The Climate Adventurer
Bernice Notenboom is one of the world's most prominent explorers focusing on the climate crisis. She translates complex scientific data from the Earth's most remote regions into compelling stories for a global audience. She splits her time between the Netherlands and the mountains of Fernie, British Columbia. Bernice Notenboom's latest work and documentaries focus heavily on the intersection of extreme survival and climate action. Here is the summary of her newest book and where to find her films:

New Book: Survival Mind (2025)
Released in October 2025, Survival Mind moves beyond technical survival gear to explore the "inner equipment" of the human brain.

The Core Question: Why do some people survive extreme life-and-death situations while others do not? Is it instinct, mental strength, or pure luck?

Scientific Insight: Notenboom combines hair-raising personal stories from her expeditions (including a near-fatal accident in Siberia) with neuroscience to explain how the brain makes decisions under intense pressure. Key Takeaway: The book is designed to help readers build resilience and "mental vitality" for everyday life and the growing challenges of the climate crisis. It has been praised by physiologists and critics for its clear, personal style that makes you feel like an expedition member yourself.

The Climate Adventurer Bernice Notenboom is one of the world's most prominent explorers focusing on the climate crisis. She translates complex scientific data from the Earth's most remote regions into compelling stories for a global audience. She sp... Show more

Leading Life science related projects across multiple Crossfunctional area of industry

Leading Life science related projects across multiple Crossfunctional area of industry Show more

I hold a degree in Physics from the University of Turin and a PhD from SISSA in Trieste, where I developed a strong foundation in theoretical and computational modeling. Eventually this journey led me into the fascinating world of computational biophysics. I’ve worked on projects spanning biopolymer entanglement, drug design, self-assembly metamaterials, and ion channel inhibition mechanisms, by combining physical principles with numerical simulations. Being a physicist equips me to tackle problems from first principles and turn abstract concepts into testable, quantitative models.
Driven by a deep love for science and a passion for providing theoretical explanations for complex phenomena, I’m always excited to learn and share new phenomena in the soft matter world.

I hold a degree in Physics from the University of Turin and a PhD from SISSA in Trieste, where I developed a strong foundation in theoretical and computational modeling. Eventually this journey led me into the fascinating world of computational bioph... Show more

Brian is a software / data engineer and bioinformatician with 15 years experience in preclinical data, clinical data, clinical biomarkers and real-world data and 35 years in software architecture and data engineering.

He is also the Twin Cities (MN) Bits-In-Bio city captain.

Brian is a software / data engineer and bioinformatician with 15 years experience in preclinical data, clinical data, clinical biomarkers and real-world data and 35 years in software architecture and data engineering. He is also the Twin Cities (M... Show more

Information Technology, Life Sciences

Information Technology, Life Sciences Show more

Alexander Morisse, PhD (Head of Data Science, Graphistry), is a leader in machine learning at the interface of artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and graph neural networks. Alex heads the development of Graphistry[AI], a popular open source graph autoML GPU toolkit that helps convert any data source like CSVs, Databricks, SQL, logs, and graph databases into powerful graph AI visualizations and models. His team works with clients ranging from cybersecurity, fraud & misinformation to patient & user journeys to the world's largest supply chains. Recently he has built www.louie.ai, a GenAI data science analyst that lets you talk to your data and do complex analysis. At past startups, he’s built AI systems in fields ranging from news, music, and entertainment (recommender systems) to chip design, process management and quantified self systems for both private and federal customers. Projects include developing AI-powered products for Beats Music (acquired by Apple), Quid (acquired by NetBase), Boomtrain (acquired by ZetaGlobal), Idle Games (acquired by GSN), architecting a privacy-preserving AI that extracts contexts and helps team work at tehama.io, and co-founding Stayopen.com, a modern hotel experience for adventurers seeking community. Before AI startups, Dr. Morisse was an Assistant Professor of Theoretical Physics at USC, Spain, working on topics in Quantum Gravity, Early Universe Cosmology, Particle Phenomenology and String Theory.

