European network to train new generation of mathematicians to model biology
14 research institutions and an additional 15 partner organisations will collaborate across borders to train a new generation of evolutionary game theorists from mid-2021 and onwards. The European Commission has awarded nearly 4 million euros to the Innovative Training Network (ITN), which has been named EvoGamesPlus and will be coordinated by Dr. Kateřina Staňková of the Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering.
Evolutionary game theory focuses on building mathematical models, which help to understand real-world biological interactions like those of cancer cells, animal populations and human populations. These models find applications in topics such as cancer therapy, agricultural pest management and epidemiology.
Raising the next generation…
The EvoGamesPlus network will provide 15 PhD students with the training needed to further expand and advance the field of evolutionary game theory.
The complexity of biological systems – where factors like evolution, social relationships, timing and location all play a role – requires highly trained, yet versatile scientists to accurately model it. As such, the 15 early-career researchers participating in EvoGamesPlus will be trained in mathematical modelling, biology, computational science and data analysis.
…and evolving the field
Next to preparing a new generation of scientists, research within the consortium will contribute to more realistic mathematical models of biological populations.
Specifically, the EvoGamesPlus network will work on methods to include social relationships and locations into these models. The project will also develop tools to study biological populations while they are adapting to changes, like those who have just been treated with drugs. In addition to developing these methods, EvoGamesPlus will focus on two applications: epidemiological modelling and the modelling of cancer and its treatment.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 955708.
Further reading:
EvoGamesPlus is an Innovative Training Network (ITN) funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions framework of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. The network is set to start in mid-2021 and comprises 14 institutions from across Europe, plus an additional 15 partner organizations.
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