Complexity & Society Lab
Welcome to the Complexity & Society Lab (the “&-Lab”), a research group at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University.
Our work is centered around theoretical and methodological advances in Complex Systems science, with focus areas in network dynamics, learning and inference, network generative models of AI architectures, and graph comparison.
Lab Members
Brennan Klein, Director
Brennan Klein is core faculty the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University and an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Physics. He studies complex systems across nature and society using tools from network science and statistics. His research sits in two broad areas: First, he develops methods and theory for constructing, reconstructing, and comparing complex networks based on concepts from information theory and random graphs. Second, he uses an array of interdisciplinary approaches to document—and combat—emergent or systemic disparities across society, especially as they relate to public health and public safety. In addition to his role at Northeastern University, Brennan is the Data for Justice Fellow at the Institute on Policing, Incarceration, and Public Safety in the Hutchins Center for African and African American Studies at Harvard University. Brennan received a PhD in Network Science from Northeastern University in 2020 and a B.A. in Cognitive Science from Swarthmore College in 2014.
Moritz Laber, PhD Student (Network Science)
Moritz Laber is a 3rd year PhD student in Network Science at Northeastern University. He is broadly interested in the mutual influence of network structure and dynamics. Currently, he is using methods from information theory to identify structure at different scales in complex systems. Before joining NetSI, Moritz studied how supply shocks propagate on the global food production network. He received a BS and MS in Physics from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and a MS in Computational Science from University of Vienna. Website: https://moritz-laber.github.io/.
Erik Weis, PhD Student (Network Science)
Erik Weis is a 1st year PhD student in Network Science at Northeastern University. His interests involve using complex systems modeling to improve the design of policy interventions. His past research has explored the impact of uncertainty on the design of optimal network interventions. Before joining NetSI, Erik received a MS in Complex Systems and Data Science from the University of Vermont and a BA in Physics from Dartmouth College. Website: https://erikweis.com/.
Lochan Chaudhari, PhD Student (Network Science)
Lochan Chaudhari is a 1st year PhD student in Network Science at Northeastern University. Her research interests lie in applying tools from complex systems and statistical physics to explore the complexities of biological systems, with a particular emphasis on neuronal systems. Previously, Lochan studied the dynamics of coupled neurons, their networks, and their interactions with astrocytes. Lochan received a BS-MS in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Tirupati. Website: https://www.networkscienceinstitute.org/people/lochan-chaudhari.
Lab Alumni
Eline Bouwmeesters
Visiting MS Student (AccelNet-MultiNet Fellow, ‘24)
Janne de Rooij
Visiting MS Student (AccelNet-MultiNet Fellow, ‘24)
Research Projects
Website in progress.
News & Lab Updates
Website in progress.
Lab Culture & Scientific Philosophy
Website in progress.
Misc.
November 19, 2024 - Slides from invited talk at the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford: Network Comparison and Graph Distances: A Primer and Open Questions.
October 22, 2024 - Slides from invited talk at the Santa Fe Institute: Simple Injustice, Complex System: Data and inequalities of policing, sentencing, and incarceration in the U.S.
March 13, 2024 - Slides from &-Lab Introduction presentation.