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Subject: SMB Digest v13i18
SMB Digest May 3, 2013 Volume 13 Issue 18
ISSN 1086-6566
Editor: Amina Eladdadi eladdada(at)strose(dot)edu
Note:
Information about the Society for Mathematical Biology, including an
application for membership, may be found in the SMB Home Page,
Access the Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, the official journal of SMB, at
Inquiries about membership or BMB fulfillment should be sent to
membership(at)smb(dot)org .
Issue's Topics:
Mentoring at the 2013 SMB Annual Meeting
Conf: Mathematical Physiology, Oct 31-Nov 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Symposium on Systems Biology, Wageningen U., The Netherlands
Summer School on Principles-Oriented Sys. Bio., July 1-12, Portugal
CfA: Analyzing Animal Vocal Commu. Seq., NIMBioS Investigative Workshop
PhD: Computational Science/Precision Forestry, Umea University, Sweden
Investing in the Next Generation through Innovative & Outstanding Strategies
Online Master in Systems and Synthetic Biology
Selected NIH Intramural Research and other Positions - May Update
SMBnet Reminders
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Date: Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 11:14 AM
Subject: Mentoring at the 2013 SMB Annual Meeting
Applications are being accepted for mentors and mentees to participate in
the mentoring programme at the SMB annual meeting in Arizona in June 2013.
Following the successful mentoring program at previous annual meetings, we
are again offering a mentoring program for the benefit of junior scientists
attending the 2013 Annual Meeting. The goal of this program is two-fold:
* to optimize the educational and professional experience of mentees
attending the conference;
* to assist the mentees' socialization into the field of mathematical
biology.
Participants may register as a mentor or mentee or both. The deadline for
applications is May 13th, 2013. Further details including how to register
are available online at:
Caroline Bampfylde & Carrie A. Manore
SMB Mentoring Committee
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Date: Fri, May 3, 2013 at 5:07 AM
Subject: Conf: Mathematical Physiology, Oct 31-Nov 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan
2013 NCTS Conference on Mathematical Physiology
Date: Oct 31th - Nov 2nd, 2013
Place: National Centre for Theoretical Sciences, National Tsing Hua
University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Conference Scope:
The celebrated work of Hodgkin and Huxley in the last century provides
an excellent example that
physiologists can use mathematical models and methods to help them in
extracting the mechanisms of physiological phenomena.
On the other hand, due to the nature of different disciplines,
there are barriers for the communication between physiologists and
mathematicians.
This three-day conference is a multidisciplinary meeting forum
for researchers from experimental and theoretical fields, modeling,
and applied mathematics,
and is devoted to facilitating scientific exchange of ideas
between physiologists and applied mathematicians, and initiating new
collaborative partnerships.
Invited Speakers:
Baltazar Aguda (National Cancer Institute, USA)
Carson Chow (National Institutes of Health, USA)
Daniel Forger (University of Michigan, USA)
Pranay Goel (IISER Pune, India)
James Keener (University of Utah, USA, to be confirmed)
Tai-Chia Lin (National Taiwan University)
Chu-Pin Lo (Providence University)
Chih-Wen Shih (National Chiao Tung University)
James Sneyd (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Ruey J. Sung (Stanford University School of Medicine, USA)
Organizers:
Sze-Bi Hsu (NCTS & National Tsing Hua University)
James Sneyd (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Je-Chiang Tsai (National Chung Cheng University)
There is no registration fee and the contribution lecture is welcome.
For further information, please visit
or contact with Dr. Je-Chiang Tsai via the email:
Supported by: National Centre for Theoretical Sciences
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Date: Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 12:38 PM
Subject: Symposium on Systems Biology, Wageningen U., The Netherlands
First announcement: Symposium on Systems Biology for Food, Feed, and Health
June 27, 2013, Wageningen University, The Netherlands,
This one-day symposium features talks on the three pillars of
Wageningen Centre for Systems Biology: Virtual Plant, Virtual Gut, and
Virtual Microbe. The aim is to provide the participants with an
overview of the state-of-the-art in various aspects underlying Systems
Biology and to stimulate, in particular young researchers and
students, to become engaged in joint experimental / theoretical
projects. The symposium addresses both fundamental aspects of Systems
Biology and applications of industrial interest. The symposium ends
with a panel discussion on the progress in systems biology, standing
issues and the challenging topics for the future.
The attendance of the symposium is free of charge, but room for only
100 people is available. Therefore, registration is required.
For more details and to register please go to:
For all enquiries contact: Carolien Pinkster (carolien.pinkster(at)
wur.nl)
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Date: Thu, May 2, 2013 at 7:14 AM
Subject: Summer School on Principles-Oriented Sys. Bio., July 1-12, Portugal
International Summer School on Principles - Oriented Systems Biology
We are organizing the following International Summer School that will take
place from the 1st to the 12st of July in the Biotechnology BIOCANT Park of
Cantanhede (Portugal) .
For information check out the website:
This course is also a satellite of the 9th European Biophysics Congress
synthetic biology.
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Date: Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 10:21 AM
Subject: Call for Applications: Analyzing Animal Vocal Communication
Sequences, a NIMBioS Investigative Workshop
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative
Workshop, "Multidisciplinary Approaches to Analyzing Animal Vocal
Communication Sequences," to be held October 21-23, 2013, at NIMBioS.
Objectives: The aim of this workshop is to bridge the gap between
mathematical and biological researchers with an interest in the
quantitative analysis of animal vocal sequences. Recent developments
in the mathematical analysis of complex animal communication have
generated opportunities to understand the functional aspects of animal
vocalizations, their role in social organization, and ultimately to
explore the origins and evolution of human language. Until now,
however, the collaboration between mathematicians/computer scientists
and biologists/zoologists in this field has been very limited. We aim
to define the state of the art in this field, explore new horizons for
collaboration, and provide new techniques through a synthesis of the
mathematical and biological approaches to communication analysis. We
will also use this unique gathering to define some of the key
questions that need to be posed to address ultimate and proximate
hypotheses about behavior, in the context of animal vocal
communication systems.
Location: NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Co-Organizers: Dan Blumstein, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of
California, Los Angeles; Marie A. Roch, Computer Science, San Diego
State Univ.; and Arik Kershenbaum, NIMBioS, Univ. of Tennessee,
Knoxville
For more information about the workshop and a link to the online
Participation in the workshop is by application only. Individuals with
a strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and successful
applicants will be notified within two weeks of the application
deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals, and lodging
is available for workshop attendees.
Application deadline: June 24, 2013
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Date: Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 8:06 AM
Subject: PhD: Computational Science/Precision Forestry,
Umea University, Sweden
PhD student in Computational Science / Precision Forestry
We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic PhD student to work
within the project "Precision forestry of the future: enhanced forest
management by optimized tree selection in thinning operations".
The project is about whether information on the size and location of
individual trees can be used to increase productivity and
sustainability in forestry. The PhD student will develop and validate
an individual-based mathematical model of development of a forest,
from young to mature. This model will be used to study the
profitability and sustainability of different thinning strategies. A
particular focus is the identification of optimal harvesting
strategies. We further intend to develop models to estimate the cost
of a thinning operation as well as to quantify the uncertainty
associated with information gathering from laser scanning of trees
(LiDAR).
The PhD student will work in the creative research environment IceLab.
Related research is already ongoing within this environment, with
examples including studies of vegetation dynamics, sustainable use of
living resources, spatial population dynamics, and numerical methods
for structured population models. The research is interdisciplinary
and builds on a combination of mathematics, ecology, physics, computer
science, and applications.
For further information and instructions on how to apply, see
Your complete application, marked with reference number 313-459-13,
should be sent to
jobb@umu.se (state the reference number as subject)
or to the Registrar, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden to arrive
May 20, 2013 at the latest.
We look forward to receiving your application!
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Date: Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 6:31 PM
Subject: Investing in the Next Generation through Innovative and
Outstanding Strategies (INGenIOuS)
The increasingly complex scientific and social problems faced by the
nation demand innovative solutions and require a workforce that is
trained to meet these challenges. To best position mathematics and
statistics departments and students to meet 21st century needs, the
Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and the American Statistical
Association (ASA), in partnership with the American Mathematical
Society (AMS) and the Society for Industrial and Applied
Mathematicians (SIAM), are bringing together thought leaders to
develop strategies for future investments in training at the graduate
and undergraduate levels. The INGenIOuS project (Investing in the Next
Generation through Innovative and Outstanding Strategies) will
establish a community of stakeholders from academic institutions,
professional societies, government agencies, and industry. The
INGenIOuS project is funded by the National Science Foundation and
will be facilitated in collaboration with a team from Knowinnovation.
The organizers invite their colleagues, industry partners and students
to join the growing online community and help address six key
challenge areas.
1. Job placement, led by Aarti Shah and Suzanne Weekes, explores best
practices for connecting mathematics and statistics students to jobs
in all sectors.
2. Internships, led by Robert Starbuck and Angela Shiflet, considers
ways to foster internships for students at all levels.
3. Recruitment and retention, led by Judy Walker and William Vélez,
asks what will help make the mathematical sciences a vibrant choice
for a broad segment of the population (including the issue of
broadening participation of women and minorities).
4. Technology & MOOCs, led by Deborah Nolan and Robert Ghrist,
investigates the expanding role of technology and its uses across STEM
fields.
5. Measurement and evaluation, led by Peter Turner, looks at
mechanisms to assess the efficacy and return on investment of
successful and sustainable training activities.
6. Documentation and dissemination, led by Claudia Neuhauser,
discusses capturing and communicating effective training practices.
This initiative will involve a series of online activities, including
live virtual panels and forum discussions, and will culminate in the
publication of six whitepapers and a facilitated 3-day workshop in the
Washington, D.C., area this July. The workshop will give participants
the opportunity to distill lessons learned, exchange ideas about ways
forward, strategize about future investments, and design potential
projects for the advancement of this effort. In addition, the project
will make exemplary prototype initiatives visible to the broader
mathematics and statistics communities and propose metrics that
demonstrate the value of such initiatives in order to (1) broaden
adoption of effective practices to improve student recruitment,
retention, degree completion, and job placement, and (2) ensure that
successful practices are sustained beyond initial implementation.
To join the community and apply for the workshop, visit [
circulate this email to others who might be interested. Additional
details about the online activities and workshop are posted on the
website.
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Date: Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 10:44 AM
Subject: Online Master in Systems and Synthetic Biology
Online applications to the Master in Systems and Synthetic Biology
(mSSB) are open until June 10th, 2013 (second round of applications).
To find out more about mSSB, please visit our website
Applicants may come from Universities or from Engineering schools
after a first year of master (M1), or an equivalent qualification, in
Life Sciences, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, Chemistry
and Physical Sciences. Bi-disciplinary cursus including Biology is
favored, but highly-achieving and motivated students in any of the
cited disciplines can apply. Following this M2 Master, several PhD
programs are possible on site. Research trainings are also proposed in
Europe (England, Germany, Switzerland, Spain) and in the US. We would
appreciate your help in transmitting this information to potentially
interested students.
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Date: Wed, 1 May 2013 22:32:13 +0000
Subject: Selected NIH Intramural Research and other Positions - May Update
Chief Laboratory of Computational Medicine, NEI
(deadline: open-ended)
The NEI seeks to develop a new program in computational analysis that
fully employs human genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic,
neurophysiological and clinical data sets to reconstruct biological networks
characteristic of normal and disease states. The magnitude, diversity,
rich information content, and hierarchical connectivity of these data sets
require the utilization and development of novel quantitative tools. The
goal is to understand human disease at a molecular level in order to develop
mechanism-based therapeutic interventions.
We invite applications for head of a new laboratory of Computational Medicine
within the NEI Intramural Research Program. This initiative seeks to integrate
and translate knowledge from genetics and biology to a wide range of disease
processes using systems, network, statistical and bioinformatics approaches.
* Examples in ocular biology amenable to a systems approach would
include neuro-immune interactions, gene regulatory networks during disease
pathogenesis, protein interaction pathways, neuron-glial-vascular biological
networks in the retina, neuronal networks in the CNS, and developmental
conditions and disorders.
* The research program has interest in developing novel computational
methodologies for analyzing large genetic, biological, biomedical,
neuronal, and functional data sets. Particular attention will be paid
to genotype-phenotype correlations, gene-gene and gene-environment
interactions. In parallel, we will actively seek to develop disease
intermediate phenotypes that reflect the underlying biology and
pathophysiology of disease.
* Data sets from large clinical trials, genetic studies (including GWAS),
expression profiling in normal and disease conditions, and from the eyeGENE
human research repository for monogenic ophthalmic diseases will be developed
to reconstruct and understand ocular biological networks that link genetic
perturbations, small molecule interactions, and physiological processes,
to predict normal and disease states
The NEI/NIH provides an exceptional environment of dedicated scientists
as well as a wide range of resources. We currently envision that this
program will be located in the newly constructed Porter Neuroscience
complex that houses a diverse set of investigators from many different
Institutes. The successful candidate will be expected to recruit tenure-track
faculty in areas that may include computational medicine or neuroscience,
network biology, genetic or molecular epidemiology, cell and molecular
biology, statistical genetics, bioinformatics, and biostatistics into the
new Laboratory of Computational Medicine. Applicants should have a MD,
MD/PhD or PhD and an outstanding record of accomplishments in genetics,
epidemiology, neuroscience, cell and molecular biology, biostatistics,
or a related quantitative discipline. Senior scientists would have the
opportunity to maintain their participation in existing collaborative
research in non-eye diseases if desired.
This position will remain open until filled. Applicants should submit
curriculum vitae, bibliography, copies of their five most significant
publications, a summary of research accomplishments, names of three
references, and a detailed experimental plan for the development of
this program. These materials should be sent to: The Office of the
Scientific Director, National Eye Institute, Attention: Ms. Mica Gordon
Bethesda, MD, 20892. The National Eye Institute does not discriminate in
employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age,
membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. DHHS
and NIH are Equal Opportunity Employers.
The NIH Intramural Research Program
Link to Fellowships and Positions of Interest to fellows
Link to NIH Jobs
Searchable database of all NIH intramural research projects
Clinical Training at NIH
NIH Common Fund Diversity Initiatives
Women of Color Research Network
Mid-Atlantic Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC)
NIH Clinical Center Grand Rounds
Schedule:
Archives:
NIH Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series
Schedule:
Archives:
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Subject: SMBnet Reminders
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End of SMB Digest
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