dr. A (Lia) Hemerik

From high school to University

In the years 2000-2006 Lia Hemerik has written some letters for high school students about different topics. This includes three statistics-based letters about linear regression, the sign test and the Wilcoxon two sample test. Others are more analytical and could be worked through with the program Derive. One information letter is about the use of this program. Some other letters concern matrix algebra on population dynamics, Markov models, Sustainable energy (title ‘Winds of change’: calculations on the power of a wind turbine), alternative equilibria. In 2014, as a spin-off of this work, a booklet (in Dutch) has been published at publisher Epsilon entitled Tipping points and alternative equilibria (Dutch title: Kantelpunten en alternatieve evenwichten).

Profile of Lia Hemerik

I studied Biology (MSc in 1985) and Mathematics (MSc in 1987) at Leiden University. My main subjects were ecology, mathematical biology, survival analysis and differential equations. From 1985 to 1991 I also worked on my PhD research with Gerard Driessen which resulted in a thesis entitled “Studies on larval parasitoids of Drosophila: from individuals to populations.” (Promotores: Prof. Dr. Kees Bakker and Prof. Dr. Hans Metz).

Since 1990 I am employed as theoretical biologist at Wageningen University. During a part of my career I divided my efforts over the Soil Biology group and the department of Mathematical and Statistical Methods (1996-1999). Thereafter, I returned full time to my job as Theoretical Biologist. My research topics are really diverse and range from survival analysis, model selection, matrix population models, and ordinary differential equations to partial differential equations applied to all kind of biological problems. The biological applications can be found in e.g. biocontrol, behaviour of animals, invasive species, sustainable agriculture, (soil) food web dynamics and conservation of endangered species.