Headshot of Hwayeon Ryu

Hwayeon Ryu

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Department: Mathematics and Statistics

Office and address: Duke, Office 307D 2320 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Phone number: (336) 278-6451

Professional Expertise

Mathematical Biology, Neural Networks, Modeling COVID-19 Dynamics

Brief Biography

Dr. Ryu will be on a sabbatical leave for 2025-2026. 

Dr. Ryu joined Elon University in 2019 after working at the University of Hartford for three years. She received both M.A. and Ph.D. in mathematics from Duke University. 

Dr. Ryu's research interests are focused on mathematical modeling and analysis of dynamical systems arising from other disciplines, like systems biology, neuroscience, immunology, epidemiology, or sociology. Her work is currently supported by the National Science Foundation research grant, DMS-2151990. She also has a great passion for the development of a bridge curriculum and program between mathematics and biology. To learn about her research projects, check out her website.

Links

News & Notes

Education

  • Ph.D. in Mathematics, Duke University, NC, 2014
  • M.A. in Mathematics, Duke University, NC 2011
  • B.S. in Mathematics, Korea University, South Korea, 2008 
  • Study Abroad, University of Pennsylvania, PA, 2006-2007

Employment History

  • (With Tenure) Associate Professor of Mathematics, Elon University, NC, 2024 - Present
  • (Tenure-Track) Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Elon University, NC, 2019 - 2024
  • (Tenure-Track) Assistant Professor of Mathematics, University of Hartford, CT, Jan 2017-2019
  • Visiting Assistant Professor of Mathematics, St. Olaf College, MN, 2015-2016
  • Model Validation Analyst, Statistical Modeling Group, US Bank, MN, 2014-2015
  • Instructor & Research Assistant, Duke University, NC, 2010-2014

Courses Taught

  • MTH 1510 Calculus I, F19, S20, F20, F22, S23, F23, S24, F24
  • MTH 2510 Calculus II, F24
  • MTH 2410 Discrete Structures, F19, F22
  • MTH/STS 3410 Probability Theory & Statistics, F20
  • MTH 3510 Differential Equations, S23, F23
  • MTH/CSC 4450 Numerical Analysis, S20, S24
  • MTH 4510 Fourier Analysis S25
  • MTH 4999 Independent Research, S20, F20, S21, S22, F22, S23, F23

Research

Undergraduate Research Mentoring Experience

At Elon University

  • Paige Minsky (Applied Math '22), William Waggoner (Applied Math/Finance '22), Sophia Kaup (Applied Math/CS '23) and Danielle DaSilva (Applied Math/Econ '24) - "Modeling COVID-19 dynamics" S21
  • Christopher Boyette (Applied Math/Econ '23) - "Stability Analysis of an SVEIR Epidemic Model with Temporary Immunity and Saturation Incidence Rate" S20 - F20

At the University of Hartford

  • Jared Rubin (Math/CS '21, 2019 REU participant) - "Analysis of Neural Networks" S19 - Su19
  • Avery Buehler (CS '19, A&S Honors Thesis) - "Dynamics of Neural Networks with Time Delays" F18 - S19
  • Nicholas Wing* (Math/Stat '20, *Visiting from Harvard University) Su18 - Present
    "Stability Analysis of an SVEIR Epidemic Model with Temporary Immunity and Saturation Incidence Rate." 
  • Aleksander Marczuk (Math/BME '19) and Daiyang Leng (Math '17, currently in Ph.D. program at U. of New Hampshire) S18 - S19
    "Analysis of Neuronal Networks." Our work was presented at JMM 2019. 
  • Michael Negrut (Math '19), Kayla Depara (Math '18), Briana Rutland (Bio/Chem '19) S18 - S19
    "Introduction to Epidemiology." Our work was presented at the University of Hartford annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Colloquium as well as Beyond the Binary Conference.
  • Tal Perov (Bio '20) and Margarita Schillizzi (Bio '20)  - "Mathematical Modeling in Biology" F17

