Physical & Life Sciences

Scholars dedicating their careers to the study of living organisms and non-living systems

Beto Dealmeida

Beto Dealmeida

Beto has been writing open-source software for more than 2 decades, with open-source serving as the unifying theme across their diverse career. This includes their work as a climate scientist with a PhD in oceanography running global simulations for the IPCC, as an instructor and speaker at Facebook/Meta passionate about data tools and best practices, as a software engineer working daily on Apache Superset, and as a musician using open hardware and open-source plugins to compose and produce their songs.

The tools and libraries that Beto has created or worked on are used daily by thousands of companies and countless users, focusing on making data access seamless and switching the spotlight to the user experience instead. Their first big project was Pydap, a server for climate data developed during the Google Summer of Code in 2005. Pydap was used by the IPCC to distribute their simulations when they won their 2007 Nobel Prize, and also by the Danish Navy when removing chemical weapons from Syria.

Since 2017, Beto has been working daily on Apache Superset, a modern and modular business intelligence web application that is the number 1 Apache project in terms of GitHub stars. This work has led to the creation of an ecosystem of products: DataJunction, a semantic layer that has been adopted by data teams at Netflix; Shillelagh, a Python library that makes any kind of data easily queryable via SQL; and Cantrip, a magical semantic layer that lives in the database itself, requiring no additional resources. All of these projects focus on empowering users to answer their questions in an effortless way.

Additionally, Beto is also a prolific musician, having written over 500 songs in the past decade. They are an avid participant in the February Writing Album Month challenge, which has the goal of composing 14 new songs in 28 days, and is also part of both the small development team and moderation team. Their songs are written using an open-source digital audio workstation (DAW) with open-source plugins, and all the hardware they use is also based on open-source code.

Beto has been writing open-source software for more than 2 decades, with open-source serving as the unifying theme across their diverse career. This includes their work as a climate scientist with a PhD in oceanography running global simulations for ... Show more

Vamsi Krishna Rao

Vamsi Krishna Rao

Vamsi is a highly experienced DevOps, Infrastructure architect and AI Specialist with over 20 years of specializing in Cloud Computing, Enterprise Storage, and Distributed storage technologies. With expertise spanning AWS, Kubernetes, GCP, Automation, and AI-driven storage solutions, Vamsi has led transformative global projects, driving cloud migration, infrastructure modernization, and storage optimization for large enterprises.

In leadership roles, he has championed automation, security, and resilience in storage architecture, delivering scalable and cost-effective solutions. His work has enhanced system reliability while saving millions in operational costs. A passionate team leader and innovator, He is recognized for his strategic thinking and ability to implement cutting-edge storage technologies that meet evolving enterprise needs.

As a speaker, Vamsi shares his insights on storage innovations, cloud infrastructure, and best practices, offering a forward-thinking perspective on modern enterprise storage challenges.

Vamsi is a highly experienced DevOps, Infrastructure architect and AI Specialist with over 20 years of specializing in Cloud Computing, Enterprise Storage, and Distributed storage technologies. With expertise spanning AWS, Kubernetes, GCP, Automation... Show more

Josh Universe

Josh Universe

Josh Universe is a scientist-astronaut candidate, science communicator, biohacker, and CEO of Astrochain. Josh Universe is a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology studying a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Additionally, Josh Universe is taking graduate classes in Commercial Enterprise in Space at Florida Institute of Technology. Josh Universe is also pursing Applied Astronautics at the International Institute of Astronautical science. Josh Universe's primary interests are in astronomy, astrophysics, space law(mainly DAO applications for space law), and human spaceflight exploration. You can reach Josh Universe on his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/univ/

Josh Universe is a scientist-astronaut candidate, science communicator, biohacker, and CEO of Astrochain. Josh Universe is a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology studying a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Additionally, Josh... Show more

Julian Egelstaff

Julian Egelstaff

Julian is a developer and consultant, who helps people organize data, turning messy information and chaotic processes into beautiful databases that blend smoothly with how people actually work. Prior to 29 years in software, Julian received a Bachelor of Journalism and Philosophy. In 2003, he co-founded Freeform Solutions, a non-profit that helps other non-profits use technology more effectively. Julian is a Zend Certified Engineer, and is responsible for the Formulize open source project.

