Unexpected Pairings Week 2: Medicine
With cutting-edge research tools and multidisciplinary collaborations, Penn State Eberly scientists are combining their expertise to unlock the very code of life—to inform the development of individually tailored, “precision medicine” treatments, discover and develop new therapeutic drugs, and help provide healthier futures for all. Read more about Eberly research on the future of medicine.
"How computational modeling is transforming Alzheimer’s research"
Wenrui Hao, professor of mathematics
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex and devastating condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Understanding how it progresses and identifying the best strategies for early intervention are major scientific and medical challenges. In this talk, Hao will share how his team is using advanced computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and digital twin technology to create personalized simulations of Alzheimer’s progression. These models help us predict how the disease develops in individual patients and explore the impact of potential treatments. By combining clinical data, biological insights, and cutting-edge mathematics, Hao’s research offers a new window into the future of public health and opens exciting opportunities for more effective, personalized care for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Speaker Bio:
Wenrui Hao is a professor of mathematics at Penn State and the director of the Center for Mathematical Biology. His research focuses on computational modeling, scientific computing, and data-driven approaches to understanding complex medical systems. Hao applies mathematical models and artificial intelligence to study diseases such as cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s, aiming to improve personalized predictions and treatment strategies. He has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, secured funding from the NSF, NIH, and AHA, and collaborates extensively across disciplines, connecting mathematics, medicine, and engineering. He earned a doctoral degree at the University of Notre Dame in 2013 and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the NSF Mathematical Biosciences Institute before joining Penn State in 2016.
January 31, 2026
001 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
"How our genes influence the risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders"
Santhosh Girirajan, T. Ming Chu Professor of Genomics and head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Research has shown that neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and depression have a strong genetic basis. Over the past two decades, Girirajan’s research has focused on identifying genes that contribute to these disorders and understanding why individuals carrying the same genetic variant show different clinical outcomes. In the talk, Girirajan will highlight ongoing research in his lab on how genetic mutations arise and accumulate, and how individuals with these mutations become susceptible to different disease trajectories. Overall, his work points to a model in which assortative mating—the non-random way in which people choose their partners—compounds genetic risks over generations, producing different outcomes that are reflected in how and where affected individuals are identified.
Speaker Bio:
Santhosh Girirajan is a physician by training and a geneticist by practice. He obtained a medical degree at Bangalore University in India, and a doctoral degree in human at the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. He trained as a senior fellow in the Department of Genome Sciences at the University of Washington before moving to the Penn State, where he is currently the T. Ming Chu Professor and Department Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has been recognized with many teaching awards including the Tershak and the C.I. Noll awards. He served as an advisory member to several patient support groups and participated in multiple national and international grant panels. Girirajan has trained over 75 undergraduate students and nearly 50 graduate students, research technologists, and postdocs in his lab.