Dr. Anael Verdugo, Mathematics

Degrees

2013 – present, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Cal State Fullerton

2012 – 2013,  Postdoctoral Associate, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, Virginia Tech

2011 – 2012,  NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University

2009 – 2011,  NSF Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech

2009, Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2007, M.S. in Applied Mathematics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

2003, B.S. in Mathematics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA

Research Areas

The main focus of Dr. Verdugo’s research is to build mathematical models of cellular regulatory networks to gain a deeper understanding of cell physiology. The interdisciplinary nature of his work has allowed him to cross boundaries between traditional fields in applied mathematics and the biological sciences. As a result, his work relies on a tight integration of theoretical and empirical results and it can be summarized in the following three areas:

1. Dynamic modeling of stress responses

2. Mathematical analysis of small biological networks

3. Computational studies of biological oscillators

Dr. Verdugo is currently collaborating with biologists to build, analyze, and validate dynamic models of cellular pathways, which are then used to predict novel physiological behavior. He is also working on mathematical questions inspired by biological systems. Some of his current and previous projects include the use and study of nonlinear differential equations, dynamical systems and bifurcation theory.

Publications

  1. Verdugo A, Vinod PK, Tyson JJ, Novak B. 2013. Molecular mechanisms creating bistable switches at cell cycle transitions. Open Biology, 3:120179
  2. Tyson JJ, Baumann WT, Chen C, Verdugo A, Tavassoly I, Wang Y, Weiner LM, Clarke R. 2011. Dynamic modelling of oestrogen signalling and cell fate in breast cancer cells. Nature Rev Cancer, 11(7):523-532
  3. Bridge J, Mendelowitz L, Rand R, Sah S, Verdugo A. 2009. Dynamics of a ring of three coupled relaxation oscillators. CNSNS,14:1598-1608
  4. Verdugo A and Rand R. 2008. Center manifold analysis of a DDE model of gene expression. Comm Nonlin Sci Num Simul, 13:1112-1120
  5. Verdugo A and Rand R. 2008. Hopf bifurcation in a DDE model of gene expression. Comm Nonlin Sci Num Simul, 13:235-242

Grants & Special Projects

  1. Project NExT 2013 Fellow, 2014
  2. NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship (award # DBI-0904340, $189,000), 2009
  3. Presidential Invitation to the “Cinco de Mayo” celebration at the White House, 2007
  4. Cornell University Colman Fellowship, 2006