Julian is a developer and consultant, who helps people organize data, turning messy information and chaotic processes into beautiful databases that blend smoothly with how people actually work. Prior to 29 years in software, Julian received a Bachelo... Show more

Nikita Kibitkin

Nikita Kibitkin

Nikita Kibitkin is a Senior Java Engineer and Tech Lead with 8 years designing high-throughput, event-driven payment platforms. He has successfully delivered financial systems for both the European and Asian markets. At Ducatpay, he leads the event-driven payments team, processing over 5 million transactions per year. Nikita combines modeling based on discrete mathematics with a classic high-load tech stack to build fault-tolerant, predictable, and cost-efficient distributed systems under extreme spikes.

Nikita Kibitkin is a Senior Java Engineer and Tech Lead with 8 years designing high-throughput, event-driven payment platforms. He has successfully delivered financial systems for both the European and Asian markets. At Ducatpay, he leads the event-d... Show more

Albert Wong

Albert Wong

Highly accomplished senior solutions architect with a proven track record of driving significant revenue growth and building thriving technical communities. My expertise spans Kubernetes (K8s), Application & Data Integration, Database technologies, and advanced data architectures including data warehousing, data lakes, ETL/ELT, and open table formats (Apache Hudi, Iceberg, Delta Lake) across all major cloud platforms. With 15x+ certifications and 3x Patent Author credits, I am adept at translating complex technical concepts into impactful solutions for diverse audiences, from C-level executives to technical teams.

Highly accomplished senior solutions architect with a proven track record of driving significant revenue growth and building thriving technical communities. My expertise spans Kubernetes (K8s), Application & Data Integration, Database technologies, a... Show more

Wendy Kim

Wendy Kim

Wendy Kim is an international best-selling author, dynamic public speaker, and certified educator in inclusion and belonging. As the CEO of Beyond Blending In, Wendy empowers organizations to create cultures where everyone feels valued, heard, and equipped to lead. Her company specializes in two core areas: inclusive leadership training for executives, senior leaders, and managers, and culturally authentic leadership development for underrepresented groups.

As a queer, bisexual Asian woman with roots in a conservative evangelical upbringing, Wendy understands firsthand what it means to navigate spaces where you don’t always feel like you belong. She now channels those experiences into helping others embrace their full identities and thrive as leaders. Her work builds bridges across differences and drives meaningful change in workplaces and communities.

Her book, Beyond Blending In: An Immigrant Daughter’s Guide to Overcoming Cultural Bonds for a Life of Authenticity and Abundance, is an Amazon international bestseller, praised for its raw honesty and empowering message.

A former missionary fluent in Japanese and an active board member of Over the Influence Recovery — a nonprofit supporting moms in recovery from substance abuse — Wendy brings a global, compassionate, and grounded lens to every stage she steps onto.

Wendy Kim is an international best-selling author, dynamic public speaker, and certified educator in inclusion and belonging. As the CEO of Beyond Blending In, Wendy empowers organizations to create cultures where everyone feels valued, heard, and eq... Show more

Asankhaya Sharma

Asankhaya Sharma

Dr. Asankhaya Sharma is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Patched.codes, a deep-tech startup with the vision to automatically fix every software vulnerability in code. Dr. Sharma is a well known technology expert, author, and public speaker. He has close to two decades of experience in research and product development, holding leadership roles at startups and large enterprises.

Prior to Patched.codes, he was the Global Director of Innovation and Incubation at Veracode, an application security company. Before that, he was the Head of R&D at SourceClear (acquired by CA Technologies in 2018), the first software security company focussed on open-source security and software supply chain.

He has a PhD in Computer Science from the National University of Singapore, and has been an Adjunct Professor at the Singapore Management University, and the Singapore Institute of Technology.

Dr. Asankhaya Sharma is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Patched.codes, a deep-tech startup with the vision to automatically fix every software vulnerability in code. Dr. Sharma is a well known technology expert, author, and public spea... Show more

Erin Howland

Erin Howland

Erin Howland has lived in more countries than U.S. states and collects university degrees like other people collect coins. She has master's degrees in data science and Nordic studies (history) and baccalaureate degrees in accounting and history. She uses these accumulated skills and experiences in her role as a consultant for EJ Enterprises LLC, a company she and her husband created.

She can usually be found at acro, yoga, running and hiking outdoors, and picking up heavy things and setting them back down repeatedly. When not wiggling, she's probably asking why/why not something is the way it is (or isn't) and furiously researching. She also watches way too many horse videos.

Erin Howland has lived in more countries than U.S. states and collects university degrees like other people collect coins. She has master's degrees in data science and Nordic studies (history) and baccalaureate degrees in accounting and history. She ... Show more

Chaney Fletcher

Chaney Fletcher

Chaney Fletcher is a devoted mother of seven, married to her best friend, and a published author. She holds a bachelor's degree in digital marketing and is a certified HS-BCP (Human Services Board Certified Practitioner), a Joy Potential Certified Coach, and a Reiki Master. Chaney is the founder of Fostering New Hope LLC, where she offers a variety of coaching services and digital marketing services. Chaney has spoken in front of crowds of up to 75,000 attendees.

Despite facing significant challenges in her early life, including the loss of her father at 12, her biological mother's struggle with alcoholism, aging out of foster care, becoming a teen mom to a special needs child, enduring two divorces before the age of 25, and living in a domestic violence shelter, Chaney's resilience and determination have been the driving force behind her success. Through unwavering perseverance and an unbreakable spirit, she transformed her hardships into opportunities for growth and empowerment.

Additionally, Chaney is a certified Joy Potential Coach through the Joy Potential Institute, which focuses on helping women unlock their inner joy, align with their true purpose, and experience authentic happiness. Joy Potential emphasizes spiritual growth, self-awareness, and practical strategies to cultivate joy from within, enabling women to live more fulfilled and balanced lives.

Her latest book serves as a testament to her unwavering faith and resilience. Packed with invaluable resources, practical tips, and thought-provoking journal prompts, it is a powerful guide for individuals striving to overcome life's obstacles. Through the lens of her Christian faith, Chaney shares deeply personal insights and experiences, offering readers inspiration and guidance as they navigate their own journeys toward healing and wholeness. Her unwavering commitment to empowering others shines through every page, making her book a beacon of hope for those facing adversity.

Chaney Fletcher is a devoted mother of seven, married to her best friend, and a published author. She holds a bachelor's degree in digital marketing and is a certified HS-BCP (Human Services Board Certified Practitioner), a Joy Potential Certified Co... Show more

Sanskriti Kadam

Sanskriti Kadam

Sanskriti Kadam is a social entrepreneur, AI researcher, and founder of IntelligenZ Talks, a student-led podcast bridging tech and humanity. She has mentored 2000+ students, led initiatives like Girl Up Coders, and spoken at national tech forums—driving impact through stories, mentorship, and innovation.

Sanskriti Kadam is a social entrepreneur, AI researcher, and founder of IntelligenZ Talks, a student-led podcast bridging tech and humanity. She has mentored 2000+ students, led initiatives like Girl Up Coders, and spoken at national tech forums—driv... Show more

Sagar Saxena

Sagar Saxena

"Keep your face toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you."
- Walt Whitman

Passionate AI and Machine Learning professional with over a decade of experience driving innovation and delivering transformative solutions. Specializing in extracting insights from data post-exploration while developing relevant models as per the requirement to provide an end-to-end pipeline. Interested in tackling complex challenges and optimizing performance.

As an AI mentor, evangelist, and speaker, I thrive on sharing knowledge and inspiring others while translating intricate technical concepts into actionable insights for the tech and non-tech audiences, which propels business growth.

Also, being a proponent of continuous learning, I try to stay at the forefront of emerging technologies, leveraging expertise in deep learning, natural language processing, and AWS cloud to create impactful AI solutions.

Let's connect to explore how we can utilize AI for the better.