Grants Awarded

External Grant

  • NSF-AWM Mentoring Travel Grant (June 2025, $5,000): Susanna Röblitz (Host Mentor) at the U. of Bergen, Norway.
  • NSF DMS-2151990 (2022-2025, $299,998): Mathematical Modeling of Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2, (sole PI).
  • Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM) grant (2021-2022, $7,100): Mathematical Modeling of COVID-19 Dynamics (Co-PI: Dr. John Gemmer at Wake Forest Univ.).
  • AIM SQuaREs Collaboration Grant (2021-2024): Modeling Phage Interaction with Bacteria and Immune System (Co-PIs: S. Bañuelos at CSU at Channel Islands, M.A. Horn and Q. Huang at Case Western Reserve U., A. Nandi at U. of Michigan, and R. Segal at Virginia Commonwealth U.).
  • AWM Mentoring Travel Grant (June 2023, $5,000): Susanna Röblitz (Host Mentor) at the U. of Bergen, Norway.
  • AIM SQuaREs Collaboration Grant (2019-2022, approx. $20,000 per year): A Mathematical Model of Macrophage Differentiation in the Tumor Microenvironment (Co-PIs: Kamila Larripa at Humboldt State U., and Anna Frank and Susanna Röblitz both at U. of Bergen, Norway).
  • IAS Women and Mathematics Ambassador Program Grant (2018-2019, $3,000): Co-organizing one-day regional conference ("Beyond the Binary" on April 27, 2019) to promote the diversity in mathematics and create academic bonds among female-identifying students. 
  • NSF-MAA StatPREP Grant, DUE-1626337 (2017-2021, $57,961.45): Serving as a hub leader to help organize the regional StatPREP workshop at the University of Hartford during 2018 and 2019 summers. StatPREP is a MAA program supporting the widespread use of data-centered methods and pedagogies in introductory statistics courses. 
  • AIM SQuaREs Collaboration Grant (2018-2021): Network Structure and Oscillation Patterns in Neural Models with Time Delay (Co-PIs: S.A. Campbell at U. of Waterloo, V. Booth at U. of Michigan, J. Miller at Bellarmine U., Z. Teymuroglu at Rollins College and X. Wang at Washington State U.).
  • NSF US Junior Oberwolfach Travel Grant, DMS-1641185 (Oct 2017, $1,000): Mathematical Modeling in Systems Biology at Oberwolfach Research Institute for Mathematics in Germany.

Internal Grant at Elon

Publications

Published or Accepted (*Corresponding author; ** Undergraduate co-author)

15. H. Ryu*, S. Röblitz, K. Larripa, and A. S. Frank. Modeling Bistable Dynamics Arising from Macrophage-Tumor Interactions in the Tumor Microenvironment, Mathematical Biosciences, 389:109534, 2025.

14. Z. Yu, T. Luong, S. Bañuelos, A. Sue, M.A. Horn, H. Ryu, D. Roach, R. Segal, and Q. Huang. Leveraging Mathematical Modeling Framework to Guide Regimen Strategy for Phage Therapy, PLOS Complex Systems, 1(3): e0000015, 2024.

13. A. J. Frank, K. Larripa, H. Ryu, and S. Röblitz, Macrophage phenotype transitions in a stochastic
gene-regulatory network model, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 575:111634, 2023.

12. J. Miller, H. Ryu, X. Wang, V. Booth, and S.A. Campbell. Patterns of synchronization in 2D networks of inhibitory neurons, Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 16:903883, 2022. (listed as co-first author).

11. H. Ryu* and B. Zhu. Creating and assessing an academic learning community between biology and statistics courses, PRIMUS, 32(3): 416-431, 2022.

10. H. Ryu*, J. Miller, Z. Teymuroglu, X. Wang, V. Booth, and S.A. Campbell. Spatially localized cluster solutions in inhibitory neural networks, Mathematical Biosciences, 336:108591, 2021.

9. A. J. Frank, K. Larripa, H. Ryu, R. G. Snodgrass, and S. Röblitz, Bifurcation and sensitivity analysis reveal key drivers of multistability in a model of macrophage polarization, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 509:110511, 2021.

8. S. Bañuelos, H. Gulbudak, M.A. Horn, Q. Huang, A. Nandi, H. Ryu, and R. Segal. Investigating the impact of combination phage and antibiotic therapy: a modeling study. In R. Segal, B. Shtylla, and S. Sindi, editors, Using Mathematics to Understand Biological Complexity: From Cells to Populations, Association for Women in Mathematics Series, vol. 22, 111-134. Springer, 2021. (all authors with equal contribution).

