Nikos Papanikolaou (he/him)

I’m an ELLIS PhD student on the interdisciplinary track, jointly hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen (supervised by Bernhard Schölkopf) and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena (supervised by Markus Reichstein).

Research Interests

My PhD research focuses on causal machine learning for Earth system science. I’m particularly interested in hybrid modeling approaches, which combine data-driven methods with mechanistic models, guided by insights from structural causal models (Pearl's causal formalism). 

Background

Before transitioning into machine learning, I worked in theoretical statistical physics, exploring topics such as active matter, network science, neuroscience, and quantum field theory.

Scientific Motivation

My scientific compass is interdisciplinary curiosity and a passion for building bridges: between disciplines, communities, and ways of thinking. I’m especially drawn to ideas that connect theory with real-world impact, such as improving predictions, understanding interventions, or quantifying the effects of policy decisions.

Contact

Feel free to reach out by email if you’d like to discuss research questions or just chat about science in general.
More about me: Website · Google Scholar · GitHub