I²M: Immunology, Imaging and Modelling

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The ability to track parasites and cells in vivo in intact tissues using novel imaging techniques is poised to enable important and challenging questions to be addressed. In particular, recent advances in two-photon microscopy and cell labelling have made it possible to observe cell interactions in real time and in vivo. This approach provides a significant step forward in experimental immunology. However, our understanding of the complex four dimensional behaviour (space and time) of B and T cells has remained limited. The development of mathematical models to analyse and simulate these cell interactions is essential to fully account for the complexity of the immune responses. This initiative seeks to open up a new pathway making use of mathematical modelling to study the dynamic interactions of immune cells and pathogens. Understanding and quantifying how the immune system works poses a ma jor scientific challenge of vital importance to the immunology and medical research community. This initiative combines concepts from immunology with mathematics, physics and chemistry to tackle this challenge.

Theoretical Immunology on 16 May 2011 at the University of Leeds

The meeting Experimental and theoretical immunology in the real world was held at the University of Leeds 18 March 2011.

3D and 4D Image Visualization & Analysis 8 March 2011

The meeting Experimental and theoretical immunology in the real world was held at the University of Leeds 10 January 2011.

The Second Network Summer School was held at the University of Leeds 13-17 September 2010.

The BSI-BBSRC Meeting at Microsoft Research was held in Cambridge on 11 June 2010

The second meeting of the British Society for Immunology's Mathematical Modelling affinity group was held on 1 March 2010 at the University of Leeds.

The first meeting of the British Society for Immunology's Mathematical Modelling affinity group was held on 30 November 2009 at the University of Leeds.

The first meeting of the network: 10 Jan 2008, School of Mathematics at the University of Leeds.

The second meeting of the network: 21 May 2008, Institute of Child Health, University College London.

The third meeting of the network: 15 Sep 2008, MALL, level 8, School of Mathematics at the University of Leeds.

The first workshop of the network at the University of Leeds on 2-3 April 2009, preceded by a Graduate School: Nonlinear and Stochastic Systems in Biology.

The first summer school of the network at the University of Leeds from 31 Aug to 4 Sep 2009.

Objectives of the I²M Research Network

• Develop the links and a common language between immunologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists and engineers to address this new challenge in systems biology.
• Develop a theoretical framework to model the behaviour of cellular immune responses, learning from advances in stochastic modelling.
• Develop a computational framework to simulate and analyse the dynamical behaviour of cellular immune responses in different immunological conditions, learning from advances in systems and control engineering.
• Assess, test and validate the proposed frameworks with experimental data.
• Transfer ideas, experimental techniques, models and insight from the biological, mathematical, physical, engineering and computational communities to industry and conversely introduce ideas in these scientific communities from industrial systems engineering experience.

Modelling T-cell and antigen presenting cell (APC) interactions

Modelling B-cell responses

Modelling outcomes of infection