Systems Biology: A New Interdisciplinary Field in Biology

What the presentation will outline: • What is systems biology? • Emerging experimental technologies in biology • Scientific computing • Bioinformatics • Network sciences • Mathematical models

Ravi Iyengar is a professor and chair of the department of pharmacology and biological chemistry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Professor Iyengar trained as a biophysicist and biochemist. His research has focused on cellular signaling systems with emphasis on heterotrimeric G protein pathways. He uses a combination of experimental and computational approaches to understand the regulatory and information processing capabilities of cellular signaling networks. Iyengar and coworkers use a wide range of theoretical approaches from graph theory to differential equation-based models to analyze signaling networks. The Iyengar laboratory is also adapting and developing multivariable experiments to both constrain models and test predictions from the models. Iyengar and coworkers are also integrating experimental and theoretical approaches to identify potential drug targets and develop small molecule interactors with these targets.