José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt – Network Science- Top Researcher Award

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José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt – Network Science- Top Researcher Award

Assoc Prof Dr. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt distinguished academic and researcher in the field Network science.

🌐 Professional Profile

Educations📚📚📚

Dr. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of the Andes in Merida. He then pursued a Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he contributed to an international research project. He earned his PhD in Neurobiology at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa under the mentorship of Lamberto Maffei and continued there as a Postdoctoral fellow. His postdoctoral work extended to the NEST laboratory.

Research Interests

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt’s research interests encompass:

  1. Neuronal Interfaces: Developing devices to substitute damaged tissues in the nervous system.
  2. Optogenetics and Neuronal Plasticity: Investigating mechanisms underlying sensory perception and behavior.
  3. Retinal Circuitries: Studying physiological and pathological conditions in the retina.

Publications and Academic Contributions

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt has published 34 scientific manuscripts in esteemed peer-reviewed journals, with 29 indexed in PubMed, including Science, Nature Neuroscience, and Nature Nanotechnology. He has edited one neuroscience book, authored four book chapters, and co-invented four patents. His work has garnered over 3400 citations, an H-index of 22 on Google Scholar, and an average impact factor per manuscript of 13.06.

Teaching and Mentorship

He has supervised over 35 Master’s thesis students in Neuroscience and Biotechnology. Dr. Maya-Vetencourt is a member of the Italian Society of Neuroscience (SINS), the American Society of Neuroscience (SfN), and the Italian Physiological Society (SIF). He serves as an associate review editor for “Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience” and “Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience”.

Awards and Recognitions

In 2017, Dr. Maya-Vetencourt received two prestigious “Young Investigator” awards: one from the Italian Physiological Society in Pavia and another from the Federation of European Physiological Societies in Vienna.

Pioneering Research

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt pioneered approaches to reactivate juvenile-like plasticity in the adult visual system (Nat Neurosc 2007; Science 2008). He explored chromatin susceptibility mechanisms for reinstating plasticity in the adult brain (Eur J Neurosci 2011). At IIT, he set up an electrophysiology lab to apply photovoltaic interfaces in rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa, leading to the development of a fully organic prosthetic device for subretinal implantation in RCS rats (Nat Mat 2017). This research demonstrated significant recovery of light sensitivity and visual acuity, accompanied by increased metabolic activity in the visual cortex.

Current Projects

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt is currently working on adapting surgical implant procedures for pig models to evaluate biocompatibility and visual function recovery (Front Bioeng Biotech 2020). He is also developing innovative “liquid” retinal prostheses to address age-related macular degeneration (Nat Nanotech 2020a, 2020b).

Future Directions

Dr. Maya-Vetencourt continues to advance the field of neuroscience by developing novel, biocompatible, and cost-effective solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, aiming to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients with degenerative blindness.

 

 

📝🔬Publications📝🔬

  • 1. Edoardo Porzano, Benedetta Borghi, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt. 2024.
    Environmental enrichment as an innovative therapeutic approach to treat neurodegenerative
    blindness (in preparation)
    2. Edoardo Porzano, Dominga Lapi, Benedetta Borghi, Silvia Marracci, Melecchi Alberto,
    Giovanni Casini, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt. 2024. Enriched environment
    enhances visual responses of the inner retina in early-stage retinitis pigmentosa (in
    preparation)
    3. Dmytro Shmal, Giulia Mantero, Thomas Floss, Fabio Benfenati, José Fernando MayaVetencourt. 2024. Restoring vision in adult amblyopia by enhancing plasticity through
    deletion of the transcriptional repressor REST. iScience 27(4): 109507. IF 5.8
    4. Ilaria Piano, Arianna Votta, Patrizia Colucci, Francesca Corsi, Sara Vitolo, Chiara Cerri, Dario
    Puppi, Michele Lai, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Massimiliano Leigheb, Chiara
    Gabellini, Elisabetta Ferraro. 2023. Anti-inflammatory reprogramming of microglia cells by
    metabolic modulators to counteract neurodegeneration: a new role for Ranolazine. Scientific
    Reports 13: 20138. IF 5.13
    5. Simona Francia, Stefano Di Marco, Mattia Lorenzo DiFrancesco, Davide Ferrari, Dmytro
    Shmal, Alessio Cavalli, Grazia Pertile, Marcella Attanasio, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Giovanni Manfredi, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati, Elisabetta Colombo.
    2023. P3HT-Graphene device for the restoration of visual properties in a model of retinitis
    pigmentosa. Advanced Materials Technologies 8: 2201467. IF 8.86
    6. Domenico Ventrella*, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt*, Alberto Elmi, Francesca Barone,
    Camilla Aniballi, Luisa Vera Muscatello, Maurizio Mete, Grazia Pertile, Fabio Benfenati, Maria
    Laura Bacci. 2022. The p-ERG spatial acuity in the biomedical pig under physiological
    conditions. Scientific Reports 12: 15479. IF 5.13
    7. Simona Francia, Dmytro Shmal, Stefano Di Marco, Greta Chiaravalli, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Giulia Mantero, Caterina Michetti, Sara Cupini, Giovanni Manfredi, Mattia
    Lorenzo DiFrancesco, Anna Rocchi, Sara Perotto, Marcella Attanasio, Riccardo Sacco, Silvia
    Bisti, Maurizio Mete, Grazia Pertile, Guglielmo Lanzani, Elisabetta Colombo, Fabio Benfenati.
    2022. Light induced charge generation in polymeric nanoparticles restores vision in
    advanced-stage retinitis pigmentosa rats. Nature Communications 13: 3677. IF 17.69
    8. Miguel Skirzewski, Stéphane Molotchnikoff, Luis F Hernandez, José Fernando MayaVetencourt. 2022. Multisensory integration: is medial prefrontal cortex signaling relevant for
    the treatment of higher-order visual dysfunctions? Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
    14: 806376. IF 5.63
    9. Stefano di Marco, Mattia Di Francesco, Elisabetta Colombo, Giovanni Manfredi, José
    Fernando Maya- Vetencourt, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Modulation of
    neuronal firing: what role can nanotechnology play? Nanomedicine 8: 579141. IF 4.7
    10. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Stefano Di Marco, Maurizio Mete, Mattia Di Paolo,
    Francesca Barone, Domenico Ventrella, Giovanni Manfredi, Silvia Bisti, Guglielmo Lanzani,
    Grazia Pertile, Maria Laura Bacci, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Biocompatibility of a polymeric
    subretinal prosthesis in the domestic pig. Frontiers in Bioengineering and
    Biotechnology 8: 1188. IF 6.06
    11. José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Giovanni Manfredi, Maurizio Mete, Elisabetta Colombo,
    Mattia Bramini, Mattia DiFrancesco, Dmytro Shmal, Cyril Eleftheriou, Francesca Di Maria,
    Vanessa Cossu, Laura Emionite, Flavia Ticconi, Cecilia Marini, Gianmario Sambuceti, Grazia
    Pertile, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Subretinal semiconducting polymer
    nanoparticles fully rescue vision in a rat model of retinal dystrophy. Nature
    Nanotechnology 15: 698. IF 40.5
    12. DiFrancesco Mattia, Elisabetta Colombo, Ermanno Papaleo, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Giovanni Manfredi, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. A hybrid P3HTGraphene interface for efficient photostimulation of neurons. Carbon 162: 308. IF 11.3
    13. Francesca Barone, Luisa Vera Muscatello, Domenico Ventrella, Alberto Elmi, Noemi
    Romagnoli, Luciana Mandrioli, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Cristiano Bombardi,
    Maurizio Mete, Giuseppe Sarli, Fabio Benfenati, Grazia Pertile, Maria Laura Bacci. 2020. The
    porcine iodoacetic acid model of retinal degeneration: morpho-functional characterization of
    the visual system. Experimental Eye Research 193 107979. IF 3.77
    14. Mattia DiFrancesco, Francesco Lodola, Elisabetta Colombo, Luca Maragliano, Giuseppe M.
    Paternò, Mattia Bramini, Simone Cimò, Letizia Collela, Daniele Fazzi, José Fernando MayaVetencourt, Chiara Bertarelli, Guglielmo Lanzani, Fabio Benfenati. 2020. Neuronal firing
    modulation by a membrane-targeted photoswitch. Nature Nanotechnology 15(4): 296. IF
    40.5
    15. Stéphane Molotchnikoff, Vishal Bharmauria, Nayan Chanauria, Lyes Bachatene, José
    Fernando Maya- Vetencourt. 2019. The function of connectomes in encoding sensory
    stimuli. Progress in Neurobiology 101659. IF 14.16
    16. Luisa Vera Muscatello, Francesca Barone, Domenico Ventrella, Alberto Elmi, Luciana
    Mandrioli, Noemi Romagnoli, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Cristiano Bombardi,
    Maurizio Mete, Giuseppe Sarli, Fabio Benfenati, Grazia Pertile, Maria Laura Bacci. 2019.
    Retinal features in iodoacetic-treated biomedical pigs as a model for photoreceptor disorders.
    Journal of Comparative Pathology 166: 103. IF N.A.
    17. Francesca Barone, Eleonora Nannoni, Alberto Elmi, Domenico Ventrella, Marika Vitali,
    Giovanna Martelli, José Fernando Maya-Vetencourt, Fabio Benfenati, Maria Laura Bacci.
    2018. Behavioral assessment of vision in pigs. Journal of the American Association for
    Laboratory Animal Science 57(4): 350. IF 1.34

