NIMBioS Investigative Workshop

• May 13-15, 2010 • Goal: to explore mathematical problems and

modeling and analysis tools in describing the life cycle, stage conversion, and clonal expansion of Toxoplasma gondii

• 45 participants• Organizers: Su, Lenhart, Langlais, Dubey, Joo,

Zhao

Selected Highlights

• Very productive (88%)• Met expectations (91%)• Presentations useful (100%)• Group discussions useful (88%)• Improved understanding of ongoing research

in other disciplines regarding T. gondii (100%)

NIMBioS Evaluation Report, Pamela Bishop

Participant Demographics

• Brazil, China, Colombia, France, Mexico, Nigeria, and US (16 states)

• Demographics– business/industry employees (3%), – college/university faculty or staff (45%), – graduate students (23%), – government employees (7%), – non-profit employees (2%) – postdoctoral researchers (13%)

Summary and Recommendation

• Robust transmission mechanisms due to its complex epidemic network

• Stabilities and epidemic characteristics of different life cycles; evolutionary advantages of complex life cycles versus simple life cycles.

• Host-pathogen interactions of in vitro and in vivo T. gondii infection; different strain types; delicate balance between T. gondii invasion dynamics and host immune response.

• Multiscale models; integrating within-host dynamics with transmission dynamics

• Working group on dynamic modeling of toxoplasmosis

Integrated Modeling and Analysis of within-host Infection and between-host Transmission for Toxoplasma gondii

Multiscale Modeling of the Life Cycle of Toxoplasma gondii

NIMBioS Working Group

3/4 meetings in 2011—2013 Organizers: Feng, Mordue, Su, Zhao

Objectives1. develop a mathematical framework to

understand within-host infection dynamics2. explore new mathematical models to

investigate the characteristics of the complex transmission pathways of T. gondii

3. integrate within-host and between-host models to understand the influences of various properties of the parasites on their genetic diversities and bio-geographic patterns

4. other important problems identified by the working group

Suggested Topics

• Population dynamics (using different approaches, ode, agent based modeling, stochastic modeling)

• Multi-patch interactions • Evolutionary dynamics • Linking between and within host dynamics• Stage conversion and cell cycle • Immune response• Multiscale modeling and analysis • Control (vaccine, human factors, drug, natural

interaction)

Agenda

• Flexible agenda• Suggested schedule• Other relevant presentations