Visiting lecturer: Lisa Fauci

Lisa Fauci is the Nola Lee Haynes Pendergraft Professor of Mathematics at Tulane University in New Orleans. She was educated in the New York City public school system, received her B.S. at Pace University, and later her Ph.D. in Mathematics at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University in 1986. Her research lies at the interface of mathematics, scientific computing and biology. Her main interest is in using computational methods to investigate fluid flows in biological systems. For instance, she has studied the mechanics of sperm motility, mucus transport by cilia in the lungs, and the effects of embedded polymers on transport of fluids through flexible tubes.

Professor Fauci will lecture on the "Biofluiddynamics of Reproduction". The biofluiddynamics of reproduction provide wonderful examples of fluid-structure interactions. Peristaltic pumping by wave-like musculuar contractions is a fundamental mechanism for ovum transport in the oviduct and uterus. In a physiological setting, however, the fluid will not be simple like water, but may contain complex microstructures. Mammalian spermatozoa encounter such complex fluid environments as they make their way through the female reproductive tract. The beat form realized by the flagellum varies tremendously along this journey. We will discuss how mathematical models, along with computational simulation, may be used to gain insight into these complex systems.