Stefan Bruckner is a full professor of visualization at the Department of Informatics of the University of Bergen, Norway. He received his master's degree (2004) and Ph.D. (2008), both in Computer Science, from the TU Wien, Austria, and was awarded the habilitation (venia docendi) in Practical Computer Science in 2012. Before his appointment in Bergen in 2013, he was an assistant professor at the Institute of Computer Graphics and Algorithms of the TU Wien.
His research interests include all aspects of data visualization, with a particular focus on interactive techniques for the exploration and analysis of complex heterogeneous data spaces. He has made significant contributions to areas such as illustrative visualization, volume rendering, smart visual interfaces, biomedical data visualization, and visual parameter space exploration. In addition to his contributions in basic research, he has successfully led industry collaborations with major companies such as GE Healthcare and Agfa HealthCare, and has 7 granted patents.
He is a recipient of the Eurographics Young Researcher Award, the Karl-Heinz-Höhne Award for Medical Visualization, and his research has received 11 best paper awards and honorable mentions at international events. He was program co-chair of EuroVis, PacificVis, the Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine, the Eurographics Medical Prize, and is a member of the editorial boards of IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics as well as Computers & Graphics. He currently serves on the Eurographics Executive Committee, and is a member of ACM SIGGRAPH, Eurographics, and the IEEE Computer Society.
Publications
2022
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[Bibtex] @inproceedings {Trautner-2022-HCP,
author = {Trautner, Thomas and Sbardellati, Maximilian and Stoppel, Sergej and Bruckner, Stefan},
title = {{Honeycomb Plots: Visual Enhancements for Hexagonal Maps}},
booktitle = {Proc. of VMV 2022: Vision, Modeling, and Visualization},
editor = {Bender, Jan and Botsch, Mario and Keim, Daniel A.},
pages = {65--73},
year = {2022},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association},
ISBN = {978-3-03868-189-2},
DOI = {10.2312/vmv.20221205},
abstract = {Aggregation through binning is a commonly used technique for visualizing large, dense, and overplotted two-dimensional data sets. However, aggregation can hide nuanced data-distribution features and complicates the display of multiple data-dependent variables, since color mapping is the primary means of encoding. In this paper, we present novel techniques for enhancing hexplots with spatialization cues while avoiding common disadvantages of three-dimensional visualizations. In particular, we focus on techniques relying on preattentive features that exploit shading and shape cues to emphasize relative value differences. Furthermore, we introduce a novel visual encoding that conveys information about the data distributions or trends within individual tiles. Based on multiple usage examples from different domains and real-world scenarios, we generate expressive visualizations that increase the information content of classic hexplots and validate their effectiveness in a user study.},
pdf = "pdfs/Trautner-2022-HCP.pdf",
thumbnails = "images/Trautner-2022-HCP-thumb.png",
images = "images/Trautner-2022-HCP-thumb.png",
youtube = "https://youtu.be/mU7QFVP3yKQ",
git = "https://github.com/TTrautner/HoneycombPlots"
}@inproceedings {EichnerMoerth2022MuSIC,
booktitle = {Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine},
editor = {Renata G. Raidou and Björn Sommer and Torsten W. Kuhlen and Michael Krone and Thomas Schultz and Hsiang-Yun Wu},
title = {{MuSIC: Multi-Sequential Interactive Co-Registration for Cancer Imaging Data based on Segmentation Masks}},
author = {Eichner, Tanja* and Mörth, Eric* and Wagner-Larsen, Kari S. and Lura, Njål and Haldorsen, Ingfrid S. and Gröller, Eduard and Bruckner, Stefan and Smit, Noeska N.},
note = {Best Paper Honorable Mention at VCBM2022},
project = {ttmedvis},
year = {2022},
abstract = {In gynecologic cancer imaging, multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences are acquired per patient to reveal different tissue characteristics. However, after image acquisition, the anatomical structures can be misaligned in the various sequences due to changing patient location in the scanner and organ movements. The co-registration process aims to align the sequences to allow for multi-sequential tumor imaging analysis. However, automatic co-registration often leads to unsatisfying results. To address this problem, we propose the web-based application MuSIC (Multi-Sequential Interactive Co-registration). The approach allows medical experts to co-register multiple sequences simultaneously based on a pre-defined segmentation mask generated for one of the sequences. Our contributions lie in our proposed workflow. First, a shape matching algorithm based on dual annealing searches for the tumor position in each sequence. The user can then interactively adapt the proposed segmentation positions if needed. During this procedure, we include a multi-modal magic lens visualization for visual quality assessment. Then, we register the volumes based on the segmentation mask positions. We allow for both rigid and deformable registration. Finally, we conducted a usability analysis with seven medical and machine learning experts to verify the utility of our approach. Our participants highly appreciate the multi-sequential setup and see themselves using MuSIC in the future.
Best Paper Honorable Mention at VCBM2022},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association},
ISSN = {2070-5786},
ISBN = {978-3-03868-177-9},
DOI = {10.2312/vcbm.20221190},
pdf = {pdfs/EichnerMoerth_2022.pdf},
thumbnails = {images/EichnerMoerth_2022.PNG},
images = {images/EichnerMoerth_2022.PNG},
}@inproceedings {Kleinau2022Tornado,
booktitle = {Eurographics Workshop on Visual Computing for Biology and Medicine},
editor = {Renata G. Raidou and Björn Sommer and Torsten W. Kuhlen and Michael Krone and Thomas Schultz and Hsiang-Yun Wu},
title = {{Is there a Tornado in Alex's Blood Flow? A Case Study for Narrative Medical Visualization}},
project = {ttmedvis},
author = {Kleinau, Anna and Stupak, Evgenia and Mörth, Eric and Garrison, Laura A. and Mittenentzwei, Sarah and Smit, Noeska N. and Lawonn, Kai and Bruckner, Stefan and Gutberlet, Matthias and Preim, Bernhard and Meuschke, Monique},
year = {2022},
abstract = {Narrative visualization advantageously combines storytelling with new media formats and techniques, like interactivity, to create improved learning experiences. In medicine, it has the potential to improve patient understanding of diagnostic procedures and treatment options, promote confidence, reduce anxiety, and support informed decision-making. However, limited scientific research has been conducted regarding the use of narrative visualization in medicine. To explore the value of narrative visualization in this domain, we introduce a data-driven story to inform a broad audience about the usage of measured blood flow data to diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases. The focus of the story is on blood flow vortices in the aorta, with which imaging technique they are examined, and why they can be dangerous. In an interdisciplinary team, we define the main contents of the story and the resulting design questions. We sketch the iterative design process and implement the story based on two genres. In a between-subject study, we evaluate the suitability and understandability of the story and the influence of different navigation concepts on user experience. Finally, we discuss reusable concepts for further narrative medical visualization projects.},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association},
ISSN = {2070-5786},
ISBN = {978-3-03868-177-9},
DOI = {10.2312/vcbm.20221183},
pdf = {pdfs/Kleinau_2022.pdf},
thumbnails = {images/Kleinau_2022.PNG},
images = {images/Kleinau_2022.PNG},
}@article{Meuschke2022narrative,
title = {Narrative medical visualization to communicate disease data},
author = {Meuschke, Monique and Garrison, Laura A. and Smit, Noeska N. and Bach, Benjamin and Mittenentzwei, Sarah and Wei{\ss}, Veronika and Bruckner, Stefan and Lawonn, Kai and Preim, Bernhard},
year = 2022,
journal = {Computers & Graphics},
volume = 107,
pages = {144--157},
doi = {10.1016/j.cag.2022.07.017},
issn = {0097-8493},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009784932200139X},
abstract = {This paper explores narrative techniques combined with medical visualizations to tell data-driven stories about diseases for a general audience. The field of medical illustration uses narrative visualization through hand-crafted techniques to promote health literacy. However, data-driven narrative visualization has rarely been applied to medical data. We derived a template for creating stories about diseases and applied it to three selected diseases to demonstrate how narrative techniques could support visual communication and facilitate understanding of medical data. One of our main considerations is how interactive 3D anatomical models can be integrated into the story and whether this leads to compelling stories in which the users feel involved. A between-subject study with 90 participants suggests that the combination of a carefully designed narrative structure, the constant involvement of a specific patient, high-qualitative visualizations combined with easy-to-use interactions, are critical for an understandable story about diseases that would be remembered by participants.},
pdf = {pdfs/Narrative_medical_MEUSCHKE_DOA18072022_AFV.pdf},
thumbnails = {images/Meuschke2022narrative-thumb.png},
images = {images/Meuschke2022narrative.png},
project = {VIDI}
}@Article{Moerth2022ScrollyVis,
author = {Mörth, Eric and Bruckner, Stefan and Smit, Noeska N.},
title = {ScrollyVis: Interactive visual authoring of guided dynamic narratives for scientific scrollytelling},
journal = {IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics},
year = {2022},
volume = {},
abstract = {Visual stories are an effective and powerful tool to convey specific information to a diverse public. Scrollytelling is a recent visual storytelling technique extensively used on the web, where content appears or changes as users scroll up or down a page. By employing the familiar gesture of scrolling as its primary interaction mechanism, it provides users with a sense of control, exploration and discoverability while still offering a simple and intuitive interface. In this paper, we present a novel approach for authoring, editing, and presenting data-driven scientific narratives using scrollytelling. Our method flexibly integrates common sources such as images, text, and video, but also supports more specialized visualization techniques such as interactive maps as well as scalar field and mesh data visualizations. We show that scrolling navigation can be used to traverse dynamic narratives and demonstrate how it can be combined with interactive parameter exploration. The resulting system consists of an extensible web-based authoring tool capable of exporting stand-alone stories that can be hosted on any web server. We demonstrate the power and utility of our approach with case studies from several diverse scientific fields and with a user study including 12 participants of diverse professional backgrounds. Furthermore, an expert in creating interactive articles assessed the usefulness of our approach and the quality of the created stories.},
