Meryem Yücel
Dr. Meryem Ayşe Yücel is a Research Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Technical Director of the Neurophotonics Center at Boston University. She is widely recognized for her contributions to functional near-infrared spectroscopy, particularly in advancing signal processing methods, analytical rigor, and best practices that strengthen methodological standards and inclusivity in neuroimaging. Her work bridges foundational methodological advances with cognitive, clinical, and real-world neuroscience applications, with a strong emphasis on open science and community-driven efforts within the Society for fNIRS. She also serves in editorial and leadership roles across the neurophotonics community.
Luca Pollonini
Luca Pollonini is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Engineering Technology at the University of Houston, where he directs the Optical Bioimaging Lab. He earned his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (2000) and Ph.D. in Information Engineering (2004) at the University of Brescia (Italy). In 2022, he was awarded a U.S. Fulbright Scholarship and was elected a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors. His primary area of research is optical neuroimaging using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), where he contributes to the development of novel instruments, analytical methods, and scientific and clinical applications. His research has been funded primarily by the NIH and NSF, and he has published 40 journal articles and holds 6 patents. He is also an active member of the Society for functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, where he serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the Communications Committee.