Sarah D Olson

Sarah D. Olson is the William Steur Professor and Department Head of Mathematical Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). She holds joint appointments in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and Biomedical Engineering. Her research focuses on Mathematical Biology, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Scientific Computing, and Tissue Engineering. She teaches applied mathematics, scientific computing, and modeling courses at WPI.

Education:

• B.A., Providence College, 2003
• M.S., University of Rhode Island, 2005
• Ph.D., North Carolina State University, 2008

Research Interests:

• Mathematical modeling of biological systems
• Fluid-structure interactions in biofluids
• Agent-based models for cell dynamics
• Cartilage regeneration and tissue engineering
• Swimming dynamics of microorganisms
• Parameter estimation in biological systems

Her work combines mathematical modeling, numerical simulations, and experimental data to understand complex biological processes such as cell movement, mitosis, and tissue repair.

Professional Highlights:

• Interim Head of Mathematical Sciences at WPI (2021)
• Recipient of a grant to develop computational models for cell division
• Promoted to Full Professor and Department Head

Current Projects:

• Micro-swimmer models in biofluids
• Centrosome movement mechanisms during mitosis
• Agent-based models in heterogeneous environments
• Parameter estimation frameworks in biological systems

Labs/Teams: Leads a research group focused on computational biology and biofluid dynamics, collaborating with experimentalists to bridge theory and application in biological systems.