Reidun Twarock

Professor Reidun Twarock is a Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of York, specializing in the application of geometric and symmetry principles to virology. Her interdisciplinary work bridges mathematics, biology, and nanotechnology.

Her research centers on Mathematical Virology, where she pioneered Viral Tiling Theory to decode the structure of cancer-causing viruses (e.g., papillomavirus). Key discoveries include identifying the virus assembly code—a cryptic genetic instruction manual governing viral self-assembly—and modeling icosahedral symmetry in viral capsids using non-crystallographic symmetries. Her work extends to nanotechnology applications, such as malaria vaccine design via nanoparticle characterization.

• IMA Gold Medal (2018)
• EPSRC Established Career Fellowship

Twarock leads a large interdisciplinary team, collaborating globally with virologists, computer artists (e.g., Goldsmiths), and nanotechnology researchers. She emphasizes mathematical creativity in solving biological puzzles and mentors junior researchers while engaging in outreach projects like virtual virus modeling.