Best Paper Award
The Body Underground: A Biological Framework for Infrastructure Health, Regulation and Resilience
| Priscilla Nelson |
| Affiliation |
Colorado School of Mines |
| Country |
United States |
| Article Title |
The Body Underground: A Biological Framework for Infrastructure Health, Regulation and Resilience |
| Scopus ID |
7402246675 |
| Article Type |
Research Article |
| Article Views |
673 |
| Reference Count |
24 |
| Award Category |
Best Paper Award |
| Event |
International Research Excellence and Best Paper Awards |
| Google Scholar |
3hezpIkAAAAJ&hl |
The Best Paper Award recognizes scholarly contributions that advance disciplinary knowledge through originality, methodological rigor, and measurable academic impact. This recognition highlights the work of Priscilla Nelson of the Colorado School of Mines for her article, The Body Underground: A Biological Framework for Infrastructure Health, Regulation and Resilience. Published in MDPI in 2026, the study explores infrastructure systems through a biologically inspired framework that integrates resilience, regulation, and long-term performance evaluation, contributing to contemporary engineering research and interdisciplinary infrastructure science.[1]
Abstract
This award-recognized article presents an interdisciplinary framework that interprets infrastructure systems through biological principles of health, adaptation, regulation, and resilience. The study examines how engineering networks can be assessed similarly to living systems, emphasizing continuous monitoring, response mechanisms, and long-term sustainability. By integrating concepts from biology, systems engineering, and resilience science, the research offers a novel perspective on infrastructure management. The framework supports improved understanding of infrastructure behavior under stress and changing environmental conditions while encouraging proactive maintenance and adaptive governance strategies. The work contributes to emerging discussions surrounding resilient infrastructure planning and engineering innovation.[2]
Keywords
Infrastructure Health; Urban Systems; Community Resilience; Underground Systems.
Introduction
Modern infrastructure systems face increasing demands arising from urbanization, environmental variability, aging assets, and technological complexity. Traditional engineering approaches often evaluate infrastructure through isolated performance metrics, whereas contemporary resilience research emphasizes interconnected and adaptive system behavior. The article investigates how biological concepts can provide a useful analogy for understanding infrastructure health and long-term functionality, creating a foundation for more integrated approaches to engineering management and policy development.[2]
Research Profile
Priscilla Nelson is an engineering scholar associated with the Colorado School of Mines whose research interests encompass infrastructure systems, resilience engineering, sustainability, and interdisciplinary approaches to complex societal challenges. With a Scopus Author ID of 7402246675, 63 indexed documents, 793 citations, and an h-index of 12, her scholarly record reflects substantial engagement with infrastructure-related research and engineering innovation across multiple domains.[3]
Scientific Background
Biological systems maintain functionality through regulation, adaptation, feedback mechanisms, and recovery processes. Infrastructure networks similarly require monitoring, maintenance, and adaptive responses to disturbances. Previous resilience research has explored system dynamics and risk management, but fewer studies have directly employed biological frameworks to conceptualize infrastructure health. This article builds upon interdisciplinary scholarship by connecting biological theory with engineering practice, thereby expanding the conceptual tools available for infrastructure assessment and governance.[4]
Methodology
The study employs a conceptual and analytical methodology that synthesizes biological principles with engineering resilience literature. Through comparative examination of living organisms and infrastructure systems, the research identifies common characteristics related to health assessment, regulation, adaptation, and recovery. The framework is developed through interdisciplinary integration of theoretical sources and engineering perspectives, enabling the formulation of a structured model for interpreting infrastructure performance under changing conditions and external stresses.[2]
Key Findings
The article demonstrates that infrastructure systems can be understood more effectively when viewed as dynamic entities possessing characteristics comparable to biological organisms. The framework highlights the importance of continuous monitoring, adaptive management, and systemic feedback mechanisms. It further suggests that infrastructure resilience depends not only on physical robustness but also on regulatory capacity and organizational adaptability. These findings encourage broader adoption of interdisciplinary approaches within infrastructure planning and engineering decision-making processes.[2]
Scientific Contributions
A significant contribution of the research lies in its development of a biological framework for infrastructure health that bridges conceptual boundaries between engineering and life sciences. The work advances resilience theory by introducing new interpretative models for infrastructure assessment and management. It also encourages researchers and policymakers to consider infrastructure systems as adaptive networks requiring ongoing regulation, learning, and recovery mechanisms, thereby enriching discussions surrounding sustainable engineering and resilient urban development.[4]
Conclusion
The recognition of this publication through the Best Paper Award reflects its scholarly value and interdisciplinary significance within engineering research. By integrating biological concepts into infrastructure science, the article provides a distinctive framework for understanding resilience, health, and long-term system sustainability. Its conceptual contributions support future research, policy discussions, and practical applications aimed at enhancing infrastructure performance in increasingly complex and uncertain environments.[1]
External Links
References
- MDPI. (2026). The Body Underground: A Biological Framework for Infrastructure Health, Regulation and Resilience.
https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci10040201
- MDPI. (2026). Buildings Journal: Urban Science.
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/urbansci
- Elsevier. (n.d.). Scopus author details: Priscilla Nelson, Author ID 7402246675. Scopus.
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7402246675
- Wiley Online Library. (2025). Beyond Equations: From Models to Materials to Society: Reframing the Future of Underground Engineering.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jci3.70012
- Google Scholar. (n.d.). Scholar profile and citation metrics for Priscilla Nelson.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3hezpIkAAAAJ&hl=en