Title of project:
Models of Cancer and Calcium Signalling

Code:
KK2122B

Supervisor: 
Dr Katerina Kaouri

Project description:
Cancer cells exhibit increased motility and proliferation, which are instrumental in the formation of tumours and metastases. Calcium (Ca2+), the most important second messenger in our body, also plays a prominent role in the evolution of cancer. We will look at a model of cancer cell movement that will account for cancer cell diffusion, advection and proliferation. We will couple this cell movement model with established models of calcium signalling which reproduce experimentally observed calcium oscillations in the cells. Such insights could provide a step forward in the design of new cancer treatments that may rely on controlling the dynamics of cellular calcium.

The models will be analysed computationally with MATLAB and COMSOL Multiphysics and, when possible, they will be studied analytically.

This project falls within the booming, interdisciplinary area of mathematical/quantitative biology. The project is, thus, of interest to experimentalists and clinicians. There is an ongoing collaboration with experimentalists and the models could be validated with experimental data, if time allows.

The required mathematical background is differential equations and some acquaintance with programming, preferably in Matlab. The modelling and simulation skills that will be developed can be used in many other real-life problems. No biological background is needed, as any necessary knowledge can be acquired during the project.

Useful references:
• Dupont et al. “Models of calcium signalling” (2016). (In the library.)
• Kaouri K et al, https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.00612/

Project offered as double module, single module, or both:
Double

Prerequisite Modules:
MA0232: Modelling with Differential Equations
MA3304: Methods of Applied Mathematics
MA3303: Theoretical and Computational Partial Differential Equations

Number of students who could be supervised for this project:
1-2