Exploring the frontiers of nonlinearity in Nature

Everything moves in our world. Mathematics can allow us to understand and sometimes predict these motions (dynamics). For instance, a wolf in the forest will hunt preys to feed itself and the energy gained will be used for reproduction. If the predation is very intensive, prey populations will diminish and once they reach very low numbers, wolves will also decrease, producing a further increase of preys individuals, and so on and so forth. Following these simple (but realistic) rules one can think that the populations of wolves and preys will increase and decrease in time, giving place to some kind of oscillations. Mathematical models describing these interactions indeed produce these oscillations. 

Nonlinear dynamics are ubiquitous in natural and artificial systems. From climate, to lasers, viral dynamics and complex ecosystems. We are interested in the study of nonlinear systems, focusing on the dynamics and transitions in Biological sciences. We use tools from dynamical systems theory and statistical physics to comprehend the mechanisms behind the dynamics and changes of states in nonlinear systems. Specially, we are interested in bifurcation phenomena governing complex biological systems.

I am doing research in different scientific disciplines in Biology under the umbrella of nonlinear dynamics. To achieve our goals, our group is supported by a big network of enthusiastic collaborators working on dynamics, applied mathematics, systems and synthetic biology, as well as in field and theoretical ecology.

“Scientists are perennially aware that it is best not to trust theory until it is confirmed by evidence. It is equally true . . . that it is best not to put too much faith in facts until they have been confirmed by theory.”

Robert MacArthur (Geographical Ecology, 1972)