NIMBioS hosts 200 undergraduates at national research conference

Nearly 200 undergraduates and faculty from more than 40 academic institutions in North America will gather Oct. 23-24 in Knoxville for the first annual Undergraduate Research Conference at the Interface of Biology and Mathematics sponsored by the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS).

Undergraduates in biology, mathematics, computer science and related fields will give talks and present posters on topics ranging from modeling diseases to using mathematics to understand population dynamics and biological phenomena. The conference, which will be held at the University of Tennessee's Conference Center in downtown, Knoxville, features 40 student talks and 40 student posters.

Keynote speakers include Lisa J. Fauci, professor of mathematics at Tulane University, who will discuss the dynamics of cilia and flagella, and Paul E. Super, science coordinator at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), who will talk about research, inventories, and monitoring used in protection efforts at GSMNP.

The conference also includes a panel discussion with university faculty on career opportunities at the interface of mathematics and biology.

"This conference is an excellent opportunity for undergraduate students to present their research to a large audience and to learn about possible career paths that combine both the mathematical and the biological disciplines," said Suzanne Lenhart, professor of mathematics at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and NIMBioS Associate Director of Education, Outreach and Diversity.

Source: National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS)