Vito Latora is an Italian physicist, currently Professor in Applied Mathematics (Chair of Complex Systems) at the School of Mathematical Sciences of the

Queen Mary University , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

of London. He is known for his works on complex systems, in particular on the structure and dynamics of complex networks.

Career

Latora received a PhD in physics from the

University of Catania The University of Catania ( it, Università degli Studi di Catania) is a university located in Catania, Sicily. Founded in 1434, it is the oldest university in Sicily, the 13th oldest in Italy, and the 29th oldest university in the world. With a ...

in Italy for a thesis in the field of theoretical

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

entitled "''Multifragmentation,

phase transition In chemistry, thermodynamics, and other related fields, a phase transition (or phase change) is the physical process of transition between one state of a medium and another. Commonly the term is used to refer to changes among the basic states o ...

s and critical chaos in hot nuclei''". He conducted postdoctoral research at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

(MIT) in the group of Michel Baranger, in the group of Eric Heller at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

, and at Paris University XI. After his postdoctoral period, he joined the department of Physics of the University of Catania as an assistant professor in 2002. Since 2012, Vito Latora is Full Professor in Applied Mathematics (Chair in Complex Systems) at the

of London.Academic staff, school of mathematical sciences of Queen Mary University of Londo

Retrieved April 11, 2014.

Research

After initial work in the field of Nuclear physics, theoretical nuclear physics, his scientific contributions have focused on statistical physics, complex systems and, especially, complex networks. Noteworthy, he has developed together with Massimo Marchiori the so-called "''network efficiency''",Centrality Centrality#cite note-14, "Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". Retrieved April 11, 2014. a topological measure that accounts for the capability of a system to deliver information, or goods, spending the least amount of resources. He is also well known for his works on spatial systems and in particular on urban street networks.Matteo Bradicich
"La metamorfosi urbana dell’ultimo secolo: Esplorazione e Densificazione"
"scienza.studionews24.com", (2012-03-09).Sarah Fecht
"Grid Unlocked: How Street Networks Evolve as Cities Grow"
"Scientificamerican.com", (2012-04-06)."Le leggi nascoste che guidano la crescita urbana"
"Le Scienze", (2012-03-03). His other contributions span a wide range of subjects ranging from statistical mechanics, to

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

, and

social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...

.Lisa Zyga

"PhysOrg.com", (2010-09-27)."The Twitter Method"
"physicscentral.com", (2012-07-11).
"sciencedaily.com", (2013-05-03). As of March 2014, he is author of about 150 scientific papers and his

h-index The ''h''-index is an author-level metric that measures both the productivity and citation impact of the publications, initially used for an individual scientist or scholar. The ''h''-index correlates with obvious success indicators such as ...

is equal to 50 according to Google Scholar.,Vito Latora profile on Google Scholar
Retrieved April 11, 2014. 38 according to Web of Science, and 37 according to Scopus.Vito Latora profile on Scopus
Retrieved April 11, 2014.Ivars Peterson
"Rating Researchers"
"sciencenews.org", (2005-12-02). He coauthored a review article entitled "''Complex networks: Structure and dynamics''" published in 2006 in

Physics Reports ''Physics Reports'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal, a review section of '' Physics Letters'' that has been published by Elsevier since 1971. The journal publishes long and deep reviews on all aspects of physics. In average, the length of the ...

that has accrued more than 4500 citations and is the most cited and downloaded article in the history of

. His work has been featured in many venues,Physical Review Letters 104
cover page
(2010)."Online ‘social petri dish’ offers insights about real-world human mobility"

Santa Fe Institute The Santa Fe Institute (SFI) is an independent, nonprofit theoretical research institute located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States and dedicated to the multidisciplinary study of the fundamental principles of complex adaptive systems, inclu ...

Update, (Sep/Oct 2012).MIT Technology Review,
"White Worm Could Stop Bluetooth Viruses"
"technologyreview.com", (2010-12-08).Nature Asia
"Networks: Mapping the roads to urban growth"
"natureasia.com", (2012-03-02). including being on the cover of the

Physical Review Letters ''Physical Review Letters'' (''PRL''), established in 1958, is a peer-reviewed, scientific journal that is published 52 times per year by the American Physical Society. As also confirmed by various measurement standards, which include the ''Journa ...

issue of 19 March 2010 He is editor of the ''Journal of Complex Networks'' since 2013.Journal of Complex Networks Editorial board
Retrieved April 11, 2014. He is also member of the advisory board of

Chaos Chaos or CHAOS may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements * Chaos (''Kinnikuman'') * Chaos (''Sailor Moon'') * Chaos (''Sesame Park'') * Chaos (''Warhammer'') * Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy'' * Cha ...

,List of advisory board members of Chaos Journal
Retrieved April 11, 2014. a scientific journal of the

American Institute of Physics The American Institute of Physics (AIP) promotes science and the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies. Its corpora ...

Awards

In 2008, Latora has been awarded with the " Giovan Pietro Grimaldi Prize".Terza edizione Premio Giovan Pietro Grimaldi
"fondazionegrimaldi.it", (2008-10-25).Università di Catania
"Premio Giovan Pietro Grimaldi"
"agendabda.unict.it", (2008-10-25).Radio TRM
"Modica: Cerimonia di consegna del premio Giovan Pietro Grimaldi Al fisico Vito Latora che studia le reti complesse"
"radiortm.it", (2008-10-25). The motivation of the prize was: "''For his works on the structure and dynamics of complex networks''". In 2021, Latora has been nominated fellow of th
Network Science Society
with the following citation: "''For seminal work on the structure and dynamics of temporal, multilayer, and higher-order networks, and innovative applications of network science to other disciplines, including neuroscience and urban design.''" List of Network Science Society fellows. Available at
https://netscisociety.net/award-prizes/society-fellows
(2021-07-13).

References

External links

Personal webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Latora, Vito Living people 21st-century Italian physicists Scientists from Sicily Complex systems scientists Probability theorists Year of birth missing (living people) Network scientists