An Approximate Bayesian Computation Approach for Embryonic Cell Migration Model Selection

Series
Mathematical Biology Seminar
Time
Friday, February 24, 2023 - 3:00pm for 1 hour (actually 50 minutes)
Location
Skiles 005
Speaker
Tracy Stepien – University of Florida - Department of Mathematics – https://people.clas.ufl.edu/tstepien/
Organizer
Brandon Legried

Please Note: The classroom version of this event will be held in Skiles 005. Everyone on campus at Georgia Tech is highly encouraged to attend this version. The virtual version will be administered through Zoom. (Link: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/95527383236)

In embryonic development, formation of blood vessels in the retina of the eye is critically dependent on prior establishment of a mesh of astrocytes.  Astrocytes emerge from the optic nerve head and then migrate over the retinal surface in a radially symmetric manner and mature through differentiation.  We develop a PDE model describing the migration and differentiation of astrocytes and study the appropriateness of the model equation components that combines approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) and sensitivity analysis (SA). Comparing numerical simulations to experimental data, we identify model components that can be removed via model reduction using ABC+SA.