Dr. Juan Lei, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China

Juan Lei was born in Shaanxi, She received her B.S. degree in Electronic Information Science and Technology from Northwest University, Xi’an, China, in 2008, and her M.S. degree from Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, China, in 2013. Since September 2018, she has been pursuing a Ph.D. at Northwestern Polytechnical University. Her primary research interests include image processing and deep learning, with a particular focus on underwater sonar signal processing. With expertise in Underwater Unmanned Vehicles and on-board sensors, she has been actively engaged in the development of underwater image recognition and segmentation technologies. She also serves as the Deputy General Manager of Xi’an Tianhe Maritime Technology Co. Ltd., a company dedicated to researching and manufacturing underwater robots and sensor-equipped devices for acquiring underwater images and data.

Professional Profile:

Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award

Juan Lei has demonstrated a strong commitment to research in the field of image processing, deep learning, and underwater sonar signal processing. Her academic journey, from obtaining a B.S. in Electronic Information Science and Technology to an ongoing Ph.D. at Northwestern Polytechnic University, highlights her dedication to advancing scientific knowledge.

📚 Education:

🎓 B.S. in Electronic Information Science and Technology – Northwest University, Xi’an, China (2008)

🎓 M.S. in [Electronic/Engineering Field] – Northwestern Polytechnic University, Xi’an, China (2013)

🎓 Ph.D. Candidate in [Relevant Field] – Northwestern Polytechnic University, Xi’an, China (2018–Present)

Assist. Prof. Dr. Yakun Ju | Marine Imaging | Best Researcher Award

Assist. Prof. Dr. Yakun Ju, University of Leicester, United Kingdom

Dr. Yakun Ju is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) at the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Leicester, UK. He previously held research positions at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, working on deep learning, 3D reconstruction, computational imaging, medical image processing, and underwater vision. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Ocean University of China under the supervision of Prof. Junyu Dong and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Sichuan University. Dr. Ju is actively involved in academic service, serving as an Associate Editor for Neurocomputing and Intelligent Marine Technology and Systems and on the editorial boards of Applied Soft Computing, Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, and PLOS ONE. His contributions extend to guest editing special issues in Computer Vision and Image Understanding, Frontiers in Marine Science, and Remote Sensing, focusing on advanced computational imaging and 3D reconstruction.

Professional Profile:

GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award – Yakun Ju

Dr. Yakun Ju is an emerging and highly accomplished researcher in Deep Learning, 3D Reconstruction, Computational Imaging, and Medical Image Processing. His rapid academic progression, prestigious research positions, and strong publication and editorial contributions make him a strong candidate for the Best Researcher Award.

🎓 Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science (2016 – 2022) – Ocean University of China, supervised by Prof. Junyu Dong
Bachelor of Engineering (2012 – 2016) – Sichuan University

💼 Work Experience

Lecturer (Assistant Professor) – University of Leicester, UK (11/2024 – Present)
Research Fellow – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (09/2023 – 11/2024)
- Worked at the Rapid-Rich Object Search (ROSE) Lab with Prof. Alex C. Kot
Postdoctoral Fellow – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR (09/2022 – 09/2023)
- Worked at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Prof. Kin-Man Lam
Research Assistant – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR (01/2021 – 07/2021)
- Worked with Prof. Kin-Man Lam
Visiting Scholar – Peking University, China (09/2020 – 12/2020)
- Worked at the Wangxuan Institute of Computer Technology with Prof. Yuxin Peng

🏆 Achievements, Awards, and Honors

Associate Editor – Neurocomputing (01/2025 – Present)
Associate Editor – Intelligent Marine Technology and Systems (11/2023 – Present)
Editorial Board Member – Applied Soft Computing (02/2025 – Present)
Editorial Board Member – Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence (06/2024 – Present)
Editorial Board Member – PLOS ONE (04/2024 – Present)
Guest Editor – Computer Vision and Image Understanding (CVIU) Special Issue: Advanced Computational Imaging and Photography Measurement (03/2024 – 09/2024)
Guest Editor – Frontier in Marine Science Special Issue: Underwater Visual Signal Processing in the Data-Driven Era (08/2024 – 01/2025)
Guest Editor – Remote Sensing Special Issue: Remote Sensing Techniques for 3D Reconstruction and Multimodal Structural Analysis

🔬 Research Interests

Deep Learning
3D Reconstruction
Computational Imaging
Medical Image Processing
Underwater Vision

Publication Top Notes:

Efficient inductive vision transformer for oriented object detection in remote sensing imagery

CITED:75

Recovering surface normal and arbitrary images: A dual regression network for photometric stereo

CITED:57

Normattention-psn: A high-frequency region enhanced photometric stereo network with normalized attention

CITED:56

Promptrestorer: A prompting image restoration method with degradation perception

CITED:49

Pay attention to devils: A photometric stereo network for better details

CITED:39

Dr. Juan Lei | Sonar Imaging Awards | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Juan Lei | Sonar Imaging Awards | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Juan Lei, Northwestern Polytechnical University, China

Summary of Suitability for Best Researcher Award

📚 Education:

💼 Work Experience:

🏆 Achievements, Awards & Honors:

Publication Top Notes:

CNN–Transformer Hybrid Architecture for Underwater Sonar Image Segmentation