Alexander Morisse, PhD (Head of Data Science, Graphistry), is a leader in machine learning at the interface of artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and graph neural networks. Alex heads the development of Graphistry[AI], a popular o... Show more

I am an Associate Professor in vertebrate social behaviour, with over 20 years of experience in the field of animal behaviour and more particularly bioacoustics. I have been working on a wide range of species, from songbirds to ungulates, and have published > 75 peer-reviewed papers. Since 2019, I am leading the Behavioural Ecology Group at the University of Copenhagen. Our main projects combine the topics of acoustic communication, emotions, and social networks, in order to understand how emotions influence communication, how emotions are transmitted between individuals and influence social relationships, and how acoustic communication affects social interactions. We are also very interested in how our research can be used to improve animal welfare and for conservation purpose.

I am an Associate Professor in vertebrate social behaviour, with over 20 years of experience in the field of animal behaviour and more particularly bioacoustics. I have been working on a wide range of species, from songbirds to ungulates, and have pu... Show more

Piero Palacios
Biologist | Data Scientist | Bioinformatic Scientist

Hello! I’m Piero, a biologist from Peru with a strong foundation in biotechnology. My passion for data analysis and bioinformatics has led me to pursue specializations from Harvard University and MIT. In my free time, I enjoy creating reproducible and interactive reports using Quarto.

My bioinformatics expertise spans various domains, including RNA-Seq, Methyl-Seq, WGBS-Seq, Illumina Methylation Array, and multi-omics analyses. Additionally, I have extensive experience in machine learning (e.g., OLS, ridge and lasso regression, SVM, kernels, collaborative filtering, network analysis, high-dimensional reduction) and deep learning models (e.g., feed-forward neural networks, recurrent neural networks, convolutional neural networks, graph neural networks, transformers).

I'm excited to connect, share ideas, and explore innovative applications of Shiny at this conference!

Piero Palacios Biologist | Data Scientist | Bioinformatic Scientist Hello! I’m Piero, a biologist from Peru with a strong foundation in biotechnology. My passion for data analysis and bioinformatics has led me to pursue specializations from Harva... Show more

Me recibí el año pasado de la Licenciatura en Física en la Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Allí soy ayudante en materias de primer año de la carrera, y trato de transmitir la importancia de la programación para hacer investigación en física. Ahora estoy realizando un doctorado en Física en el Instituto de Física de Líquidos y Sistemas Biológicos.

Me recibí el año pasado de la Licenciatura en Física en la Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Allí soy ayudante en materias de primer año de la carrera, y trato de transmitir la importancia de la programación para hacer investigación en física. Ahora ... Show more

I am a molecular biologist/computational biologist who stumbled upon a data analyst role. I wear three hats at work: I teach data science, genomics and evolution to undergraduates; I study patterns of genetic variation in small mammals to learn about their evolution and demography; I analyse and report on students' educational outcomes and factors that contribute to differential attainment of various groups of students across the entire institution. I also like to cycle.

I am a molecular biologist/computational biologist who stumbled upon a data analyst role. I wear three hats at work: I teach data science, genomics and evolution to undergraduates; I study patterns of genetic variation in small mammals to learn about... Show more

Dr. Richard L. Watkins is a scientist, strategist, and advocate working at the intersection of research, policy, and society. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Science Policy Action Network, Inc. (SPAN), where he is responsible for setting the organization’s overall direction and service strategy. He leads the development of SPAN’s consulting offerings and operational infrastructure, with a focus on impact across education, innovation, and public health.

Dr. Watkins holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.S. in Psychology from Fayetteville State University. His scientific background informs a systems-level approach to policy advising and program design, particularly in areas such as school safety, mental health, and science-based governance.

A dynamic communicator and bridge-builder, Dr. Watkins also hosts The Richard Watkins Podcast, a platform for thought leaders across disciplines. His work continues to shape public conversations and institutional strategies through science, equity, and community engagement.

Dr. Richard L. Watkins is a scientist, strategist, and advocate working at the intersection of research, policy, and society. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of The Science Policy Action Network, Inc. (SPAN), where he is responsible for setting ... Show more

I studied geography in my bachelor's degree. In my master's, I study geodesy and geoinformation science. Since 2022, I have been working in geostatistics at the Freie Universität Berlin.

