Social and Behavioral Dynamics

We explore the dynamics and performance of “extreme” teams—such as those operating in space missions. Funded by NASA, our work examines how team composition, leadership structures, and social dynamics shape outcomes in high-stakes, high-stress environments. These insights inform the design of future long-duration space exploration teams and improve our understanding of team effectiveness in extreme settings.

The NetSI Sport initiative explores the intersection of sports, networks, and data science, with the dual goal of advancing the sports analytics field through a complex-systems approach and developing educational programs that teach statistics, modeling, scientific computing, and complex systems through sports data. NetSI Sport leads workshops, Collabathons, partnerships with professional sports teams, and collaborations with international experts in the field.

The convergence of network science theory with social and behavioral dynamics offers a powerful tool for understanding how scientific teams can maximize their impact. High-impact teams aren't just collections of competent individuals, but rather carefully orchestrated networks where the right connections between diverse expertise domains create the conditions for successfully achieving goals. By examining the intricate web of relationships, expertise flows, and collaborative patterns within research teams, we can identify the optimal network configurations that propel an effective and efficient collaboration.