Bill Hlavacek, a researcher with the Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, is working on a project that builds mathematical models used to describe cell signaling. Cell signaling is the way the immune system and other cells communicate with one another.
Daily Lobo: What is the mathematical modeling of complex biological systems?
Bill Hlavacek: The project develops predictive mathematical models for cellular regulatory
systems. These can be used to model activities in cancer and immune cells to further understand them.
DL: What is the goal of your research?
BH: The goal of our research is to map out the sequence of events in cell receptor signaling. We do this by modeling cell activities and the software predicts how the cell might respond to these activities. T-cells and other immune system cells are of particular interest. T-cells regulate immune system response to disease.
DL: Can you describe how you do your modeling?
BH: Not without getting too involved — but basically, the software allows you to specify rules to apply to cell systems. It uses differential
equations to calculate the responses. The
program is currently utilizing a new approach to modeling cell regulatory systems that allows researchers to account for different events that occur on the surfaces of cells.
DL: What do you hope to find?
BH: I hope to build models which could be used to direct immune system responses. This is important in order to develop treatments for many different autoimmune diseases and cancers. We also hope to find a scientist to collaborate with scientists in Denmark for experiments relating to our project.
