African Biomathematics Initiative

非洲大陆面临许多社会经济和公共卫生挑战，包括新出现的或迅速变化的疾病；气候变化引起的迅速变化的生态系统；自然资源的开发；保护正在消失的生态系统和野生动物的需要或愿望；在资源有限的情况下进行资源管理的挑战；农业做法的变化及其对人类健康的影响；卫生事件以及气候和生态变化对社会结构、经济制度和政治稳定的影响。生物数学方面的研究和培训可以在应对这些挑战方面取得实质性进展。解决这些问题不仅对非洲，而且对包括美国在内的世界其他地区都很重要。非洲的问题给数学科学家带来了特别令人兴奋和复杂的挑战，从数学建模问题到数据分析和解释问题。为了让美国科学家能够最好地帮助应对这些挑战，从数学建模问题到数据分析和解释问题，美国和非洲的数学科学家之间需要建立合作伙伴关系，以便美国科学家能够第一手了解非洲的问题以及他们的模型所需的数据。其中许多挑战落在数学科学和生物科学之间的交界处。应对这些挑战需要大量从事生物数学研究和培训的研究人员，并准备应对由非洲问题引起的具体生物数学挑战。因此，重要的是加强生物数学的发展，并培训美国数学科学家与国际合作在生物数学和国际场所工作。该项目以美国-非洲在非洲的三个研究研讨会为特色，重点关注非洲提出的挑战，这些挑战的解决需要严肃的数学组成部分：(1)保护生物学和创建生态保护区，以及与灭绝风险和入侵物种风险相关的问题；(2)流行病学的经济方面；(3)利用遗传学控制人类和农作物疾病。在头两期讲习班之前，将有一个高级研究所(ASI)，其目的是为研究生参加讲习班、后续研究项目和长期国际合作做准备。由ASIS推动的小型研究项目和研讨会将有美国和非洲的参与者参加。由于成功的模型开发永远不应脱离数据，但有时确实如此，因此计划建立一个侧重于数据分析的生物路径建模诊所。由于对一些非洲学生进行比计划中的ASIS更深入的培训非常重要，该项目将接待非洲研究生进行为期一年的访问，在此过程中，美国研究生和博士后生物数学家以比为期两周的活动更长、更广泛的模式接触到非洲的问题。非洲教职员工也将作为参观者前来参与联合研究项目。ASIS和研讨会产生的材料将通过书籍、文章、网站、CD和报告广泛传播，以便其他人可以复制这些活动。项目成果将用于一个单独资助的项目，该项目将把当前的研究带入本科生课堂。与非洲数学科学研究所(AIMS)、南非流行病学建模与分析英才中心(SACEMA)、非洲数学研究所网络(AMI-NET)、非洲数学千年科学倡议(AMMSI)以及加拿大信息技术和复杂系统数学网络(MITACS)的国际伙伴关系将加强该计划。

The continent of Africa faces numerous socio-economic and public health challenges, including newly emerging or rapidly changing diseases; quickly changing ecological systems resulting from climate change; exploitation of natural resources; the need or desire to conserve disappearing ecosystems and wildlife; the challenge of resource management in the context of limited resources; changing agricultural practices and their impact on human health; and the effect of health events and changing climate and ecology on social structures, economic systems, and political stability. Research and training in biomathematics can lead to substantial inroads in addressing these challenges. Addressing them is of importance not only to Africa but also to the rest of the world, including the US. The problems of Africa present particularly exciting and complex challenges for mathematical scientists, ranging from issues of mathematical modeling to issues of data analysis and interpretation. To allow US scientists to best help tackle these challenges, which range from issues of mathematical modeling to issues of data analysis and interpretation, partnerships are needed between US and African mathematical scientists so that US scientists can get first-hand understanding of the problems of Africa and the data they need for their models. Many of these challenges fall at the interface between the mathematical and biological sciences. Dealing with these challenges requires a large number of researchers working on and trained in biomathematics and prepared to deal with specific biomath challenges arising from problems of Africa. Thus, it is important to enhance development of biomathematics and to train US mathematical scientists to work in biomathematics and in international venues with international collaborations. The project features three US-Africa research workshops in Africa, focusing on challenges arising from Africa whose solution requires serious mathematical components: (1) conservation biology and creation of ecological reserves and related issues of risk of extinction and risk of invasive species; (2) economic aspects of epidemiology; and (3) the use of genetics to control diseases of humans and crops. The first two workshops will be preceded by an Advanced Study Institute (ASI), aimed at preparing graduate students to participate in the workshop, in follow-up research projects, and in long-term international collaborations. Small research projects catalyzed by the ASIs and workshops will involve US and African participants. Because successful model development should never be divorced from data but sometimes is, a biomath modeling clinic with a data analysis emphasis is planned. Because it is important to train some African students in more depth than is possible in the planned ASIs, the project will host African graduate students for year-long visits, in the process exposing US graduate student and postdoctoral biomathematicians to the problems of Africa in a longer, more extended mode than is possible with a two-week activity. African faculty will also come as visitors to engage in joint research projects. Materials arising from the ASIs and workshops will be widely disseminated through books, articles, websites, CDs, and reports, so others can copy these activities. Project results will be used in a separately-funded program that brings current research into the undergraduate classroom. International partnerships with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), the South African Centre of Excellence for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA), the African Mathematical Institutes Network (AMI-Net), the African Mathematics Millennium Science Initiative (AMMSI), and the Canadian Network of Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) will enhance the program.This project is co-funded by the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities.