Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social Universidad del Desarrollo
Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social
Hero Image

PEOPLE

The Research Center for Social Complexity (CICS), is a platform for research in human behavior within modern society in relation to paradigms of mathematical models and quantitative analysis. Our philosophy at CICS is that human behavior can only be understood by integrating its psychological, economic, cultural and historical dimensions. Therefore, the next step in studying human behavior is to unify the diverse social sciences.

The collaboration between centers related to the program articulated by the CICS was made in order to reach the critical mass necessary to sustain the training component and be able to absorb the students of the program in consolidated lines of research. Within the Faculty of Government, collaboration with the Center for Public Policies (CPP) has not only strengthened the line of research in institutions, but also connect with the world of public policy and provide the conditions for basic knowledge generated within the CICS can be transferred to the productive sector. Likewise, the collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering, in particular with the Data Science Institute and the Center for Research in Sustainability (CiSGER in spanish) has allowed strengthening the methodological component, in the first case, and the possibility of strengthening applied research in socio-ecological systems, in the second.

CICS has an active collaboration network with a series of analytical social science research centers, both internationally and nationally.

The collaborative work promote the realization of activities such as a Research Camp, part of the postgraduate course in Social Complexity conducted by the Media Lab Macro Connections Group, the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Social Complexity Research Center of the University of Development ( CICS-UDD). The bi-annual meeting seeks that students can work 100% dedicated in the projects they will develop individually, having available the guidance of the professors and researchers who will be accompanying them, as well as the collaborative feedback of all the participants of the event.

Faculty

 

Carlos Rodriguez-Sickert

Director of the Research Center in Social Complexity.
Faculty Member
Ph.D. in Economics, University of Cambridge, UK.
BA in Economics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
International Fellow, Santa Fe Institute, USA.

Research interests: Culture/Biology Dynamics, Social Networks, Bio-Cultural Systems, Socio-Ecological Systems.
Web: scholar.google.cl

Jorge Fábrega Lacoa

Director Ph.D in Social Complexity Sciences at Universidad del Desarrollo.
Faculty Member
Ph.D. Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago.
MPP, Public Policy Studies, University of Chicago.
Bachelor in Economy and Sociology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Research interests: Social Networks, Formal Political Economy.
Web: scholar.google.cl

Ricardo Andrés Guzmán

Faculty Member
Ph.D in Economics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Master in Financial Economics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Industrial Engineer, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Bachelor’s dregree in Computer Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Research interests:
Evolutionary Psychology, Behavioral and Experimental Economics, Economic Anthropology.
Web: scholar.google.cl

Isabel Behncke Izquierdo

Academic Collaborator

Ph.D. in Evolutionary Antropology, Oxford University, UK. Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Oxford University, UK.
Research interests: Play, Cognition (Anthropology), Conservation Biology.
Web: Oxford Academy

Francisco Zamorano Mendieta

Faculty Member

Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Researcher at Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo.
Research interests: Developmental Disorders, Social Neurosciences, Brain Imaging.
Web: scholar.google.cl

Tamas David-Barrett

Faculty Member

Ph.D. in Economy, University of London.
MPhil in Economics, University of Cambridge
Social and Evolutionary Neuroscience Research Group, Oxford University, UK.
Research interests: Complex Networks, Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology, Evolution and Human Behavior.
Web: Oxford Academy

Pablo Billeke Bobadilla

Faculty Member

Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. Researcher at Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo.
Research interests: Social Neurosciences.
Web: scholar.google.cl

Patricia Soto-Icaza

Faculty Member

Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. Researcher at Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo.
Research interests: Social Neurosciences, Psychology, Social Neurodevelopment, Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Junior Faculty

Tamara Yaikin Calderón

CICS and Transfer Unit Coordinator
Master of Sociology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
BA in Sociology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Alejandra Figueroa Vargas

Coordinator of Neuroscience Lab Coordinator
Master of Biologic and Medical Science. Mention in Neurosciences, Universidad de Chile.
Kinesiologist, Universidad de Chile.
Research Interest: Cognitive Neurosciences.

Josefina Larraín

Coordinator of Clinic Equipment
Ph.D in Psychology, Universidad Diego Portales (c).
Psychologist, Universidad de Artes, Ciencias y Comunicación.
Speech therapist, Universidad Mayor.

 

Staff

Francisca Martínez Galleguillos

DCCS Coordinator
Political Science and International Relations, Universidad Alberto Hurtado.

Daniela Estela Cordero

Outreach Coordinator
Master in Strategic and Digital Communications, Universidad Finis Terrae.
Journalist, Universidad Andrés Bello.
BA in Social Communication, Universidad Andrés Bello.

Graduates

Cristian Candia Castro

Ph.D. in Social Complexity Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
Master of Science in Physics, Universidad de Concepción.
Physical Engineer, Universidad de Concepción.
Research assistant at the Collective Learning group, MIT Media Lab
Research Interest: Data Science, Complex Networks, Sociophysics, Econophysics, Text Mining, Data Mining.

Jorge Castillo Sepúlveda

Ph.D. in Social Complexity Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
Mathematical engineer, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
Research interests: Transitions in evolution, cultural evolution, theory of complexity, evolution of complexity, analysis of social networks, mathematical modeling.

Jorge Urrutia Mosquera

Ph.D. in Social Complexity Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
Msc. Operations Research and Statistics. Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira.
Graduate in Mathematics and Physics. Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó
Research Interests: Behavioral economics, Decision models.

