SMS scnews item created by Mary Myerscough at Mon 14 Sep 2015 1233
Type: Seminar
Modified: Mon 14 Sep 2015 1301
Distribution: World
Expiry: 22 Sep 2015
Calendar1: 22 Sep 2015 1730
CalLoc1: Matthews Theatre B, UNSW
CalTitle1: Using Mathematics to Understand Biology
Auth: marym@pmarym2.pc (assumed)

# Public Lecture at UNSW: Philip Maini FRS -- Using Mathematics to Understand Biology

Professor Philip Maini, from the Mathematical Institute, Oxford University, is giving a
public lecture at UNSW on Tuesday 22 September.  Philip is an excellent speaker and this
talk is likely to be accessible to undergraduate students and biologically oriented
researchers.

ABSTRACT: Ever wondered what links the spots on a leopard, the invasion of the grey
squirrel in the UK, and the spread of certain cancers? Answer - They have all been
modelled by mathematics.  This talk will review the work of Alan Turing who, in 1952,
proposed a number of ground-breaking ideas to account for how patterns occur in
developmental biology.  It will then show how a similar class of mathematical equations
have been used to model how waves of invasion can arise in ecology and in disease.  In
the latter, for the case of tumour growth, it will be shown how the model suggests
therapeutic strategies.