Biocomplexity Institute Fall 2023 Semi-Annual Research Meeting

Please join the Biocomplexity Institute for our Fall 2023 Semi-Annual Research Meeting, Exploring Connections: a two-day event marking our 5-year anniversary at the University of Virginia. We begin on October 19 with a celebration of executive director Chris Barrett’s research spanning over four decades in the science of biocomplexity. The keynote speaker for this special occasion is Ken Ono, STEM Advisor to the Provost, and Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics at the University of Virginia.

A Google Maps link for The Forum Hotel can be found here. For alternative parking options on October 19th, please review this information.

In partnership with the Contagion Science Program, we continue our exploration of connections on October 20. The focus is future pathways in complexity through afternoon groups consisting of fellow researchers from the Biocomplexity Institute and the larger UVA community, including undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research associate students. These groups will discuss topical areas relevant to their fellow researchers, scholars, and practitioners attending the conference. Directions to the Biocomplexity Institute can be found here.

Please note October 19 is a hybrid event, while October 20 is in-person only. We hope you will attend this exciting event!

Registration is required.

Detailed Agenda (pdf)

Please note: This agenda may change as we receive additional confirmations from guests providing remarks on October 19.

Agenda: Day 1 (October 19, 2023)

12:30pm – 1:00pm: Registration, with light refreshments
1:00pm – 6:00pm: Program, including keynote by Ken Ono
6:00pm – 7:00pm: Reception

Keynote Speaker: Ken Ono, STEM Advisor to the Provost, and Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics at the University of Virginia

Talk Title: My inspired journey through the web of mathematics

Bio: Ken Ono is the STEM Advisor to the Provost, the Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics at the University of Virginia, and a Professor of Data Science. He studies mathematics, specializing in algebra, arithmetic geometry, combinatorics, and number theory. He earned his Ph.D. from UCLA in 1993, and he earned his BA from the University of Chicago in 1989. He is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, David and Lucile Packard Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, and an NSF CAREER Award. In 2000 he received a Presidential Early Career Award from Bill Clinton at a ceremony at the White House. In 2005 he was named the National Science Foundation Director’s Distinguished Teaching Scholar, the highest honor awarded by NSF for excellence in research and teaching. He is a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society, and he is the recipient of the 2023 University of Chicago Alumni Medal for Professional Achievement. Outside academia, he has a footprint in film and sports. He was an Associate Producer of the Hollywood film The Man Who Knew Infinity, which starred Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons, and building on his lifelong interest in sports, he is a technical consultant for elite swimmers and triathletes, having advised multiple NCAA national champions and Olympic medalists.

Agenda: Day 2 (October 20, 2023)

9:30am – 10:00am: Registration
10:00am - 11:00am: Welcome and Future Thematic Lines in Biocomplexity
11:00am – 12:00pm: Keynote by Andrés Clarens, Q&A
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Future Pathways in Complexity Science Group Discussions
2:00pm - 2:15pm: Coffee Break
2:15pm – 2:45pm: Group Discussion Summaries
2:45pm – 3:00pm: Closing Remarks

Keynote Speaker: Andrés Clarens, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Associate Director, UVA Environmental Institute, University of Virginia

Talk Title: The Biocomplexity of Deep Decarbonization

Bio: Andrés Clarens is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia and Associate Director of the University’s Environmental Institute. His group studies decarbonization of infrastructure systems across scales. At the molecular scale, they study carbonation chemistry to support geologic carbon storage or the production of carbon-negative cements. At larger scales, their work explores the life cycle environmental impacts of emerging technologies with a focus on carbon removal. The Clarens group is supported by a range of federal agencies including the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy as well as the Alfred P Sloan Foundation. Andrés has been fortunate to receive a number of awards, such as an NSF CAREER award, and fellowships, such as the Earth Leaders Fellowship. He has been a visiting professor at Utrecht University (Netherlands) and the Technical University of Argentina. Before coming to UVA Andrés was a US Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic and he received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia, and an M.S.E. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has three great kids and loves to backpack, fly-fishing, and travel with them.

Afternoon Session: Future Pathways in Complexity Science Group Discussions Topics

Topic 1: Dynamics and Methods of Complexity Science Research.
Topic 2: Methods and Tools for Creating Resilient Social Habitats in Response to Global. challenges such as climate change, Demographic Change, and Infrastructural Change.
Topic 3: Computing for Great and Good: Exploring the Importance of Storytelling and Science Communication.
Topic 4: Where is Complexity Science Headed Next in the Areas of Systems Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Epidemiology, and Pathogen Genomics?
Topic 5: Building Collaborative Research Partnerships to Combat Data Silos.

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