Radhika Nagpal

Radhika Nagpal is a computer scientist. She studies self-organising computer systems.[1] She is currently the Fred Kavli Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University[2] and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She is also a core faculty member of the Harvard Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

Academia

Her research group focuses on two main areas are: (1) Biologically-inspired multi-agent systems: collective algorithms, programming paradigms, modular and swarm robotics (2) Biological multi-agent systems: models of multicellular morphogenesis, collective insect behavior.[3] This work lies at the intersection of computer science (AI/robotics) and biology. Her group studies bio-inspired algorithms, programming paradigms, and hardware designs for swarm/modular robotic systems and smart materials, drawing inspiration mainly from social insects and multicellular biology. The group also investigates models of self-organization in biology, specifically how cells cooperate during the development of multicellular organisms.[4]

Programming paradigms for robust collective behavior

Her primary research interest is developing programming paradigms for robust collective behavior, inspired by biology. Developmental biology, how cells cooperate in tissues and multicellular organisms, can provide insights into how global self-repair and adaptation can be achieved through simple local behaviors. The study of social insects can teach us how to program cooperation and adaptation amongst mobile agents. Ultimately, the goal is to create a framework for the design and analysis of self-organising multi-agent systems. Her group's approach is to formalize these strategies as algorithms, analysis, theoretical models, and programming languages. They are especially interested in global-to-local compilation, the ability to specify user goals at the high level and automatically derive provable strategies at the agent level. This methodology is applicable to a wide range of distributed multi-agent systems, from wireless sensor networks to modular and swarm robotics, and they pursue both theory and physical implementations of our work, especially in robotics.

Understanding robust collective behavior in biological systems

Another of her research interests is in understanding robust collective behavior in biological systems. Building artificial systems can give us insights into how complex global properties can arise from identically-programmed parts --- for example, how cells can form scale-independent patterns, how large morphological variations can arise from small genetic changes, and how complex cascades of decisions can tolerate variations in timing. She is interested in mathematical and computational models of multi-cellular behavior, that capture hypotheses of cell behavior and cell-cell interactions as multi-agent systems, and can be used to provide insights into systems level behavior that should emerge. Her group work in close collaboration with biologists, and currently study growth and pattern formation in the fruit fly wing.

Awards and Honors

During her time as Radcliffe Fellow, she worked with experimental biologists to develop a better understanding of collective intelligence in social insects through the application of computer science.[7]

Professional Activities

She is an active advisor of the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Computer Science group[8] and actively works to hold the annual Women Engineers Code conference.

References

  1. ↑ "Radhika Nagpal, computer scientist". The Valentina Project. 2014-03-05. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
  2. ↑ http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~rad/
  3. ↑ http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~rad/
  4. ↑ http://www.seas.harvard.edu/directory/rad
  5. ↑ http://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2010/05/computer-scientist-radhika-nagpal-wins-borg-early-career-award
  6. ↑ Gibney, E.; Leford, H.; Lok, C.; Hayden, E.C.; Cowen, R.; Klarreich, E.; Reardon, S.; Padma, T.V.; Cyranoski, D.; Callaway, E. (December 18, 2014). "Nature's 10 Ten people who mattered this year.". Nature 516: 311–319. doi:10.1038/516311a.
  7. ↑ https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/video/social-insects-radcliffe-fellows-exploring-collective-intelligence
  8. ↑ http://www.harvardwics.com/who-we-are/