows for mental health disorders. Her publication record shows consistent high-impact contributions in neuroscience journals, with recent articles exploring menstrual cycle effects on brain structure (2023), menopausal hormone therapy effects (2024), and comprehensive analyses of sex steroids across the lifespan (2023). Her research demonstrates increasing focus on translational applications, particularly in understanding how hormonal transitions affect vulnerability to depression and Alzheimer's disease. 2024: European Research Council Starting Grant (PI, €1.5M) - "MappingPerimenopause" 2025: Wellcome Leap CARE (Co-PI, €1.5M) - "Charting the female brain during midlife" 2025: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (Co-PI, €4.7M) - "Gender-InSIGHT" 2025: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks (Co-PI, €4.5M) - "MenoBrain" As an active science communicator, Barth has contributed to public understanding through interviews with European Sleep Research Society (2025), Forbes (2023), podcasts on women's health (2024), and educational materials for Springer Medicine (2024). Her work bridges cutting-edge neuroscience with clinical applications to improve women's brain health outcomes across the lifespan.
Saharon Rosset is a Professor and Chair in Modern Statistics and Data Science at the Department of Statistics and Operations Research, School of Mathematical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, since 2007. His expertise spans statistical learning theory, machine learning, and computational biology, with a focus on integrating statistical methods into biological and data science applications. Research Interests: Statistical Learning, Computational Biology, Genomics, Data Science Teaching: Statistics of Big Data, Statistical Genetics, Bootstrap Methods, Data Science His recent publications explore diverse applications including ATP production mechanisms, SARS-CoV-2 evolution, gene-environment interactions, and music structure analysis. He employs methodologies from high-dimensional statistics, random effects modeling, and multiple hypothesis testing. Scientific Awards : Best paper award at KDD-2011 KDD Cup 2007 Winner Best application paper award at KDD-02 He has mentored numerous PhD and MSc students, including Oren Yuval, Giora Simchoni, and Rajesh Karmakar. His collaborative work appears in journals like PNAS , Biometrics , and Journal of Machine Learning Research .
Professor Yaron Ostrover is a faculty member in the Department of Theoretical Mathematics at the School of Mathematical Sciences, Tel Aviv University. His academic journey includes being a von Neumann fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study during the 2018-2020 academic years and previously serving as a C.L.E Moore instructor in the Department of Mathematics at MIT. He received his Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Leonid Polterovich. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Mathematics from Tel Aviv University (supervised by Leonid Polterovich) Previous postdoctoral positions including C.L.E Moore instructor at MIT Von Neumann fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study (2018-2020) Professor Ostrover's research focuses on the intersection of geometry, dynamics, and mathematical physics. His primary areas of interest are symplectic geometry and Hamiltonian dynamics, with specific emphasis on the geometry of the group of Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms, Floer and quantum homology, symplectic embeddings, billiards dynamics, interaction between symplectic and convex geometry, asymptotic geometric analysis, and the theory of symplectic measurements. His work bridges abstract mathematical concepts with applications in mathematical physics, creating innovative approaches to understanding geometric structures and dynamical systems. An analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on symplectic geometry and its connections to other mathematical domains. His research demonstrates a progression from foundational work in symplectic capacities and embeddings to more specialized investigations of billiards dynamics, Lagrangian products, and connections to integrable systems like the Toda lattice. A notable trend is the increasing interdisciplinary nature of his work, connecting symplectic geometry with convex geometry, asymptotic analysis, and mathematical physics. Professor Ostrover has received recognition through prestigious positions including: von Neumann Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study (2018-2020) C.L.E Moore Instructor position at MIT As a principal investigator, he has led significant research projects including "Symplectic Measurements and Hamiltonian Dynamics" (SYMPLECTIC), an ERC Starting Grant from 2015-2020, and serves as a local coordinator for the "Topology in Dynamics and Physics" (TIDY) program. He has co-organized numerous international conferences including LP-60: Geometry and Dynamics (2023, ETH Zürich), Finite Dimensional Integrable Systems in Geometry & Mathematical Physics (2022, Tel Aviv University), and Topological Data Analysis meets Symplectic Topology (2018, Tel Aviv University). Professor Ostrover is actively involved in teaching at Tel Aviv University, offering courses such as Calculus 1A-3, Analysis on Manifolds, Topics in Geometry Mechanics and Dynamics, Introduction to Dynamical Systems, Introduction to Symplectic Geometry, and Non-Euclidean Geometry. He previously taught Measure and Integration and Calculus at MIT.
