Kishore Vasan
ABOUT ME
Think Networks
I am a PhD Candidate at the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University. I work at the Center for Complex Networks Research, advised by Albert-László Barabási.
Inner research voice: Society comprises of various complex systems, ranging at different scales, from flight transfer systems to protein interactions in the cells, working in synchrony to govern our way of life, for example, disease spreading across and within humans.
My research interests broadly encompasses:
Networks in the virtual world. Blockchain is a neat system, enabling millions of transactions, both fungible, comprising of digital currency, and non-fungible, consisting of collectibles like crypto art. The evolution of these two forms of digital trading has led to the creation of virtual worlds, also known as metaverse, where humans create avatars, construct buildings, hold concerts, just like the real world. As these virtual systems become mainstream, understanding the role of networks within will be of utmost importance, from quantifying the social network of currency transfers to identifying theft on the blockchain.
Networks defining drug innovation.
Clinical funding accounts for over $50 Billion in yearly investment from the NIH and pharmaceutical companies. Yet, the innovation has been rather limiting, creating several 'me-too' drugs that have similar indicators to other drugs on the market. I am curious here, what is the social effects limiting drug innovation? or is it truly the case that biological exploration has reached a stagnation. Identifying the patterns of new drug exploration, from the first clinical trial to the approval stage of a drug, will help discern the social factors, like risk-aversity, from the biological factors, like target selection.
