Calina Copos

Sponsor: NSF

CAREER: Learning spatiotemporal dynamics of tissue regrowth at multiple spatial scales

How do individual cells coordinate their behavior to build — or rebuild — an entire limb? This project develops computational models that connect what’s happening at the level of single cells to the growth and shape of tissues and whole limbs, spanning the multiple size scales involved in this complex process. The resulting simulation tools will allow researchers to predict how cells and tissues behave during growth and pattern formation, combining mathematical theory with real experimental data. The models being developed will capture how layers of tissue grow and respond to mechanical forces, how local cell behaviors give rise to larger-scale patterns, and how these processes unfold over the longer timescales of tissue regeneration.  

Beyond limb regeneration, these mathematical tools have potential applications to other biological systems shaped by similar growth and force dynamics, such as biofilms, tumors, and engineered tissue scaffolds. Ultimately, this work aims to help identify strategies for triggering regenerative capacity in humans.