Current Members
Principal Investigator
MAURIZIO PORFIRI
Institute Professor
Center for Urban Science + Progress Director, Core faculty
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Civil and Urban Engineering Associated faculty
Lab Manager
GIULIA LOMBARDELLI
B.A., Medical Biotechnologies, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, 2020
M.Sc., Neurobiology, Sapienza University of Rome, 2023
Research interests: Animal and human behavior
Post-doctoral Researchers
NOFAR MAZURSKY
B.S.W., School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2015
M.S.W., School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Cum Laude, 2018
Ph.D., School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2023
Research interests: Animal and human behavior; Complex systems; Network science
BASIT YAQOOB
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, 2015
M.Sc., Applied Mechanics and Design, University of Engineering and Technology, 2018
Ph.D., Modeling and Simulation, University of Trento, 2023
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Dynamical systems theory, Robotics
OFEK LAUBER
B.Sc., Applied Mathematics & Chemistry, Bar Ilan University, 2016
M.Sc., School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, 2021
Ph.D., School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, 2024
Research interests: Complex systems; Network science; Animal and human behavior
Graduate Students
INÊS PACHECO FIGUEIRA
Ph.D. Candidate
B.Sc., Aerospace Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, 2023
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Complex systems, Dynamical systems theory, and Network science
MICHAEL NAPOLI
Ph.D. Student
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University, 2022
M.Sc., Robotics & Autonomous Systems, Boston University, 2024
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Dynamical system theory, Network science
FABIANA SOFIA RICCI
Ph.D. Candidate
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 2019
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Complex systems, and Robotics
RAYAN SUCCAR
Ph.D. Candidate
B.Eng., Mechanical Engineering, Lebanese American University (LAU), 2021
Research interests: Complex systems, Dynamical systems theory, and Network science
TIAN GAN
Ph.D. Candidate
B.Eng., Communications Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, 2018
M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2022
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Dynamical systems theory, and Network science
NICCO ULBRICHT
Ph.D. Candidate
M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Dresden University of Technology, 2022
Research interests: Experimental and theoretical mechanics
SABRINA SANCHEZ
Ph.D. Student
B.Sc Bioengineering: Biosystems, UC San Diego, 2024
Research interests: Robotics, Complex Systems, Animal and human behavior
TANISHA DIGHE
M.Sc. Student
M.Sc., Applied Urban Science & Informatics, expected graduation date: 2025
B.Sc., Applied Mathematics, UC San Diego
Research interests: complex systems and network science
NOAH TOBINSKY
M.Sc. Student
M.Sc., Applied Urban Science and Informatics, Expected Graduation Date: 2026
B.Sc., Computer Science, California Polytechnic State University, 2024
Research interests: Complex systems, Animal and human behavior, Network science
Capstone Students
JUNYI LI
M.Sc. Student
B.Arch., Architecture, Tongji University, 2023
M.Sc., Applied Urban Science & Informatics, expected graduation date: 2025
Research interests: Complex systems, Dynamical systems theory, Network science
HONGYING WU
M.Sc. Student
B.A., Mathematics, University of Washington, 2022
M.S., Applied Urban Science & Informatics, expected graduation date: 2025
Research interests: Complex Systems, Network Science, Robotics
SHENGHAN LYU
M.Sc. Student
B.A., Economics/Mathematics combined, 2023
M.S., Applied Urban Science & Informatics, expected graduation date: 2025
Research interests: Complex Systems, Dynamical Systems Theory, Human Behavior
Undergraduate Students
MATTHEW MAUNG
B.Sc. Student
B.Sc., Computer Science and Engineering, Expected Graduation Date: 2025
Research interests: Animal behavior, Dynamical systems theory, Network science
KUNAL GUPTA
B.Sc. Student
B.Sc., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Expected graduation date: 2025
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Complex systems, and Robotics
MEGAN CHANG
B.Sc. Student
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, expected graduation date in 2025
Research interests: Animal and Human behavior, Robotics
Visiting Research Fellows
GIAN CARLO MAFFETTONE
MERC Fellow
Visiting Ph.D. student from Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Naples
B.Sc., Automation Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, 2018
M.Sc., Automation Engineering and Robotics, University of Naples Federico II, 2020
Research interests: Animal and human behavior, Control theory, Dynamical systems theory, and Robotics
K-12 Teachers
HORACE WALCOTT
B.Sc., Pre-veterinary Studies and Animal Science, Tuskegee University, 1983
D.V.M., Tuskegee University, 1984
M.Sc., Wild Animal Health, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, 1997
M.Sc., Public Health and Environmental Toxicology, Tulane University,
Research interests: Underwater Biomimetics and Biomechanics, Electrochemistry, and Neuro-endocrinology