I am a PhD student in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah, studying mathematical biology under the supervision of Sean Lawley. My research interests involve using stochastic processes to study biophysical systems. Here is a link to my CV.
I study how including reactive sites on ligands and receptors affects binding reaction rate calculations. In reality, a ligand and a receptor will react only if they touch in particular orientations, but binding reaction dynamics are generally studied without this consideration. My current project is on the dynamics of two freely-diffusing ligands with small receptors, and future directions include one freely-diffusing ligand and membrane-bound receptors, two membrane-bound ligands, and a ligand tethered to the cell membrane as well as membrane-bound receptors.
I use spatial stochastic processes to model these systems and then consider survival probabilities (here, the probability that a reaction has not yet occurred). These probabilities satisfy partial differential equations with mixed (reflecting and absorbing) AND stochastic boundary conditions, requiring some fun analysis!
I presented on cookie random walks (also known as excited random walks) at the September 24, 2019 GSAC colloquium, based on the research I did with the PRIME REU in 2017.
I have led three discussions at the Mathematical Biology Journal Club on different papers in mathematical biology, with topics including diffusion with stochastic resetting, emergent behavior in stochastic gene expression, and surface-binding regulation of enzymes.
I present each semester at the Biophysics and Stochastics Group on my current research progress and next steps.
I am serving as a TA for Vector Calculus and PDEs for Engineers (MATH 3140/2310) in the Fall 2019 semester. I write assignments for and lead two laboratory sections each week.
I am the secretary of the University of Utah Student Chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics for the 2019-2020 school year. Our chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics is dedicated to supporting underrepresented groups, including women, in mathematics.