معرفی
Dr Carina Dunlop is a Visiting Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Surrey, with a research focus at the interface of mathematics, biophysics, and biology. She is set to move to University College London (UCL) in September 2024. She is a member of the Mathematics at the Interface Group and the Centre for Mathematical and Computational Biology, and her work integrates mechanical signaling and spatial modeling into biological systems.
Her research interests lie at the intersection of mathematical biology, biophysics, and cancer modeling. She develops computational and mathematical models to understand cell mechanosensing, tissue morphogenesis, and tumor growth, with a particular emphasis on how mechanical forces regulate biological processes. Her work spans developmental biology, organoid modeling, and pharmaceutical applications, often in close collaboration with experimentalists and industry partners such as AstraZeneca.
The recent publications reflect a strong trend in modeling mechanobiological systems, particularly in cancer and reproductive biology. Her work combines individual-based simulations, continuum mechanics, and active matter theory to explore how physical forces influence cell behavior and tissue organization. Key themes include stiffness sensing, energy minimization in cell adhesion, and spatially resolved tumor modeling for drug development.
Dr Dunlop has been awarded a fully funded NC3Rs PhD studentship to develop a digital twin of 3D vascular systems for studying hemorrhagic viral diseases. She actively supervises multiple PhD students and collaborates across disciplines, including with the Campagnolo lab at Surrey for experimental validation. Her professional affiliations include the Society of Mathematical Biology and the European Society for Mathematical and Theoretical Biology.
She leads research on ovarian biomechanics, cancer drug modeling, and 3D cell culture systems. Her lab integrates computational modeling with wet-lab experiments, fostering a highly interdisciplinary team focused on translating theoretical insights into biomedical applications.
