Dr. Maria Byrne, Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
ILB 452
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL 36688
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to highly recommend Minchul Kang for a faculty position in
mathematics or a related computational field for mathematical biology. Minchul is a
dedicated, thoughtful biomathematician with excellent computational skills and the
ability to focus on the biological relevance of predictive (useful) applications of
mathematical methods. I worked with Minchul from 2004-2007 at the Vanderbilt
Medical Center in collaboration with Anne Kenworthy's lab first as a research professor
from the Department of Mathematics and then as a research instructor within the lab.
Currently, Minchul and I are collaborating on a model for tumorigenesis with Drs. Neil
Bhowmick and Simon Hayward, cancer biologists at the Vanderbilt University Medical
Center.
Success in computational biology depends upon a combination of strong
computational skills and sound biological intuition. Minchul is a rare example of a
mathematician who is exceptionally strong in both areas. Regarding his strength in
theoretical math, I would place Minchul in the top 10% of his peers in computational
biology. Minchul is particularly strong in the area of analytical and numerical solutions of
ordinary and partial differential equations (ODEs and PDEs) and has excellent theoretical
abilities in terms of applying approximation methods. In Anne Kenworthy’s lab, he has
applied theoretical approximation methods and numerical PDE and ODE methods to
FRET microscopy, extracting on-off kinetic rates and diffusion constants, and
differentiating between competing biochemical models of interaction. Determining these
rates is fundamental to creating predictive mathematical models of various intracellular
mechanisms which is a major initiative in current biology. As a collaborator on our
project for modeling of tumorigenesis, Minchul is implementing a finite element method
to model the diffusion of morphogens in the complex geometry of the inter-ductal
pancreatic tissue. While I am implementing diffusion via random walk, I am relying on
Minchul’s expertise for the concurrent PDE solution.
Minchul is well-read, disciplined in his survey, and has a comprehensive
command of the literature in computational biology. For this reason, as well as for his
strength in analytical methods, Minchul has proved an excellent resource as a
collaborator.
The importance of sound biological intuition in computational biology cannot be
understated, since it is very common for mathematical approaches in biology to have
little or no biological relevance. I have been impressed by Minchul’s ability to construct a
clever, mathematically tractable but nonetheless biologically relevant model while
working in Anne’s lab. From my point of view, the field of lipid membrane biology is
fraught with highly technical experimental tools, noisy data and an inconsistent,
confusing literature. Minchul’s ability to navigate through these conditions to arrive at a
mathematically rigorous model with immediate biological applications in a relatively
short time has verily amazed me, and I do not hesitate to include Minchul among the top
2 or 3 computational biologists I have met regarding his ability to understand the biology
behind a computational biology problem.
Minchul will make an excellent research biomathematician wherever he decides
to reside. As a non-native English speaker Minchul has good English speaking skills, able
to clearly discuss and convey his thoughts on a variety of topics, and his English
comprehension is excellent. In my opinion Minchul still needs to apply more effort to
improve his diction. I expect that Minchul will apply equal dedication to teaching that he
has applied to his research, and Minchul’s speaking skills will have a chance to improve
in even one semester of teaching. I predict that from the start, Minchul would be a
dedicated and conscientious teacher, and popular with the students. His public
presentations, sprinkled with diffident humor and burgeoning showmanship, indicate he
has the potential to be an excellent teacher.
Finally, I would like to add that Minchul is a pleasure to work with. He is a very
well-rounded individual, with many interests outside of his research and an above
average amount of social charisma. He has had the effect of increasing morale in the lab
ever since he began working there in 2005 with his unselfconscious, easy sense of humor
and his dependably positive outlook. While I hope you will choose to include him in your
group for his superior skills in computational biology, I think that you and his students
will enjoy having him in your department as a personable colleague and teacher.
Sincerely,
Maria A Byrne