Brief Biography

Luís M. A. Bettencourt is a Professor of Ecology and Evolution and the College at the University of Chicago. He is also Associate Faculty of the Department of Sociology and External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute. He grew up in Lisbon (Portugal) and obtained his undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics from IST Lisbon. He obtained his PhD from Imperial College London in Theoretical Physics and held postdocs and research positions at the University of Heidelberg (Germany), Los Alamos National Laboratory, MIT, and the Santa Fe Institute.

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His research focuses on the theory and modeling of complex systems and the processes that underlie the structure and growth of cities, in particular. He connects interdisciplinary concepts and advanced mathematicswith new technologies and data to create new systems’ theory and methods. This work also involves collaborations with governments, NGOs, and interdisciplinary researchers worldwide to co-produce new insights and transformative practices for sustainable development. His work is well-known academically and widely covered in the media. It has helped shape our fundamental understanding of complex systems and human societies and create novel approaches to challenges of urbanization and sustainability.