Cognitive Data Science
Understanding Data
Excellent Research
Science Outreach
Welcome, I am Massimo Stella PhD
Lecturer in Computer Science @ University of Exeter
Founder @ Complex Science Consulting
Welcome to my personal webpage,
I am Dr. Massimo Stella and currently have a permanent lectureship (Assistant Professor in the US system) in the Department of Computer Science, University of Exeter, UK.
I graduated cum laude in Physics at University of Salento, Italy, and have an integrated MSc and a PhD in Complex Systems Simulation (Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, UK).
I am also alumnus of the Santa Fe Institute and member of the Institute of Physics.
In 9 years of experience in research as network scientist, I designed novel multi-layer network models for predicting cognitive processes like language learning and progressive cognitive impairments. I also work on stance detection and emotional profiling in social media.
As reported in my publications, my analytical problem-solving background, computational skills and passion for complexity science make me a versatile thinker, capable of solving creatively complex problems, both independently and as a team-player.
As a young academic, I am passionate about teaching and science outreach and am an active member of the NetSciEd Committee. I am also available for industrial scientific consulting and have founded my own consulting brand, Complex Science Consulting, for cognitive data analysis.
Please scroll down for reading more about my research expertise.
Flagship Projects
Active Worldwide Collaborations
Years of Experience in Research
Published Research Items
Modelling human cognition and its diseases
Human cognition organises language as a highly dynamical structure, called the mental lexicon, that is accessed when hearing, reading or producing words. Among many other successful applications, harnessing the structure of the mental lexicon allows to predict early word learning and achieving better methodologies for diagnosing and even restoring language disorders in clinical conditions like aphasia or Alzheimer‘s disease. The availability of Big Data and tools from network science have enabled quantitative large-scale investigations of the mental lexicon, opening novel challenges for understanding the human mind and designing effective intervention strategies for cognitive pathologies.
Automatic natural language processing
Machine learning and complex networks are powerful tools in performing automatic analysis of natural language, like extracting the topic of a given text or understanding the emotions elicited by messages on social media.
Through the prestigious consulting network of the University of Exeter and through Complex Science Consulting, I can offer consulting services in tasks such as sentiment analysis and stance detection over online social media, lexicon-based emotional profiling, cognitive modelling of mindset changes in populations of learners, and detection of distorted mindsets via language processing and AI in populations with mental health disorders.
Data-driven approaches to Education
Big Data and complex networks are powerful tools for modelling learning performance within and outside the classroom. These innovative approaches can open new innovative ways of pursuing Education that are effective in fighting functional illiteracy, i.e. the critical inability to interpret and understand everyday pieces of information such as bills or newspapers.
I am actively involved in designing and performing new data-driven approaches for education, aimed at improving the appreciation and usage of STEM subjects in synergy with schools, researchers and educators. If interested, please read about our computational approach with forma mentis networks for reconstructing STEM perceptions in students and professionals.
Invited Talk at CRI Paris
Hello World! – New Position
A special issue on cognitive network science led by Dr. Stella, CSC, and Dr. Kenett, Uni of Pennsylvania
A pre-print about forma mentis networks and professional growth
Complexity Explained – Research dissemination presented at CCS 2019
New pre-print about forma mentis networks and STEM perception
Published a first-author PNAS paper about social bots
Published extended abstract on Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Talk at the Academy of Aphasia Annual Meeting 2018
Talk at Complex Systems in Education Symposium 2018
New Multiplex Network Paper Published
Invited talk at the NASER workshop, University of Helsinki, September 17-18 2019
Paper published on Big Data and Cognitive Computing
Paper published on the Journal of Complex Networks
Research talk at Links, Lecce on December 3 2018
SentiMental – Automatic Emotional Profiling by CSC
Talk accepted at Complenet 2019
Editor for the Proceedings of NetSciEd 2018 – Published Online
Next Winter Workshop on Complex Systems
New International Collaborations for Complex Forma Mentis
Talk about multilayer network models at the Conference on Complex Systems 2018
Hello World! – New website
Get in Touch
If you are interested in working together, as a prospective student or collaborator, please send me an email.