I studied geography in my bachelor's degree. In my master's, I study geodesy and geoinformation science. Since 2022, I have been working in geostatistics at the Freie Universität Berlin. Show more

[Dr. Alexander Jarasch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderjarasch/) is Neo4j’s Global Head of Pharma & Life Sciences at Neo4j, the graph database and analytics leader. He specializes in AI, ML, and data engineering within this domain. He also works on combining GenAI with knowledge graphs for target identification, competitive intelligence and in supply chain. With a bioinformatics background, his career spans chemistry, biotech, pharma, and IT. Dr. Jarasch has received numerous awards for innovative analytics techniques such as knowledge graphs to combat diseases such as diabetes. Prior to Neo4j, Dr Jarasch was the Head of Data and Knowledge Management at the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), following prior roles at Roche Diagnostics, the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, and other organizations.  He speaks frequently at major healthcare conferences and his published articles can be found in peer-review journals such as SCIENCE, PNAS, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics.

[Dr. Alexander Jarasch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderjarasch/) is Neo4j’s Global Head of Pharma & Life Sciences at Neo4j, the graph database and analytics leader. He specializes in AI, ML, and data engineering within this domain. He also work... Show more

Hello! I'm a research assistant in the Human Analysis and Biometrics group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I've been working there since 2021, shortly after having graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in Physics and German. My focus so far has been biometric dataset collection and curation, utilizing a range of commercial sensors, and developing custom camera systems and software. I am a major contributor to the collection and curation efforts that produced the BRIAR datasets. I am currently working on imaging, biometric signals, and time series classification projects.

Hello! I'm a research assistant in the Human Analysis and Biometrics group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I've been working there since 2021, shortly after having graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in Physics and German. My focus ... Show more

As a system biologist, I provide consultancy and architecture for organisation and information systems based on natural principles

As a system biologist, I provide consultancy and architecture for organisation and information systems based on natural principles Show more

M. Castro Gbêmêmali Hounmenou holds a PhD in Statistics-Probability and is a post-doctoral researcher in Biostatistics and Artificial Intelligence at the Research and Training Center in Infectiology of Guinea (CERFIG), Gamal Nasser University of Conakry, Guinea. Previously, he was a Lecturer-Researcher at the Laboratory of Biometrics and Forestry Estimations at the University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin. He actively participates in various scientific communities, contributing to fields such as biostatistics, applied statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, climate change, agriculture, environment, and public health. He has received several awards, including the best poster award for his doctoral thesis work at the Doctoral School of Excellence Centers of Benin of the World Bank in 2021, and was nominated in 2024 among 'World Top Scientists' in the 'Best Research Article Award' category in Biostatistics. Recently, he has been appointed as a Lecturer-Researcher in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Labé. Contact: +22995306612/+224627812787, castrohounmenou@gmail.com

M. Castro Gbêmêmali Hounmenou holds a PhD in Statistics-Probability and is a post-doctoral researcher in Biostatistics and Artificial Intelligence at the Research and Training Center in Infectiology of Guinea (CERFIG), Gamal Nasser University of Cona... Show more

Biologist and Statistician, with a phD in Ecology and specialization in Data Science. Working as data analysis in public service for the past seven years.

Biologist and Statistician, with a phD in Ecology and specialization in Data Science. Working as data analysis in public service for the past seven years. Show more

I have been using Rust full-time since 2017 to design software that makes predictions for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. During my PhD and 5-year postdoc at ETH, I designed computer algebra programs that can handle massive computations involving expressions with millions of terms that can easily take up a terabyte of memory. This specialized software is based on programs from the 1990s, which are hard to use, and very hard to maintain.

At the end of 2022, I decided to design a new computer algebra package from scratch in Rust that is both easy to use and is blazing fast: Symbolica.

I have been using Rust full-time since 2017 to design software that makes predictions for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. During my PhD and 5-year postdoc at ETH, I designed computer algebra programs that can handle massive computations involving ... Show more

Angeliki Cooney has been a transformative figure in the life sciences industry for over two decades, based in Wynantskill, NY. Her career is marked by a commitment to improving the development and accessibility of innovative therapies for chronic conditions, rare diseases, and cancer.

Angeliki's professional endeavors have primarily focused on strategic consulting for biopharmaceutical companies, specializing in digital transformation, omnichannel customer engagement, and optimizing commercial strategies. She has been instrumental in developing several innovative software-as-a-service (SaaS) products for the life sciences sector, which have earned her three patents, underscoring her role as a pioneer in the field.

In her recent role as Senior Vice President of Life Sciences at Avenga, Angeliki spearheaded the company's U.S. expansion strategies. Avenga is a global digital consulting and engineering leader, partnering with some of the biggest names in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Under her leadership, the company expanded its clientele and solidified its presence in the competitive U.S. market.

