Nonlocal Aggregation Models in the Life Sciences (26w5519)

The Banff International Research Station will host the "Nonlocal Aggregation Models in the Life Sciences" workshop in Banff from August 23 to August 28, 2026.

The mathematical modeling of biological systems with partial differential equations has a long and successful history. Many results on species invasion or extinction, pattern formation and species interactions have been derived and used to better understand the biology around us. Applications cover a vast scale of sizes, from protein movement in the cell nucleus, to cell movement to tissue structure, organ structure, up to species interactions on the population level. Recently, a new model class arose that include finite distance interactions into the partial differential equation (PDE) framework. Non-local interactions relate to different sensing mechanisms, starting with sensing through sight and smell, to sensing through touch, cell-cell contact and cell protrusions to more abstract concepts such as learning and memory. In this workshop we aim to bring together established and young researchers to push the frontiers of research into non-local partial differential equations and their applications to biological problems.

The Banff International Research Station for Mathematical Innovation and Discovery (BIRS) is a collaborative Canada-US-Mexico venture that provides an environment for creative interaction as well as the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and methods within the Mathematical Sciences, with related disciplines and with industry. The research station is located at The Banff Centre in Alberta and is supported by Canada's Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Alberta's Technology and Innovation.