Welcome to our interview series with a twist — where researchers choose from a pool of questions which ones they want to answer. It’s a chance to get to know them and their work from a more personal angle.
Today in the spotlight: Juan Ochoa, a new member of the CSH Foundations group. We’re excited to welcome him to CSH and to kick off the series with his personal take on science, networks, and the unexpected!
What are you currently working on, and why is it exciting to you?
I am currently working on understanding a given economy by looking at its systemic risk at different scales and thinking about possible analogies for belief dynamics and social systems from a statistical physics point of view. It is very exciting to see how models that were initially developed to understand fundamental physics problems can now be adapted to address social or economic systems.
Which tools or methods do you use most in your work?
Network theory and statistical physics.
What brought you to science in the first place, and how did you end up at CSH?
I started by studying physics motivated by a great interest in understanding how nature works. After realizing that the tools provided by physics and mathematics could also be applied to everyday life and real-world problems, I decided that I wanted to work in Complex Systems. Then, CSH naturally appeared as the place where I could focus my research in these directions.
What's the most unexpected place your work has taken you–intellectually and geographically?
Vienna!
