Research interests
From human relationships to the body's neural networks to the internet, almost everything in the world can be conceptualised as a network, says Dr Mahendra Piraveenan. He studies how complex networks operate, and how this knowledge can be applied to such diverse challenges as arresting contagious disease outbreaks and designing better software.
"There are many structural and functional commonalities between various types of networks - from the social to the biological to the technical - and we can use our understanding of these to design better networks in each domain.
"For example, we can use the patterns observed in biological networks to design better computer networks. Biological networks have evolved through trial and error over millions of years, so are much more robust than built systems. Therefore it's very useful - and very humbling - to try to understand these natural systems and apply their properties and behaviours to improve built systems.
"Understanding social systems can also help us to address challenges. For example, in the event of a contagious disease outbreak where a limited supply of vaccine is available, if we understand how the disease spreads through social networks we can develop an effective and efficient vaccination strategy that targets key actors and stops the spread of the outbreak.
"I've been working in this field since 2006, and I joined the staff of the University of Sydney in 2011. Among the best things about working here are the scope for interdisciplinary collaboration across faculties, and the opportunity to work with students. That can be very inspiring, as students contribute their own interesting ideas. I'm always looking for talented students to undertake research in this field."
Teaching and supervision
ENGG2851 - Data Analytics for Project Management
PMGT5871 - Project Process Planning and Control
Selected publications
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