Speakers

Here is our line-up of experts and thought leaders who will challenge us at WiDS Athens 2021

Keynote Speakers

Maria Fasli

UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science
University of Essex, UK

Short CV

Prof Maria Fasli is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health at the University of Essex, UK and the Director of the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (BLG DRC). She was the founding Director of the Institute for Analytics and Data Science (IADS) (2014-19) and prior to that was the Head of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (2009-14) at the University of Essex. She obtained her BSc in Informatics from the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Department of Informatics, Greece in 1996 and her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Essex in 2000 working specialising in Artificial Intelligence. She has held an academic position at the University of Essex since 2000 and has held various departmental and University level roles. In 2005, she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) by the Higher Education Academy UK for her novel approaches to education and supporting the student experience. In 2016, she was awarded the first UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science to support the development of skills and research capacity in data science, analytics and artificial intelligence internationally and in developing countries in particular. Her research interests lie in artificial intelligence techniques for complex systems and analysing and modelling structured/unstructured data for a range of applications. Her research has been funded by Research Councils and other organisations (over £8M to date) and she has worked with a range of companies and public sector organisations in data analytics and artificial intelligence related projects. She has published over 130 papers in the field of AI and data science and has delivered keynote talks at international conferences and other events.

Prof Maria Fasli is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health at the University of Essex, UK and the Director of the ESRC Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (BLG DRC).
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She was the founding Director of the Institute for Analytics and Data Science (IADS) (2014-19) and prior to that was the Head of the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering (2009-14) at the University of Essex. She obtained her BSc in Informatics from the Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Department of Informatics, Greece in 1996 and her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Essex in 2000 working specialising in Artificial Intelligence. She has held an academic position at the University of Essex since 2000 and has held various departmental and University level roles. In 2005, she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) by the Higher Education Academy UK for her novel approaches to education and supporting the student experience. In 2016, she was awarded the first UNESCO Chair in Analytics and Data Science to support the development of skills and research capacity in data science, analytics and artificial intelligence internationally and in developing countries in particular. Her research interests lie in artificial intelligence techniques for complex systems and analysing and modelling structured/unstructured data for a range of applications. Her research has been funded by Research Councils and other organisations (over £8M to date) and she has worked with a range of companies and public sector organisations in data analytics and artificial intelligence related projects. She has published over 130 papers in the field of AI and data science and has delivered keynote talks at international conferences and other events.

Short CV

Mrs Ioanna Koutrouvis is the main partner and Managing Director of PREDICTA S.A. She has over 40 years experience in the area of data analysis through several professional positions in Greece and in the UK, as well as more than 25 years experience in senior managerial positions. She has earned postgraduate degrees in Statistical Analysis from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and from Brunel University, as well as a Bachelor degree in Economics from the University of Athens.

Ioanna Koutrouvis

Managing Director
PREDICTA S.A.
Greece

Vana Sypsa

Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics
University of Athens, Greece

Short CV

Vana Sypsa is Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics in the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She obtained her first Degree in Mathematics from the National and Kapodistrian Univesity of Athens, an MSc in Biometry from the University of Reading, UK and a Doctoral Degree from the Medical School of the University of Athens. She was trained in the Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College, UK. Her research interests include the epidemiology and mathematical modeling of infectious diseases. She was President of the International Society for Clinical Biostatistics (ISCB) in 2019-2020. She is a member of the National Scientific Committee of experts of the Ministry of Health for COVID-19 in Greece. Her work during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on the use of mathematical modeling to obtain estimates for the course of the epidemic and to assess the impact of interventions.

Vana Sypsa is Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics in the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
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She obtained her first Degree in Mathematics from the National and Kapodistrian Univesity of Athens, an MSc in Biometry from the University of Reading, UK and a Doctoral Degree from the Medical School of the University of Athens. She was trained in the Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College, UK. Her research interests include the epidemiology and mathematical modeling of infectious diseases. She was President of the International Society for Clinical Biostatistics (ISCB) in 2019-2020. She is a member of the National Scientific Committee of experts of the Ministry of Health for COVID-19 in Greece. Her work during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on the use of mathematical modeling to obtain estimates for the course of the epidemic and to assess the impact of interventions.