José Balsa

Connection Science Fellow

José Balsa-Barreiro is a research scientist in Connection Science and Human Dynamics group at the MIT Media Lab where he works with Prof. Sandy Pentland. He is also part of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he is involved in the research group of Aerosols and Clouds (329J) with Anthony B. Davis. He researches the intersection of big data and computational social science, while focusing on a broad spectrum of topics ranging to human dynamics, mobility, geography, and mapping, among other interests. His work has been featured in Harvard International ReviewEl PaísForeign Affairs, and Le Monde Diplomatique

He has received his Bsc. Geography from University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Geomatics Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, both from Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain). He holds a Ph.D degree in Civil Engineering from University of Coruna (Spain) and Politecnico di Torino (Italy). He has worked in Spain, Germany (Institute for Photogrammetry), Switzerland (Institute for Transport Planning and Systems), and the United States (MIT Media Lab and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory).