Events
Past Event
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Neda Bagheri, University of Washington "Computational modeling of emergent spatiotemporal cell population dynamics"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
//
Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details

Speaker:
Neda Bagheri, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Washington
Title:
Computational modeling of emergent spatiotemporal cell population dynamics
Abstract:
Computational models are essential tools that can be used to simultaneously explain and guide biological intuition. My lab employs agent-based modeling, machine learning, and dynamical systems to explain biological observations and interrogate multi-lateral regulatory networks that drive individual cellular decisions as well as cell population dynamics. We are interested in the inherent multiscale nature of biology, with a specific focus on system-level dynamics that emerge from interactions of simpler individual-level modules.
In this presentation, I introduce a multiscale agent-based model of a generic solid tumor microenvironment that integrates subcellular signaling and metabolism, cell-level decision processes, and dynamic vascular architecture and function. We use this modeling framework to understand decision processes among heterogeneous cell agents in changing microenvironments. The model is open-source and flexible/adaptable (it can characterize countless cell population dynamics!), but it is computationally costly to simulate and analyze at large scales. I highlight these challenges along with strategies to mitigate them, and showcase successes that derive from our model development process. I also describe how the model can be used to inform the design of experiments, interventions, and hypotheses that modulate population level responses.
Speaker Bio:
Neda Bagheri earned her doctorate in Electrical Engineering from the University of California in Santa Barbara. Her focus on control theory and dynamics piqued her interest in biology. After completing a postdoc in Biological Engineering at MIT, she joined the Chemical & Biological Engineering faculty at Northwestern University (2012). In 2019, she was recruited to both the University of Washington Seattle (where she holds a joint position in Biology and Chemical Engineering) and the Allen Institute for Cell Science.
In recognition for her research accomplishments and vision, Bagheri was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2017) and a Senior Moulton Medal (2020). She was honored as a Distinguished Speaker for the Accelerated Discover Forum at IBM Research-Almaden (2018) as well as for the Mindlin Foundation (2019), and as the Plenary Speaker for the triennial International Federation of Automatic Control DYCOPS conference (2022). She serves on multiple science advisory and editorial boards, guiding the frontier of multidisciplinary research.
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/97273424116
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, March 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO Fall Seminar Series returns on Sept 24th!
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
//
Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details

The Wednesdays @ NICO Fall Seminar Series returns on September 24th and will run through November 12th, 2025. Please visit our web site in early September for detailed speaker information, talk titles and abstracts.
This fall, we are honored to host the following distinguished speakers:
9/24 - Emma Alexander, Dept of Computer Science, Northwestern University
10/1 - Sebastien Martin, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
10/8 - Tomer Ullman, Dept of Psychology, Harvard University
10/15 - Patrick Park, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
10/22 - Max Kreminski, Midjourney
10/29 - Elizabeth Gerber, Mechanical Engineering and Communication Studies, Northwestern University
11/5 - Julio Ottino, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University
11/12 - Blaise Aguera y Arcas, Google Research
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: TBA via Zoom
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, September 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)