Gonzaga Presents Free Lecture ‘Mathematical Insights into Falling for the Elderly’ June 18

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

SPOKANE, Wash. – John Milton, M.D., Ph.D, professor of computational neuroscience at Claremont McKenna College, will discuss “Mathematical Insights into Falling in the Elderly” in a free, public lecture at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, June 18 in Gonzaga University’s Hemmingson Center, Room 331.

The lecture is presented by the Pacific Northwest Section of the Mathematical Association of America and Gonzaga’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Milton will discuss the intersection of mathematics, neuroscience and neurology, specifically focusing on the mathematical relationship between human balance control and sensory dead zones, and their implications for the elderly. His research supports the use of shoes with vibrating insoles as a solution.

In the classroom, Milton focuses on interdisciplinary teamwork to examine biological and mathematical problems with the aim of developing implementable solutions. His areas of expertise include biotechnology, mathematics modeling and neurobiology. His awards and accolades include a Japan Society for Promotion of Science fellowship (1971-74); Canadian Heart Foundation Medical Scientist Fellowship (1979-82); the Richard Bellman Prize for biomathematics work; a fellow of the American Physical Society; and the William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair in computational neuroscience.

For more information, please contact Katharine Shultis, assistant professor of mathematics, via email at shultis@gonzaga.edu.