SMB Digest February 4, 2014 Volume 14 Issue 6
ISSN 1086-6566
Editor: Wandi Ding wding1(at)gmail(dot)com
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
Inquiries about membership or BMB fulfillment should be sent to
membership(at)smb(dot)org .
Issue's Topics:
2014 Midwest Mathematical Biology Conference
Deadlinie for minisymposium proposal for JSMB & SMB
Deadlinie for AlCoB 2014
SIAM Conference on Imaging Science (IS14)
Joint MBI-CAMBAM-NIMBioS Summer Graduate Program
MBI Workshops for March and April 2014
Workshop on networks in ecology
Synthetic and Systems Biology Summer School,Italy
NSF funding: Sustainability Research Networks Competition
Graduate and Postdoc Positions: U of Ottawa
Postdoc position: Case Western Reserve University
Postdoc position: Washington University
SMBnet Reminders
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Date: Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 9:13 AM
Subject: 2014 Midwest Mathematical Biology Conference
2014 Midwest Mathematical Biology Conference - Call for
Presenters
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is excited to host the
inaugural Midwest Mathematical Biology Conference on May 17-18,
2014 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The conference features four
outstanding plenary speakers
Dr. Linda Allen, Texas Tech. Univ.
Dr. Carlos Castillo-Chavez, Arizona St. Univ.
Dr. Jasmine Foo, Univ. of Minnesota
Dr. Sebastian Schreiber, Univ. of California, Davis
and the opportunity to share new ideas in all areas of
mathematical biology. Further details about the conference,
abstract submission, and registration information are available
If you are interested in presenting an oral or poster
presentation, please submit an abstract by February 17th, 2014.
Registration increases after April 16th, 2014. We hope to see
you in May!
Questions or inquires can be directed to James Peirce
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Date: Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 11:12 PM
Subject: Deadlinie for minisymposium proposal for JSMB & SMB
The deadline for minisymposium proposal for the Joint
Annual Meeting of the JSMB and the SMB, Osaka 2014 is
February 28, the end of this month.
We welcome proposals from all areas of the life and medical
sciences at the interface of mathematics and its application
to biology.
Those interested in organizing a minisymposium should submit
a proposal to the conference program committee by no later than
February 28, 2014.
Proposals should be submitted via email:
For more information please see:
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Date: Sun, Feb 2, 2014 at 5:38 AM
Subject: Deadlinie for AlCoB 2014
***** SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED: February 11 *****
1st INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ALGORITHMS FOR COMPUTATIONAL
BIOLOGY, AlCoB 2014, Tarragona, Spain, July 1-3, 2014
Organized by:
Research Group on Mathematical Linguistics (GRLMC)
Rovira i Virgili University
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Date: Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 9:14 AM
Subject: SIAM Conference on Imaging Science (IS14)
SIAM Conference on Imaging Science (IS14)
Hong Kong Baptist University, May 12-14, 2014
Scientific Committee Co-chairs:
Barbara Kaltenbacher, University of Klagenfurt, Austria
Michael Ng, Hong Kong Baptist University, China
Fadil Santosa, University of Minnesota, USA
Scientific Committee Members:
Guillaume Bal, Columbia University, USA
Maitine Bergounioux, University of Orléans, France
Martin Burger, University of Münster, Germany
Yunmei Chen, University of Florida, USA
Gareth Funka-Lea, Siemens, USA
John Greer, National Geospatial Agency, USA
David Gu, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA
Sung Ha Kang, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Aggelos Katsaggelos, Northwestern University, USA
Ron Kimmel, Technion, Israel
Jean-Michel Morel, ENS Cachan, France
Adrian Nachman, University of Toronto, Canada
Invited Speakers:
Antonin Chambolle (Ecole Polytechnique, France)
Michael Elad (Technion, Israel)
Leo Grady (HeartFlow, USA)
Yi Ma (Microsoft Research Asia)
Carola-Bibiane Schönlieb (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Rebecca Willett (Duke University, USA)
PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE:
February 17, 2014
Twitter hashtag:
#SIAMIS14
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Date: Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 11:07 AM
Subject: Joint MBI-CAMBAM-NIMBioS Summer Graduate Program
Joint 2014 MBI-CAMBAM-NIMBioS Summer Graduate Program
Rhythms & Oscillations
This summer school will focus on the theory, mathematical
modeling and experimental study of biological rhythms. The
workshop will begin by introducing the basic mathematical
tools and techniques used in studying biological rhythms.
In depth explorations of specific problems will then be
presented. Students will also work in small groups on projects,
which will be presented at the end of the two-week summer school.
Graduate students from the mathematical, physical and life
sciences are encouraged to apply.
The graduate program will be held at MBI.
Applications received by Friday, February 28, 2014 will
receive full consideration.
