In order to enforce and motivate interdisciplinary interactions and collaborations, during the days of the meeting, the participants will be challenged with biological problems, where mathematical and statistical modelling skills will be needed.
The biological problems will be presented during the first day, and we will allocate time for the groups to work on them during our three-days meeting. The groups will meet in round-table discussions, where mathematicians will work side-by-side with biologists. On the last day of the meeting, the groups are expected to present their approach/results.
The longer-term goal is to create a group with interest in working and collaborating and, possibly, present their final results at the next Portuguese Meeting in Biomathematics!
Bio challenge 1 Raquel Lucas
Raquel Lucas (Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto-ISPUP)
The population burden of musculoskeletal disorders: how to address the elephant in the room?
Rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders are the major cause of disability worldwide. At ISPUP, we conduct epidemiologic research on musculoskeletal health, including bone physical properties and fragility fractures, sagittal postural patterns, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Conceptually, we aim to bring together material, spatial and subjective dimensions of musculoskeletal health. Etiologically, we explore constitutional and contextual influences that shape the development of musculoskeletal traits in the general population.
Most disability due to musculoskeletal disorders is caused by chronic pain. Yet, there is a well-known dissociation between the extent of identifiable organic lesions and the severity of the subjective experience of pain. This concept supports an understanding of chronic musculoskeletal pain as a syndrome - rather than a symptom - that develops throughout life, results from organic as well as psychosocial influences, and features physical suffering as a main manifestation. Chronic pain is as much a population as an individual problem, and our research focuses on finding ways to address it as such. I will go through examples where Mathematics is central to address our research questions:
Modeling chronic pain onset and recurrence throughout life outside clinical settings
Comparing the performance of different experimental pain responses in the context of safety constraints to data collection
Quantifying competing effects of different public health trends and policies on musculoskeletal health outcomes
Selecting nuanced alternatives to null hypothesis significance testing for policy-making
Bio challenge 2 Pedro Reis Costa
Pedro Reis Costa (IPMA and CCMAR University of Algarve)
Marine Biotoxins and Seafood Safety: Advances and Current Challenges
Analyzing Shellfish production contributes to the economic sustainability of coastal regions and responds to the increasing demand for seafood. However, shellfish can accumulate high levels of naturally occurring toxins produced by harmful algal blooms (HABs), posing a risk to consumers. To protect public health, most coastal countries implement monitoring programs for toxic phytoplankton and shellfish toxicity, aiming to minimize the risk of acute intoxications and ensure seafood quality. Changes in climate conditions, human activities, and technological advancements are commonly pointed out to justify the increasing occurrence, frequency, and intensity of HABs and the subsequent contamination of marine resources. Understanding the oceanographic and ecological mechanisms that trigger HABs and developing new tools for their early detection are crucial for forecasting HAB contamination in shellfish farms. The current goals of developing aquaculture as a sustainable and economically viable industry involve predicting, characterizing, and mitigating the impacts of these natural phenomena.