Su Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas opción Ecología y Evolución se basa en comprender los patrones de biodiversidad a través del estudio de las bioestructuras en las comunidades ecológicas utilizando el análisis de redes de interacciones positivas y negativas entre las especies. Junto a Miguel Fuentes, director de Investigación de la Facultad de Gobierno y Carlos Rodríguez-Sickert, están trabajando a partir del enfoque de redes aplicado a las redes sociales, medidas para entender patrones de complejidad social sobre la convivencia escolar.

El estudio analiza las relaciones positivas y negativas entre los estudiantes antes y después de ser sometidos a un test cooperativo. En este sentido, se espera determinar cuales métricas de redes podrían ser indicadores de un cambio en el comportamiento cooperativo de la clase.

Abstract

The last decade has seen the demonstration of structural similarities between a wide range of complex networks: the internet, networks of airports, linguistic associations, the spread of epidemics, social networks, neural networks, metabolic networks, and trofic and mutualistic interactions. Currently, the focus on the effect of the type of interaction (positive or negative) and on the emergent structure of the network implies an important advance, not only for the understanding of some specific network, but of complex systems in general. The nature of the interactions—that is, if they are positive or negative—has been suggested as a structural determinant of the network. However, a central question of network theory is if the effects of opposing interactions within a network can generate the same attributes. If this is the case, then common structures represent attributes associated with stability, independent of the nature of the interaction. On the other hand, the structural aspects that differ between positive and negative interactions highlight the relevant traits. In this context, the determination of said structures represents a significant step towards the comprehension of the importance of interactions in complex systems in general.