"Keep your face toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you." - Walt Whitman Passionate AI and Machine Learning professional with over a decade of experience driving innovation and delivering transformative solutions. Specializing in ... Show more

Benson Barry

Benson Barry

Benson Barry – Corporate Diplomat | Change Expert | Visionary Leader


Benson Barry is a distinguished Certified Corporate Diplomat and Change Expert, renowned for his ability to empower organizations to navigate complex business relationships and transformative change. As the Managing Director of Barry Consulting Agency, he leads a team dedicated to helping businesses and institutions resolve conflicts, drive sustainable growth, and build resilient leadership frameworks.

With over eight years of cross-sector experience, Benson has collaborated with globally recognized organizations, including Mott MacDonald (UK), Euro Exim Bank (UK), and Merchant Trade (USA), as well as numerous institutions across diverse industries. His expertise spans high-stakes negotiations, strategic change management, leadership development, and corporate governance, ensuring that organizations thrive in dynamic environments.

Core Expertise & Leadership
Benson specializes in:
- Diplomatic Business Negotiations– Bridging cultural and organizational divides to foster win-win outcomes.
- Conflict Resolution & Management – Aligning diverse stakeholders through constructive dialogue.
- Change Management & Transformation – Guiding organizations through uncertainty toward long-term resilience.
- Leadership Development – Cultivating effective leadership at all organizational levels.
- Corporate Governance & Compliance – Establishing ethical, transparent, and accountable frameworks.

Under his leadership, Barry Consulting Agency provides tailored consulting and training services, equipping clients with strategies to align business goals with sustainable growth. Benson is deeply passionate about innovation, collaboration, and empowering organizations to maximize their potential in an ever-evolving global landscape.

A Visionary Beyond Business
Beyond his corporate influence, Benson Barry is a visionary leader of the Sacred Order of the Remnants, a mission-driven initiative focused on building, illuminating, and guarding the gates of cities and cultures. This unique dual role reflects his commitment to transformational leadership—both in business and societal impact.

With a reputation for strategic insight, diplomatic acumen, and transformative leadership, Benson Barry continues to inspire organizations and communities to embrace change, foster excellence, and achieve lasting success.

Connect with Benson Barry to explore how his expertise can elevate your organization’s growth and leadership journey.

Benson Barry – Corporate Diplomat | Change Expert | Visionary Leader Benson Barry is a distinguished Certified Corporate Diplomat and Change Expert, renowned for his ability to empower organizations to navigate complex business relationships ... Show more

Rob Swymer

Rob Swymer

Rob is a TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and expert in Physical Intelligence, helping individuals and teams unlock peak performance by understanding and optimizing the body's natural chemistry—hormones, neurotransmitters, and biochemicals that drive success.
With a forty-year career as a global business leader, Rob has mastered leadership, resilience, and high-performance strategies. He teaches executives, entrepreneurs, and professionals how to leverage the science of the body to sharpen focus, increase energy, reduce stress, and build unstoppable confidence in high-stakes environments.
Rob’s signature methodology blends neuroscience, leadership principles, and real-world business experience to help people develop mental toughness, master emotional resilience, optimize energy and performance, and lead with empathy and impact. As a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies, including Home Depot, Bank of America, Dell, Morgan Stanley, Macy’s, Equifax, and CSX, Rob has helped leaders and teams break through limitations, drive revenue growth, and create cultures of excellence.
His best-selling book, Surrender to Your Adversity, provides a playbook for turning setbacks into comebacks, teaching readers how to build resilience and thrive in both business and life. A frequent media contributor, Rob has been featured on Fox News, NewsNation, and CBS, sharing insights on leadership, peak performance, and overcoming adversity. Known for his high-energy presentations, Rob doesn’t just inspire—he activates audiences with practical tools they can apply immediately.
Rob’s mission is simple but powerful: to equip the next generation of leaders with the mindset, strategies, and physical intelligence to perform at a peak state—no matter the challenge.

Rob is a TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and expert in Physical Intelligence, helping individuals and teams unlock peak performance by understanding and optimizing the body's natural chemistry—hormones, neurotransmitters, and biochemicals that dri... Show more

Azure McFarlane

Azure McFarlane

Azure is a Senior Consultant at Hitachi in the Washington, DC area. Prior to joining tech consulting in 2022, she spent in pharmaceutical manufacturing, discovering Power Automate in late 2019.

