Stefano Martiniani is an Assistant Professor of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and an M.Phil in Scientific Computing from the University of Cambridge, and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from Imperial College London.
Martiniani’s research program revolves around the statistical physics of disordered and complex systems, focusing on the development of novel theoretical and computational frameworks to address problems spanning (i) the fundamental physics of nonequilibrium systems, such as amorphous and active matter systems; (ii) the development and mathematical analysis of cortical circuit models, exploring cognitive/perceptual phenomena such as sensory processing, attention, and working memory; (iii) the integration of machine learning and sampling methodologies for molecular design and discovery, e.g., for the prediction and exploration of protein fitness landscapes, or for the design of exotic material structures. Martiniani has pioneered the development of techniques that enable the accurate determination of the volume of high-dimensional basins of attraction, which has led to the elucidation of their puzzling geometric structure and to the first direct test of the Edwards conjecture, a 30-years old packing hypothesis stating that all jammed packings occur with equal probability.
Prior to joining NYU, Martiniani was an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Previously, he held a postdoctoral position in Physics at NYU. Currently, he holds a Simons Foundation Faculty Fellowship, and previous awards include the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, St. John’s College Benefactors’ Scholarship and an Outstanding Ph.D. Thesis Award from the University of Cambridge.