Mathematics of Cancer: Open Mathematical Problems

February 23 - 27, 2026

Schedule

All times in this Schedule are Pacific Time (PT)

Monday, February 23, 2026

Morning Session
8:55 - 9:00 Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:00 - 9:30
Renee Brady-Nicholls (Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute)

Developing Predictive Models Using Minimally-Invasive Biomarkers Part 1

9:40 - 9:50 Break
9:50 - 10:20
Renee Brady-Nicholls (Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute)

Developing Predictive Models Using Minimally-Invasive Biomarkers Part 2

10:30 - 10:40 Break
10:40 - 11:10
Dominik Wodarz (University of California, San Diego (UCSD))

Evolution in Spatially Structured Tumors Part 1

11:20 - 11:30 Break
11:30 - 12:00
Dominik Wodarz (University of California, San Diego (UCSD))

Evolution in Spatially Structured Tumors Part 2

12:10 - 1:40 Lunch (on your own)

Afternoon Session

MODERATOR: Jackson
1:40 - 2:20
2:30 - 2:45 Break
2:45 - 3:25
3:35 - 3:50 Break
3:50 - 4:30
Reinhard Laubenbacher (University of Florida)

Mathematical Technology for Agent-Based Digital Twins

4:40 - 5:00 Lightning Poster Round
5:00 - 6:30 Poster Session & Reception (Hosted by IPAM)

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Morning Session
8:00 - 9:00 Check-In/Breakfast (Hosted by IPAM)

MODERATOR: Jackson
9:00 - 9:30
Ben Raphael (Princeton University)

Models and Algorithms for Cancer Evolution Part 1

9:40 - 9:50 Break
9:50 - 10:20
Ben Raphael (Princeton University)

Models and Algorithms for Cancer Evolution Part 2

10:30 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 11:25
11:35 - 11:50 Break
11:50 - 12:30
Heather Harrington (Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics)

Topological Data Analysis for Analysing Cancer Organisation

12:40 - 2:40 Lunch (on your own)

Afternoon Session

MODERATOR: Komarova
2:40 - 3:20
Luis Aparicio (Columbia University)

Random Matrix Theory Applications to Biology

3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 4:40

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Morning Session
8:00 - 9:00 Check-In/Breakfast (Hosted by IPAM)
9:00 - 9:30
9:40 - 9:50 Break
9:50 - 10:20
10:30 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 11:25
11:35 - 11:50 Break
11:50 - 12:30
Andrea Bertozzi (University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA))

Machine Learning for High Throughput DNA-Aptamer Screening and Selection

12:40 - 12:45 Group Photo
12:45 - 2:40 Lunch (on your own)

Afternoon Session

MODERATOR: Komarova
2:40 - 3:20
3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 4:40
Konstantin Mischaikow (Rutgers University New Brunswick/Piscataway)

Dynamics of Regulatory Networks


Thursday, February 26, 2026

Morning Session
8:00 - 9:00 Check-In/Breakfast (Hosted by IPAM)

MODERATOR: Weinberger
9:00 - 9:30
9:40 - 9:50 Break
9:50 - 10:20
10:30 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 11:25
Samantha Riesenfeld (University of Chicago)

 

11:35 - 11:50 Break
11:50 - 12:30
12:40 - 2:40 Lunch (on your own)

Afternoon Session

MODERATOR: Wodarz
2:40 - 3:20
Arne Traulsen (MPI for Evolutionary Biology)

Evolutionary dynamics in Small Network Structured Populations

3:30 - 4:00 Break
4:00 - 4:40

Friday, February 27, 2026

Morning Session
8:00 - 9:00 Check-In/Breakfast (Hosted by IPAM)
9:00 - 9:40
Tibor Antal (University of Edinburgh)

Modelling Metastasis Formation

9:50 - 10:05 Break
10:05 - 10:45
10:55 - 11:10 Break
11:10 - 11:50
12:00 - 2:00 Lunch (on your own)

Afternoon Session
2:00 - 2:40
Paul Newton (University of Southern California (USC))

Gaming the Cancer-Immunity Cycle by Synchronizing the Dose Schedules

2:50 - 3:20 Break
3:20 - 4:00
4:10 - 5:00 Future Directions Discussion