The Merger of Statistical and Mechanistic Models in Biological Research

Statistical models and mechanistic models should be considered together as all testable models must include stochastic components to capture noise and uncertainty. In the life sciences, informatics and mechanistic model approaches have thus far advanced almost independently, with each community largely unaware of the power of concepts and tools from the other. I will illustrate the power of combining these approaches and suggest ways to incorporate this training into graduate programs.