Our Approach – Complexity Science via Systems of Systems
What is Complexity Science?
Complexity science is the study of how simple components give rise to emergent behaviors through nonlinear interactions and adaptive feedback loops. Within this framework, systems of systems (SoS) research serves as a powerful methodological tool, a way to operationalize complexity science by studying how discrete biological systems (e.g., molecular pathways, organ systems) interact with and are modified by larger environmental and social systems. Through systems of systems (SoS) research, we can finally study disease in its full context – where biological pathways intersect with lived experiences and environmental exposures.
The IRI Advantage: Putting It All Together through Complexity Science via Systems of Systems
Where others see noise, we see the signal of interconnected systems at work. Our integrated approach allows us to:
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Traditional Research
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Inquiry's SoS Approach
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This is complexity science operationalized: By embracing the SoS paradigm, we’re not just studying disease—we’re reverse-engineering the systems that give rise to it, then building interventions that work with, not against, biological and environmental complexity.
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Your Health, Your Environment, Your Questions:
We exist to answer the questions that keep you up at night – not just about diseases, but about the products you use every day:
- Could your hair gel be disrupting your hormones?
- Do your cleaning products affect your child’s asthma?
- What’s really in your scented candles and how might they impact your health?
Why This Matters to You:
- 85% of personal care products contain chemicals never tested for long-term health effects
- The average woman uses 12 beauty products daily, exposing herself to 168 unique chemicals
- Many common household items contain “everyday toxins” that may accumulate in our bodies
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We're Changing the Game By:
- Testing real-world chemical combinations (not just single ingredients)
- Studying how products interact with your unique biology and environment
- Creating tools to help you make safer choices for your family and shape corporate responsibilities for manufacturers of everyday products
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Your experiences with these products aren’t just anecdotes, they’re crucial data points. When you wonder why you get headaches after using certain products, or notice skin reactions that doctors can’t explain, or fail to respond to treatment that your coworker had success with … these are exactly the complex health puzzles we’re here to solve
Complexity is not just about the “what” but also the “who”.
At the Inquiry Research Institute, we recognize that some of medicine’s most persistent questions, the kind that keep patients awake at night, can only be answered through complexity science. Why does infertility strike some healthy couples? Why do some people develop chronic pain with no clear cause? These aren’t just scientific questions; they’re human questions that demand a new approach. And all humans who benefit from the answers are included in the complexity science ecosystem.
We include not just scientists and clinicians, but social and behavioral scientists and every day people like you.
How does SoS work?
SoS approaches work by:
- Identifying and characterizing component systems at different scales (from cells to communities)
- Mapping their interdependencies and feedback mechanisms
- Quantifying how perturbations in one system propagate through others
- Predicting emergent health outcomes that couldn’t be understood by studying any single system in isolation
This multiscale, network-based perspective is what allows us to move beyond reductionism and study disease in its full context – where biological pathways dynamically intersect with lived experiences and environmental exposures.