Science in the Palm of Your Hand
September 2024 Professor Luís Amaral and his lab have developed a series of apps and software programs to assist in scientific research.
from Northwestern Engineering
News
Unique. Revolutionary. Fundamental. A Little Hype Can Help Scientists Win Grants
June 2024 Scientists who use more promotional language in their grants are more likely to get funded, according to research published in PNAS by Brian Uzzi and NICO coauthors Hao Peng and Huilian Sophie Qiu.
from Kellogg Insight
The Replication Crisis is 'Existential' for Science
February 2024 The replication crisis threatens the scientific enterprise, leading to questions about research practices and methods, and the reliability of scientific results. Brian Uzzi discusses using artificial intelligence to tackle this problem, via IPR.
from IPR
What Happens When We Give Doctors an AI Assistant?
February 2024 Machine-learning systems can improve physicians’ accuracy at diagnosing dermatological diseases. New research by Matt Groh examines how suggestions from deep-learning systems affected physicians’ photo-based diagnoses.
from Kellogg Insight
Could Remote Work Hurt On-the-Job Learning?
February 2024 We are more likely to learn from our collaborators when we are in close proximity to them, a new by study by Hyejin Youn finds.
from Kellogg Insight
Complex Challenges Conference Awards Over 100k in Seed funding to Research at Northwestern
January 2024 In August 2023, NICO convened 34 faculty from 6 schools across Northwestern for the Complex Challenges for a Complex Future Conference, which resulted in 8 proposals receiving funding totaling $105,000.
from NICO
Chicago has record high $2.5 billion in TIF accounts City is not spending
October 2023 CivicLab and its TIF Illumination Project show the City of Chicago has billions shielded in tax increment financing (TIF) accounts available to meet community needs. Interns working as part of the Metropolitan Chicago Data-Science Corps (MCDC) collected the data.
from Gazette Chicago
Kellogg launches the Ryan Institute on Complexity
September 2023 Made possible by a gift from the Ryan Family Foundation, The Ryan Institute will work to solve increasingly complex societal, business and market challenges. It is led by NICO faculty members, Dashun Wang, Ben Jones, and Brian Uzzi.
from Kellogg
What Should Leaders Make of the Latest AI?
April 2023 As ChatGPT flaunts its creative capabilities, Brian Uzzi and David Ferrucci discuss the promise and pitfalls of our coexistence with machines.
from Kellogg Insight
Lighten Up! On Biology and Time
April 2023 Through the lens of art, Lighten Up! On Biology and Time explores the connection of living organisms with the natural cycle of light and dark. Guy Amichay, a NICO Postdoctoral Fellow, collaborated on this exhibit.
from EPFL Pavilions
Curiosities of the World
March 2023 Daniel Abrams uses applied mathematics to investigate a diverse array of topics, ranging from the usefulness of scientific conferences to the origins of left-handednes, and more.
from Northwestern Engineering
Machine learning model has the potential to scale up replication research
March 2023 An analysis of more than 14,000 psychology studies explores the potential of a machine learning model to predict the likelihood of replicability. This study was led by Youyou Wu, Yang Yang (both NICO alumni), and Brian Uzzi.
from Notre Dame News
Daniel Abrams Named NICO Codirector
January 2023 Northwestern Engineering’s Daniel Abrams has been named co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO), effective February 1, 2023, succeeding Luís A.N. Amaral.
from Northwestern Engineering
Aging is driven by unbalanced genes
December 2022 In a new study, researchers from Northwestern led by Thomas Stoeger and Luís A.N. Amaral, used artificial intelligence to discover that the length of genes can explain most molecular-level changes that occur during aging.
from Northwestern Now
Gender-Balanced Teams Do Better Work
September 2022 Mixed-gender teams produce more novel and impactful scientific research than teams made up of only men or only women, according to a study co-authored by Brian Uzzi and Benjamin Jones.
from Kellogg insight
What happens when women and men work together?
