Dr. Juliana Londono Alvarez

I earned my Ph.D. in Mathematics from Penn State, advised by Professor Carina Curto. My dissertation focused on understanding and formalizing, from a mathematical perspective, the relationship between structure and function in a special family of threshold-linear networks. I used these networks to (1) model various neural functions and (2) derive theoretical insights about their dynamics. Broadly, I am interested in how the architecture of a neural network shapes its dynamics. My research interests include how we can use this knowledge to develop more efficient models of brain functions like locomotion and complex movement sequences, and translating theoretical research to further bridge the gap between life sciences and mathematics. I got my BSc at Universidad Nacional de Colombia, in my hometown Medellín, where I wrote a monograph on De Rham cohomology.