Ten years of Mathematical Biology at UP

Posted on November 01, 2018

The Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics is celebrating 10 years of Mathematical Biology at UP this year. In 2008, the Department drove the decision to make Mathematical Biology a strategic research focus for the Department. The aims: To unify analytical, modelling and computational power of mathematics with experimental investigations, with the aim of elucidating biological processes that result in particular observed phenomena; To strengthen the Department’s research and international profile through the development of human capacity and stimulating the generation of new knowledge, while supporting the implementation of the National Research and Development policies; To collaborate with the Biological Sciences Cluster.

Ten years later the Department has become an environment in which research activities are supported and flourish. It also plays a key role in NAS priorities for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and contributes significantly to UP vision 2025 of being a leading research-intensive university in Africa.

Achievements and research outputs:

Synergy between biology and mathematics culminating in the launch of a new DST/NRF SARChl Chair in M3B2 - October 2013

SARChI Chair renewed (Jacek Banasiak as Chair holder)

Several productive partnerships and collaborations, e.g. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; CoE in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences; Society for Mathematical Biology (SMB); Centre for Disease Modelling (CDM); University of South Africa.

Several publications in ISI journals, book chapters, keynote addresses, refereed conference proceedings.

Four Postdoctoral fellows, thirteen Doctoral graduates, seven Masters graduates, and nine NRF rated researchers.

Meetings held:

Centenary workshop on Mathematical Epidemiology - April 2008
Second Workshop on Mathematical Epidemiology - April 2010
1st UNISA-UP Workshop on Theoretical and Mathematical Epidemiology - March 2014
2nd UNISA-UP Workshop on Theoretical and Mathematical Epidemiology - March 2015
The first Satellite international conference Mathematical Methods and Models in Biosciences (Biomath-S 2015) hosted by UP - July 2015
3rd UNISA-UP Workshop of Theoretical and Mathematical Epidemiology - February 2016
The annual international conference on Mathematical Methods and Models in Biosciences (Biomath 2017) hosted by UP - June 2017
Workshop on Research Trends in Mathematical Modeling and Analysis in Life Sciences - October 2018
Regional conferences hosted - SAMS 2010, SANUM 2015, SAMSA 2016

Regular activities:

Biomath Forum lecture series; Biomath Coffee; UP Student Chapter of SIAM

Principle investigators:

Prof R Anguelov, Dr R Appadu, Prof A Bastos, Prof J Banasiak (Chair holder), Dr M Chapwanya, Prof J Lubuma, Dr S Garba, Dr A Yusuf, Dr R Ouifki

- Compiled by Prof Lubuma and Dr Michael Chapwanya -

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