Liwei Deng- Autonomous Driving- Best Researcher Award

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Liwei Deng- Autonomous Driving-Best Researcher Award

Prof. Liwei Deng distinguished academic and researcher in the field Autonomous Driving. 

🌐 Professional Profile

Educations📚📚📚

He holds a Ph.D. in Control Science and Engineering from the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, which he earned in 2014. His dissertation focused on “Control Theory and Its Applications of Fractional Order Sliding Mode” under the supervision of Professor Shenmin Song. Prior to this, he completed a Master of Science in Control Theory and Control Engineering at Harbin University of Science and Technology in 2010, where his thesis was titled “Pressure Data Acquisition and Control System Based on ARM,” supervised by Professor Junshan Gao. He began his academic journey with a Bachelor of Engineering in Automation from Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China, graduating in 2007.

 Experience:

He began his academic career as a Lecturer in the School of Automation at Harbin University of Science and Technology, serving from October 2014 to August 2018. Following this, he was promoted to Associate Professor within the same school, a role he held from August 2018 to August 2023. In September 2023, he was further promoted to the position of Professor at the School of Automation. Additionally, since May 2023, he has been serving as a Doctoral Supervisor in the School of Computer Science and Technology at Harbin University of Science and Technology.

Projects 

He has been actively involved in various research projects over the years. From 2021 to 2024, he led the Key R&D Program Guidance Projects of Heilongjiang Province (Grant No. GZ20210065), focusing on the development of intelligent winding equipment for hydrogen cylinders based on robots. As the Principal Investigator for the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (Grant No. 61806060) from 2019 to 2021, he researched diabetic retinal image analysis algorithms using fractional order differential and deep learning. During the same period, he also served as Principal Investigator for a project funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, China, which focused on the key technology of defect detection of wind turbine blades based on images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles. From 2017 to 2020, he was the Principal Investigator for the Harbin Program of Science and Technology (Grant No. 2017RAQXJ006), which aimed to develop key technologies for the automatic production line for rubber bridge bearing members. Additionally, he played significant roles in several other projects, including being a Principal Participant in the National Natural Science Foundation of China project (Grant No. 61174037) on distributed motion autonomous coordination control of on-orbit multi-spacecraft expectation mode (2011-2015), a Participant in the State Key Program of National Natural Science of China (Grant No. 61333003) on coordination control technology for networked satellite clusters (2012-2016), and a Principal Participant in a project funded by the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, China (Grant No. F030101) on the dynamic morphology of hyperchaotic attractors (2013-2016).

📝🔬Publications📝🔬

    • Deng, L., Zou, Y., Yang, X. et al. L2NLF: a novel linear-to-nonlinear framework for multi-modal medical image registration[J]. Biomed. Eng. Lett.(2024).（WOS:001139763600001）
    • Deng, L., Lan, Q., Zhi, Q. et al. Deep learning-based 3D brain multimodal medical image registration[J]. Med Biol EngComput .2024,62: 505–（WOS:001098686900001）
    • Biao Zhang, Sheng Wang, Liwei Deng, et al.Ship motion attitude prediction model based on IWOA-TCN-Attention[J].Ocean Engineering,2023,272:113911
    • Liwei Deng, Henan Sun, Jing Wang, et al.A Novel Unsupervised MRI Synthetic CT Image Generation Framework with Registration Network[J].CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua,2023,77(2):2271–（WOS:0011269599000 24）
    • Liwei Deng, Zhen Liu,Jiandong Wang et al.ATT-YOLOv5-Ghost: Water surface object detection in complex scenes[J].Journal of Real-Time Image Processing,2023,20:97.（WOS:001050358900001）
    • LiweiDeng,ShanshanLiu,WeiShi,et al.Defect Detection and Classification of Offshore Wind Turbine Rotor Blades[J].Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation,2023.（WOS:001025791800001）
    • Yuheng Yin, Yangang Guo, Liwei Deng, et al.Improved Pspnet-Based Water Shoreline Detection in Complex Inland River Scenarios[J]. Complex & Intelligent Systems, 2022,9(1): 233-245.（WOS:000816995100001）
    • Liwei Deng, Yue Wang, Qi Lan,etal.Remote sensing image building change detection based on efficient-UNet++[J].Journal of Applied Remote Sensing,2023,17(3):034501.（WOS:00177860300006）
    • Liwei Deng, He Cao,QingboDong,etal.Semi-Supervised Lane Detection for Continuous Traffic Scenes[J].Traffic Injury Prevention.2023,24(6):452-457.（WOS:001008469300001）
    • Liwei Deng, Yanchao Zou, SijuanHuang,et al. Deformable 3D Medical Image Registration with ConvolutionalNeural Network and Transformer[J].Journal of Instrumentation.2023,(18):P04029（WOS:000986658100 001）
    • Rui Zhang, Cong Xie, Liwei Deng. A Fine-Grained Object Detection Model for Aerial Images Based on Yolov5 Deep Neural Network[J]. Chinese Journal of Electronics, 2023, 32(1): 51-63.（WOS:000932261100001）
    • Liwei Deng, Yufei Ji, Sijuan Huang, et al.Synthetic CT generation from CBCT using Double-Chain-CycleGAN[J].Computers in Biology and Medicine.2023,106889.（WOS:001006917800001）
    • Liwei Deng, JiandongWang, Zhen Liu. Cascaded Network Based on EfficientNet and Transformer for Deepfake Video Detection[J].Neural Processing Letters.2023.（WOS:000961765200002）
    • Liwei Deng, QiangZhi, Sijuan Huang, et al. A Deformable Patch-based Transformer for 3D Medical Image Registration[J].International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery.2023.（WOS:000990481800001）
    • Liwei Deng, Yuanzhi Zhang, Xin Yang, et al. Meta-learning Multi-scale Radiology Medical Image Superresolution[J].CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua.2023,75(2) :2671-2684.（WOS:000980836000018）
    • Liwei Deng, Yuanzhi Zhang, Jing Wang, et al. Improving Performance of Medical Image Alignment through Super-resolution[J].Biomedical Engineering Letters.2023.（WOS:000934806000001）
    • LiweiDeng ,Mingxing Zhang , JingWang, et al.Improving Cone-Beam Ct Quality Using a Cycle-Residual Connection with a Dilated Convolution-Consistent Generative Adversarial Network[J]. Physics in Medicine & Biology, 2022,67(14): 145010.（WOS:000822102200001）
    • Liwei Deng, Jie Hu, Jing Wang, et al.Synthetic CT Generation Based on CBCT Using Respath-cycleGAN[J]. Medical Physics, 2022,49(8): 5317-5329.（WOS:000792418600001）
    • Zhe Yan, Shuchun Chu, Liwei Deng. Visual SLAM Based on Instance Segmentation in Dynamic Scenes[J]. Measurement Science and Technology.2021,32(9):095113.（WOS:000662668300001）

