National Science Foundation awards University of Richmond three-year grant to encourage scientific careers combining math and biology

September 30, 2008

The University of Richmond has been awarded a three-year, $134,028 grant from the National Science Foundation to increase numbers of students pursuing scientific careers that combine math and biological sciences.

The project will be led by Ovidan Lipan, assistant professor of physics and mathematics, with assistance from math professors Lester Caudill and Kathy Hoke and biology professors Scott Knight and Lauren Runyen-Janecky.

Each academic year, two students will be picked from among biology and math majors to assist Lipan and Runyen-Janecky with actual research. They also will participate in a semester of data analysis and have the opportunity to travel to scientific conferences.

Lipan and Runyan-Janecky study the stress response system in mammalian cells and iron uptake in E. coli bacteria.