Mathematical modelling

Mathematical modelling studies are increasingly recognised as an important tool used in drug development [1]. There is a great variety of ways in which mathematics can play a role in drug discovery and development. Sometimes, quantitative information about the underlying mechanism of action is limited, or cannot be measured, and mathematical modelling can help to understand the effect of drug exposure. A successful model combines physiological information, well-designed tests and numerical investigation and can be utilized to create reliable predictions.

The main goal of my PhD is to develop novel in silico models to describe the effect of drugs on the cardiovascular function. Several experimental data will be used in order to iterate and validate the model [2]. The major role of the model, besides providing a quantitative insight into the investigated phenomena, is to make it possible to relate measurements with predictions, which are usually parameters that cannot be directly measured. Currently, there are some mathematical models available, like fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) models, that couple the fluid (blood) and the arterial wall [3]. The goal of my PhD is to develop suitable models for the estimation of drug effects in the cardiovascular system from measured data.

References:

1. Peletier, L. A., & Gabrielsson, J. (2018). Impact of mathematical pharmacology on practice and theory: four case studies. Journal of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, 45(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10928-017-9539-8
2. Guns, P. D., Guth, B. D., Braam, S., Kosmidis, G., Matsa, E., Delaunois, A., Gryshkova, V., Bernasconi, S., Knot, H. J., Shemesh, Y., Chen, A., Markert, M., Fernández, M. A., Lombardi, D., Grandmont, C., Cillero-Pastor, B., Heeren, R., Martinet, W., Woolard, J., Skinner, M., … Valentin, J. P. (2020). INSPIRE: A European training network to foster research and training in cardiovascular safety pharmacology. Journal of pharmacological and toxicological methods, 105, 106889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vascn.2020.106889
3. Formaggia, Luca & Quarteroni, Alfio & Veneziani, Alessandro. (2009). Cardiovascular Mathematics: Modeling and Simulation of the Circulatory System. 10.1007/978-88-470-1152-6.