Prof. Dr. Franziska Völckner is a Professor of Marketing at the Department of Marketing and Brand Management, WiSo Faculty (School of Business, Economics and Social Sciences) of the University of Cologne since 2007. Her research focuses on Brand Management, Marketing in Digital Environments, Customer Experience Management, and Market Research, with a particular emphasis on brand image analysis and digital marketing trends. Habilitation in Business Administration, University of Hamburg (2006) Doctoral degree, University of Hamburg (2003) Her work explores the intersection of marketing theory and practice, including gamification effects, brand positioning strategies, celebrity marketing, and pricing psychology. She contributes to the Key Research Initiative: Analytics and Transformation and is affiliated with the ECONtribute: Markets & Public Policy Cluster of Excellence. Scientific awards include: 2017 Editors’ Citation Award (Journal of Interactive Marketing) 2013 Best Overall Conference Paper Award (Australian & New Zealand Marketing Academy) 2011 VHB Best Paper Award 2008 VHB Young Academics Best Paper Award She serves on the University Council of the University of Cologne (since 2016) and contributes to interdisciplinary research projects under the Social and Economic Behavior Key Profile Area. Her publications span marketing strategy, brand extension dynamics, and digital consumer behavior.
Rana X. Adhikari is a Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy, and an Associate Faculty member at the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (ICTS-TIFR) in Bengaluru, India. His career spans over two decades in experimental physics, with significant contributions to gravitational wave detection and quantum metrology. Professor of Physics at Caltech since 2012 (tenured) Assistant Professor at Caltech (2006-2012) Adjunct Professor at ICTS-TIFR since 2012 Postdoctoral Researcher at Caltech LIGO project (2004-2006) Adhikari's research focuses on experimental physics of gravitational wave detection, quantum metrology, precision measurement, and intelligent control systems. His work aims to surpass fundamental physical limits to discover new phenomena related to gravity, quantum mechanics, and the nature of space and time. He has pioneered noise reduction techniques in laser interferometers, which were critical for LIGO's successful detection of gravitational waves in 2015. His research group at Caltech develops new detector technologies for fundamental physics experiments including gravitational waves, dark matter, and near-field gravity. He also collaborates extensively with the international gravitational-wave community including OzGrav, KAGRA, and GEO600. Analysis of his recent publications shows consistent focus on advancing gravitational wave detection capabilities across multiple fronts - from improving ground-based detectors like KAGRA to developing concepts for space-based systems like TianGO. His work bridges theoretical concepts with practical experimental implementations, particularly in quantum measurement techniques applied to gravitational physics. New Horizons in Physics Prize (2019) Albert Einstein Medal (2017) Princess of Asturias Award (2017) Bruno Rossi Prize (2017) Royal Astronomical Society Group Achievement Award (2017) Gruber Cosmology Prize (2016) Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2016) Adhikari actively mentors students through the International LIGO SURF program, which hosts talented undergraduate students from Indian institutions. He has secured significant funding for the LIGO-India project, which aims to build a gravitational-wave observatory in India. His laboratory at Caltech collaborates with the Materials Science Department to advance mechanical oscillators, nonlinear optics, acoustic metamaterials, and high-efficiency photodetection for quantum measurements. He is also involved in interdisciplinary projects combining science and art, including scientific installations and collaborations with artists exploring gravitational wave concepts.