Passionate about people and hoping to assume her final form as a bot, she's on a mission to educate and enable more women and underrepresented groups into tech, one Flow at a time.

Azure is a Senior Consultant at Hitachi in the Washington, DC area. Prior to joining tech consulting in 2022, she spent in pharmaceutical manufacturing, discovering Power Automate in late 2019. Passionate about people and hoping to assume her fina... Show more

Nat Girish

Nat Girish

Nat Girish has been an Agile Practitioner since 2010, and has worked with some of the best Agile Coaches, to transform teams that build Products and Services for Ford's Order Fulfilment domain. He is an avid adopter of an Experimentation Mindset to deliver business value.

Nat Girish has been an Agile Practitioner since 2010, and has worked with some of the best Agile Coaches, to transform teams that build Products and Services for Ford's Order Fulfilment domain. He is an avid adopter of an Experimentation Mindset to d... Show more

Amanda Martin

Amanda Martin

Raised in a no-tech farming community in rural Arizona, Dr. Amanda Martin discovered the transformative power of technology and the world of possibilities it opens. This revelation came in college when open-source software became her catalyst for personal growth, reshaping her perspective on how technology can democratize access, empower collaboration, and provide solutions to pressing global issues.

With her Doctorate in Computer Science, Dr. Martin passionately embraced the ethos of open-source endeavors and now serves as the Director of Program Management at the Linux Foundation. Currently, within the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF), championing open-source security and global collaboration.

Never forgetting her roots, Dr. Martin continues to propagate her lifelong commitment to education, teaching subjects ranging from technology to physics. Yet, it's her sustained awe for science and technology and her passion to share this wonder with as many individuals as possible that truly make her an inspirational figure.

In essence, Dr. Amanda Martin stands as a testament to the transformative power of open-source technology, continually inspiring others to explore the remarkable potentials of this realm.

Raised in a no-tech farming community in rural Arizona, Dr. Amanda Martin discovered the transformative power of technology and the world of possibilities it opens. This revelation came in college when open-source software became her catalyst for per... Show more

Omar Garrido

Omar Garrido

Soy pentester y red teamer, cuanto con algunas certificaciones en el ámbito del hacking web, me gusta la investigación y aprender cosas nuevas (o que he olvidado), he trabajando en varios sectores desde la banca hasta mi trabajo actual en Beta San Miguel, que es la azucarera más grande de México (yo tampoco conocía ese mercado), en beta me mis funciones son:

Protección de Infraestructura Crítica: Responsable de la seguridad ofensiva y defensiva de la red de 12 ingenios azucareros, asegurando la continuidad operativa mediante el hardening de Directorio Activo y la gestión de endpoints (Bitdefender).
Análisis de Seguridad Ofensiva: Ejecución de Pentesting y auditorías técnicas constantes, detectando vulnerabilidades críticas y diseñando planes de remediación para prevenir incidentes de Ransomware en entornos industriales (OT) e IT.

Soy pentester y red teamer, cuanto con algunas certificaciones en el ámbito del hacking web, me gusta la investigación y aprender cosas nuevas (o que he olvidado), he trabajando en varios sectores desde la banca hasta mi trabajo actual en Beta San Mi... Show more

Alvaro Cabrera Campos

Alvaro Cabrera Campos

Alvaro Cabrera es Analista de Ciberseguridad con más de 3 años de experiencia en gestión de vulnerabilidades, habiendo evaluado y priorizado hallazgos en entornos cloud y on-premise mediante Qualys y Tenable, y liderado el despliegue de scanners y agentes en infraestructuras empresariales. Ha desarrollado soluciones de automatización en Python que redujeron tiempos operativos en procesos críticos de reportería y gestión de vulnerabilidades. Actualmente se desempeña como Consultor DevSecOps, evaluando procesos del SDLC y dando seguimiento a métricas DORA para mejorar la visibilidad sobre despliegues y calidad.
Esta charla está basada en un proyecto personal, diseñado y desarrollado de forma independiente: un sistema multiagente que reduce el análisis de excepciones de riesgo de seguridad de 2-4 horas a menos de 90 segundos, explorando cómo estas arquitecturas pueden aportar consistencia y velocidad a la toma de decisiones sin sacar al humano de la ecuación.