    Conference Papers

    • Liwei Deng*, Yuanzhi Zhang, Xiaofei Wang. High-definition Processing of Remote Sensing Images Based on CUT-CycleGAN[C], The 40th Chinese Control Conference, CCC 2021.( EI：20214311045982).
    • Liwei Deng*, YueWang, Jing Han. Optical Disc Location Based on Similarity toImproved Harris Algorithm[C], The 40th Chinese Control Conference, CCC 2021.( EI：20214311046402).
    • Liwei Deng*, Hongfei Suo, Haonan Ren. Research on Tension Control System of Winding Machine Based on Fuzzy PID Algorithm[C], The 40th Chinese Control Conference, CCC 2021.( EI：20214311045650).
    • Yuheng Yin, Yangang Guo, Liwei Deng*. Research on Image Processing Application of Improved Adaptive Filter Based on LPSO Algorithm[C], The 40th Chinese Control Conference, CCC 2021.( EI：20214311045948).
    • Yanshu Jiang, Mingqi Jia, Biao Zhang, Liwei Deng. Malicious Domain Name Detection Model Based on CNN-GRU-Attention[C], The 33rd Chinese Control and Decision Conference, CCDC 2021.
    • Liwei Deng, Xiaofei Wang.A New Fracture Image Segmentation Method Based on MSA-k Clustering Algorithm[C], The 39th Chinese Control Conference, CCC 2020.( EI：20203909242340).
    • Liwei Deng,Jie Hu,Jingjing Qi. Super-Resolution Reconstruction of Finger Vein Image Based on Regression Tree Model[C],The 32nd Chinese Control and Decision Conference, CCDC 2020.( EI：20204009254996).

Giorgia Modenini – Biological Networks – Young Scientist Award

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Giorgia Modenini – Biological Networks – Young Scientist Award

Dr. Giorgia Modenini distinguished academic and researcher in the field Biological Networks.

🌐 Professional Profile

Educations📚📚📚

She has been deeply engaged in academic pursuits since 2014,  commencing with her Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Bologna, Italy, where she attained a commendable grade of 106/110. This laid the foundation for her subsequent academic journey. Building upon her undergraduate studies, she pursued a Master of Science in Biodiversity and Evolution at the same institution, achieving the highest distinction of 110/110 cum laude, indicative of her exceptional aptitude and dedication. Undeterred by challenges, she continued to excel in her academic endeavors and embarked on a PhD course in Environment, Earth, and Life Sciences at the University of Bologna. Spanning from 2020 to the present, this doctoral program underscores her commitment to advancing knowledge and contributing to the fields of biological, geological, and environmental sciences. Throughout her academic trajectory, she has demonstrated a fervent passion for her chosen disciplines and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Awards

She has actively contributed to the academic community through various engagements and leadership roles in conferences focused on the role of transposable elements in human evolution and diseases. Notably, she organized and co-chaired the “Transposable Elements in Human Brain Evolution and Diseases” virtual conferences in December 2021 and December 2022, featuring esteemed speakers such as Marie Jönnson, Jose Luis Garcia-Perez, Fabio Macciardi, Cedric Feschotte, Johan Jakobsson, and Molly Gale Hammell. Her dedication to advancing knowledge in this field is further exemplified by her role as the organizer and co-chair of the “Transposable Elements in Human Evolution and Diseases” virtual conference in February 2024, featuring confirmed invited speakers Anna Sophie Fiston-Lavier and Marco Trizzino. Moreover, her outstanding contributions were recognized with the “Best Poster Award” at the XXV Congress of the Italian Anthropological Association, presented by the Italian Primatologists Association, for her poster titled “Exploring signatures of adaptive introgression on chromosome 22 in worldwide human populations,” a fitting tribute to the memory of Judith Masters and Fabien Génin. Through these endeavors, she continues to foster collaboration and facilitate discussions at the forefront of scientific research.

Academic experience

She has been actively involved in various academic activities spanning several years, showcasing her commitment to advancing knowledge in her field. From April to September 2019, she undertook an internship at the Molecular Anthropology Lab at the University of Bologna, Italy. Here, she delved into the intricate relationships between non-LTR retrotransposons and schizophrenia in both modern and ancient human populations. This experience provided her with invaluable insights into the intersection of genetics and mental health. Subsequently, in February to May 2023, she embarked on an international internship at the Globe Institute, Lundbeck Foundation, Copenhagen, Denmark. During this period abroad, she immersed herself in the project titled “Investigating human evolution through the lens of retrotransposons,” further expanding her understanding of evolutionary genetics. Currently, since November 2020, she has been engaged as a PhD student at the Molecular Anthropology Lab, University of Bologna, Italy. Her doctoral research focuses on studying retrotransposition events and DNA methylation in the evolution of the human brain, a testament to her continued dedication to unraveling the complexities of human evolution and genetics.

