Research Interests
Amaral, a native of Portugal, conducts and directs research that provides insight into the emergence, evolution, and stability of complex social and biological systems. His research aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity, including the mitigation of errors in healthcare settings, the characterization of the conditions fostering innovation and creativity, and the limits of machine intelligence.
Amaral has published over a 180 scientific peer-reviewed papers in leading scientific journals, including Nature, Science, PNAS, Cell, and PLOS Biology. His research has been featured in numerous media sources, both in the US and abroad. Professor Amaral has received a CAREER award from the National Institutes of Health, was named a Distinguished Young Scholars in Medical Research by the W. M. Keck Foundation, and has been selected as an Early Career Scientist by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineers, and of the Network Science Society. In 2020, he received the Provost's Award for Exemplary Faculty Service.