News & Insights

I am some kind of renaissance scientist, and also artist, who has done paradigm shifting work in the foundations of quantum theory, quantum computing, quantum education, linguistics and AI, and in industrial music, and am preaching a process-based relational worldview.

I’m a materials scientist on a mission to turn high-impact research into real-world technologies, blending curiosity with commercial ambition to bring the invisible potential of 2D materials into everyday life.

The first-ever Quantum for Good track at the UN’s AI for Good Global Summit 2025 in Geneva convened 30+ global leaders to explore how quantum technologies can drive real-world impact—from climate and cybersecurity to ethics, governance, and the future of talent.

XPANSE hosted the third edition of the “XPANSE in the Desert” workshop for the first time in person. Held at 421 Arts Campus in Abu Dhabi, the workshop was co-organized with ART Proxima by MATTER, continuing XPANSE’s mission of fostering dialogue between frontier science and new media art.

I'm a chemical engineer turned biomedical engineer, leading a group at Khalifa University exploring the intersection of living and non-living systems towards adaptive and bioinspired biodevices.

I am a visual neuroscientist and professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, where I lead a team dedicated to understanding how our brain constructs our rich three-dimensional visual world from the flat images that fall on our eyes.

XPANSE proudly welcomes Prof. Nathalie Martial-Braz, Chancellor of Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, to its Strategic Advisory Council, a growing circle of global leaders helping guide XPANSE’s long-term vision and ecosystem-building initiatives in the UAE and beyond.

I define myself both as an evolutionary biologist and as an educator. I grew up in a small village in France and my parents’ house was close to swamps. I spent my childhood catching frogs, snakes and lizards and I became fascinated by their diversity. Becoming an evolutionary biologist was thus a logical path for me. I also care deeply in transmitting my passion for evolution to younger generations and in particular to expose students to field work, which is the best place to come up with new research ideas.

I'm a construction materials scientist passionate about transforming environmental challenges into opportunities through sustainable innovations in the built environment.

Dr. Zina Cinker, Chief Creator of XPANSE, moderated a high-stakes conversation with leaders from energy, finance, and deep tech on why they’re investing in quantum now - and how it’s accelerating the UAE’s national strategy.

MATTER - parent company of XPANSE - had the honor of partnering with H.E. Arthur Mattli, Swiss Ambassador to the UAE, for the reception of Switzerland’s high-level scientific delegation to Abu Dhabi and contributing from its network to a guest list of select scientists and institutional leaders from the UAE’s academic and innovation ecosystem.

A dedicated bioengineer trying to develop innovative translational medical devices for better healthcare in the future.

I am a quantum enthusiast with a passion for politics, and a hopeless idealist dedicated wholeheartedly to the Quantum Social Lab - where science meets society, and curiosity meets creativity.

As a bioacoustician, I have dedicated my work to exploring how sounds from Nature can help us better understand and protect wildlife and restore biodiversity.

In collaboration with Art Proxima by MATTER, Jan Loop, Professor of Early Modern History and Religious Cultures at University of Copenhagen and Dr. Reto Sorg, Lecturer in Modern German Literature, University of Lausanne, the 2nd edition of the “XPANSE in the Desert” workshop took place on April 16.

During Dr. Cinker’s fireside chat with Dr. Merritt Moore, they explored the dynamic intersection of creativity, science, and the arts, bridging these disciplines to open new opportunities for strategic connections, innovation, and cultural expression

Dr. Graham Lau is an astrobiologist, meditation guide, science communicator, and writer with a vision for exploring the cosmos and building the future of our civilization here on Earth.

I am, at heart, an explorer driven by an insatiable curiosity to venture where no one has gone before, whether that’s unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos or tackling profound questions about the origin of life and the nature of consciousness.

I am curious guy working and learning in science, technology and commercial development.

In partnership with NYU Abu Dhabi, MATTER brought together new media artists from our initiative, ART Proxima, and desert scholars from NYU Abu Dhabi for the “XPANSE in the Desert” Workshop, in preparation tp the next theme of XPANSE 2nd Edition - The Desert.

In partnership with Layers of Reality at IDEAL Barcelona, 3rd MATTER Annual Meet-Up was held, bringing together MATTERSPHERE, XPANSE, and PUZZLE X partners & friends.

XPANSE advisory council members and key partners gathered for an evening of deep discussion on the next theme of XPANSE 2nd Edition and the desert’s profound significance.

In my whole career as a biophysicist, brain scientist and now as biotechnologist, I have always been most productive at the interface between science - exploring and understanding – and Technology - designing and building.

I am a dedicated materials scientist passionate about pioneering advancements in smart and sustainable materials that will redefine industries and improve everyday life.

I’m a mathematician who got lost and ended up finding interesting questions in physics and philosophy and spends a lot of time thinking about the universe.

I am a scientist. With over 15 years of experience in quantum photonics labs, and a passion for the Space sector, I focus on merging the best of both worlds to enhance our everyday life.

I’m a computational scientist on a mission to push the boundaries of knowledge using the unmatched power of supercomputers and simulation

I am a scientist. With over 15 years of experience in quantum photonics labs, and a passion for the Space sector, I focus on merging the best of both worlds to enhance our everyday life.

Professor Yahya Zweiri, Department of Aerospace Engineering, and Director of the Advanced Research & Innovation Center (ARIC) at Khalifa University, UAE.

I am the founder and CEO of Cortical Labs. I was previously the CTO and founder of a medtech company making Internet-connected medical devices called CliniCloud. Before CliniCloud, I was a medical doctor doing my residency in Emergency Medicine. I am also a software developer and have worked on apps and machine learning research.

I am a Space scientist. Whatever flies in outer Space, I am in! 

My name is Arben Merkoçi and I am ICREA Professor and Group Leader at Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, ICN2, in Barcelona.

I am a Materials Scientist and currently serve as the Group Leader of the Nanofabrication and Devices Group at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory.

Since I was five years old I have been fascinated by using computers to extend human capabilities. My company makes a platform that supports this goal and then we use this platform to implement solutions for companies around the world. (You could say I support human augmentation / cyborgification).

I am a materials science researcher who is fascinated by challenges in Space that are cross-cutting and are useful on earth as well.

I am a neurobiologist working to understand how the human brain is built in health and disease.