Speaker
Description
The Ford Versypt Lab uses mathematical biology methods to study tissues, treatments, and toxicology. We introduce new undergraduate students to a suite of techniques for these topics in mathematical systems biology. To onboard students in a semester or summer research experience, we use a structured approach with two phases: the training phase and the research phase. We have crafted a series of computational notebooks (MATLAB and Python) arranged as assignments that introduce applying conservation balances to populations of cells and amounts of chemical species in living organisms and numerically solving systems of ODEs. Then we provide guidance for an open exploration period for the students to investigate topics of their interest that use the techniques and computational notebooks for the remainder of the academic term. They receive guidance on searching the literature. They are tasked with finding two mathematical biology papers that involve ODE models with different equations for the selected biomedical topics. By the end of the term, they must use MATLAB or Python to replicate the two models, write a report detailing their progress and their topic, and present their work. By using MATLAB or Python templates provided by the lab, students focus on the learning goals related to the research concepts instead of being hindered by programming or analytical mathematics proficiency or deficiency. Senior students also appreciate that the templates enable them to quickly make progress towards using advanced techniques. This approach has been used with one high school student and dozens of college undergraduate students across all levels and majors including applied mathematics, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, and biology.
