Principal Investigator

Santiago Schnell

Provost
Professor of Mathematics
Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Data Science
Dartmouth
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Short Biography (PDF) | Curriculum Vitae (PDF)

Santiago is a mathematical biologist whose research lies at the interface of the life, physical, and computational sciences. His work focuses on understanding the molecular continuum between health and disease, with particular emphasis on enzyme kinetics, protein aggregation, and quantitative diagnostics. He is internationally recognized for developing the Schnell-Mendoza equation—a widely adopted method for estimating enzyme kinetic parameters—and for advancing mathematical models of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a cornerstone technique in molecular biology.

He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Venezuela and his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Oxford. At Oxford, he was a Junior Research Fellow at Christ Church and later a Senior Research Fellow of the Wellcome Trust at the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology. He has held faculty positions at Indiana University, the University of Michigan—where he was named the John A. Jacquez Collegiate Professor of Physiology—and the University of Notre Dame, where he served as the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science.

Currently, he is Provost and Professor of Mathematics at Dartmouth College, with adjunct appointments in Biochemistry & Cell Biology and Biomedical Data Science at the Geisel School of Medicine. In his role as Provost, he oversees Dartmouth’s academic mission and supports a broad portfolio of interdisciplinary research and education across the sciences and humanities.

Dr. Schnell has received numerous honors for his research, including election to the American Academy of Sciences and Letters and the Arthur Winfree Prize. He is a Fellow of several learned societies, including the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Society for Mathematical Biology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has served as President of the Society for Mathematical Biology and on the editorial boards of leading scientific journals.

At the core of his scientific mission is the belief that accurate measurement and sound mathematical modeling are essential to deciphering the complexity of biological systems. His laboratory develops theoretical and computational tools to interpret experimental data rigorously, train the next generation of scientists, and contribute to a more quantitative understanding of physiology and disease.

Contact Information

Postal Address
Santiago Schnell
Office of the Provost
6004 Parkhurst Hall
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755
United States

Phone: +1 (603) 646-2404
Email: santiago.schnell@dartmouth.edu

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Executive Assistant (Administrative Inquiries)

Courtney McManus
Email: courtney.b.mcmanus@dartmouth.edu
Phone: +1 (603) 646-2448