Aresty Research Center

At Rutgers University, Michael Boemo has spent the past four years investigating problems that lie at the interface between mathematics and biology. The elegance with which mathematics and biology mutually complement each other, along with a passion for research and teaching, led him to pursue a career as a professor. He will begin a PhD program this fall at the University of Oxford as a member of Christ Church College, and will perform research in theoretical biophysics as part of Oxford’s Life Sciences Interface Doctoral Training Centre.

Michael’s principal research interest is how DNA curves and bends in space, which he investigates by integrating the mathematical fields of differential geometry, algebraic topology, and Knot Theory. Using this approach, he hopes to formulate new models of DNA knotting and linking during various cellular processes, with a particular focus on the chromosomal translocation events that result in Down syndrome and various cancers. Currently, he is investigating how the topology of supercoiling affects gene regulation, which he hopes will add a new perspective on why DNA is structured the way that it is.

As a Master Peer Advisor with the Aresty Research Center, Michael has also had the opportunity to mentor research assistants working on a wide variety of scientific projects. However, he adds that this mentorship was always mutual, as he has felt his own work thrive from being in a friendly and supportive community of talented scholars. He maintains that his experience with the Aresty Research Center was the deciding factor in choosing to pursue a career in research, and will never forget all of the supportive people at Rutgers that helped and inspired him.

Read more about Mike's research in this feature from Rutgers Today.