I have been interested on a wide range of questions and topics over the years, ranging across several disciplines. 

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The Psyche and the Brain in the Information Era

       My latest interests center around understanding the effects of living in the modern era of information on the human psyche and the brain. On one hand, we live in a miraculous age where information on just about any topic is readily available at our fingertips at any time and at any place. Never before in history has nearly everyone had equal access to information that can be used to determine the facts and to make a judgment about the truth. Given this awesome power at our disposal, how will this effect the development and values of the modern individual? Then more broadly, what will that mean for our society at large with the adapting mindset of the modern individual? What cultural norms and institutions will change as a result of this?

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       On the other hand, our brain wasn't evolved to have information overload for hours out of every day. In our capitalistic society, content and information is expertly manufactured to be readily and easily consumed by people. Misinformation and manipulation is easily manufactured, and moderating and controlling content consumption is difficult when it is so readily available. What effects does all of the information and technological stimulation have on our brain from a physical and psychological standpoint? How does that affect people at different ages? What effect will this have on how we relate to and interact with others?  

 

Modeling in Epidemiology: From Equations to Networks to Public Health 

         My PhD research centered around understanding the mathematics underlying the spread of infectious diseases. Motivated by the COVID-19 pandemic, my work investigated the modeling of infectious diseases from a theoretical and computational perspective. Broadly speaking, my research was split into three main categories: understanding the general properties and dynamics of equation-based disease models, studying the effects of structural and behavioral heterogeneity in the context of more complex agent-based models, and applications of statistical approaches in the context of public and global health.​

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         In terms of equation-based modeling, I explored the relatively neglected area of epidemic overshoot, demonstrating that even long-established models, such as the ubiquitous SIR model of epidemiology, can yield new insights. I also investigated the impact of individual risk tolerance on epidemic dynamics, revealing complex interactions between individual behavior and disease spread that extend beyond the predictions of traditional models. My work in network models focused on the effects of different types of heterogeneity, such as structural contact and behavioral heterogeneity, on epidemic outcomes. My work also tried to highlight the sensitivity of epidemic thresholds to modeling choices in the framework of agent-based models. Lastly, I used statistical approaches to analyze various public health data within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in India and antibiotic misusage amongst children in Nepal. My research sought to uncover some of the socioeconomic determinants driving outcomes in these settings and to provide a basis for developing informed public health strategies. 

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The Patterns of Life​

         Previously, I also worked on topics related to the physics and mathematics of life. I think there are a lot of interesting mechanistic (and even philosophical) questions that naturally arise when you begin seriously asking the question of how does life really work. Science has uncovered many details and explanations for how various biological systems work, but there are huge swathes of biology that remain to be described in a quantitative way with the languages of physics and mathematics. I have long been fascinated with understanding the collective behavior within complex systems, which are typically defined as systems with many interacting components that produce emergent behavior that can't deduced from the parts alone. Sometimes this manifests as biological problems, economic problems, social problems, physical problems, or purely mathematical problems. In the biological context, this led me to work on different aspects of biology related to gene regulation, cancer development, and the immune system. 

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Energy and Climate

         Prior to my current interests in biology and health-related fields, I was trained as an engineer. Motivated by the existential threats posed by climate change, I worked on various problems related to energy and climate. I worked in various research groups focused on air pollution, nuclear materials, semiconductor materials, and renewable bioenergy. ​