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Alessandro Vespignani
Sternberg Distinguished Professor of Physics, Computer Science and Health Sciences

Alessandro Vespignani in the Press

Alessandro Vespignani for Northeastern Global News

What should stay open during the next pandemic? New model weighs protecting public health and the economy
Silhouette of a worker on the framework of a battery plant.

What should stay open during the next pandemic? New model weighs protecting public health and the economy

Researchers say shutting down some non-customer-facing industries hurts the economy more than the public health benefits gained.
Northeastern receives $17.5 million from CDC to launch infectious disease prediction center
Alessandro Vespignani sitting at a desk looking at a laptop.

Northeastern receives $17.5 million from CDC to launch infectious disease prediction center

Renowned network scientist Alessandro Vespignani will head a new innovation center that will prepare the United States for future epidemics.
Network Science Institute expansion to London creates new European hub for trailblazing academic field
Alessandro Vespignani teaching a class

Network Science Institute expansion to London creates new European hub for trailblazing academic field

Northeastern brings its hallmark network science program to its UK campus to amplify its global approach to complex contemporary challenges.
Northeastern professor wins prestigious award for her work on the ethics of artificial intelligence
Head shot of Tina Eliassi-Rad.

Northeastern professor wins prestigious award for her work on the ethics of artificial intelligence

Professor Tina Eliassi-Rad wins prestigious Lagrange Prize in Turin for her work on the ethical concerns of AI.
More than 50% of COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented with better global vaccine distribution 
covid vaccines labeled with numbers

More than 50% of COVID-19 deaths could have been prevented with better global vaccine distribution 

New research paper by Alessandro Vespignani says better COVID-19 vaccine access could have prevented more than 50% of coronavirus deaths.
Flu season is coming and COVID-19 is still here. Can disease forecasts tell them apart?

Flu season is coming and COVID-19 is still here. Can disease forecasts tell them apart?

Both viruses attack the respiratory system and can have similar symptoms. “Something like this is completely unprecedented,” says Alessandro Vespignani, who directs Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. “Having a major pandemic and then trying to get insight on the seasonal flu—it’s a completely new game.”
If rich countries monopolize COVID-19 vaccines, it could cause twice as many deaths as distributing them equally

If rich countries monopolize COVID-19 vaccines, it could cause twice as many deaths as distributing them equally

Researchers from Northeastern’s Network Science Institute have partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to predict COVID-19 deaths based on two different ways of distributing vaccines.
How network science models can predict the next stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

How network science models can predict the next stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, joined Alessandro Vespignani, who directs the Network Science Institute, to discuss where we are now in the COVID-19 crisis, where we’re headed, and what policymakers can do to prepare for the next pandemic.
Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us?

Models can predict how COVID-19 will spread. What goes into them, and how can we use what they tell us?

On Thursday, Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern, will sit down for a conversation with Alessandro Vespignani, the director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute, who is leading one of the major efforts to model this disease.
The coronavirus was in the US in January. We need to understand how we missed it.

The coronavirus was in the US in January. We need to understand how we missed it.

SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, was circulating in major U.S. cities as early as January, says Alessandro Vespignani, director of Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. And if we want to keep our communities safe going forward, we need to understand how we missed a virus that was right under our noses.