The Undergraduate Program


The Mathematics Department has received a Research Training Grant from the National Science Foundation that supports undergraduate research in mathematical biology. Eight summer research stipends are available each year. To be eligible you must be a Duke University undergraduate in good standing and be a U. S. citizen or permanent resident.  [If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident there are other opportunities for summer research stipends that do not have this requirement. Contact about the PRUV program.]  If you have any questions or want more information about the program, email the Director of the Research Training Grant, Michael Reed ( ).

We will accept applications for 2012 summer research stipends starting on December 1. Instructions for applying will be on this website.

See the Summer Workshop Report 2011 and the Summer Workshop Report 2012.

See the Summer REU Projects 2011 and the Summer REU Projects 2012.

Starting in the Spring 2012, the Mathematics Department has offered a new course:

Math 168: Mathematical Investigations in Genetics and Genomics

→ Introduction to basic mathematical methods in genetics and genomics: Mendelian segregation, population allele frequencies, sex-linked traits, genetic recombination, sequence analysis, phylogenetic trees. Necessary background in elementary probability, statistics, and matrix algebra will be provided. Prerequisite: Mathematics 112, 112L, or 122L.

The Department of Mathematics regularly offers three other undergraduate courses (below) devoted to the applications of mathematics to biology and medicine. Many other undergraduate courses include applications to biological systems.

  1. In the First-year Seminar course Mathematics 89S, students use introductory calculus to better understand human physiological systems, e.g., the heart and vasculature, the lungs, the kidneys, the nervous system, the immune system, and endocrine regulation of reproductive system.
  2. Mathematics 476S, a Seminar in Mathematical Modeling for juniors and seniors, is frequently taught as "Mathematical Modeling in Physiology and Medicine." In this seminar students study more advanced mathematics and apply it to epidemiology, population biology, and animal and human physiology.
  3. Mathematics 573S introduces undergraduate students to research methods in mathematical biology, including genomics, systems biology, and metabolic networks.

Diagram showing Insulin Signaling. Click for the large, high-resolution image to see more information and detail.


Mathematical Biology @ Duke University