Speakers
·Victoria Booth, University of Michigan
·Daniel Forger, University of Michigan
·Paul Francois, McGill University
·Marty Golubitsky, Mathematical Biosciences Institute
·Fred Guichard, McGill University
·Nancy Kopell, Boston University
·David Paydarfar, Wyss Institute
·William Schwartz, University of Massachusetts Medical School
·Arthur Sherman, National Institutes of Health
·John Tyson, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
·Xiaopeng Zhao, University of Tennessee
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Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 11:07 AM
Subject: MBI Workshops for March and April 2014
Below are the MBI Workshops held in March and April of 2014.
If interested in applying please click adjacent link or visit
programs. Applications received up to 10 weeks in advance will
receive full consideration.
Workshop 3: Integrating Modalities and Scales in Life
Science Imaging (March 17 - 21, 2014)
CTW: From Within Host Dynamics to the Epidemiology
of Infectious Disease (April 7 - 11, 2014)
Workshop 4: Analysis and Visualization of Large Collections
of Imaging Data (April 21 - 25, 2014)
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Date: Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 9:00 AM
Subject: Workshop on networks in ecology
Networks in Ecology is a week long interdisciplinary workshop
combining network science, dynamical systems and ecology. The
expected audience is master and PhD students, and post-doctoral
researchers. The program is composed of lectures on the relevant
topics and a number of open discussions and brain-storming
sessions. Participants are expected to bring open problems
within the topics of the workshop. A number of these open
problems will be selected in the first day and teams will work
during the week aiming for a concrete research plan. Groups
will be mentored by senior researchers. Participants will also
have the opportunity to present a talk and/or posters about
his/her own research.
Lecturers
Anna Eklöf, Linköping University, Sweden
Phillip Staniczenko, University College London, England
Samraat Pawar, Imperial College, England
Serguei Saavedra, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Spain
Martin Rosvall, Umeå University, Sweden
Xavier Thibert-Plante, Umeå University, Sweden
The workshop takes place at the Marine research station in
Norrbyn 40 km south of Umeå, northern Sweden, during the spring
(May 19 - 23) 2014. Registration can me made through the
website until March 10.
Further information about the workshop can be found at the web page
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Date: Sat, Feb 1, 2014 at 2:36 PM
Subject: Synthetic and Systems Biology Summer School,Italy
Synthetic and Systems Biology Summer School: Biology meets
Engineering and Computer Science Taormina - Sicily, Italy,
June 15-19, 2014
*Application Deadline: February 15 2014*
NEWS: Reduced registration fees thanks to the generous
support of our sponsors.
*List of Speakers*
- Uri Alon, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
- Jef Boeke, Johns Hopkins University, USA
- Jason Chin, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK
- Virginia Cornish, Columbia University, USA
- Angela DePace, Harvard University, USA
- Paul Freemont, Imperial College London, UK
- Farren Isaacs, Yale University, USA
- Tanja Kortemme, University of California San Francisco, USA
- Giuseppe Nicosia, University of Catania, Italy
- Sven Panke, ETH, Switzerland
- Rahul Sarpeshkar, MIT, USA
- Giovanni Stracquadanio, Johns Hopkins University, USA
- Ron Weiss, MIT, USA
*School Directors*
- Jef Boeke, Johns Hopkins University, USA
- Giuseppe Nicosia, University of Catania, Italy
- Mario Pavone, University of Catania, Italy
- Giovanni Stracquadanio, Johns Hopkins University, USA
*Short Talk and Poster Submission*
Students may submit a research abstract for presentation.
School directors will review the abstracts and will recommend
for poster or short-oral presentation. Abstract should be
submitted by February 15, 2014. The abstracts will be published
on the electronic hands-out material of the summer school.
Co-located Event: The 3rd International Synthetic Yeast Genome
(Sc2.0) Meeting will be held in Taormina Friday June 20, 2014
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Date: Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 11:36 AM
Subject: NSF funding: Sustainability Research Networks Competition
A new NSF program solicitation (NSF 14-534) is now available:
Sustainability Research Networks Competition (SRN)
- 2014 Focus: Urban Sustainability
Please see
for details.
Full Proposal Deadline Date: April 29, 2014
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Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 7:03 PM
Subject: Graduate and Postdoc Positions-U of Ottawa
Graduate and Postdoctoral Positions Studying Gene Regulation
in Stem Cells and Cancer
The Perkins Lab at the University of Ottawa / Ottawa Hospital
Research Institute is seeking skilled and enthusiastic candidates
to fill multiple grant-funded graduate (PhD or possibly MSc) and
Postdoctoral positions. All positions involve a combination of
mathematical/probabilistic modeling and applied analysis of data
from collaborating labs. Specific collaborative topics include:
(1) Estimation and refinement of gene regulatory networks
governing blood cell differentiation, based on quantitative
proteomics and other high-throughput data; (2) Identification
of 3D chromatin structure and its role in gene regulation during
muscle stem cell differentiation; (3) Developing methods for
network inference based on combinatorial gene deletions, with
application to the cancer-related RNR3 gene; (4) Identification
and network analysis of small-interfering RNAs that can help
target oncolytic viruses to pancreatic cancers. Positions are
available now, and will be filled as suitable candidates are
identified.
