National Centers for Systems Biology

A Short Course in Systems Biology: Morphogenesis & Spatial Dynamics

Published October 20, 2010

Course website: http://ccbs.bio.uci.edu/shortcourse/

January 10-15, 2011 (Preparatory Workshops)

January 17-29, 2011 (Core Course)

We welcome scientists from all disciplines (biological, physical, mathematical, computational and engineering) with an interest in developing Systems Biology skills. This high-level introductory course is geared towards senior graduate students, postdocs, faculty and industry researchers with a long term interest in pursuing Systems Biology research but who have little or no prior experience in this emerging discipline.

The course design will provide a mix of strategies to help participants:

• identify and pose scientific questions from a Systems Biology perspective,
• provide biological methodologies for gathering the appropriate kinds of data
• and apply mathematical tools for analyses and modeling.

The subject emphasis of the  first course will be on cellular controls of cell differentiation, with a central theme of morphogenesis and spatial dynamics. Research models that are dependent on complex spatial information will be the primary focus since this builds on the extensive research expertise of participating faculty, departments and existing centers of excellence at UCI.   The course consists of both didactic lectures and hands-on “wet/dry” laboratories and tutorials.