Recent Graduates from the Mathematical Biology Program
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2023

Alex Beams
Thesis: Dynamics, Inference, and Simulation Studies in Epidemiology: Relating Transmission and Aetiology to Treatment for Infectious Organisms of Note
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: Simon Fraser University/McMaster University

Elias Clark
Thesis: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Effects of Medication Nonadherence
Chair: Sean Lawley
Current Position: Metrum Research Group

Jake Madrid
Thesis: On the Limitations of Mean Field Approximations: Extreme First Passage Times and Stochastic Extinction
Chair: Sean Lawley
Postdoc: Duke University

Kees McGahan
Thesis: Mathematical Models of Ion Channel Kinetics and Sensory Neuron Dynamics
Chair: James Keener
Postdoc: Boston University

Claire Plunkett
Thesis: Boundary Homogenization of Surfaces with Small Reactive Patches
Chair: Sean Lawley
Current Position: Teledyne

Ryan Schumm
Thesis: Analytical and Monte Carlo Methods for Stochastic Search Processes with Partially Reactive Domains
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Current Position: NSA

2022

Amanda Alexander
Thesis: Mathematical Models of Subdiffusing Molecules and T Cell Population Dynamics
Chair: Sean Lawley
Postdoc: University of Houston

Kyle Gaffney
Thesis: Continuous Models of the Mechanics of Flagellar and Ciliary Beating
Chair: James Keener
Current Position: Applied Research Associates, Inc.

2021

Hallie Elich
Thesis: A Fluid-structure interaction model of pumping in a chain of lymphangions
Chair: Aaron Fogelson

Priscilla Elizondo
Thesis: Mathematical studies of venous thrombosis
Chair: Aaron Fogelson

Cody FitzGerald
Thesis: Analysis of environmentlly-cued gene regulatory networks in plants and bacteria
Chair: James Keener
Postdoc: Northwestern University

Andrew Kassen
Thesis: Continuous energy, shared memory parallel, 3D whole blood simulations
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Current Position: Senoir Software Engineer, Intel

Anna Nelson
Thesis: Kinetic polymerization models and the roles of fibrinogen in fibrin gel formation
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Posdoc: Duke University

Andrew Watson
Thesis: Mathematical models of platelet interaction with a reactive surface under flow
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Current Position: SAS

Daniel Zavitz
Thesis: Structure vs. function in olfactory networks
Chair: Alla Borisyuk
Postdoc: Washington University

2020

Bridget Fan
Thesis: A Mathematical Investigation of Quorum Sensing in Bacterial and Communication Networks
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Houston

Liz Fedak
Thesis: Mathematical Models of P53 Autoregulation and the DNA Damage Response
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: University of Utah

Samantha Hill
Thesis: Mathematical Modeling of Plant Community Influence on Associational Effects Driven by Insect Foraging
Chair: Fred Adler
Current Position: BioMerieux

Hyunjoong Kim
Thesis: Mathematical Models of Cytoneme-based Morphogenesis
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Pennsylvania

Katie Link
Thesis: Mathematical Models of Flow-Mediated Intravascular and Extravascular Blood Clotting
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Postdoc: UC Davis
Current Position: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals

Patrick Murphy
Thesis: Cellular Diffusion in Heterogeneous and Age-Structured Switching Environments
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: Rice University

Rebecca Terry
Mathematical Models of Cooperation and Phenotypic Plasticity
Chair: Fred Adler
Current Position: St. Lawrence University

Kiersten Utsey
Thesis: Bistability in Epigenetic and Genetic Regulation
Chair: Jim Keener
Current Position: Metrum Research Group

2019

Gregory Handy
Thesis: From Particle Diffusion to Neuronal Networks: A Multi-scale Study of the Astrocytes Role in the Brain
Chair: Alla Borysiuk
Postdoc: University of Pittsburgh, University of Chicago
Faculty: University of Minnesota

2018

Laura Strube
Thesis: A Mathematical Model of Translational Regulation by the Integrated Stress Response
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: Virginia Tech

Ryan Viertel
Thesis: A Model of the External Tufted Cell and Cross Fields: Analysis, Computation and Applications
Chair: Alla Borysiuk, Braxton Osting
Current Position: Sandia National Labs

Sam Carroll
Thesis: Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Orientation-Selective Neural Populations in the Visual Cortex
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Utah

Katrina Johnson
Thesis: Mathematical Models of Obesity, Inflammation, and RNA Decay
Chair: Fred Adler
Faculty: BYU-Idaho

Ethan Levien
Thesis: Noise Propagation in Biochemical Reaction Networks: Multiscale and Population-level Perspectives
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: Harvard
Faculty: Dartmouth College

Chris Miles
Thesis: "A hop, switch, and jump: stochasticity in models of motor-mediated intracellular transport"
Chair: James Keener
Postdoc: NYU
Faculty: UC Irvine

Leif Zinn-Björkman
Thesis: "Mathematical models for development of the zebrafish lateral line"
Chair: Fred Adler
Instructor: UCLA

Heather Zinn Brooks
Thesis: "Dynamics and structure: from microtubule networks to population networks"
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: UCLA
Faculty: Harvey Mudd College

2017

Anna Miller
Thesis: "Mathematical Modeling of Epithelial Cell Division: Evaluating the Effects of Human Papillomavirus Infection"
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: Moffitt Cancer Center
Current Position: Associate Scientist in Pharmacometrics, Certara, Inc.

Joe Eason
Thesis: "Modeling the Effects of Worker Rules on Territorial Conflicts in Ants"
Chair: Fred Adler
Faculty: University of Montana Western

Bhargav Karamched
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Motor-Based Intracellular Transport"
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Houston
Faculty: Florida State University

Jie Ma
Thesis: "Singular Perturbation Methods in Pharmacokinetics and Stochastic Modeling of Random Drug Taking Processes"
Chair: James Keener

Bin Xu
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Cell Polarization"
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Notre Dame

2016

Andrew Basinski
Thesis: "Information-Use Strategies in Ants"
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: University of Idaho

Parker Childs
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Chemical Reactions: Discrepancies between Markov Chains and Mass Action Kinetics"
Chair: James Keener
Current Position: BioMerieux

Cheryl Zapata-Allegro
Thesis: "Mathematical Modeling of Fibrin Gelation Dynamics and Structure Formation Under Flow"
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Current Position: BioMerieux

2015

Megan Dixon
Thesis: "Roles For Ubiquitin and Dimensional Dependence in Protein Regulation"
Chair: James Keener
Current Position: Brigham Young University

2014

Ross Magi
Thesis: "Dynamics Behavior of Biological Membranes"
Chair: James Keener
Faculty: Walla Walla University

James Moore
Thesis: "Mathematical Modeling of the interaction between viral infections and the development of autoimmunity"
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: Georgia Tech
Postdoc: Emory University

2013

Geoff Hunter
Thesis: "A study on the Identification, Parameterization, and Validation of Mathematical Models in Biology"
Chair: James Keener
Postdoc: Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
TribalScale

2012

Brittany Bannish
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Fibrinolysis"
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Faculty: University of Central Oklahoma

Erica Graham
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Mechanisms Underlying Long-term Type 2 Diabetes Progression"
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: NC State University
Faculty: Bryn Mawr College

Chris Remien
Thesis: "Biological Markers: Blurred in Time and Space"
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: NIMBioS
Faculty: University of Idaho

2011

Blerta Shtylla
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Chromosome Motility during Mitosis"
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: MBI, Ohio State University
Faculty: Mount Holyoke College
Faculty: Pomona College
Current Position: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals

Sean Laverty
Thesis: "Mathematical Models Of Wildlife And Human Disease: Seasonal And Immunoepidemiological Dynamics"
Chair: Frederick R. Adler
Postdoc: Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA
Faculty: University of Central Oklahoma

2010

Lindsay Crowl Erickson
Thesis: "Blood Flow Dynamics: a Lattice Boltzmann-Immersed Boundary Approach"
Chair: Aaron L. Fogelson
Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore CA

Giao Huynh
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Epstein-Barr virus Dynamics"
Chair: Fred Adler
Oakland University

Courtney Davis
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Memory T-Cell Compartment Size and Repertoire Dynamics"
Chair: Fred Adler
Postdoc: University of Maryland - College Park
Faculty: Pepperdine University

Zachary Kilpatrick
Thesis: “Spatially structured waves and oscillations in neuronal networks with synaptic depression and adaptation"
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Pittsburgh
Faculty: University of Houston
Faculty: University of Colorado Boulder

Karin Leiderman
Thesis: "A Mathematical Model of Blood Coagulation and Platelet Deposition Under Flow" (2010)
Chair: Aaron L. Fogelson
Postdoc: Duke University
Faculty: UC Merced
Faculty: Colorado School of Mines
Faculty: UNC, Chapel Hill

Frank Lynch
Thesis: "Mathematical Modeling of the Gastric Mucus Gel" (2010)
Chair: James P. Keener
Faculty: Occidental College
Faculty: Eastern Washington University

Jay Newby
Thesis: "Molecular Motor-Based Models of Random Intermittent Search in Dendrites" (2010)
Chair: Paul Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Oxford
Postdoc: MBI, Ohio State University
Postdoc: UNC Chapel Hill
Faculty: University of Edmonton

2009

Amber Smith
Thesis: "Mathematical Models of Influenza A Virus and Streptococcus Pneumoniae Infections" (2009)
Chair: Frederick R. Adler
Postdoc: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Postdoc: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Faculty: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Nessy Tania
Thesis: "Mathematical models of calcium regulation and cardiac cells" (2009)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: University of British Columbia
Faculty: Smith College, Northampton, MA
Current Position: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals

2008

Elizabeth Doman
Thesis: "Electrical Coupling of Cardiac Cells in the Absence of Gap Junctions" (2008)
Chair: James P. Keener
Current Position: BioMerieux

William Nesse
Thesis: "Random fluctuations in dynamical neural networks" (2008)
Chair: Paul C. Bressloff
Postdoc: University of Ottawa
Postdoc: University of Utah

2007

Meagan McNulty
Thesis: "Mathematical models of respiratory inflammation" (2007)
Chair: Frederick R. Adler
Postdoc: Williams and Mary College
Faculty: Virginia Military Institute

Elijah Newren
Thesis: "Enhancing the immersed boundary method : stability, volume conservation, and implicit solvers" (2007)
Chair: Aaron L. Fogelson
Staff: Sandia National Labs

John Zobitz
Thesis: "Mathematical approaches to partition net ecosystem exchange of CO2 in a high-elevation subalpine forest" (2007)
Chair: Frederick R. Adler
Faculty: Augsburg College

2006

Young-Seon Lee
Thesis: "Mechanisms of Calcium Alternans in Cardiac Cells" (2006)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: Cornell University
Postdoc: Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Andrew Oster
Thesis: "Mathematical models of cortical development" (2006)
Chair: Paul C. Bressloff
Postdoc: Mathematical Biosciences Institute-The Ohio State University
Postdoc: Ecole Normale Sup´erieure, Paris, France
Visiting Assistant Professor: Washington and Lee University
Faculty: Eastern Washington University

2005

Stefanos Folias
Thesis: "Stimulus-Induced Waves and Breathers in Synaptically Coupled Neural Networks" (2005)
Chair: Paul C. Bressloff
Postdoc: Boston University
Postdoc: University of Pittsburgh
Faculty: University of Alaska Anchorage

2004

Robert D. Guy
Thesis: "A Continuum Model of Platelet Aggregation: Closure, Computational Methods and Simulation" (2004)
Chair: Aaron L. Fogelson
Postdoc: University of Utah
Faculty: University of California, Davis

Brynja R. Kohler
Thesis: "T Lymphocyte population dynamics in health and autoimmunity" (2004)
Chair: James P. Keener
Faculty: Utah State University

Thomas C. Robbins
Thesis: "Seed dispersal and biological invasion: A mathematical analysis" (2004)
Chair: Mark A. Lewis
Postdoc: University of Utah
Current Position: BioMerieux

2003

Bradford E. Peercy
Thesis: "Models of Border Zone Arrhythmias in Acute Myocardial Ischemia" (2003)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: Rice University
Postdoc: LBM-NIDDK, NIH
Faculty: University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Nicholas G. Cogan
Thesis: "A Model of Biofilm Growth and Structural Development" (2003)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: Tulane University
Faculty: Florida State University

2001

Eric N. Cytrynbaum
Thesis: "Using Low Dimensional Models to Understand Cardiac Arrythmias" (2001)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: University of California, Davis
Faculty: University of British Columbia

Miguel Dumett
Thesis: "A numerical method for solving anisotropic elliptic boundary value problems on irregular domains in two and three dimensions" (2001)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Faculty: University of Southern California

Chung Seon Yi
Thesis: "Mathematical models for ionic concentration changes and volume shifts during ischemia and hypoxia" (2001)
Chair: Aaron L. Fogelson
Postdoc: Virginia Technical University
Postdoc: University of Dundee

