In conjunction with a semester-long program on systems and computational biology, the Department of Mathematics is holding a Conference on Computational and Systems Biology in response to the University of Florida Computational Biology Initiative. As the core members of the mathematical biology group, the principal investigators believe that the Department should play a pivotal role in directing these initiatives, especially since mathematics will have profound impacts in these areas. To be held in March 2011, the conference includes a number of invited speakers that are experts in computational and systems biology as well as younger scientists who will interact with the local faculty, administrators, students and exchange ideas and experiences on what should and can be done to successfully launch systems biology programs at the University of Florida and other schools.
The conference speakers and their research areas emphasize a wide variety of mathematical approaches to several application areas, including cellular systems, neuroscience, population biology, and ecology. During the conference, current research challenges and important open problems are addressed. Additionally, interactions among speakers and attendees will lead to new opportunities for collaborations. With an emphasis on including students and junior researchers as participants, the conference provides a venue where they can meet leaders in the field and learn more about this interdisciplinary field.
was held on March 17-19,2011 in Gainesville, Florida. The conference brought together more than fifty scientists from the United States and abroad. The organizational committee included the Mathematics Chairman, Prof. James Keesling, and three faculty: Profs. Patrick De Leenheer, Scott McKinley, and Sergei S. Pilyugin. The conference featured ten plenary lectures, including the annual Ulam Colloquium, all delivered by prominent researchers, as well as contributed talks by younger scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. There were a number of informal discussions stemming from the scientific presentations. In addition to the standard scientific program, the conference provided a great opportunity for the University of Florida faculty and students to communicate with the leading experts in the field of computational and systems biology. Specifically, the faculty of Mathematics was inquiring about potential contributions that we (the faculty) can make to the University of Florida Computational Biology Initiative recently launched by the University. The conference also provided an opportunity for the local faculty and students to enhance their networking with other Universities, and critically enhance the visibility of the University of Florida on the Computational and Systems Biology map. The organizational committee wishes to thank the National Science Foundation for making the Conference happen.
