With her new research group, “Algebraic Topology and Networks in Biology,” Daniela Egas Santander joins the research faculty at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the Center for Systems Biology Dresden (CSBD). Daniela's mathematical background lies at the intersection of algebraic and low-dimensional topology. She currently studies data coming from simulations of brain models, from the most simple and conceptually driven models to the most complex data-driven models, and develops principled ways to extract patterns or features that provide insight into the structure of the system and its effect on function. In Dresden, Daniela is aiming to extend these methods for broader applications to other biological systems, exploring how topology and network structure can reveal general organizational and functional principles across living systems.

“I knew that Heather Harrington, a director here at MPI-CBG, is building a community to connect math with biology. Since I deeply enjoy working with applications, I thought Dresden could be a good place to continue this work. And here I am, and I am excited to be here.” says Daniela Egas Santander.

Daniela did her bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering and mathematics at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Quito, Ecuador. She went to the University of Copenhagen afterwards for a master's and PhD in algebraic topology. She went to the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland for a postdoctoral fellowship in applied mathematics, focusing on applications to neuroscience at the laboratory of topology and neuroscience.  Afterwards, she continued working at the Blue Brain Project, which aimed to build biologically detailed brain simulations to deepen our understanding of brain function. As of October 1st, Daniela is a research group leader at the MPI-CBG and the CSBD.