Paul Dieterle

2016 Hertz Fellow
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Paul Dieterle is an associate at McKinsey.

During his graduate studies, Paul studied models for biological processes that are insensitive to details. In order to gain knowledge about things such as cell signaling, one must often rely on the coarsest possible description and hope that description is insensitive to details. In his PhD work at Harvard University, Paul constructed broad models for a variety of processes that were unaffected by unknown details. This approach to modeling of complex systems allows one to pin down biological mechanisms even without detailed knowledge of the underlying biochemistry.

Born alongside his twin brother in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Paul ping-ponged around several states before completing his undergraduate degree in applied physics at Caltech. While in Pasadena, he studied quantum optics in Oskar Painter’s group.

When not in the mood to think about science, he likes to climb, read and run.

“The Hertz Foundation provided stability when I switched fields from atomic physics to biophysics and from experiment to theory. I would have done a different and less satisfying PhD project without this fellowship. I also would not have met many close friends and mentors, several of whom helped me get my job.”
– Paul Dieterle

Graduate Studies

Harvard University
Quantum Physics
Diffusive waves, dynamic instability, chromosome missegregation: dimensionality, discreteness, stochasticity

Undergraduate Studies

California Institute of Technology

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