CV

To download my single-page CV click here and for the extended version see here .
If you need the LaTeX sources you can find them here .

 

Affiliation

Department of Physics, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Links: Institutional homepage , Google Scholar , Contact

Research Interests

Active matter, Biophysics, Machine learning, Fluid mechanics

Education

  • Ph.D. of Physics
  • M.Sc. of Physics
  • B.Sc. of Physics
University of Gothenburg, Sweden (Jan. 2020 - May 2024)
Thesis: Microswimmer navigation in turbulence
Supervisor: Kristian Gustavsson

Different species of Plankton, such as copepods, have very detailed environmental perception by measuring flow disturbances. They are also capable of weak navigation in competition with being advected. This suggests that, they should have learned by evolution, to leverage different flow signals to increase their survival chance. For example, vertical migration is a daily habit of Plankton, that their survival is highly dependent on. During my PhD, I worked on mathematical modeling of Plankton navigation and finding optimal strategies for purposes such as, vertical migration, and high strain avoidance. I used reinforcement learning to find possible strategies and relevant flow signals that Plankton can exploit as an active microswimmer. For this purpose, I used C/C++ for the main simulations and machine learning, and different libraries of Python (numpy, scipy, pandas, matplotlib, plotly) to analyze the resulting data. For the deep RL training I used TensorFlow and PyTorch libraries in Python.

Shiraz University, Iran (Sep. 2016 - Sep. 2018)
Statistical properties of particle spread in quenched random media
Supervisor: Saeed Davatolhagh

Anomalous diffusion has attracted a large number of scientists in recent years as it is observed in an enormous number of phenomena, from bacterial dynamics to foraging movements of the larger animals. In my thesis, I investigated the anomalous diffusion and transport characteristics, such as MSD, first passage time probability, aging, ergodicity breaking and correlations, in tracer diffusion in a random quenched velocity field, known as Matheron-de Marsily. I used C and Python for the simulations and analyzed the data using Python and MATLAB.

Shiraz University, Iran (Sep. 2011 - Sep. 2016)
Kuramoto model simulation of a system of oscillators

Investigated synchronization transitions in a one-dimensional periodic system of phase oscillators interacting via an asymmetric periodic function. Numerical simulations revealed that the system undergoes a second-order phase transi- tion, with the critical point highly dependent on the asymmetry control parameter. Conducted numerical simulations using C and analyzed the results with GNU Octave.

Light curve and frequency analysis of delta scuti variable star

Conducted observations of the variable star AE UMa at the Biruni Observatory , Shiraz University. Analyzed data using various astronomical software and packages, and reported the results to the Information Bulletin on Variable Stars (IBVS). Gained experience in observational techniques, image processing, and data reduction while working with 11- and 20-inch telescopes and different astronomical imaging detectors.

Experience

  • Researcher
  • Data Scientist
  • Founder
  • Manager
  • Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden, Jan 2020 - Present
    Developed mathematical models for active microswimmers navigating turbulent fluid environments, focusing on optimal control strategies for tasks such as vertical migration and high-strain avoidance. Utilized reinforcement learning (RL) to identify optimal strategies and flow signals exploitable by biological swimmers. Conducted main simulations using C/C++ and analyzed resulting data with Python libraries (NumPy, SciPy, pandas, Matplotlib, Plotly). For deep RL training, employed TensorFlow and PyTorch in Python.
  • Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran, Jul 2019 - Dec 2019
    Investigated the first-passage time statistics for the generation of new pages in Wikipedia, modeled as a complex network. Utilized the Wikipedia Python API for data collection and analysis.
  • Biruni Observatory, Shiraz, Iran, Sep 2013 - Apr 2016
    Studied variable stars through photometry, conducting observations and data collection with large-scale telescopes. Performed data reduction and analysis using various astronomical software and packages.
  • Tarjoman Club, Shiraz, Iran, Sep 2018 - Dec 2018
    Built a database of best-selling books, categorized into translated and non-translated (to Persian) groups. Used Python web-scraping libraries such as Beautifulsoup to collect the data and MongoDB for database management.
  • Satvis Institute, Shiraz, Iran, Jan 2016 - Oct 2019
    Co-founded an institute for teaching astronomy using virtual reality glasses. Developed the course framework, created educational materials and videos, and taught the courses.
  • Biruni Observatory, Shiraz, Iran, September 2015 - April 2018
    Organized and managed outreach activities, including public and private visits, courses, seminars, stargazing tours, and astronomical events. Also served as a board member of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Society of Shiraz University from September 2012 to September 2015.

