Dr. Dani Bassett, currently the J. Peter Skirkanich Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will join Yale in July 2026 as the Wu Tsai Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Psychology.
Dr. Bassett’s groundbreaking and influential research uses graph theory and network analysis to understand the control and dynamics of complex systems. Their cross-disciplinary approach has yielded myriad discoveries about the organization of brain networks, the computational principles underlying human learning and thought, the origins of curiosity, and much more, with broad implications for understanding human nature, mental health, child development, social connection, and citation bias. Their research, teaching, and mentoring represent a paradigm shift in thinking about the mind, brain, and behavior from a network perspective that connects across levels and disciplines. Their work has been published across more than 450 articles in leading journals and in the book Curious Minds: The Power of Connection (2022). They have been recognized with numerous honors, including an NSF CAREER award, a MacArthur Fellowship, and being named a Fellow of the American Physical Society.