i-CONN is structured around seven work packages and key research themes:
Development of the theory underpinning connectivity
Led by
Marc Hütt
Jacobs University
Development of a unified framework of methods and approaches that may be applied across disciplines
Led by
Vicky Papadopoulou Lesta
European University Cyprus
Exploring Applications of connectivity science to understand and manage complex systems
Led by
Christian Kimmich
Masaryk University
Training
Led by
John Wainwright
Durham University
Management
Led by
Laura Turnbull-Lloyd
Durham University
Creating transdisciplinary capacity and uptake of research outcomes generating by i-CONN
Led by
Louise Bracken
Durham University
Open Research Data
Led by
Jennifer King
Durham University
Research Themes
The research projects are aligned with the work packages and broadly fall into 5 key themes:
Network graphs are a key tool to analyse interactions between a set of entities. i-CONN projects will investigate structural connectivity/functional connectivity relationships on graphs with a focus on minimal models and self-organized collective patterns.
Network structure depends partly on the scale at which the fundamental unit of the network is represented. i-CONN projects will investigate how the representation of the fundamental unit impacts our understanding of system dynamics at larger spatial scales, and will explore how the structure and properties of networks can be used to determine how shifts in network topology can result in novel systems.
Central to i-CONN is establishing a set of common methods that can be used to investigate connectivity-related research questions across wide-ranging disciplines. i-CONN projects will delve into classic and powerful techniques related to complex systems, including graph theory, probability theory and statistics, as well as modern and promising ones such as Network Science, machine learning and data mining techniques and tools.
Critical nodes are widely considered to be a set of nodes whose deletion results in maximum fragmentation of the network. i-CONN projects will explore how critical nodes within a range of different types of complex systems become key processing points in space and time that shape system evolution and how they might be manipulated to alter system dynamics.
Changes to structural and functional connectivity within a system can have affect the resilience of different system components. I-CONN projects will explore how network measures can be used to identify changing connectivity properties that impact resilience.