Allan Friesen, Ph.D.

My research is focused in obtaining a quantitative understanding of how after a local lung infection, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) disseminates within lung and spreads to extra pulmonary sites. To determine the most likely pathways of Mtb dissemination, we have formulated simple deterministic ODE models assuming various pathways of Mtb dissemination, which have the purpose of estimating the time-dependent replication rates of Mtb at different tissues.

Education and Training

• Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry - Arizona State University (2012)
• B.S. in Chemistry - University of Oregon (2005)

Research Bio

The focus of my current research is on development of models of tuberculosis in monkeys. Specifically, I am developing models of early infection and the dynamics of lesions in the lungs of macaques. My main current goal is to understand parameters that control the dynamics of the infection and lead to diversity of outcomes, both within hosts and between different hosts. Prior to joining Texas Biomed, my research focused on theoretical studies of the behavior of water at interfaces with nanoscale solutes. Using a combination of analytical statistical thermodynamics and molecular dynamics simulations, I developed ways of conceptualizing the structure and electrostatic properties of the solute-water interface.