Seminars and thesis

She has been actively involved in supervising and supporting research projects and academic activities related to transposable elements and genetic variability. Under her guidance as a supervisor, Giacomo Mercuri presented his thesis titled “Polymorphic transposable element insertions provide new insights into North-Eastern Italian isolates’ genetic variability” for the LM Biodiversità ed Evoluzione program. Similarly, Stefano Puleo explored the signatures of adaptive introgression on chromosome 22 in worldwide human populations for his thesis under her supervision. Additionally, she has contributed to the academic community by delivering lessons on “Transposable Elements as drivers of genome evolution” and “Transposable Elements as drivers of evolution” for the course “Genetica di popolazione ed evoluzione molecolare,” showcasing her expertise in the field. Furthermore, she supervised Francesco Magni’s thesis, which focused on transposable elements variability in ancient and modern human samples, further enriching the understanding of genetic dynamics. Through these mentorship roles and academic contributions, she continues to advance knowledge and foster intellectual growth in the field of biodiversity and evolution.

📝🔬Publications📝

 

 

 

Adugna Abera – Biological Networks – Best Researcher Award

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Adugna Abera – Biological Networks – Best Researcher Award

Mr. Adugna Abera distinguished academic and researcher in the field Biological Networks. He has held several key positions in public health research and coordination. From August 2021 to July 2022, he served as the National COVID-19 Epidemiological Surveillance and Laboratory Coordinator at the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Concurrently, since 2019, he has been pursuing his Ph.D. at Addis Ababa University, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, in the Department of Cellular, Microbial, and Molecular Technology, focusing on the Applied Genetics stream.

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

He completed his educational journey at Addis Ababa University, where he first earned a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology in July 2005. He then continued his studies at the same university and obtained a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology in June 2009. Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Applied Genetics at Addis Ababa University, having started in September 2019 and expected to complete his doctorate in the near future.

Research Experience

He has extensive experience in research laboratory techniques, particularly in the study of Visceral Leishmaniasis and related assays. His expertise includes conducting FACS-based whole blood assays such as reactive oxygen burst assays, phagocytosis assays, and leukocytes surface activation markers assays. Additionally, he is skilled in whole blood stimulation for ELISA-based cytokine/chemokine assays and the isolation and subtyping of human monocyte-derived macrophages. He has also cultivated and handled both wild strain and gene reporter Leishmania parasites. His proficiency extends to a wide range of molecular techniques, including DNA extraction from various clinical samples, conventional PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), Sanger capillary electrophoresis sequencing, whole genome sequencing using both Illumina and Oxford Nanopore platforms, PET-PCR, nested and quantitative PCR (qPCR), PCR-RFLP, and real-time PCR.

Experience

Prior to his role in COVID-19 coordination, he was the team leader of the Malaria and NTDs research team at EPHI from September 2017 until 2020 and continues to work as a researcher in the same team to date. Additionally, from 2017 to 2019, he coordinated the Malaria Elimination Baseline Assessment in elimination-targeted districts in Ethiopia. His earlier career included working as a Research Assistant on the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases research team at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute in Addis Ababa from March 2010 to April 2016. He also served as an instructor at Bethel Medical College in Addis Ababa from September 2009 to January 2010.

Award

He has been recognized with several prestigious awards and fellowships. In November 2023, he received a fellowship to participate in a hands-on Genomics and Bioinformatics training workshop at Stellenbosch University, which took place from the 13th to the 24th. Earlier, he was selected for the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT), which was supported by WHO/TDR and held at the University of Gonder from September 24 to October 6, 2018. These opportunities have enhanced his skills and expanded his expertise in his field.

📝🔬Publications📝🔬
  1. G/meskel W., Desta K., Diriba R., Belachew M., Evans M., Cantarelli V., Urrego M, Sisay A., Gebreegziabxier A., Abera A. SARS-CoV-2 variant typing using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction–based assays in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. IJID Regions. 2024; 11(2024): 100363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijregi.2024.100363.
  2. Gebregziabher SM., Yalew AW., Sime H., Abera A. Molecular detection of waterborne pathogens in infants’ drinking water and theirrelationship with water quality determinants in eastern Ethiopia: loop-mediatedisothermal amplification (LAMP)-based study. Journal of Water & Health. 2024; 22(1): 1. doi: 10.2166/wh.2023.201.
  3. Abera, A., Mamecha, T., Abose, E., Bokicho, B., Ashole, A., Bishaw, T., Mariyo, A., Bogale, B., Terefe, H., Tadesse, H., Belachew, M., Difabachew, H., Eukubay, A., Kinde, S., Ali, A., Regasa, F., Seife, F., Kebede, Z., Wossen, M., Tollera, G., … Tasew, G. Reemergence of Human African Trypanosomiasis Caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Ethiopia. Emerging infectious diseases. 2024; 30(1): 125–128. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3001.231319.
  4. Zeleke MT, Gelaye KA, Abera A, Teshome MB, Guma GT, Abate BT, et al. (2023) Diagnostic performance of PfHRP2/pLDH malaria rapid diagnostic tests in elimination setting, northwest Ethiopia. PLOS Glob Public Health 3(7): e0001879. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001879.
  5. Tameru K, Tsegaye B, Shikur M, Ergete W, Tasew G, Abera A, and Wolday D. Case Report: Disseminated Strongloidesstercoralis Presenting as an Ulcerated Gastric Mass in an HIV-1-Infected Patient. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 106(6), 2022, pp. 1675–1677. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.21-0791.
  6. Sisay A, Abera A, Dufera B, Endrias T, Tasew G, Tesfaye A, et al. (2022) Diagnostic accuracy of three commercially available one step RT-PCR assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in resource-limited settings. PLoS ONE 17(1): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262178.
  7. Belachew, M., Wolde, M., Nega, D. Gidey B, Negash L, Assefa A, Tasew G, Woyessa A, Abera A.Evaluating performance of multiplex real time PCR for the diagnosis of malaria at elimination targeted low transmission settings of Ethiopia. Malar J 21, 9 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-021-04029-x.
  8. Nega, Abera A, Gidey B et al. Baseline malaria prevalence at the targeted pre-elimination districts in Ethiopia. BMC Public Health (2021) 21:1996. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12036-5.
  9. Abera A, Belay H, Zewude A et al. Establishment of COVID-19 testing laboratory in resource-limited settings: challenges and prospects reported from Ethiopia. Global Health Action. 2020; 13(1841963):1-7.
  10. Gidey B, Nega D, Abera Aet al. Mentorship on malaria microscopy diagnostic service in Ethiopia: baseline competency of microscopists and performance of health facilities. Malaria Journal. 2021; 20(1).
  11. Tasew G, Gadisa E, Abera A et al. Whole blood-based in vitro culture reveals diminished secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in visceral leishmaniasis. Cytokine. 2020; 155246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2020.155246.
  12. Abib Berhanu, Adugna Abera, Desalegn Nega, SindewMekasha, Surafel Fentaw, Abebe Assefa, Gashaw Gebrewolde, Yonas Wuletaw, Ashenafi Assefa, Sisay Dugassa, Habte Tekie1 and Geremew Tasew. Isolation and identification of microflora from the midgut and salivary glands of Anopheles species in malaria endemic areas of Ethiopia. BMC Microbiology. 2019; 19:85.

