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Podcast Special Pi Day:
Applied maths and biology
YouTube & Podcast
For our first podcast episode,  we gathered 3 math experts that apply mathematical modeling to better understand biology. 
14.03.22 
The event is in English
Ass. Prof. Leiv Øyehaug

OsloMet

Ass. Prof. Leiv Øyehaug

Getting the numbers right - from π to zebra stripes

Numerous civilizations were at an advanced mathematics level already many thousand years ago. For example, Archimedes estimated quite accurately the value of π, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, approximately 250 BC. Throughout its history, most of mathematics has been developed when applied to problems from other disciplines. Today, most sciences employ mathematical methods and mathematical thinking. Mathematics is crucial when it comes to understanding the dynamics of the pandemic and global warming, but also contributes to improving medical treatments, can explain how animals develop from embryos to adult organisms and is the basis of artificial intelligence algorithms.

Jonas verhellen

Universitetet i Oslo

Jonas verhellen

His research focuses on applying computational techniques based in applied mathematics to a range of life sciences topics. These research topics include modelling of neuronal behavior in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, nature inspired quality-diversity techniques in medicinal drug design, and deep learning for protein structures and interpretation of neuronal signals. Before his current position as PhD researcher at UiO, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry in London (applying deep learning to drug design) and as a research assistant at the university of Ghent on quantum field theory and quantum information theory

Dr. Vegard Vinje

Simula

Dr. Vegard Vinje

How sleep and breathing affects your brain - Mathematical modeling and simulations

The cerebrospinal fluid is a water-like fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. Recent research suggest that this water helps the brain get rid of waste products. Some of these waste products are associated with diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In our research we have shown, through the combination of experiments and simulations that not only the heart, but also breathing affects fluid of cerebrospinal fluid flow. We have also shown experimentally that clearance from the brain is faster during sleep than awake. In this talk I will discuss the implications of these studies, and talk about how we can use mathmatics and computational modeling to help answer questions regarding fluid mechanics of the brain.

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