[MAIN]

My name is Ariel Cintron-Arias, I am applied mathematician with interests
in mathematical modeling of population dynamics.   More precisely, I am
interested in mathematical formulations (deterministic and stochastic)
that describe time-evolution of contact processes including, population
models for single species (e.g. logistic) and population models for interacting
species (e.g. predator-prey systems, transmission dynamics of infectious
diseases, within-host dynamics).  Some modeling approaches of my interest
are those that employ: ordinary differential equations; continuous-time Markov chains;
discrete-time dynamical systems; network growth models. 

In addition, I am also interested in parameter estimation methods
that can validate mathematical models against longitidinal observations,
including: ordinary and generalized least squares; Markov chain Monte Carlo methods;
and genetic algorithms.  In the context of least square methods, I have become involved
 with sensitivity analysis and parameter selection methods, based on properties of the
Fisher Information Matrix.

Structure always influences dynamics and I feel that social networks are
fascinating, when they are considered in formulations of disease life-history
evolution.  Social networks also play a role in behavioral changes and decision-making,
I am interested in their interplay the theory of games.

I obatined my Ph.D. at Cornell University.  After graduate school I became a postdoctoral
fellow at the Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI) for one year,
and a postdoctoral research associate at the Center for Quantitative Sciences in
Biomedicine (CQSB) for two years.  Currently, I am an assistant professor, as of
August 2009, in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of ETSU.


I am a member of the following professional societies:
    Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics <SIAM>
    Society for Mathematical Biology <SMB>