12th ACM International Conference on Nanoscale Computing and Communication
Chengdu, China, October 23-25, 2025
12th ACM International Conference on Nanoscale Computing and Communication
Chengdu, China, October 23-25, 2025
Keynote Speakers
| Keynote 1: The Future of Molecular Communication Research | |
| Session Chair: TBD | |
| Time: Thursday, October 23 - 9:00-10:00 (UTC+8:00) | |
 |
Robert Schober
Professor |
Over the past two decades, synthetic molecular communications (MC) has emerged as a new field of research in information theory and communication engineering with strong links to several other disciplines, including biology, nanotechnology, and medicine. MC is expected to provide connectivity in environments that are not suitable for conventional communication systems based on electromagnetic waves, such as the human cardiovascular system, bioprocesses, and water pipes, and facilitate novel applications such as the Internet of BioNanoThings (IoBNT), targeted drug delivery, and interfacing with animals and plants.
While much of the ground-breaking initial research was theoretical and “blue sky”, now the time has come for application-motivated theoretical and experimental research. This paradigm shift requires interdisciplinary collaboration between experts from different fields and corresponding concepts for graduate student training.
In this talk, we will outline our vision for the future of MC research and education. To this end, two large-scale research projects on synthetic MC that were recently funded in Germany will be presented. These interdisciplinary projects feature a tight integration of theoretical and experimental research, dedicated graduate student training concepts, and concrete application scenarios. To substantiate the proposed vision, exemplary results targeting bioprocess engineering, targeted drug delivery, and pest control will be presented.
It is hoped that the talk will motivate the pursuit of application-oriented MC research and provide ideas for corresponding grant applications.
Short Biography
Robert Schober (Fellow, IEEE) received the Diploma and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany, in 1997 and 2000, respectively.
From 2002 to 2011, he was a Professor and a Canada Research Chair with the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Since January 2012, he has been an Alexander von Humboldt Professor and the Chair for Digital Communication with FAU. His research interests fall into the broad areas of communication theory, wireless and molecular communications, and statistical signal processing.
Prof. Schober received several awards for his work including the 2002 Heinz Maier Leibnitz Award of the German Science Foundation, the 2004 Innovations Award of the Vodafone Foundation for Research in Mobile Communications, the 2006 UBC Killam Research Prize, the 2007 Wilhelm Friedrich Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the 2008 Charles McDowell Award for Excellence in Research from UBC, the 2011 Alexander von Humboldt Professorship, the 2012 NSERC E.W.R. Stacie Fellowship, the 2017 Wireless Communications Recognition Award by the IEEE Wireless Communications Technical Committee, the 2021 ACM NanoCom Milestone Award, the 2022 IEEE Vehicular Technology Society Stuart F. Meyer Memorial Award, and a Honorary Doctorate from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2024. Furthermore, he received numerous Best Paper Awards for his work including the 2022 ComSoc Stephen O. Rice Prize and the 2023 ComSoc Leonard G. Abraham Prize. Since 2017, he has been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by the Web of Science. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Engineering Institute of Canada, a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Academia Europaea, the German National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech), and the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina). He served as an Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Transactions on Communications, VP Publications of the IEEE Communication Society (ComSoc), ComSoc Member at Large, and ComSoc Treasurer. He currently serves as a Senior Editor for Proceedings of the IEEE and as a ComSoc President.
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Header Background: Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Photo by Sean Pavone)