Charles Samuel Peskin is a distinguished scholar and innovator in applied mathematics, currently serving as Silver Professor of Mathematics and Neural Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. He received his A.B. from Harvard University in 1968 and completed his Ph.D. at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1972, establishing a foundation that would bridge mathematical theory with biological applications. Since joining the Courant Institute faculty in 1973, he has maintained a prominent position at the forefront of mathematical biology and computational science. His career trajectory exemplifies the profound impact of rigorous mathematical thinking on complex physiological systems, particularly in cardiovascular dynamics.
Peskin's most significant contribution is the development of the immersed boundary method, an innovative computational technique that elegantly handles fluid-structure interaction problems by coupling deformable structures with fluid flows in a computationally tractable manner. This groundbreaking methodology, initially conceived for modeling blood flow through heart valves, has since become foundational across numerous scientific domains including biofluid dynamics, soft matter physics, and computational biomechanics. His seminal work has enabled researchers to simulate complex biological phenomena that were previously intractable, directly influencing the design of artificial heart valves and advancing our understanding of cardiac physiology. The immersed boundary method's versatility and mathematical elegance have cemented its status as a cornerstone technique in computational science with applications extending far beyond its original biomedical context.
As a dedicated educator, Professor Peskin has mentored more than fifty graduate students as of 2014, profoundly shaping the next generation of applied mathematicians and computational scientists. His scholarly impact has been recognized through numerous prestigious accolades including election to the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, along with the MacArthur Fellowship and the George David Birkhoff Prize in Applied Mathematics. His influential publications, including the foundational 'Mathematical Aspects of Heart Physiology' and 'Modeling and Simulation in Medicine and the Life Sciences,' continue to guide researchers worldwide. Peskin's ongoing research explores new frontiers in biomolecular motors, cardiac electrophysiology, and stochastic applications of the immersed boundary method, demonstrating his sustained commitment to advancing mathematical approaches to biological complexity.
