Teaching Biomathematics in the Undergraduate Curriculum: CCLI Award

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Teaching Biomathematics in the Undergraduate
Curriculum CCLI Award 0126740
Raina Robeva, Robin Davies, James Kirkwood -
Sweet Briar College, VA Boris Kovatchev, Michael
Johnson, Marty Straume University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA
Topics in Biomathematics Course Outline

• Objectives
• Strengthen quantification skills of biology
  students
• Highlight career opportunities in the life
  sciences for math students
• Introduce students to interdisciplinary research
  in biomathematics
• Emphasize oral and writing skills on
  inter-disciplinary content.
• Major Components
• New course Topics in Biomathematics
• Educational modules for existing courses

Selected Course Topics and Modules for Existing
Mathematics and Biology Courses

• Impressions from the Course
• Interdisciplinary research and teaching is
  qualitatively different from traditional courses
• Team work provided synergy between the
  different fields
• Quality of learning was at a level
  substantially higher compared to other courses.
  We attribute this to
• small class size
• faculty were students
• reduced formalism
• contagious enthusiasm
• focus on the big picture
  
  instead of details
• Quality of final presentations was superior
• Big Surprise - Students at sophomore level
  were able to digest ideas and information from
  research problems.

Abstract Virtually any advance in the life
sciences now requires sophisticated mathematical
approaches. Characterization of biological
systems has reached an unparalleled level of
detail. To organize this information and arrive
at a better fundamental understanding of life
processes, it is imperative that powerful
conceptual tools from mathematics be applied to
the frontier problems in biology. Modeling of
biological systems is evolving into an important
partner of experimental work. As a result there
is a rapidly increasing demand for people with
training in the field of biomathematics. The
focus of this project is to develop the skills
crucial for applying mathematical methods to the
life sciences. These include the ability to look
at an unfamiliar problem, analyze it to determine
the type of data necessary to address the
problem, select appropriate mathematical tools to
be applied to available data sets, and draw
conclusions on the adequacy of the results. We
focus on the biological applications of common
mathematical tools, rather than underlying
mathematical theories. Students experience the
usefulness of complex mathematical techniques
as applied to biological problems. Educational
materials are adapted from 1) existing texts and
programs 2) results from our research, and 3)
data from the Center for Biomathematical
Technology at the University of Virginia.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The following University of VA
faculty participated with invited lectures in
Spring 2002 and 2004 and for provided research
data for the modules Dr. William Evans, Division
of Endocrinology Dr. Leon Farhy, Division of
Endocrinology Dr. Pamela Griffin, Department of
Pediatrics, Neonatology Division Dr. William
Knaus, Department of Health Evaluation
Sciences Dr. Randall Moorman, Cardiovascular
Research Center Dr. Gene Block, Department of
Biology Dr. Stacey Anderson, Division of
Endocrinology
www.biomath.sbc.edu
Contacts Robeva (robeva_at_sbc.edu)