ACMD Seminar: Optimal Control of Treatments for Retinitis Pigmentosa

Luis Melara
Department of Mathematics, Shippensburg University

Thursday, April 4, 3:00-4:00
Building 101, Lecture Room D
Gaithersburg

Thursday, April 4, 1:00-2:00
Building 1, Room 1107
Boulder

Host: Ryan Evans

Abstract:  Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a degenerative eye disease affecting millions of people worldwide.  This presentation will discuss two treatments for RP:  Rod-derived Cone Viability Factor (RdCVF) and Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived-Neurotrophic Factor (MANF).  Both treatments rescue photoreceptors in the eye.  We model the RdCVF and MANF treatments by mathematically representing them as optimal control problems. We also present a preliminary optimal control model for mixed treatments of RP developed from previous work.  Numerical results are presented and discussed.

Bio: Luis Melara is an associate professor of Mathematics at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. He obtained his B.S. in Applied Mathematics from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Computational and Applied Mathematics from Rice University. He completed a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and is a past Fulbright-Nehru Scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar.  He is the current Editor-In-Chief for SIAM Undergraduate Research Online (SIURO). His current research interests are in mathematical biology and optimal control.

Note: Visitors from outside NIST must contact Cathy Graham; (301) 975-3800; at least 24 hours in advance.