DR pETER JARVIS

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Fulbright Tasmania Scholar (Senior Scholar)

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"Better analysis means improved understanding of biodiversity, population distributions and endangered species—all vital for preserving Tasmania's unique natural heritage. Our research in mathematical biology will give us the tools to develop new methods for working out the ancestry of species."

Dr Peter Jarvis, a lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Tasmania, is one of two winners of a Fulbright Tasmania Scholarship in 2009. This scholarship is sponsored by the Tasmanian government and the University of Tasmania and is awarded to an applicant to undertake research in the United States on a topic or issue of importance to the state.

Peter will spend four months at the University of California (Berkeley) and the University of Texas (Austin) undertaking foundation studies in mathematical physics and mathematical biology.

"We have been able to adapt some of the mathematical tools from quantum physics to the quite different arena of phylogenetics (the study of how organisms relate in evolutionary terms),” Dr Jarvis said.

“With modern data sets comparing sequences from many genes over dozens of species, even our marginal improvements can provide a significant advantage. The visit to Berkeley is an opportunity to pursue these matters with world leaders in the field.

"Theoretical physicists also study fundamentals, and our group in Hobart is no exception. In Austin, I will be continuing a research collaboration looking at generalisations of Einstein's relativity—tackling such `blue sky' questions may eventually shed light on enigmas like the elementary particles of nature.

"I expect that this project will both boost our profile in the research area internationally and also build stronger linkages between researchers in Tasmania and the U.S. This project will also feed into plans to pursue applications for a Tasmanian Centre of Excellence for Advanced Studies in mathematical physics and mathematical biology, in the next ARC funding round."

Peter Jarvis has a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Tasmania. He also has more than 100 research publications in highly ranked journals and has held visiting appointments as Erskine Fellow at the University of Canterbury, and as von Humboldt Fellow at Bonn University and Leipzig University. In 2004 he was elected Fellow of the Institute of Physics UK.