María Teresa Barbato Epple

Ph.D. in Social Complexity Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
B.Sc. in Biological Sciences. Mention in Natural Resources and Environment. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Research interest: Behavioral Economics, Decisión Models, Human Behavior, Evolutionary Psychology.

Mauricio Aspé Sánchez

Ph.D. in Social Complexity Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
Ph.D. in Sciences, mention Neuroscience, Universidad de Valparaíso.
M.Sc. in Biological Sciences, mention Neuroscience, Universidad de Valparaíso.
B.Sc. in Psychology, Universidad de Valparaíso.
Research interest: Game theory, Cooperative behavior, Genetics, Brain dynamics, Complex networks, Philosophy of mind.

Ph. D. Students

Class 2014

Sammy Drobny Abaud

BA in History and Political Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Research Interests: Politics, International Relations, and Political Theory.

Víctor Landaeta Torres

B.Sc. in Physics, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Research Interests: Data Science, Behavioral Economics, Social Networks.

Class 2015

Ignacio Toledo Román

M.Sc. in Electric Engineering, Universidad de Concepción.
B.Sc. in Electronic Engineering, Universidad de Concepción.
Research Interests: Cooperation, Social Networks, and Experimental Economics.

Carina Sturla Laso

B.Sc. in Renewable Natural Resources Engineering, Universidad de Chile.
Diploma in Community Intervention Processes, Universidad de Chile.
Research interests: Social capital, Risk management to Disasters, City, Data Science, Human ethology

María Ignacia Rivera Hechen

Marine Biologist, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Research Interest: Environment, neurosciences.

 
Class 2016

Sebastián Díaz Araya

B.A in Business and Administration/Economics.Diploma of Higher Education in Management of Enterprise Data Analytics/ Big Data.
Research interests: Social Network theory, Programming and Statistical modelling, Data Science, Big Data.

Yerka Freire Vidal

M.Sc. In Science, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
B.Sc in Physics, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
Research interests: Complex systems, emergent phenomena, phase transitions and Agent-based models.

María Paz Martínez Molina

M.Sc in Substance Abuse, Universidad de Concepción, Chile.
B.Sc. In Bioengineering, Universidad de Concepción.
Research interests: Neuroscience and behavior.

Gabriela Valdebenito Oyarzo

Medical Tecnology specialist in Imaging and Medical Physics, Universidad del Desarollo, Chile.
Research interests: Social Neuroscience.


Class 2017

Diego Tapia Ramirez

Biologist with a specialization in Natural Resources and the Environment, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Magister (c) in Wild areas and Nature Conservation, Universidad de Chile.
Research interests: Climate change, Landscape ecology, Environmental quality, Green infrastructure, Sustainability.

Oriana Figueroa Valdebenito

Magister in Clinic Psycholist, Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
Psychologist, Universidad de Santiago de Chile.
Diploma in en Addictions and Behavioral Cognitive Therapy, Universidad de Chile.
Researcher at LERI, Universidad de Santiago.
Research interests: Evolutionary Psychology, Emotions, Mating, Theory of games.

Nicolás Ferrer Lorca

B.Sc. in Psychology, Universidad de Chile.
Research interests: Cognitive Neurosciences of Frontal Functions and Aggressiveness, Evolution of human aggression.

Eduardo Méndez Hidalgo

Magister in Political Science, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Sociologist, Universidad de Chile.
Research interests: Social networks, electoral politics, andean civilization.

Sebastián Donoso Contreras

B.Sc in Physics and M.Sc. In Science, Universidad de Chile.
Research interests: Educational system design, Dynamic systems modeling, Social Networks, Human behavior.

Class 2018

Hugo Contreras Gómez

Agricultural Engineer, Universidad de Chile
Magister in Agricultural Economy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Magister in Public Policies, Universidad del Desarrollo.

Yessica Herrera Guzmán

Bachelor Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veracruz, Mexico.
Master in Neuroethology, University of Veracruz, Mexico.

Víctor Márquez Rodríguez

Bachelor Degree in Physics, Universidad de Los Andes, Venezuela.
Magister Scientiae in Fundamental Physics, Universidad de los Andes, Venezuela

María Paz Raveau Morales

Civil Engineer in Sounds and Acoustic, INACAP.
PhD. in Engineering Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Gabriela Fajardo Rodríguez

Sociologist, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Class 2019

Daniel Torrico Bazoberry

Bachelor in Biology, University of San Simón, Bolivia.
Biologist, University of San Simón, Bolivia.
Master in Biological Sciences, University of Chile.

Joselina Davyt Colo

Bachelor in Economics, University of the Republic, Uruguay.
Master in Economics, University of the Republic, Uruguay.

Melanie Oyarzún Wolf

Commercial Engineer, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.
Bachelor of Business Administration, Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso.
Master in Economics, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Patricio Carvajal Paredes

Sociologist, University of Chile.

Class 2020

Montserrat Belinchón Ortiz

Master in Methodology of Behaviour and Health Sciences, University of Madrid, Spain.
Master in Research in Behavior and Cognition, University of Barcelona, Spain.
B.A., Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.

Pedro Ávila Villena 

Master’s Degree in Engineering Sciences, Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile.
Mathematical Engineer, Universidad de Santiago de Chile.

Carlos Hidalgo Garrido

Master in Social Sciences, Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile.
Anthropologist, Catholic University of Temuco, Chile.

Francisco Reyne Pugh

Master in Environmental Management, Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello, Chile.
Environmental Engineer, Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello, Chile.

 

 

Links