EID/TriCEM/CQSB Networking Event Adds Up to New Connections & Ideas

By Julie Nettifee

The Interdisciplinary and collaborative models for research have incredible potential for advancing research in many sectors, especially as it relates to infectious disease. The November joint program between the Comparative Medicine Institute (CMI), Triangle Center of Evolutionary Medicine (TriCEM) and Center for Quantitative Biosciences (CQSB) held at the North Carolina Biotech Center was designed to foster these collaborations. The project developed by CMI faculty, Drs. Sid Thakur, Charles Nunn and Alun Lloyd, hosted presenters that included:

Dr. Katia Koelle (Associate Professor, Duke)

Dr. Cristina Lanzas (Assistant Professor, NCSU)

Dr. Charles Mitchell (Professor, UNC)

Dr. Kevin Gross (Professor, NCSU)

More than 30 faculty from Duke, NC State and UNC attended the interactive event. The overall success of this event was displayed in many areas, with participants sharing that “mathematical modeling can yield previously un-thought of insights,” and “the ideal collaborator is probably someone that you do not yet know.” Also, continued support for opportunities to network and to plant new connections were seen as a positive outcome of this type of shared event. Symbiosis between modelers and empiricists, leading to interesting questions from both areas, can drive research discussions and opportunities forward for all involved.