Welcome
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the ISI Foundation, working within the Complex Connections Lab (Northeastern University London).
With a background in physics, I study the digital and physical traces we leave behind to quantitatively understand human dynamics. My research draws on diverse datasets and methods from the Physics of Complex Systems, within the broader framework of Computational Social Science.
In the digital sphere, I investigate how online coordination can trigger financial events and shape news consumption. In the physical world, I explore how urban design influences human mobility and food networks.
If you have a question or find something interesting here, feel free to get in touch.
I usually reply quickly.
Contacts
Email: antonio [dot] desiderio [at] isi [dot] it
Email: antonio [dot] desiderio [at] cref [dot] it
Email: antde [at] dtu [dot] dk
Experience & Education
Visiting & Grants
Details on visiting research and grants will be available here soon.
Publications
The dynamics of the Reddit collective action leading to the GameStop short squeeze
Spontaneous Opinion Swings in the Voter Model with Latency
Multiplex mobility network and metapopulation epidemic simulations of Italy based on open data
Self-induced consensus of Reddit users to characterise the GameStop short squeeze
First lattice calculation of radiative leptonic decay rates of pseudoscalar mesons
The rise and fall of WallStreetBets: social roles and opinion leaders across the GameStop saga
Polarization and echo chambers in Reddit's political discourse
Mapping Regional Disparities in Discounted Grocery Products
Urban mobility enables deprivation bubble breaking in Indian and Mexican cities
Supervision & Mentorship
Students and researchers (Bachelor, Master, PhD, and Fellows) that I have
co-supervised.
They chart the trajectory of my work, enabling me to broaden my research focus.
Master's Thesis Guide
Essential resources for prospective thesis students:
I wrote these notes in 2024 during my postdoc at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
I keep updating them from time to time.
They contain a collection of tips, tricks, and even a few jokes to help you navigate your
thesis period—whether you are a Bachelor, Master, or Fellowship student.
I am certainly not the first to write such a guide; for other excellent guides,
see these posts Note 1
and Note 2.
Collaborations
This map tracks my research path through my main collaborators.
Inside the Research
Outreach & Press
Chronicles
I’ll be using this space to share behind-the-scenes chronicles into my research-tracing the evolution of my papers from the initial spark of an idea through the publication process, maybe grouping related works to tell the broader story of their development. Coming soon...
Beyond Research
Manga have been an integral part of my life since I was little.
Here are some of the series I love and consider important.