Yankeelov Talks “Solving Breast Cancer with Math” on More Than Pink Podcast

The Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Podcast featured Professor Tom Yankeelov and his research to improve patient care by employing advanced imaging methods for the early identification, assessment, and prediction of tumors’ response to therapy.

Yankeelov is a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Dell Medical School, and the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences.

“Once a discipline becomes mathematized, we get very good at it very rapidly. The number of options to try to understand a phenomenon is infinite, and without a mathematical theory, you’re left with trial and error, and unfortunately, in oncology, that’s what we have: a clinical trial system. But once you mathematize a subject, you can start making very precise predictions,” Yankeelov said on the importance of math in the future of oncology.

He develops tumor forecasting methods by integrating advanced imaging technologies with patient-specific data and builds predictive, multi-scale biophysical models of tumor growth with the purpose of optimizing therapies for the individual cancer patient.

The Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Podcast is designed to give listeners insight into what is happening in the field of breast cancer research, treatment, screening and survivorship. Through each episode, experts in various fields share their knowledge through guided conversations on a variety of topics.

“Dr. Yankeelov…and his team are working to solve the breast cancer equation,” says the site’s promotion. “You won’t believe how it works – solving for X has never been more exciting!”