Bo Li's Home Page

Professor Bo Li
Department of Mathematics, Faculty
Quantitative Biology Ph.D. Program, Faculty
The Halicioglu Data Science Institute, Faculty Affiliate
University of California, San Diego
E-mail: bli@math.ucsd.edu

A brief CV

Research interests

Mathematical modeling and applied analysis (PDEs/the calculus of variations, dynamical systems, and stochastic processes), scientific computing and numerical analysis (numerical PDEs, stochastic simulations, and agent-based simulations), and machine learning (neural network landscapes, model-free learning, and learning interface dynamics). Applications in biophysics and computational biology (protein dynamics, cell motility, and biofilms), materials science, and continuum mechanics.

A one-page, bullet-style Research Summary mainly for potential students and postdocs.

Current research topics and projects

Biomolecular simul., variational solvation, free energy approx., kinetics, Monte Carlo, folding & binding.
Spatiotemporal dyn. & complex patterns of growing bacterial colonies. Agent-based & continuum simul.
Electrostatics of biomolecules & ionic solutions, corre. & steric effects, forces, PB theory, Monte Carlo.
Modeling, analysis, and numerical methods for interfacial dynamics.
Machine learning: Neural network landscapes, model-free learning, and stochastic simulations with application in biology.

Some past research projects

Publications

Presentations

Teaching page

Current teaching

Math 130: Different Equations and Dynamical Systems, Winter 2026.
Math 270B: Numerical Analysis (Part B: Numerical Approximation and Nonlinear Equations), Winter 2026.

Recent past courses

Students, postdocs, and long-term visitors

Seminars: