Yale Scientists Win Grants for Study of Complex Systems, Human Cognition

Two Yale scientists have been named winners of James S. McDonnell Foundation grants, which are given to scientists from around the world doing innovative research in complex systems, brain cancer, and human cognition.

Thierry Emonet, assistant professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology, was awarded a Research Grant worth $448,000 over four years to study complex systems. Laurie Santos, associate professor of psychology, received a $600,000 Scholar award for work in understanding human cognition.

Emonet’s goal is try to create computer models that will predict the behavior of living cells to given stimuli. The scale and complexity of the task mirrors that of engineered systems such as the Internet or financial markets, which also exhibit significant “behavioral” variability.

Santos studies non-human primates to tease out the evolutionary origins of cognitive biases, insights that help explain phenomena as diverse as racism and the collapse of the financial markets.

Since its inception in 1950, the McDonnell Foundation has awarded over $347 million in grants to support scientific, educational, and charitable causes locally, nationally, and internationally.