August 2022 A study led by NICO researchers examined 6.6 million papers and finds that mixed-gender teams produce research that is significantly more innovative and impactful on average than that of same-gender teams.
from Northwestern Now
Failures in large networks can be prevented with local focus
August 2022 A Northwestern research team, led by Adilson Motter, has discovered a ubiquitous property of a complex network and developed a computational method that is the first to exploit that property to control the whole network using only local information.
from Northwestern Now
Climate Change Could Have Negative Effect on Great Lakes Travel
August 2022 The United States’ climate is changing. In a new Nature Communications paper, a team in Professor Luís Amaral's lab simulated the impact of losing 67 percent of direct air routes.
from Northwestern Engineering
Brian Uzzi receives the Euler Award from the Network Science Society
July 2022 Brian Uzzi is the 2022 recipient of the Euler Award from the Network Science Society (NetSci) for foundational contributions to the study of embeddedness in networks and how it shapes human achievement.
from NICO
Contractor Named Fellow of the Network Science Society
July 2022 The Network Science Society has named Noshir Contractor as one of its 2022 NetSci fellows. Professor Contractor was recognized for his contributions to network science that address societal challenges.
from Northwestern Engineering
The never-ending quest to predict crime using AI
July 2022 Using AI to predict crime has a long history of skewing police toward communities of color. Andrew Papachristos tells the Washington Post that if community groups could use the tools instead to provide more social services and increase community engagement, that would be a better use of the technology.
from Washington Post
Prizes Are Not Always a Win for Science
June 2022 A proliferation of prizes is boosting both science and scientists. It’s also raising concerns about equity and potential downsides, writes Physics Magazine citing research from Brian Uzzi and colleagues.
from Physics Magazine
Uri Wilensky receives NICO Faculty Service Award
June 2022 Professor Uri Wilensky is the inaugural recipient of the NICO Faculty Service Award. The award recognized Professor Wilensky’s contributions to the study of complex systems and to the NICO Community at Northwestern.
from NICO
Study Identifies 160 Possible 'Crews' of Criminal Cops in Chicago
May 2022 A new study using machine learning and network analysis has identified 160 possible "crews" of officers in the Chicago Police Department responsible for a disproportionate share of police misconduct and violence. This research was led by the N3 Initiative and Andrew Papachristos.
from VICE
Dean Julio M. Ottino Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
May 2022 Congratulations to Dean Julio M. Ottino on his election to the National Academy of Sciences. An expert on nonlinear dynamics and complex systems, Dean Ottino was elected for his distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
from Northwestern Engineering
Virtual Collaboration Hinders a Key Component of Creativity
April 2022 The shift from in-person teamwork to virtual has become a central concern for employers and educators. In Nature News & Views, Agnes Horvat and Brian Uzzi discuss new research which finds that virtual collaboration hinders idea generation.
from Nature
Are Conferences Worth the Time and Money?
March 2022 Research from Emma Zajdela and Daniel Abrams finds that interactions, at both in-person and virtual conferences, were a significant predictor of future collaborations.
from Northwestern Engineering
Police Violence Linked to Higher Rates of Preterm Delivery, Heart Disease Among Black Women
February 2022 A ten-year analysis links police complaints with hospital records, suggesting that the consequences of police misconduct may begin in utero and persist throughout life, according to research from Andrew Papachristos and colleagues.
from Northwestern Medicine
Professor Hyejin Youn Receives NSF Big Ideas Grant
January 2022 Since 2017 NSF has been building a foundation for Big Ideas through pioneering research and pilot activities. Professor Youn's project seeks to develop a unified theory of regulatory functions and networks across biological and social systems.
from NICO
Pandemic's Effect on Scientists May be Long Lasting, Study Finds
October 2021 A study, led by Dashun Wang and NICO researchers Jian Gao and Yian Yin, finds a dramatic decline in new projects suggesting the pandemic’s impact on science may be longer lasting than commonly imagined.
from Northwestern Engineering
Scientific fields that are awarded prizes see subsequent research boon
October 2021 A study by NICO researchers (Ching Jin, Yifang Ma and Brian Uzzi) published in Nature Communications finds that topics associated with a scientific prize experience extraordinary growth in productivity, impact, and new entrants.
from Physics World
In Memoriam: Professor Ned Smith, 1981-2021
October 2021 Ned is remembered as a “rare multitalented academic” and devoted husband and father who inspired countless friends, students and fellow researchers.
from Kellogg School
Metropolitan Chicago Data-Science Corps to partner with area organizations
September 2021 Five Illinois universities, led by Northwestern University and Suzan van der Lee, have established the Metropolitan Chicago Data-science Corps (MCDC) to help meet the data science needs of the Chicago metropolitan area.
from Northwestern Now
How Has Covid-19 Shaped Scientists and the Future of Science?
