Biomathematics
The Biomathematics Graduate Program offers courses in mathematical biology, leading to Masters and Doctoral degrees. The program covers a wide range of research areas, including physiology, ecology, evolution, infectious disease, developmental biology, toxicology and pharmacology.
The Biomathematics faculty is made up of members from Mathematics, Statistics and a wide range of departments in the Biological Sciences. We also have a range of research groups including RTG: Research Training Group in Mathematical Biology.
What is Biomath?
Biomathematics is the use of mathematical models to help understand phenomena in biology.
Modern experimental biology is very good at taking biological systems apart (at all levels of organization, from genome to global nutrient cycling), into components simple enough that their structure and function can be studied in isolation. Dynamic models are a way to put the pieces back together, with equations that represent the system’s components, processes, and the structure of their interactions.
Mathematical models are important tools in basic scientific research in many areas of biology, including physiology, ecology, evolution, toxicology, immunology, natural resource management, and conservation biology. The result obtained from analysis and simulation of system models are used to test and extend biological theory, and to suggest new hypotheses or experiments. Models are also widely used to synthesize available information and provide quantitative answers to practical questions. What measures can be used to reverse the decline in sea turtle populations, and how soon can we tell if they are working? How can laboratory experiments on chemical carcinogenicity be scaled up to set safe exposure limits on humans? For questions like these, where it is desirable to predict the outcome accurately before action is taken, quantitative modeling is essential.
Thus, while mathematical biology may sound like a narrow discipline, in fact it encompasses all of biology and virtually all of the mathematical sciences, including statistics, operations research, and scientific computing.
Suggested Reading
A good place to get an idea of what mathematical modeling is all about is an article by Jackson et al. (2000) which appeared in the journal BioScience, volume 50, issue number 8, pages 694-706. Another good place to look is the February 6th 2004 edition of the journal Science (volume 303) which contains a series of articles on various areas of mathematical biology.
The Biomathematics Program at NCSU
The Biomathematics Graduate Program at NCSU offers majors, co-majors, and minors at the Masters and PhD levels. Coursework includes theory and methods of biological modeling, mathematical and statistical methods, and applications to substantive problems in biology. The degree programs are flexible, to accomodate students with backgrounds in the biological, mathematical, or physical sciences and with diverse career interests.
The Biomathematics Program is jointly administered by the Departments of Statistics and Mathematics, but it has a long history of cooperation with other departments at NCSU, including Zoology, Entomology, Crop Science, Genetics, and the Veterinary School, and with research laboratories in the Research Triangle Park. Graduates of the program have found professional employment in university mathematics, biology, and statistics departments, in government, and in industries such as pharmaceuticals and environmental consulting.
Biomathematics Courses
NC State Mathematics Biomathematics Faculty Advisors
NC State Mathematics Biomathematics Seminars
NC State Biomathematics Application and FAQ
Contact Us
Program Director: Seth Sullivant
For further information contact
| Seth Sullivant Biomathematics Graduate Program North Carolina State University Box 8205 Raleigh, NC 27695-8205 | email: smsulli2@ncsu.edu phone: (919) 513-7445 |
How To Find Us
NCSU Campus Map (opens in new window).
The Biomath office is SAS Hall 4126. Seminar is in Cox Hall, room 306 (building numbered 55 on the map), which is where most of our graduate students are housed.
If you are driving to campus, please be aware that many of the roads on campus have restricted (permit only) access during work hours, so it is impossible to drive right up to SAS or Cox Halls. Visitor parking is possible in the visitor lot sections of the Dan Allen parking deck (at the left edge of the above map) or the Colliseum/Cates parking deck. Limited metered parking is available at the front (north side) of Patterson, or on the side streets off Hillsborough.