My name is Tin, a soon-to-be staff scientist at T-6 Theoretical Biology and Biophysics at Los Alamos National Laboratory. My work centers on applications of resource limitation to problems across molecular biology, tumor biology, virology, immunology, ecology, and epidemiology — think nutrient depletion in tumors, target-cell exhaustion in viral infections, elemental imbalances in organismal growth, or the availability of susceptibles in transmission dynamics. I approach these problems by iteratively developing dynamical models using extensive data sets that help highlight the mechanisms of the phenomenon. This often means I need to iteratively refine hundreds to thousands of models before settling down on a workable subset. Why do I contend with such a tedious task? Because every phenomenon is governed by a set of key principles. The mathematical representation of each principle dictates their interactions and shapes the model's implications. Besides, I care too much about mathematics and biology to settle for untested guesswork. A good model must accurately and robustly capture real observations, and its implications should align with the scientific consensus or generate testable hypotheses.

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My academic journey began in Fall 2014 at Arizona State University, when I took an intermediate differential equations course taught by my future PhD advisor, Professor Yang Kuang. At the time, I was fascinated by theoretical biophysics, but numerous discussions with him sparked my deep interest in mathematical biology. Working with Professor Kuang has provided me with numerous opportunities to engage in fascinating projects, tackling both fundamental and applied questions in mathematical biology. Another key figure is Professor Eric Kostelich, who has continually inspired and supported my academic journey.

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Just one week after my graduation, I started my postdoctoral appointment at Los Alamos National Laboratory, under the mentorship of Drs. Ruian Ke, Ruy M Ribeiro, and Alan S Perelson. Working with them has further allowed me to hone the mathematical and biological rigor of my work, greatly improve my scientific communication skills, and expand the breadth and depth of my work.

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You can find more about my work in my research tab.