Student on computer

Computer Science

Database Lab – Director Praveen Madiraju
The database lab is dedicated to conducting research in both theoretical and system aspects of databases. There are many potential areas which will benefit as a result of the research carried out in this laboratory, such as information systems, health care, bioinformatics and others. Current projects include

  1. Constraints in Databases – Different issues related to constraints such as representation, checking and optimization for heterogeneous databases including both relational and XML databases. 1 MS student is working on the project.
  2. Community Information Management (CIM) – Data management issues related to discovery and management of peers in a community. 2 MS students are working on the project. Once the initial results are in, we plan to submit for grant.
  3. Agent Module for a System of Mobile Devices – SyD (System of Mobile Devices) is a new middleware that enables rapid application development for heterogeneous, autonomous and mobile devices. Improving the agent module for SyD

Systems Lab - Director Dennis Brylow
The lab creates new tools and methods for building and studying complex computer systems. Our emphasis is on embedded, real-time, and network systems, with strong ties to the electrical and computer engineering community, and the computer science education community. Current projects include:

  1. Experimental Embedded Networking Platform. Creation of laboratory infrastructure and software for research and education in the area of embedded networking appliances, particularly wireless routers and IP telephony. Collaboration with Cisco Systems Advanced Research Division.
  2. Experimental Embedded Operating System Laboratory. Creation of laboratory infrastructure and software for research and education in area of embedded operating systems. Collaboration with University of Buffalo and University of Mississippi, with funding from the National Science Foundation.
  3. Embedded Software Transactional Memory. Exploration of an innovative transactional memory model for guaranteeing process synchronization in embedded operating systems. Collaboration with Intel Research.

Ubicomp Lab - Director Sheikh Iqbal Ahamed
This lab focuses on the research issues in pervasive/ubiquitous computing systems and applications. Current projects include:

  1. Middleware services for pervasive/ubiquitous computing systems and applications -developing energy efficient infra-structure less device discovery, secure service discovery, location detection and self healing services on wirelessly connected PDAs and Sensors. Using these services to build different applications such as assessment tool, asset tracking, home monitoring, and healthcare applications. Got some equipment from Microsoft research. 2 MS students and 2 undergrad students are working.
  2. Security, trust and privacy in pervasive/ubiquitous computing- developing initial results for writing grants. 2 MS students are working. NSF support is being requested.
  3. Pervasive healthcare - applying pervasive computing technologies for wellness monitoring, elderly care, cancer patient care. Collaborating with Medical college of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI and Marshfield Clinic, Wausau, WI. 1 undergrad and 1 MS student are working. Microsoft research grant has been requested. NIH support is being requested.
  4. RFID security - developing security solutions for RFID. Developing initial results for writing grants. 1 MS student is working.

High Performance Computing Lab – Director Rong Ge
New Assistant Professor Rong Ge has joined a burgeoning group of computer scientists who form the Southeast Wisconsin High Performance Computing organization dedicated to fostering support for inter-institutional high performance computing in the geographical area. She has a high-performance cluster for her dedicated use, and access to larger clusters on campus at Marquette and supercomputers over long-distance networks. One of her current research interests is creating software and hardware techniques to measure and control emergent power-aware capabilities on real systems. Another project involves creating formal mathematical and statistical techniques to model, predict, and explain the why’s and how’s of performance on real systems.

GasDay Lab - Director Ron Brown, with George Corliss, Tom Quinn, and others
GasDay forecasts natural gas consumption for about 20 energy delivery companies all over the US. We build mathematical models, perform statistical analysis of data, develop software, deliver that software to customer utilities, and provide on-going customer support. We function like a small business within the University. Each day, we provide forecasts for nearly 20% of the natural gas in the US for residential, industrial, and commercial uses. Students do research in mathematical modeling, data mining, statistical analysis, database design, computer systems architecture, and software engineering. Participating faculty come from MSCS, Engineering, and Business, and from MSOE and UWM.

