01
Seismic Imaging & Wave Physics
- Wave propagation
- Seismic tomography
- Inverse problems
- Wavefield analysis
Earth · Chromosomes · Brain · Development
Change becomes understandable when we study structure, dynamics, and scale together.
An independent learning platform connecting seismic imaging, chromosome architecture, developmental neuroscience, and multiscale scientific reasoning.
Trace
Organize
Compare
Explain
Trace the signal
♦
Organize the structure
♦
Compare across scales
♦
Explain the change
Four Learning Fields
From wavefields beneath Earth to changing networks in cells and brains
02
Chromosome Architecture
- Chromosome cohesion
- Cohesin
- Genome organization
- Cell division
03
Developmental Neuroendocrinology
- Hormones and brain
- Developmental change
- Brain networks
- Person-specific models
04
Multiscale Scientific Inference
- Model comparison
- Uncertainty
- Cross-scale reasoning
- Quantitative interpretation
Trace–Organize–Compare–Explain
A practical framework for studying change across complex systems
01 — Trace
Identify what is being measured and how the observable signal relates to the hidden system.
02 — Organize
Represent components, interactions, boundaries, and constraints in a form that can be examined.
03 — Compare
Test alternative models, developmental states, or structural explanations against the available evidence.
04 — Explain
State what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain, and how the explanation changes across scale or context.
Six researchers across geophysics, chromosome biology, and developmental neuroscience
Tariq Alkhalifah
KAUST · Saudi Arabia
Geophysics · Seismic Imaging · Wave Analysis
Focuses on seismic imaging, acquisition, wavefield analysis, near-surface treatment and computational geophysics.
ORCID: 0000-0002-9363-9799
Platform contact
Madhusudhan Srinivasan
University of Oxford · United Kingdom
Biochemistry · Chromosome Biology · Cohesin
Studies chromosome organization, cohesin, genome mechanics, cell division and chromosome segregation.
ORCID: 0000-0001-5676-4219
Platform contact
Adriene M. Beltz
University of Michigan · United States
Developmental Neuroscience · Hormones · Quantitative Methods
Examines brain networks, hormone-related developmental processes, intensive longitudinal methods, person-specific models, brain and behavior across the lifespan.
ORCID: 0000-0001-5754-8083
Platform contact
Andreas Fichtner
ETH Zurich · Switzerland
Seismology · Wave Physics · Tomography
Researches seismic tomography, full-waveform inversion, numerical wave propagation, uncertainty quantification, fibre-optic sensing.
Kim Nasmyth
University of Oxford · United Kingdom
Genetics · Chromosome Segregation · Cohesin
Investigates chromosome segregation, sister-chromatid cohesion, cohesin, cell-cycle chromosome organization.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7030-4403
Emily G. Jacobs
UC Santa Barbara · United States
Neuroscience · Endocrinology · Brain Plasticity
Explores brain plasticity, sex hormones, pregnancy, menopause, neuroendocrine development, human brain imaging.
Independence note:
The first three email addresses are platform contact addresses supplied for this site and are not presented as verified university email accounts.
Researcher inclusion is for educational context only and does not imply affiliation, employment, collaboration, or endorsement.
Short guides for understanding structure and change across scales
How does seismic imaging reveal hidden structure?
Seismic imaging records elastic waves as they propagate through the Earth. By analyzing the time it takes for these waves to return to the surface and their amplitudes, scientists can reconstruct the internal structural properties of the subsurface.
What is waveform inversion?
Waveform inversion is a sophisticated technique that utilizes the entire recorded wavefield rather than just specific arrivals. It iteratively updates a model of the Earth to minimize the difference between simulated and observed data, yielding high-resolution images.
Why does chromosome cohesion matter?
Chromosome cohesion ensures that sister chromatids remain physically connected from DNA replication until cell division. This mechanism is critical for accurate segregation of genetic material, preventing errors that could lead to developmental disorders or cancer.
What is chromosome architecture?
Chromosome architecture refers to the 3D folding and organization of genomes within the nucleus. It involves structural proteins like cohesin forming loops and domains, fundamentally regulating gene expression and cellular function across developmental timescales.
How can hormones shape brain development?
Hormones serve as powerful signaling molecules that coordinate structural and functional changes in the brain. During critical periods such as puberty, they influence neuroplasticity, network connectivity, and the emergence of complex cognitive and emotional behaviors.
Why use person-specific models?
Traditional grouped analyses can obscure critical individual differences. Person-specific models leverage intensive longitudinal data to map individual developmental trajectories, revealing nuanced network dynamics that apply uniquely to a single person over time.
About Layers of Change
Hidden structure often becomes visible only through change.
Whether examining the propagation of seismic waves, the dynamic folding of chromosomes, the fluctuating influence of hormones, or the reorganization of brain networks, change provides the crucial signal. Scientific measurement relies on observing this variance to infer the hidden architecture of these complex systems.
Layers of Change focuses on multiscale reasoning, highlighting the theoretical and methodological parallels that emerge when studying structural dynamics across vastly different domains.
Layers of Change is an independent educational resource.
It is not:
- a university
- a research institute
- a healthcare provider
- an accreditation body
- a consulting firm
- a degree-granting institution