Course Unit

Catalogue

Biomedical Physics

  • Unit Coordinator: Floran Grüner, Erika Garutti
  • Programme: InterMaths
  • ECTS Credits: 6
  • Semester: 1
  • Year: 2
  • Campus: Hamburg University of Technology
  • Language: English
  • Delivery: In-class
  • Aims:

    At the end of the course, students will be familiar with modern methods in medical imaging and with the fundamental techniques for radiation-therapy. They will have learned the physics limits and how physics can bring an added value by pushing the limits further. During the journal club, these topics will be analyzed in view of the most modern developments in the fields. Students will also learn how to structure and how to discuss a scientific publication. 

  • Content:
    • PET
    • SPECT
    • CT 
    • Multimodal imaging
    • Spatial resolution and sensitivity in imaging of tumorous tissue and/or medical diagnostic agents
  • Reading list:
    • J.L. Prince and J.M. Links: Medical imaging: signals and systems, Prentice Hall, 2006.
    • C.Grupen and I.Buvat: Handbook of Particle Detection and Imaging;
    • W.R.Leo: Techniques for Nuclear and Particle Physics Experiments, Springer;

Calculus of variations

  • ECTS Credits: 4
  • Year: 2
  • Campus: Brno University of Technology
  • Language: English

Cancer genetics and biology for mathematical modelling and analysis

  • Unit Coordinator: Alessandra Tessitore, Daria Capece
  • ECTS Credits: 6
  • Semester: 1
  • Year: 2
  • Campus: University of L'Aquila
  • Language: English
  • Aims:

    Tumor initiation, progression and invasion are complex processes involving multiple and different phenomena. Mathematical models and computer simulations can help to describe, schematize and comprehend them, to provide data which could be putatively used in clinical practice to prevent and/or more specifically treat cancer. In this context, a multidisciplinary approach is fundamental to reach this goal. The main objective of this course is to approach and understand the biological processes at the base of cancer, focusing on the most significant features of oncogenesis, with the aim to provide basic information which can be applied to mathematical modelling. On completion, the student should:

    • know fundamentals about structure and functions of nucleic acids and proteins in eukaryotic cell;
    • understand the significance of gene mutations and epigenetics alterations in diseases;
    • identify tumor classification criteria;
    • understand biological and functional mechanisms at the base of cancer initiation and progression; -
    • know the most important databases for DNA mutation classification, microRNA and protein pathway analysis as well as on-line resources for acquiring datasets to be applied to big data analysis,
    • know and understand the principles at the base of personalized therapy in cancer to predict the response to therapeutic schemes.
  • Content:

    Topics of this module (6 CFU)

    Fundamentals about the structure and the role of nucleic acids and proteins (8 hrs).
    Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms at the base of oncogenesis (gene mutations, DNA damage repair system failure, methylation, microRNA dysregulation) (9 hrs). 
    Features of cancer cells and tumor classification (15 hrs). 
    Biological mechanisms of angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis (8 hrs). 
    Molecular pathways involved in cell differentiation, proliferation and survival (7 hrs). 
    Big data in cancer analysis (6 hrs).
    Personalized therapy in cancer (5 hrs).
    In vitro and in vivo models for the study of tumor biology (2 hrs).

  • Reading list:

    Articles/reviews about the topics of the course
    Study material provided by the Professor

Case studies in medical and biomedical applications

  • Unit Coordinator: Ingenuin Gasser, Anusch Taraz
  • ECTS Credits: 6
  • Semester: 1
  • Year: 2
  • Campus: Hamburg University of Technology
  • Language: English
  • Aims:
    • The objective of this course is to study one or two cases of medical or biomedical applications in depth.
    • The course will enable the students to identify concrete and relevant problems in medicine and biomedicine, to build mathematics models for these and to develop and implement algorithmic strategies to solve them. 
  • Content:
    • Mathematical methods and models in areas such as imaging,
    • Clustering,
    • Spatial models,
    • Biomechanics,
    • Epidemics,
    • Genomics and phylogenetics,
    • Neurobiology. 
  • Pre-requisites:

    Mathematical foundations (Analysis, Linear Algebra, Numerical Mathematics, Probability, Optimisation) and experience in Programming.

  • Reading list:

    To be announced during the lectures 

InterMaths Network
A network of +20 European and non-European Universities, coordinated by Department of Information Engineering, Computer Science and Mathematics (DISIM) at University of L'Aquila in Italy (UAQ)