UBM: Undergraduate Research at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Abstract

Intellectual merit: Mathematics is becoming an integral part of all areas of biology, driving areas as diverse as ecology, bioinformatics, neuroscience, and cellular biology. At the same time, biological problems are rapidly inspiring new mathematical developments. However, the few who now work at this interface have usually followed a circuitous career path, and most biologists and mathematicians are unable to communicate effectively. By training mathematically- and biologically-oriented undergraduates to work together on interdisciplinary problems, this project is creating a path for young scientists to enter this area directly and arrive already bilingual. Broader impact: Although work at the interface of mathematics and biology is proving highly fruitful, biology and mathematics students are traditionally trained far apart, creating barriers to entering this area. Future advances at this interface require that mathematicians and biologists be able to collaborate effectively, yet by the time this need becomes apparent to students it is often too late for truly interdisciplinary training. Many biology students are in graduate school by the time they learn of the key role mathematics plays in modern biology. Similarly, many math majors never take a biology course. As a result of these obstacles, the demand for scientists who can work at the bio-math interface far outstrips the available supply. By recruiting, training and directing talented undergraduates towards graduate work in the mathematical biosciences, this initiative provides leadership in biological understanding and capability. Selected juniors (a mix of biology and math students) prepare for research through a seminar class in which they discuss papers from different potential research areas, hear research talks from those involved, learn relevant research skills, and write term papers in the form of research proposals. In the summer after their junior year, math and biology students join in teams of four to do research in connection with existing faculty research projects, continuing this research throughout their senior year. Student teams learn the scope of mathematical biology research on campus by reviewing a variety of potential projects, and adopting the one they find most compelling in any given project year. Thirteen faculty in the mathematical and biological sciences have proposed a variety of projects which compete to be adopted by student research teams. These include projects on the ecology of infectious diseases, analysis of neural spike trains, and metabolic modeling. Students are encouraged to interact not only through their time in the laboratory but also via a shared community work space and through biweekly lunchtime gatherings (that include faculty) to discuss work in progress. Students are writing up the results of their research in a final paper and presenting this work in a public forum.