Ivana Bozic
University of Washington, WA·Mathematics & Statistics·Early-career
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer deaths in the US, and catching it early, before it spreads to other organs, is one of the best ways to reduce those deaths. A promising route is a simple blood draw.
- Fields
Mathematics & Statistics
Biomedical Engineering
Biology
- Topics
colorectal cancer
cell-free DNA
cfDNA
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Mar 2027
What they work on
- Develop probability methods for describing how branching processes on graphs, random models of dividing cells spread across connected states, behave over finite, realistic time spans rather than only in the long run.
- Build a stochastic (randomness-based) model of how cell-free DNA, tumor DNA fragments released into the blood, is shed as a colorectal tumor grows and evolves.
- Create computational methods that use the shedding model to compare blood-based cell-free DNA strategies for detecting colorectal cancer early, before it spreads.
- Produce an interactive textbook and a live-streamed seminar series that give students hands-on experience with mathematical models of cancer.
More about the research
Tumors shed small fragments of their DNA into the bloodstream, and these cell-free DNA fragments often carry the tumor's own mutations. The open question is how to use these blood signals most effectively: when to test, how often, and what level of signal to look for.
Why it matters
Colorectal cancer is far more treatable when found before it spreads. By modeling how tumors release DNA into the blood as they grow, this work could help design better non-invasive blood tests, guiding choices such as how often to screen and what mutation signals to look for. Patients at risk of colorectal cancer could eventually benefit from earlier detection. The mathematical tools may also aid models of epidemics and drug resistance in microbes.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Rupa Haldavnekar
University of Oklahoma, OK·Biomedical Engineering
Develop a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing approach, a light-based method that reads molecular fingerprints, to detect subtle blood-based changes signaling early ovarian tumor formation.
Igor Cialenco
Illinois Institute of Technology, IL·Mathematics & Statistics
Develop a tractable top-down stochastic model of groundwater levels and use it to study how prices of tradeable groundwater rights form as a Nash equilibrium among competing water users.
Yun Wu
University at Buffalo, NY·Biomedical Engineering
Develop the Exo-PROS biosensor, which captures tumor-derived exosomes from blood, and measure its sensitivity, specificity, linear range and repeatability for detecting proteins, microRNAs and sugar antigens.
The school
University of Washington: 81 labs on PI Pages, $1.7B a year on research, 694 research doctorates a year.
Reach out
A start for your email. Fill in the brackets.