Yessica Herrera is a scientist who blends social complexity with behavioral experiments, network science, and data visualization to explore how art, science, and technology shape—and are shaped by—human creativity and social behavior.

She is currently affiliated with the Lucy Institute for Data & Society, where she explores the social systems that shape professional opportunity and leadership in creative industries. In this role, she also develops data-driven approaches to understand how technology enables and disrupts creative work, supporting a more responsible and informed use of AI. She also holds an affiliation with the Barabási Lab, where since 2021 she has contributed to data and art research examining how artistic and institutional practices respond to social structures of influence. She is a member of the evaluators committee at Faro UDD and the Advisory Council as research and data visualization expert of the Dance Data Project (DDP).

Yessica holds a Ph.D. in Social Complexity Sciences, awarded with highest distinction from the Universidad del Desarrollo, Chile, and a M.S. in Neuroethology and a B.S. in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (summa cum laude) from Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. Supported by the National Council of Science and Technology, she applied dance theory and experimental psychology to quantify the stress effects on creative motor performance and the visual perception of bodily expressions. Her doctoral research fundamentally advanced the study of career dynamics in the dance industry by pioneering the use of computational social science and social network analysis.

Yessica is passionate about bridging the gap between science and society through knowledge generation and outreach. Before graduate school, she specialized in science communications for higher education. She has professional expertise across mass and social media, data journalism, organizational identity, ethical communication, and adult education programs. Her Science & Art projects have won three awards from the Mexican National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions for her revolutionary work in Science Communications, including one distinction for Best TV Show.

She also advocates for women’s leadership, mental health, and breast cancer awareness. She is a certified Yoga Alliance Instructor and trauma-informed Stråla Guide. As an active member of the Generation J of the Joffrey Ballet, she supports their mission to uplift the dance community in Chicago and advocates for equal opportunity in dance education.