project = {ttmedvis},
pdf = {pdfs/Moerth_2022_ScrollyVis.pdf},
thumbnails = {images/Moerth_2022_ScrollyVis.png},
images = {images/Moerth_2022_ScrollyVis.png},
pages={1-12},
doi={10.1109/TVCG.2022.3205769},
}![[VID]](https://vis.uib.no/wp-content/papercite-data/images/video.png)
[Bibtex] @article{Moerth2022ICEVis,
title = {ICEVis: Interactive Clustering Exploration for tumor sub-region analysis in multiparametric cancer imaging},
author = {Mörth, Eric and Eichner, Tanja and Ingfrid, Haldorsen and Bruckner, Stefan and Smit, Noeska N.},
year = 2022,
journal = {Proceedings of the International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction (VINCI'22)},
volume = {15},
pages = {5},
doi = {10.1145/3554944.3554958},
issn = {},
url = {},
abstract = {Tumor tissue characteristics derived from imaging data are gaining importance in clinical research. Tumor sub-regions may play a critical role in defining tumor types and may hold essential information about tumor aggressiveness. Depending on the tumor’s location within the body, such sub-regions can be easily identified and determined by physiology, but these sub-regions are not readily visible to others. Regions within a tumor are currently explored by comparing the image sequences and analyzing the tissue heterogeneity present. To improve the exploration of such tumor sub-regions, we propose a visual analytics tool called ICEVis. ICEVis supports the identification of tumor sub-regions and corresponding features combined with cluster visualizations highlighting cluster validity. It is often difficult to estimate the optimal number of clusters; we provide rich facilities to support this task, incorporating various statistical measures and interactive exploration of the results. We evaluated our tool with three clinical researchers to show the potential of our approach.
Best Short Paper at VINCI2022},
images = "images/Moerth_2022_ICEVis.png",
thumbnails = "images/Moerth_2022_ICEVis.png",
pdf = {pdfs/Moerth_2022_ICEVis.pdf},
vid = {vids/ICEVis.mp4},
project = "ttmedvis",
}@article{Kristiansen2022ContentDriven,
title = {Content-Driven Layout for Visualization Design},
author = {Kristiansen, Yngve and Garrison, Laura and Bruckner, Stefan},
year = 2022,
journal = {Proceedings of the International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction (to appear)},
volume = {},
pages = {},
doi = {},
issn = {},
url = {},
abstract = {Multi-view visualizations are typically presented in a grid layout with elements positioned according to their bounding rectangles. These rectangles often contain unused white space. In cases where Tufte’s Shrink Principle can be applied to reduce non-data-ink without impairing the communication of information, unused white space can be utilized for the placement of other elements. This is often done in manually “hand-crafted” layouts by designers. However, upon changes to individual elements, this design process has to be repeated. To reduce non-data-ink and repetitive manual design, we contribute a method for automatically turning a grid layout into a content-driven layout, where elements are positioned with respect to their contents. Existing approaches have explored the use of a force simulation in conjunction with proxy geometries to simplify collision handling for irregular shapes. Such customized force directed layouts are usually unstable, and often require additional constraints to run properly. In addition, proxy geometries become less accurate and effective with more irregular shapes. To solve these shortcomings, we contribute an approach for identifying central elements in an original grid layout in order to set up corresponding attractive forces. Furthermore, we utilize an imagebased approach for collision detection and avoidance that works accurately for highly irregular shapes. We demonstrate the utility of our approach with three case studies.},
images = "images/Kristiansen-2022-LungsDt.PNG",
thumbnails = "images/Kristiansen-2022-LungsDt.PNG",
pdf = {pdfs/Kristiansen-2022-CDL.pdf},
project = "MetaVis",
}@ARTICLE {Garrison2022MolColor,
author = "Laura A. Garrison and Stefan Bruckner",
title = "Considering Best Practices in Color Palettes for Molecular Visualizations",
journal = "Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics",
year = "2022",
abstract = "Biomedical illustration and visualization techniques provide a window into complex molecular worlds that are difficult to capture through experimental means alone. Biomedical illustrators frequently employ color to help tell a molecular story, e.g., to identify key molecules in a signaling pathway. Currently, color use for molecules is largely arbitrary and often chosen based on the client, cultural factors, or personal taste. The study of molecular dynamics is relatively young, and some stakeholders argue that color use guidelines would throttle the growth of the field. Instead, content authors have ample creative freedom to choose an aesthetic that, e.g., supports the story they want to tell. However, such creative freedom comes at a price. The color design process is challenging, particularly for those without a background in color theory. The result is a semantically inconsistent color space that reduces the interpretability and effectiveness of molecular visualizations as a whole. Our contribution in this paper is threefold. We first discuss some of the factors that contribute to this array of color palettes. Second, we provide a brief sampling of color palettes used in both industry and research sectors. Lastly, we suggest considerations for developing best practices around color palettes applied to molecular visualization.",
images = "images/garrison-molecularcolor-full.png",
thumbnails = "images/garrison-molecularcolor-thumb.png",
pdf = "pdfs/garrison-molecularcolor.pdf",
publisher = "De Gruyter",
doi = "10.1515/jib-2022-0016",
project = "VIDI"
}