Marcus Roper, UCLA assistant professor of applied mathematics, has received a Career Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Roper was awarded for his research on “Myco-fluidics - Mathematics at the Interface of Fluid Dynamics and Fungal Biology." This project combines mathematical modeling and physical experiments to study the dispersal and growth of fungi, and to predict how fungi will respond to our changing Earth. The mathematical work in this project includes probability theory, optimization, dynamical systems, fluid mechanics and the synthesis of new models.
Roper is particularly interested in studying the physical constraints on organisms that must disperse, grow or propel themselves in challenging physical environments. Examples of this include the dispersal of fungal spores, how thick mats of bacteria spread, and the many different nuclei present within filamentous fungi stay mixed during growth. Although new problems are the motor of his research, these studies can provide surprising insights into the properties of the equations that are used to model the systems.
For more information about the award, visit the National Science Foundation.
