My name is Haily, and I am a first-generation, queer multidisciplinary scientist with training spanning the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and computational sciences. My work approaches brain science from a humanistic perspective, drawing from biological theory and complex systems science methods, with consequences for the social sciences.

I am a dual PhD candidate at Indiana University in Informatics (Complex Networks and Systems track) and Cognitive Science. I use a lot of math to show why our brains care about having quality relationships. This takes two forms: On the one hand, I apply cutting edge techniques from network science to characterize how brain network organization varies across social environments over developmental time. I also link this variation to different outcomes for mental health, cognition, social behavior, and life experiences. On the other hand, I build minimal models of social interaction to understand the foundations of sociality. This line of work involves methodology from evolutionary robotics, artificial neural networks, dynamical systems theory, information theory, and social psychology. In combining these two forms of research, I aim to build a comprehensive narrative of the centrality of sociality for our wellbeing.

I love to connect with researchers from diverse venues and expand my research horizons, so I regularly share my work at conferences dedicated to the social and developmental sciences (e.g. SANS, SRA), human neuroimaging (e.g. OHBM), complex systems and network science (e.g. NetSci), artificial life (e.g. ALIFE), and more. I collaborate broadly and have published on topics as diverse as astropolitics, media studies, psycholinguistics, and developmental psychology. I also seek out diverse training opportunities, including in complex systems (e.g. Sante Fe Institute Complex Systems Summer School, AccelNet-Multinet Meeting, Complex Networks Winter Workshop, Multinet Exchange Fellowship) and other places.

I have received a variety of awards across fields for my work, including NSF Research Traineeship in Complex Networks and Systems, ALIFE 2022 Top 5 Papers, Outstanding Teaching Award, and the MultiNet Exchange Fellowship, as well as nominations for many other prestigious awards.

Before graduate school, I managed a social neuroecology lab at Cornell University. As an undergraduate, I studied Cognitive Science, Linguistics, and Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University. I have always been thoroughly multidisciplinary :)

Outside of academia, I love reading, painting, and gardening.

If you want to get in touch, my email is halamerr @ iu . edu