July 2021 Research from NICO Professors Benjamin Jones and Dashun Wang reveals how the global pandemic has changed how scientists work.
from Kellogg Insight
Silhouette Turns Microscopy Data Into Cell-Specific Measurements for Quantitative Analysis
July 2021 An application developed by the Amaral Lab can aid researchers in their analysis of the Drosophila larval eye - an organism transforming our understanding of molecular biology.
from Northwestern
Mapping The Clusters of NYPD Officers Repeatedly Accused Of Misconduct
June 2021 NICO and N3 Professor Andrew Papachristos is quoted in a Gothamist article about police violence.
from Gothamist
Science of Science Podcast with Dashun Wang
June 2021 NICO and CSSI Professor Dashun Wang appears on the Too Lazy to Read Podcast to discuss his life, career and new book The Science of Science.
from Too Lazy to Read Podcast
COVID-19 PCR Tests can be Freeze Dried
June 2021 Northwestern researchers led by Michael Jewett (NICO Core Faculty) have discovered that commercially available PCR tests can withstand the freeze-drying process, making them shelf-stable for up to 30 days.
from Northwestern Engineering
How NICO faculty and collaborators are progressing to make the U.S. judicial system more accessible, user friendly and equitable
May 2021 A brief overview of the Systemic Content Analysis of Litigation Events Open Knowledge Network (SCALES-OKN) progress to date.
from NICO
Diversity can prevent failures in large power grids
April 2021 A larger power grid has perks, but also has perils that researchers at Northwestern (led by NICO Professor Adilson Motter) are hoping to address to expedite integration and improvements to the system.
from Northwestern Now
How Does a Polarized U.S. Move Beyond Its Current Conflicts?
March 2021 A discussion about the psychology of group conflict, the risks of rampant misinformation, and the importance of resilient institutions with Kellogg Professor Cynthia Wang and NICO Co-Director Brian Uzzi.
from Kellogg insight
How does science work?
March 2021 In his new book “The Science of Science,” Dashun Wang provides an unprecedented look at the nature of the discipline and how scientists can improve their work.
from Northwestern Now
Top of the Pops
March 2021 What can a Swedish pop music maestro teach us about teamwork and collaboration? This BBC Radio podcast includes insights from Brian Uzzi's research examining scientific teams.
from BBC Radio 4
Three Students Awarded Prizes in the Great Math Challenge in Biology Contest
February 2021 The NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology at Northwestern University invited undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows from across Chicagoland to participate in the inaugural Great Math Challenges in Biology Contest. NICO was honored to sponsor this competition.
from NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology
Machine Learning Could Jolt Legal Research
February 2021 This Built In article highlights the work of the SCALES OKN team to transform the accessibility and transparency of federal court records.
from Built In
Using A.I., Northwestern researchers seek to improve legal practice, administration of justice
December 2020 Learn how the SCALES (Systematic Content Analysis of Litigation EventS) team is using AI to achieve its goal of a more open federal judiciary in this Northwestern Now article.
from Northwestern Now
The Magic Number for Reducing Infections and Keeping Businesses Open
December 2020 Data reveals a “sweet spot” where COVID infections can be reduced while keeping business steady. This New York Times opinion cites research by NICO Professor Jaline Gerardin.
from The New York Times
Historical bias overlooks genes related to COVID-19
November 2020 Why are some genes studied more than others? A research team led by Thomas Stoeger and Luis Amaral finds large numbers of genes implicated in COVID19 infection remain unstudied by genome-wide studies.
from Northwestern Now
SCALES OKN Awarded NSF Phase II Convergence Accelerator Grant
September 2020 The SCALES OKN team is thrilled to be one of the five teams awarded a Phase II grant to build an open knowledge network and address national-scale societal challenges as a part of the NSF Convergence Accelerator.
from SCALES
They Come in Peace: Why the Legal Research Market Welcomes Nonprofit Entrants
July 2020 Northwestern’s Systematic Content Analysis of Litigation Events (SCALES OKN) platform is one of the latest nonprofit entrants into legal research. Learn more about this project in this Law article.
from Law
Teaming in a Virtual World
July 2020 What can network science and research on astronauts teach us about remote working? Watch NICO Professors Noshir Contractor and Leslie DeChurch explore this topic in a recent Kellogg School webinar.
from Kellogg School
How to Build a More Open Justice System
July 2020 In the US, a range of obstacles block large-scale access to public court records. A team of researchers from SCALES and NICO discuss how to build a more open justice system in this Science Magazine article.
