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Professor Federico Frascoli

Department Chair, Mathematics

Biography


I am interested in systems out of equilibrium, in a variety of (apparently) different contexts. From cellular motility to nano-confined fluids, from immune-cancer dynamics to brain oscillations, I am fascinated by the patterns and strategies that Nature creates far from equilibrium. Questions that arise in these situations embrace a number of different areas of applied mathematics and mathematical physics, ranging from statistical mechanics, non equilibrium thermodynamics and classical molecular dynamics to dynamical systems, bifurcation theory, PDEs, ODEs and agent-based modeling techniques.


Qualifications:

Laurea in Theoretical Physics (U. Parma, Italy), 2001
PhD in Mathematical Physics (SUT), 2007


Previous and current appointments:

Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Neuroscience (Brain Sciences Institute, Melbourne), 2007-2011
Postdoctoral Researcher in Mathematical Biology (Dept. of Mathematics, Uni of Melbourne), 2011-2013

Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, (SUT) 2013-2015
Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, (SUT) 2016-2018
Associate Professor in Applied Mathematics, (SUT) 2019-2022
Professor in Applied Mathematics, (SUT) 2023-ongoing

Chair of the Dept of Mathematics, (SUT) June 2020-ongoing

Research interests

Dynamical systems; Mathematical biology; Statistical Mechanics

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Principal Supervisor.

PhD topics and outlines

Collective properties of biological cells: Cell migration is a fundamental phenomenon throughout all the stages of animal life, from its commencement to its end. Cells may move as individuals, in several distinct ways, or may move collectively as chains, clusters or sheets. A variety of complex mechanisms govern these motions in contexts as different as embryonic morphogenesis, wound healing and cancer development.

Computational Nano-fluidics: This work deals with the fundamental problem of how one modifies the highly successful Navier-Stokes equations for fluid flow at the nanometer length scale. Classical Navier-Stokes treatments break down at these length and time scales, and our group has been one of the most active and pioneering in generalising the Navier-Stokes treatment to make it valid at the nano-scale.

Mathematical models of tumor-immune dynamics: Recent advances have opened the possibility of treating some cancers by developing preventative vaccines. Such cancer vaccines would function by training a person¹s immune response to recognise and eliminate early-stage tumours close to inception. A challenge to designing cancer vaccines is understanding the tumour-immune dynamics that lead to successful tumour elimination.

Honours

Available to supervise honours students.

Fields of Research

  • Dynamical Systems In Applications - 490105

Awards

  • 2018, Swinburne, Research Impact Award, Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2010, Swinburne, Early Career Researcher scheme, Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2008, National, COSNET overseas travel grant, COSNET - Complex open systems research network
  • 2008, Swinburne, Best Doctoral Thesis in the Faculty, Swinburne University of Technology

Publications

Also published as: Frascoli, Federico; Frascoli, F.
This publication listing is provided by Swinburne Research Bank. If you are the owner of this profile, you can update your publications using our online form.

Recent research grants awarded

  • 2023: INT - 1190 Mathematical Modelling of Collective Behaviour Over Multiple Length Scales *; Defence Science Technology Group
  • 2022: Understanding latent fate programming in T cells. *; Ideas Grants
  • 2020: Improving the effectiveness of oncolytic virotherapy *; Politecnico di Torino, Italy
  • 2019: Optimisation of nanoscale devices for biological and medical applications *; Politecnico di Torino, Italy
  • 2019: Understanding the mechanisms of fate determination during T cell development: a mathematical model *; Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute Intern Program
  • 2018: Dynamical systems theory to model viral infection dynamics *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
  • 2017: Mathematical and statistical methods for modelling invivo pathogen dynamics *; ARC Discovery Projects Scheme
  • 2016: 2016 Visiting Fellowships Scheme - Lamberto Rondoni *; Visiting Fellowships Scheme

* Chief Investigator