Alvaro Cabrera es Analista de Ciberseguridad con más de 3 años de experiencia en gestión de vulnerabilidades, habiendo evaluado y priorizado hallazgos en entornos cloud y on-premise mediante Qualys y Tenable, y liderado el despliegue de scanners y ag... Show more

Dr Montsheng Letsoalo PhD

Dr Montsheng Letsoalo PhD

Dr Montsheng Letsoalo is a social neuroscientist and behavioral specialist focused on the intersection between human cognition and modern systems. Her work explores how the brain processes, predicts, and adapts within increasingly complex digital environments, with a particular emphasis on attention, behavior, and regulation in high-stimulation contexts.
She is the founder of the Trauma Neuro Institute of South Africa, where she leads the development of applied frameworks that translate neuroscience into real-world practice. Her research contributions include work in predictive processing, neurodivergent attachment, and adaptive behavioral systems, positioning her as a voice in bridging human neuroscience with emerging technological landscapes.
Dr Letsoalo has been recognized internationally for her contributions to psychology and neuroscience, including receiving the Best Faculty in Psychology award and being selected as a speaker and contributor at global platforms such as the American Psychological Association and international lifestyle medicine conferences. She has also served as a judge for scientific presentations within global neuroscience communities.
Her work is driven by a central question: how do we build systems that align with the human brain rather than work against it? Through her speaking and research, she challenges traditional boundaries between neuroscience and technology, offering insights that help innovators, designers, and decision-makers better understand the human element behind every system.

Dr Montsheng Letsoalo is a social neuroscientist and behavioral specialist focused on the intersection between human cognition and modern systems. Her work explores how the brain processes, predicts, and adapts within increasingly complex digital env... Show more

Shi Lin

Shi Lin

Shi Lin is an independent researcher and scientific infrastructure architect working at the intersection of spatial biology, volumetric imaging, and scientific knowledge graphs. He led a UC Berkeley–Academia Sinica Taiwan collaboration on modular tissue clearing and light-field volumetric imaging for cardiac regeneration studies, spanning academic labs, hospital-based translational research, and industry partners including ZEISS. This experience motivated BioGraph, a platform for capturing experimental lineage, decision provenance, and reusable institutional knowledge in complex 3D histology and core-facility workflows.

Shi Lin is an independent researcher and scientific infrastructure architect working at the intersection of spatial biology, volumetric imaging, and scientific knowledge graphs. He led a UC Berkeley–Academia Sinica Taiwan collaboration on modular tis... Show more

Craig Shallahamer

Craig Shallahamer

Having worked with Oracle technology since 1989, Craig Shallahamer is a leader in the fields of machine learning, artificial intelligence and Oracle database performance tuning.

Craig has extensive experience in constructing and teaching predictive modeling methods, notably developing a Reinforcement Machine Learning bot in 1990. He has launched several specialized generative AI conversational assistants, each with distinct personalities. As an Applied AI Scientist at Viscosity and the founder of OraPub, Craig is also the author of two acclaimed books: "Oracle Performance Firefighting" and "Forecasting Oracle Performance".

He has received recognition as an Oracle ACE Director for his valuable contributions to the Oracle community through his technical expertise and leadership. Craig is an active participant in Oracle user groups, frequently presenting at conferences and serving as a board member and volunteer.

Having worked with Oracle technology since 1989, Craig Shallahamer is a leader in the fields of machine learning, artificial intelligence and Oracle database performance tuning. Craig has extensive experience in constructing and teaching predictiv... Show more

Daniel Sabanés Bové

Daniel Sabanés Bové

Daniel Sabanés Bové studied statistics and obtained his PhD in 2013. He started his career with 5 years in Roche as a biostatistician, then worked 2 years at Google as a Data Scientist, before rejoining Roche in 2020, where he founded and led the Statistical Engineering team. Daniel is co-founder of RCONIS, (co-)author of multiple published R packages, and currently a co-chair of the openstatsware.org working group.

