Elisa Stefaniak

Background

About Elisa Stefaniak

A math geek and computer scientist by training (Southampton University), I'm currently working in Mathematical and Computation Biology. I've recently submitted my Ph.D. thesis on "Modelling optimal plant carbon storage" and I am awaiting examination. I am also working with the industry to provide research services involved in crop pathogen resistance through the use of genomic data science. I started my career studying Computer Science with a focus on algorithmics and machine learning and interned at FactSet Ltd (London) developing user interfaces and database connectivity tools. However, I soon learned that my interests lie primarily in biological systems and more specifically in mathematical and computational biology. The increase in the amount of biological data requires searching and applying new methods from disparate fields to help understand it and new interdisciplinary uses of mathematics and computing can, therefore, support research on the interfaces of the natural and human world, a most challenging and fascinating area of study. I have worked in both applied and basic science. My applied work focuses primarily on working with industry to provide computational and data science services as well as education. Some of the highlights of my work include my current project on characterising pathogen-resistance mutations in crop DNA, my work with the Geneious software to help curate immunological data as well as my work with JBA Trust on expanding the AR Sandbox software to aid in public and industry awareness of natural flood management techniques. My academic work, on the other hand, has primarily focused on expanding basic science. In my Ph.D. thesis, inspired by approaches in Economics and Engineering, I made innovative use of Optimal Control, Maximum Entropy, and Model Predictive Control to study how plants use and allocate carbon to deal with uncertainty and stress, such as droughts or cold, in the future. My Thesis is currently under examination. Previously, I completed my Masters by Research at the University of Lancaster where I worked on the macroeconomic modeling in plants (focusing on carbon flux) in an effort to apply Economic models of growth to the changes in energy use and acquisition in forest ecosystems.