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A Mathematical Model of Celiac Disease

Student-Run Research Seminar

Speaker: Bailey Meeker, UC Davis
Location: 2112 MSB
Start time: Wed, Oct 21 2009, 12:10PM

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease which causes a strong immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and some other grains. Currently the only effective treatment is to follow a gluten- free diet, which can be difficult. Recent insights into the biology of the disease have led to interest in possible drug treatments for CD. This talk is based on an undergraduate research project, which developed a mathematical model of some of the internal processes that occur in Celiac patients. The talk will discuss Celiac disease, the modeling process, model analysis and some possible extensions and applications of this research.