Brynja Kohler
University of UtahDepartment of Mathematics
155 S 1400 E RM 233
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0090
Office: LCB 315
E-mail: bkohler@math.utah.edu
Tel: (801) 585-7657
Fax: (801) 581-4148
Schedule
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University of Utah |
T-cell population models, autoimmunity, Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
I work with Jim Keener and Robert Fujinami on a mathematical modeling project
of T cell populations involved in autoimmunity. We seek to gain understanding
into the underlying physiological mechanisms involved in the onset and
progression of autoimmune diseases such as MS.
The stretch reflex, clonus, muscle dynamics.
I began work on this project many years ago with Charlie Peskin at the
Courant Institute, and David Levine at the NYU Medical Center. My
master's thesis describes a physiologically detailed mathematical model
of the stretch reflex, and demonstrates that reduced inhibitory inputs
from decending pathways
into the motoneuron pool can lead to the muscular tremor known as clonus.
You can have a look, here is the postscript file:
Master's Thesis.
I have recently been revisiting this project -- trying to make
improvements to the model so that it can be useful as a
simulation tool, and as a starting point for some analysis of muscle
behaviors.
For example, I have
replaced the muscle dynamics with Huxley's
model (1957) based on crossbridge interactions.
Immune system simulation.
At the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City, I worked with Franco
Celada and Phil Seiden doing simulations of immune responses to viral
infections using IMMSIM (a computational model). Check out the various
versions of this model here:
IMMSIM
or
IMMSIM.
Or read our paper:
Kohler B, Puzone R, Seiden P, Celada F, "A systematic approach to vaccine
complexity using an automaton model of the cellular and humoral immune
system". Vaccine (1999) - 19: 862-876
Teaching Mathematics.
Immediately after college I joined
Teach for America , and taught high school for three years at John Marshall
High School in Los Angeles. I also taught high school math at St. Ann's
School in Brooklyn for a year before going full time into graduate work. I
have been involved in helping teachers train to teach mathematics as
Mathematics Director at Teach for America's 2002 Summer Institute in NYC.
Here are three links for you: NCTM,
California Standards,
and Kids Count.
