Bioinference: diverse approaches to inference and identifiability in biology

Organizers:

Ioana Bouros (University of Oxford), Alexander Browning, University of Melbourne

Description:

Mathematical models are now indispensable in the interpretation of biological data. Correspondingly, recent years have seen a proliferation of tools for parameter inference and identifiability analysis to aid this interpretation. In this mini-symposium, we aim to showcase diverse methodological approaches to inference and identifiability analysis, in addition to diverse areas of application. In particular, we will highlight problem-specific challenges at the interface of models and data: from epidemiological datasets comprising retrospective observations of a single epidemic, to spatial models where issues of data availability and sparsity are more acute. Through a succession of talks, we will foster discussion and interdisciplinary engagement. We will identify common threads and challenges that underlie the model-data interface, and together identify future areas of research. This mini-symposium aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, inspire novel approaches to integrating models with data, and encourage collaboration between both speakers and the audience. We anticipate a stimulating and fruitful dialogue among mathematical biologists of diverse backgrounds who may not otherwise interact.

Diversity Statement:

We have aimed to assemble a diverse list of speakers across the early career stages of late-PhD student to independent research fellow and professor. By construction, the application areas of the talks sit across several different application areas: namely, spatial and partial differential equation models, population-level epidemiological models, a within cardiac-cell model, and finally models of pattern formation.