Cost minimization is a fundamental objective in biological systems, where efficient connectivity is often linked to enhanced functionality. This dissertation explores how branching in biological transport and neural systems serves as a framework for understanding optimization strategies in nature. Focusing on the brain, we find that neuronal branching patterns lead to lognormal length, synapse, and degree distributions across species, highlighting a universal principle of organization. This lognormality profoundly influences neuronal connectivity, shaping both the structural and functional properties of the connectome. By integrating insights from network theory and morphology, this work advances our understanding of the physical and biological constraints that drive the evolution of efficient neural architectures.
Benjamin Piazza is a PhD student working with Professor Albert-László Barabàsi. He is broadly studying physical networks, a class of networks which have nodes and edges additionally described by fixed positions and thicknesses. Included in physical networks are the fruit fly brain, plant root networks, vascular networks, and other systems. He is also interested in 3D network layout, both in the context of physical networks and for the visual interpretation of network structure. He has a Bachelor’s degree in physics from The Pennsylvania State University and has previously worked with Dr. Nitin Samarth there, researching nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond.
Benjamin Piazza is a PhD student working with Professor Albert-László Barabàsi. He is broadly studying physical networks, a class of networks which have nodes and edges additionally described by fixed positions and thicknesses. Included in physical networks are the fruit fly brain, plant root networks, vascular networks, and other systems. He is also interested in 3D network layout, both in the context of physical networks and for the visual interpretation of network structure. He has a Bachelor’s degree in physics from The Pennsylvania State University and has previously worked with Dr. Nitin Samarth there, researching nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond.
