ASU Doctoral Student in Mathematics Searches for New Ways to Map the Human Brain

Millions of Americans currently suffer from diseases of the brain, a situation which will only worsen as our population ages, says Lydia Bilinsky, a Ph.D. student in ASU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Her research spans the fields of both mathematics and biology, as she searches for ways to develop positron emission tomography (PET) as a more accurate tool to diagnose and treat patients with brain diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer, and stroke. PET uses mathematical computations to create a map of the brain or other parts of the body.

"PET allows us to observe a living brain in action, without opening the skull," says Bilinsky. "Through PET, we can obtain information about disease mechanism and progression that shows great promise for the early detection of disease, when treatment will be most effective."

Bilinsky received a B.S. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with a dual major in mathematics and physics. Two of her undergraduate professors recommended ASU as the best choice for her doctoral studies and she is now pursuing her Ph.D. in ASU's Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Under the direction of her mentor, Professor Yang Kuang, she is participating in a four-year National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NSF/NIGMS) project on internal disease modeling, focusing mostly on cancer modeling.

Bilinsky was awarded the prestigious Achievement Awards for College Scientists (ARCS) Foundation scholarship for 2007-2008 to help her continue her research.

An internship at the Banner Good Samaritan PET Center in Phoenix gives her the opportunity to work with preeminent researchers such as Dr. Kewei Chen and Dr. Eric Reiman. Her goal is to continue her research after graduation in either a research-oriented university or in industry. "My choice will depend on where I think the most interesting work is being done."