Center for Biomathematical Sciences
OverviewBiomathematics treats problems in biology that are amenable to study by mathematical methods. Such problems are found in every field of the biological sciences, from genetics to physiology to imaging and beyond. Mathematics is the fundamental foundation on which are based many vitally important experimental, theoretical, and diagnostic methods found in fields throughout the biomedical sciences. Two new areas of biomathematics are accruing prominence in modern biology: the analysis of molecular sequences and structures and computational neurobiology. Investigators are gaining fundamental insights into many biological phenomena through the understanding of molecular sequences and structures and their relationships to functional activities. Many aspects of molecular studies require application of mathematical methods. Computational methods are beginning to address a range of essential questions in neurobiology. Mount Sinai was the first institution to develop an academic department that is specifically focused on these emerging areas of biomathematics. This Web site provides a summary view of the Center for Biomathematical Sciences, its doctoral training program, its faculty and their research interests, and service functions. Our center offers one of the only programs of doctoral training in biomathematical sciences currently available, and the only one that is concentrated in the areas of emerging importance in modern biology. It is a highly interdisciplinary course of training designed to prepare students for careers in teaching and research in areas of the biological sciences where computational and mathematical methods are essential. Although our focus has been primarily on molecular problems, the scientific fields where such problems arise span the disciplines of biology. The dissertation topics of our recent students are indicative of the broad range of fields that are appropriate subjects for modern biomathematics. These include gastric electrochemistry, ocular neurophysiology, theoretical analysis of intracellular calcium oscillations, prediction of protein folding pathways, and the analysis of structural transitions in DNA. Currently registered students are working on projects in mathematical immunology, computer automation of microscopic diagnostic techniques, biostatistics, molecular structure-function correlations, and sequence analysis. The research interests of our faculty are equally broad. Although our primary interests (and recent hiring) are concentrated in areas related to macromolecules and neurobiology, our faculty also work in a range of other fields, as the list of research interests indicates. Biostatistics is an area of particular importance to the School of Medicine, and it has an impact on clinical research programs throughout the institution. In addition to our academic mission, we also are responsible for providing statistical and mathematical expertise to other researchers throughout the School. To this end our faculty run two consulting services, one in statistics and the other in mathematics. The levels of service provided range from brief consultations to long-term collaborative relationships. Those who are charged with providing these services are expected to derive a portion of their salary support from them. Finally, we direct the Scientific Computing Functional Unit, an entity with its own salary and equipment budget. Its mission is to operate the large multiprocessor computers used by research scientists throughout the institution. Mount Sinai School of Medicine We are located in room 13-30 of the Annenberg Building. |