Events
Past Event
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Lightning Talks with Northwestern Fellows and Scholars!
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details

NICO is hosting a lightning talk seminar each term as a part of our Wednesdays@NICO seminar series. Northwestern graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are invited to participate. To sign up for future lightning talks, please visit: https://bit.ly/2lRqSXK
Lightning Talk Speakers:
○ Sugat Dabholkar - PhD Candidate in the Learning Sciences program at the School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University.
Title: Emergent Systems Microworlds to teach and learn about complex emergent phenomena
Abstract: Learning and reasoning about complex systems is not simple. Both novices and experts often fall into the trap of level-slippage while reasoning about complex natural phenomena. Level-slippage is the confusion that arises when one expects emergent macro-level patterns to be similar to local micro-level patterns. Such confusion is people’s source of a deep misunderstanding of several patterns and phenomena in the world.
In my work, I seek to address this issue for high school science students by combining two powerful design approaches in Learning Sciences, namely, agent-based modeling of emergent systems and constructionism. We call this design approach Emergent Systems Microworlds (ESM). This approach is based on Wilensky and Papert’s restructuration theory (2010), which argues for the importance of representational infrastructure for changing fundamental aspects of knowledge encodings in a disciplinary domain. In this talk, I will discuss how agent-based restructurations in an ESM allow learners to develop fundamentally deeper insights into complex phenomena.
In an ESM-based curriculum, students explore and learn about emergent phenomena, using agent-based computational models that are designed in NetLogo (Wilensky, 1999) in the form of a microworld. In such models, an agent is a computational object with particular properties and actions. An ‘emergent’ phenomenon is modeled in terms of agents and their interactions. Microworlds are encapsulated open-ended computational exploratory environments in which a set of concepts can be explored, through interactions that lead to knowledge construction. In this talk, I will present some examples of ESM-based curricula that I designed for high school students to learn about genetics and evolution, two fundamental ideas in biology. I will discuss how the agent-based representational architecture in the ESMs allowed the students to engage in reasoning about complex systems principles in the context of the phenomena they were studying.
Bio: Sugat Dabholkar is a doctoral candidate in the Learning Sciences program at the School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University. His work involves designing technology-enhanced learning environments for learning scientific thinking, computational thinking, and complex systems thinking. Over the past four years, Sugat has developed several computational agent-based models, many of which have been incorporated into curricular units for high school students. He has conducted Professional Development programs for teachers focusing on designing Computational Thinking integrated STEM curricular units. These curricular units have been used in school settings in the US as well as in India.
○ Xuan Ma - Postdoctoral Fellow at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Title: Probing motor control during naturalistic movements for extending BCI use
Abstract: Most existing sensorimotor and brain computer interface (BCI) studies have investigated the mapping from motor cortex (M1) to muscles by training monkeys to perform a few instructed movements in highly restricted conditions. Motivated by the demand of extending those in-lab studies to a wider realm, we propose to explore motor control during more natural movements of unrestrained monkeys. We simultaneously recorded M1 neural activity and electromyograph (EMG) wirelessly while the monkey was in a plastic telemetry cage in which it could perform various free-form movements. We then investigated the features of these signals and the consistency of the relationship between them. In this talk, I will describe progress we have made and challenges we are facing to extend BCI use in more naturalistic contexts, and will also introduce our efforts with deep learning methods to address those challenges.
Bio: Xuan Ma is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. He received the Ph.D. degree in control science and engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, in 2017. His research interests include cortically-controlled functional electric stimulation, neural motor control system modeling, and biomedical signal processing.
○ Suman Kalyan Maity - Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kellogg School of Management, CSSI and NICO
Title: Winners, Losers, and Future Achievement
Abstract: One of the most robust findings on human performance is that past achievement predicts future achievements. Indeed, prior achievements may reflect underlying, differentiating characteristics rendering past winners more predictably outperforming their non-winning counterparts in future competitions. Further, the Matthew effect posits that past victories bring reputation and recognition that can translate into tangible assets, which increase the chance for future victories. Hence even if the deck was not stacked against some in favor of others, positive feedback operating on arbitrary initial advantage can increasingly set apart winners from losers. These mechanisms lead to one fundamental principle with crucial implications: Between past winners and losers, it is the former that are more likely to win in the future. Indeed, partly due to the robustness of this principle, the idea of selecting on winners has become one of the most commonly used heuristics in identifying and nurturing talents across a remarkably wide range of domains. In this talk, we systematically test against the principle of selecting between winners and losers across various settings. We observe that whenever there existed a reward based milestone (being on the podium, entering the main draw of a Tennis tournament etc.), the athletes who had just missed it ended up outperforming the athletes who narrowly achieved the milestone in future endeavors.
Bio: Suman Kalyan Maity is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kellogg School of Management, The Center for Science of Science & Innovation (CSSI), and NICO.
○ Rebeka O. Szabo - Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Title: The Micro-Dynamic Nature of Team Interaction
Abstract: Teams have become a popular organization form since well-functioning task-focused groups are basic pillars of successful organizations. While there is much interest in contemporary social science in understanding team processes that lead to efficiency, most of these researches rely heavily on self-reported data yielding static and potentially biased information and tends to overlook actual interaction processes. We propose a novel approach that allows portraying a nuanced, complex picture of problem-solving group behavior by measuring performance dynamics as it evolves in real-time, in a controlled environment. The research aims to explore how collaboration networks of small project teams evolve across time and team members, and how it relates to successful task performance. We investigate interaction patterns in escape rooms, where all teams are video recorded during the task-solving process in the same experimental environment. We expected that homogeneous distribution of interaction ties across time and team members fosters successful problem-solving. Concerning the impact of the initial social roles on the dynamics of the interaction pattern, we hypothesized that flexible, less hierarchical team structures favor for problem-solving. This research aims to advance the new science of teams' by focusing on the network micro-mechanisms that allows us to treat teams as dynamic, adaptive, task-performing systems.
Bio: Rebeka O. Szabo is a visiting Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Kellogg School of Management. She is a PhD candidate at the Central European University's Department of Network and Data Science.
About the Speaker Series:
Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems and data 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.
Live Stream:
Time
Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Nicole Woitowich, Feinberg School of Medicine "Exploring the Science of Biomedical Science from Discovery to Impact"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details

Speaker:
Nicole Woitowich, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Executive Director, NUCATS
Title:
Exploring the Science of Biomedical Science from Discovery to Impact
Abstract:
This presentation explores the biomedical research enterprise from a science of science perspective, focusing on the relationships between research practices, the people who shape them, the policies that govern them, and the public they ultimately aim to serve. A central thread of this work examines the intersection of sex and gender inclusion in research, the advancement of women in science and medicine - and how they may be inextricably related. This talk will explore how sex and gender are included, analyzed, and reported in biomedical research, and how gender disparities within the scientific workforce influences the types of questions asked and how data are reported and analyzed. Together, these dynamics have significant implications for the rigor and reproducibility of research, as well as for health outcomes more broadly. The talk will also reflect on how this science of science perspective can inform ongoing work at Northwestern’s Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute which aims to improve, innovate, and implement generalizable solutions that enhance the efficiency, quality, and impact of clinical and translational science. The session will conclude with an overview of NUCATS’ initiatives and resources aligned with these goals.
Speaker Bio:
Nicole (Niki) Woitowich, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute and a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Social Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Her work focuses on advancing women's health and the representation of women in science and medicine, aiming to transform the biomedical research landscape through her research, advocacy, and outreach.
Trained as a biochemist, Dr. Woitowich earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. She has specialized knowledge in neuroendocrinology, reproductive physiology, and enzymology. Her current research investigates the intersections of sex and gender in biomedicine, from research policy to practice, emphasizing the importance of considering sex as a biological variable and the inclusion of women in the biomedical research workforce.
Dr. Woitowich holds a longstanding interest in science policy. In 2016, she was awarded the Presidential Management Fellowship. She continues to advocate for women's health research and played a key role in establishing January 25th as Women’s Health Research Day.
Committed to making science accessible, Dr. Woitowich collaborates with researchers nationwide to enhance their communication and public engagement skills. She holds leadership positions within the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the non-profit organization Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM).
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/95817534965
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, April 30, 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: 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)