On 4 July 2023, Dr. Anna Zhigun delivered a BMUCO talk on mathematical approaches to understanding how cancer spreads through tissue.
From Fluid Flow to Tumor Growth
"By translating biological mechanisms into mathematical language, we can predict how tumors evolve and test intervention strategies computationally."
The lecture demonstrated how partial differential equations—mathematical tools originally developed to describe fluid flow and heat diffusion—can model the complex biochemical processes driving tumor growth and metastasis.
Mathematical Modeling in Biology
Dr. Zhigun's work shows how mathematics becomes a powerful lens for understanding cancer:
Key Applications
- Predicting tumor evolution: Mathematical models can forecast how cancers develop over time
- Testing interventions: Computational experiments reveal which treatments might work before clinical trials
- Identifying vulnerabilities: Equations expose critical points where tumor growth can be disrupted
- Understanding metastasis: Models explain how cancer cells invade surrounding tissue
Beyond Description to Prediction
The power of mathematical oncology lies not just in describing what we observe, but in predicting what we haven't yet seen. By encoding biological knowledge into equations, researchers can explore scenarios that would be impossible or unethical to test in living systems.
This approach has revealed unexpected insights into how tumors interact with their environment, how they respond to stress, and where therapeutic interventions might be most effective.
Watch the full lecture:
youtube.com/watch?v=90UDNIpd0Oo