Mathematics Department & Centre for Biomathematics joint Colloquium
1 May 2025 – 3pm
Join us at 14:50 for coffee tea and biscuits
Board Room 401 (Computational Foundry, Bay Campus) or Zoom (register here)
Dr Andrew Dhawan
(Cleveland Clinic Neurology Institute, Ohio USA)
Modeling and experimentation uncover the roles of tumor-associated astrocytes in therapeutic resistance of brain tumours
A mathematician and computer scientist turned neuro-oncologist, Dr. Dhawan uses his background in data science to more accurately diagnose, treat and prognosticate neurological diseases. He holds appointments in Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and Taussig Cancer Center, where he is assistant staff in the Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center. Dr. Dhawan’s research approach is interdisciplinary, having learned from experts in cancer biology, non-coding RNA biology, and evolutionary biology, alongside bioinformatics, data science, and applied mathematics. He has established the first suite of statistical metrics in a simple computational tool (sigQC) for the systematic evaluation of gene signature quality, now used by researchers worldwide for translational science. Dr. Dhawan collaborates with multiple researchers and physicians at Cleveland Clinic and other institutions on ongoing research projects for diseases including glioblastoma, glioma, meningioma, PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex and leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.
Abstract
The brain tumour microenvironment, encompassing both primary tumours and metastases, features complex tumour-neural interactions involving resident astrocytes. These tumour-associated astrocytes (TAAs) exert context-dependent pro- and anti-tumour effects, making their precise role, particularly in therapeutic response, a critical translational challenge. This talk presents an integrated strategy combining mathematical modeling and experimentation to dissect TAA functions. We utilize modeling to explore TAA dynamics in brain metastases and employ experimental systems to investigate how TAAs modulate chemotherapeutic resistance in glioblastoma. This dual approach provides insights into the crucial role of TAAs in treatment failure across nervous system malignancies. By advancing our understanding of these tumour-neural interactions, we aim to pave the way for novel therapeutics targeting the tumour microenvironment.