My Career in Mathematical Biology A Personal Journey DSSOLFDWLRQV7KHUHIRUHDOWKRXJKP\WKHVLVIRFXVHG on relatively classical problems in partial differential Simon Levin HTXDWLRQV,XVHGP\WLPHDW0DU\ODQGWREHJLQUHDGLQJELRORJ\DQGDW0RQURH0DUWLQ¶VVXJJHVWLRQZHQW RQWR8&%HUNHOH\RQDQ16)3RVWGRFWRUDO)HOORZVKLSWRZRUNZLWK*HRUJH'DQW]LJ 'DQW]LJZLOOEHZHOONQRZQWRPDQ\UHDGHUV but primarily for his foundational work in operations research, and especially his development of the simSOH[PHWKRGIRUOLQHDUSURJUDPPLQJ:KDWDWWUDFWHG PHWRZRUNZLWK'DQW]LJZDVQRWOLQHDUSURJUDPPLQJ EXWUDWKHUKLVQHZLQWHUHVWLQELRORJLFDOV\VWHPVDQG especially the active transport of sodium across red blood cell membranes. The postdoc was a wonderful RSSRUWXQLW\WROHDUQELRORJ\DQGWREHQH¿WIURPDQ H[FLWLQJFRPPXQLW\DW%HUNHOH\DWWKHKHLJKWRIWKH )UHH6SHHFK0RYHPHQW*HRUJH'DQW]LJZDVDWHUULILFPHQWRUDQGDPRGHOIRUWKHZD\,ZRXOGGHDOZLWK P\VWXGHQWVEXW,DOVRPDGHDJRRGIULHQGLQ+DQV %UHPHUPDQQRQHRIWKHPRVWRULJLQDORIPDWKHPDWLFLDQVZUHVWOLQJZLWKWKHQHZFKDOOHQJHVRIELRORJ\ 2YHUWKHQH[W¿YHRUVL[\HDUV¿UVWDVDSRVWGRFDQG later as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at CorQHOO,ZDVRIWHQDGYLVHGWKDWLWZDVIRROLVKWRZDVWH P\PDWKHPDWLFDOWDOHQWVRQVXFKWKLQJV,KDGKHDUG VLPLODUGLVFRXUDJHPHQWVHYHQDVDQXQGHUJUDGXDWHDW WKRVHODWHUWLPHV,GUHZJUHDWVWUHQJWKIURPWKHH[DPSOHVRIWKRVHOLNH'DQW]LJDQG%UHPHUPDQQZKRZHUH XQDIUDLGWROHDYHWKHFRPIRUWRIKLJKO\VXFFHVVIXO /LNHPDQ\RWKHUVZKREHORQJWR60%DVD careers in pure and applied mathematics, and to follow \RXQJVWXGHQW,ZDVIDVFLQDWHGZLWKPDWKHPDWLFV PRVWO\EHFDXVHLWEURXJKWRUGHUWRDQRWKHUZLVHFKDRW- WKHLUVFLHQWL¿FFXULRVLW\7KDWOHVVRQKDVVHUYHGPH LFZRUOG:KHQ,¿QLVKHGP\XQGHUJUDGXDWHZRUNLQ LQJRRGVWHDGUHSHDWHGO\WKURXJKRXWP\RZQFDUHHU PDWKHPDWLFVLQDW7KH-RKQV+RSNLQV8QLYHUVLW\ DQGLVWKHEDVLVRIWKHZD\,PHQWRUJUDGXDWHVWXGHQWV ,ZDVMXVWJHWWLQJVWDUWHGZLWKPDWKHPDWLFVWKHUHZDV A career built on someone else’s curiosity is likely to FRPHFUDVKLQJGRZQDVWXGHQWPXVW¿QGKLVRUKHU PXFKPRUHWKDW,QHHGHGWROHDUQ6R,WXUQHGGRZQ own way, and pursue personal passions. a fellowship to study operations research at Hopkins, $¿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tor, Monroe Martin, who happened to be my advisor, RUJJRYHUQDQFHRWKHUVKWPO&RUQHOOZDVDZRUOG ZDVYHU\VXSSRUWLYHRIP\UHDFKLQJRXWWRELRORJLFDO 6 OHDGHULQHFRORJ\WKHSHUIHFWSODFHIRUPHWRGHYHORS P\LQWHUHVWVLQWKDWWRSLFDQG,ZDVZDUPO\ZHOFRPHG LQWRWKHPLGVWRIWKH6HFWLRQRI(FRORJ\DQG6\VWHPDWLFVRQHRIWKH¿UVWHFRORJ\GHSDUWPHQWVLQWKHZRUOG WRUHFRJQL]HWKHFKDQJLQJIDFHRIWKHVXEMHFWVWRZDUGV