Data, Software, and AI: Fundamentals, Data-Driven Learning, and AI Development

Ass.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Michael Vierhauser

Michael Vierhauser is an assistant professor at the Institute of Computer Science in the Quality Engineering research group, where he conducts research in the field of software quality. His work focuses, among other things, on innovative methods and tools for improving the quality of software systems, with an emphasis on safety-critical and adaptive cyber-physical systems. In addition, he conducts research in the field of computer science education, particularly in competency-based learning and the improvement of programming education. As part of an Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund, he spent two years as a visiting researcher at the University of Notre Dame in the United States.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ruth Breu

Ruth Breu is the head of the Quality Engineering research group at the Institute of Computer Science. She monitors technological developments and, together with her team, contributes to making these technologies usable for industrial applications. She places a particular focus on the quality attributes of software services, such as security, reliability, and performance. Methodologically, Ruth Breu is active in requirements management and system modeling. She has developed internationally recognized and widely used methods in the field of digital twins and living models. She has received numerous awards for her achievements in software engineering, including the Austrian Phönix Startup Award in 2019 and the Albert Endres Award from the German Chapter of the ACM in 2023.

Benedikt Dornauer, BSc MSc

After a brief stint as a teacher of mathematics and computer science, Benedikt Dornauer returned to the University of Innsbruck, where he worked as a project staff member on the SmartDelta project, which focused on automated quality assurance and optimization in the incremental development of industrial software systems. In addition, he has taught at various institutes, including courses in Introduction to Programming, Applied Computer Science, Software Quality, and Current Topics in Information Systems, with a focus on Digital Organizations. Since late 2024, he has served as the national project manager and international work package leader for the GENIUS project, which investigates the use of artificial intelligence in various phases of software development.

Dipl.-Ing. Nadja Gruber, BSc PhD

Nadja Gruber earned her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Innsbruck in 2024, focusing on AI and deep learning methods for medical image analysis. She developed an AI-based approach for the automated analysis of brain regions in premature infants, which has been successfully integrated into clinical workflows. She is currently conducting research on AI-based image reconstruction and MRI-assisted analysis of premature infants, with a focus on robust, scalable, and practical algorithms for medicine and medtech. In addition to her research, she has many years of teaching experience at the university and instructs students on practical topics in image processing, applied AI, and mathematical methods in data science. Furthermore, she has conducted workshops and introductory AI programs in schools to inspire young people early on about the technologies of the future and to foster a fundamental understanding of the responsible use of AI systems.