Franca Hoffmann

Franca Hoffmann is an Assistant Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and an International Scientific Advisor at Quantum Leap Africa (QLA) at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). Previously, she held positions including a Bonn Junior Fellow at the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics and the AIMS-Carnegie Research Chair in Data Science. She leads the Doctoral Training Program in Data Science at QLA in Rwanda.

Education: B.S. (Imperial College London, 2010), M.S. (2013), Ph.D. (University of Cambridge, 2017). Her thesis focused on partial differential equations and their applications, honored with the 2016 Imperial College Outstanding Student Achievement Award.

Research Interests: Interface of model-driven and data-driven approaches, including PDE analysis (nonlinear drift-diffusion equations, kinetic theory, optimal transport) and data analysis (inverse problems, Bayesian inference, clustering algorithms). Her work bridges theoretical foundations with applications in mechanics, social sciences, and machine learning.

Teaching: Courses include Environmental Physical Organic Chemistry and Special Topics in Applied Mathematics at Caltech. She has organized workshops and conferences globally, emphasizing capacity-building in African mathematical sciences.

Awards: 2016 Imperial College Outstanding Student Achievement Award.

Labs/Teams: Leads the DTP-DS at QLA and co-organizes initiatives like the Young African Mathematicians Bonn Visitor Program. Active in promoting interdisciplinary education and outreach in Africa.