About Me
The three words that describe me best are available, resilient, and resourceful. I am available in the sense that I am present in the moment, approachable, easy to talk to, and someone people can trust. For my children and my students just like in my research group or work team, I am always there, ready to help or get involved. I am resilient because I stay focused on my goals. I don’t give up easily, I remain persistent even when faced with setbacks and I never give up. Finally, I am resourceful. When a problem arises, I rely on my skills, I learn new ones if needed and use creativity to find a solution.
My Research and Teaching Philosophy
My main research interest are Complex systems, not just their taxonomy but the whole concept. In the contemporary context of an acute need for sustainability and swift response to imminent crises such as global warming, pandemics and economic system disruptions, the focus on responsible decision making, ethical risk assessment and mitigation at all organizational levels is an overarching goal. For decades now we know that understanding complex systems means a better grasping of who we are and our environment not just as individuals but as humanity. Nowadays, in our increasingly interconnected world facing challenges like global warming, pandemics, economic and financial crises, the study of complex systems constitutes the foundation for understanding, modelling and predicting the dynamics of phenomena spanning on multiple scales and exhibiting emergent properties. This subject exploded in the last few years due in part to the availability and capacity to analyse Big Data. However, in this study, we are mostly interested in highlighting the potential of an interdisciplinary approach to studying social complex systems and making their modelling and prediction process as accessible as possible.
Although we are learning more every day, our understanding of our world is still quite fragmented. Subjects like biology, math, history are taught separately. But the world is not divided like that, it is interconnected. Science is moving in that direction already, shifting toward systems thinking, a way of looking at things not as isolated parts, but as a dynamic “whole”. And that’s essential in a complex world where our lives are equally intricate. And still, most of us cannot grasp what “complex” really means. What if we could build that intuition? Not just for scientists, but for everyone—for entrepreneurs, farmers, architects, children. The goal is to show how one can compare complex systems and learn from them. We can guide you to find systems that are similar enough to transfer insights between them. This way you can “borrow” understanding from one system to make sense of another. And where better to look for inspiration than nature, full of complex and constantly evolving systems? Stressed by climate change and overfishing, we turn our focus to the Ocean. What can barnacles reveal about the fast-spreading use of AI «invading» the workforce? Can krill overfishing help with finding strategies to mitigate the costs of high labour turnover? How can studying a bank of fish prevent crowd collapse at big events? This most exciting discipline hopping will make maximum use of imagination, intuition and information, bringing this new cognitive revolution into focus!
My main research interest lies in complex systems — not only in classifying them, but in embracing the entire concept. In today’s world, where sustainability and rapid responses to crises like climate change, pandemics, and economic disruptions are urgent, understanding complex systems is key to responsible decision-making, ethical risk assessment, and effective action at all organizational levels.
For decades, we have known that studying complex systems offers deeper insight into who we are and how we relate to our environment—not just as individuals, but as humanity as a whole. In our increasingly interconnected world, complex systems research provides the foundation for modelling and predicting the dynamics of phenomena that span multiple scales and display emergent properties. The rise of big data has accelerated this field, but my focus is on highlighting the power of an interdisciplinary approach - especially in making the modelling and prediction of social complex systems more accessible.
Although science advances every day, our understanding of the world remains fragmented. Disciplines like biology, mathematics, and history are taught separately, yet reality is interconnected. Systems thinking—seeing the world as a dynamic whole rather than isolated parts—is essential in grasping complexity. And still, most people struggle to build an intuition for what “complex” really means. What if we could change that? Not only for scientists, but also for entrepreneurs, farmers, architects, or children.
The goal is to show how complex systems can be compared, allowing us to transfer insights across domains. We can “borrow” understanding from one system to make sense of another. Nature provides countless inspirations: barnacles can shed light on the rapid spread of AI in the workforce; krill overfishing may offer strategies to mitigate high labor turnover; and studying fish schools might help prevent crowd collapses at large events.
This discipline-hopping approach maximizes imagination, intuition, and information—ushering in a new cognitive revolution in how we perceive, model, and respond to the complexity of our world.