Feb 25, 2008 - Claremont, Calif. - Harvey Mudd College Professor of Mathematics Lisette de Pillis will deliver the keynote address, “Mathematically Modeling Immune-Cancer Dynamics,” at the Center for Undergraduate Research in Mathematics (CURM) annual conference in Provo, Utah, March 14.

The conference, which is also the Mathematical Association of America’s Intermountain Section meeting, will include sessions on mathematics research and teaching, as well as poster sessions featuring the research of undergraduate students.

Recognized as an expert in the field of tumor modeling, de Pillis has published numerous papers on her research. She was recently featured in an article, “Comparing Invasive Species to Metastatic Cancers Inspires New Insights for Modelers,” in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).

Her talk will address cancer development and the dynamics of the immune system, which have been a significant focus of mathematical modeling in recent decades. Immunotherapy, a treatment approach that enhances the body’s natural ability to fight cancers, is becoming increasingly prevalent in many multi-stage treatment programs that also include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

The critical importance of the immune system in combating cancer has been verified both clinically and through mathematical models. In the talk, de Pillis will discuss both the biological and mathematical sides of the question of how cancer grows, how the cancer interacts with the immune system, and new treatment approaches that harness the power of the immune system.