Current Members
![István Kovács](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2019/07/sajat_2019-265x265.png)
István Kovács
Assistant Professor, Tech F331
![Bingjie Hao](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2022/01/来自-iOS-的图像-265x265.jpg)
Bingjie Hao
Postdoctoral Researcher, Tech F335
![Leone Luzzatto](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/10/signal-2023-09-29-102823_003-cropped-265x265.jpeg)
Leone Luzzatto
Graduate Student, Tech F332
![Natalie Love](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/10/IMG_8035-265x265.jpg)
Natalie Love
Graduate Student, Tech F335
![Tingyu](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/11/IMG_8351-265x265.jpg)
Tingyu "Mark" Zhao
Graduate Student, Tech F332
![Leo Bilder](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2022/06/Image-from-iOS-9-265x265.jpg)
Leo Bilder
Undergraduate Student, Tech F333, Supported by WCAS SURG in 2022, Member of Phi Beta Kappa
![Juan Barrera Lopez](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/04/1682652133392-265x265.jpeg)
Juan Barrera Lopez
Undergraduate Student, Tech F333, Supported by the NU SURG in 2023, sponsored by the Hung-Farinelli Family, Fletcher URG Prize for the most outstanding 2021 Summer URG project in science and engineering, Scholar in Physics & Astronomy Award 2024
![Will Engedal](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/05/ID-photo-Kovacs-Lab-265x265.jpeg)
Will Engedal
Undergraduate Student, Tech F333, Supported by the NU SURG in 2023, Scholar in Physics & Astronomy Award 2023, Supported by the NU Baker Faculty Research Grant in 2024, Junior Career Award in Physics and Astronomy 2024
![Elijah Platnick](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2024/04/IMG_9210-5ece215d3bb3340c-265x265.png)
Elijah Platnick
Undergraduate Student, Tech F333, Supported by the NU SURG in 2024
![Mingyuan Wang](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2024/05/Ming-265x265.jpg)
Mingyuan Wang
Undergraduate Student, Tech F333, Supported by the WCAS Summer Research Grant in 2024
New Members
Will Bruner, Undergraduate Student, NU, WCAS summer research grant, F333
![Summer 2024](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2024/08/PXL_20240807_222149668-480x350.jpg)
Summer 2024
Summer 2024
![Dr. Hao](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2024/08/IMG_0812-480x350.jpg)
Dr. Hao
Dr. Hao
![Winter 2024](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2024/04/Picture1-e6d6e577407b2652.jpg)
Winter 2024
Winter 2024
![@Dearborn 2023 Summer](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/05/IMG_2757-480x350.jpg)
@Dearborn 2023 Summer
@Dearborn 2023 Summer
![Group Picture 2023 Spring](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2023/04/PXL_20230405_224656466.MP_-e1681177335658-480x350.jpg)
Group Picture 2023 Spring
Group Picture 2023 Spring
![Group Picture 2022](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2022/06/4_cropped-480x350.jpg)
Group Picture 2022
Group Picture 2022
![Visiting Loyola 2022](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2022/06/PXL_20220423_165407585.MP_-480x350.jpg)
Visiting Loyola 2022
Visiting Loyola 2022
![Botanic Garden 2022](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2022/06/image-49-480x350.png)
Botanic Garden 2022
Botanic Garden 2022
![Group Picture 2021](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2021/12/2021_lab_photo_1-480x350.jpg)
Group Picture 2021
Group Picture 2021
![Summer 2021](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2021/12/Image-from-iOS-5-480x350.jpg)
Summer 2021
Summer 2021
![Group Picture 2020](https://sites.northwestern.edu/kovacslab/files/2021/02/Group_Picture-480x350.png)
Group Picture 2020
Group Picture 2020
Alumni
Xiangyi Meng (Postdoctoral Researcher, 2023-2024) Next position: Assistant Professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Publications: X. Meng, N. Lo Piparo, K. Nemoto and I. A. Kovács, Quantum networks enhanced by distributed quantum memories [arXiv]; X. Meng*, B. Hao*, B. Ráth and I. A. Kovács, Path percolation in quantum communication networks [arXiv]
Pratyush Rallapally, NITMB SURP Intern 2024, University of California, Santa Barbara
Charlotte Wishnack, NITMB SURP Intern 2024, Williams College
Anastasiya Salova (Postdoctoral Researcher, 2021-2024) Next position: Postdoctoral Researcher at ESAM, Northwestern University. Publication: A. Salova and I. A. Kovács, Combined topological and spatial constraints are required to capture the structure of neural connectomes [arXiv]
Kyle Soni (Undergraduate Student, 2021-2024) Supported by WCAS SURG in 2022 and 2023
Andrew Li (Undergraduate Student, 2022-2024)
Helen Ansell (Postdoctoral Researcher, 2021-2023) Next position: Tarbutton Fellow at Emory University. Publications: Jay S. Zou, Helen S. Ansell and I. A. Kovács (2022) Multipartite entanglement in the random Ising chain, Phys. Rev. B 106, 054201 [arXiv]. H. S. Ansell and I. A. Kovács, Unveiling universal aspects of the cellular anatomy of the brain, Communications Physics, 7, 184 [arXiv]. H. S. Ansell, S. J. Frank, I. A. Kovács, Cluster tomography in percolation, Phys. Rev. Research, 5, 043218 [arXiv].
Jay Zou (Undergraduate Student, 2020-2023) Supported by WCAS SURG in 2021, Honorable Mention for the Computing Research Association’s (CRA) Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award for 2022, Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement in Graduate Coursework 2022, elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Next position: PhD student at Yale. Publication: Jay S. Zou, Helen S. Ansell and I. A. Kovács (2022) Multipartite entanglement in the random Ising chain, Phys. Rev. B 106, 054201 [arXiv], ISP honors thesis 2023: Multipartite entanglement in the random Ising chain
Sam Jacob Frank (Undergraduate Student, 2020-2023) Supported by the Baker Faculty grant in 2020 & 2021, GEN LA 290: Summer Research, Next position: Phd student at Northeastern University. Publication: H. S. Ansell, S. J. Frank, I. A. Kovács, Cluster tomography in percolation [arXiv]. ISP honors thesis 2023: Counting clusters: Investigating universality in critical percolation.
Gabriel Augustynowicz (Undergraduate Student, 2021-2023) Supported by the Baker Faculty grant in 2022, Outstanding Junior in Physics and Astronomy 2022, Junior Career Award in Mathematics 2022, elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Next position: Phd student at Stony Brook. Physics and Astronomy honors thesis 2023: Intuitive network visualization via the convex linear visualization method
Kathleen Carrasco (high school student, 2022-2023) ETHS
Chana Lyubich (Undergraduate Student, 2023) Supported by the NU SURG in 2023, Scholar in Physics & Astronomy Award 2023
Ravi Chepuri (Undergraduate Student, 2019-2022) Supported by the Baker Faculty grant in 2020, GEN LA 290: Summer Research, and by NU SURG-Advanced in 2021, Outstanding Sophomore in Physics and Astronomy 2020, Outstanding Junior in Physics and Astronomy 2021, Fletcher URG Prize for the most outstanding 2021 Summer URG project in science and engineering. ISP honors thesis 2022: A scalable architecture towards complex quantum communication networks, R. T. C. Chepuri and I. A. Kovács (2023) Complex quantum network models from spin clusters, Communications Physics, 6, 271 [arXiv]
Arya Bulusu (Undergraduate Student, 2022) Supported by the NU SURG in 2022
Eli Ganz (Undergraduate Student, 2020-2022) Supported by the Baker Faculty grant in 2021
Thomas Wytock (Postdoctoral Researcher, 2020-2021) sharing his time 50-50 with Prof. Motter’s group. Publications: M. R. Harris, T. P. Wytock and I. A. Kovács (2022) Computational inference of synaptic polarities in neuronal networks, Advanced Science 2104906, Rising Stars series; X.-W. Wang, L. Madeddu, K. Spirohn, L. Martini, A. Fazzone, L. Becchetti, T. P. Wytock, I. A. Kovács, O. M. Balogh, B. Benczik, M. Pétervári, B. Ágg, P. Ferdinandy, L. Vulliard, J. Menche, S. Colonnese, M. Petti, G. Scarano, F. Cuomo, T. Hao, F. Laval, L. Willems, J.-C. Twizere, M. A. Calderwood, E. Petrillo, A.-L. Barabási, E. K. Silverman, J. Loscalzo, P. Velardi and Yang-Yu Liu (2023) Assessment of community efforts to advance computational prediction of protein-protein interactions, Nature Communications, 14, 1582.
Michael Harris (Undergraduate Intern, 2019-2021) Loyola University Chicago. Publication: M. R. Harris, T. P. Wytock and I. A. Kovács (2022) Computational inference of synaptic polarities in neuronal networks, Advanced Science 2104906, Rising Stars series
Jonah Grob (Undergraduate Student, 2021) Supported by the Baker Faculty grant in 2021
Lachlan Gray (Undergraduate Intern, 2020-2021) University of Waterloo
Sean Dougherty (Undergraduate Student, 2020) Supported by the Baker Faculty grant in 2020, GEN LA 290: Summer Research
Open Positions:
Postdoctoral Researchers:
The lab of Professor István Kovács in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University is looking for exceptional postdoctoral associates with a strong publication record and synergistic ideas that fit into our group’s interests in the areas of complex systems, statistical physics, network science, systems biology, neuroscience and heterogeneous quantum systems. We are seeking motivated individuals with a strong quantitative background with a PhD in physics, mathematics, computer science, bioinformatics or a related field. The ideal candidate has experience in at least one of the following fields: renormalization group techniques, Monte Carlo methods, information theory, disordered systems, systems biology, neural networks, network science or graph theory.
We believe in diversity as a driving force of excellence. Therefore, we strongly encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply.
There are additional openings for postdoctoral researchers with external funding. If you are interested in a position, please send István the following:
(i) a current CV with publication list,
(ii) a brief statement of research interests, and
(iii) two letters of recommendation sent separately.
Graduate students:
Current Northwestern graduate students should contact István to schedule a meeting.
Undergraduate students:
Northwestern undergraduates who are interested in gaining computational research experience should contact István.