QUALIFICATIONS - Candidates must have background in
Math/Systems/Computational Biology. Skills or experience in
Machine Learning, Statistics, or Bioinformatics are a plus.
Typically, lab members have previous degrees in Computer
Science, Electrical Engineering, Math or Physics. However,
candidates from any background will be considered, as long
as they have relevant experience and abilities. Candidates
must be able to program (e.g. in Matlab, R, Perl; we are not
wedded to any one language). Finally, candidates must be able
to manage and analyze large datasets in a collaborative setting.
Depending on background and interests, candidates may enrol
through a variety of University of Ottawa departments and
programs: the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science; the Biomedical Engineering Program; the Department of
Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology; the Department of
Cellular and Molecular Medicine; and possibly others.
ABOUT THE LAB - The Perkins Lab specializes in Machine Learning
and Bioinformatics, particularly for estimating gene regulatory
networks and analyzing high-throughput datasets. We also have
a growing interest in image analysis, though not for any of the
positions open right now. The lab is located at the Ottawa
Hospital Research Institute, which is ranked 1st for research
intensity of all Canadian hospital-based research institutes.
The lab is within the world-class Sprott Center for Stem Cell
Research, downstairs form the headquarters of the Canadian Stem
Cell Network, and right next door to StemCore, the only
high-throughput sequencing facility in Ottawa. Lab members
conduct "pure" research on topics such as stochastic processes,
machine learning, bioinformatics, and image analysis. We also
regularly collaborate on cutting-edge questions in stem cell
and cancer biology, by helping to design experiments and by
analyzing and modeling state-of-the-art high-throughput datasets.
CONTACT - To apply, send a c.v. or resume, relevant transcripts,
If you have questions or want more information, email
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Date: Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 11:04 AM
Subject: Postdoc position: Case Western Reserve University
Post-doc: Quantitative Ecology
We seek a recent PhD with strong math and statistics skills to
join a project recommended for funding by NSF that will develop
new approaches to modeling the environmental drivers of population
dynamics and their effects. The ideal candidate will have
experience with quantitative biological modeling and data analysis
and research interests in population and community ecology. The
post-doc will be housed in Peter Adler’s lab at Utah State
will spend one month per year at Cornell with Steve Ellner
of Case Western Reserve University. The project will focus on
improving methods for model selection (which environmental
covariates should we include in demographic models?) and for
fitting nonlinear norms of reaction. The post-doc’s efforts
will center on empirical applications of the new methods to
long-term data sets from semi-arid plant communities. Depending
on the candidate’s interests, applications include forecasting
population responses to environmental change, testing theory
about the population and community consequences of environmental
variability, and explaining life histories in varying environments.
Salary starts at $40,000 and the position is funded for over
2.5 yrs. To apply, please email the following attachments to
interests, contact information for three references, and,
optionally, two papers and/or unpublished manuscripts. We will
begin reviewing applications Feb. 24. We nticipate scheduling
interviews in late March, with a start date for the position in
mid-2014. To apply, upload a CV, a statement of research interests
(2 pages), contact information for three references, and,
optionally, two papers and/or unpublished manuscripts. For a
complete position
description and application instructions please see:
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Date: Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 1:26 PM
Subject: Postdoc position: Washington University
Postdoctoral Position - Advanced Image Analysis/Computational
Neuroscience
FUNDED POSTDOCTORAL POSITION with emphasis on advanced image
analysis techniques, single particle tracking and/or modeling is
available for a highly motivated candidate at Washington
University School of Medicine. Our lab is dedicated to studying
the mechanisms of synaptic transmission at individual synapses
and the role of synaptic plasticity in information processing.
Several current projects have translational emphasis on
dysfunction in information processing in neurological disorders
such as autism and mental retardation. The lab utilizes
cutting-edge imaging and electrophysiological tools in
combination with image analysis and computational techniques
to approach these questions. More information can be found on
Successful candidates will be in charge of the computational
aspects of these projects and will be able to combine them
with experimental approaches if desired. Qualified applicants
are expected to hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in physics,
engineering or life sciences, have extensive experience in
image/data analysis techniques and computational/statistical
methods. In depth knowledge of Matlab is essential.
Trainee will work in a highly interactive multidisciplinary
research environment at Washington University, which has been
consistently ranked among the top five Medical Schools in the
country. Highly competitive salary and benefits are available
and will commensurate with experience.
Interested applicants should provide their CV and names of
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