Publication

  1. Microswimmer navigation in turbulence
    N. Mousavi
    Doctoral thesis, ISBN 978-91-8069-752-1
  2. Short term vs. long term: optimization of microswimmer navigation on different time horizons
    N. Mousavi , J. Qiu, L. Zhao, B. Mehlig, K. Gustavsson
    Submitted to Physical Review X Life, arXiv:2404.19561 (2024).
  3. Efficient survival strategy for zooplankton in turbulence
    N. Mousavi, J. Qiu, B. Mehlig, L. Zhao, K. Gustavsson
    Physical Review Research 6 (2), L022034.
  4. Smart microswimmers in complex flows
    N. Mousavi
    Licentiate thesis, ISBN 978-91-8009-831-1 (2022).
  5. Active gyrotactic stability of microswimmers using hydromechanical signals
    J. Qiu, N. Mousavi, L. Zhao, K. Gustavsson
    Physical Review Fluids, 7 (1), 20, 014311, 2022
  6. Navigation of micro-swimmers in steady flow: the importance of symmetries
    J. Qiu, N. Mousavi, K. Gustavsson, C. Xu, B. Mehlig, L. Zhao
    Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 932, 21, A10, 2021
  7. Synchronization in coupled phase oscillators with asymmetric interaction
    N. Mousavi, M. G. N. Haghighi, S. Bazmi
    Annual Physics Conference of Iran, 2016
  8. Light curve and maximum time report of SX Phe star AE UMa S.
    Hojjatpanah, N. Mousavi, S. M. Kazemi
    Information Bulletin on Variable Stars (IBVS) No. 6199, 2014

Teaching

  • Chalmers and GU
  • Shiraz University
  • Biruni Observatory
  • Satvis Institute
  • Mechanics
  • Electromagnetism
  • Thermodynamics
  • Computational physics
  • Astrophysics
  • Cosmology
  • Observational astronomy and instrumentation
  • Astronomy with virtual reality glasses (VR)

Computational Skills

  • Coding: C/C++, Python, MATLAB, GNU Octave, GNU Linux script, Mathematica
  • Tools: Git, TensorFlow, PyTorch, SciPy, NumPy, Pandas, BeautifulSoup, JSON, HDF5, Hugo, Wordpress
  • Text and Visualization: LaTeX, Microsoft word, Matplotlib, Plotly, GIMP, Inkscape, Photoshop

Presentation

  • Emergent counter-current swimming of zooplankton slide
    13th Nordic workshop on statistical physics, Nordita, Sweden, March 2024
  • Active strategy to avoid high strain regions in plankton navigation
    Cloud physics on the Zugspitze, Schneefernerhaus, Germany, April 2023
  • Plankton navigation in turbulent flow
    Particle growth in turbulence, Nordita, Sweden, March 2023
  • Navigation of micro-swimmers in steady flow: the importance of symmetries
    Summer school on active matter and complex media, Corsica, France, September 2022
  • Active gyrotactic stability of microswimmers
    Quantitative AI in Complex Fluids and Complex Flows: Challenges and Benchmarks,Centro Enrico Fermi, Rome, Italy, July 2022
  • Optimal Vertical Navigation of Microswimmers in Steady Flow
    7th Warsaw school of statistical physics, Sandomierz, Poland, June 2022
  • Cartwheel galaxy’s ULX and HLX sources
    International school for young astronomers (ISYA), IPM, Tehran, Iran, August 2016
  • Introduction to CCDs and CMOSs
    Physics department, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, November 2015

International Schools, Workshops, and Conferences