معرفی
Joshua Epstein is a Professor of Epidemiology at New York University (NYU) College of Global Public Health and founding Director of the NYU Agent-Based Modeling Laboratory. He holds affiliated appointments at The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the College of Arts & Sciences. Previously, he served as Professor of Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins University with joint appointments in Economics, Applied Mathematics, International Health, and Biostatistics, and as Senior Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution. His innovative work in Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) earned him the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2008), an Honorary Doctorate from Amherst College (2010), and Sigma XI election (2018). Epstein’s research spans epidemiology, urban dynamics, social behavior, and computational archaeology, with influential books including Agent_Zero (2014) and Growing Artificial Societies (1996).
Education:
- BA in Political Economy from Amherst College
- PhD in Political Science (Security Studies, Communist Studies, Economics) from MIT
Epstein’s work focuses on modeling complex social systems through mathematical and computational methods, particularly ABM. His studies address pandemic preparedness, opioid epidemics, residential segregation, and behavioral adaptation during disease outbreaks. Recent articles in JASSS and Nature Human Behaviour explore inverse generative social science, fear-driven epidemic dynamics, and regional disease transmission patterns. Earlier work on civil violence, Anasazi cultural change, and smallpox containment remains foundational.
Scientific Awards:
- NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2008)
- Honorary Doctorate of Science from Amherst College (2010)
- Elected to Sigma XI (2018)
- Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship (1984)
- Council on Foreign Relations Fellowship (1983)
- Ford Foundation Dual Expertise Fellowship (1981)
As a pioneer of generative social science, Epstein integrates neuroscience, economics, and public health into ABM frameworks. His work bridges disciplines through computational parables, influencing policy on pandemics, urban disaster response, and social norm interventions.
