Who said mathematics is bad for your health?

• BCAM researcher Luca Gerardo-Giorda presents the possibilities of mathematical modelling to professionals at Cruces Hospital

Can mathematics improve an integrated health system, based on research and daily clinical practice? This was the starting point of the session given by BCAM researcher Luca Gerardo-Giorda at Cruces Hospital. The "Berripils" or "Innovation Pills" are one-hour monthly sessions, organised by the Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, with the aim of creating a meeting point that allows health professionals to know other points of view, as well as the innovation and changes that are taking place in their environment.

During his talk, the leader of BCAM's research line in Mathematical Modelling for Biosciences has explained that the advances of the last two decades have meant that mathematical modelling, numerical simulation, machine learning and the analysis of large amounts of data can provide reliable predictive models and play a much more relevant role in supporting health. After describing the bases of this field, he has presented some successful cases of the use of mathematical models in health, such as applications in cardiovascular diseases, cancer or chronic diseases, as well as a system for the optimization of waiting lists and a tool for the classification of oocytes in use in the assisted reproduction service of Osakidetza.

Finally, Gerardo-Giorda has presented some of the activities that BCAM carries out in this field and the potential for transfer of the center's research lines to the health sector.