Speakers
Description
Phenotypic plasticity,the dynamic switching of cancer cells between phenotypes, is a fundamental, yet poorly quantified, driver of metastasis, therapy resistance, and relapse. A deep understanding of this process requires the integration of experimental data with advanced mathematical frameworks to move beyond description to prediction. This symposium brings together world-leading experts at this interface to present a cohesive view of plasticity across biological scales. Talks will span from the molecular circuitry of cell-fate decisions, patient-specific models of tumor evolution, to theoretical frameworks quantifying state transitions and network dynamics. By bridging mechanistic models, clinical data, and evolutionary theory, the session will highlight how mathematical and theoretical biology is uniquely positioned to uncover the principles governing plasticity. The goal is to foster discussions on inferring dynamical rules from data, predicting emergent tumor behavior, and ultimately informing novel therapeutic strategies that target the adaptable nature of cancer. This topic is of central importance to the ECMTB community, uniting theoreticians, computational biologists, and experimentalists.
