Dr Sean Vittadello & Dr Michael Pan
WORKSHOP: An Introduction to Algebraic Systems Biology
The highly interdisciplinary nature of systems biology provides the opportunity for the integration of diverse perspectives into a shared understanding. Approaches to modelling biological systems are increasingly based on discrete mathematical and algebraic formalisms, which provide new perspectives for thinking about these complex systems. In this interactive workshop we will consider some of the current approaches for investigating biological systems with concepts from discrete mathematics and algebra. There will be no formal mathematics, rather a friendly introduction and group discussion on ideas that can enhance the interactions between researchers from diverse fields. After the workshop the participant will have a conceptual appreciation of current modelling approaches and how they relate to their own field of interest.
Keywords: Reaction networks, Petri nets, hypergraphs, energy-based modelling, symmetry
Requirements: No specific equipment or assumed knowledge is required
Relevance: This workshop is relevant for anyone with an interest in learning about current approaches to modelling biological systems from an informal perspective.
Dr Sean Vittadello
MACSYS Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne
I am a MACSYS Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne within the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Mathematical Analysis of Cellular Systems (MACSYS). I hold a PhD in mathematical biology from Queensland University of Technology, Australia, where I developed mathematical models for cell migration and proliferation based on experimental data employing fluorescent cell cycle indicators. I also hold a PhD in pure mathematics from The University of Newcastle, Australia, in the area of C*-algebras.
I have broad research interests at the interface between pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and biology, particularly the investigation of structure, function, and organisation at all biological scales. Accordingly I develop general mathematical frameworks, as well as particular mathematical representations or models, for studying biological systems which requires multiple subfields of mathematics including algebra, discrete mathematics, analysis, and geometry.
Recent work has involved the development of a universal methodology for model comparison employing simplicial complexes/hypergraphs and group theory, which represents models from a relational perspective and reveals underlying conceptual symmetries. An application of this novel approach to model comparison led to new insights into the mathematical models of biological pattern formation.
Dr Michael Pan
Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Mathematical Modelling), The University of Melbourne
I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow jointly appointed between the Melbourne Veterinary School and the School of Mathematics and Statistics. I completed my PhD at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Melbourne, which developed novel multi-physics and energy-based methods for analysing biochemical systems.
My research focuses on exploring the complexity of biological systems through biophysical modelling. I have contributed to the development of bond graphs as an approach for constructing generalisable, modular and multi-physics models in biochemistry. This work includes the development of novel techniques for fitting models to experimental data and integrating systems biology models in a consistent manner. I have recently applied these methods to interdisciplinary problems in systems biology, including cardiac physiology, motor neuron disease and synthetic biology.