Introduction to Undergraduate Research in Computational and Mathematical Biology : From Birdsongs to Viscosities

Speaking directly to the growing importance of research experience in undergraduate mathematics programs, this volume offers suggestions for undergraduate-appropriate research projects in mathematical and computational biology for students and their faculty mentors. The aim of each chapter is twofold: for faculty, to alleviate the challenges of identifying accessible topics and advising students through the research process; for students, to provide sufficient background, additional references, and context to excite students in these areas and to enable them to successfully undertake these problems in their research.

Some of the topics discussed include: 

• Oscillatory behaviors present in real-world applications, from seasonal outbreaks of childhood diseases to action potentials in neurons

• Simulating bacterial growth, competition, and resistance with agent-based models and laboratory experiments

• Network structure and the dynamics of biological systems

• Using neural networks to identify bird species from birdsong samples

• Modeling fluid flow induced by the motion of pulmonary cilia

Aimed at undergraduate mathematics faculty and advanced undergraduate students, this unique guide will be a valuable resource for generating fruitful research collaborations between students and faculty.

Hannah Callender Highlander is an Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon.