Nonlinear Dynamics and Stochastic Methods: From Neuroscience to Other Biological Applications

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The conference "Nonlinear Dynamics and Stochastic Methods: From Neuroscience to Other Biological Applications" will be held at the University of Pittsburgh on March 10-12, 2014. Recent years have witnessed an explosion of biological data that require novel quantitative approaches for their interpretation and analysis. In parallel, concentrated efforts were made by both the government and the national universities to educate a new generation of researchers with interdisciplinary expertise in mathematics, statistics and biology. However, the demand for such specialized skills is still to be met as few mathematical and biological scientists are trained in both topics. The meeting will bring together a mix of senior and junior scientists to report on theoretical methods that proved successful in mathematical neuroscience, and to encourage their dissemination and application to modeling in computational medicine and other biological fields.In the past two decades, among all biological fields, neuroscience is arguably the most influenced by quantitative methods. Computational models were used to propose anatomical- and functional-related hypotheses and, conversely, novel experimental findings have led to the development of new mathematical theories. While most of these theoretical advancements were driven by the investigation of the nervous system, they are general enough to be successfully translated to modeling problems in other areas of biology and medicine. The meeting will integrate education and research by introducing young investigators to a useful and effective mathematical toolbox for quantitative biology, while presenting at the same time the most recent advancements in the field.