Research
Research supported by the NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology focuses on developing mathematical frameworks that illuminate emergent capabilities of biological systems. We are developing the theory and mathematics needed to highlight the fundamental roles of physical, chemical, and biological constraints as organizing principles for understanding biological mechanisms. NITMB will focus on fields of mathematics where the constraints of biological systems show promise for novel developments, including geometry, topology, optimization theory, dynamical systems, high-dimensional statistics, mathematical machine learning, inverse problems, statistical inference, and stochastic processes. Understanding constraints from mathematical and biological perspectives provides a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary work, with mathematical research that will advance our knowledge of biology and biology research that will catalyze new mathematics.
Research Themes
Fidelity & Variation
Despite conditions of uncertainty and variability, living systems are maintained with a high degree of fidelity, while being able to vary, adapt, and evolve. To understand how organisms achieve reliability in the face of varying inputs, we tackle challenges related to complex high-dimensional features of biological systems and data coming from emerging experimental biological technologies.
