Valentina Franzoni | Complex networks | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Valentina Franzoni | Complex networks | Best Researcher Award

professorĀ at University of Perugia, Italy

Dr. Valentina Franzoni is a tenure-track professor at the University of Perugia, specializing in Artificial Intelligence, Affective Computing, and Human-Computer Interaction. With a PhD in Computer Engineering from La Sapienza University of Rome, she leads research in Affective Computing and Ethics for AI, contributing to multidisciplinary projects and initiatives such as the EmoRe team and KITlab. She also teaches at Hong Kong Baptist University and collaborates with Gumilyov Eurasian University. An accomplished researcher with 72 publications and over 979 citations, Dr. Franzoni is a keynote speaker, organizer of international conferences, and a senior IEEE member with a strong interdisciplinary background in psychology, philosophy, and ethics.

Publication profile

Education and Specializations

Ph.D. in Computer Engineering (La Sapienza University of Rome, Italy) Thesis: ā€œA Unifying Approach to Semantic and Topological Similarity in Information Networksā€ Supervisors: Marco Schaerf, Daniele Nardi. Masterā€™s Degree in Computer Science (University of Perugia, Italy, with honors, 110/110 cum laude) Thesis: ā€œSemantic Proximity Measures for the Webā€. Bachelorā€™s Degree in Computer Science (University of Perugia, Italy) Thesis: ā€œWeb Usability on the Nintendo Wii Platformā€. Liberal Studies Diploma (Liceo Classico ā€œAnnibale Mariottiā€, Perugia, Italy)

Professional Experience

Tenure-Track Professor (University of Perugia, Italy) Courses: Artificial Intelligence, Affective Computing, Human-Computer Interaction. Responsibilities: Leads research on Affective Computing and Ethics for AI (EmoRe), coordinates data analysis in multidisciplinary projects, involved in communication and outreach, and setting up a university spin-off in AI and Affective Computing.. Lecturer (Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong) Courses: E-Business Technology, Electronic Transformation in Business Agreement Duration: 2021-2024 External Teacher and Consultant (Gumilyov Eurasian University, Kazakhstan) Roles: Advisor to Ph.D. candidates Coordinator and Senior Visiting Research Assistant (Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong) Roles: Coordinator of HKBU-Unipg summer exchange programme (2012-2017), Senior Visiting Research Assistant (2012, 2016)

Research and Grants

Current Projects: Work Package Coordinator for the ā€œ1.1 Organoidsā€ project on data analysis and bioinformatics.. Leader of Affective Computing and Emotion Recognition research group at University of Perugia.. Past Grants:. Funding for e-learning research (PRIN ā€œPHRAMEā€ project) Scholarships for various international conferences and summer schools. Research grants for projects on e-learning and semantic annotation

Academic and Professional Activities

Conferences and Workshops: Organizer and keynote speaker at various events related to AI, affective computing, and ethics. Publications: Articles: 72 indexed in international journals and conference proceedings Book Chapters: 2 scientific, 1 educational Citations: Over 979; H-index: 20 (Scopus, July 2024) Editorial and Review Roles: Guest editor, reviewer for scientific journals, senior IEEE member

Educational and Training Activities

Courses: Attended various summer schools and training in Open Science, Reasoning Web, Mathematics, and more.. Additional Education: Courses in theology, philosophy, and psychology from Theological Institute of Assisi and University of Perugia.

Graduate and PhD Thesis Supervision šŸŽ“

Zhanerke Musekenova: Intelligent document management system (2020). Gaukhar Baltabayeva: Intelligent video surveillance system (2020). Giulio Biondi: Meta-Correlations for Link Prediction (2021). Andrea Migni: Intelligent search on didactic-scientific repositories (May 2019). Giulio Biondi: Semantic and topological proximity in link prediction (April 2017). Gianluca Curto: Randomized Walk Generation Strategies for Recommendation Systems (July 2016). Paolo Mengoni: Semantic Proximity Measures in Collaborative Networks (February 2014). Marco Mencacci: Randomized Paths in Collaborative Networks (February 2014). Fabrizio Piccinato: Visual Interfaces for E-learning Platforms (May 2014). Fabiana Zollo: Automated Classification on the book social network Zazie (May 2013). Sabrina Manni: Information Security in Cloud Computing (May 2013)

