My primary area of research is in computational biophysics, which means I use computer simulations to study living systems. You can read below about some research areas and go to our lab web page to learn more: https://sites.google.com/view/cwu-computational-biophysics/home. I am on sabbatical leave during the 2020-2021 academic year, but there will be openings for new research students in my lab in fall 2021. Please email me at erin.craig@cwu.edu if you would like to learn more about research opportunities in the computational biophysics lab.
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Research Area 1: Computational investigation of the physics of neurons
There are several ongoing projects that involve using computer simulations to investigate the physical mechanisms underlying healthy nervous system development.
Project topics include:
How do nerve cells send electrical impulses?
How do physical forces mediate correct “wiring” of nerve axons during nervous system development?
Desired Skills: some programming (PHYS 322 or PHYS 361 helpful)
Skills Acquired: programming in Matlab, scientific visualization, data analysis/comparison, scientific communication experience
Research Area 2: Project of your design in Computational Biophysics, Physics Education, or related topics
Are you interested in how physics is involved living systems, and have a specific question you’d like to explore? Are you considering a career in teaching and want to develop or test a lesson plan? Come talk with me about your ideas, and how you could develop them into an undergraduate research project.
Student-developed project (past examples):
Computational model of pattern formation in plant growth
Computational investigation of prion disease propagation
Developing tactile graphics for visually impaired students in STEM
Teaching mechanical energy concepts through video analysis of kangaroos
Desired skills: prior coursework on your topic of interest (PHYS 292 helpful for teaching projects; PHYS 322 helpful for computational biophysics projects)
Skills Acquired: research design, scientific communication experience, project-specific technical skills