Dr. Pranav Minasandra is a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (Konstanz, Germany), affiliated with the Department of Collective Behavior . His work combines quantitative ecology , animal movement modeling , and machine learning to uncover universal patterns in behavioral sequences across species. PhD in Animal Behavior from Max Planck Institute MSc and BS from Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) Research Focus: Analyzes behavioral predictivity decay and statistical similarities in animal sequences using accelerometry and theoretical frameworks. Recent work explores interspecies infant abduction and social coordination in meerkats/hyenas . Publications span PNAS , Proceedings B , and Current Biology , with 2025 papers revealing truncated power-law patterns in behavior and collective movement dynamics . His Best Paper Award (University of Konstanz) highlights groundbreaking contributions to behavioral sequence analysis. Collaborates with networks including Meg Crofoot , Ari Strandburg-Peshkin , and Vlad Demartsev . Tools developed include VocalPy integrations and predictivity decay metrics for behavioral forecasting.
Dr. Julian Fäth is a Research Fellow at the Chair of Remote Sensing within the Institute of Geography and Geology at the University of Würzburg. Since May 2024, he has been leading the main working package "Forestry" in the EO4CAM project. His academic career spans forest science, remote sensing, and environmental geophysics with a focus on forest hydrology and soil moisture dynamics across temperate forest ecosystems in Germany. His educational background includes: PhD in Forest Nutrition and Water Balance from the Technical University of Munich (2017-2021) Studies in Forestry Science at the Technical University of Munich (2011-2017) Dr. Fäth's research focuses on applying geophysical methods, particularly electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), to monitor soil moisture fluctuations in forest ecosystems. His work bridges remote sensing technologies with traditional forestry practices to understand how forests respond to climate change, particularly drought stress. He investigates the complex interactions between soil properties, water availability, and tree health in temperate forests across Germany, with particular attention to beech decline under recurrent drought conditions. His publication record shows a strong trend toward integrating multiple monitoring approaches for soil moisture and forest hydrology. Recent work emphasizes 2D and 3D ERT techniques combined with traditional hydrological measurements to create comprehensive understanding of water dynamics in forest soils. His research increasingly addresses climate change impacts on forest ecosystems, particularly beech decline under recurrent drought stress, examining how individual neighborhood structure and soil properties influence tree survival. Dr. Fäth has been involved in several significant research projects including the EO4CAM project where he leads the forestry component. His collaborative work spans multiple institutions including the University of Würzburg and the Technical University of Munich. His research has practical applications for sustainable forest management under changing climatic conditions, providing critical insights for forest managers facing increasing drought frequency and intensity.
Katrin Dennerlein is a Senior Lecturer at the Chair of Computational Philology and Modern German Literary History, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Würzburg. She specializes in digital humanities, computational philology, and emotion analysis in German literary drama. Her work bridges historical text digitization with modern algorithmic analysis, particularly through projects like Drama Corpora and Emotions in Drama. Projects: Leads the Drama Corpora initiative for digitizing cultural heritage, focusing on Hamburg Gänsemarktoper libretti (1678–1730) using OCR4all. Research Focus: Emotion analysis in German drama (1650–1815), sentiment classification with transformer models, and narratology in the context of spatial turn. Collaborations: Works with Dr. Christian Reul and the Center for Philology and Digitality, supported by DFG funding. Her recent publications emphasize emotion dynamics in historical plays, leveraging machine learning to analyze genre-specific patterns. She also contributes to methodological advancements in sentiment annotation and digital preservation of cultural memory through dramatic texts.
