I'm currently the Morawetz Postdoctoral Fellow (Courant Instructor / Assistant Professor) at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences associated with New York University.
In Fall 2021, I'm moving to UC Irvine to join the math department and the NSF-Simons Center for Multiscale Cell Fate as an assistant professor.
My work broadly pursues using mathematics to understand how biological systems at the cellular and molecular scale overcome and utilize randomness to function. Details below.
Molecular motors, microtubules, mitosis
Cells rely on teams of motor proteins to perform vital tasks including carrying cargo enormous distances and coordinating mitosis. These motors behave randomly as individuals yet unite harmoniously.
A central theme of my research pursues the question: how does the randomness of individual motors affect their ability to function collectively?
Collaborators: Jim Keener, Michael Vershinin, Alexey Khodjakov, Alex Mogilner.
Related work
F Renda, V Magidson, I Tikhonenko, R Fisher, CE Miles, A Mogilner, A Khodjakov
CE Miles, SD Lawley, JP Keener
O Osunbayo, CE Miles, BJ Reddy, JP Keener, MD Vershinin
CE Miles, JP Keener
Ligand & receptor signaling
Cells transmit signals by releasing particles (ligands) that diffuse around in search of targets (receptors), an inherently random process.
I'm interested in understanding how cells extract the maximal amount of information from this noisy communication procedure.
Collaborators: Sean Lawley, Alan Lindsay.
Related work
SD Lawley, AE, Lindsay, CE Miles
SD Lawley, CE Miles
SD Lawley, CE Miles
Actin dynamics
I'm working on understanding how dynamic chemical and mechanical cues intertwine to regulate actin networks, especially during cell protrusions.
Collaborators: Alex Mogilner, Erik Welf, Gaudenz Danuser.
Related work
ES Welf, CE Miles, et al.
Other publications
CE Miles, JP Keener
CE Miles, I Jouny, G Gordon
Teaching
In Spring 2021, I'm teaching MATH-UA234: Mathematical Statistics.
Fall 2020 MATH-UA 123 Calculus 1
Spring 2020 MATH-UA 234 Mathematical Statistics
Fall 2019 MATH-UA 234 Mathematical Statistics
Spring 2019 MATH-UA 211 Math for Econ 1
Fall 2018 MATH-UA 123 Calculus III
Summer 2018 Math 3150 PDEs for Engineers
Spring 2017 Math 1180 Prob & Stats for Biologists (lab)
Fall 2016 Math 1170 Calc for Biologists (lab)
Summer 2016 Math 3140 Vector Calculus & PDEs
Spring 2016 Math 1321 Accelerated Engineering Calc II
Fall 2015 Math 2250 ODEs & Linear Algebra
Spring 2015 Math 1320 Engineering Calculus II
Fall 2014 Math 1310 Engineering Calculus I
Miscellany
As a first-generation college student, I'm passionate about scientific outreach, especially to children and underrepresented populations.
In recent years, I was a Science Communication Fellow and participated in the NSF INCLUDES program for incarcerated youth. More recently, I'm also a Proud to be First (generation) advocate at NYU.
In the rare instances of spare time from all of the above, you might find me: searching for new vegan food, rock climbing, or complaining about my extremely needy cat, Piper.