Schedule   Participants   1998-1999 Mathematics in Biology 

The general goal of this workshop is to bring together immune system theorists and experimental immunologists with mathematicians who can become stimulated in this exciting and important area, and who may be able to make an impact by contributing new methods and tools of analysis. At the moment there are a small number of intense collaborations between mathematical modelers and experimental immunologists. A goal of this workshop is to stimulate more collaborations of this type. Prior to the start of the workshop tutorials will be given on cell signaling, the physiology of the immune system, and the dynamics of the immune response in order to provide the mathematicians with sufficient background to effectively participate in the workshop.

First we will consider how cells of the immune system receive and send signals, i.e., how their surface receptors initiate signalling cascades, and how these cells secrete lymphokines that stimulate other cells of the immune system. We will then focus on questions concerning the dynamics of interactions among B cells, T cells, and antigen presenting cells, and the regulation of these populations. We will examine events occuring during immune responses, including the formation of spatial structures, such as germinal centers, as well as problems dealing with somatic mutation and affinity maturation. The mathematics employed will involve systems of nonlinear ordinary differential equations, partial differential equations, cellular automata, stochastic processes, and computer simulation.