Jason Kolbush, a senior from Georgia Tech, and Taylor Strickland, a junior from Agnes Scott College, built and trained a hidden Markov model to parse experimental data that can be used to improve predictions of RNA-folding patterns. Ida De Vierno, a junior from Georgia Tech, and Isabella Nang, a senior from Georgia State University, studied the connectivity of meanders, another combinatorial structure that can be viewed as pairs of RNA foldings.Ĭhelsea Huston, a senior from Spelman College, explored the charactertistics of random plane trees using samples from a Markov chain under certain ‘biological’ probability distributions and then compared the results with known RNA foldings.
Ibrahim Apata, a junior from Morehouse College, examined a theoretical model of RNA folding using plane trees, a mathematical structure from the field of combinatorics. The six undergraduates came from five Atlanta-area institutions and worked on four projects:
Although the biological connections were new to all participants, Heitsch said, “everyone really rose to the challenge, and that made it a wonderful experience for all of us.” In keeping with IMPACT’s interdisciplinary emphasis, the REU projects focused on the interface of discrete mathematics with molecular biology, particularly on the interaction of probabilistic and algebraic combinatorics with the folding of RNA molecules. Smith – it was a chance to practice the mentoring skills that are essential for a successful academic career. students Anna Kirkpatrick, Thomas Prag, and Peter Ralli – it was a way to gain new experiences in research and teaching.Īnd for the IMPACT postdoctoral fellows – Megan Bernstein, Torin Greenwood, and Heather C. IMPACT also includes an REU component, she added, because “one way that faculty expectations differ significantly from graduate school is in engaging students in research projects.”įor the REU participants, the summer program was an opportunity to gain valuable research experience and learn about mathematics not often covered in undergraduate courses.įor the graduate assistants – School of Mathematics Ph.D.
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“Our primary goal is to address the critical transition from graduate student to tenure-track faculty in terms of research expectations, teaching responsibilities, and professional commitments,” she said. The lively event culminated an eight-week summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program associated with the School’s Interdisciplinary Mathematics Preparation and Career Training (IMPACT) program, a Georgia Tech-based postdoctoral-training program for mathematicians.įunded by a National Science Foundation workforce grant, IMPACT is led by School of Mathematics Professor Christine Heitsch. Guided by postdoctoral mentors, Atlanta-area undergrads discovered that math + biology = a great summer research experience.Ī poster session in the College of Sciences’ School of Mathematics last month showcased some of the different ways that the mathematical and biological sciences interact.
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