Jerry Spanier

Dr. Jerry Spanier is a mathematician and statistician in the Department of Surgery and UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic.

Dr. Spanier is a leader in analyzing mathematical models of light/tissue interactions particularly in the transport regime and developing computational strategies for implementation. His research seeks efficient Monte Carlo solutions of both direct and adjoint radiative transport equations.

Along with his Institute team, Dr. Spanier has advanced and developed influential analytical tools in three major areas: 1) efficient perturbation/differential Monte Carlo tools for solving problems simultaneously and estimating sensitivity coefficients, while using only a single set of random walks; 2) a tool for computing and displaying rigorous transport tissue interrogation maps from which detailed interactions of light fields with tissue volumes can be both quantitatively and qualitatively assessed and 3) adaptive Monte Carlo algorithms whose estimates converge geometrically, rather than by the slower rate governed by the central limit theorem of probability.

Dr. Spanier serves on several editorial boards including: Mathematical and Computer Modelling, Fractional Calculus and Applied Analysis, Monte Carlo Methods and Applications, Journal of Statistical Physics, International Journal of Mathematical Modelling. He is also a reviewer for numerous U.S. and international grant agencies and journals.

Dr. Spanier earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Chicago. During his early career, he worked in industry and has served as a professor, Dean of the Faculty, and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Claremont Graduate University.  Dr. Spanier also was named a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar, studying at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Research Interests
+ Light/tissue interactions
+ Monte Carlo methods
+ Transport and diffusion theory