September 2026 Newsletter (Vol. 33)

News

Applications Open: NITMB Fellows Program

NITMB is seeking early-career researchers who have an interest in transforming biological research and inspiring new mathematical discoveries.

This opportunity is open to researchers who want to develop mathematical, theoretical, and computational approaches to study any area of biology. NITMB Fellows conduct independent research programs, in collaboration with NITMB faculty members or others outside the Institute, focused on developing new mathematics and statistics relevant to challenges in biology. This call is aimed at young scientists trained in mathematics, computer science, statistics, theoretical biology, or related disciplines with exceptional research promise and with an interest in exploring new opportunities and challenges emerging from biological phenomena.

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Next Round of NITMB Workshop Proposals Due October 1, 2026

Researchers are invited to propose scientific workshops to be hosted in downtown Chicago at NITMB! Workshops are scheduled at least 12 months in advance, and we are currently scheduling workshops starting in October 2027. If you are interested in organizing a workshop at NITMB, the deadline for the upcoming review cycle is Thursday, October 1st, 2026. Additional review rounds for 2028 will take place in 2027.

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Networks could benefit from more disorder

NITMB-supported research developed by NITMB Faculty Member Adilson Motter and colleagues finds that complex systems, like power grids and the brain, may be stabilized by disorder. Rather than treating variation as a flaw, the findings suggest scientists and engineers could harness deliberately designed differences to build more robust power grids, architected materials and other interconnected systems. The work also could help explain why disorder is so prevalent in natural networks, including neural, biological and ecological systems.

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Members of the broader NITMB community got together to talk about their work and possible ways mathematical and biological/theoretical and experimental researchers can collaborate in the future at the first NITMB Lab Day!

Experimentalists at Northwestern Medical Campus hosted mathematicians, physicists, and theorists in their labs to show them their research on condensates and mechanisms in cancer and embryonic cells. Through their demonstrations, theorists could better understand the goals and challenges of experimentation and how they might develop models for data analysis

Discovering the rhythm of nature: Guy Amichay discusses NITMB-supported research with Scientific American

Guy Amichay, NITMB Trainee and Research Associate in the Danny Abrams lab at Northwestern University, spoke with Scientific American about recent NITMB-supported research investigating a widespread communication tempo found across species.

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Modeling molecular motors

Meet Alex Albaugh, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at Wayne State University!

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

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New Workshop Recordings

Miss the Spin Glass Theory and High-Dimensional Landscapes in Biology workshop? Recordings are available now on the NITMB website and YouTube channel!

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Miss the Biological Function in Space and Time: From Forces and Cues to Emerging Decision-making in Fates, States, and Shapes workshop? Recordings are available now on the NITMB website and YouTube channel!

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Upcoming Events

Seminar Series

October 2, 2026

Lai Sang Young (New York University): NITMB Seminar Series

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Seminar Series

October 16, 2026

John Glasser (Emory University): NITMB Seminar Series

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Upcoming Workshop

November 2-4, 2026

Local Applications Still Being Accepted

NITMB Scientific Focus: Theory and Mathematics in Neuroscience – Probabilistic Inference in Neuroscience Workshop

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Seminar Series

October 9, 2026

Jacob Palmer (Binghamton University): NITMB Seminar Series

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Upcoming Workshop

October 19-23, 2026

Representing and Learning Morphology and Shape Dynamics from Biological Data

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Seminar Series

November 6, 2026

Anshul Kundaje (Stanford University): NITMB Seminar Series

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Upcoming Workshop

October 12-14, 2026

NITMB Scientific Focus: Theory and Mathematics in Neuroscience – Dynamics in Neuroscience Workshop

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Upcoming Workshop

October 26-28, 2026

NITMB Scientific Focus: Theory and Mathematics in Neuroscience – Geometry in Neuroscience Workshop

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Upcoming Workshop

November 9-13, 2026

Local Applications Still Being Accepted

Multi-scale Biological Adaptation to Environmental Variability

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More Events

Image-Based Scientific Machine Learning for Theories of Biological Dynamics Across Scales - Image-Based Scientific Machine Learning for Advancing Theory in Biology
February 1-5, 2027
Image-Based Scientific Machine Learning for Theories of Biological Dynamics Across Scales - Information-Theoretic Methods for Learning Dynamics
February 8-12, 2027
Image-Based Scientific Machine Learning for Theories of Biological Dynamics Across Scales – Equation discovery of tissue and organ dynamics
February 22-24, 2027
Image-Based Scientific Machine Learning for Theories of Biological Dynamics Across Scales – Learning Multivariate Spatio‑Temporal Dynamical Models
March 1-5, 2027 | Applications Open
Curiosity-driven dialogue and collaboration between experiment and theory
March 22-25, 2027 | Applications Open

View Events Calendar

NITMB Opportunities

Are you part of a research team that works on a project at intersections of mathematical and biological fields?

Consider applying for an NITMB Focused Research Group Award!

Supports the in-person gathering of small teams (e.g., 3-6 people) for independent research
Provides office space and meeting rooms at NITMB in downtown Chicago
Covers non-local travel, lodging, and meals for stays up to 9 days. Teams may apply to return to continue their collaborations.
Open to researchers in pure and applied mathematics, basic biological sciences, and related fields

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We invite researchers to propose a Scientific Workshop to be hosted in downtown Chicago at NITMB.

Workshops at NITMB:

Tackle timely and pivotal research questions at the intersection of mathematics and biology
Receive full administrative and financial support from NITMB, including lodging, travel, and local support for all non-local participants
Generally, convene for 2 to 5 days and host 20-75 participants
Include discussions, brainstorming, and small group launches of new research projects

Propose a Workshop

Are you faculty, research faculty, technical staff, a postdoctoral scholar, or an enrolled PhD candidate engaged in research in biological or mathematical fields?

Consider the Visitor Program of the NITMB, which provides:

Opportunities for researchers outside the host institutions of Northwestern University and the University of Chicago to engage deeply with NITMB
Funding for non-local researchers to come from their home institutions to NITMB in downtown Chicago
Full access to NITMB’s science programs and facilities

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Consider proposing a long program to be hosted in downtown Chicago by the NITMB!

Long Programs at NITMB:

Consist of 4-10 weeks of concentrated activity in a specific area of current research interest at the intersections of biological and mathematical fields
Receive full administrative and financial support of NITMB, including lodging, travel, and local support for all non-local participants
Include multiple 2-5 day workshops, each hosting 25-75 participants
Offer an opportunity to be in residence at NITMB to conduct research, collaborate with NITMB faculty and fellows, train students, and engage with affiliated visitors

Propose a Long Program

NITMB is a partnership between Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. It is funded by the National Science Foundation DMS-2235451 and the Simons Foundation MP-TMPS-00005320.