Scientific Computation / Mathematical Modeling Lab - Director George Corliss
This lab is dedicated to research in both theoretical and applied aspects of scientific computation and mathematical modeling. We are particularly interested in guaranteed enclosures of the solutions of ordinary differential equations, industrial applications of computation, numerical optimization, automatic differentiation, and software engineering. Current interests include:

  1. Forecasting and optimization under uncertainties
  2. Robust, efficient distance metrics for robotics applications
  3. Applications of global optimization and automatic differentiation
  4. Testing interval arithmetic software
  5. Taylor series solution of ordinary differential equations
  6. Hybrid differential equations with multiple active switching functions
  7. "All together" method for parameter identification and control

Biomathematics
Pulmonary Lab – Director Gary Krenz
Applies mathematical modeling to address basic science questions regarding nonrespiratory functions of the [mammalian] pulmonary circulation. Current projects include:

  1. Pulmonary disposition of quinones. The working hypothesis is that metabolic changes precede the remodeling that occurs in pulmonary hypertension. Quinones are used as probes to investigate changes in the pulmonary endothelium redox status/signaling. Work is in collaboration with Marquette Biomedical Engineering and Zablocki/Medical College of Wisconsin researchers.
  2. Structure/function studies of the pulmonary circulation. Investigation of how structural changes that result in several biological models of pulmonary hypertension (chronic hypoxia exposure, monocrotaline exposure, thoracic irradiation) impact upon the hemodynamic functioning of the pulmonary circulation. 1 Ph.D. student working on the impact of supernumerary vessel recruitment may have upon normal pulmonary function.

Bioinformatics Lab - Director Craig Struble
This lab applies machine learning and algorithmic techniques to biologically motivated questions. Current projects include:

  1. Microarray data analysis and modeling - Analyzing and interpreting microarray data for problems in RNA regulation, toxicology and DNA transcription. Work is in collaboration with MCW, Department of Biological Sciences (Munroe, Anderson) and Great Lakes WATER Institute. NIH support has been requested.
  2. Biomedical text mining - Automated information extraction and representation from scientific literature. Work is in collaboration with Department of Chemistry (Sem), Va. Tech group of computer scientists and plant biologists. NSF support is being requested.
  3. Virtual screening for drug design - Screening compounds for their potential as pharmaceuticals. Work is in collaboration with Department of Chemistry (Sem). 1 M.S. student. NIH support is being requested.
  4. SeWHiP - A Southeast Wisconsin High Performance computing interest group, promoting improved research computing research and knowledge in the region. Work is in collaboration with CIOs and investigators at Marquette, MCW, Children's Hospital, UWM, and the Blood Center. NSF support is being requested.

Biomedical Imaging – Director Anne Clough
This laboratory designs, develops, and optimizes imaging systems and requisite experimental protocols and image analysis tools for investigating cardio-pulmonary physiology pathophysiology of small laboratory animals. Close collaboration with Prof. Krenz’s group as well as scientists and clinicians at Zablocki VA Medical Center and Medical College of Wisconsin. Ongoing funded projects include:

  1. Micro-Angiography Investigation of Pulmonary Hemodynamics - Following completion of this instrument, its hardware, experimental protocols, and image analysis tools are being modified to determine capillary flow, its regional distribution, and changes therein following lung injury or treatment in rats. Supported by NHLBI, Co-Investigator.
  2. Angiogenesis in the Bronchial Circulation using SPECT (single-photon emission computed-tomography) – Micro-CT and SPECT to monitor angiogenesis in the bronchial circulation of rats. Supported by NHLBI, Co-principal investigator.
  3. Micro-SPECT Hardware and Software Design – Construction of a flexible system for rapid, high-resolution imaging of small animals using radiopharmaceuticals targeted at specific molecular functions. Supported by the Keck Foundation.
  4. Redox Status of Lungs in Rats Exposed to Chronic Oxidative Stress with Micro-SPECT – Use molecular imaging radiopharmaceuticals and pharmacokinetic modeling to assess early lung injury. Supported by NHLBI, Co-Investigator.
  5. Reducing Patient Dose in Spiral and Conebeam CT – Simulations designed to determine optimal scanning parameters. Supported by NIBIB, Co-Investigator with U. of Iowa.

