Hannah Callendar gives talk on biomathematics Apr. 21
Hannah Callender, postdoctoral associate at the University of Minnesota's Institute for Mathematics and its Applications, will give a colloquium, “Adventures in Biomath: From Cell Signaling to Motility,” on Tuesday April 21 at 4:00 p.m. in Jepson Hall, room 109.
Callender earned a Ph.D. and master's degree in mathematics at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and a bachelor's degree at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Her research interests include mathematical biology, biomathematics education, the application of differential equations to cellular signaling pathways and the modeling of cell motility. She is focused on enhancing current biomath curricula in math education for undergraduates.
In her talk, Callender will first discuss her construction and analysis of a mathematical model of a G-protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway in macrophages that has been linked to several physiopathological conditions, including atherosclerosis and hypertension. The model is based on time-course measurements of several key pathway components, with a particular focus on differential dynamics of multiple species of diacylglycerol. Diacylglycerol is an important second messenger molecule implicated in several cell behaviors, including proliferation, programmed cell death (apoptosis), differentiation and tumor promotion. The better the production and degradation of this molecule within the signaling pathway can be understood, the better chance there is of developing novel therapeutic treatments for diseases related to the malfunction of this pathway. Current results of Callender and her colleagues' modeling effort have suggested an additional branch to the signaling pathway and sensitivity analysis has provided guidance as to where further study should be directed.
The second half of Callender's talk will deal with initial efforts in developing a model of cell motility. Cell motility is an essential process in the life cycle of many organisms, as it plays a crucial role in a variety of areas such as embryonic development, wound healing, the immune response, and cancer cell metastasis. An essential process in the movement of many types of cells involves the cells adhering to and moving across their surroundings via protein complexes known as focal adhesions. Focal adhesions serve both as mechanical links from the cell to its surroundings (via transmembrane integrin receptors) and as biochemical signaling hubs to concentrate and direct numerous signaling proteins within the cell. Callender will present a mathematical model to describe the early dynamics of these focal adhesions in mammalian cells to determine the necessary components and the role of each (with a particular emphasis on the activation of integrin receptors) in the growth and fate of the focal adhesions.
Refreshments will be served at 3:45 p.m. in Jepson Hall, room 212.
Posted March 10, 2009