Bolun Chen

Trained as a physicist, Dr. Bolun Chen is interested in emergent phenomena of complex systems. He has publications on phase transition in quantum gases, synchronization of pulse-coupled neurons, and in particular, nonlinear phase oscillator networks.

Bolun received his Ph.D. in physics from Boston College. He developed a dimension-reduction framework for studying networks of identical Kuramoto oscillators. The reduced dynamics of N interacting oscillators live are two-dimensional, subject to an intrinsic hyperbolic metric. The result reveals an intriguing connection between dynamics and geometry.

Before joining the lab, Bolun was a Swartz Postdoctoral fellow at Volen National Center for Complex Systems of Brandeis University. Bolun studied a neural population model with random and adaptive connectivity. The network exhibits enhanced capacity to encode sequential stimuli, providing a natural explanation for the versatility of attractor networks.

Bolun’s current research focuses on linking physiological states and functions to the underlying dynamic networks of organs. His long-term goal is to apply data-driven approaches to decipher complex systems.

Bolun has served as referees for academic journals and funding agencies, as well as a mentor for the MIT PRIMES program. His former student had won a silver medal in physics of the S.T. Yau Global High School Science Award.