Daniel Sabanés Bové studied statistics and obtained his PhD in 2013. He started his career with 5 years in Roche as a biostatistician, then worked 2 years at Google as a Data Scientist, before rejoining Roche in 2020, where he founded and led the Sta... Show more

Elsa R. Flores

Elsa R. Flores

Over the course of her career, Elsa R. Flores, Ph.D., has drawn a wide range of professional honors that reflect her standing in cancer research. Her early recognition came in the form of fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the American Cancer Society. She was later named a Rita Allen Foundation Scholar and an American Cancer Society Research Scholar, and she held the NCI Outstanding Investigator Award from 2016 to 2024. She has been named a Moffitt Distinguished Scholar for the years 2016 through 2026, was appointed the Kaul Foundation Endowed Chair in 2022, and was selected as a V Foundation All Star for 2026 through 2031. In 2017 she delivered the AACR-Boston Ruth Sager Memorial Lecture, a distinction extended to leading cancer biology researchers.

These honors rest on a research program that Dr. Flores has led for more than two decades. Her work centers on the p53 family of tumor suppressor genes, with a particular emphasis on the roles that p63 and p73 play in cancer development, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Through this research she has advanced scientific understanding of how these genes control stem cell maintenance, metabolism, and tumor progression, and her findings have been published in some of the most prominent journals in the field.

Currently, Dr. Flores is a Senior Member in the Department of Molecular Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, and she holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Thoracic Oncology. She is also a professor in the Department of Oncologic Sciences and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida (USF) Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Her education combined engineering and the life sciences. She received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1994, then earned a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999, completing her doctoral research at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research. She returned to MIT for a postdoctoral fellowship in Cancer Biology.

Dr. Flores began her independent career at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology in 2004. She earned tenure as an Associate Professor in 2010 and became a full Professor with tenure in 2015. Her leadership there included serving as Co-Director and then Director of the Genes and Development Graduate Ph.D. Program and as Co-Leader of the Metastasis Research Program under the institution's NCI Cancer Center Support Grant.

Over the course of her career, Elsa R. Flores, Ph.D., has drawn a wide range of professional honors that reflect her standing in cancer research. Her early recognition came in the form of fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the Leukem... Show more

Otto Dobretsberger

Otto Dobretsberger

Dr. Otto Dobretsberger is a Senior Software Developer at CODE Consulting (part of the CODE Group). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Informatics from UMIT, an institution in Austria, as well as a Master's and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Houston. His professional expertise centers on high-performance computational analysis of genetic and genomic data, with extensive experience in C and C++. He specializes in WPF, C#, and C++ development, while maintaining proficiency in multiple additional programming languages. His project portfolio spans biomedical image processing, genetic and genomic data analysis, analytical software solutions for the oil and gas industry, and the development of custom controls. Dr. Dobretsberger has authored scientific papers and magazine articles and is a regular speaker at industry conferences.

Since 2012, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston, where he has taught a range of programming courses, including C++, Python, JavaScript, and Java.

In addition to his technical and academic roles, Dr. Dobretsberger organizes the Global AI Houston chapter, leading a local community of AI professionals and enthusiasts focused on knowledge sharing and advancements in artificial intelligence.

Outside of his professional pursuits, he is an accomplished powerlifter, actively training and competing. He holds multiple USPA National Records and IPL World Records.

Dr. Otto Dobretsberger is a Senior Software Developer at CODE Consulting (part of the CODE Group). He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Informatics from UMIT, an institution in Austria, as well as a Master's and Ph.D. in Computer Science from t... Show more

Víctor Mayoral Vilches

Víctor Mayoral Vilches

Víctor has spent more than a decade building and advancing the field of robot cybersecurity, leading pioneering projects in which Artificial Intelligence is applied to cybersecurity automation across large-scale attack surfaces such as robots. His work includes internationally award-winning publications that helped pioneer the field of AI Security, notably PentestGPT (USENIX 2024, Distinguished Artifact Award Winner). He holds two engineering degrees (EE and CS) completed simultaneously, and a PhD in Robot Cybersecurity from the University of Klagenfurt (Austria).

