Section: Overall Objectives

Introduction

Popix is focused on models for explaining complex biological phenomena (pharmacokinetics, viral dynamics, glucose-insulin, tumor growth, human respiration). In the population approach, these models have to be capable of characterizing the biological phenomenon under consideration, but also variability that exists between individuals from the same population.

The main objective of Popix is thus to develop new methods for population modeling. These tools for modeling include statistical methods of estimation, model diagnostics and model selection.

Confronted with complex modeling problems, one of the goals of Popix is to show the importance of combining numerical, statistical and stochastic approaches. To emphasize this push, Popix enlarged to include new researchers in 2013 at the interface of these domains. Bertrand Maury, Astrid Decoene and Jean-Baptiste Lagaert, researchers at Paris 11 University in the LMO (into which Popix is also integrated) joined Popix in 2013. Bertrand Maury is the leader of the Numerical Analysis and PDE team, and Astrid Decoene and Jean-Baptiste Lagaert are researchers in the same team. Their knowledge will extend the capabilities of Popix into the domain of mathematical analysis of complex biological phenomena which include both time and spatial components, and which are described by systems of partial differential equations.

Lastly, an important aim of Popix is to transfer developed methods into software packages so that these methods can be used in practice. It is this exact approach that has ensured the success of Monolix , a software package now widely used in population pharmacology. Indeed, pharmacometricians are satisfied with the tools provided and mathematicians by the methods used.