Postdoctoral Fellow, Santa Fe Institute
About
I am an Omidyar Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute. Before that, I was a Schmidt Science Fellow at Cornell working with Steven Strogatz. I got my Ph.D. in Physics from Northwestern in 2020, advised by Adilson Motter. You can reach me at yzhang@santafe.edu.
My research focuses on developing mathematical and computational tools for the study of complex systems, especially using techniques from dynamical systems, network theory, and machine learning. I apply these tools to understand the behavior of complex systems that are often nonlinear and high-dimensional, which includes questions in mathematical biology (how do circadian clocks re-synchronize as we recover from jet lag?) and neuroscience (how important are higher-order interactions in shaping macroscopic brain dynamics?). On the theory side, some topics I worked on recently include synchronization on hypergraphs and simplicial complexes, basins of attraction in networked systems, and data-driven modeling of dynamical systems.
![](assets/images/cover3.png)
Network Dynamics
synchronization, chimeras, and more
![](assets/images/HOI3.png)
Higher-Order Interactions
collective dynamics beyond standard networks
![](assets/images/basin3.png)
Basins of Attraction
fractals and tentacles
![](assets/images/basins_with_tentacles.png)
Machine Learning
data-driven modeling of dynamical systems
![](assets/images/personal/Banff-2017.jpg)
Photos!
because why not