He is a researcher and an investor in robotics and is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in robot cybersecurity and computing architectures for robots, following his contributions to the creation of the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2), which powers 95% of the commercial robots worldwide. He has delivered talks at security forums across the globe, including Black Hat Europe, Black Hat USA, USENIX, and others.

Víctor has spent more than a decade building and advancing the field of robot cybersecurity, leading pioneering projects in which Artificial Intelligence is applied to cybersecurity automation across large-scale attack surfaces such as robots. His wo... Show more

Chaitany Patel

Chaitany Patel

Chaitany Patel is an Open Source Engineer at Red Hat, where he builds feature-store infrastructure with Feast for near-realtime feature serving to LLM and RAG pipelines on OpenShift. He has multiple merged contributions upstream to feast-dev/feast, including MCP tooling, agent skills, and vector-store APIs. He is a Google Summer of Code 2026 contributor with the German Center for Open Source AI (skpro), adding online/streaming updates to probabilistic regression, and previously spoke at The Fifth Elephant’s “Open weights, real stakes” meetup on feature engineering for open-weight AI. A B.Tech CSE student at IIIT Vadodara, he focuses on practical ML infrastructure—schema-to-feature pipelines, agents on Kubernetes, and making open models useful in production without vendor lock-in.

Chaitany Patel is an Open Source Engineer at Red Hat, where he builds feature-store infrastructure with Feast for near-realtime feature serving to LLM and RAG pipelines on OpenShift. He has multiple merged contributions upstream to feast-dev/feast, i... Show more

Laura Morales

Laura Morales

Soy Dra. en Física por la Universidad de Montreal (Canadá). Trabajé durante algunos años en la Agencia Espacial Canadiense hasta que volví a Argentina a trabajar como Profesora en la Universidad de Buenos Aires e investigadora en CONICET. He participado en numerosas actividades en el Planetario de BA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zPsVrCafnA y también en conferencias AgroTech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU9T1_mOWeg.

Soy Dra. en Física por la Universidad de Montreal (Canadá). Trabajé durante algunos años en la Agencia Espacial Canadiense hasta que volví a Argentina a trabajar como Profesora en la Universidad de Buenos Aires e investigadora en CONICET. He particip... Show more

Raphaela Seeger

Raphaela Seeger

Platform Engineer at Puzzle ITC with a passion for CI/CD, automation, and cloud-native technologies.
I am committed to create scalable and secure software delivery pipelines for our customers. I love to implement modern, cutting-edge technologies such as Kubernetes and Dagger are driving the current innovations in software development and deployment processes.

Platform Engineer at Puzzle ITC with a passion for CI/CD, automation, and cloud-native technologies. I am committed to create scalable and secure software delivery pipelines for our customers. I love to implement modern, cutting-edge technologies su... Show more

Brian Daza

Brian Daza

Brian is a skilled data professional with a strong academic background. During his career, he has always dealt with data in some way or the other. With a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Utrecht University), he originally focused on developing drug discovery tools but shifted his focus to data analytics.

During his PhD at KU Leuven Brian developed 3D-printed chips that allowed to grow of stem cells on a chip, that could further be analyzed using state-of-the-art sequencing tools. He had to integrate many different types of data (microscopy images, genetic sequencing, etc.) to be able to validate the results. He often used scripting tools (R, Python) to develop and integrate these pipelines.

He always had an affinity with information technology and he decided to follow his passion for data with a focus on data engineering. Brian worked on multiple projects since then with Immoweb, Accenture, and Orange Business to grow further in data engineering. He implemented orchestration tools for ELT client workflows and co-developed a prediction application.

Brian has experience in Microsoft Azure, extensive expertise in open-source tooling (Python, R, Airflow, Kubernetes, etc.), and is a (AWS) certified cloud practitioner.

He enjoys spending time outdoors, climbing, and playing his bass guitar outside of work.

Brian is a skilled data professional with a strong academic background. During his career, he has always dealt with data in some way or the other. With a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Utrecht University), he originally focused on developing drug... Show more

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