Thomas Liehr – Biological Networks Award – Best Researcher Award

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Thomas Liehr – Biological Networks Award – Best Researcher Award

Assoc Prof Dr. Thomas Liehr distinguished academic and researcher in the field Biological Networks. The Lab of Molecular Cytogenetics at the Institut für Humangenetik in Jena pursues various research lines, all linked by a common interest in chromosome structure and evolution. His primary focus lies within the realm of clinical genetic research, specifically in characterizing acquired and inherited chromosomal aberrations to comprehend the underlying biological mechanisms behind such deviations from the norm. Ongoing projects delve into topics such as small supernumerary marker chromosomes, chromosomal heteromorphisms, uniparental disomy, chromosomal breakpoints, and multicolor-FISH techniques. In the field of leukemia research, he contributes to identifying cryptic chromosomal aberrations associated with the disease. Additionally, the lab investigates chromosomal evolution through collaborations with other research groups studying diverse species such as fish (in Brazil), turtles (in Italy), and rodents (in Russia). In addition to employing multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization techniques, he utilizes methods like immunohistochemistry, microsatellite analysis, array-CGH, and next-generation sequencing to further his research objectives

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

He holds various academic positions across different institutions and countries, showcasing his expertise and contributions to the field of medicine and biology. Since November 7, 2016, he has served as a Visiting Professor of Medicine at the University of Belgrade School of Medicine in Belgrade, RS. Furthermore, he has been awarded an honorary Doctorate in Biology (Dr. h.c.) from Yerevan State University in Armenia, a recognition he has held since June 25, 2014. Concurrently, he holds the position of Invited Professor of Biology at Yerevan State University since May 1, 2013, further emphasizing his international engagement in academia. In addition to his roles in teaching and research, he obtained European registered Clinical Laboratory Geneticists (ErCLG) certification in Human Genetics from Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena in Thüringen, Germany, a qualification he held from January 1, 2009, until April 1, 2015. Through these positions and qualifications, he contributes significantly to the advancement of knowledge and education in the fields of medicine and biology.

Work experiences

He has had a distinguished career trajectory marked by significant contributions to the field of human genetics. Beginning as a scientific coworker at the Institute of Human Genetics Erlangen under the guidance of Prof. Dr. E. Gebhart from 1991 to 1998, he embarked on a path of research and academic engagement. During his tenure, he was honored as a Fellow of the Herbert Quandt Stiftung der VARTA-AG from 1995 to 1997, further solidifying his commitment to advancing genetic knowledge. Since 1998, he has continued his research as a scientific coworker at the Institute of Human Genetics Jena, focusing on Molecular Cytogenetics. Notably, he has held the role of Coordinator of the Permanent Working Group Marker Chromosomes of the European Cytogenetic Association (ECA) since 2007, demonstrating his leadership in the field. Additionally, he served as Co-Editor of the journal Molecular Cytogenetics from 2007 to 2022, contributing to scholarly discourse and dissemination of research findings. Since September 2010, he has led the national quality control efforts for molecular cytogenetics as the head of the national quality control for molecular cytogenetics under the BVDH. His international engagements include serving as a member of the DAAD-review board in Brazil from 2010 to 2017 and chairing the scientist division of the European Board of Medical Genetics (ESHG) since 2012. Moreover, he has been an Invited Professor at Yerevan State University, Armenia, since May 2013, and was honored with a Doctorate h.c. and golden medal from the same institution in September 2014, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the field. He achieved European registered Clinical Laboratory Geneticist (ErCLG) certification in July 2015, further affirming his expertise and qualifications in the field of genetics. Additionally, he has served on the Advisory Board of the Armenian Association of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Immunology since 2012, further demonstrating his commitment to international collaboration and advancement in genetics research and education.

📝🔬Publications📝🔬

 

Ali Vaezi- Network Science Awards- Best Researcher Award

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Ali Vaezi- Network Science Award – Best Researcher Award

Mr. Ali Vaezi distinguished academic and researcher in the field  Network Science. He is an experienced data analyst at Parva Co. in Tehran, Iran, where he has been driving operational excellence and optimizing supply chains for automotive parts suppliers since October 2019. His responsibilities include utilizing data analysis, implementing process improvements, and fostering cross-functional collaboration. Notably, he has developed data models and dashboards to deliver valuable insights to leadership, leading to a 10% reduction in inventory management costs.

In addition to his professional role, he has served as a teaching assistant at Science & Research University from 2020 to 2023, supporting courses such as Computer Programming, Operational Research 2, Quality and Productivity Management, Decision-Making Analysis, and Systems Analysis. In this capacity, he provided individual tutoring to over 250 students and assisted professors with exam preparation, grading, and facilitating review sessions.

Furthermore, he is an active volunteer member of the Iran Project Management Association since April 2023. In this role, he contributes to the advancement of project management practices through professional development, training, research, and knowledge sharing. He actively participates in association programs aimed at promoting certification, events, and seminars within the field.

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

He pursued his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering at Islamic Azad University, Science & Research Branch in Tehran, Iran, from September 2019 to July 2023. During his undergraduate studies, he demonstrated strong academic performance, maintaining a GPA ranging from 3.69/4 to 3.75/4 in his last two years. His coursework included a variety of essential subjects such as Operational Research (1,2), Computer Programming, Probability Theory and its Application, Engineering Statistics, Production Planning, and Principles of Simulation.

Prior to his university education, he completed his Pre-University Diploma in Mathematics and Physics at Allameh Tabatabaei High School in Tehran, Iran, from September 2018 to May 2019. He achieved an outstanding GPA of 18.91/20 during this period, laying a solid foundation for his academic journey in industrial engineering.

Research interests

His research interests encompass a diverse range of topics within the realm of data analytics, machine learning, statistical modeling, operations research, and data science integration. He is particularly drawn to scalable technologies and real-time processing in data analytics, seeking innovative solutions to handle large volumes of data efficiently. Within machine learning, his focus lies in classification, regression, clustering, and deep learning techniques, aiming to uncover patterns and insights from complex datasets.

In statistical modeling for optimization, he is intrigued by predictive modeling, time series analysis, and Bayesian methods, utilizing statistical techniques to enhance decision-making processes. Additionally, he explores the integration of operations research and data science, leveraging mixed-integer linear programming (MILP), metaheuristics, and addressing optimization challenges in real-world applications.

Moreover, he is passionate about interactive data visualization, emphasizing the creation of engaging visuals for effective data communication and decision support. Through his research pursuits, he endeavors to contribute to advancements in these interdisciplinary fields, bridging theory with practical applications to address contemporary challenges.

Honors and Awards:

Received top marks (grade point average above 17) for six semesters during bachelor’s degree at Azad
University
– Recognized as an exceptional student (Elite Student status) based on high academic performance –
ranked in the top 5% of the program
– Secured first place in the idea competition held at Science & Research University, competing against
20 teams.

📝🔬Publications📝🔬

Syarifuddin – Network Science – Best Researcher Award

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Mr.  Syarifuddin distinguished academic and researcher in the field Network science.He has been actively engaged in research and academic roles at Hasanuddin University, Indonesia. Since 2022, he has served as a Junior Researcher at the Laboratory of Materials and Energy Physics, where he contributes to various research projects. Additionally, he has been part of the Publication Management Center since 2022, where he collaborates with teams to oversee publication-related activities. Prior to these roles, from 2020 to 2022, he gained experience as a Research Assistant at the Laboratory of Materials and Energy Physics, further solidifying his expertise in the field.

