• Ann M. Hermundstad

    I lead a group at Janelia Research Campus. I apply methods from physics to the study of complex biological systems. To read more about the problems that I work on, check out the links above.

    email: hermundstada at janelia dot hhmi dot org

EMERGENT FUNCTION IN BIOLOGICAL POPULATIONS

ANN M. HERMUNDSTAD, PH.D.

To what extent is a system more than the sum of its parts? How do interactions, both within a system and between a system and the environment, shape collective functionality?

Both artificial and biological systems can exhibit complex behaviors that are not captured in any individual system component, but only emerge when considering the population as whole. In biological systems, such behaviors can be much more pronounced when probing the system with its natural inputs. I develop theoretical, computational, and data-driven tools to understand how the structure of the natural world shapes the representation and transfer of information in biological populations. I focus on a broad set of related questions that elucidate how resources are distributed across a population, how local interactions shape information flow across the population, and how the structure of interactions adapts over time and in response to stimulus variations. I am currently investigating these questions in neural populations, where I perform both sensory-specific and integrated whole-brain studies. To check out my work, see the Research page, or click on the link below.