Collective cell motion is ubiquitous in biology, occurring in normal development, wound healing and disease (cancer). Over the past decade I have been collaborating with the lab of Paul Kulesa in Kansas on a study of cranial neural crest cell migration in the chick. In this talk, I will review our work and illustrate how a basic hybrid agent-based mathematical model, combined with experimental studies, has led to new insights into this phenomenon. These include understanding the role of (i) environmentally-induced phenotypic switching, (ii) extracellular matrix degrading factors, (iii) DAN-induced cell velocity control, and (iv) Colec12 and Trial as factors confining cells to move along a corridor.

If you would like to attend the seminar, please register here.