from Science Magazine
Sharing of tacit knowledge is most important aspect of mentorship, study finds
June 2020 Mentorship is arguably a scientist’s most significant collaborative relationship. A new study led by Brian Uzzi and NICO finds that mentorship is associated with diverse forms of protégé success.
from Northwestern Now
Wilder than the Weather: The Limitations of Predicting Pandemics
May 2020 How can changes in human behavior alter the progression of COVID-19? In a webinar at the Buffett Institute, NICO Co-Director Luis Amaral discussed the limits of models that predict the spread of pandemics.
from YouTube
How Scientists Are Mobilizing to Fight COVID-19
May 2020 A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine panel moderated by NICO Professor Michelle Birkett discussed the shared response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
from Institute for Policy Research
Computer scientists and seismologists work to automate the detection of dynamically triggered earthquakes
May 2020 Computer scientists from Northwestern Engineering and seismologists from NICO and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences are working together to tackle a big data problem in seismology.
from NICO
How A.I. may help solve science’s ‘reproducibility’ crisis
May 2020 A research team at NICO led by Professors Yang Yang and Brian Uzzi have developed a machine learning algorithm to improve how the replicability of studies is measured.
from Fortune
One-step diagnostic tool receives NSF RAPID grant
April 2020 Northwestern scientists have received NSF funding to develop an easy-to-use, quick-screen technology that can test for infectious diseases, including COVID-19. NICO Professor Michael Jewett is working with members of the Center for Synthetic Biology on this project.
from Northwestern Now
The Golden Age of Hollywood was not so golden for women
April 2020 The Golden Age of Hollywood is known for its glitz, glamour, and classic movies. Northwestern researchers led by NICO's Luis Amaral have peeled back the gilded sheen to reveal an industry tarnished by severe gender inequity.
from Northwestern Engineering
How the U.S. Must Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 2020 NICO Professor Michelle Birkett, as part of The New Voices in Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine project, has published an article in Scientific American charting a path forward for scientists, engineers and health professionals.
from Scientific American
The Tipping Point Between Failure and Success
December 2019 Professor Dashun Wang and colleagues crunched datasets of entrepreneurs, scientists and terrorist organizations to understand the line between failure and success. Learn more in this Harvard Business Review podcast.
from Harvard Business Review
New Framework Brings Accuracy, Efficiency to Identifying Stop Words
December 2019 A research team led by NICO's Luis Amaral has developed an algorithmic approach for data analysis that automatically recognizes stop words in large collections of text.
from Northwestern Engineering
Noshir Contractor named AAAS fellow
November 2019 Congratulations to Noshir Contractor, a NICO Core Faculty member and the director of SONIC, on being elected an AAAS Fellow for 2019 along with four other Northwestern faculty. Fellows are recognized for their efforts to advance science or its applications.
from Northwestern Now
Should We Be Afraid of Artificial Intelligence?
November 2019 How do we ensure that people are still relevant in the technology-driven workplace? NICO Professor Hyejin Youn argues that we should collaborate with machines instead of trying to compete with them.
from Harvard Business Review
Where Tech Crosses Paths With the Law
November 2019 Researchers at Northwestern Engineering and Northwestern Law have launched a cross-disciplinary initiative with the goal of enabling artificially intelligent access to federal court records.
from Northwestern Engineering
FIRSTHAND Talks provide context to the topic of gun violence in Chicago
November 2019 Northwestern and NICO Professor Andrew Papachristos discusses his research into social networks and gun violence on WTTW.
from WTTW
How Early-Career Setbacks Can Set You Up for Success
October 2019 "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger" may be a cliché but it has something going for it that other clichés don't: it’s supported by science. Learn more in this New York Times article on research by NICO's Yang Wang, Benjamin Jones, and Dashun Wang.
from New York Times
Pre-programmed microfluidic systems offer new control capabilities
October 2019 Microfluidic systems have the power to revolutionize medicine, energy, electronics and even space exploration. Research from NICO Professor Adilson Motter published in Nature could lead to microfluidic devices that are more portable and scalable.
from Northwestern Now
Tailor-made models for preventing suicide may soon be a reality
October 2019 Research by Carlos Gallo of Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine was presented at a recent Data Science Night hosted by NICO in Chambers Hall. Learn more in this Medill Reports article.
