Biology in Numbers

… where we talk: Random openings in neurons, Gumbatine, and conferences in Canada. Jay Newby graduated from the University of Utah Math Biology program in 2010. He was supervised by Paul Bressloff. His expertise includes applied stochastic processes, mathematical modeling, and machine learning tools for bio-image analysis. Learn more about Jay’s work on his webpage: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~jnew...

… where we talk: Big pharma, In silico trials, and Sciencing for fun. Marissa earned a PhD in Mathematics from The Ohio State University in 2018. She was then a postdoctoral research fellow at University of Michigan until 2021, when she joined Applied BioMath as a full time QSP modeler, then GSK in July 2024. She does applied work with her mathematician parents’ full approval. Follow Marissa’s pro...

… where we talk: Hawks and Doves, social media and the PhD comics. Dan Cooney is a mathematical biologist interested in modeling evolutionary dynamics across scales and exploring collective behavior in complex biological and social systems. He also enjoys reading, traveling, and “applied game theory” to baseball and chess. Find out more about Dan’s work on his website: https://publish.illinois.edu...

… where we talk changing cancer cells, awards and the Indian Institutes of Technology. Mohit leads an interdisciplinary research team working on elucidating the dynamics of metastasis and drug resistance, through developing multi-scale mathematical models in close collaboration with experimental and clinical colleagues. He and his group do this work powered by many cups of chai. Find out more abou...

where we talk: the Akira Okobu prize, the Fokker-Planck equation, and the movement of bears. Mark Lewis is a mathematical ecologist at the University of Victoria. He uses mathematical models to understand the environment and our human impacts. He tries to maintain that work life balance by spending that hard-earned free time curling. Find out more about Mark’s groups’ work on the following website...

…where we talk: society nominations, prion proteins and murderbots. Professor Suzanne Sindi is a Mathematical Biologist studying protein aggregation, and blood coagulation through modeling and data science. She is passionate about promoting inclusion in math and STEM, and was inspired to go into science by dinosaur-related Sci-Fi. Find out more about Suzanne’s work on her website: https://www.sind...

…where we talk about a paper studying: who and when we should vaccinate. After completing a DPhil in Statistics from the University of Oxford, focussing in epidemiology and phylogenetics, Matt now works as a data scientist for Italian football club Como 1907. Matt was awarded the Lee A. Segel Prize for Best Student Paper published in The Bulletin of Mathematical Biology: Asymptotic Analysis of Opt...

…where we talk parasites, motorbikes, and digital twins. Professor Reinhard Laubenbacher is: the Director of Laboratory for Systems Medicine at the University of Florida, an AAAS fellow (American Association for the Advancement of Science), and a scientist interested in using math to understand human disease and more specifically fungal infections in the lungs. When not at work, Reinhard and his w...

…where we talk about infectious diseases, mentorship and mathematical tattoos. Professor Stacey Smith? is an infectious disease modeler who appreciates the real world impacts that math biology can have. She leads educational and mentorship programming at the SMB and apparently never says no to anything SMB related. We caught Stacey at SMB 2024 in South Korea to talk about her research, life-changi...

…where we talk all things math bio at the annual meeting. Science isn’t complete until it’s communicated, and what better place to do this than a scientific conference. This year, more than a thousand scientists were lucky enough to attend the SMB meeting in Seoul in Korea. This special episode gives a brief preview of some of the exciting research being done, as well as the people doing the work....

…where we talk immune systems, zombies and being presidential. Jane Heffernan is a disease modeller. In her own words “My research aims to understand immunity development and maintenance in people, and in populations, after infection or vaccination. When I am not working, you can find me at soccer pitches or hockey arenas.” Jane’s current research interests lie within mathematical immunology and t...

…where we talk chemo brain, drug therapies, and a big meeting in Korea Yangjin Kim is a bio-mathematician developing and analyzing various types of mathematical models for cancer research. I am very interested in creating a multi-scale hybrid mathematical model and developing anti-cancer strategies. Yangjin’s current research interests lie within: Tumor microenvironments Chemo brain Look up Yangji...

…where we talk about radiation patterns, and life in grad school Rebecca Bekker did her BS in Pure & Applied Maths, and an MS in Applied Maths at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. In 2019 she moved to the US to pursue a PhD in Integrated Mathematical Oncology in the joint Moffitt / USF program. Outside of work she enjoys viewing and making art (including painting and linocut printmak...

…where we talk about the biomechanics of brain fluids, and going on sabbatical In his own words, Siv Sivaloganathan is: “a mathematician working on problems in the biomedical sciences. Apart from research and contemplating the meaning of life - life is punctuated by periods of exercise and eating (often jogging towards good cuisine!), always in search of the perfect balance between exercise and de...

…where we talk about studying flow through pipes, and creating an SMB subgroup In his own words, Michael Watson is: “an applied mathematician who uses mathematical models to study disease, development and physiology at the cell and tissue-scale.” Outside science, Mike is happiest when listening to music, catching up on “the fitba”, and spending time with family. His current research focus is the g...

…where we talk about infectious diseases, human behavior and outreach in Africa In her own words, Folashade Agusto is: “a mathematician acting like a biologist growing hot peppers and vegetables to cover up”. Her research focuses on designing models to understand emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and ways to mitigate their risks to our health. Find out more about Fola, particularly her...

…where we talk about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in mathematical Biology Dr. Stacey Finley is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California. Her research is in mathematical oncology - she builds models to study biochemical networks inside cells and interactions between cells. Prof. Zhilan Feng joined the Math Dept at Purdue University in 1996 and is...

…where we talk about a paper, studying: how cancer drugs work on cells in a layer vs. cells in a ball In her own words, Sara Hamis is: a mathematician who studies cancer. “My research focuses on understanding how the behavior of individual cells affects tumours as a whole. I am fuelled by grueling workouts, lady boss anthems, and terrible math puns.” Sara was awarded the Lee A Segel Prize for the...

…where we talk about scientists publishing papers. In his own words, Mathew (Mat) Simpson is: A Professor of Applied Mathematics at Queensland University of Technology, Australia and an applied mathematician. “into progressive politics, and I am a lover of dogs and coffee.” Mat is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology , the subject of this episode. So tune in to hear abo...

…where we talk about a paper studying: how to take your drugs on time. In his own words, Elijah (Eli) Counterman is: an undergraduate student at the University of Utah studying Applied Mathematics and Biochemistry. “I love all that Utah has to offer, from the red rocks in the south, to the pristine skiing 35 minutes from my driveway!” Eli was awarded the Lee A Segel Prize for Best Student Paper pu...

…where we introduce a brand new podcast. The Society for Mathematical Biology (SMB) was founded in 1973 to promote the development and dissemination of research and education at the interface between the mathematical and biological sciences. It does so through its meetings, awards, and publications. The Society serves a diverse community of researchers and educators in academia, in industry, and g...