Ross Gore, PhD, is a research associate professor at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) at Old Dominion University (ODU). He holds a doctorate of philosophy (PhD) and a master's degree in computer science from the University of Virginia (UVA), as well as a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Richmond (UR). His current work focuses on data science and predictive analytics. Dr. Gore is passionate about extracting useful information from new and diverse data sources to help inform decision making. The domains of the decisions can vary from public health and city planning to risk assessments related to cyber and terrorist attacks. Typical research engagements involve in-person dialogue with stakeholders to understand the problem at hand, followed by an exploration of problem-specific data, including existing data that have been collected, publicly available data, and the design of new data collection methods. Analytical insight is then produced iteratively through a series of rapid prototypes that enable the stakeholders to provide actionable feedback.

Michael Safaee is a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of spinal disorders. He has a special interest in scoliosis, kyphosis, and revision surgery. His research is centered on surgical outcomes in adult spinal deformity, with a particular interest in biological aging and its role in surgical risk assessment.  He earned his medical degree from UCLA, followed by a residency in neurosurgery at UC San Francisco and a fellowship in orthopedic spine surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Christopher J. Lynch is a research assistant professor at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC) and a certified cloud practitioner. With over a decade of expertise and a PhD in modeling and simulation from Old Dominion University (ODU), he specializes in bridging technical innovation with real-world applications in data science, artificial intelligence, and modeling and simulation. An award-winning researcher, Dr. Lynch was honored with the Young Simulation Scientist Award (2022) by the Society for Modeling and Simulation International (SCS) for his groundbreaking contributions to simulation science. His research focuses on explainable AI, simulation systems, and large language models (LLMs), developing systems that are transparent, inclusive, and trustworthy. As the leader of VMASC's Data Analytics Working Group, he pioneers new methods for analyzing simulation results, connecting insights from data to practical applications for informed decision-making and community support. Dr. Lynch serves as an associate editor of the ACM SIGSIM Modeling & Simulation Knowledge Repository, and he is an active member of SCS. Through his research, publications, and collaborations, he strives to make technology more equitable, transparent, and impactful.

Dr. Christopher Ames is a neurosurgeon who specializes in caring for patients with tumors, scoliosis (sideways curvature of the spine), and kyphosis (curvature of the upper back). He is recognized by the Chordoma Foundation for his expertise in chordoma (a cancerous tumor that grows along the spine). He also has advanced knowledge of chondrosarcoma (a rare bone cancer that starts in cartilage cells), giant cell tumor (an aggressive, noncancerous tumor), soft tissue sarcoma (cancer affecting connective tissues), and sacral tumors (those affecting the sacrum, a bone at the base of the spine). Ames directs surgery for spinal tumors and spinal deformities at UCSF. A co-director of the UCSF Spine Center, he co-directs the high-risk spine service and neuro-spinal disorders program. In addition, he directs UCSF's neurosurgical spinal deformity service, which performs more than 200 procedures each year to correct scoliosis, kyphosis, flat back syndrome, and chin-on-chest deformity in ankylosing spondylitis (a form of arthritis affecting the spine). Ames directs UCSF's spinal biomechanics laboratory. He serves as the UCSF site director for the International Spine Study Group, as well as for the multicenter, international Scoli-RISK-1 study sponsored by the AO Foundation in collaboration with the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), which is looking at neurological complications following spinal deformity surgery.