Alex Pentland

• Toshiba Professor of Media, Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA

Pioneer in "big data", social networks, mobile information systems and computational social science. One of the most cited scientists in the world. Co-founder of several companies. Director, MIT Human Dynamics Laboratory and MIT Media Laboratory Entrepreneurship Program. Interests: development of human-centred technology and creation of ventures that take technology into the real world. Recipient of awards and honours, including: Inventor of One of 10 Emerging Technologies that Will Change the World, Technology Review (2008); Breakthrough Idea of the Year, Harvard Business Review (2009); Winner, 40th Anniversary of the Internet Grand Challenge (2010).