Dynamical modelling for biology and medicine
Duration 2 days
Team Central Short Courses
Target Audience

Mid stage postgraduate research students

Early career researchers

Research students and staff in the health and life sciences.

Pre-requisites

Some basic mathematical knowledge is assumed (GCSE or equivalent level).

Process

A two-day course run on consecutive days, consisting of lectures and hands-on practical sessions.

Description

Maths is applied to a wide range of topics in medicine and biology, and forms the foundation for much of what is now called "Systems Biology". Assuming some basic mathematical knowledge, this course will introduce key concepts in how to build models of biological systems, how to investigate the behaviour of those models, and how to interpret the results. Lectures will be supported by hands-on practical modelling and computer simulation using MATLAB.

Key themes

  • Key ideas: the kinds of behaviour that dynamic models can exhibit (e.g. exponential growth or decay, steady states, oscillations), and their stability.
  • Single variable models: How to work out their dynamics by sketching one simple graph - applications, including to population growth and gene regulation.
  • Multi-variable models: Interacting populations, signalling networks and biochemical reactions. How to turn a set of reactions into a mathematical model with the law of mass action. More about transcriptional and translational regulation. How to work out a lot about their dynamics by sketching two (or more) graphs.

Aims

  • To introduce modelling and quantitative approaches to biology 
  • To explain where equations come from and what they mean, placing the mathematics into a context that is relevant for the life scientist.
  • To enable life scientists to gain a better understanding of what a model is, and how to go about building one.

Objectives

By the end of the session, participants will:

  • understand key concepts in how to build models of biological systems

  • know how to investigate the behaviour of those models

  • be able to interpret the results of those models.

Pre-Requisites Please complete this online quiz before attending the course:

http://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/mathsforlife/gstdmb2010/

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