Research Labs
The Computational Science PhD Program is home to faculty and students with diverse research interests, spanning laboratories where they collaborate with computational science students to generate new knowledge. Research areas include, but are not limited to, engineering, mathematical biology, climate modeling, and nonlinear dynamical systems. To explore these interests, visit faculty bio pages or the individual lab pages described below.
The SDSU Internet of Things Laboratory, headed by Dr. Christopher Paolini in the engineering department at SDSU, specializes in diverse research endeavors. One current focus is on fall prediction and detection among older Latinos in Imperial County, addressing the prevalent health issue of falls in this population. The lab is actively developing a wireless, wearable, low-power fall detection sensor that continuously tracks physical activity metrics to assess fall risk, with the goal of mitigating the higher incidence of falls in this demographic and implementing targeted interventions based on sensor data. For further details on their research initiatives, please visit their webpage.
The SDSU Disease Modeling Lab is a mathematical biology lab in the mathematics and statistics department at SDSU led by Dr. Naveen K. Vaidya. Current research interests at the SDSU-DiMoLab include applied mathematics, with specific areas of interest in mathematical biology (viral dynamics and immune systems, epidemiology, and ecology), mathematical and computational modeling, differential equations, dynamical systems, optimal control, and biostatistics. Our focus is to study within-host and between-hosts dynamics of infectious diseases such as CoVID-19, HIV, influenza, dengue fever, malaria, Zika, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and typhoid. In our lab, we develop various mathematical and computational models as well as techniques for anlayzing these models in order to answer underlying biological and biomedical questions related to the complex dynamics of infectious diseases.
The Nonlinear Dynamical Systems Laboratory is a lab with a wide set of faculty with varied research interests related to nonlinear dynamical systems. The Theory of Dynamical Systems is the paradigm for modeling and studying phenomena that undergo spatial and temporal evolution. These phenomena range from simple pendula to complex atomic lattices, from planetary motion to the weather system, from population dynamics to complex biological organisms. The application of Dynamical Systems has nowadays spread to a wide spectrum of disciplines including physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, economy and even sociology. For detailed information about the research ongoing by associated faculty, please see the members page.
The Computational Active Matter Mechanics Laboratory, led by Dr. Parag Katira in the engineering department, brings together a multidisciplinary team of Engineers, Biologists, and Physicists. By merging insights from these diverse fields, the lab aims to comprehend the intricacies of the natural world and harness this knowledge to manipulate and replicate it for the benefit of humanity. The lab’s interests span a wide spectrum, including Physics of Cancer, Cell Mechanosensing & Mechanotransduction, Motor Protein Function & Regulation, Protein-Protein and Protein-Surface Interactions, Muscle Mimetics, Biocomputation, Thermodynamics, and the Evolution of Information. For the latest updates on our evolving research focus, please visit our laboratory website.
The SDSU Coastal Engineering, led by Dr. Ignacio Sepúlveda Oyarzún in the engineering department, , focuses on understanding coastal dynamics, particularly in the context of tsunami and earthquake models. With a significant global population living within 100 miles of coastlines, the SDSU Coastal Engineering Lab research addresses the vital link between earthquakes and tsunamis, aiming to unravel their potential impact. Employing innovative probabilistic hazard assessment techniques, our lab utilizes statistical properties from past earthquakes to simulate future scenarios, emphasizing uncertainty quantification. We also explore GNSS Interferometric Reflectometry (GPS-IR) for coastal monitoring, conducting experiments at the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier. Please see laboratory website for detailed information about current research endeavors.
The George Laboratory at SDSU, under the guidance of Dr. Uduak George in the Mathematics and Statistics Department, is a hub of mathematical biology exploration. The lab’s research areas include applied mathematics, systems biology, network science, and partial differential equations. The lab’s current research encompasses the intricate modeling of lung branching processes using mathematical techniques such as numerical partial differential equations. Investigating fundamental questions about the genetic encoding and physical influences shaping the bronchial tree during embryonic lung development, the George Lab’s work provides crucial insights that transcend mathematical modeling, aiming to unravel the mysteries of lung morphogenesis with potential implications for therapeutic strategies against prenatal lung hypoplasia.