Professor Gibin Powathil

Gibin’s teaching interests are mainly in Applied Mathematics topics. He regularly teaches courses on numerical, computational and biomathematics.

 Some of Gibin's recent research projects include:

1) Multiscale modelling of glioma growth and treatments: Currently, Gibin is developing a multiscale mathematical model for glioma growth using several patient-specific information to assist its treatment planning and delivery.

2) Modelling the effects of tumour heterogeneities on tumour growth and treatment responses: A growing tumour can change its microenvironment in its own favour by suppressing anti‐tumour factors and producing excess growth factors. There is also increasing evidence to support the hypothesis that the tumour microenvironment plays an important role in conferring drug resistance, a major cause of relapse contributing to the incurability of cancer.

3) Modelling drug resistance and its implications in a cell-cycle phase specific chemotherapy: The development of drug resistance by cancer cells continues to be a key impediment in the successful delivery of these multi-drug therapies. Our recent studies have indicated the role of slow-cycling tumour sub-populations in developing resistance to the conventional chemotherapeutic drug.

4) Modelling radiation bystander effects and its implications in clinical radiotherapy: Radiation-induced bystander effects are defined as those biological effects expressed, after the irradiation, by cells that are not directly exposed to the radiation. The bystander effect has several important implications for radiation protection, radiotherapy and diagnostic radiology. Currently, Gibin is developing a hybrid model incorporating the multiple effects of radiation and radiation-induced bystander effects.

Gibin’s work is highly interdisciplinary in nature and in the interface between mathematics, biology and medicine. He collaborates with mathematicians, clinicians, experimentalists and computational scientists nationally and internationally (as reflected in his publications). He is open to further collaborations in his research area and welcomes email enquiries.