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Senior Researcher, Dr.Tech.
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Networks are everywhere. We, human beings, are bound by social ties to our friends and colleagues, who in turn are bound to others, and so on - finally, each of us is part of an enormous social network spanning the entire planet. We think, feel, and perform actions as a result of electric signals flowing in the network of neurons which forms our brain. Within these neurons, and within the rest of the cells forming our bodies, proteins and metabolites form complex networks of interactions, giving rise to a living organism. This web page which you are reading has travelled to your computer through a very large network of interconnected computers - a network where no-one has central authority, but which is nevertheless remarkably efficient and robust. Our research group at BECS studies these fascinating objects: networks which are rich, complex, and almost always self-organizing. The study of complex networks is part of a large-scale undertaking which has emerged during the recent years: attempting to understand the structure and function of complex systems, which consist of large numbers of interacting elements - for example, the above-mentioned people, neurons, or computers. The network approach to complex systems has turned out to be particularly fruitful. In this approach, the interacting elements are represented by vertices of a network, and their interactions by edges connecting these vertices. So far, studies of the characteristics of complex networks have produced unexpected findings, such as the "small-world" property and broad connectivity distributions common to a large number of networks. It has turned out that seemingly very different networks share similar characteristics. Network theory provides tools for understanding a variety of complex systems, and hence our studies also touch several fields of science. We study large-scale techno-social networks, harnessing electronic communication records which for the first time allow understanding the structure and dynamics of social systems even on the societal scale, where networks of social ties span entire nations. Within the EU-funded ICTeCollective research project, we work in close collaboration with social scientists, computer scientists, and complexity scientists to uncover the dynamics of techno-social networks. We also study various networks in biology and life sciences, participating in the EDEN project, where network methods are used in studies of genetic diversity of endangered Mediterranean marine plants and in targeting of conservation efforts. Network methods will also be utilized in understanding the anatomical connectivity patterns of the human brain, obtained from MRI measurements and tractography analysis. Those proficient in the Finnish language might be interested in Kompleksisten verkostojen fysiikkaa, published in Arkhimedes 01/07. Our social network studies in the news |
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Minimum spanning tree of the genetic distance network of Mediterranean P. Oceanica samples. 
Spontaneously emerging spiral waves in excitable media with small-world connectivity. |
Recent papers:
Full list of publications (PDF) |
