Nonlinear Dynamics and Evolution (NoDE) Lab

Our laboratory is interested in understanding biological nonlinear phenomena. Our research is focused on Biomedicine (including cancer and viruses), in systems and synthetic Biology as well as in theoretical ecology. To do so we use the qualitative theory of dynamical systems and computer simulations (stochastic dynamics and spatially-extended systems).

We are especially interested in characterizing both asymptotic and transient dynamics of these systems and their sensitivity to parameter changes. That is, understand which bifurcations govern transitions in biological systems.

Team leaders

Josep Sardanyes Cayuela

Senior Researcher - CRM

Research team

Marc Plana

PhD Student - CRM

External collaborators

Ernest Fontich

Departament de Matemàtiques i informàtica, Universitat de Barcelona

Antoni Guillamon

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Jorge das Neves Duarte

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa (ISEL) and Instituo Superior Técnico (IST)

J. Tomás Lázaro

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Blai Vidiella Rocamora

Complex Systems Lab (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) - Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-UPF

Latest publications

Habitat loss‐induced tipping points in metapopulations with facilitation

Noise-induced bistability in the fate of cancer phenotypic quasispecies: a bit-strings approach

Bifurcation gaps in asymmetric and high dimensional hypercycles

The Nonlinear Dynamics and Evolution (NoDE) Lab team

General information

Research at The NoDE Lab (Lab website)

Our laboratory seeks to understand nonlinear phenomena in Biology. Nonlinearities are of paramount importance in biological processes in Biomedicine, systems biology, and theoretical ecology. We use the Theory of Dynamical Systems to carry out our research. This mainly includes the qualitative theory of ordinary differential equations, computer simulations (agent-based models in the mean-field approach, and cellular automata (spatial) models). Our research is divided into two main research lines: Mathematical medicine which includes research on cancer and viruses dynamics and evolution. We are focusing on the modeling of epigenetic regulation in cancer, immunotherapy, targeted cancer therapies, and the role of cancer cells' heterogeneity in tumors' fate. Research on viruses is mainly focused on viral interference therapies and competition/cooperation between viruses. The research line on systems/synthetic biology and theoretical ecology includes investigations on cellular circuits, dynamics of facilitation in ecosystems, trophic-chains, tipping points in ecosystems, and origins of life. Our research contains strong collaborations with experimental and clinical research groups.

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