2000 and earlier

Haoyu Yu
Thesis: "Three-dimensional computational modeling and simulation of platelet aggregation on parallel computers" (2000)
Chair: Aaron L. Fogelson
Postdoc: University of Minnesota

Andrew Kuharsky
Thesis: "Mathematical modeling of blood coagulation" (1998)
Chair: Aaron Fogelson
Postdoc: Tulane University

Timothy L. Lewis
Thesis: "Signal Propagation in Inhomogeneous Excitable Media" (1998)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: New York University
Faculty: University of California, Davis

Eric Marland
Thesis: "Dynamics of the sarcomere" (1998)
Chair: James P. Keener
Postdoc: University of California, Davis
Faculty: Appalachian State University

Recent Postdocs from the Mathematical Biology Program

Ben Fogelson
Ph.D., Courant Institute, NYU
Current position: Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Salt Lake City

Owen Lewis
Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Current position: Florida Stae University, Tallahassee, Florida

Varun Shankar
Ph.D., School of Computing, University of Utah (2014)
Current position: SCI, University of Utah

Qinghai Zhang
Ph.D., Cornell University (2008)
Current position: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio

Tyler Skorsczewski
Ph.D., University of California at Davis (2010)
Current position: Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Samit Bhattacharyya
Ph.D., University of Calcutta (2006)
Mathematically modeling pest management problems, with special emphasis on microbial control of pest populations

Joyce Lin
Area of Interest: Electrical Modeling of Cardiac Tissue
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2009)
Current position: Cal poly San Luis Obispo

Eric Sherwood

Sarthok Sircar
Ph.D., University of South Carolina (2009)
"Dynamics and rheology of biaxial liquid crystals"
Current position: University of Adelaide

Lingxing Yao
Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
"Gels and Numerical Methods"
Current position: Case Western Reserve University

Mark Zajac
Ph.D., Univeristy of Notre Dame (2002)
"Modeling Convergent Extension by way of Anisotropic Differential Adhesion"
Current position: University of British Columbia

Peter Kim
Ph.D., Stanford University (2007)
"Mathematical Models of the Activation and Regulation of the Immune System"
Current position: University of Sydney

Jian Du
Ph.D., Stony Brook University (SUNY) (2007)
"Simulation of Magnetohydrodynamic Multiphase Flow"
Current position: Florida Institute of Technology

Damon Toth
Ph.D., University of Washington (2006)
"Analysis of Age-Structured Chemostat Models"
Current position: University of Utah

Berton Earnshaw
Ph.D., University of Utah (2007)
Chair: Paul C. Bressloff

Current position: Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Salt Lake City

Peter Roper
Ph.D., Loughborough University, UK (1999)
"Noise Induced Processes in Neural Systems"

Sam Isaacson
Ph.D., Courant Institute, New York University (2005)
"Stochastic Reaction-Diffusion Methods for Modeling Gene Expression and Spatially Distributed Chemical Kinetics"
Current position: Boston University

Kim Montgomery
Ph.D., Northwestern University (2004)
"Feedback control of traveling wave solutions to the complex Ginzburg Landau equation and a nonlinear analysis of the amplification properties of auditory hair cells"
Current position: Rose Hulman Institute of Technology

David Goulet
Ph.D., California Institute of Technology (2005)
"Mathematical Models of the Developing C.elegans Hermaphrodite Gonad"

Jonathan Forde
Ph.D., University of Michigan (2005)
"Delay Differential Equation Models in Mathematical Biology"
Current position: Hobart and William Smith Colleges

David George
Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle (2006)
"Finite Volume Methods and Adaptive Refinement for Tsunami Propagation and Inundation"
Current position: USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory

Robert D. Guy
Ph.D., University of Utah (2003)
"A Continuum Model of Platelet Aggregation: Closure, Computational Methods and Simulation"
Current position: UC Davis

Viktoria R.T. Hsu
Ph.D., University of Washington (2004)
"Ion Transport through Biological Cell Membranes: From Electro-Diffusion to Hodgkin-Huxley via a Quasi Steady-State Approach"

MunJu Kim
Ph.D., Brown University (2004)
"Hydrodynamics of Bacterial Flagella"
Current position: Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute

Laura A. Miller
Ph.D., Courant Institute, New York University (2004)
"A Computational Study of Flight in the Smallest Insects"
Current position: University of North Carolina