Why is a pure mathematician working in biology?

Speaker: Andrew Francis

Affiliation: University of Western Sydney

Time: Friday 08/04/2011 from 14:00 to 15:00

Venue: Access Grid UWS. Presented from Parramatta (EB.1.32), accessible from Campbelltown (26.1.50) and Penrith (Y239).

Abstract: A pure mathematician working in biology should be a contradiction in terms. In this talk I will describe how I became interested in working in biology, coming from an algebraic background. I will also reflect on the sometimes difficult distinction between pure and applied mathematics, and venture some thoughts on mathematical research in general. Finally I will describe some areas of evolutionary biology that may benefit from an algebraic approach.

Biography: Andrew Francis is a Professor and ARC Future Fellow in the Centre for Research in Mathematics in the School of Computing and Mathematics at UWS. His research interests lie in algebra (finite reflection groups and Hecke algebras), in mathematical biology (evolutionary questions related to bacterial genetics), and in applications of algebra to biology.