Research
Research
As an applied probabilist and math biologist, my research interest lies in developing and analyzing mathematical models for biological systems that incorporate randomness. My recent research themes include:
As an applied probabilist and math biologist, my research interest lies in developing and analyzing mathematical models for biological systems that incorporate randomness. My recent research themes include:
Collective decision-making in stochastic environments
How do we make decisions based on observation? What is the best way to make decisions in randomly changing environments? How do animals, including humans, perceive and behave compared to optimal decision-making strategies? If their behavior is sub-optimal, why is it? If they make decisions collectively, what are underlying mechanisms for their optimal strategies?
We pursue these questions by using stochastic models of perception and action based on Bayesian inference and stochastic dynamic programming.
Stochastic target search in biology
Cells find their targets by employing random movements and often teaming up with multiple random searchers. Despite appearing inefficient, stochasticity is prevalent in many cellular search mechanisms, suggesting that random trajectories are efficient and so favored by evolution.
Our primary goal is to understand how cellular search mechanisms can achieve optimality by stochasticity. Our recent work in this topic involves a variety of stochastic models and their first passage time problems, together with statistical data analysis of trajectories.
I am very fortunate to collaborate with many fantastic scientists. Some past and present collaborators:
Mathematical colloatorators
Paul Bressloff, Jun Allard, Yoichiro Mori, Joshua Plotkin, Sean Lawley, Krešimir Josić, Zachary Kilpatrick, Jeehyun Lee, Hee-Dae Kwon,
Experimental collaborators
Dae Seok Eom, Joshua Gold, Long Ding, Xaq Pitkow
I am looking forward to collaborating with you in the future! Please feel free to contact Hyunjoong Kim at any time for potential collaborative projects!
*: equal contributions
In progress:
How group communication changes under competition
G Jayavilal, H Kim
In preparation, 2025+
Stochastic model of cell death mediated by cytotoxic T cells
G Fan*, H Kim*, A Ritter, S Zhussupbekova, S Bianco, SD Lawley
In preparaction, 2025+
Should I pay now or later for better information?
P Ahmadzadeh, H Kim, K Josić
In preparation, 2025+
How the composition of individual strategies shapes collective decisions
H Kim, ZP Kilpatrick, K Josić
In preparation, 2025+
2025:
Emergence of multiple foraging strategies under competition
H Kim*, M Subedi*, K Josić
Mathematical Biosciences 109377, 2025 (bioRxiv:2024.04.19.590345)
2024:
Cover times of many random walkers on a discrete network
H Kim, SD Lawley
Physical Review E 109 014121, 2024 (arXiv:2310.07905)
Cover times of many diffusive or subdiffusive searchers
H Kim, SD Lawley
SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics 84 602-620, 2024 (arXiv:2308.13417)
Finite population effects on optimal communication for social foragers
H Kim, Y Mori, JB Plotkin
SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics 84 915-939, 2024 (arXiv:2308.00298)
Before 2024:
Optimality of intercellular signaling: Direct transport versus diffusion
H Kim, Y Mori, JB Plotkin
Physical Review E 106 054411, 2022 (arXiv:2204.09768)
Zebrafish airinemes optimize their shape between ballistic and diffusive search
S Park*, H Kim*, Y Wang, DS Eom, J Allard
A reduced 1D stochastic model of bleb-driven cell migration
MJ Muñoz-López, H Kim, Y Mori
Biophysical Journal 121 1881-1896, 2022
Stochastic Turing pattern formation in a model with active and passive transport
H Kim, PC Bressloff
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 82 144, 2020
Impulsive signaling model of cytoneme-based morphogen gradient formation
H Kim, PC Bressloff
Physical Biology 16 056005, 2019
Search-and-capture model of cytoneme-mediated morphogen gradient formation
PC Bressloff, H Kim
Physical Review E 99 052401, 2019
Direct vs. Synaptic Coupling in a Mathematical Model of Cytoneme-Based Morphogen Gradient Formation
H Kim, PC Bressloff
SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics 78 2323-2347, 2018
Bidirectional transport model of morphogen gradient formation via cytonemes
PC Bressloff, H Kim
Scheduled:
UIUC Mathematical Biology Seminar, Champaign, IL - October, 2025 (Scheduled)
Mathematics Colloquium, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH - October, 2025 (Scheduled)
SIAM Central States Section Annual Meeting, Fayetteville, AR - October, 2025 (Scheduled)
2025:
Southwest Ohio KSEA Conference, Cincinnati, OH - April, 2025
2024:
Applied Mathematics Seminar, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH - November, 2024
Midwest Mathematical Biology Seminar, Virtual - November, 2024
AMS Eastern Sectional Meeting, Albany, NY - October, 2024
SIAM LS, Minisymposium, Portland, OR - June, 2024
Applied Mathematics Seminar, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD - February, 2024
Mathematics Colloquium, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH - January, 2024
Before 2024:
Applied Mathematics Seminar, SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, December 2023
ICIAM Satelite Workshop, Daejeon, South Korea, August, 2023
Mathematics Colloquium, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, February, 2023
Networks Seminar, University of Houston, Houston, TX, 2022
SIAM LS, Minisymposium (Hybrid), Pittsburgh, PA, 2022
SIAM Annual Meeting, Minisymposium (Hybrid), Pittsburgh, PA, 2022
Biomedical Mathematics Seminar, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea, 2022
Applied Mathematics Seminar, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 2022
Mathematical Biology Seminar, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 2021
SIAM DS, Minisymposium, Virtual, 2021
Mathematical Biology Seminar, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2020
Applied Mathematics Seminar, CSU Northridge, Northridge, CA, 2019
SIAM Wasatch Student Chapters Conference, Logan, UT, 2019
KMS Annual Meeting, Seoul, South Korea, 2015