Prof. Korbinian Schneeberger is a full Professor of Computational Genetics and Genome Plasticity at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich , embedded within the Graduate School of Life Science Munich (LSM) . He leads a multidisciplinary team of bioinformaticians, biologists, and biotechnologists, all driven by a shared curiosity in genomic technologies and plant genome evolution. Contact: k.schneeberger@lmu.de . Research Focus: Genome plasticity and mutational dynamics across plant species Development and refinement of next-generation sequencing and assembly pipelines Comparative genomics, pan-genome construction, and structural variation Epigenetic regulation and transposon biology in plant genomes Meiotic recombination and crossover patterning in holocentric plants Application of single-cell and single-nucleus technologies to dissect gamete-level variation His laboratory develops widely-used bioinformatics tools—including SHOREmap , findGSE , SyRI , and plotsr —that enable the community to assemble, compare, and interpret plant genomes at unprecedented resolution. Recent work advances understanding of centromere evolution, adaptation to extreme soils, layer-specific somatic mutation patterns in fruit trees, and large-scale Arabidopsis population genomics. Scientific Output & Impact: Since 2015, Prof. Schneeberger has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, many appearing in top-tier journals such as Nature Genetics , Nature Plants , and Genome Biology . His 2025 studies already tackle the mutational landscape of Arabidopsis centromeres, scalable eQTL mapping in gametes, and the phased pan-genome of tetraploid potato, underscoring a trajectory at the forefront of plant genomic science. Funding & Collaborations: Research in the Schneeberger Lab is supported by multiple national and international grants, providing resources for high-throughput sequencing, computational infrastructure, and interdisciplinary training. The group actively collaborates with leading plant research centers worldwide, sharing data and tools to accelerate discoveries in crop improvement and evolutionary biology. Team & Environment: The lab operates as a vibrant, international environment with state-of-the-art wet-lab and computational facilities. Trainees and staff benefit from the rich ecosystem of LSM, including structured doctoral programs, career mentoring, and access to cutting-edge core facilities.
Francesca Fallucchi is an Associate Professor at Guglielmo Marconi University in Rome since 2008 and an information scientist at Georg-Eckert-Institut (GEI) since July 2017, working in the Human-Centered Technologies for Educational Media department. Her research focuses on the intersection of computer science and humanities, with particular emphasis on knowledge organization , information retrieval , semantic technologies , and big data management applied to educational media and cultural heritage. Her work bridges theoretical computer science with practical applications in digital humanities. Analysis of her recent publications (2021-2024) reveals a research trajectory spanning multiple domains: from foundational work in semantic web and NLP to emerging applications in metaverse technologies, blockchain for energy monitoring, and explainable AI for healthcare. Her work consistently demonstrates interdisciplinary approaches combining computer science with domain-specific challenges. Dr. Fallucchi has been actively involved in academic service, including organizing the 17th International Conference on Metadata and Semantics Research (MTSR 2023) and serving as editor for Computers trade magazine since 2021. Her professional activities include significant project leadership as Deputy Project Manager for Edumeres Toolbox and contributions to numerous research projects including GLOTREC, GEI-Digital, PalTex, DemoS, PVE-E, and WorldViews.
Minki Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Mannheim and a member of the Collaborative Research Center Transregio 224 (CRC TRR224), focusing on economic perspectives for societal challenges like equality of opportunity and public health. Her research bridges macroeconomics, development economics, and human capital analysis. Ph.D. in Economics from UC San Diego (2023) Teaches Advanced Macroeconomics , Development Economics , and Macroeconomics of Development Her research explores macroeconomic responses to health crises, structural transformation, human capital investments, and the economic impacts of policy interventions. Key projects include modeling malaria eradication's economic effects and analyzing debt's influence on talent allocation. She employs structural modeling and empirical analysis across Sub-Saharan Africa, the U.S., and Ghana. Recent work with the STEG small research grant includes pandemic policy design and cash transfer multiplier effects. She has published in journals like the Journal of Applied Econometrics and IMF Economic Review , with pre-doctoral work in Korean industrial organization. Scientific Awards: STEG small research grant for malaria eradication modeling STEG small research grant for cash transfer analysis Her teaching includes graduate courses on macroeconomics and development economics. She collaborates extensively with researchers like Munseob Lee and Mitchell VanVuren, often engaging with institutions such as the International Growth Centre (IGC) and the STEG initiative.