from Medill Reports
Predicting terror activity before it happens
October 2019 NICO researchers have developed an early-warning model that can predict how lethal a terror organization will become in the future. This study was published in PNAS by Yang Yang, Adam Pah, and Brian Uzzi.
from Northwestern Now
Science proves that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
October 2019 Research from NICO's Yang Wang, Benjamin Jones and Dashun Wang published in Nature Communications shows how early-career setbacks promote future success.
from Northwestern Now
Interdisciplinary Team Receives NSF Grant to Build Open, Searchable Platform for Court Records
September 2019 An interdisciplinary team led by NICO Professors Luis Amaral and Adam Pah, and including seven members of the Northwestern Law faculty, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the Northwestern Open Access to Court Records Initiative (NOACRI).
from Northwestern Law
Big cities breed partners in crime
September 2019 Research from NICO Faculty Daniel Abrams and Andrew Papachristos uses a new mathematical model that predicts the number of crimes as a function of social interactions.
from Northwestern Now
New center aims to improve the pursuit of scientific discovery
September 2019 The Center for the Science of Science and Innovation (CSSI), led by NICO Professor Dashun Wang, is dedicated to understanding the conditions that lead to scientific success.
from Northwestern Now
Watch a robot made of robots move around
September 2019 Research from NICO Professor Todd Murphey and colleagues could help scientists design complex robotic systems that can still function even if one part breaks.
from Science Magazine
Women underrepresented in the music industry
September 2019 Don’t let the success of Beyonce and Taylor Swift fool you. Women are still grossly underrepresented in the music industry, reports a recent study by NICO Professor Agnes Horvat.
from Northwestern Now
Too Many Options? Here’s a Data Visualization Technique That Can Lead to Better Decisions.
September 2019 Data visualizations can make complex information easier to interpret, leading to more rational decisions. Research from NICO Professor Steve Franconeri examines how to reduce a cognitive bias known as the decoy effect.
from Kellogg Insight
New Algorithms Discover Networks Within Systems
August 2019 NICO Professors Randy Freeman and Kevin Lynch have developed new algorithms that offer immediate application to difficult network reconstruction problems.
from Northwestern Engineering
To land top jobs, women need different types of networks than men
August 2019 Research from Yang Yang and Brian Uzzi found an important gender difference by analyzing the social-network and job-placement data for graduates of an MBA program.
from Quartz
Slowing metabolism can prevent detrimental effects of genetic mutations
July 2019 Research from NICO faculty members Neda Bagheri and Luis Amaral "upends the paradigm of everything we know about development.”
from Northwestern Now
AI and the Social Sciences Used to Talk More. Now They’ve Drifted Apart.
July 2019 Research from Dashun Wang and colleagues shows that the gap between disciplines is growing, which could make it harder to address social and ethical problems.
from Kellogg Insight
Work performance improves when the enemy of an enemy is a friend
June 2019 New research from Brian Uzzi finds that balanced professional networks are more important than individual talent when it comes to high-risk decision making.
from Northwestern Now
New Methods for Engineering Metabolic Pathways
June 2019 NICO faculty members Milan Mrksich and Michael Jewett are using new approaches to provide a faster way to create complex molecules.
from Northwestern Engineering
‘The Big Bang Theory’ finale: Sheldon and Amy’s fictional physics parallels real science
May 2019 Professor Adilson Motter weighs in on the series finale of the Big Bang Theory and it's real life scientific parallels.
from The Conversation
Who Can Handle Trip To Mars? Northwestern Helps NASA Predict Strains On Astronauts
May 2019 Northwestern researchers, including Leslie DeChurch and Noshir Contractor, are developing a model to forecast conflicts and communication breakdowns between astronauts working in tight, isolated space.
from WBEZ
Polarizing Echo Chambers Had an Unexpected Effect on Political Misinformation
May 2019 A new study by NICO Post Doctoral Fellow Joshua Becker challenges the assumption that echo chambers reinforce poor information.
from Inverse
Success in academia is as much about grit as talent
May 2019 A working paper by NICO's Yang Wang, Benjamin Jones and Dashun Wang finds that scientists who fail early may benefit from the experience.
from The Economist
How Big is the Gender Gap in Science Research Funding?
