Call for Applications: Transients in Biological Systems, a NIMBioS Investigative Workshop

[Catherine Crawley]

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative Workshop,
"Transients in Biological Systems," to be held May 29-31, 2019, at NIMBioS.

*Objectives:* Transients, or non-asymptotic dynamics, cover a wide range
of possibilities, from biology to ecology and beyond. A full
understanding of transients and their implications for biology requires
mathematical and statistical developments as well as attention to
biological detail. Transient dynamics have also played a central role in
both empirical observations and in models in neuroscience. Yet
interaction between ecologists and neuroscientists on this topic has
been limited. Although epidemiology could be considered part of
population biology, there is also less cross-talk between epidemiology
and other areas of population biology than desirable. Transients clearly
play a role in disease dynamics. Areas such as immune response require
attention to transients as well.

Goals for the workshop:

* To spur further research into transients, both from a mathematical
standpoint and as a way to understand and analyze biological systems
* To develop appropriate statistical questions related to the analysis
of biological systems using ideas from transient dynamics
* To prepare one or more synthetic documents on the role of transients
across biological systems.

*Location:* NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

*Co-Organizers:* Alan Hastings, Environmental Science and Policy, Univ.
of California, Davis; Carl Boettiger, Environmental Science, Policy, and
Management, Univ. of California, Berkeley; Kim Cuddington, Biology,
Univ. of Waterloo, Canada; Andrew Morozov, Mathematics, Univ. of
Leicester, UK; and Sergei Petrovskii, Mathematics, Univ. of Leicester, UK

For more information about the workshop and a link to the online
application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_transients
<http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_gunviolence>
Participation in NIMBioS workshops is by application only. Individuals
with a strong interest in the topic are encouraged to apply, and
successful applicants will be notified within two weeks after the
application deadline. If needed, financial support for travel, meals,
and lodging is available for workshop attendees.

*Application deadline: January 30, 2019*

The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from
around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to
investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life
sciences. NIMBioS is supported by the National Science Foundation, with
additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.