The Midwest Mathematical Biology Seminar will be a series of virtual talks on mathematical biology featuring speakers from the Midwest region and beyond. All areas of mathematical biology will be represented in the seminar series, and a goal for this seminar is to build connections and foster research collaborations.
Schedule (Fall 2025)
(All talks at 11am Eastern Time / 10am Central Time on Tuesdays)
Zoom link: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84907159401?pwd=JboBtq30vntVuEpj8s3yYfAdwlb258.1
September 2: Tin Phan (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
September 9: Maliha Ahmed (MIT)
September 16: Peter Thomas (Case Western Reserve University)
September 23: Maxwell Kreider (Penn State)
September 30: Po-Chun Kuo (Purdue University)
October 7: Naghmeh Akhavan (University of Michigan)
October 14: Hwai-Ray Tung (University of Utah)
October 21: Folashade Agusto (University of Kansas)
October 28: Hyukpyo Hong (University of Wisconsin — Madison)
November 4: Ruby Kim (University of Michigan)
November 11: Swati Patel (Oregon State University)
November 18: Cody FitzGerald (Northwestern University)
November 25: Farshad Shirani (Emory University)
December 2: Ted Loch-Temzelides (Rice University)
December 9: Binan Gu (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
December 16: Tyler Simmons (University of Minnesota)
Title: Chemically Self-Assembled Nanorings: Therapeutic Efficacy, Response Variability, and Guiding Principles
Abstract:
Chemically self-assembled nanorings (CSANs) are next-generation therapeutics targeting various cancers. The nanoring structure, consisting of multiple T cell and tumor cell binding moieties, provides a bispecific facilitation of tumor cell recognition and T cell activation, similar to T cell engager-based therapies (TEs). The novelty of CSANs, beyond the potentially improved avidity compared to TEs, stems from the bispecificity of the multimeric structure derived from monospecific monomers, where deliberate ring dissociation may therefore mitigate the adverse effects of bispecific therapeutics. To better understand and guide CSAN-based therapeutic approaches, we turn to a mathematical perspective.
Mathematical modeling offers a complementary approach to CSAN-based treatment design, enabling real-time insights that inform both the design and interpretation of studies. By simulating treatment dynamics in parallel with laboratory experiments, modeling can elucidate mechanisms of action, predict variability in cellular responses, and guide principles for CSAN construction. This iterative integration of computational and experimental approaches allows each to inform the other, supporting more rational design strategies and ultimately enhancing the likelihood of achieving optimal therapeutic efficacy as CSANs progress toward clinical evaluation.
Presented here is a mathematical framework for CSAN-mediated tumor-immune interactions. This foundational model has been calibrated with preliminary data from CSAN experimentation using T cells from various donors. Key insights derived from this modeling effort portray the preferential binding pathways of current CSAN constructions and suggest that CSAN efficacy may be linked to structural and or physical differences in the CSAN. Additionally, this framework highlights the variability in CSAN efficacy arising from donor-specific T cells, offering predictive guidance on how treatment regimens should be adjusted to overcome this variability.
Schedule (Spring 2026)
(All talks at 11am Eastern Time / 10am Central Time on Tuesdays)
Zoom link: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84907159401?pwd=JboBtq30vntVuEpj8s3yYfAdwlb258.1
January 13: Maximillian Newman (University of Chicago)
January 20: Open
January 27: Open
February 3: Open
February 10: Open
February 17: Open
February 24: Open
March 3: Open
March 10: Open
March 17: Open
March 24: Open
March 31: Open
April 7: Open
April 14: Open
April 21: Open
April 28: Open
May 5: Open
May 12: Open
May 19: Open
May 26: Open
Schedule (Spring 2025)
(All talks at 4pm Eastern Time / 3pm Central Time on Fridays)
January 24: Bo Deng (University of Nebraska, Lincoln)
January 31: Mingchao Cai (Morgan State)
February 7: Claus Kadelka (Iowa State University)
February 14: Peter Hinow (University of Wisconsin Milwaukee)
February 21: Chengcheng Huang (University of Pittsburgh)
February 28: Veronica Ciocanel (Duke University)
SPECIAL TIME (2pm Eastern Time / 1pm Central Time)
March 7: Adrian Lam (Ohio State University)
March 14: Sabrina Streipert (University of Pittsburgh)
March 21: Merlin Pelz (University of Minnesota)
March 28: Meghan Ferrall-Fairbanks (University of Florida)
April 4: Zixuan Cang (North Carolina State University)
April 11: Jia Gou (University of California Riverside) Cancelled by the speaker.
April 18: Stephanie Dodson (Colby College)
April 25: Montie Avery (Boston University)
May 2: Bo Zhang ( Oklahoma State University)
Zoom Link: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/82616248519?pwd=CAR0v0aaIpTnIVwxJDa59wFvusobot.1.
May 9: Mario Gómez Flores (Florida State University)
Schedule (Fall 2024)
(All talks at 2pm Eastern Time / 1pm Central Time on Fridays)
September 6: Al Holder (Rose Hulman Institute of Technology)
September 13: Jichun Xie (Duke University)
September 20: Samantha Linn (University of Utah)
September 27: Guowei Wei (Michigan State)
October 4: Polly Yu (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
October 11: Laurel Ohm (University of Wisconsin–Madison)
October 18: Hongsong Feng (Michigan State)
October 25: Alexandria Volkening (Purdue University)
November 1: Hyunjoong Kim (University of Cincinnati)
November 8: Kelsey Gasior (University of Notre Dame)
November 15: Wai-Tong Louis Fan (Indiana University Bloomington)
November 22: Zhe Su (Michigan State)
December 6: Gregory Handy (University of Minnesota)
December 13: Erik Amezquita Morataya (University of Missouri)
This seminar series is co-organized by Ning Wei (Purdue University) and Daniel Cooney (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). You can sign up for email updates on the seminar series by joining the Midwest Mathematical Biology Google Group (https://groups.google.com/g/midwest-mathematical-biology-seminar/about).