| Time: | July 24, 2025, 4:00 p.m. (CEST) |
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Paola F. Antonietti, professor of Numerical Analysis at the Politecnico di Milano and Head of the MOX - Laboratory of Modelling and Scientific Computing (Italy), will give the SFB 1313 Anneliese Niethammer Lecture of the sommer semester 2025. Her talk will take place on 24 July 2025 and will be on "Computational Modeling of the Human Brain and Neurodegeneration".
Speaker: Prof. Paola F. Antonietti, Politecnico di Milano (Italy)
Title: "Computational Modeling of the Human Brain and Neurodegeneration"
Date: Thursday, 24 July 2025
Time: 4:00 pm CET
Place: MML, Pfaffenwaldring 61, 70569 Stuttgart, Campus Vaihingen of the University of Stuttgart. If you are interested in participating in the lecture online, please contact samaneh.vahiddastjerdi@mechbau.uni-stuttgart.de
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, are characterized by progressive functional impairment and structural brain deterioration. A common pathological hallmark is the accumulation of disease-specific misfolded and aggregated proteins. Despite extensive research, the mechanistic understanding of how these pathologies evolve remains an open field of research.
This talk presents a hybrid physics-based and data-driven modeling framework aimed at better understanding key processes underlying neurodegeneration.
First, we discuss the dynamics of misfolded protein aggregation and spread, utilizing multiscale mathematical models combined with machine learning-enhanced numerical discretization techniques to improve simulation accuracy and efficiency. In the second part, we focus on modeling the brain's waste clearance pathways, which are recognized as critical in the onset and progression of NDs. We also address the role of epileptiform activity in neurodegeneration by modeling seizure dynamics and their interactions with pathological protein accumulation.
Simulations are obtained on brain geometries reconstructed from patient-specific clinical imaging data, allowing personalized computational models to understand better the interplay between structural, physiological, and pathological factors in neurodegenerative disease progression.
About Paola F. Antonietti
Professor Paola F. Antonietti holds the position of Full Professor of Numerical Analysis at Politecnico di Milano, where she also serves as Head of MOX - Laboratory of Modelling and Scientific Computing. Her research focuses on advanced numerical methods for the approximate solution of partial differential equations, as well as computational learning techniques, with applications across various fields, including computational neuroscience, engineering seismology, and subsurface flow simulations. Professor Antonietti has authored over one hundred publications in distinguished journals. She actively participates in numerous national and international research initiatives and scientific advisory boards. In acknowledgment of her substantial contributions to computational science and engineering, she was awarded the Jacques-Louis Lions Award by ECCOMAS in 2020. Furthermore, in 2023, she was awarded an ERC Synergy Grant, funded by the European Union.
About the SFB 1313 Anneliese Niethammer Lecture Series
Anneliese Niethammer was the first female professor of the University of Stuttgart in 1947. The lecture series, dedicated to Anneliese Niethammer, is organised by the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1313 and takes place once a semester. Renowned international female researchers speak on relevant topics of current research in the research area of porous media.
[Picture: SFB 1313]
[Picture: Prof. Paola F. Antonietti]