May 2019 New studies from Brian Uzzi and Teresa Woodruff look at who wins the prestigious grants and prizes that can make or break a scientist’s career.
from Kellogg Insight
Multiple views on how to choose a visualization
April 2019 Choosing a visualization based on task can be helpful when communicating known patterns, but it's less useful at the analysis stage. Steve Franconeri tackles this problem with a new quick-reference guide.
from Medium
Adam Pah wins EFMD Case Writing Competition
April 2019 Congratulations to NICO's Adam Pah and Alanna Lazarowich of the Kellogg School of Management. Their case, titled "Evaluating the Cognitive Analytics Frontier", was selected a winner in a prestigious case writing competition.
from EFMD Global Network
Dashun Wang Named a Best 40 Under 40 Professor of 2019
April 2019 Congratulations to NICO and Kellogg School Professor Dashun Wang on being named to the Poets & Quants Best 40 Under 40 Professors list.
from Poets & Quants
Successful Research Papers Cite Young References
April 2019 Analysis of scientific citations from the Amaral Lab reveals previously unknown patterns. Northwestern Engineering article.
from Northwestern Engineering
The Math of How Crickets, Starlings, and Neurons Sync Up
April 2019 Researchers have bold hopes of learning how to predict and control synchronization in many real-world contexts. Learn more in this WIRED article which includes NICO Professors Adilson Motter and Daniel Abrams.
from Wired
Erik Andersen receives award to study the evolution of behavior
April 2019 Congratulations to NICO's Erik Andersen on being awarded a Human Frontier Science Program grant to study the genetic mechanisms underlying behavioral evolution.
from Northwestern Now
Four Elected to Medical and Biological Engineering Elite
March 2019 Congratulations to Luis Amaral on being elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE) College of Fellows!
from Northwestern Engineering
Malcolm MacIver on Sensing, Consciousness, and Imagination
March 2019 How did our minds develop the ability to conjure up multiple hypothetical futures? NICO's Malcolm Maciver pinpoints an important transition in the evolution of consciousness in this Mindscape podcast.
from Mindscape Podcast
Are you an ‘Earthquake Detective’?
March 2019 New project recruits help from citizen scientists to classify seismic events. Kevin Chao, a NICO Data Science Scholar, is mentioned in this Northwestern Now article.
from Northwestern Now
New machine learning technique rapidly analyzes nanomedicines for cancer immunotherapy
February 2019 A Northwestern led research team including Professor Neda Bagheri is using a novel approach to aid scientists in optimizing therapeutic vaccines to treat cancer.
from Northwestern Now
How teamwork could make or break a mission to Mars
February 2019 Northwestern researchers, led by Noshir Contractor and Leslie DeChurch, are developing a predictive model to help NASA anticipate conflicts and communication breakdowns on deep space missions. Northwestern Now article.
from Northwestern Now
Can Big Science Be Too Big?
February 2019 A new study by Dashun Wang and colleagues finds that small teams of researchers do more innovative work than large teams do. New York Times article.
Who Gets Blamed When a Group Project Goes Wrong?
February 2019 Why do consequences stick to some team members more than others? Research by Benjamin Jones and Brian Uzzi examines this by looking at retracted academic papers. Kellogg Insight article.
Most successful women surround themselves with other women
January 2019 A new study in PNAS by Yang Yang, Nitesh Chawla and Brian Uzzi finds female-dominated inner circles are key to women gaining leadership roles. Northwestern Now article.
from Northwestern Now
For Women Job Seekers, Networking Like a Man Isn't Enough
January 2019 A new study in PNAS by Yang Yang, Nitesh Chawla and Brian Uzzi is explored in this WIRED Article.
Women who win prizes get less money and prestige
January 2019 A new analysis of biomedical awards over five decades shows men receive more cash and more respect for their research than women do, reports Teresa Woodruff, Brian Uzzi and colleagues in Nature.
Wilensky Named Lorraine Morton Professor
January 2019 Congratulations to Northwestern and NICO Professor Uri Wilensky on being named the Lorraine Morton Professor of Learning Sciences and Computer Science.
from Northwestern School of Education & Social Policy
A Blood Test for the Body’s Clock
January 2019 Rosemary Braun and other researchers are developing ways to measure internal time that could yield insight into sleep deprivation and disease. Scientific American article.
In Team Sports, Chemistry Matters
December 2018 New research from Brian Uzzi and Noshir Contractor reveals that past shared success among team members improves the odds of future wins. Northwestern Engineering article.
from Northwestern Engineering
Wilensky, Horn Awarded NSF Grant for Computational Thinking Research
November 2018 Uri Wilensky (NICO Core Faculty) and Mike Horn have received a $2.6 million National Science Foundation grant to help students improve their computational thinking skills. SESP article.