7. H. Ryu* and S.A. Campbell. Stability, bifurcation and phase-locking of time-delayed excitatory-inhibitory neural networks, Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 17(6):7931-7957, 2020.

6. H. Ryu* and S.A. Campbell. Geometric analysis of synchronization in neuronal networks with global inhibition and coupling delays, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, 337(2153), 2019.

5. J. Miller, H. Ryu*, Z. Teymuroglu, X. Wang, V. Booth, and S.A. Campbell. Clustering in inhibitory neural networks with nearest neighbor coupling, In A. Radunskaya and T. Jackson, editors, Applications of Dynamical Systems in Biology and Medicine, The IMA Volumes in Mathematics and its Applications, vol. 158, pages 99-121. Springer, 2015.

4. H. Ryu and A.T. Layton. Feedback-mediated dynamics in a model of coupled nephrons with compliant short loop of Henle, AMS Contemporary Mathematics, Biological Fluid Dynamics: Modeling, Computations, and Applications, 628:209-237, 2014.

3. H. Ryu and A.T. Layton. Tubular fluid flow and distal NaCl delivery mediated by tubuloglomerular feedback in the rat kidney, Journal of Mathematical Biology, 68(4):1023-1049, 2014.

2. H. Ryu and A.T. Layton. Effect of tubular inhomogeneities on feedback-mediated dynamics of a model of a thick ascending limb, Mathematical Medicine and Biology, 30(3):191-212, 2013.

1. A.T. Layton, P. Pham, and H. Ryu. Signal transduction in a compliant short loop of Henle, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering, 28(3):369-380, 2012.

Presentations

Selected Oral Presentations (* denotes Invited Talks)

  • SMB Annual Meeting, Jun 2021 (virtual)
    Multistability in a Model of Macrophage Polarization*

  • Cal. State Univ. Channel Islands Graduate Seminar, Feb 2021 (virtual)
    Bifurcation and Sensitivity Analysis in a Model of Macrophage Polarization*

  • AMS Invited Session at JMM Annual Meeting, Jan 2021 (virtual)
    Multistability in a Model of Macrophage Polarization* 

  • SIAM Life Science Meeting, Jun 2020 (virtual)
    Network Structure and Oscillation Patterns in Neural Models*

  • AWM Invited Session at JMM 2020 Annual Meeting, Denver Jan 2020
    Stability, Bifurcation, and the Emergence of Synchronization and Clusters in Time Delayed Neural Networks*

  • SMB Annual Meeting, Montreal, Canada July 2019
    Building an Academic Learning Community between Biology and Statistics*

  • International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Valencia, Spain July 2019
    Geometric Analysis of Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Global Inhibition and Coupling Delays

  • SIAM Conference on the Life Sciences, Minneapolis, MN Aug 2018
    Geometric Analysis of Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Global Inhibition and Coupling Delays*

  • International Congress of Mathematicians 2018, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Aug 2018
    Geometric Analysis of Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Global Inhibition and Coupling Delays

  • Annual Meeting of the Society for Mathematical Biology 2018, Sydney, Australia (Two talks) Jul 2018
    Synchronization of Tubular Pressure Oscillations in Coupled Nephrons*
    Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Coupling Delays (Poster Award Granted)

  • Virginia Commonwealth U. Biology and Medicine through Mathematics, Richmond, VA May 2018
    Dynamics of Neuronal Networks with Coupling Delays: A Modeling Study

  • University of Waterloo Applied Mathematics Colloquium, Waterloo, ON Canada Jan 2018
    Geometric Analysis of Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Global Inhibition and Coupling Delays*

  • The Southern Connecticut State University Mathematics Colloquium, New Haven, CT Oct 2017
    Geometric Analysis of Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Synaptic Delays*

  • The Central Connecticut State University Mathematics Colloquium, New Britain, CT Oct 2017
    Geometric Analysis of Synchronization in Neuronal Networks with Synaptic Delays

  • MAA MathFest 2017, Chicago, IL (Two talks) Jul 2017
    Feedback-Mediated Dynamics in a Model of a Long-Looped Nephron
    Dynamics of Neuronal Networks with Coupling Delays: A Modeling Study