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

Since 2018, he has been pursuing his undergraduate studies at Hasanuddin University, focusing on Materials Physics within the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Currently, he is a graduate student at the same university, specializing in Biocomposite Nanomaterials under the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, a path he embarked on in 2023.

He was the recipient of the Bidikmisi scholarship, an Indonesian government education assistance program, from 2018 to 2021 while studying at Hasanuddin University. This scholarship provided him with financial support to pursue his undergraduate studies, highlighting his academic achievements and dedication to his education

WORK EXPERIENCE 🧬🔗

He possesses a diverse range of scientific expertise spanning various areas. His scientific interests revolve around Nonlinear Material Structure and Dynamics, encompassing bifurcation analysis, nonlinear waves, and nanomaterial dynamics in biocomposites. Additionally, he excels in Synthesis and Characterization, adept in synthesis methods and material characterization techniques. Furthermore, he demonstrates proficiency in exploring Technology Applications such as environmentally friendly materials, nanomaterial-based drug delivery platforms, and nanoscale electronic devices. His skills extend to Research Trend Analysis and research network mapping, facilitating visualization of research networks and trends. With language proficiency in both Indonesian (native) and English (intermediate), he effectively communicates his findings. In terms of technical expertise, he is well-versed in PC Operation System with Microsoft Windows, programming languages including MatLab and Rstudio, and various office suites/publishing tools like Microsoft Office and LaTeX. Moreover, he exhibits proficiency in graphics software such as Tableau, Citespace, VosViewer, CorelDraw, Origin Pro, ImageJ, and HighScore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fatma Sule Bilgic- Graph abstract – Graph Analytics Research Excellence Award

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Dr.  Fatma Sule Bilgic  distinguished academic and researcher in the field Graph Abstract. She has taken on various administrative roles, serving as the Quality and Accreditation Department Commission Representative and as a member of the Zero Waste Commission. Proficient in English with good reading comprehension, moderate speaking, and writing skills, she scored 60 in the KPDS/ÜDS exam. In terms of her academic achievements, she holds a Master’s thesis on the examination of the effect of the mother’s nutritional status on the content of breast milk’s macronutrients, supervised by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gülçin Bozkurt and Prof. Dr. Asuman Çoban. Her doctoral thesis, supervised by Prof. Dr. Gülçin Bozkurt, focuses on the impact of web-based infant care education based on Meleis’ Transition Theory on maternal self-confidence and newborn health. With a Google Scholar citation count of 63 and an h-index of 3, and a Web of Science citation count of 25 and an h-index of 2, her research has made a notable impact. She has also contributed to national journals with publications such as an article evaluating the emotional and mental impact of midwifery students’ experiences in the delivery room, and another discussing the dimension of male contraception in reproductive health.

 

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

The individual completed their education journey, culminating in a Doctorate from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Graduate School of Education, Department of Midwifery, in 2023, following a Master’s degree in Midwifery from the same institution in 2020, and a Bachelor’s degree in Midwifery from Haliç University in 2014. Prior to their academic pursuits, they attended Bakırköy 70th Year Health Vocational High School for their secondary education, graduating in 2006. Their professional experience includes roles as a Lecturer at Haliç University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, starting in 2020, and as a Research Assistant at Haliç University School of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, from 2014 to 2020. Before their academic career, they worked as a Nurse-Midwife at Haseki Training and Research Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from 2011 to 2014, and as a Nurse at Dağkapı Children’s Diseases Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from 2010 to 2011.

 

Research 

She, along with her colleagues, has been actively involved in conducting various research studies on topics related to reproductive health and sexuality. Some of her recent publications include studies on the impact of COVID-19 on family planning and sexuality, attitudes and beliefs regarding sexuality during pregnancy, breastfeeding success after cesarean delivery, the effect of yoga on sexual function and body image in pregnant women, and nonpharmacological interventions for infantile colic. Additionally, she has contributed to understanding gender perception and dating violence attitudes among women students of health sciences. Her research also extends to investigating the severity and impact of symptoms in women with urinary incontinence. Moreover, she has co-authored a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of telehealth on incontinence severity in women. Furthermore, she has contributed a chapter on postpartum contraception in the international book “Postpartum Period,” edited by Yılmaz T. She continues to make significant contributions to the field of reproductive health through her research endeavors.

 Publication📚✨📚✨

 

 

Changwei Wu – Network Properties- Best Researcher Award

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Changwei  Wu – Network Properties

Prof.  Changwei W.Wu distinguished academic and researcher in the field Network Properties.  Changwei W. Wu, a Professor at the Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness at Taipei Medical University – Shuang-Ho campus in New Taipei, Taiwan, is also affiliated with the Research Center of Sleep Medicine at Taipei Medical University Hospital. He specializes in Mindfulness-based Interventions (MBI) and conducts research on simultaneous EEG-fMRI for sleep neuroimaging. Additionally, he is proficient in medical image and signal processing.

 

🌐 Professional Profiles

Educations📚📚📚

He  holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, awarded in January 2009. His doctoral dissertation, titled “Biophysical Investigations and Developments of Novel Functional MRI Techniques,” was supervised by Jyh-Horng Chen, Ph.D., and Ho-Ling Liu, Ph.D. During his doctoral studies, he also served as a Predoctoral Visiting Fellow at the Neuroimaging Branch of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIDA/NIH), in Baltimore, MD, from March 2006 to April 2008, under the supervision of Dr. Yihong Yang. Dr. Wu obtained his B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, in June 2001.

 

Academic Positions:

Dr. Changwei W. Wu has held various academic positions, demonstrating a strong commitment to research and teaching in the field of neuroscience and related disciplines:

  • Professor, Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (Feb 2021 – Present)
  • Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (Aug 2019 – Jan 2021)
  • Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (Aug 2016 – Jul 2019)
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Sep 2016 – Jul 2019)
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Aug 2015 – Jul 2016)
  • Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Aug 2015 – Jul 2016)
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, Brain and Consciousness Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan (Sep 2014 – Jul 2016)
  • Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Aug 2011 – Jul 2015)
  • Postdoc Research Fellow, Neuroimaging Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health (NIDA/NIH), Baltimore, MD, where he conducted research on spectral analyses of functional connectivity in cocaine users using simultaneous EEG/fMRI recordings.

Honors & Awards

Dr. Changwei W. Wu has garnered several esteemed awards and accolades in recognition of his outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and academic excellence. Notably, he received the Outstanding Teaching Award from the Center of General Education at Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, in 2023. In 2020, he was honored with the JMBE Annual Excellent Paper Award by the Taiwanese Society of Biomedical Engineering, as well as the College Student Research Creativity Award from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Taiwan. Additionally, he was recognized with the Outstanding Teaching Award from the College of Humanities and Social Science at Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, and received the Award of Research Program Projects Grant from Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, all in the same year. These accolades underscore Dr. Wu’s dedication to advancing education, fostering innovative research, and contributing significantly to his field.

