Events
Past Event
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Guy Amichay, Northwestern Engineering "Biological Coupled Oscillators in the Real World "
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Speaker:
Guy Amichay, Research Associate, Engineering Sciences & Applied Mathematics, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University
Title:
Biological Coupled Oscillators in the Real World
Abstract:
The study of collective synchronous behavior has primarily focused on the analysis of abstract and greatly simplified mathematical models. Many applications of these models to living systems have been proposed, but incorporation of real-world data is unfortunately rare. I will present new data and analysis regarding synchronization phenomena observed in one species of firefly from southeast Asia. Due to its relative immobility during synchronous flashing displays, this species offers a unique opportunity for reliable tracking and direct application of candidate models. We are using stereo videography to document the three-dimensional behavior of multiple swarms over multiple nights and years. Our results show that swarms exhibit “meta oscillations” characterized by order parameters that rise and fall on an intermediate time scale. This is consistent with models suggesting a “breathing” chimera state—a unique type of spatiotemporal organization that has been the subject of extensive theoretical study, but which has rarely been observed in nature. In addition, I will show preliminary data from experiments where we perturbed fireflies directly in the field with arrays of LEDs mimicking other conspecifics. On a more applied note: firefly populations (as well as many other insects) are in decline. In collaboration with Tanthai Prasertkul (Mahidol University, Thailand) we conducted a year-long population monitoring survey using our tracking software. We see a peak in abundance around June, and suggest possible weather / environmental factors that may be at play (and thus can inform us about ways of mitigating the potential collapse of the population). Finally, I will present new directions that we are now taking with recordings of groups of fiddler crabs that wave their claws in sync, and will discuss how these two distinct systems are actually comparable.
Speaker Bio:
Guy Amichay is a Research Associate at Northwestern in the Engineering Sciences & Applied Mathematics (ESAM) department, Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO) and National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology (NITMB) working with Professor Daniel Abrams. He is mostly interested in self-organization—how systems manage to become ordered with no obvious leader or conductor. His current work is on synchronization (coupled oscillators), focusing on different systems such as firefly swarms flashing in unison or groups of crabs waving their claws in sync. Other than that he is also working on science of science (on the formation of collaborations) and association football (soccer) collective movement analysis. Prior to joining Northwestern, he completed his PhD at the University of Konstanz / Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Germany.
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/96400875824
Passcode: NICO24
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, data science and network science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Diego Gomez-Zara, University of Notre Dame "All-Female and Female-Led Teams Drive More Breakthrough Ideas in Science and Innovation"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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KGH2410, Kellogg Global Hub
Details
Speaker:
Diego Gómez-Zará, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Notre Dame
Title:
All-Female and Female-Led Teams Drive More Breakthrough Ideas in Science and Innovation
Abstract:
The increase of female researchers in science over the past decades has initiated many studies on the gender composition of teams and their research outcomes. Substantial evidence underscores the value of including female researchers in science. Yet, their impact on driving new research directions and technological innovation within teams remains underexplored. In this presentation, we analyze over 65 million papers and two million patents spanning 1950-2010. We document the rise in all-female teams and demonstrate that all-female teams consistently produce the highest proportion of disruptive papers. We explore this trend across time periods, team sizes, and fields. We find that despite the overall decline in disruption, notably, all-female teams have the smallest decline in disruption. We analyze publication text, field-specific structural differences, author careers, leadership dynamics, and team dynamics to understand the vital role that all-female teams play in driving breakthroughs.
Speaker Bio:
Diego Gómez-Zará is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. His research focuses on how social computational systems help people organize and collaborate. His work has been at the forefront of computational social science, human-computer interaction, and network science. Before joining Notre Dame, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and received his Ph.D. in Technology and Social Behavior at Northwestern University. His recent publications include work in recommender systems, team formation, diversity, and virtual reality. This research has won best paper awards at top conferences in human-computer interaction, including CHI, CSCW, and IUI. His research has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, DARPA, National Science Foundation, Microsoft Research, IBM, Amazon Research, and Slack Inc.
Location:
NOTE: LOCATION CHANGE THIS WEEK
In person: Kellogg Global Hub, 2211 Campus Drive, KGH2410
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/97630539917
Passcode: NICO25
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, data science and network science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
KGH2410, Kellogg Global Hub Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Lightning Talks w/ Northwestern Scholars!
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Sign Up:
Sign up to present at our spring Lightning Talk session. NICO Lightning Talks are open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars.
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/95387714084
Passcode: NICO25
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, data science and network science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Rosemary Braun, Northwestern University
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
//
Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Speaker:
Rosemary Braun, Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern University
Title:
TBA
Abstract:
TBA
Speaker Bio:
Rosemary Braun is an Associate Professor of Molecular Biosciences, Applied Math, and Physics at Northwestern University. Driven by a desire to understand how living systems self organize across scales, she conducts research at the interface between mathematics and biology. Her computational laboratory develops novel machine-learning methods for the statistical analysis of high-dimensional data; graph-theoretic approaches to describe the behavior of interaction networks; and dynamical simulations to model how cellular processes are coordinated in time. She collaborates extensively to apply these methods to diverse biological processes, including development, sleep, and cancer. A physicist by training, Rosemary obtained her BSc in Physics from SUNY Stony Brook and Ph.D. in Physics from from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2004. Following her PhD, she obtained an MPH in Biostatistics from Johns Hopkins University and was a Cancer Prevention Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NIH).
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/97015976754
Passcode: NICO25
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems, data science and network science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.
Time
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)