Ellen Baake facts for kids
Ellen Baake (born in 1961) is a brilliant German scientist. She is a professor at Bielefeld University where she teaches about biomathematics and theoretical bioinformatics. This means she uses math to study biology and how living things work!
Contents
What Does a Mathematical Biologist Do?
Ellen Baake is a mathematical biologist. This is a special kind of science that mixes two big subjects: mathematics and biology. Imagine using numbers, equations, and logic to understand how plants grow, how animals evolve, or how our bodies fight off sickness. That's what mathematical biologists like Ellen do!
Her Amazing Research
Professor Baake's work focuses on how living things change over time, which is called evolution. She uses special math tools like probability theory and differential equations to figure out these complex changes.
- Probability theory helps her understand the chances of different things happening in nature.
- Differential equations are like powerful math recipes that describe how things change continuously.
She also studies how our bodies fight off germs, a field called immunobiology. Plus, she has even used math to understand photosynthesis, which is how plants make their own food using sunlight.
Her Journey in Science
Ellen Baake started her science journey at the University of Bonn in Germany. She earned her first degree in biology in 1985. Then, she continued her studies and got her Ph.D. in theoretical biology in 1989. Her Ph.D. project was about how plants use light for photosynthesis.
Later, in 1999, she completed something called a habilitation at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. A habilitation is like an extra-advanced degree in Germany that shows you are ready to be a full professor. After working at a few other universities, she joined Bielefeld University in 2004, where she is a professor today.
A Special Recognition
In 2010, Ellen Baake was invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians. This is a very big and important event where top mathematicians from all over the world gather to share their ideas. Being invited to speak there is a huge honor and shows how important her work is in the world of science!