Before Avenga, Angeliki served as Principal Group Lead of Commercial Excellence at Axtria, overseeing a diverse portfolio of clients across the U.S. and Europe. Her strategic initiatives and innovative engagement models contributed significantly to the company's rapid growth.

Her previous roles included Senior Director of Life Sciences Consulting at Gartner, where she bridged the gap between strategic business needs and I.T. operational solutions for life sciences clients. Angeliki also held impactful positions at New York Life Insurance, IMS Health, and Z.S. Associates, where she led digital and analytics transformations to enhance healthcare outcomes.

Angeliki's passion for pharmaceuticals was ignited during a childhood internship at her godfather's pharmacy, an experience that shaped her future career path. She pursued higher education with an MBA from Harvard Business School and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Patra, Greece.

Beyond her professional life, she is passionate about skiing, a hobby she shares with her family, inspired by her son's love for the sport. She also strongly connects to her Greek heritage, actively supporting humanitarian efforts during crises and frequently visiting Greece to stay connected with her roots and family. Angeliki Cooney's career exemplifies her dedication to driving healthcare innovation and strategic development in the life sciences industry.

Angeliki Cooney has been a transformative figure in the life sciences industry for over two decades, based in Wynantskill, NY. Her career is marked by a commitment to improving the development and accessibility of innovative therapies for chronic con... Show more

Imagining Tomorrow's Science, a Methodology for Radical Imagination in Science and Technology from today.
Radical Imagination to focus on encouraging highly creative, unconventional, or groundbreaking ideas. It implies thinking beyond traditional boundaries or norms, fostering unique solutions to scientific and technological challenges.

Imagining Tomorrow's Science, a Methodology for Radical Imagination in Science and Technology from today. Radical Imagination to focus on encouraging highly creative, unconventional, or groundbreaking ideas. It implies thinking beyond traditional bo... Show more

Mario Birkholz ist Professor für Bioelektronik an der Technischen Universität Berlin und Leiter des Joint Lab Bioelectronics IHP/TUB, das vom IHP und der TU Berlin in 2012 gegründet wurde. Als ausgebildeter Physiker kam er 2004 ans IHP, dem Leibniz-Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, wo er seitdem an den Anwendungen der Halbleiterphysik in Biotechnologie und Medizin arbeitet.
Seine Forschungsarbeiten fokussieren sich auf die Manipulation biologischer Zellen mit elektrischen Effekten sowie auf medizinische Sensoren und Implantate. Diese technischen Entwicklungen führten ihn auf die Frage der Privatheit von Gesundheitsdaten. Seine Aktivitäten betreffen deshalb zunehmend Fragen der nachhaltigen Digitalisierung und des Datenschutzes.

Mario Birkholz ist Professor für Bioelektronik an der Technischen Universität Berlin und Leiter des Joint Lab Bioelectronics IHP/TUB, das vom IHP und der TU Berlin in 2012 gegründet wurde. Als ausgebildeter Physiker kam er 2004 ans IHP, dem Leibniz-... Show more

Student der Biodiversität an der Ruhr-Uni Bochum / Uni Duisburg-Essen

Student der Biodiversität an der Ruhr-Uni Bochum / Uni Duisburg-Essen Show more

Wanda O Rly is a physicist, a teacher, a game industry professional, an angel of critical thinking and a lover of nature and humanity.

Born out of Valtteri Lahti's passion for drag art and science communication Wanda is a new, exotic, and exciting approach to making science accessible.

Education
• MSc , physics
• Subject teacher(physics , mathematics, IT)

Experience
• 4 years in the game industry, creating science oriented games (Producer, analyst, communications manager)
• 3 years in the energy industry, software designer (solar energy calculation)

Wanda O Rly is a physicist, a teacher, a game industry professional, an angel of critical thinking and a lover of nature and humanity. Born out of Valtteri Lahti's passion for drag art and science communication Wanda is a new, exotic, and exciting... Show more

Aaron Hall is a hands-on AI engineer building real-world systems at the edge of modern machine learning. As a consultant at Source Allies, he ships production-ready solutions using generative AI and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), focusing on what actually works beyond the demos. Previously, he was a Data Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, applying machine learning at scale across high-performance computing environments and contributing to open-source ML infrastructure. With a PhD in Physics and experience spanning national labs, research, and full-stack development, Aaron brings a rare blend of technical depth and pragmatic engineering, helping teams turn powerful models into reliable, high-impact products.

