Scientist to explain research on how math can control cancer
K. Renee Fister
"Can Math Cure Cancer?" is the title of a talk by K. Renee Fister, professor of mathematics and statistics at Murray State University, to be presented at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at Skidmore's Gannett Auditorium in Palamountain Hall.
Almost all of us have been connected to someone who has dealt with cancer. Many of
us have wondered how we can help. We have raised money, run races, and supported family
members. Professor Fister's presentation will focus on the use of optimal control
techniques to reduce cancerous tumors. The work is associated with breast and ovarian
cancers as well as neuroblastoma. The work had joint collaborators at St. Jude Children's
Research Hospital, Harvey Mudd College, and Murray State University.
Fister received her undergraduate degree from Transylvania University in 1990 and
her master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee in 1992 and 1996,
respectively.
Her research centers on mathematical strategies to control biological and medical problems. Since her brother died at a young age from cancer, she has dreamed of finding a cure for cancer. With her collaborations at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Harvey Mudd College, she is working to do just that. She mathematically determines drug treatment strategies to minimize cancerous tumors. In other words, she finds how much drug to give and when to give it so that the side effects are reduced. For her research, she has been awarded Murray State's Presidential Research Fellowship. She has also received 25 research grants. Currently, she is serving as the principal investigator on two collaborative NSF grants. One involves teaming math and biology students and faculty together to work on problems at the intersection of the disciplines and the second involves collaboration with three other universities to analyze cholera dynamics. She has given approximately 80 presentations regarding her work and has published 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
The lecture is sponsored by the Skidmore Union Network National Science Foundation ADVANCE Project and Skidmore's Charles Lubin Family Chair for Women in Science.
