We are delighted to announce that the Council of the IMA has awarded the IMA Gold Medal 2018 to Professor Reidun Twarock of the University of York. Institute Gold Medals are awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions to mathematics and its applications over a period of years; the citation for this year’s award follows.
Prof Reidun Twarock is awarded the IMA Gold Medal 2018 for her work in the field of Mathematical Virology, an emerging subject in which she is the world leader and which is essentially founded by her. This involves the study of non-crystallographic symmetries of the three-dimensional structures of viruses, the symmetry-breaking mechanisms in the structural transitions of capsid architectures that in many clinically important viruses are required for infection, and the impact of the asymmetric organisation of the viral genome on virus assembly. One key concept is that the contact points between the encapsulated genomic RNA and the inner capsid surface act as the vertices of a polyhedron with related symmetry. In effect, Hamiltonian paths on this polyhedron enabled the discovery of sequence-specific contacts between genomic RNA and capsid and characterise capsid formation. The study of these paths therefore acts as a powerful tool in interrogating virus structure and assembly.
The mathematical approach Prof Twarock developed, has played a key role in the discovery of a virus assembly mechanism which has changed the existing paradigm, and which has opened up novel opportunities in anti-viral therapies and vaccination. Her work has shown that the traditional models of virus formation are inadequate for single-stranded RNA viruses such as Hepatitis C, HIV and the common cold. In addition, developing applications of her Viral Tiling Theory includes assisting experimentalists in understanding the geometries of self-assembling protein nanoparticles such as those used in the design of malaria vaccines.
Her work has been highlighted in articles in international science magazines such as Quanta and in SIAM News, in documentaries such as “Thinking Space” funded by the LMS, and in a forthcoming BBC documentary with Hannah Fry at the helm.
Prof Twarock has led a sizeable team of researchers since 2007, with Leverhulme Trust funding, followed by large grants from EPSRC, BBSRC and the Wellcome Trust. Her team of typically three PDRAs, spans expertise in Mathematics, Biophysics and Bioinformatics, working on interdisciplinary projects in which Mathematics plays a key role and acts as driver of discovery in virology.
Prof Twarock has a strong record of outreach and community service. She is involved in developing artwork illustrating the geometry of virus architecture and in the creation of virtual environments to enable the public to experience genome organisation in viruses, and is involved in the design of the maths and medicine zone of a forthcoming Mathematics Discovery Centre in collaboration with the CEO of MathsWorld UK. Further, Prof Twarock is a renowned speaker, giving the 2011 Plancherel Lecture in Fribourg (Switzerland), the 2012 Ladyzhenskaya Lecture in Leipzig (Germany), the 2014 LMS Mary Cartwright Lecture, and the 2018 Lighthill Lecture amongst others. Prof Twarock has served on two EPSRC Strategic Advisory Teams and the Isaac Newton Institute’s Scientific Steering Committee.