Katerina-Marina Pilala holds a B.Sc in Biology and an M.Sc. in Clinical Biochemistry–Molecular Diagnostics, both from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). Exploring the molecular and biochemical landscape of human malignancies to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and precision medicine approaches emerged as an exciting part of her research interests and led her to pursue a Ph.D. in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, NKUA, under the supervision of Professor Andreas Scorilas. Her Ph.D.  thesis, titled Study and Clinical Evaluation of Epigenetic Modifications in Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma, focuses on the underlying epigenetic mechanisms driving bladder cancer progression. The primary objective of her research is to identify novel DNA methylation markers with clinical relevance for patient prognosis and treatment outcomes.

As a Fulbright Visiting Research Student, Katerina-Marina will conduct a six-month research stay at University of Miami, to advance her research under the supervision of Professor Maria Figueroa. During this academic visit, she will explore innovative epigenome engineering strategies, specifically utilizing CRISPR/dCas9 technologies, to perform targeted methylation and demethylation editing of the promoter regions of key epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-regulatory miRNAs. This approach aims to restore normal epigenetic patterns, modulate gene expression, reverse the epithelial–mesenchymal transition, and potentially unveil novel therapeutic avenues for bladder cancer. Overall, this experience significantly enhances the scientific impact of her Ph.D. thesis and contributes to the advancement of translational cancer research, particularly in bladder cancer therapeutics. This training also strengthens academic and research collaboration between Greek and U.S. institutions, paving the way for future joint initiatives that will benefit both research communities.

Georgia Argyropoulou, is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Patras. Her research focuses on atmospheric studies, with a particular emphasis on ultrafine particles—the smallest size range of airborne particulate matter. These atmospheric nanoparticles are closely linked to adverse human health effects, and emerging evidence suggests they may pose an even greater risk due to their ability to reach sensitive organs such as the brain.

As part of the final phase of her Ph.D. thesis, she will be conducting research at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, CA. The primary objective of this work is to evaluate the impact of various—particularly numerous local anthropogenic—sources on the chemical composition, characteristics, and toxicity of ultrafine atmospheric particles in a densely urbanized environment. Her research aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how the toxicity of ultrafine particles relates to their chemical makeup and, most importantly, their sources, supporting efforts to improve air quality and public health outcomes.

Stamatina Barakou is an R&D Engineer and a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens in the Intelligent Robotics and Automation Laboratory (IRAL), under the supervision of A.Professor Costas Tzafestas. She holds a Production Engineering and Management Diploma (5 years) from the Technical University of Crete and a Master's degree in Robotics from the National Technical University of Athens. She is a teaching assistant in IRAL and has also worked at mobile and aerial robotics companies. Her doctoral research focuses on multi-robot platform aerial manipulation — specifically on how multiple drones equipped with robotic arms of different degrees-of-freedom can work together to manipulate objects that are too heavy or too large for a single drone to handle. A direct application of such a 'multi-drone system' is to deliver emergency supplies to inaccessible areas after a natural disaster, or to assemble structures at construction sites, capable of assisting humans in demanding scenarios. The challenges are substantial: sophisticated control algorithms, real-time communication, and robust systems that can adapt to dynamic environments. A comprehensive analysis was published as an article in the peer-reviewed journal MDPI Drones in 2024.

As a Fulbright Visiting Research Student, Stamatina will spend a 6-month period at the University of Denver in the Unmanned Systems Research Institute of the School of Engineering and Computer Science, under the supervision of Professor Kimon Valavanis. During this period, she will bridge the gap from theory to real-life implementation; advancing from complete theoretical model development of this multidisciplinary field to practical, deployment-ready demonstrations, making significant contributions to the field and therefore benefiting society nationally and globally.

Stavroula Tassi was born in Corfu in 1994. She received her Diploma (five-year program) from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Patras in 2019. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics at the same institution. Since 2020, she has also been collaborating with the Unit of Medical Technology and Intelligent Information Systems (MEDLAB) at the University of Ioannina. Her research interests include machine learning, network science, biomedical engineering, and data science. Recently, she has been focusing on collaborative interactions in high-dimensional data, hypergraph analysis, and diagnostic and predictive models.

Theologos Anthimopoulos graduated from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Thessaly, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki's Department of Informatics. His research is dedicated to the areas of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, which can solve real world problems. Theologos is also highly motivated to contribute to the areas of embedded software engineering to create optimized software systems, with the aim of developing sustainable AI.