News

• Random Dynamical Systems, with Applications in Biology | Nov. 4 - 8, 2024
• Katherine Amato Member Bio
• Jorge Nocedal Spotlight

Upcoming Events

• NITMB Seminar Series
• Biological Systems that Learn | Jan. 6 - 10, 2025
• Emerging Directions Workshop | Feb. 17 - 21, 2025
• Science + Tea at NITMB | Fridays at 3pm

Opportunities

• NITMB Affiliate Membership
• Workshop Proposals
• Visiting Scholars Program
• Long Program Proposals

November 4 - 8, 2024

Develop new robust approaches to analyze random dynamical systems and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the biological phenomena they model.

This workshop will convene mathematical scientists, working on random dynamical systems, and biological scientists who incorporate these frameworks in their research. The goal is to foster an exchange of ideas between these different research communities. The workshop is structured to help participants identify the most promising opportunities for developing mathematics, at this interface between dynamical systems and probability theory, in a way that is informed by the biological questions.

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NITMB member Katherine Amato, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Northwestern University, studies the influence of microbes on host ecology and evolution.

Explore Katherine Amato's research interests, the impact of microbes on primates, and how integrating mathematical analysis could lead to further understanding in this month's NITMB member biography.

Read more about Katherine Amato's Work

If you'd like to be featured in a future newsletter, please contact NITMB's Digital Media Specialist, Ben Stemen (stemenb@uchicago.edu)

Meet Jorge Nocedal, Walter P. Murphy Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences in the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University.

Learn About Jorge Nocedal

Want to nominate a researcher for an NITMB spotlight? Contact NITMB's Digital Media Specialist, Ben Stemen (stemenb@uchicago.edu)

Join us for a weekly seminar series bringing together a mix of mathematicians and biologists to foster discussion and collaboration between the two fields. Seminars take place at NITMB in downtown Chicago and are available virtually through a webinar.

Upcoming speakers:

November 1 - Sonja Petrović, Professor of Applied Mathematics at the Illinois Institute of Technology

November 15 - Jasmine Nirody, Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago

November 22 - Sara Solla, Professor of Neuroscience and of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University

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January 6 - 10, 2025

Explore how biological systems encode local rules for experience-dependent modification in physical hardware to implement robust solutions to complex inverse problems.

The goal of this workshop is to discover new core principles and mathematical tools/approaches shared across physical learning systems, biological learning systems and neural networks that will inform deeper understanding and future discovery in all 3 fields. To this end, we will bring together researchers interested in viewing biological problems through the lens of inverse problems, researchers working on physical learning, and researchers studying neural networks for a week of intensive discussion and cross-fertilization.

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February 17 - 21, 2025

Experience NITMB, discover available opportunities, and contribute to discussions that will establish the directions NITMB will pursue in 2025 and beyond.

Held annually in the winter, the Emerging Directions Workshop is discussion-based and thematically very broad. Open problems in biology are presented by leading researchers, who share their high-level perspective. These invited speakers are also chosen because they can productively and enthusiastically engage with the many questions and comments from the diverse workshop audience that includes junior researchers and curious mathematicians.

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Join us every Friday at 3pm for a weekly social event at the NITMB office. Cookies, Cuppa, and Chalk. Come science-alize (science + socialize)!

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Faculty from institutions external to Northwestern University and the University of Chicago who want to become regular and active participants in NITMB research, convening programs, and training are invited to apply for NITMB Affiliate Membership!

Learn how to become an NITMB Affiliate Member

We invite the proposals for scientific workshops to be held at the NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology. A Scientific Workshop is a week-long, focused program in a specific area of current research at the intersection of biological and mathematical sciences. NITMB workshops typically have only a few formal talks, with the bulk of the time allocated for discussions, brainstorming, informal chalk talks, and initiating research projects within smaller groups. Scientific workshops receive full administrative and financial support from the Institute.

Propose a Workshop

Participants in the Visiting Scholars program will be appointed for an extended period to visit and work in the NITMB headquarters and participate in the vibrant intellectual life of the NITMB, including workshops, seminars, tutorials, and research-in-progress meetings. NITMB Visiting Scholars will be granted a shared office and, upon request, may also be affiliated with one or more of the NITMB's research groups.



Apply Now

Long Programs offer the opportunity for faculty, postdocs, and students to be in residence at the NITMB. Those in residence conduct research, collaborate with NITMB faculty and NITMB fellows, provide training opportunities for students, and engage with additional visitors. Long Programs address one or more of our five research themes over the course of 4-10 weeks. Long programs receive administrative and financial support from the Institute, allowing organizers to focus on the scientific aspects of the activities.

Propose a Long Program