Barriers to Using Mathematical Modeling in Physics for the Life Sciences
I am investigating the barriers to using mathematical modeling in physics for the life sciences (IPLS) as part of an exploratory collaborative project with Joe Redish’s Physics Education Research Group, building on work from the National Experiment in Undergraduate Education Physics (NEXUS/Physics) project. My focus is on researching pre-medical and biology student problem solving amongst a variety of other students; creating analytical tools for describing student resources in the context of the NEXUS/Physics interdisciplinary IPLS course; and developing a set of materials on mathematical modeling. |
Evolution of Meta-Messages in Fundamentals of Physics for the Life Sciences Introductory Course
In this project, we seek to understand how instructors scaffold and support students' interdisciplinary engagement in an Introductory Physics for the Life Sciences (IPLS) course developed at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) as part of a broader design research project. Here we analyze how one educator positioned scientific disciplines in relation to one another over a two-year time span. Our analysis of the educator's discourse in the classroom demonstrates shifts in the messages the educator sends about the domains of physics and biology. In year one, physics and biology were largely described as distinct and different, but in year two they were more frequently described as similar, complementary, and overlapping. |
Determination of the Physical Parameters Required for the Establishment of Multicellular Architecture
While much is know about tissue structure, the physical complexities of tissue morphogenesis remain largely unresolved. To gain insight into the physical parameters involved, this in vitro experiment examines acini formation. Acini are spherical, multicellular, polarized structures that have basolateral and apical membrane domains surrounding a central lumen. Examination of these yields insight into our understanding of the physical parameters required for the establishment of multicellular architecture. |
Effects of PCKδ Inhibition on Posterior Lateral Line Primordium Migration in danio rerio
The fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathway is known to affect collective cell migration, but the specifics of this phenomenon have been largely unknown. This in vivo experiment and analysis examines the effect of inhibiting a distinct downstream branch of FGF signaling on the migration behavior of the lateral line primordium in developing danio rerio (zebrafish) embryos. |