Physics Seminar: Biophysical Modeling of Cell Migration | Chiam Keng-Hwee

Online Physics seminar by Dr Chiam Keng-Hwee (A*STAR
), held on 6 November 2020.

Abstract: Cell migration plays a crucial role in both the proper development of an organism as well as the progression of certain diseases. For example, white blood cells circulate in the bloodstream and then migrate through the tissue to reach the site of an infection. Skin cells migrate collectively to close a wound during healing. Cancer cells can shed from a tumor and travel long distances to a distant site and seed a secondary tumor in a process called metastasis. In this talk, I will present several examples of how physical principles can be used to elucidate the mechanisms behind cell
migration. In particular, I will talk about how cells can migrate by changing their shapes in what has been termed amoeboid migration. I will discuss experimental techniques to probe cell shape changes and to measure the forces that generate such deformations. I will also discuss computational models developed to simulate such processes.

Bio: Keng-Hwee is a theorist working at the interface of physics and biology, collaborating very closely with experimental groups in developing theories and models for a variety of problems in mechanobiology and biological physics, systems biology, and biological fluid mechanics. He is currently a Senior Principal Investigator at the Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR. He received his Ph.D. in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 2003.