Lee Curtin, PhD

I am a mathematician and bioinformatician, interested in collecting and analyzing clinical data to find meaningful biological differences on an intra- and inter-patient level. I have experience collating, managing and analyzing a variety of clinical data types for patients with brain tumors, including tissue biopsies, imaging, and metadata. I also have experience in the creation and deployment of mathematical models that recapitulate tumor dynamics.

I joined the Mathematical NeuroOncology Lab at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix in November 2018 as a Bioinformatician, with a promotion to Senior Bioinformatician in June 2024. In this role, I utilize next-generation sequencing from a cohort of image-localized brain tumor biopsies to characterize the heterogeneity of high-grade glioma. I have also been heavily involved in the collection of this data, having attended over 100 surgeries. Another aspect of my research is the utilization of our large collection of retrospective data to find prognostic implications of imaging features. I also run statistical analyses for the lab, and partial differential equation models.

I have published work on prognostic implications of cystic glioblastoma, as well as the shape of pretreatment MRI abnormalities. I have also published work on the Proliferation Invasion Hypoxia Necrosis Angiogenesis (PIHNA) model, a differential equation model, to suggest mechanistic explanations to clinically observed phenomena. 

I graduated with a Masters of Mathematics from the University of York, UK in 2014, and completed my Ph.D. in Mathematical Medicine and Biology at the University of Nottingham, UK in 2019. My PhD thesis, Mathematical Modelling of Brain Tumour Growth and Therapy, was focused on using partial differential equation models to simulate tumor growth dynamics and drug diffusion through proposed polymers for local chemotherapy delivery.

I am also involved in education and outreach. I am an active member of our Education Committee, ensuring success for our summer interns and rotating graduate students. I also enjoy mentoring, having directly mentored 8 lab members to date.