Mauricio Santillana

Mauricio Santillana is a Professor in the Departments of Physics and Electrical & Computer Engineering at Northeastern University. He leads The Machine Intelligence Group for the betterment of Health and the Environment (MIGHTE) at the Network Science Institute. Previously, from 2017 to 2022, his research lab was based at Boston Children's Hospital. He also maintains an affiliation with the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

His research spans mathematical modeling and scientific computing, specializing in the analysis of big data sets to understand and predict complex systems. His work focuses on Biological and Health Systems (network medicine, epidemiology, public health), Complex Systems Forecasting (network-based prediction models), and Network Science of AI (deciphering network structures underlying natural and artificial learning systems).

His recent publications demonstrate expertise in disease forecasting, social media analytics for public health surveillance, machine learning applications in healthcare, and interdisciplinary approaches connecting climate, health, and human behavior. His work combines mathematical rigor with practical applications to address pressing public health challenges.

• Top 2% scientists worldwide (Stanford University Annual Assessment, 2024)
• Included in Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic and Latino Scientists (Fred Hutch Cancer Center, 2024)

Professor Santillana has successfully advised PhD students including Nick Link, who defended their thesis on 'Bayesian and spatiotemporal methods for infectious disease and population health data' in July 2025. His research group, MIGHTE, consists of applied mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists, public health experts, and clinicians working together on interdisciplinary health and environmental challenges. His lab has received significant funding, including a $17.5 million CDC grant to launch an infectious disease prediction center.