Irving Epstein
Irving Epstein is the Helena Rubenstein Professor of Chemistry, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, of Brandeis University.
Professor Epstein's research is on dynamics of nonlinear chemical systems, particularly oscillatory chemical reactions, spatial pattern formation, dynamical systems, and applications to neurobiology. Epstein experimentally and theoretically investigates Turing structures and chemical wave patterns, which are thought to be mechanisms of spatial pattern formation in fields ranging from biology to geology.
Epstein's research team was the first to design a new chemical oscillator. They are especially interested in studying the phenomena that occur when multiple oscillators are put together, such as when the coupling of two systems separately at a steady state causes them to start oscillating.
One of the goals of Epstein's research is to build a "chemical neuron," a chemical system with computer-controlled feedback that mimics the behavior of nerve cells. Epstein and his team are working in conjunction with Prof. Marder's (Brandeis University) Laboratory to model small neural networks and to develop chemical analogs of neural oscillators.
Recent papers:
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V. K. Vanag and I. R. Epstein, From the Cover: Segmented spiral waves in a reaction-diffusion system, PNAS 100: 14635-14638; published online before print as 10.1073/pnas.2534816100. |