Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics for FY 2002

Sears Michael W, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biological Informatics for FY2002. The fellowship supports research and training at the postdoctoral level at the intersection of biology and the informational, computational, mathematical, and statistical sciences. The goal of the fellowship is to provide training to a young scientist in preparation for a career in biological informatics in which research and education will be integrated. There is an increasing need for training in biological informatics at all occupational levels, and it is expected that Fellows trained through these fellowships will play important roles in training the future workforce. The research and training plan for this fellowship is entitled "New procedures for modelling the thermal environment of small animals." The spatial and temporal distribution of thermal resources across landscapes influences the abundance and distribution of organisms. Existing techniques to evaluate thermal habitats do not adequately represent the complexity of most environments. Novel procedures are being developed to generate detailed, dynamic, thermal maps using artificial neural networks that incorporate thermographic imaging and microclimate data.