Biography

My research uses mathematical and computational modeling to better understand complex social systems. I am especially interested in how ideas, technologies, and behaviors spread, and how the “wisdom of crowds” can be used to aggregate information. Before coming to UCLA I was a professor at MIT, and a Senior Lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management, where I was also the Associate Director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems.I have degrees in mathematics from The University of Chicago and Columbia University, and have published research in Mathematics, Ecology, Epidemiology, Transportation, Genetics, Political Science, Network Science, Economics, and Management. I am a globally recognized expert on networks and collective intelligence and frequently speak and consult on these topics for companies and organizations around the world.