Publication
1. Yi-Chia Kung, Chia-Wei Li, Ai-Ling Hsu*, Chi-Yun Liu, Changwei W. Wu*, WeiChou Chang, Ching-Po Lin*. Neurovascular Coupling in Resting State and EyeOpen-Eye-Close Task: Spectral Correspondence between Concurrent EEG and fMRI. Neuroimage (In press).
2. Hong-Yi Wu, Chih-Mao Huang, Ai-Ling Hsu, Chiao-Nan Chen, Changwei W. Wu*,
Jyh-Horng Chen*. Functional Neuroplasticity of Facilitation and Interference
Effects on Inhibitory Control Following 3-month Physical Exercise in Aging.
Scientific Reports (In press).
3. Timothy J. Lane, Tsan-Hon Liou, Yi-Chia Kung, Philip Tseng*, Changwei W. Wu*.
Functional Blindsight and Its Diagnosis. Frontiers in Neurology 2024; 15:
1207115. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1207115
4. Zhitong John Wang, Hsin-Chien Lee, Chun-Hsiang Chuang, Fan-Chi Hsiao, ShwuHua Lee, Ai-Ling Hsu*, Changwei W. Wu*. Traces of EEG-fMRI Coupling Reveals
Neurovascular Dynamics on Sleep Inertia. Scientific Reports 2024; 14: 1537.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51694-4
5. Yi-Tien Li, Duen-Pang Kuo, Philip Tseng, Yung-Chieh Chen, Sho-Jen Cheng,
Changwei W. Wu, Li-Chun Hsieh, Yung-Hsiao Chiang, Hsiao-Wen Chung,
Yvonne W. Lui, Cheng-Yu Chen*. Thalamocortical Coherence Predicts Persistent
Postconcussive Symptoms. Progress in Neurobiology. 2023; 226: 102464. doi:
10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102464
6. Ai-Ling Hsu, Ming-Kang Li, Yi-Chia Kung, John Wang, Hsin-Chien Lee, Chia-Wei
Li, Chi-Wen Huang* and Changwei W. Wu*. Temporal Consistency of
Neurovascular Components on Awakening: Preliminary Evidence from
electroencephalography, cerebrovascular reactivity, and functional magnetic
resonance imaging. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2023; 14: 1058721. doi:
10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1058721
7. Shiao-Fei Guu, Yi-Ping Chao, Feng-Ying Huang, Yu-Ting Jeng, Hei-Yin Hydra Ng,
Chia-Fen Hsu, Chun-Hsiang Chuang, Chih-Mao Huang*, Changwei W. Wu*.
Interoceptive Awareness: MBSR Training Alters Information Processing of
Salience Network. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2023; 17:1008086.
doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1008086
8. Shaoyu Yen, Hong-Yi Wu, Yuhling Wang, Chih-Mao Huang, Changwei W. Wu,
Jyh-Horng Chen, and Lun-De Liao*. Revisiting the Effects of Exercise on Cerebral
Neurovascular Functions in Rats using Multimodal Assessment Techniques.
iScience 2023; 26(4): 106354. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106354
9. Hei-Yin Hydra Ng; Changwei W. Wu; Feng-Ying Huang; Chih-Mao Huang; ChiaFen Hsu; Yi-Ping Chao*; Tzyy-Ping Jung; Chun-Hsiang Chuang*. Enhanced
Electroencephalography Effective Connectivity in Frontal Low-Gamma Band
Correlates of Emotional Regulation after Mindfulness Training. Journal of
Neuroscience Research 2023; 101(6): 901-915. doi: 10.1002/jnr.25168
10. Deng-Fa Yang, Wen-Ching Huang, Changwei W. Wu, Yu-Chen S. H. Yang, YuTang Tung*. Acute sleep deprivation exacerbates systemic inflammation and
psychiatry disorders through gut microbiota dysbiosis and disruption of circadian
rhythms. Microbiological Research 2023; 268: 127292. doi:
10.1016/j.micres.2022.127292
11. Mengxia Gao, Nichol M.L. Wong, Chemin Lin, Chih-Mao Huang, Ho-Ling Liu,
Cheng-Hong Toh, Changwei Wu, Yun-Fang Tsai, Shwu-Hua Lee*, Tatia M.C.
Lee*. Multimodal Brain Connectome-based Prediction of Suicide Risk in People
with Late-life Depression. Nature Mental Health 2023; 1: 100–113. doi:
10.1038/s44220-022-00007-7
12. Pei-Ying Sarah Chan, Wen-Pin Chang, Chia-Hsiung Cheng, Liu Chia-Yih, Ai-Ling
Hsu*, Andreas von Leupoldt, Changwei Wu*. The Impact of Emotional Context
on Neural Substrates of Respiratory Sensory Gating. Frontiers in Neuroscience
2022; 16:1004271. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1004271
13. Yi-Chia Kung, Chia-Wei Li, Fan-Chi Hsiao, Pei-Jung Tsai, Shuo Chen, Ming-Kang
Li, Hsin-Chien Lee, Chun-Yen Chang, Changwei W. Wu*, Ching-Po Lin*. Crossscale Dynamicity of Entropy and Connectivity in the Sleeping Brain. Brain
Connectivity 2022; 12(9): 835-845. doi: 10.1089/brain.2021.0174
14. Hsuan-Chu Shih, Mu-En Kuo, Changwei W. Wu, Yi-Ping Chao, Hsu-Wen Huang,
Chih-Mao Huang*. The Neurobiological Basis of Love: A Meta-Analysis of Human
Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Maternal and Passionate Love. Brain
Sciences 2022; 12(7): 830. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12070830
15. Hang Wu, Zengxin Qi, Xuehai Wu, Jun Zhang, Changwei Wu, Zirui Huang, Di
Zang, Stuart Fogel, Sean Tanabe, Anthony G. Hudetz, Georg Northoff, Ying Mao*,

Sajal Halder – Network Science – Best Researcher Award

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Sajal Halder – Network Science

Dr. Sajal Halder distinguished academic and researcher in the field Network science. He is currently working as a Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University, Australia. He has completed PhD in Computer Science at RMIT University and he has been appointed as an Assistant Professor (on study leave) at Jagannath University, Bangladesh since August 2017. His research interests are Personalized Itinerary Recommendation Systems, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Periodic Behavior Mining in Large-Scale Graph, Trajectory Behavior Analysis and Real Life Big Data Analysis.

Eduvation

He completed his academic journey with a stellar record, culminating in a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the School of Computing Technologies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, with graduation in December 2022. His research focus during his doctoral studies was on the development of itinerary recommendation systems using deep learning methodologies. Under the guidance of A/Prof Jeffrey Chan and Prof. Xiuzhen Zhang, he contributed to the advancement of knowledge in this domain.

Prior to his doctoral pursuits, He earned a Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Kyung Hee University in South Korea, graduating with distinction in August 2013. His academic excellence is underscored by an impressive Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.23/4.30 (95.25%). His master’s thesis, conducted under the supervision of Prof. Young-Koo Lee, delved into the exploration of supergraph-based periodic behaviors mining in dynamic social networks.

