Rate My Professor Cheng Lyu

Cheng Ly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the Ph.D. program in Systems Modeling and Analysis and the M.S. program in Mathematical Sciences. He holds a B.S. in Applied Mathematics with a specialization in computing from the University of California, Los Angeles (2002), an M.S. in Mathematics from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences at New York University (2004), and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the same institution (2007), advised by Dr. Daniel Tranchina. Prior to his current role, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Pittsburgh and later an Assistant Professor in Statistical Sciences and Operations Research at VCU.

Ly specializes in computational neuroscience, investigating the variability and fluctuations of cortical neural network activity and their dynamics under sensory inputs. His research addresses mathematical challenges including numerical solutions to probability density equations, large-scale Monte-Carlo simulations, and applied analysis of stochastic systems. Models developed include noisy neural oscillators, spiking stochastic networks, biophysical cellular simulations, and sensory signal coding mechanisms. Key publications include 'A Theoretical Framework for Analyzing Coupled Neuronal Networks: Application to the Olfactory System' (PLoS Computational Biology, 2017, with A. Barreiro, S.H. Gautam, W.L. Shew), 'Dynamics of Coupled Noisy Neural Oscillators with Heterogeneous Phase Resetting Curves' (SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems, 2014), 'Divisive Gain Modulation with Dynamic Stimuli in Integrate-and-Fire Neurons' (PLoS Computational Biology, 2009, with B. Doiron), and 'Critical Analysis of Dimension Reduction for a Moment Closure Method in a Population Density Approach to Neural Network Modeling' (Neural Computation, 2007, with D. Tranchina). Additional works cover synchronization dynamics, spike train statistics, phase-resetting curves, and firing rate dynamics in recurrent networks, amassing over 680 citations. Ly is a lifetime member of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the Virginia Academy of Sciences, and holds memberships in Pi Mu Epsilon and Phi Beta Kappa. He has received grants including $240,800 from the University of Arkansas for 'Tunable Multi-timescale Cortical Dynamics' and support through the One VCU Research Strategic Priorities Plan.