Awards and Acknowledgements šŸ†

  • Best Paper Award
    • Title: ā€œSemantic Similarity Measures for Topological Link Predictionā€
    • Event: International Conference of Computer Science and Its Applications (ICCSA)
    • Date: July 1-4, 2020
    • Location: Cagliari, Italy
  • Leadership Certificate
    • Event: 19th International Conference on Computational Science and Applications (ICCSA) and associated workshops (ACER-EMORE and IWCES)
    • Date: July 1-5, 2019
    • Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia
    • Recognition: Outstanding contribution
  • Certificate for Workshop Organizers
    • Event: Affective Computing and Emotion Recognition (ACER)
    • Affiliation: IEEE/WIC/ACM WI 2017
    • Date: 2017
    • Location: Leipzig University
  • Leadership Certificate
    • Event: 17th International Conference on Computational Science and Applications (ICCSA) and associated workshops (EMORE and IWCES)
    • Date: July 3-6, 2017
    • Location: Trieste, Italy
    • Recognition: Outstanding contribution
  • Award for Excellent Contribution
    • Recognition: 5-years coordination of the HKBU-UNIPG International Exchange Programme
    • Date: 2016
    • Affiliation: University of Perugia and Hong Kong Baptist University
  • FSE Awards 2014, III Prize
    • Category: Young researchers and mobility
    • Project: Por Umbria FSE “iLearn: usability metrics and developing protocols for e-learning on innovative mobile devices”
    • Region: Umbria
  • Award for Outstanding Coordination
    • Event: HKBU-UNIPG International Exchange Programme
    • Date: 2014
    • Affiliation: University of Perugia and Hong Kong Baptist University
  • Award for Outstanding Coordination
    • Event: HKBU-UNIPG International Exchange Programme
    • Date: 2013
    • Affiliation: University of Perugia and Hong Kong Baptist University

 

Publication

  1. A deep learning semantic approach to emotion recognition using the IBM Watson Bluemix Alchemy language
    Journal: Computational Science and Its Applications ā€“ ICCSA 2017: 17th International
    Year: 2017
    Citations: 51
    Contributors: G Biondi, V Franzoni, V Poggioni

 

  1. Context-based image semantic similarity
    Conference: 2015 12th International Conference on Fuzzy Systems and Knowledge Discovery
    Year: 2015
    Citations: 48
    Contributors: V Franzoni, A Milani, S Pallottelli, CHC Leung, Y Li

 

  1. Web-based similarity for emotion recognition in web objects
    Conference: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Utility and Cloud
    Year: 2016
    Citations: 47
    Contributors: G Biondi, V Franzoni, Y Li, A Milani

 

  1. PMING distance: a collaborative semantic proximity measure
    Conference: 2012 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conferences on Web Intelligence and
    Year: 2012
    Citations: 47
    Contributors: V Franzoni, A Milani

 

  1. Artificial Intelligence Visual Metaphors in E-Learning Interfaces for Learning Analytics
    Journal: Applied Sciences
    Year: 2020
    Citations: 44
    Contributors: V Franzoni, A Milani, P Mengoni, F Piccinato
  1. Semantic context extraction from collaborative networks
    Conference: Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD), 2015 IEEE 19th
    Year: 2015
    Citations: 31
    Contributors: V Franzoni, A Milani

 

  1. Multi-path traces in semantic graphs for latent knowledge elicitation
    Conference: Natural Computation (ICNC), 2015 11th International Conference
    Year: 2015
    Citations: 28
    Contributors: V Franzoni, A Milani, S Pallottelli

 

  1. Semantic Heuristic Search in Collaborative Networks: Measures and Contexts
    Conference: 2014 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Joint Conferences on Web Intelligence (WI)
    Year: 2014
    Citations: 28
    Contributors: Franzoni V., Mencacci M., Mengoni P., Milani A.

 

  1. Heuristics for semantic path search in Wikipedia
    Conference: International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications
    Year: 2014
    Citations: 27
    Contributors: V Franzoni, M Mencacci, P Mengoni, A Milani

Conclusion šŸ“

The candidate demonstrates outstanding qualifications for the Best Researcher Award, with a distinguished educational background, extensive professional experience, and a significant record of research achievements. Their leadership in research and contributions to the academic community are commendable. To further strengthen their profile, focusing on expanding their research scope, increasing collaborations, and enhancing public outreach would be beneficial. Overall, their accomplishments and ongoing contributions position them as a leading candidate for the award.

Alessia Annibale | Statistical Physics | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Alessia Annibale | Statistical Physics | Best Researcher Award

Dr, King’s College London, United Kingdom

šŸ‘©ā€šŸ”¬Dr. Annibale, a Senior Lecturer at Kingā€™s College London, emerged from the esteemed group of Nobel laureate Giorgio Parisi at Sapienza University in Rome. Renowned for her groundbreaking contributions to spin-glasses, complex networks, and nonequilibrium statistical physics, she excels in both theoretical frameworks and practical algorithms. Her recent book, co-authored for Oxford University Press, delves into the intricacies of complex networks theory. With expertise in statistical mechanics, she investigates how network structures impact diverse processes like information processing and epidemic spreading. Dr. Annibale pioneers statistical physics methods in understanding the resilience of parallel information processing in machine learning. Exploring biological information processing systems, she utilizes spin-glasses and neural networks theory to decipher cellular thinking and gene-regulatory networks. Her work, published in esteemed journals and recognized in editorā€™s selections nine times, recently earned her a provisional selection for the Best Researcher Award at the International Young Scientist Awards. Her groundbreaking research on dynamically selected steady states in non-reciprocal networks expands the understanding of disordered systems, bridging equilibrium spin-glasses and dynamical systems theory.šŸŒŸ

Profile

Scopus

Orcid

Scholar

Main Research Themes and Expertise šŸ§ šŸ”¬

  1. Equilibrium Analysis of Complex Systems
    • Investigates processes on networks such as spin models, Kuramoto oscillators, and epidemic spreading.
    • Explores disordered systems including Neural Networks and Spin-glasses, employing supersymmetric approaches.
  2. Non-equilibrium Analysis of Complex Systems
    • Develops methods like Dynamical cavity and Generating functional analysis.
    • Applies Markov models to stochastic trajectories, studying aggregation, fragmentation, and exchange processes.
    • Examines glassy dynamics, coarsening processes, and fluctuation-dissipation violations.
  3. Networks and Graphs
    • Utilizes null models for network characterization and studies network dynamics.
    • Investigates sampling and inference techniques in network analysis.

Education šŸ“š

PhD in Applied Mathematics, King’s College London (UK), 2004-2007 Thesis on fluctuation-dissipation relations and heterogeneities in coarsening systems. MSci in Theoretical Physics, University of Rome (Italy), 1998-2003 Explored the complexity in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model using supersymmetric calculations.

Academic Employment šŸ’¼

Senior Lecturer at Kingā€™s College London, with extensive teaching and supervisory roles. Directed and coordinated various academic programs and doctoral training initiatives.

Key Duties

  1. Leadership roles in academic programs and doctoral training initiatives.
  2. Extensive teaching and supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
  3. Involvement in research projects and committees.

Publications Top Notes šŸ“

  1. Title: Immune networks: multitasking capabilities near saturation
    • Authors: E Agliari, A Annibale, A Barra, ACC Coolen, D Tantari
    • Journal: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    • Year: 2013
    • Volume: 46
    • Issue: 41
    • Pages: 415003
    • Citations: 76

 

  1. Title: Constrained Markovian dynamics of random graphs
    • Authors: ACC Coolen, A De Martino, A Annibale
    • Journal: Journal of Statistical Physics
    • Year: 2009
    • Volume: 136
    • Pages: 1035-1067
    • Citations: 65

 

  1. Title: Tailored graph ensembles as proxies or null models for real networks I: tools for quantifying structure
    • Authors: A Annibale, ACC Coolen, LP Fernandes, F Fraternali, J Kleinjung
    • Journal: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    • Year: 2009
    • Volume: 42
    • Issue: 48
    • Pages: 485001
    • Citations: 61

 

  1. Title: Extensive parallel processing on scale-free networks
    • Authors: P Sollich, D Tantari, A Annibale, A Barra
    • Journal: Physical review letters
    • Year: 2014
    • Volume: 113
    • Issue: 23
    • Pages: 238106
    • Citations: 60

 

  1. Title: Immune networks: multi-tasking capabilities at medium load
    • Authors: E Agliari, A Annibale, A Barra, ACC Coolen, D Tantari
    • Journal: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    • Year: 2013
    • Volume: 46
    • Issue: 33
    • Pages: 335101
    • Citations: 38

 

  1. Title: Spin, bond and global fluctuationā€“dissipation relations in the non-equilibrium spherical ferromagnet
    • Authors: A Annibale, P Sollich
    • Journal: Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General
    • Year: 2006
    • Volume: 39
    • Issue: 12
    • Pages: 2853
    • Citations: 36

 

  1. Title: Protein networks reveal detection bias and species consistency when analysed by information-theoretic methods
    • Authors: LP Fernandes, A Annibale, J Kleinjung, ACC Coolen, F Fraternali
    • Journal: PloS one
    • Year: 2010
    • Volume: 5
    • Issue: 8
    • Pages: e12083
    • Citations: 30