 NIMBioS News
Bi-Monthly News from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis September - October 2012, Vol 4, Issue 5
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| Report Your Results |
The results produced from NIMBioS research activities are important in measuring our success. Click the button below for an online form to report publications and/or other products that have resulted from your NIMBioS activities. Click here for specific language to use in acknowledging NIMBioS in your work.
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New Faces at NIMBioS
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 | New researchers at NIMBioS are (back row, L to R) postdocs Jiang Jiang, Chris Remien, Keenan Mack and Jeremy Beaulieu. (Front row, L to R): postdocs Arik Kershenbaum and Ryan Martin and sabbatical fellow David Gurarie. Not pictured: postdocs Julia Earl, Amiyaal Ilany and sabbatical fellow Matt Spencer.
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NIMBios welcomes eight new postdoctoral fellows whose research focuses on a variety of topics at the interface of mathematics and biology. Postdoctoral researchers will model vocalization syntax in dolphins and whales, explore coastal vegetation regime shifts related to climate change, and study the evolution and maintenance of cooperation, among many other topics. Two new sabbatical fellows this fall are David Gurarie who is focusing on the immunology of malaria and Matthew Stuart who is studying community dynamics. December 11 is the next deadline for submitting requests for postdoctoral support, and March 1 is the deadline for sabbatical requests. All areas of research at the interface of biology and mathematics will be considered, but we are especially interested in activities in areas of molecular biology, cell biology, network biology, immunology and systems biology. Postdoctoral fellowships are supported for two years. The online application for postdoctoral support and tips for applicants are available on our website. This flyer announces the call for applications for postdoctoral fellowships. |
Featured Science: Squashing Bully Behavior
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With new national anti-bullying ads urging parents to teach their kids to speak up if they witness bullying, one researcher has found that in humans' evolutionary past at least, helping the victim of a bully hastened our species' movement toward a more egalitarian society. The drive to help the weaker group members led to a dramatic reduction in group inequality and eventually enabled humans to develop widespread cooperation, empathy, compassion and egalitarian moral values, according to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Citation: Gavrilets S. 2012. On the evolutionary origins of the egalitarian syndrome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [Online]
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Education Spotlight: Undergraduate Research at the Interface of Biology and Mathematics
|  Applications for financial support are now being accepted to attend the fourth annual Undergraduate Research Conference at the Interface of Mathematics and Biology, to be held Nov. 17-18, 2012, at the University of Tennessee Conference Center. Student talks and posters are featured as well as a panel discussion on career opportunities. A limited amount of support is available to cover the cost of registration and lodging. The deadline for requesting NIMBioS funding is October 5. The registration deadline for the conference itself is November 2 or until capacity is reached. Click here for more information.
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Video Feature: Interview with Dr. Orou Gaoue
|  NIMBioS postdoctoral fellow Orou Gaoue uses a meta-analytical approach and stochastic demographic models to investigate how plant populations response to non-timber forest products harvest varies between species, life form and ecological contexts. Non-timber forest products, referred to by scientists as NTFPs, are traded as valuable commodities on the international market in the form of edible products, floral greenery, and herbal medicines, among many other products. But the over-harvesting of NTFPs has great ecological consequences. Dr. Gaoue explains in this video interview. |
Upcoming Research and Training Opportunities at NIMBioS
|  BIOINFORMATICS CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP
Applications are now being accepted for the SCALE-IT/NIMBioS Curriculum Development Workshop: Using Bioinformatics Data and Tools to Engage Students in Problem Solving, to be held Jan. 7-10, 2013, at NIMBioS. This workshop will focus on strategies for bringing bioinformatics resources, data visualization tools, and an interdisciplinary perspective to teaching and learning biology. Application deadline: November 1, 2012. For more information about the workshop and how to apply, click here.
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 QUANTITATIVE INQUIRY IN AP BIOLOGY
High school Advanced Placement biology teachers are invited to a workshop focused on getting comfortable with the quantitative side of the newly revised AP Biology course. The program, to be held Jan. 3-5, 2013, will feature hands-on experience with inquiry activities that use real data, tools for graphing, modeling and more. The workshop will be led by the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium. Application deadline: November 25, 2012. Details and an application link will be available on the Workshop web page soon.
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 TEACHER COLLABORATION PROGRAM
NIMBioS is now accepting applications from math and biology/science teachers for the Teacher Collaboration Program, which provides links between teachers, scientists, and educators with an interest in making connections between mathematics and biology. NIMBioS will pair teachers with an interest in mathematics and biology with active researchers in the math biology community. For more information about the program and an online application to request a collaborator, click here.
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 REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT
March 1 is the deadline for submitting proposals for new scientific and educational activities at NIMBioS. Although all areas at the interface of mathematics and biology are acceptable, potential organizers are particularly encouraged to submit requests for of Working Groups and Investigative Workshops in areas of molecular biology, cell biology, network biology, immunology and systems biology. Information is also available on our website for other categories of requests for support.
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The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) brings together researchers from around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life sciences. NIMBioS is funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with additional support from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
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NIMBioS is located at the Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville
1122 Volunteer Blvd, Suite 122, Knoxville, TN 37996-3410
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