Dani Bassett

Dani Bassett is the J. Peter Skirkanich Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, with appointments across five departments: Bioengineering, Electrical & Systems Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, Neurology, and Psychiatry. They also serve as an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute, integrating principles of network science and systems engineering to decode cognitive mechanisms and neurological diseases.

• B.S. in Physics from Penn State University
• Ph.D. in Physics from University of Cambridge (Churchill Scholar, NIH Health Sciences Scholar)
• Postdoctoral research at UC Santa Barbara
• Junior Research Fellow at Sage Center for the Study of the Mind

Their research spans brain connectivity, neural dynamics, and network theory applications to psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent work explores sex differences in functional networks, white matter development, and mechanisms of consciousness. Their lab employs machine learning frameworks to analyze chaotic systems and optimize brain-computer interfaces.

Publications focus on network control theory, neuroimaging, and complex systems, with contributions to Alzheimer's pathology and mental health dynamics. Over 400 peer-reviewed articles demonstrate their interdisciplinary impact.

• American Psychological Association Rising Star (2012)
• MacArthur Fellow (2014)
• National Science Foundation CAREER (2016)
• Lagrange Prize in Complex Systems Science (2017)
• Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher (3 years)

Their work receives funding from the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and MacArthur Foundation. Bassett co-authored Curious Minds: The Power of Connection (MIT Press) with philosopher Perry Zurn.