DPRUHTXDQWLWDWLYHEDVH,DJUHHGLQWREHFRPH &KDLURIWKHGHSDUWPHQWGHOLJKWHGWKDWP\QDWXUDO KLVWRU\FROOHDJXHVZRXOGHQWUXVWWKHLUIXWXUHWRDFRQJHQLWDOPDWKHPDWLFLDQ ,PRYHGWR3ULQFHWRQLQODUJHO\EHFDXVH ,VDZLWDVDZD\IRUPHWRH[SDQGP\EDVLFUHVHDUFK IXUWKHULQWRWKHSROLF\GLPHQVLRQDQGZDVWKH)RXQGLQJ'LUHFWRURIWKHQRZÀRXULVKLQJ3ULQFHWRQ(QYLURQPHQWDO,QVWLWXWHFXUUHQWO\GLUHFWHGE\ORQJWLPH FROOHDJXH6WHYH3DFDOD0\UHVHDUFKQRZLVODUJHO\ split between basic work on collective phenomena in HFRORJLFDOV\VWHPVDQGSDUDOOHOZRUNLQXQGHUVWDQGLQJFROOHFWLYHGHFLVLRQPDNLQJLQVRFLRHFRQRPLF V\VWHPVZLWKDYLHZWRZDUGVDGGUHVVLQJSUREOHPV RIWKH*OREDO&RPPRQV6HHP\ERRN)UDJLOH 'RPLQLRQ,KDYHLQYHVWHGDJUHDWGHDORIP\WLPHLQ IRXULQWHUQDWLRQDORUJDQL]DWLRQVRYHUWKHODVWTXDUWHU century, each of which has repaid me many times, DOORZHGP\RZQUHVHDUFKWRJURZDQGHQULFKHGP\ OLIH7KHVHDUHWKH,QWHUQDWLRQDO&HQWHUIRU7KHRUHWLFDO3K\VLFVLQ7ULHVWHKWWSZZZLFWSWULHVWHLW7KH %HLMHU,QVWLWXWHRI(FRORJLFDO(FRQRPLFVKWWSZZZ EHLMHUNYDVHLQ6WRFNKROP7KH6DQWD)H,QVWLWXWH ZZZVDQWDIHHGXDQGWKH,QWHUQDWLRQDO,QVWLWXWHIRU $SSOLHG6\VWHPV$QDO\VLVZZZLLDVDDFDW9LHQQD, HQFRXUDJHDOOUHDGHUVWR¿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¿WD JUHDWGHDOIURPWKHDGYDQFHVRIP\FROOHDJXHVZKR FRQWLQXHWRSURYLGHWKHULJRURXVPDWKHPDWLFDOXQGHU- SLQQLQJVIRUZKDW,GR:HQHHGDZKROHDVVRUWPHQW of researchers who span the spectrum from fundamenWDOPDWKHPDWLFVWRKLJKO\DSSOLHGZRUNDQG60%LV WKHLGHDOYHQXHIRUIRVWHULQJSDUWQHUVKLSVDFURVVWKH landscape. ,KDGWKHJRRGIRUWXQHRIEHLQJ3UHVLGHQWRI 60%WZR\HDUVEHIRUHEHFRPLQJ3UHVLGHQWRIWKH (FRORJLFDO6RFLHW\RI$PHULFDDWDFUXFLDOWLPH LQLWVGHYHORSPHQWDQGKDYHEHHQGHOLJKWHG WRVHHLWVJURZWKHYHUVLQFH&DUROHDQG,FRQWLQXHWR HQMR\OLIHLQ3ULQFHWRQDJRRGEDVHIRUYLVLWLQJRXU FKLOGUHQDQGJUDQGFKLOGUHQ,DOVRqvell in the accomplishments of my former students and postdocs, PDQ\RIZKRPKDYHEHHQOHDGHUVLQ60%LQFOXGLQJ WZRSUHVLGHQWV$ODQ+DVWLQJVDQG/RX*URVV7KHUH LVOLWWOHJUHDWHUVDWLVIDFWLRQWKDQVHHLQJRQH¶VVWXGHQWV DQGIDYRULWHRUJDQL]DWLRQVÀRZHUVHHLQJWKHPGRVR WRJHWKHUUDLVHVWKDWJUDWL¿FDWLRQWRDKLJKHUOHYHO Selected publications of Simon Levin: 'XUUHWW5DQG6$/HYLQ&DQVWDEOHVRFLDO JURXSVEHPDLQWDLQHGE\KRPRSKLORXVLPLWDWLRQ DORQH"-RXUQDORI(FRQRPLF%HKDYLRUDQG2UJDQL]DWLRQ /HYLQ6$-'XVKRIIDQG-%3ORWNLQ(YROXWLRQDQGSHUVLVWHQFHRILQÀ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¿FDWLRQDQGVFDOLQJRIVSDWLDOO\GLVWULEXWHG SURFHVVHV3DJHV,Q'7LOPDQDQG3.DUHLYDHGV6SDWLDO(FRORJ\7KH5ROHRI6SDFHLQ 3RSXODWLRQ'\QDPLFVDQG,QWHUVSHFL¿F,QWHUDFWLRQV 3ULQFHWRQ8QLYHUVLW\3UHVV3ULQFHWRQ1- 7
© Copyright 2026 Paperzz