Tracking structure across growing populations: cancer mutations and tissue development

Speaker: Tom Chou (UCLA)

Date: 11/18/25

Abstract: Mathematical models that describe intracellular attributes of proliferating cell populations are reviewed and a stochastic generalization presented. Two examples in which intracellular dynamics are coupled to cell division are presented: order of mutations in cancer progression and tissue development. Both of these applications involve gene expression dynamics within dividing cells that exhibit hysteresis or multistability, which we couple to cell motion and a proliferation-based fitness. The framework we develop is applied to examples of tissue development that produce thermostat behavior and regeneration.