PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Luis M. Rocha

Also known as Luis Mateus Rocha, Luís Rocha

Luis Rocha is a systems scientist whose AI work spans artificial life, contextual genetic algorithms and complex networks. He studied mechanical and systems engineering in Lisbon, helped develop a control system for seismic testing, and completed a Binghamton PhD on cognitive and biological systems. He joined Los Alamos as a postdoctoral associate in 1997, served there as a staff scientist from 1998 to 2004, and led its Complex Systems Modeling Team from 1998 to 2002; from 2002 to 2024, he also served as a principal investigator and senior fellow at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. He co-edited the Artificial Life 10 proceedings in 2006, and Indiana University announced in 2017 that he would lead a new program in complex networks and systems; he and Alexander Gates introduced the effective graph for biochemical networks in 2021. Binghamton named him its first George Klir Professor in 2020 for a planned fall 2021 start, and he received the 2025 DeFleur Faculty Prize; as of October 2026, he is Binghamton’s George Klir Professor, leads CASCI, directs the Center for Social and Biomedical Complexity, and serves as a visiting professor and principal investigator at the Católica Biomedical Research Center, where he holds the CBeRa Era Chair.

Now at
Binghamton University and Católica Biomedical Research Center
Badges

Timeline

  1. 1985–1990

    Engineering in Lisbon

    He studies mechanical and systems engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon from 1985 to 1990 and earns a five-year licentiate degree.

  2. 1990–1997

    LNEC research and a PhD

    From June 1990 to December 1991, he works as a graduate research assistant at the Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Civil in Lisbon and participates in the design and development of a control system for seismic testing. In 1997, he completes a Systems Science PhD at Binghamton with the dissertation Evidence Sets and Contextual Genetic Algorithms, which explores uncertainty, context, and embodiment in cognitive and biological systems.

  3. 1997–2004

    Los Alamos research

    In 1997, he joins Los Alamos National Laboratory as a postdoctoral associate. From 1998 to 2004, he serves as a permanent staff scientist and leads the Complex Systems Modeling Team from 1998 to 2002.

  4. 2002–2024

    Gulbenkian research and Artificial Life

    From 2002 to 2024, he serves as a principal investigator and senior fellow at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência. His research spans complex networks, computational and systems biology, and computational intelligence. In 2006, he co-edits Artificial Life 10, the proceedings of the tenth International Conference on the Simulation and Synthesis of Living Systems.

  5. 2017–2020

    An IU program and professorship

    In 2017, Indiana University announces that he will lead a new program in complex networks and systems as a professor in its School of Informatics and Computing. In 2020, Binghamton names him the first George J. Klir Professor of Systems Science, with the position scheduled to begin in fall 2021.

  6. 2021

    The effective graph

    In 2021, he and Alexander Gates introduce the effective graph to capture nonlinear logical redundancy in biochemical networks. The method represents multivariate dynamics as a causal graph and explains how dynamical perturbation and control signals propagate through biochemical pathways.

  7. 2025

    A DeFleur prize

    In 2025, he receives the Lois B. DeFleur Faculty Prize for Academic Achievement from Binghamton University.

  8. As of October 2026

    Research at Binghamton and Católica

    In Spring 2026, he teaches Evolutionary Systems and Biologically Inspired Computing at Binghamton and is the George J. Klir Professor of Systems Science. He leads the CASCI lab and directs the Center for Social and Biomedical Complexity. At the Católica Biomedical Research Center, he is a visiting professor and principal investigator and holds the CBeRa project Era Chair.

Career

  1. Since 2021Binghamton UniversityGeorge J. Klir Professor of Systems Science
  2. NowCatólica Biomedical Research CenterVisiting Professor, Principal Investigator, and CBeRa Era Chair
  3. 2017–2020Indiana UniversityProfessor
  4. 2002–2024Gulbenkian Institute of SciencePrincipal Investigator and Senior Fellow
  5. 1997–2004Triad National SecurityPostdoctoral Associate, Staff Scientist
  6. 1990–1991National Laboratory for Civil EngineeringGraduate Research Assistant

Education

  1. 1997Binghamton UniversitySystems Science PhD
  2. 1990Instituto Superior TécnicoLicentiate degree

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Binghamton University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Binghamton University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Indiana University. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  4. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Indiana University. We estimate that Google holds the highest combined h-index at 8,016, while universities account for 73% of the deduplicated total across AI organizations.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Luis M. Rocha yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Luis Rocha – Information Science and Technology Colloquium Series istcolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. Evidence Sets and Contextual Genetic Algorithms casci.binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Named professorship honors systems science pioneer - Binghamton News binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. Curriculum Vitae - Luis M. Rocha casci.binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Publications - Luis M. Rocha casci.binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. NSF awards IU $3 million to train researchers ‘fluent’ in complex networks and data: IU News news.iu.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Uncovering the master switches of the complex networks of disease news.iu.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Luís Rocha receives Academic Achievement Award | CBeRa Project cberaproject.eu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  9. SSIE - 483/583: Evolutionary Systems and Biologically Inspired Computing - Luis M. Rocha casci.binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  10. Profile for Luis M. Rocha | Profiles | Binghamton University binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  11. Luis M. Rocha casci.binghamton.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.