Commencing his academic journey,  he achieved a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, with graduation in November 2010. Displaying academic prowess, he secured a CGPA of 3.60/4.00, securing the 5th position out of 59 students. His final undergraduate project, conducted under the guidance of Supervisor Ashis Kumar Biswas, focused on the classification of multiple protein sequences through the analysis of irredundant patterns.

In summary, his educational background reflects a trajectory marked by academic excellence and a commitment to cutting-edge research in the fields of computer science and engineering.

Professional Profiles:

EXPERIENCE

• We developed a metadata-based malicious and benign package detection model for the NPM repository.
• We introduced two sets of features, easy to manipulate (ETM) and difficult to manipulate (DTM),
where manipulating DTM depends on long-term planning and monotonic properties. Then, we verify
our feature selection effectiveness based on four well known machine learning and one deep learning
techniques.
• We also analyse algorithms’ performance using metadata manipulation and recommend better metadata adversarial attack-resistant algorithms.
• Experiment analysis shows that our proposed model reduces 97.56% False Positive and 80.35 % False
Negative number.
• Achievement 1: Sajal Halder et al. ”Malicious Package Detection using Metadata Information”, In
submission (A* Conference).
• Achievement 2: Sajal Halder et al. ”Install Time Malicious Package Detection on NPM Repository”,
In process.
Skills: Feature Engineering, Data Scraping, Open Source Software, Machine Learning Model, Deep Learning,
Python, Report/Article Writing, Data Visualization and Teamw

PhD Researcher, RMIT University Melbourne, Australia.

i. Project Title: Capacity aware Fair POI Recommendation using Users Satisfaction.
Innovation: Design a novel fair POI recommendation model considering POI capacity and users preferences.
Language and Tools: Python, Actor-critic network, GCN, Tensorflow, Neural Network, Graph Allocation and Optimization
Duration: July 2021 to date.
ii. Project Title: Deep reinforcement learning of dynamic POI generation and optimization for itinerary
recommendation
Innovation: Propose and implement deep actor-critic network based itinerary recommendation model
named DRLIR.
Language and Tools: Python, AWS, Actor-critic network, GCN, Tensorflow, Neural Network
Duration: January 2021 to June 2021.
iii. Project Title: POI Recommendation with Queuing Time and User Interest Awareness
Innovation: Improve users interest based multi-tasking based transformer architecture models (TLR U
and TLR-M UI) for best POI recommendation.
Language and Tools: Python, PyCharm, Jupyter, Tensorflow, Keras, Matplotlib, Transformer, Lucid
Chart, Overleaf
Duration: March 2020 to December 2020.
iv. Project Title: Transformer-based Multi-tasking for Queuing Time Aware Next POI Recommendation
Innovation: Design and implement multi-tasking based transformer architecture models (TLR and
TLR-M) for better POI recommendation.
Language and Tools: Python, PyCharm, Jupyter, Tensorflow, Keras, Matplotlib, Transformer, Lucid
Chart, Overleaf
Duration: August 2019 to February 2020.
v. Project Title: Efficient Itinerary Recommendation via Personalized POI Selection and Pruning
Innovation: Develop efficient personalized itinerary recommendation model (EffiTourRec).
Language and Tools: R-studio, Lucid Chart, Overleaf, MatLab.
Duration: August 2018 to July 2019.

Research/Project Member
i Research Group: VLSI Research Group, Department o f Computer Science and Engineering, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Supervisor: Professor Dr. Hafiz Md. Hasan Babu
Duration: July 2016 to June 2018.
ii Project Name: Establishment of Basic Campus Network in Jagannath University
Source of Fund: HEQEP, UGC, Government of Bangladesh.
Duration: January 2017 to July 2018.
iii Project Name: Establishment of Basic Campus Network on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Science & Technology University,
Source of Fund: HEQEP, UGC, Government of Bangladesh.
Duration: June 2015 to July 2016

Journal/ Conference Reviewers

• Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 7.8)
• Information Process and Management (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 7.47)
• Applied Soft Computing (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 8.7)
• Scientific Reports (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 4.6)
• IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 4.74)
• Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 4.2)
• IEEE Access (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF 3.367)
• Expert System with Applications, (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF 6.954)
• World Wide Web (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 3.00)
• Knowledge and Information Systems (Q1 Ranked Journal, IF: 2.82)
• Neural Processing Letters (IF: 3.1)

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

1. Sajal Halder, Kwan Hui Lim, Jeffrey Chan, and Xiuzhen Zhang.A Survey on Personalized Itinerary
Recommendation: From Optimisation to Deep Learning. In Applied Soft Computing Journal, 111200,
2023, Q1 Ranked Journal, (Impact Factor – 8.7). Publisher: Elsevier.

2. Sajal Halder, Kwan Hui Lim, Jeffrey Chan, and Xiuzhen Zhang. Capacity-aware fair POI recommendation combining transformer neural networks and resource allocation policy. In Applied Soft
Computing Journal, pages 110720, 2023, Q1 Ranked Journal, (Impact Factor – 8.7). Publisher: Elsevier.

3. Sajal Halder, Kwan Hui Lim, Jeffrey Chan, and Xiuzhen Zhang. POI Recommendation with Queuing
Time and User Interest Awareness. In Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 2022, Q1 Ranked
Journal, (Impact Factor – 5.406). Publisher: Springer.

4. Sajal Halder, Kwan Hui Lim, Jeffrey Chan, and Xiuzhen Zhang. Efficient Itinerary Recommendation
via Personalised POI Selection and Pruning. In Knowledge and Information Systems, Volume 64, Pages
963–993, 2022. Q1 Ranked Journal, (Impact Factor – 2.53), Publisher: Springer.

5. Sajal Halder, Kwan Hui Lim, Jeffrey Chan and Xiuzhen Zhang. Transformer-based Multi-task
Learning for Queuing Time Aware Next POI Recommendation. In the 25th Pacific-Asia Conference
on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (PAKDD-2021), A Ranked Conference.

6. Sajal Halder, Md. Samiullah and Young-Koo Lee. Supergraph based Periodic Patterns Mining in
Dynamic Social Networks. Expert Systems with Applications-An International Journal. volume 72,
pages 430-442, 2017, Q1 Ranked Journal, (Impact Factor – 6.954). Publisher: Elsevier.
7. MS Rahman, Sajal Halder, MA Uddin, UK Acharjee, An efficient hybrid system for anomaly detection in social networks. In Cybersecurity, Q1 ranked Journal, (Impact Factor – 6.27), 2021, Volume 4,
Pages 1-11, Publisher: Springer.

8. Iram Fatima, Sajal Halder, Muhammad Aamir Saleem, Rabia Batool, Muhammad Fahim, YoungKoo Lee, Sungyoung Lee. Smart CDSS: Integration of Social Media Interaction Engine (SMIE) in
Healthcare for Chronic Disease Patients. Multimedia Tools and Applications, pages 1-21, 2013, Q1
Ranked Journal, (Impact Factor – 2.757), Publisher: Springer.

9. Yongkoo Han, Kisung Park, Donghai Guan, Sajal Halder, and Young-Koo Lee. Topological Similarity
based Feature Selection for Graph Classification. In the Computer Journal, bxt123, 2013, Q2 Ranked
Journal, (Impact Factor – 0.755), Publisher: Oxford University Press.