Overview
This workshop will explore the opportunities and challenges for integrating biophysical modelling (i.e. mathematical modelling of physical processes in biological systems) into the understanding and treatment of airways disease (e.g. Asthma, COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Bronchiectasis) and the use of multi-scale models to improve treatment delivery and design more efficient and effective clinical trials.
There will be £10k worth of pump-prime funding available for which groups formed during the sandpit will bid. Further details can be found in the “Pump-prime Funding” section.
Location
21st September: Session 1, Online, 2 - 5pm,
Session 1 will be delivered online with a series of research presentations covering key areas within the workshop theme and starter challenges. Speakers include Professors Salman Siddiqui, Bindi Brook, Clare Lloyd, Alex Horsley, Omar Usmani and Chantal Darquenne.
26th September: Session 2, In-person, Full day, The Sherfield Building, Imperial College London
Session 2 is an in-person workshop where participants, having had time to reflect on session 1, will work together in teams to rapidly design proposals for research to address a key challenge highlighted in this workshop. By the end of this session each breakout group will put together a proposal for all or part of the £10k of pump-prime funding available.
Who is it for?
We aim to bring together a diverse range of expertise to explore these challenges including researchers, clinicians, industry and charity representatives. We welcome experts from areas including but not limited to mathematics, data science, imaging, biological sciences, and engineering, as well as medical expertise in chonic airways disease.
Starter Challenges and Invited Talks
The following challenges have been proposed as starter discussion topics to be addressed by groups of sandpit participants
The following challenges have been proposed as starter discussion topics to be addressed by groups of sandpit participants
Starter Challenge 1: The multi-scale nature of airways disease
“How do type 2 immune and stromal cell interactions predicate airway tissue and physiological dysfunction in asthma?” Professor Salman Siddiqui, Imperial College London
“Deriving insight into airway remodelling in asthma via mechanistic and machine learning models” Professor Bindi Brook, University of Nottingham
“Quantifying spatial interactions of type 2 immune and stromal cells in tissue in asthma” Professor Clare Lloyd, Imperial College London
Starter Challenge 2: The role of lung structure-function in drug delivery
“How does regional lung disease in CF impact the response to inhaled therapeutics and how can this information be used to design clinical trials?” Professor Alex Horsley, University of Manchester
“Modelling aerosol deposition in the human lung in health and disease” Professor Chantal Darquenne, University of California, San Diego
“'In vivo determinations of aerosol science : targeting therapeutic aerosols in asthma and COPD”, Professor Omar Usmani, Imperial College London
Aims
Our key goals for this sandpit are
To identify key research benefit(s) and potential challenges of modelling-based approaches in the context of experimental medicine.
To further understanding of how advanced health care technologies focussing on respiratory data-driven modelling can be embedded into experimental medicine trials.
To highlight best practice around model optimisation, uncertainty quantification, and compliance with FAIR principles.
To spark new interdisciplinary collaborations that will propose solutions to these challenges.
To fund follow-up activities (e.g. workshops or meetings) that will enable these collaborations to develop competitive grant proposals.
Pump-prime Funding
The £10,000 pump-prime funds will support further activities for successful projects to mature into competitive grant applications. This may include e.g. a grant-development workshop focussed on the particular problem identified, or the collection of pilot data to support a grant proposal. Note that funding will be awarded at 80% FEC and so the award is conditional on agreement between the awarded institution(s) and BIOREME, which will need to be reached after the event. Note that the final funding awarded to successful proposals will be expected to fall within 10% of the original cost proposed at the sandpit and need not use all of the funding available. Depending on the costings proposed at the sandpit, it may be that more than one proposal can be funded. The BIOREME team will facilitate onward activities that develop from this funding.
How can I sign up?
Registration has now closed for this event. If you would still like to attend or require further information. Please contact the team on contact@bioreme.net