Overview
This workshop is discussion-based and thematically very broad. Open problems in biology are presented by leading researchers, who share their high-level perspective. These invited speakers are also chosen because they can productively and enthusiastically engage with the many questions and comments from the diverse workshop audience that includes junior researchers and curious mathematicians.
Monday-Thursday the workshop features three talks in the morning from invited participants selected by the NITMB Theme Leaders, with workshop goals in mind. The invited participants and theme leaders then facilitate small-group discussion sessions in the afternoons. The workshop wraps up on Friday morning with a discussion of emerging research directions based on the week’s activity. All workshop participants will have an opportunity during the workshop to showcase their research in lightning talks and poster sessions.
This workshop is an excellent opportunity to experience the NITMB and learn about its opportunities. It is an ideal workshop for early career researchers, as well as mathematical scientists who are curious about current research questions in biology. This workshop may also appeal to established biological scientists and mathematical biologists who want to learn about topics and approaches in diverse biological and mathematical domains over the course of one week of discussions.
The Emerging Directions Workshop is designed to spark new cross-theme research activity, new working groups, and new proposals for convening programs. The NITMB prioritizes fostering a supportive and collaborative research environment. It aims to broaden cross-domain understanding, and to promote new mathematical research that can lead to new insights and new discoveries in biology.
Speakers
Kevin Flores – North Carolina State University
Dmitri Petrov – Stanford University
Armita Nourmohammad – University of Washington
Ann Kennedy – Northwestern University
David Schwab – City University of New York
Dominic Skinner – Northwestern University
Daniel Forger – University of Michigan
Benjamin Good – Stanford University
Tatyana Sharpee – Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Kresšimir Josić – University of Houston
Andrea Liu – University of Pennsylvania
Benjamin Machta – Yale University
Thierry Mora – École Normale Supérieure
Schedule
February 19 2024 Monday
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Introductions
9:00 am - 9:45 am
Dmitri Petrov
“Genotype-phenotype-fitness map of adaptation in yeast”
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Break
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Kevin Flores
“Data-driven selection of models for collective cell migration”
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Break
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Armita Nourmohammad
“Learning the shape of the immune and protein universe”
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm
Lightning Presentations
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Catered Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Poster Presentations
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Brainstorm Session
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Coffee Break
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Brainstorm Session
February 20 2024 Tuesday
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Introductions
9:00 am - 9:45 am
David Schwab
"Learning optimal supervised representations with the decodable information bottleneck"
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Break
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Ann Kennedy
“Neural computations underlying the regulation of motivated behavior”
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Break
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Dominic Skinner
“Statistical physics of embryonic transcriptomes reveal map of cellular interactions”
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm
Lightning Presentations
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Catered Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Poster Presentations
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Brainstorm Session
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Coffee Break
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Brainstorm Session
February 21 2024 Wednesday
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Introductions
9:00 am - 9:45 am
Tatyana Sharpee
“Information maximization and hyperbolic geometry of neural manifolds”
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Break
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Benjamin Good
“Evolution of evolvability of rapidly evolving populations”
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Break
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Daniel Forger
“The math of fatigue: from circadian rhythms in wearable measurements to mental health”
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm
Lightning Presentations
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Catered Lunch
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Poster Presentations
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Brainstorm Session
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Coffee Break
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Brainstorm Session
February 22 2024 Thursday
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Introductions
9:00 am - 9:45 am
Andrea Liu
Andrea Liu
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Break
10:00 am - 10:45 am
Kresimir Josic
“Synthetic microbial consortia as models of multicellular systems”
10:45 am - 11:15 am
Break
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Benjamin Machta
“Critical points can efficiently integrate molecular information”
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Catered Lunch
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm
Thierry Mora
“Antigenic waves of viral-immune antagonistic coevolution"
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
Brainstorm Session
2:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Coffee Break
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Brainstorm Session
4:15 pm - 6:00 pm
In-suite Reception
February 23 2024 Friday
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast
9:30 am - 11:00 am
Small Group Work
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Summary of the Week
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm