Sydney International Workshop on Mathematical Models of Tumor-Immune System Dynamics

College Of Saint Rose, Albany NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project is for support for US participants to participate in a workshop entitled, "Mathematical Modeling of Tumor-Immune System Dynamics" to be held in Sydney, Australia from January 7-10, 2013. The workshop aims at bringing together applied mathematicians, biologists, and clinicians actively working in the field of cancer immunology in order to share their current research and exchange ideas, as well as increasing awareness of the innovative mathematical tools that are available and suitable for the growing field of cancer immunology. The workshop will include keynote tutorials by leading experts in the field of cancer immunology, group discussions, poster sessions, senior/junior presentations, and a summary panel discussion. A major objective of this workshop is to explore opportunities for future collaborative interaction and educational exchange amongst cancer immunology practitioners across Asian Pacific and North American countries. Recent progress in cancer immunology and the advances in immunotherapy suggest that the immune system plays a fundamental role in host defense against tumor, and could be utilized to prevent or cure cancer. The purpose of this workshop is to: (1) share new advances in the field of mathematical and computational models of tumor-immune dynamics, (2) catalyze and identify potential areas for future collaborative opportunities between US and Australian researchers in the field of the cancer immunology, (3) establish novel approaches for interdisciplinary research, data sharing and ways of applying computational approaches to cancer immunology, and (4) explore innovative methods of combining mathematical and computational modeling of biological processes with undergraduate and graduate student education. This workshop includes US and international mathematicians, biologists and clinicians, and participation will catalyze new collaborations, and energize existing international collaborative research among these scientists. In particular, the workshop will involve junior researchers and students from Asian Pacific and North American countries, providing opportunities for new and early-career mathematicians and biologists to enter this fast growing interdisciplinary field of cancer immunology. To stimulate new interests in this kind of interdisciplinary work, the workshop will schedule a panel discussion on how to cultivate a sustained collaboration between US, Australian and international scientists. The workshop will also have an educational impact by providing training to graduate students, early-career scholars and clinicians in cancer-immune dynamics. This workshop will serve as a platform for facilitating interdisciplinary interactions between experienced and beginning researchers in tumor-immune dynamics. In addition, the workshop will identify opportunities for overseas training and exchange programs for US investigators and graduate students motivated by the challenging problems in cancer immunology in Australia and elsewhere. Five of the plenary speakers are female, and two of them are minority. The organizers plan to post lectures online, and publish proceedings in an internationally recognized journal in math biology.