Biomedical Applications – Director Steve Merrill
This lab applies mathematical modeling to clinically relevant questions. Current projects include

  1. Cardiac Image Registration – Real-time 2-d/3-d registration of heart images during treatment. Work is in collaboration with St. Luke’s Hospital and G.E. Healthcare. 1 Ph.D. student. Grant for summer support for student received.
  2. Thyroid Control in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis – Using clinical measures to monitor and guide treatment. Work is in collaboration with a U. of Mass. Group of engineers and physicians. 1 Ph.D. student.
  3. Measures of Normal Aging – A clinical characterization of rate of aging based on standard tests. Work is in collaboration with scientists in the D.C. area.

Computational Harmonic Analysis – Director Sherry Scott
This laboratory applies harmonic analysis to study the mixing and ergodicity properties of fluid flows which occur in biological and ocean/atmospheric science settings. Our current focus is using the research to (1) understand transport in biological and marine life systems and (2) assess (and eventually quantify) ergodicity and mixing in fluid flows. One future goal is to aid in the design/enhancement of micro mixers for biological fluids (e.g., drug development).

Graph Theory – Director Kim Factor
This laboratory applies graph theory and combinatorics to a variety of areas, as such as network traffic in power sources and the use of graph theory to determine protocols for biosurveillance with an emphasis in animal diseases. This is a continually growing and changing area with many opportunities.

Applied and Computational Probability – Director Elaine Spiller
Randomness and nonlinearity are dominant features in many mathematical models. The interplay between the two often causes interesting behavior that we wish to understand and predict. Current projects include:

  1. Hazard Mapping - Devastation caused by pyroclastic (rapid, granular, volcanic) flows can be extreme for communities situated near volcanoes. We are devising methods to draw accurate hazard maps for use in civil protection and planning. Work is in collaboration with investigators at the State University of New York at Buffalo (math, volcanology), Duke University (statistics), and National Institute of Statistical Sciences. This project is supported by the NSF.
  2. Nonlinear Optics - In nonlinear, random systems interesting phenomena are often in the form of rare but important events. The performance of optical communication systems and mode-locked lasers is limited physically by noise, i.e., incoherent photons introduced during amplification. We seek to understand both how errors occur and how frequently they occur. Work is in collaboration with investigators at the State University of New York at Buffalo and Northwestern University.
  3. Data Assimilation - Data assimilation is a broad term for techniques that combine noisy observations with dynamic model based predictions. Our current work is in devising methods of data assimilation that work well in systems that are both nonlinear and high-dimensional. Work is in collaboration with investigators at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (math, statistics) and University of California at Los Angeles (geosciences).

Elaine Spiller’s research work intersects with the Biomathematics group’s activities, but also interfaces with the Statistics group’s work.

Statistics

Statistical Methods – Co-Directors Naveen Bansal and Hossein Hamedani
This group develops and applies new statistical methods in a variety of applications. Projects include Bayesian hypothesis testing using a decision theoretic approach. A doctoral student is developing a decision theoretic methodology for testing multiple and multi-sided hypotheses to produce more powerful test procedures. The idea is to incorporate prior information in order to produce more powerful tests which will have application in gene expression data analysis.

Computational Algebra - Director Michael Slattery
Research in this area offers a rare cross-over between pure mathematics and computation. In the case of Dr. Slattery, it is concerned with designing and analysing algorithms and data structures to compute information about groups. Two important computer algebra systems (CAS) used for group theory are GAP and MAGMA.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis – Director Daniel B. Rowe
The long-term goal of the Rowe Functional Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis Lab research efforts is to develop a unified mathematical model for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This mathematical model is to include the fundamental physics of the nuclear magnetic resonance signal, the compensation for biological signals not of interest, the preprocessing of the MR images, the statistical modeling of complex-valued time series, and the statistically significant determination of focal brain activation. This mathematical model will extract the most information from the acquired data in the most efficient way possible. This unified model will contain important physiological information that may not be available by other means or is only available by more time-consuming elaborate means. This model will allow us to address important fundamental neuroscience questions with fMRI. The Rowe fMRI Analysis Lab's primary research efforts are focused on working deeper in the data acquisition and processing stream while expanding the unified model at each step.

 


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Summer 2012 Research Experience

The Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science is hosting the NSF-funded Summer 2012 Research Experience (REU) for Undergraduates. This program provides U.S. undergraduates with an intensive, faculty-mentored, summer research experience in the areas of applied mathematics, high-performance computing, statistics, ubiquitous systems and mathematics education. Learn more