ESF Theme School: Simulation tools applied to Calcium Dynamics

• Co-organizers :  

Geneviève Dupont, Theoretical Chronobiology Unit,
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium

Ursula Kummer , Modeling of Biological Processes,
University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

• Lecturers :  

Tom Bellamy (Cambridge, UK)

Rémi Dumollard (Nice, France)

Thomas Höfer (Heidelberg, Germany)

Jonathan Marchant (Minneapolis, USA)

Antonio Politi (Heidelberg, Germany)

Luc Leybaert (Ghent, Belgium)

Alexander Skupin (Berlin, Germany)

• Description :

It is known for more than 20 years that intracellular calcium dynamics is highly organized, both at the temporal and at the spatial level. Experimental and theoretical work also uncovers the need to take stochastic aspects into account for a detailed approach of calcium dynamics.

Besides its intrinsic interest, calcium dynamics thus provides an excellent and realistic system to illustrate the usefulness and interest of modeling. The aim of the proposed theme school is to introduce students to the techniques of computational modelling by using calcium dynamics as a prototypical system. Simulations will be performed using the software 'Copasi' (Complex Pathway Simulator) that allows to deal with ordinary differential equations and the Gillespie's algorithm, as well as using MatLab for dealing with PDEs. In the mornings, talks will be given by experimentalists and modellers, while afternoons will be devoted to tutorials and practical exercises.

Full program here and full summary-page here.

In the framework of the FUNCDYN Network Program, the ESF will offer support for about 30 researchers and PhD students. The fellowships can include the fee of the conference, accomodation and support of traveling expenses up to 400 €.

TO APPLY : send an e-mail with a short CV and a motivation letter to Geneviève Dupont before February 19.