Teaching
We are an interdisciplinary group and contribute to teaching in several programs related to Biomathematics and Bioinformatics in the Bonn area.
Graduate Seminar on PDE in the Sciences - Reaction-diffusion systems in Immuno-Biology
Msc Mathematics, Summer term 2025 (planned)
Immune responses are driven by dynamically interacting immune cell populations, which reside in complex tissues such as lymph node and spleen. Recent model simulations and experimental techniques allow to study the origin and biological function of spatial gradients arising especially in the context of cell-cell communication by means of diffusible ligands. In this seminar, we will study reaction-diffusion equations appearing in such systems. After recapitulating the established theory on pattern formation in such systems, that is Turing patterns and stochastic emergence of cell polarity, we will cover recent applications in the biophysical literature, and then proceed to the method of homogenization and models also considering cell motility by using FKPP and Fokker-Planck equations.
Advanced Topics in Mathematical Biology and Data Science - stochastic and deterministic models in biology
Msc Mathematics, lecture held together with Dilan Pathirana in winter term.
We cover several different mechanistic modeling formalisms for biology, from fine-grained stochastic descriptions of biological processes, to course-grained deterministic descriptions (Markov jump processes / SDEs / ODEs / PDEs), including numerical and analytical techniques.
Mathematical modeling of immune cell dynamics
Msc Life Science Informatics, 5-day block course in the lecture-free period after winter term
Basic knowledge of the use of mathematical models and the analysis of high-dimensional data sets in immunology is taught. Teaching forms are introductory lectures, seminars on selected current topics and work in small groups on a project with direct application relevance.
Previous graduate seminars and other teaching activities
- Graduate Seminar on Stochastic Models - Modelling immune-cell dynamics using semi-Markov processes (summer term 2024).
- Graduate Seminar on Applied Probability - Decision-making processes in immunology and ecology (together with Rudi Balling) winter term 2022/23).
- Graduate Seminar on Applied Probability - Mathematics and Life Sciences (together with Alexander Effland and Jan Hasenauer, winter term 2021/22).
- Graduate Seminar on Modeling and Simulation with PDE - Selected Topics from cell biology and immunology (summer term 2021).
- Lecture series “Theoretical Physics I - Electrodynamics” at HU Berlin, Msc. Biophysics (2018-2021).
- Practical course „Simulation of mathematical models” at HU Berlin, Msc. Biophysics (together with colleagues at Institute of Theoretical Biology, 2018-2020)