Aaron Hall is a hands-on AI engineer building real-world systems at the edge of modern machine learning. As a consultant at Source Allies, he ships production-ready solutions using generative AI and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), focusing on w... Show more

Oseni Ridwan Damilola is a passionate and emerging geoscientist with expertise in geospatial analysis, petrophysics, seismic interpretation, and static reservoir modeling. He holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Olabisi Onabanjo University and is currently a researcher with DigGeoNaija Limited while serving his National Youth Service at Dharmattan Nigeria Limited. Skilled in tools such as Techlog, Petrel, QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, and Google Earth Engine, he has contributed to projects on land use, geotourism, environmental conservation, well log analysis, and seismic studies, including leading geospatial initiatives for Nigeria’s first Geospatial Atlas. His research on climate change, land use dynamics, and geoheritage conservation has appeared in platforms like Urban Climate and Zenodo. Ridwan is also an active member of NAPE, AAPG, SPE, and SEG, bringing technical expertise, research insight, and leadership to advancing energy and environmental solutions.

Oseni Ridwan Damilola is a passionate and emerging geoscientist with expertise in geospatial analysis, petrophysics, seismic interpretation, and static reservoir modeling. He holds a B.Sc. in Geology from Olabisi Onabanjo University and is currently ... Show more

Maria graduated in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology at Politecnico di Milano in 2023. During her studies she had the opportunity to work at University of Stuttgart, where she carried out her master thesis regarding the removal of heavy metals from wastewater by exploiting the action of microalgae. Maria is currently a PhD student and her research focuses on the recovery of metals from waste of electric and electronic equipment.

Maria graduated in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology at Politecnico di Milano in 2023. During her studies she had the opportunity to work at University of Stuttgart, where she carried out her master thesis regarding the removal of heavy metals... Show more

I am a doctoral student in Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics with the HYMNS-ERC group at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a joint research center of UV-CSIC. I am also part of the n_TOF collaboration at CERN, where I'm doing my thesis.

I’m a graduate of the Erasmus Mundus program in Nuclear Physics, a highly international program that provided the opportunity to collaborate across European institutions, specialising in Experiments, Instrumentation, and Large Accelerators. Additionally, I am an Intel Certified Instructor (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/community/experts-gameiro.html) for oneAPI, based on the open industry standard for heterogeneous computing, where I share knowledge on effective and efficient computational techniques for modern scientific computing.

My interests lie at the intersection of physics, nuclear science, scientific computation, heterogeneous computing, and open-source software. I am passionate about advancing research through computational innovation and sharing tools that can enhance collaboration within the scientific community.

I am a doctoral student in Experimental Nuclear Astrophysics with the HYMNS-ERC group at the Institute of Corpuscular Physics (IFIC), a joint research center of UV-CSIC. I am also part of the n_TOF collaboration at CERN, where I'm doing my thesis. ... Show more

Samuel Tobler is a postdoctoral researcher focusing on the use of narratives and storytelling as well as machine learning and generative AI in education.

Samuel Tobler is a postdoctoral researcher focusing on the use of narratives and storytelling as well as machine learning and generative AI in education. Show more

Diploma in Biology (Aquatic Ecology)
PhD about algal bloom forecasting
Senior scientist in aquatic ecology, ecological modelling and environmental statistics
Research on lake and river ecology and the impact of climate warming

Diploma in Biology (Aquatic Ecology) PhD about algal bloom forecasting Senior scientist in aquatic ecology, ecological modelling and environmental statistics Research on lake and river ecology and the impact of climate warming Show more

Vincenzo Gioia is a research assistant at the Department of Economic, Business, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences of the University of Trieste, Italy.
He received the PhD in Managerial and Actuarial Sciences, curriculum in Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, from the University of Udine in 2023.
His research interests range from asymptotic methods to semi-parametric regression modelling techniques, with particular emphasis on statistical computing and applications in engineering, economics, environmental and life sciences.

Vincenzo Gioia is a research assistant at the Department of Economic, Business, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences of the University of Trieste, Italy. He received the PhD in Managerial and Actuarial Sciences, curriculum in Statistics and Actuar... Show more