Events
Past Event
WED@NICO WEBINAR: Lightning Talks with Northwestern Fellows and Scholars!
Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)
12:00 PM
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
Webinar:
Zoom link: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/98719696231
Passcode: nico
Speakers:
Ifeoma Ozodiegwu - Postdoctoral Fellow, Feinberg School of Medicine
Chilochibi Chiziba - Research Assistant, Feinberg School of Medicine
Manuela Runge - Postdoctoral Fellow, Feinberg School of Medicine
David Sabin-Miller - Ph.D. candidate, McCormick School of Engineering
Yanxuan Shao - Ph.D. student, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences
○ Ifeoma Ozodiegwu - Postdoctoral Fellow, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
○ Chilochibi Chiziba - Research Assistant, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Title: Urban-rural differentials in the determinants of malaria transmission in Nigeria
Abstract: Nigeria accounted for roughly a quarter of global malaria cases and deaths in 2018. However, malaria transmission is heterogeneous at lower spatial scales, and understanding the drivers of transmission can inform decisions on where interventions should be prioritized. We aimed to identify factors associated with high levels of malaria transmission within urban and rural areas. We merged and analyzed cluster-level data collected in Nigeria in 2010, 2015, and 2018 by the Demographic Health Survey (DHS) program. Our analysis highlight similarities and differences in the determinants of transmission in urban and rural areas. Our findings provides supporting evidence for the positive impact of increased access to ACTs and suggest the need for greater intervention distribution in highly populated rural areas.
Bios: Ifeoma Ozodiegwu is a Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Jaline Gerardin Lab’s in the Department of Preventive Medicine. She received her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Epidemiology from East Tennessee University (ETSU) in May 2019, where she was a Rotary International Global Grant recipient. At the Dr. Gerardin Lab, she leads dynamical modeling for understanding the impact of malaria intervention mixes in Nigeria, and supports analytical projects that evaluate spatial variation in malaria transmission within endemic countries.
Chilochibi Chiziba is a Research Assistant with Dr. Jaline Gerardin Lab in the Department of Preventive Medicine. He is currently in his final year pursuing a Master of Public Health at the University of Zambia and holds a Bachelor of Arts Economics with Demography from the same institution. His experience includes Data Analytics, Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation while working for Atlas Corps, Jhpiego, and Akros Research on studies and projects focused on Renewable Energy, HIV/AIDS, and Health Systems. He is currently working with Dr. Ozodiegwu to explore variations in malaria transmission intensity, and interventions between urban and rural areas in Nigeria.
○ Manuela Runge - Postdoctoral Fellow, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Title: Modelling COVID-19 transmission and health burden in Illinois
Abstract: COVID-19 continues to spread across many states in the US and reached 664,620 cases and 11,552 deaths in Illinois. Until a vaccine is available, social distancing, lockdowns, contact tracing, and mask wearing and testing are the only measures to contain the epidemic and to prevent exceeding hospital capacities and limit the public health burden. Epidemiological models are widely used for simulating the likely effect of available measures and forecasts to inform decision-makers and hospital capacity planning.
A stochastic compartmental transmission model was calibrated for the eleven COVID-19 regions in Illinois, to simulate number of cases and hospital bed demand. The model was calibrated using hospital census and deaths report data between March and November 2020. The model was used to simulate the effects of reducing delay in testing, increased testing, contact tracing, lockdown, and social distancing alone or in combination. Outcome measures included the number of cases, deaths, or probability of exceeding hospital bed capacities. During course of the epidemic, the modelling outputs provided valuable predictions to support the local health department and provided insights into local transmission and disease dynamics.
Bio: Manuela Runge is a postdoctoral researcher at Northwestern University. Her research focuses on simulating malaria interventions to inform malaria control strategies at the country level and the development and application of a COVID-19 transmission model to support the local health department.
○ David Sabin-Miller - Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Engineering Sciences & Applied Mathematics, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University
Title: When pull turns to shove: modeling how tribalism and environmental bias form ideological distributions in large populations
Abstract: Accurate modeling of political opinion dynamics can help us understand polarization, and the conditions which cause it. We put forward a framework for modeling the ideological drift of individuals influenced by a heterogeneous but systematically biased environment. We show that a local-attraction/distal-repulsion dynamic, distorted by tribalist "in-group-out-group" bias, can explain both the current US ideological distribution and behavior under perturbation as seen in a recent experiment. This talk will be a short summary of work published this October in Physical Review Research.
Bio: David is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate working with Prof. Daniel Abrams in ESAM. His current research interests are in modeling and stochastic numerical methods.
○ Yanxuan Shao - Ph.D. student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University
Title: Spontaneous oscillations in microfluidic networks
Abstract: Microfluidic systems are broadly applicable to chemical analysis, flow cytometry, point-of-care diagnosis, chemical synthesis, etc. However, the precise manipulation of fluid motion usually requires external hardware, such as micropumps and microvalves. In our research, we have examined a simple microfluid network design that exhibits nonlinear flow dynamics without the need of external control components. In particular, the system exhibits the spontaneous emergence of flow-rate oscillations for fixed inlet and outlet pressures, which we demonstrate using both simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations and an analytical model that captures essential aspects of the dynamics. Our results may help improve the portability and performance of microfluidic chips.
Bio: Yanxuan is a PhD student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University. She works in Prof. Adilson Motter's group.
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.
Time
Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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
//
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)