EMSW21: RTG: Mathematical and Computational Biofluids

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Fluid dynamics has historically been a driving force in applied mathematics and scientific computing.In biological settings, a level of complexity is added to traditional fluid dynamics sincetypically biological flows are unsteady, involve active and elastic interfaces, fluid-structure interactionsand transport of chemical signals. This Research and Training project, led by faculty in theDepartments of Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering at Tulane University, recognizes the needfor students trained at the interface of mathematics and the biomedical sciences. Three graduatestudents, six undergraduate students and two postdoctoral fellows will be supported each year. Abroad spectrum of research projects will be emphasized that span mathematical analysis, developmentand analysis of numerical methods for partial differential equations, modeling of complexbiological systems, three-dimensional simulations on high-performance computers, and a two-waycoordination of modeling with experiments. Training activities will include a curriculum with corecourses from both the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Biomedical Engineering,regular group meetings, a monthly Biofluids All-Hands meeting, a wet-lab and internship programfor graduate students and postdocs, professional development seminars, an annual Carnival FocusDays (CFD) workshop and high-performance computing training activities. Moreover, undergraduatestudents will be fully-integrated into research teams through academic year involvement andintensive summer research.Mathematics has had a huge impact on the engineering, biological and physical sciences through its developmentof theoretical analyses and numerical methods. Biological fluid dynamics, in additionto its direct applications in physiology and oceanography, provides a rich educational and trainingplatform for students in the mathematical sciences. Undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoralstudents will work in teams, with representation from both Mathematics and BiomedicalEngineering, and with an emphasis on the interplay between theory, computation and experiment.Research projects will be motivated by applications, including microorganism motility, pulmonarymechanics, biosensors and cellular biomechanics. All graduate and postdoctoral students will participatein an internship, either at Tulane University or at a partner institution, where they canwork side-by-side with experimentalists, develop a comprehensive understanding of various aspectsof the research project, and participate in the life of a working fluids lab. The co-PIs, all co-foundersof Tulane's Center for Computational Science, have demonstrated commitment to this model oftraining. They are, themselves, diverse, and have been actively involved in increasing the numberof US women and minorities in scientific research. This training program will attract diverseAmerican nationals into the mathematical sciences.