June 8, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A new undergraduate course offered through the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Mathematics will examine the interface of multiple disciplines including biology and mathematics.
Intro to Math Biology, MA 268, is enrolling students for the fall semester. Targeting natural sciences and engineering majors, the course's curriculum will include a review of the biological problems that arise in nature and medicine and apply mathematics to solve those problems.
"Our new Intro to Math Biology class is keeping with the interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial spirit of UAB and will expose students from various disciplines to mathematical tools that can help solve real-world problems," says Hassan Fathallah-Shaykh, M.D., Ph.D., the course instructor and a professor with appointments to four UAB departments, including mathematics and neurology.
The course is an introduction to multivariable calculus, discrete and continuous equations, vectors, matrices and more. Biological topics could include single species and interacting population dynamics, modeling infectious and dynamic diseases and an introduction to biological pattern formation.
Interested students can contact Fathallah-Shaykh at 934-1813 for details or register for the course online with a BlazerID and password on BlazerNET.
About the UAB Department of Mathematics
The Department of Mathematics offers a complete range of courses in both pure and applied mathematics for undergraduate, master and doctoral students. The department is housed in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, which is home to academic disciplines that include the arts, humanities, sciences and the School of Education. The college's unique structure advances research and learning in both K-12 and higher education, and its courses are taught by a world-class faculty. Committed to the UAB spirit of independence and innovation, the college enables students to design their own majors, participate in undergraduate research or complete graduate degrees on a five-year fast track. Through productive partnerships, flexible curricula and a bold, interdisciplinary approach to learning and teaching, the college is preparing students for success in the ever-changing global marketplace of commerce and ideas.