Giovanni Petri

Giovanni Petri is a Professor in the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University London, with additional affiliations as Principal Researcher at CENTAI and Guest Scholar at Networks Units IMT Lucca. His research spans topological analysis of complex systems, neuroimaging data, and AI architectures, with applications to cognitive neuroscience and socio-technical systems.

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).

Professor Petri's research focuses on the theoretical and empirical analysis of complex systems, with emphasis on structural and temporal properties of networks with higher-order interactions. His work bridges statistical physics, algebraic topology, and data analysis to investigate whole-brain activation patterns, cognitive representations in neural architectures, social contagion dynamics, and team interactions. His lab employs topological data analysis to uncover multi-scale patterns in neuroscience data that traditional methods might overlook.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on higher-order network structures, with significant contributions to understanding how topological features influence brain function, information processing in neural networks, and collective behavior in social systems. His work demonstrates how higher-order interactions fundamentally change our understanding of complex systems dynamics.

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

Professor Petri advises numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers across multiple institutions. His lab (NPLab) investigates the role of topology and geometry in collective dynamics of complex systems, with funding from prestigious sources including the ERC. His research spans fundamental network theory, network science of AI, and applications to neuroscience and social systems.

The NPLab, which Professor Petri leads, focuses on topological neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, higher-order networks, and Project CETI (Cetacean Translation Initiative). The lab's work on sperm whale communication through Project CETI has gained significant attention, analyzing over 9,000 recordings to identify 156 distinct codas and develop a sperm whale phonetic language using AI techniques.