  • Women’s Intellectual Network Research Symposium, Providence, RI Mar 2017
    Synchronization of tubular pressure oscillations in interacting nephrons 

  • Association for Women in Mathematics Workshop at SIAM Annual Meeting (Life Sciences), Boston, MA Jul 2016
    Synchronization of tubular pressure oscillations by vascular and hemodynamic coupling in interacting nephrons*
  • Annual Joint Mathematical Meetings 2016, Seattle, WA, Jan 2016
    Synchronization of tubular pressure oscillations by vascular and hemodynamic coupling in interacting nephrons
  • St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN Apr 2015
    Feedback-Mediated Dynamics in the Kidney: Mathematical Modeling*
  • Annual Joint Mathematical Meetings 2015, San Antonio, TX Jan 2015
    Clustering in Inhibitory Neural Networks with Nearest Neighbor Coupling
  • North Carolina State University Biomath Seminar, Raleigh, NC Mar 2014
    Feedback-Mediated Dynamics in the Kidney: Mathematical Modeling*
  • Duke Grad/Faculty Seminar, Durham, NC Oct 2013
    Time-Delayed PDEs with Stochastic Boundary in Mathematical Modeling
  • Duke Mathematical Biology REU, Durham, NC May 2013
    Delay Differential Equation in Mathematical Modeling of Kidney
  • The 8th Annual UNCG Regional Conference, Greensboro, NC Nov 2012
    Feedback-Mediated Dynamics in a Model of Coupled Nephrons with Compliant Short Loop of Henle
  • Duke Grad/Faculty Seminar, Durham, NC Mar 2012
    Effect of Tubular Inhomogeneities on Feedback-Mediated Dynamics of a Model of a Thick Ascending Limb
  • Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research, Portland, OR Dec 2011
    Effect of Tubular Inhomogeneities on Feedback-Mediated Dynamics of a Compliant Thick Ascending Limb
  • The 7th Annual UNCG Regional Conference, Greensboro, NC Nov 2011
    Effect of Tubular Inhomogeneities on Feedback-Mediated Dynamics of a Compliant Thick Ascending Limb

Poster Presentations

  • Association for Women in Mathematics Workshop at SIAM Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA Jul 2013
    Feedback-Mediated Dynamics in the Kidney: Mathematical Modeling and Analysis (Winner of Poster Awards)
  • Institute of Mathematics and Its Application - Career Options for Women in Mathematical Sciences, Minneapolis, MN Mar 2013
    Feedback-Mediated Dynamics in a Model of Coupled Nephrons
  • Experimental Biology, San Diego, CA Apr 2012
    Tubular Fluid Oscillations Mediated by Tubularglomerular Feedback in a Compliant Short Loop of Henle
  • NIMBioS Workshop in Renal Hemodynamics, Knoxville, TN Aug 2011
    Bifurcation Analysis of the Tubular Fluid Oscillations Mediated by Tubularglomerular Feedback in a Compliant Short Loop of Henle

Professional Activities

To Academic Community

  • Associate Editor: MAA FOCUS, June 2020 - June 2022
  • Co-Organizer: SMB 2019 Annual Meeting Minisymposium (with S.A. Campbell) Jul 2019
                         SMB 2018 Annual Meeting Minisymposium (with B. Fry)  Jul 2018
  • Co-Organizer: JMM Annual Meeting AMS Invited Session 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Co-Organizer: SIAM Life Sciences 2018 session (with S.A. Campbell) Aug 2018
  • Hub Leader: MAA StatPREP Hartford Workshop 2018 - 2019
  • Judge: Undergraduate/Graduate Students Presentation at SACNAS 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Judge: Student Paper Sessions at MAA MathFest Aug 2016, Jul 2017
  • Reviewer: Application for SACNAS Travel Scholarship and Research Presentation 2017 - Present
                    Proposal for Professional Development and Scientific Symposia Sessions
  • Judge: Undergraduate Poster Presentation at JMM 2017 Jan 2017
  • Co-Organizer: MAA Project NExT Session at JMM 2017 Jan 2017
  • Judge: Graduate Poster Presentation at AWM Session during SIAM Annual Meeting Jul 2016

At Elon

  • Attendee for (virtual) Inclusive Excellence in STEM institute, June 2021

Professional Memberships

Service Activities

Awards