Study explains why some human genes are more popular with researchers than others
September 2018 Historical bias leads researchers to study certain genes over and over again, according to research from Thomas Stoeger, Luis Amaral and colleagues. Northwestern Now Article.
from Northwestern Now
Scientists determine four personality types based on new data
September 2018 Researchers led by Northwestern Engineering’s Luis Amaral sifted through data from more than 1.5 million people to find at least four distinct clusters of personality types exist. Northwestern Now article.
from Northwestern Now
Scientists identify four personality types
September 2018 In a report published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers at Northwestern University identify four personality types: reserved, role models, average and self-centered. Washington Post article.
The Bright Future of Machine Learning
August 2018 Adam Pah and Brian Uzzi discuss the wide-ranging benefits of pairing minds with machines in this Northwestern Now Q&A.
from Northwestern Now
Career Hot Streaks
July 2018 Career successes come in clusters or "hot streaks", according to research from Dashun Wang who is interviewed in this Kellogg Insight article.
Luis Amaral Appears on Wharton Moneyball
July 2018 Listen to Professor Luis Amaral discuss his research into soccer analytics on a recent episode of Wharton Moneyball during the 2018 World Cup.
NICO Hosts First Research Jam and Data Science Research Day
June 2018 NICO hosted two new events in May and June of 2018 to foster the center's collaborative research mission.
Using big data to analyze soccer
May 2018 Read how Luis Amaral’s lab developed the first objective, data-driven system for understanding who to watch on soccer fields across the globe. Northwestern Now article.
from Northwestern Now
Unemployment and financial distress may trigger school shootings
April 2018 Professor Adam Pah discusses new research showing a correlation between increased unemployment and rising gun violence at schools in this CNBC commentary.
Symposium Examines Role of Microgrids in Sustainable Development
April 2018 Experts gathered on April 10th at Northwestern’s Symposium on Microgrids to share knowledge about and experiences with self-contained power microgrids in the face of disasters.
from Northwestern Engineering
How Will Automation Affect Different U.S. Cities?
April 2018 How will automation affect different U.S. cities? Kellogg School and NICO Professor Hyejin Youn and colleagues seek to understand how machines will disrupt economies.
Better Design through Data
April 2018 Dean Malmgren and Mike Stringer (NICO external faculty members) join IDEO to explore creative ways to realize the positive potential of data science. Northwestern Engineering Article.
from Northwestern Engineering
Proving the Possible
March 2018 John "Mac" McQuown (Northwestern '57 and a NICO donor) sets his sights on climate change by building a microgrid that's demonstrating what green tech can do. Northwestern Engineering article.
from Northwestern Engineering
Introducing New NICO Faculty Members
December 2017 NICO is excited to welcome new faculty members into our midst: Dashun Wang and Hyejin Youn!
Wednesdays@NICO 2018 Seminar Series returns on January 17th
December 2017 The winter speaker series runs from January 17 through February 28, 2018.
First Data Science Night Kicks Off With Over 100 Attendees
November 2017 Northwestern University hosted its first, official Data Science Night, or “hack night,” in November 2017 with over 100 attendees.
In These Small Cities, AI Advances Could Be Costly
October 2017 A new MIT study (co-authored by Hyejin Youn) finds that larger cities are more resilient to technological unemployment.
IDEO acquires Chicago data science firm Datascope, founded by Northwestern Alumni
October 2017 IDEO is planning a new offering called Design for Augmented Intelligence and has added 15 data scientists from Datascope, including NU Alumni Dean Malgrem and Mike Stringer.
Do Earthquakes Have a ‘Tell’?
October 2017 New research from Kevin Chao, a data scientist and seismologist, uses "deep tremor" to forecast strong earthquakes.
from Northwestern Engineering
Ágnes Horvát and Dashun Wang Give Keynotes at Annual IC2S2 Conference
July 2017 Horvát spoke about the hidden signals of collective intelligence in crowdfunding, while Wang presented research on predictive signals behind success.
NICO Researchers Present Findings at NetSci 2017
June 2017 NICO faculty present research at the NetSci 2017 International School and Conference on Network Science on topics such as computational social science, social networks, data science, and more.
