Giovanni Petri

Giovanni Petri is a Professor in the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University London, where he joined in June 2023. Previously, he held positions at CENTAI as a Principal Researcher and at IMT Lucca as a Guest Scholar, with earlier affiliations at ISI Foundation and Imperial College London.

His educational background includes a PhD in Complex Networks from Imperial College London (2012), an MSc in Theoretical Physics from the University of Pisa (2008), and a BSc in Physics from the University of Pisa (2005).

Petri's research spans the analysis of neuroimaging data and AI systems with topological techniques, the formalization of cognitive control models with tools of statistical mechanics and network theory, and the study of the predictability of socio-technical systems. His work in Topological Neuroscience explores brain architecture using algebraic topology, while his research in Cognitive Neuroscience focuses on neural mechanisms underlying human cognition. He is particularly known for his work on higher-order networks, using mathematical frameworks like hypergraphs and simplicial complexes to model systems with multi-way interactions.

His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on higher-order network theory applied to neuroscience, with particular emphasis on topological approaches to brain connectivity, social contagion models, and the physics of complex systems. These works reveal consistent themes in understanding how multi-body interactions shape system dynamics across biological, social, and technological domains.

• European Research Council Consolidator Grant (RUNES: Reconstruction and unification of neural and ecological systems, 2024)

As Principal Investigator of the NPLab, Petri advises numerous PhD and postdoctoral researchers including Marilyn Gatica, Andrea Santoro, and Simone Poetto. His RUNES project, funded by the ERC Consolidator Grant, represents a significant research initiative. The lab maintains active collaborations with CENTAI, Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative), and various international institutions.

The NPLab investigates the role of topology and geometry in the collective dynamics of complex systems, ranging from neuroscience to society, using statistical mechanics, algebraic topology, and innovative computational approaches. Current projects include Topological Neuroscience, Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher-order Networks, Project CETI, and RUNES.