Speaker: Alessandro Vespignani, director of the Network Science Institute and Sternberg Family Distinguished University Professor, Northeastern University

Epidemics are prototypical complex systems, driven by invisible pathogens spreading through interconnected networks of humans, transportation infrastructures and environments. Today, the convergence of computational power, AI and data-rich modeling is transforming how we understand and respond to outbreaks. From early situational awareness to scenario exploration and real-time forecasting, we are entering an era where we can finally turn complexity into foresight — and even harness it to stay one step ahead of emerging pathogens.

Alessandro Vespignani directs the Network Science Institute and serves as a Sternberg Family Distinguished University Professor at Northeastern University. His research lies at the intersection of computational modeling, data science and complex systems, with a focus on contagion phenomena such as epidemics, information diffusion and collective behavior. He currently leads the CDC-funded EPISTORM center, a national effort to build the next generation of outbreak analytics. He is Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Network Science Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.