PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Barbara Hammer

Barbara Hammer is a machine-learning researcher whose work spans neural networks, human-machine generalisation, and AI for water systems. She studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Osnabrück and earned a doctorate there in 1999. She became a professor at Clausthal University of Technology in 2004 and led Bielefeld's Machine Learning group from 2010. She was elected to the German Research Foundation's machine-learning review board in 2024, coauthored a 2025 paper on human and machine generalisation, and discussed sensor-based water-leak detection in 2026. As of October 2026, she leads the Machine Learning group at Bielefeld University.

Works
709
Citations
10,469
h-index
44

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1989–1999

    Osnabrück studies and doctorate

    She studies mathematics and computer science at the University of Osnabrück from 1989 to 1995 and earns a doctorate there in 1999.

  2. 2004

    Professorship at Clausthal

    In 2004, she accepts a professorship in theoretical computer science at Clausthal University of Technology.

  3. 2010

    Leading Bielefeld's Machine Learning group

    She leads Bielefeld's Machine Learning group from 2010; the university establishes HammerLab on 1 April 2010 as part of CITEC and the Faculty of Technology.

  4. 2024

    A machine-learning review role

    She is elected to the German Research Foundation's machine-learning review board in 2024.

  5. 2025

    Human and machine generalisation

    She coauthors the 2025 Nature Machine Intelligence paper “Aligning Generalisation Between Humans and Machines,” which says machines generalize differently from people and links that difference to human-AI collaboration.

  6. January 2026

    AI for water leaks

    In January 2026, she discusses how sensors and machine-learning methods can use water-pressure changes to predict leaks early.

  7. As of October 2026

    Head of Bielefeld machine learning

    She heads the Machine Learning group at Bielefeld University.

Career

  1. Since 2009Bielefeld UniversityLeader
  2. From 2024German Research FoundationMember
  3. 2023–2026Hochschule Bielefeld
  4. 2004–2011Clausthal University of TechnologyProfessor of theoretical computer science
  5. 1996–2007Osnabrück University

Education

  1. 1999University of OsnabrückDoctorate
  2. 1995University of OsnabrückMathematics and computer science

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

Most-cited works

  1. Generalized relevance learning vector quantization2002 · Neural Networks · 414 citations
  2. Incremental on-line learning: A review and comparison of state of the art algorithms2017 · Neurocomputing · 381 citations
  3. Queer Looks: Perspectives on Lesbian and Gay Film and Video1993 · 381 citations
  4. Adaptive Relevance Matrices in Learning Vector Quantization2009 · Neural Computation · 345 citations
  5. Parametric nonlinear dimensionality reduction using kernel t-SNE2014 · Neurocomputing · 268 citations

From OpenAlex, as of 19 October 2026.

  1. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers rose from 2% to 32%Includes Bielefeld University. We estimate where leading AI researchers worked when their most-cited papers appeared. The company share rose from 2% in 1975–1979 to 32% in 2020–2024.
  2. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Bielefeld University. Stanford University trained or employed 26 of the 108 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and employment links for major-prize and best-paper winners.
  3. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI from 1961 to 2025, with a year-by-year chart.
  4. The United States employs an estimated 53% of people in our data with a known employment countryOur estimates of where AI careers are concentrated now and how countries’ shares of dated positions changed over time.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Barbara Hammer yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Prof. Dr. Barbara Hammer Universität Bielefeld - Statistisches Bundesamt destatis.de. Checked 18 October 2026.
  2. KI-Stimmen aus NRW | Prof. Dr. Barbara Hammer – KI.NRW ki.nrw. Checked 18 October 2026.
  3. Maschinelles Lernen - Universität Bielefeld uni-bielefeld.de. Checked 18 October 2026.
  4. Hammer, Barbara » Lamarr Institute lamarr-institute.org. Checked 18 October 2026.
  5. Menschen und Maschinen lernen anders – Aktuell Uni Bielefeld aktuell.uni-bielefeld.de. Checked 18 October 2026.
  6. Using AI to fight water waste - SAIL sail.nrw. Checked 18 October 2026.
  7. Menschen und Maschinen lernen anders – Das kommt aus Bielefeld das-kommt-aus-bielefeld.de. Checked 18 October 2026.