25 June 2008

Dundee's mathematicians bring major conference to Scotland

Mathematicians and scientists from all over the globe will gather in Scotland next week for the world’s largest general mathematical biology conference, hosted by the University of Dundee.

Almost 600 people are expected to attend the European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology as it is staged in the UK for the first time in its history.

The conference is being hosted by the Mathematics department at the University of Dundee, which has established an international reputation in mathematical biology, particularly in relation to working with diseases such as cancer.

"We are delighted that for the conference’s first visit to the UK we have been able to bring it to Scotland," said Professor Mark Chaplain, who together with Dundee colleagues Dr Sandy Anderson and Dr Fordyce Davidson forms the organising committee of the conference.

"This is the major event in the world for discussing all aspects of the application of mathematics to biological problems. This is an increasingly influential area of research and one in which we have built a body of expertise at Dundee."

Topics will be covered ranging from the study of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, through population dynamics and ecology to the study of how plants and microbes interact and function in the environment.

The venue for the conference is the George Square complex of the University of Edinburgh and it will run from Sunday June 29th to Friday July 4th.

This European Conference is the largest general mathematical biology conference in the world and is held every 3 years.

NOTES TO EDITORS
For more info on Mathematics at Dundee see:
www.maths.dundee.ac.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk