The Mathematical Sciences in Obesity Research

描述（由申请人提供）：包括工程学、统计学、计算机科学、物理学、计量经济学、心理测量学、流行病学和准数学在内的数学科学越来越多地被应用于促进我们对肥胖的原因、后果和缓解的理解。这些应用程序不只是涉及到在广泛可用的商业软件中容易实现的常规的成熟方法。相反，它们越来越多地涉及计算要求高的任务，使用和在某些情况下开发新的分析方法和软件，新的推导，计算机模拟，以及前所未有的两种或更多现有技术的交叉。在数学科学和肥胖研究的交汇处取得这样的进展，需要对这两个学科的研究人员进行双边培训和接触。然而，没有持续的资源来提供这种培训，而且在大多数机构中，能够并且确实经常穿越这些学科的科学家的榜样是缺乏的。这个每年5天的肥胖症研究数学科学短期课程邀请了一些世界上最优秀的科学家在这一领域工作，通过提供9个主题驱动模块来填补这一未满足的需求，这些模块旨在连接各个学科。每个模块将从肥胖症研究中应用的数学方法开始。这个介绍之后将有一个关于该方法的完整应用的讲座。在完成申请后，参与者将直接参与一个指导的交互式会话，使用与模块主题相关的软件或分析进行计算。最后，该模块以一个关于剩余开放性问题的讲座结束。为了认识到成功管理跨学科职业生涯的挑战，短期课程的每一天都将包含两个小时的互动工作会议，由资深研究人员指导，以建立下一步。参与者可以选择使用这个互动会议开始开发一个摘要，提交给国家级肥胖会议，或计划一个小的跨学科研究小组的应用程序，以推进他们的想法在诺克斯维尔，田纳西州的国家数学和生物合成研究所。根据完成程度，10名参与者将被选择在短期课程的最后一天展示他们的工作。美国国立卫生研究院和整个科学界都表示需要在数学科学和关键生物医学领域的界面上进行更多的培训，我们要求有机会成为解决方案的一部分。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The mathematical sciences including engineering, statistics, computer science, physics, econometrics, psychometrics, epidemiology, and mathematics qua mathematics are increasingly being applied to advance our understanding of the causes, consequences, and alleviation of obesity. These applications do not merely involve routine well-established approaches easily implemented in widely available commercial software. Rather, they increasingly involve computationally demanding tasks, use and in some cases development of novel analytic methods and software, new derivations, computer simulations, and unprecedented interdigitation of two or more existing techniques. Such advances at the interface of the mathematical sciences and obesity research require bilateral training and exposure for investigators in both disciplines. Yet, no ongoing resource exists to provide such training and role models of scientists who regularly can and do traverse these disciplines are in short supply at most institutions. The proposed annual five day short course on the mathematical sciences in obesity research features some of the world's finest scientists working in this domain to fill this unmet need by providing nine topic driven modules designed to bridge the disciplines. Each module will begin with a mathematical method applied in obesity research. This introduction will be followed by a lecture on a completed application of the method. Directly after the completed application, participants will be engaged in a guided interactive session performing calculations using software or analysis pertaining to the module topic. Finally, the module closes with a lecture on remaining open questions. In recognition of the challenges in successfully managing an interdisciplinary career, each day of the short course will contain a two hour long interactive working session guided by established senior researchers in building the next step. Participants may choose to use this interactive session to begin develop an abstract for submission at national level obesity conferences or plan an application for a small interdisciplinary group of researchers to advance their ideas at the National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis in Knoxville, TN. Based on the degree of completion, ten participants will be selected to present their work on the last day of the short course. The NIH and the scientific community at large has voiced the need for more training at the interface of the mathematical science and key biomedical domains, and we request the opportunity to be part of the solution.