Events
Past Event
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Serguei Saavedra, MIT "A structural approach for understanding complex dynamics"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Title:
A structural approach for understanding complex dynamics
Speaker:
Serguei Saavedra - Mitsui Chair Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Talk Abstract:
It is well known that the dynamics observed in complex systems result from both the direct and indirect effects among their constituent components. Yet, how much of these dynamics can be explained with simple models remains poorly understood. Here we show that it is not necessary to increase the complexity of models to capture these dynamics. Instead, it is necessary to change our algebraic approach for studying them. We propose a structural approach as a candidate for this change and illustrate its application in ecology. We also show how this structural approach can be used to redefine the way we think about the importance of complex interaction networks.
Speaker Bio:
Serguei is an Assistant Professor at MIT at the Department of Environmental Engineering. His work focuses on mathematical, network, and community ecology. He is interested in understanding and quantifying the response of ecological communities to environmental variations. He obtained his PhD in Engineering Science from Oxford University (UK). This was followed by postdoctoral appointments at the Northwestern University Institute on Complex Systems (USA), the Integrative Ecology Group at Doñana Biological Station (Spain), and the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH (Switzerland). He joined MIT in 2016.
Live Stream:
Time
Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
WED@NICO SEMINAR: Sourav Medya, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) "AI for Patents: Progress, Pitfalls, and Potential"
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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Lower Level, Chambers Hall
Details
Speaker:
Sourav Medya, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
Title:
AI for Patents: Progress, Pitfalls, and Potential
Abstract:
As the volume and complexity of patent data continue to grow, artificial intelligence offers powerful tools to transform how we analyze, manage, and generate intellectual property. This talk explores how AI—through the lenses of graph learning, multimodal modeling, and large language models—can be harnessed to enhance various aspects of the patent process. First, we will discuss how graph learning can uncover hidden structures among patents and provide insights into patent valuation. Next, we will explore the role of multimodal learning in understanding design patents by combining visual and textual features for improved patent-related tasks—such as patent classification and retrieval. Finally, we examine the emerging potential of large language models (LLMs) in assisting with patent drafting and refinement, making patent drafting more accessible. Together, these approaches highlight a new frontier in AI-assisted patent systems—where multimodal patent data can be jointly leveraged to support innovation, efficiency, and decision-making in the patent ecosystem. We will conclude the talk with some interesting research directions.
Speaker Bio:
Sourav Medya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). His research focuses on the problems at the intersection of graphs, machine learning, and data science with a focus on bias, fairness, and interpretability. He also builds machine learning based techniques that have high impact in the areas such as healthcare, infrastructure, and computational social science.
Before joining UIC, Sourav was a research assistant professor in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO). He received his Ph.D in Computer Science from University of California, Santa Barbara, and he received a Master of Engineering degree in Computer Science and Automation Department from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, India.
Location:
In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/91291365825
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 9, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Location
Lower Level, Chambers Hall Map
Contact
Calendar
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)