Biography

I am a Professor and the Chair of Applied Mathematics at the University of California, Merced.

I am one of the founding members of our faculty led Committee on Research Computing, the Co-PI on both the NSF-MRI grant responsible for the original MERCED cluster as well as our new Pinnacles cluster and PI on the NSF-CC* grant which created our Science DMZ.

I am passionate about supporting under-represented groups in STEM. I am one of the founders of UC Merced's W-STEM group and the organizer of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) workshops at the SIAM Annual Meeting.

Scientifically, I am a mathematical biologist and the goal of my research is to use analysis and computation of mathematical models to gain insight into biological systems such as protein aggregation disease and blood coagulation. My work generates hypotheses that, when experimentally validated, provide support for novel biological properties that may someday lead to new therapeutics.

My lab consists of graduate students from Applied Mathematics and Quantitative and Systems Biology at UC Merced as well as the University of Lyon. My work is supported by multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health as well as a grant from the Army Office of Scientific Research.

Outside of my work, I enjoy science fiction, theatre & film, listening to true crime podcasts and spending time with Sully & Zoey. As of Fall 2020, I completed two items on my bucket list: making a short film and being on a science podcast.

I grew up in Placentia, California as the proud daughter of immigrants from Saudi Arabia and the Açores (Portugal).