Visual Thinking Lab Unites Journalists, Engineers and Data Scientists to Solve Real-world Problems
April 2017 Professor Steve Franconeri's Visual Thinking Lab brings together journalists, engineers, and data visualization researchers to solve real-world problems.
from Northwestern Now
Michael Jewett Receives 2017 Teaching Excellence Award
April 2017 Professor Jewett received a 2017 Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence Award, which celebrates excellence, innovation, and influence in undergraduate teaching.
from Northwestern Now
Teresa Woodruff Named 2017 Guggenheim Fellow
April 2017 Professor Teresa Woodruff was named a 2017 Guggenheim Fellow in support of her research into reproductive health and fertility preservation.
Using Cell Phone Data to Predict the Next Epidemic
April 2017 Research from Professor Dashun Wang examines if data science can be used to predict the spread of viral epidemics.
The Surprising Speed with Which We Become Polarized Online
April 2017 Research by Professor Brian Uzzi and a team of researchers at IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca examines how users isolate themselves in social media echo chambers.
School Shootings Rise and Fall with the Unemployment Rate
March 2017 Research by Adam Pah and Professor Luis Amaral set out to quantify gun violence at US schools and made a surprising discovery.
School Shootings and Jobless Rate May Be Linked, Study Finds
January 2017 NBC News covers research by Adam Pah and Professor Luis Amaral on school shootings.
Shootings in US Schools are Linked to Increased Unemployment
January 2017 A rigorous Northwestern study of a quarter-century of data has found that economic insecurity is related to the rate of gun violence at K-12 and postsecondary schools in the United States.
from Northwestern Engineering
Will Machines Ever Truly Understand Us?
December 2016 In a Kellogg Insight Podcast, Brian Uzzi, David Ferrucci, and Sandra Waxman discuss how the relationship between humans and computers is deepening.
Study Finds Female Faculty Are Underrepresented in Genomics
November 2016 New research by Professors Luis Amaral and Teresa Woodruff shows the playing field for female faculty in STEM disciplines is not always as level as it appears.
from Northwestern Engineering
When it Comes to Success, Age Really is Just a Number
November 2016 The New York Times covers new research by Professor Dashun Wang on scientific careers.
Why a Scientist’s Big Break May Be Just Around the Corner
November 2016 New research by Professor Dashun Wang shows that a researcher's most successful paper can occur at any point in his or her career.
Think You Understand Why Ideas Go Viral? Big Data May Change Your Mind
October 2016 From tweets to scientific discoveries, Professor Dashun Wang and Microsoft's Duncan Watts discuss how human behavior is more predictable than you might think.
Wilensky Wins 2016 Excellence in Design Award
September 2016 Northwestern Professor Uri Wilensky has received the prestigious 2016 Excellence in Educational Design Award for the design and development of NetLogo.
How Long Will it Take to Break Usain Bolt’s 100-meter Dash Record?
August 2016 Professor Luis Amaral calculates it may take up to 230 years.
from Northwestern Engineering
Big Data is Helping Northwestern Experts Unlock the Secrets of Creativity and Connection
June 2016 From Broadway to biomedicine and the DC Beltway, data science is helping Northwestern experts unlock the secrets of creativity and connection.
Code Read: Sociologists Bring Digital Approach to Text Analysis
February 2016 Research from NICO Postdoctoral Fellow Laura Nelson and a team of sociologists is featured in the February Northwestern Research newsletter.
How Humans Plus Machines Will Equal Amazing Advancements
February 2016 Moran Cerf and Brian Uzzi write in Entrepreneur about the benefits of human and machine collaboration.
Researchers Pinpoint Place Where Cancer Cells May Begin
January 2016 A multidisciplinary team co-led by Richard W. Carthew and Luís A.N. Amaral used fruit fly genetics to understand how things could go wrong in cancer.
from Northwestern Now
What You Need to Know about Making Money in 2016
January 2016 Brian Uzzi is featured in an Inc. article about the collaboration between people and machines.
Network Control: Letting Noise Lead the Way
September 2015 Northwestern researchers, including Professor William Kath, leverage randomness in a new computational approach to keep cells healthy.
from Northwestern Engineering
Programming Boot Camp Attracts Diverse Participants
September 2015 More than 230 participants representing 10 schools learned programming skills needed to collect, process, and analyze data.
from Northwestern Engineering
Merging Big Data with Social Science
May 2015 NICO co-organized Kellogg’s first-ever Computational Social Science Summit that featured collaboration and human-machine partnerships.